Cultural Books

This well-written book took me back to Shelbyville IN in the 1950s, when every barber shop displayed a picture of the 1947 championship team and every patron knew all their names. No one would question the effect Bill Garrett had on his home town, but few could have predicted the impact he would have on collegiate sports for years to come.

The little town of Milan provided great sports drama for the movie "Hoosiers," but the life of Bill Garrett is more than a sports story. He did for NCAA athletics what Jackie Robinson did for Major League Baseball. Young people of today would be shocked to learn what he endured just a couple of generations ago.

Thanks to Tom and Rachel Graham Cody for this great read. As a Purdue grad, it pains me to praise a book that casts such a positive glow on Indiana University!

This is a good book and a good read. If you're from small-town Indiana (like me) and old enough to understand what single-class "Hoosier Hysteria" really meant, then you'll like this book.

However I respectfully offer that it's not a 5-star book. It may be a 5-star story in search of a 5-star telling.

I just finished the book yesterday, and I find myself wishing the authors had been less dispassionate. Or more passionate? Whatever.

So who was Bill Garrett? The book talks a lot about his life and times, and provides some ancedotes, but always left me wanting more about Bill. Sadly, Bill wasn't available to be interviewed, but his teammates, friends and wife were all sources for the book.

Here are some examples:

We learn a lot about how Bill came to enroll at IU, but we don't learn about the man himself. Bill left Tennessee State after enrolling, and took a bus to IU. No one was available to meet him there! How did he feel about this?

Bill was on the road and separated from his wife for several years while he knocked around the fringes of professional basketball. How was their relationship affected? We don't know.

Finally - the authors talk about the changes in college basketball in the 1950's (pp 169-175), Branch McCracken's sporadic recruitment of black players, yet fail to mention that IU WON the NCAA championship in 1953!

Sorry 5-star raters...it's a good book and a story worth telling, but could be a lot better. Probably a better movie than a book.

Seldom have I been so touched, entertained, and educated by a book as I was by Getting Open, which I read in two days. It is truly a masterpiece and something I will keep on my bookshelf for the rest of my life.

Although born and raised in Indiana, I didn't know much if anything about Bill Garrett before reading this book, but I was just blown away by his story. Not knowing the story, it was almost like reading a well-crafted novel and I hung on every new development the authors revealed. I also didn't know much about the racial intolerance of the times. My neighborhood and high school were all white, so I really had little if any contact with blacks before I went to Indiana University as a freshman in 1963. It hardly seems possible that such racial intolerance existed in the Midwest so recently before then.

This book exceeded all my expectations and I highly recommend it to anyone, whether you're a basketball fan or not. If you have any ties to the Hoosier State or to Indiana University, you will love it all the more.

At the pinnacle of his high school career - leading Shelbyville High to the Indiana state championship; a team that had three black starters - not one college scout in the arena attended the game to recruit Bill Garrett or his two teammates due to the color of their skin.

At the pinnacle of his collegiate career - leaving the court to a standing ovation that lasted several minutes - Bill Garrett was refused service in a restaurant days later; one that had on its marquee that it welcomed fans of Indiana Unniversity basketball.

And when Bill Garrett was ready to launch his pro career, the team in his home state did not draft him.

But Bill Garrett was stronger than those who attempted to keep those doors closed. And we are better because of him.

For author Tom Graham - with his co-author/daughter Rachel Graham Cody - the book took seven years of reseach, and certainly a lifetime of not denying the facts from the past and understanding the urgency in the present to set the record straight.

Getting Open is more than a biography on Garrett and how he integrated Big Ten basketball by playing and starring for IU. It is a history of institutionalized racial hatred in the State of Indiana - at one point in the 20th Century, the KKK essentially controlled all essential government offices - and the tireless work of person's from different sides of the tracks to fight the good fight.

Graham is a Shelbyville native who was old enough to vividly recall the times, which certainly helped as he meticulously did his research to cut through the fiction that builds from facts as the years tumble on.

It is a book from the heart that will make you realize how we must celebrate those who had the courage then by continuing to challenge those who want to forget - or rewrite - the past.

This book is an incredibly well written and well documented story that should be more widely read. It is an important history that many sports fans, and non-sports fans, will enjoy tremendously. It is an inspiration to us all, and offers many lessons and insights about overcoming racism. Thank you to the father-daughter authors for getting out this story!

All other books about GI Joe take note: You have just been left in the dust. Michlig's authoritative and highly readable GI Joe: The Complete Story of America's Favorite Man of Action is the best single source of information about the origin of GI Joe that exists. Colorful anecdotes illuminate this exhaustively informative, definitive work about America's Movable Fighting Man. It belongs on the bookshelves of everyone interested in the history of playthings.

Richard C. Levy
Washington, D.C.

A great read for the hardcore collector or the novice.

Full of great insider info and eye watering photographs.

Excellent review of the life and times of America's Moveable Fighting Man. Especially interesting are the details of the conception and behind-the-scenes work in creating the prototype figure and marketing concept, an aspect of the story that may interest even non-Joe devotees. Collectors may wish to note that this is a much-expanded (and therefore more essential) version of the slender book included with the G. I. Joe Masterpiece Edition boxed figure.

Don't confuse this book with the "GI Joe collector's guides" that exist in various forms. This is a different animal - - gripping, well-written nonfiction, telling the story of a small family-owned business and its leap of faith on a brand new type of toy for boys, the now-ubiquitous "action figure."

The story of the GI Joe product illuminates the story of the toy industry itself. I found this look inside the process of bringing a product to market and maintaining its value over the course of decades fascinating.

I don't normally give a Five Star rating, but my god, this book is wonderful. The story is fun and indepth. The design is AMAZING and the images of the GI JOE figures are wonderfully shot.

If you have even a slight, passing interest in GI JOE, buy this book, you won't be dissappointed!

I can't distinguish between Trilby's and Fedoras, I'm not sure I want to. They may even be the same thing. I was born in the same year that President Kennedy was assassinated, and I didn't know that there was a generally held belief that, because he didn't wear a hat at his inauguration, that he was responsible for the worldwide decline in hat wearing. Steinberg's book shows that this proposition is untrue on two counts - that hat wearing was declining throughout the Twentieth Century, and that, in fact, President Kennedy did wear a hat during his inauguration - in the procession up to it, tipping it to his father, and in the parade after it - but not in the memorable portions of it.
Steinberg's book accumulates a significant amount of information that might be classified as social history or even incidental detail - the change in fashion for hats from top hats to less formal attire; the expense of owning a hat - hat check stalls were leased out by hotels and restaurants, and the leasees were accused of keeping both the fees and the tips; the vain, though valiant efforts, of hat companies to fight the tide of hatless-ness.
He counters the view that hatless-ness was inevitable, pointing out that tie-wearing could be seen as equally obsolete and yet continued through the twentieth century. I think he's on thin ice with this argument, given the increasing popularity of `smart-casual' tieless-ness and `dress down Friday's'.
The book also paints a picture of how Kennedy represented youth, vigour and change in 1960. His bareheadedness was part of this, so, apparently were the two-button suits which he favoured. His patrician-cool style was also apparent in his dislike of the usual hoopla of politics, he vowed never to raise both of his arms together, and politely refused to don almost all headgear - hats, Indian feathers- which he was offered on the campaign trail. There is a quite effective description of the impression left by Kennedy, especially his inauguration. Steinberg poses, but does not answer, the question as to why we remember him as hatless, when in fact he had a hat, and wore it for some of the occasion.

Having read it, I am not sure why I did so, I have no interest in fashion or social history. However I would recommend it as a good, off-beat read. I think the book (I read the paperback version) would have benefited from pictures, which might have helped identify the various types of hat being referred to. One effect of this book however, is that I have started to watch black and white movies with renewed awareness of the hats, I recently watched a Jimmy Stewart movie, and was quite taken with the fact that he kept his hat on in the car.

I started wearing these kinds of hats just under a year ago. Having no background with such hats (my parents didn't either, I don't think), I was able to pick up quite a bit of "proper" hat etiquette from this book. Mostly, though, it was very interesting to see how JFK's dislike of hats was perceived as a catalyst for the "mandatory" hat-wearing of 50 years ago to fade.

Imagine if all of a sudden men starting going outside without pants on. (Let's for the moment ignore the teenagers who wear them so low they are essentially pantless, wearing tall socks rather than trousers.) We would be startled, shocked, confused, and wonder what had happened. Well, this is what occurred during the 20th Century with hats. Look at old photos of busy New York streets and you'll see every head covered. Rich, poor, young, old. No difference. Yet this essential piece of attire virtually disappeared within a generation. And no one really noticed.

The traditional tale is that Kennedy's inauguration did it in. But this book clearly establishes that is not true. No, it was a gradual slide that picked up steam, and in my father's generation (born in 1930) completely vanished. For him a hat was what old men wore, and though he had one for the rare occasion when he wanted to look more mature, after about 1960 he never wore it again. Look at the famous photo of Ruby shooting Oswald. The old guys in authority, and Ruby himself, are all wearing their hats; the younger guys are not. A fedora today is an affectation, an attempt to stand out. Whereas, as Steinberg so vividly points out, NOT wearing a hat, or wearing the out of season hat, could bring anything from insults to assaults.

I was fascinated by the entire book. Well written, well organized, well constructed. I only wish there had been illustrations to show me what all these various headpieces were. But as social history, this is one of the most illuminating and insightful looks at cultural change I've ever read.

In our business there is an awful lot of hand-wringing about the good old days when all well-dressed men wore hats. Hatters opine and whine about President Kennedy's refusal to wear hats resulting in a devastating effect on the industry. Neil Steinberg in Hatless JACK sets the record straight and debunks the assumption that JFK ruined the hat business. Instead, Steinberg places Kennedy's aversion to hats in the context of a trend in hatlessness that had been gaining momentum since the turn of the previous century. This is a well-researched and entertaining book, full of information and anecdotes pertaining to the historical importance of hats in American culture. Hatless JACK: The President, the Fedora, and the History of an American Style gives ever-more credence to what hat people understand - a hat is not just another article of apparel.

I'll never look at the top hat, from which the magician conjures the bunny, in the same way ever again.

HATLESS JACK is one of those fascinating treatises about a subject with which you wouldn't otherwise think to concern yourself. In this case, it's men's hats - Stetsons, derbies, fedoras, straw boaters, toppers - and the history, customs, etiquette, and practical pitfalls surrounding their use in America . More importantly, the book examines the demise of the hat as a necessary component of the well-dressed man's wardrobe. As the title implies, the disappearance of the hat from American male fashion can perhaps be largely attributed to President John Kennedy's aversion to wearing such. In debunking this theory, author Neil Steinberg, while incidentally writing an engaging (albeit superficial) narrative about America's youngest President, traces the decline of fashionable headgear back to the 1890's when female theater patrons found it obliging to remove their large and elaborate hats so people sitting behind could see the stage. From there, despite the heyday of fedoras and straw hats in the 1920s, it was all downhill, much to the consternation of the nation's hatmakers.

HATLESS JACK is also a compendium of historically interesting trivia. Did you know that the Hat Act, passed by the British Parliament in 1732, forbade American colonists from selling hats abroad or to each other, as well as the physical conveyance of hats by boat or horse? Or that the wearing of summer straw hats beyond September 15th could cause social unrest to the extent of rioting in the streets? Or that hatcheck girls of the 20s and 30s occupied a social position "halfway between a sister and a slut"?

HATLESS JACK cries out for a photo section; its sole deficiency is that it has none. There are supposedly pictures of JFK wearing a top hat during his inauguration (though he mostly carried it). I'd love to see one.

Oddly, Steinberg fails to mention the enduring association of hats, even to contemporary times, with that icon of Americana, the western cowboy. That phenomenon could have filled a chapter all by itself. (Country-western singers don't count.)

And do I own a hat? I do, actually - a grey canvas number reminiscent of that worn by Indiana Jones. I sport it at a jaunty angle on my out-of-state vacations to remind the local rubes that I'm not a swell to be trifled with.

I loved this book. Fagone writes in a style that's as engaging and erudite as Malcolm Gladwell and David Foster Wallace, and he brings an excitement and awe to a subject that many might consider too gross to be examined. Now that I know all the players, it's more exciting to watch the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog competition.

HORSEMEN OF THE ESOPHAGUS: COMPETITIVE EATING AND THE BIG FAT AMERICAN DREAM follows the author's journey to twenty-seven eating contests on two continents, from the U.S. to Japan, as he interviews some of the world's top eating champions and surveys contests, subcultures, and oddities of the food world. Any food fan will relish these fun vignettes of promoters, events, and eaters alike, wrapped n chapters of mouth-watering - and sometimes horrifying - descriptions of food and gluttons alike.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Competitive eating has to be one of the signs of the collapse of American culture. Or, is it? For one year Jason Fagone explores the cesspool of commercial gluttony and comes back with a surprising, and fulfilling story.

Ok, up front, let me say that I think that competitive eating is fairly weird and gross. This book only marginally shifted my idea that the whole thing is a bit of a freak show. I didn't think I'd like this book. My sister gave me this book because she has an unnatural fixation with hot dogs and spends way too much time in bookstores cruising the new release aisle. I am unfamiliar with this writer, as I guess it's his first book. But he has a strong voice, and an engaging way of explaining the most incredulous situations as very matter of fact. I sort of thought it as a more entertaining variation on "Fast Food Nation."

Frankly, some of the details are just weird or hysterical (dunking hot dogs in liquid so that they go down easier - yuck) and yet it's all nicely detailed and believable. One thing that is not evident from the cover is that the story is not just of the business of competitive eating, which I knew nothing about and which he covers well, but of America's huge appetites for everything. I found this aspect of the book surprisingly thought provoking. I say surprisingly, because I really just thought it would be about obese guys eating hot dogs. But it actually made me really think about these people, and why they do this to themselves, and more importantly, why we as a country do it - we just consume, consume, consume.

It's one of the few books that I've read in a few years where I think the title doesn't explain the book well, and a different one might have lent itself better to the actual material inside.

Sure, this book is about eating, but it's also a satisfying quest, like a good road movie. Jason Fagone takes us around the world to see best and the worst of this offbeat activity -- the worst is truly, deeply upsetting -- and to search for meaning in all those HDBs (hot dogs and buns). Often funny, sometimes profane, never boring, this book is a thoughtful work of serious journalism and great storytelling.

I order two books (I Dream a World) and received only one book I am still waiting for the second book to arrive. I have sent several emails to find out where the book is and I have not gotten anywhere. Will you please send me my book.

I am willing to sign for the book when it arrive. If I don't receive my book I will not feel safe odering from you anymore. If don't receive my book in the next to weeks I will be pursuing a refund.

The first book was a christmas gift for my niece and the second one was for me. I like the book that why I place a second order.

I was blessed to recieve this book in 1990 as a gift from a dear friend. Throughout the years this book has been a form of encouragement in my daily life through various things. Once my daughter turned ten we sat down together and read through I DREAM A WORLD, She was captivated. I have now passed this book on to my daughter and she proudly displays it in her room with trophies, clay art, pictures, and souviners.

This is such a beautiful, respectable book! The portraits & stories of AA are profound & present fantastic role models for today's young AA girls. A hearty "thank you" to those responsible for compiling & publishing this book!

I was given this book when I was a freshman in architecture college. When I saw Ms Sklarek, I immediately wrote the publisher and got her addres and wrote her a letter. To my surprise she wrote back to me and her later inspired me to continue studying architecture. Now...17 years and three degrees later I came across her name again during a conversation and I decided to contact her again and again, she sent me her business card. Since our architectural firm has a committee that procures speakers, I plan to invite her to my firm to give a presentation on Women in Architecture. So, I said all that to say...not only should we find our mentors, but we should also communicate with them whenever we can.

I Dream a World is inspiring in its beautiful photography and the brief stories it shares about the women in the pictures. While it touches on their life stories, this book shares these women's thoughts. That is what draws me closer to this book each time I open it. The women inside, and the book itself, will make you think about your dreams and encourage you to work towards them.

No matter what your race or gender, give this book to anyone who needs encouragement. I especially enjoy recommending this book to young women who can learn a lot from the women within its pages.

I found the information in this book very informative and surprising that black participation in finance went back as far as it did. Stories of black stockbrokers and mutual fund salesmen in the 1950's to the investment bankers of today, records the slow but meaningful progress made on the Street in the last few decades. Hopefully, the progress will continue....

This book was an impulse buy for me, I have always had little interest in Wall Street but my son works in the securities industry so I thought I would read this for some background. I am very glad I did because I did not realize how deep African American history in the financial world is. I enjoyed the stories of people like Philip Jenkins and John Patterson, early pioneers who deserve greater recognition for their contributions. I think that this book is an important contribution of both African American and Wall Street history and does a good job of illuminating aspects about the history of finance that went unrecognized for far too long.

This book fills in the missing pages of Wall Street's History. It documents how African-Americans overcame racism and other barriers to become successful in the financial securities industry. This should be part of every business school's curriculum.

"I picked this book up after being attracted to its wonderful
book jacket and its words certainly lived up to my
expectations. As a young person, I had never heard of most
of the names in the book, and I am now filled with great
appreciation of the work they did to break barriers on Wall
Street. As a person of color, I felt it necessary to lear
about the pioneers of the past, and all they accomplished
despite the obstacles that hindered them. A necessary
book!!!"

On Wall Street, you are remembered only for your last price, trade, or quarterly report. History is not dwelled on; today's young leaders probably wouldn't know JP Morgan, Muriel Siebert, or EF Hutton if they tripped over them. Nor would many even know the names Hornblower, First Harlem, Bache, Hutton, or Shearson. But, as of this writing, with African Americans leading both Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse First Boston, it is nice (and necessary) to read a concise history of African Americans on Wall Street. Did you know that in the 1960's, Merrill Lynch, with 2500 fixed commission brokers, hired only 3 African American brokers? If not for this book, how many would know of Thorvald McGregor (MercerHicks) and Lawrence Lewis (Abraham & Co) , the first two African American Registered Reps in 1949? Or Abraham Cowing (FL Salomon); Howard Law grad Norman McGhee (McGhee and Company, the first black NASD securities firm); Philip Jenkins and Earle Fisher (Baruch Brothers) who started Special Markets; Lilla St John (Oppenheimer), the first black female broker in 1953; June Middleton (Cohen Simonson); Attorney Wylie H. Whisonant (Bache); Clarence B. Jones (Carter, Berlind, Sanford Weill, & Arthur Levitt); or Joseph L Searles (the first black full member of the NYSE in 1970)? The author, Gregory Bell, is the son of the Travers Bell, who founded the first black-owned member firm of the New York Stock Exchange, so he had deep access to the inside story of the black history of Wall Street. Although there were a couple of paragraphs that I might not have agreed with (the speculation that African Americans did not invest in equities in the 1950's because they were more concerned with basic civil rights than investing), the book remains an excellent, informative read. It is especially interesting when discussing the strategies of the early firms (selling mutual funds that required less financial sophistication); the trials of how companies were founded (For example, Daniels and Bell hatched their business plan after seeing The Wiz on Broadway, spent a year trying to get financing, and finally scored some needed fund after Myron Kandell wrote a story on their efforts and Nixon's SEC Chief William Casey pushed through an exemption to some rules for them and influenced his friends to invest in the firm), as well as when discussing the effect of Municipal policies to require that a percentage of their Public Finance business be done with minority owned vendors.

"I hear they are building a bridge
To the island of Tsu.
Alas...
To what now
Shall I compare myself?"
- old Japanese poem, included at the start of the book.

The reason I decided to read this book is that the idea of ambling around some quiet Japanese islands with an Ozu nut sounded like a good time. And I was not wrong. I can only echo most of the sentiments expressed by reviewers above. This is a wonderful book.
Ostensibly, it's a travelogue, and a farewell letter to a Japan that was fading from existence when Richie made his trip in the early 60s. While I'd be the first to sympathise with Richie's remorse at the changing face of Japanese society (had I experienced it, that is!), I visited Japan for the first time last year and when reading this book on my return found many of my impressions reflected in the book (if much more eloquently than they existed in my head) Furthermore, while the book undoubtedly appeals to many at some stage of "the syndrome" as Richie calls it, it is really a book for anyone who has wished to cast themselves off for sea, and utter those words that bracket Richie's story, and that title this review. This is a man who has sought a world in which he will always be a stranger.
In the afterword to the original edition, the author states that Japan is a mirror to the western soul. Perhaps it's not so much that, as that other cultures cast our own ways into relief and force us to ask questions of ourselves; for many westerners, the questions that Japan asks are fascinating.
As other reviewers have noted, prudes or puritans ought to be a little wary; others may wish to be a little subjective about which lines they read between. Still, something had to happen in Onomichi to stop it turning into a lecture on Ozu I suppose.

Regarding this new edition. I have to agree with Willy D's comments. I can put up with the two columns of print (sort of giving it the book a bottom of the backpack quality; to take out and meditate on at random), and I haven't even bothered with the new introduction. But while the new afterward is interesting, the omission of the old one is a bad mistake, and worst of all, the replacement of the beautiful photos in the original edition (sorry I forget the photographer's name) with some tacky little low contrast snaps of places visited is very sinful. Perhaps the next edition could fix these errors up...?

So if you can, get to the library and find the crusty old 1971 edition, but whichever version you read, I highly recommend this terrific book by a wonderful writer.

Honesty is a characteristic of Richie's writing, along with humor, insight, and detail. He's often quite brutally honest, in fact, and though he hides little about his own failings, he's sometimes a bit more judgemental of others. But aren't we all and his observations are so entertaining, sometimes astonishing, that I always have a hard time putting his books down.

There are times, however, when Richie's judgement wears on me. The qualities that allow him to do his best writing, his marvelous detachment and curiosity, seem to make him miss aspects of the humanity of those he's observing. He romanticizes where it serves his personal needs and dismisses, sometimes churlishly, where he becomes tired or irritated with the scene and the people who he then allows to become only part of that scenery.

I recently had the enormous pleasure of reading his Japan journals while traveling Japan. The journals extend to 2004, well after "Inland Sea," and I find less of the irritating Richie in them.

In the final analysis, I just can't help mostly loving Richie. This small volume is just another gem in the wonderful body of work from this writer who should be appreciated as a writer, not just as a writer on Japan.

Donald Richie wrote a journal in 1962 which formed the ground work for everything in the book. In the 9 years until he decided to publish his journal/book, he reprised the journal with additional insertions, in which he sometimes took pieces of his experiences within Japan, that although they did not occur in the Inland Sea of Japan and during the time the journal was written, he nevertheless recognized them as very much a part of what he considers to represent Japan before modernization. Although it is unknown what exactly didn't occur within Japan's Inland Sea, it is undeniable that the book is a masterpiece of a travelogue that very much captures the essence of everything he specifically mentions. He may well have written the journal with the expectation of it being published eventually, once he was ready.

In many ways it is hard to think of it as a travelogue due to the fact that Donald Richie has already experienced half of his life within Japan, and what appears to be an individual reflecting much of his personal life into the narration. It comes across more as an journal written by an individual whom by this point into the published version has become established within Japanese culture and integrated his life within Japan, and is so able to absorb himself into his encounter, that a deeper visual presence of this world and his psyche emerges integrated into this work, that not even a well developed visual experience within cinema could do it justice.

Donald Richie has written many books on Japanese Cinema, namely Kurosawa and Ozu. His visual thinking style is very evident in this book, and I must mention he has a gift for visualization. Compared to Alan Booth, he appears to be far better at writing, and is a far more reflective an individual. Able to decipher the meaning to things, he doesn't simply note down the illogical peculiarities of the individuals he encounters. A note of warning though is that Richie has some definite vices, namely he acts upon sexual gratification with young women, and almost gets taken away with a high-school girl. He doesn't do anything illegal in the story (at least, not that I'm totally familiar with, given the time and place, and nothing with which you couldn't do, and get away with, in the US.) Although he does so during a marriage, and his actions would well be chastised by many readers, he is who he is. The end notes of his book (in the first edition, published 1971) do tell the reader of his decision to keep much of the journal writings intact without any changes made to the events. By doing so, some may find his encounters reason enough to steer clear of the book; however I must let you know you will be missing out on a very memorable experience.

The man is a brilliant writer, and one you will not find too common-place. It is also an incredibly rare experience, even more so that time has passed since then. Not to mention, the book does not come across as a book written from memory, as the writing takes a very concerted effort to engage the reader as though the reader were Donald Richie, living scene by scene in real-time. And more importantly is that the book is even better with some of the hilarious aspects of his adventure, and is much more believable with accuracy than Alan Booth. Not to mention, is Donald Richies noticeable appreciation for the Japanese people, despite clear impression to avert from some of the fine nuances that are presented in their culture, and which one might believe that he is seeking to escape his own cultural background, as if a vagabond in search of his soul. In this way he seems to have a sad and endearing appreciation for something that doesn't entirely isolate itself to Japan, although in many ways unique to it. In part because he gets caught into the moment of his experience, he sometimes steps back and picks at nuances, sometimes disrespectfully callow; though this is rare for him in this instance. Read it and maybe what I said will make sense, as I didn't write this too well.

RMP

This is a rare gem of a book.

First published in 1971 it is just as topical now more than 30 years later. Richie travels Japan and captures the essence of the people, their humour, kindness and unique attitude to life. Opening the book at random here is a taste;

"The mist rose like a curtain, obscured the mountain, revealed the beach, the pier, the three girls. They looked like small children, small on the black pier, the black mountains behind them.
The sun lifted itself above the mountains, flying. The rising mist turned gold. The entire island floated large on the sea like a mirror. The girls were gone, swallowed into the morning." (Page 88)

The front cover reads, "A masterwork of travel fiction..." and that is exactly what it is.

I really could not praise this book enough. It is one of my favorite books of all time and a truly astounding piece of "travel writing". However, this edition is a bit wanting.

The new afterward is very good but a bit sobering, confirming that, yes, to a large extent the place you have just read about is now dead as the dodo, all too effectively ending your "fever dream". Also, the new pictures are junk. They look as though they came from a Lonely Planet guide, whilst the original edition had beautiful, mysterious, haunting, high contrast photos that came across more like paintings.

Most puzzling is the page layout which consists of 2 columns per page, like a magazine article. Why? So it looks like something from "Outside" or GQ? Needless to say I preferred the musty tome from the library that read like some brilliant forgotten diary.

I've read everything that I could on Jackie Wilson.the Man was something else in His Prime but sadly hasn't gotten His Full Due as a Artist to me overall.The Man knew how to Rock a Stage&was in Groove.but there was the Business which was Controled then as it is now by Payola&Scandal&at the End of the Day the Artist that has brought so Much Joy to so many People is the last Person Paid&Respected.this Book Explores many Aspects of His Career&Life.Ups&downs.it's a Great Inside Reflection of the Business.Much Props to Tony Douglas.RIP Jackie Wilson.

Mr. Excitement was really exciting!! Very good book

Singer Jackie Wilson was one of the finest singing talents of the century, but he suffered from chronic addictions and his career was controlled by the Mob. This biography of his life, work and achievements chronicles the accomplishments of a man who was buried in a paupers grave, yet at his peak achieved 24 top 40 hits in the U.S. An involving coverage of a talented yet tormented performer.

This book is unique. I've read books about Jackie LeRoy Wilson but this book by far is the best i've read. It cuts right to the chase and gives you information that's clear and not a run around. Also, gives you some pictures of Jackie that are in color. I recommend this book.

Tony Douglas' book, "Jackie Wilson:The Man, The Music, The Mob," far surpasses Mr. Douglas' talents. Mr. Douglas' book, "Jackie Wilson: Lonely Teardrops," was fantastic and now Mr. Douglas comes back with an even greater book. For the people who never knew Jackie they can now educate themselves on this exceptional man and find out why Jackie was, "Mr. Excitement." Mr. Douglas did years of research and has covered a lot of ground work. He has talked to the people that knew Jackie and loved him. This is an exceptional book taken from the heart of one man.

Mr. Douglas went a step further he spoke with one of the bravest woman of Jackie's life, Freda Wilson, Jackie's wife of 13 years. She sacrificed it all for Jackie to be a star. Jackie was the greatest R & B artist that ever lived and if he had survived he would have blown everyone away with his astonishing talent and charisma. He was the one and only, "Mr. Excitement."

Jackie Joyner-Kersee elaborately describes the struggles and obstacles that she had to overcome to become a successful and outstanding athlete and person. Her book is filled with emotions that the reader can intially relate to. Her life was filled with adversity and proves that a strong and self-determined person can triumph regardless of depressing and self-destructing obstacles that may stand in your way. Jackie, who is portrayed through the media to be "Superwoman" is really more human and down to the earth than most of the world. Life for Jackie was not always "peaches and cream." She was born and raised in East St. Louis, which was not known as a very safe place at the time. A reporter once suggested to Jackie that she should not tell people where she was from cause it might destroy her image. This event, however, made Jackie appreciate her hometown even more. You cannot put into words why this woman is thought of as superb. She went from rock bottom to soaring to the unlimited top. With the help of this book, Jackie's title as "The World's Greatest Female Athlete" has been justified.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee elaborately describes the struggles and obstacles that she had to overcome to become a successful and outstanding athlete and person. Her book is filled with emotions that the reader can intially relate to. Her life was filled with adversity and proves that a strong and self-determined person can triumph regardless of depressing and self-destructing obstacles that may stand in your way. Jackie, who is portrayed through the media to be "Superwoman" is really more human and down to the earth than most of the world. Life for Jackie was not always "peaches and cream." She was born and raised in East St. Louis, which was not known as a very safe place at the time. A reporter once suggested to Jackie that she should not tell people where she was from cause it might destroy her image. This event, however, made Jackie appreciate her hometown even more. You cannot put into words why this woman is thought of as superb. She went from rock bottom to soaring to the unlimited top. With the help of this book, Jackie's title as "The World's Greatest Female Athlete" has been justified.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee elaborately describes the struggles and obstacles that she had to overcome to become a successful and outstanding athlete and person. Her book is filled with emotions that the reader can intially relate to. Her life was filled with adversity and proves that a strong and self-determined person can triumph regardless of depressing and self-destructing obstacles that may stand in your way. Jackie, who is portrayed through the media to be "Superwoman" is really more human and down to the earth than most of the world. Life for Jackie was not always "peaches and cream." She was born and raised in East St. Louis, which was not known as a very safe place at the time. A reporter once suggested to Jackie that she should not tell people where she was from cause it might destroy her image. This event, however, made Jackie appreciate her hometown even more. You cannot put into words why this woman is thought of as superb. She went from rock bottom to soaring to the unlimited top. With the help of this book, Jackie's title as "The World's Greatest Female Athlete" has been justified.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee's autobiography is everything a biography should be, well-written, entertaining, and deeply moving. Unlike many celebrity bios that center around events, primarily ones that reflect well on the author, Jackie's book is people-centered and equally honest about her struggles as well as her triumphs. She writes with love and admiration about many people who have touched her life both in big and small ways. It is not hard to see why Jackie became the woman and athlete that she is. This book could have just as easily been titled "The World's Greatest Role Model for Young People."

A Kind of Grace is an excellent book. I think everyone should read it. It gave me a whole new look on life and how to appreciate everything I have. It also gave me inspiration to work hard at track. Now I have the heart and determination to train, lift weights, and practice, practice, practice. So everyone please buy and read this wonderful book, A Kind of Grace.

What a blessing to listen to these sermons of my brother in Christ Dr. King. Never throughout my life did I hear these. Why?

America, wake up!!! You are a great nation, because of the freedom bestowed upon us by none other than Jesus, the Messiah (Christ).

And those people, brought here as slaves (believe me I've heard it ad nauseam going through school, but just listen), have helped make us a great nation!

Now listen - we are ALL slaves - every one of us. To who? To ourselves!

If you think I'm a religious zealot - absolutely, freakin' not. I am a former slave, that's all. No more, no less. Saved by the blood of the Lamb. And now filled with the love of His Spirit, and loving my fellow man, regardless of color or background.

I look forward to meeting you in heaven Dr. King!

(Let's pray for Dr. King's constituents, that they would come to know the Lord, and love all, black and white, and gain God's strength as Dr. King did.... and keep loving one another, faults and all - 'cause we know we all got faults, but our hearts should be turned towards perfection! Thank you Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords!!!)

Simply phenomenal added dimension of Dr king that the general public who know him as an inspired civil rights leader must come to know. He was nspired, energized and directed by the word of Almighty God and conscience. Oh for leaders today to be likewise constituted.

The sermons in A Knock at Midnight are both deeply moving and a powerful reminder of the greatness of Dr. King. This collection should be read and heard by everyone, especially the young of today who have been fed a Dr. King who somehow only delivered one speech ("I Have a Dream"). As a middle school teacher I found the sermons to be an excellent way for my students to move beyond the platitudes about Dr. King to a much deeper understanding of his life and ministry. To read and listen to these great sermons is an absolutely wonderful experience, but at the same time a sad reminder that today we have no great voice of moral authority like his. Fortunately we do have his words and voice preserved for us and our children.

A fabulous collection of soul-stirring preaching by one of this century's finest preachers. Many people know King as a great political leader, fiery orator, and creative organizer. This collection of sermons will convince the world that King was first and foremost an anointed preacher. His sermons ring with authenticity and resound with relevancy. Kings messages speak profoundly to our troubled times and offer both prophetic insight and divine guidance as we attempt to find our way into the next millinium. This collection of sermons, with their superb introductions and commentaries, is perhaps one of the finest efforts of its kind. It will certainly be a source of pleasure and insight for generations to come.

Notice I refer to the cassettes and the companion book as an EXPERIENCE as I both listened to and read the REVEREND King! Although the media focused on the visible part of his ministry, the civil rights movement, his sermons are profound and awesome in their implications for today as well as their in their powerful delivery during the mid-1950's through 1960's. Although I will cherish both the cassette series and the book, it is through hearing the SPEAKING of Dr. King that really made me breathless! Thank you LORD God for sending us your messenger Dr. King to give us a wonderful earthly ministry for a brilliant and brief time (much like Jesus Christ). Simply awesome!