Cultural Books

The editor, Jonathan Riley-Smith, emeritus Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Cambridge University, is without a doubt the world's leading expert on the crusades, and this atlas reflects his mastery of the field. He chose first-rate historians as contributors, and his choice of topics for some of his chapters (e.g. "The Home Front" and "Settlers, Traders and Missionaries," "and "Crusading in a Changing World") reflect both his "pluralist" perspective (the crusades involved much more than the military campaigns in the Levant from 1096 to 1291) and his conviction that crusade history is so much more than campaigns, military strategy, and battlefield tactics. What is more, the maps and illustrations are first-rate. Do not waste your money on third-rate competition; buy this atlas. You will not be disappointed.

Twenty-one historians under the guidance of Jonathan Riley-Smith have provided us with an invaluable resource for the crusades. This atlas offers 150+ pages of beautiful maps punctuated with painstaking detail -- geographical features, historical dates, battle sites, travel routes, castles & fortresses, monasteries & holy sites, cities & towns -- all set against the backdrop of splendid color plating. The expeditions to the holy lands (1095-1291 CE) are charted in great detail, as well as the campaigns in Spain and the Baltic region. This provides for a collective 500-year time period (1000's-1500's CE) of the crusades. One's knowledge of medieval Christendom and the Islamic world will be strengthened beyond measure by this handsome tome. It reflects highly specialized research and is a tool for students and professors alike. Definitely worth $40.00

Riley-Smith is today's top crusades historian whose works have rivaled even Runciman's three-volume classic. Four textual sections in the atlas briefly present Riley-Smith's newer theories which depict crusaders as zealous pilgrims (not colonial boors), motivated by ideology (more than land and booty). There were few rewards to be won in Palestine, people knew it, and the costs involved in embarking on a crusade were astronomical. We certainly don't accept the crusading world-view today, but we are obligated to understand it and describe it as accurately as we can. Riley-Smith has done so, and this atlas stands as a monument to his scholarship of the past three decades.

I 'borrowed' this book from my school library many years ago and have loved it ever since. It combines wonderful maps with insightful charts and symbols detailing every aspect of the crusades from weapons used to the political ranks of the Muslim rulers.

This book details every crusade, from the first in 1099 that captured Jerusalum, to the last ones that were foguth in places as distant as north Africa and even on crusade that only sucededed in capturing Byzantium.

There are other historical atlas's and even another atlas of the crusades but this is the superior volume. THis volume illimunate the crusades in a new way and help you understand the propoganda that claims they were wrong and for greed. In fact the crusades were a response to Islamic aggression whereby Christian chruchs were destroyed in the holy land and christians enslaved. The Crusades helped resuce the holy land and this book will help you understand the truth that during this time christians still lived in the middle east, like the Armenians.
This book will help you understand the claims christianity has to maintaining a presence in the holy land.

"The Atlas of the Crusades" is one of my all time favorite books. While it's enormously helpful to the specialist, the book is also a perfect introduction to the Crusades -- visually describing this interesting historical phenomenon from beginning to end. Beyond the route maps which can be found in every atlas of the Middle Ages, this book has everything from birds-eye views of Acre and Constantinople to the layout of Crusader castles, churches, and villages, to a schematic diagram of the Mamluk Chain of Command. You can't go wrong adding this to your library.

The maps are wonderful. They are well-researched and provide an overview of the Crusades, along with all the peripheral things going on in the world of the Middle Ages. The text gives a good objective summary of events, which is difficult to find elsewhere in sources on the Crusades. Riley-Smith has chosen his topics well, including aspects of specific cultures of the time. He achieves a vivid picture of the political, economic, and social life of the time in all of the world's hot spots. This perhaps does not give the most comprehensive picture possible, since it does not take into account conflicting primary sources on the Crusades, but Riley-Smith achieves his goal. Readers looking for more information can easily find other sources; the Atlas of the Crusades is an excellent supplement to these and does a good job pulling them together.

Anyone with a serious interest in the late Habsburg Empire, Austria-Hungary, or Viennese culture should probably read this erudite, encyclopedic study. Johnston deserves praise for taking on a challenging subject. His extensive research and learning are obvious in the bibliography, notes, and the many names rescued from oblivion (many probably discussed here in English for the first time). Parts of this book are outstanding. That being said, I do not share the enthusiasm of other reviewers. In his search for overarching cultural forms or attitudes (such as "therapeutic nihilism"), Johnston makes too many sweeping generalizations, reducing individuals and their actions to sociological categories or cultural stereotypes. The people he describes often seem like caricatures. Not everyone in Vienna was neurotic, death-obsessed, or a dandy on the Ringstrasse. At one point he makes the far-fetched claim that the Hungarian language, by its very structure, causes Hungarians to become dreamers, disinclined to scrutinize reality. Johnston pigeonholes individuals by their ethnicity, religion, or nationality. He emphasizes conflicts among the different peoples and groups in the empire, but says little about the cultural cross-fertilization that also took place. He does recognize that the multilingual environment inspired reflection on the problems of language.

This is essentially a history of intellectual movements (who taught or influenced whom), not a social or cultural history, as the title might suggest. It does not say much about the politics of the era or the broader society (the section about Hungary is an exception). Johnston is at his best and most informative in discussing economists, legal theorists, and philosophers. The sections about philosophy and social theories are perhaps the most interesting, showing a range of thinkers, some of whom were very prescient concerning the future of Austria and Europe, and whose theories ranged from the utopian to the pessimistic to the sinister.

Johnston falters with literature and the arts. He treats Johann Strauss Jr. and his music in a rather dismissive way, seeming to overlook the fact that Strauss was a very good composer whose works quickly became popular all over the Western world and are still enjoyed more than a hundred years later. (For a better discussion of operetta as a cultural form, see Peter Hanak's book on Budapest and Vienna, "The Garden and the Workshop"). An artist as important as Oskar Kokoschka is quickly passed over in a few short paragraphs, conveying no sense at all of how Kokoschka's work developed and changed during his long productive lifetime. Other artists and works (Kolo Moser and the Wiener Werkstatte design studio, the operatic collaborations of Hofmannsthal and Richard Strauss, Ernst Krenek) are not mentioned at all. This is too bad, because the art and music of this period are perhaps its most lasting legacy. By contrast, the stature of psychoanalysis has declined since the 1960s, when this book was written, and the presentation of Freud in particular seems dated.

Some details: Johnston does not translate any of the many German titles he cites, a disadvantage for those who don't read German. He often refers to the "Herrenhaus," the Upper House of Parliament, without explaining the term. He mentions Marcionism many times, but defines it only after more than two hundred pages. Ditto for Herbartianism. Readers should have some background knowledge before starting, and be prepared to question some of the author's analysis and conclusions.

This book is packed with detailed information, and we learn a great deal from it, but somehow the full color and complexity of life have gone missing. Its strength is in the details, not the synthesis. We do not come closer to understanding the forces behind the unique cultural flowering of Central Europe, and of fin-de-siecle Vienna in particular. The prodigious creativity of that place and time remain as mysterious as before.

This is a wonderful book for all intellectual historians, and cultural historians interested in fin-de-siecle Austro-Hungary. It's a tour de force if ever there were one! But it manages to remain accecible at the same time.

Also, while many have written about Freud, Wittgenstein, Schiele etc., Johnston talkes about the lesser known figures of the era. That is this book's niche.

Johnston's book may not have everything that you ever wanted to know about the intellectual and cultural life of Austria-Hungary under the Hapsburgs, but if ever a single volume came close to having everything, then this is it. It has discussions of not only the "usual suspects" like Mach, Freud, Wittgenstein, but it also provides coverage of important figures in economics (i.e. Carl Menger, Schumpeter, Hayek), jurisprudence (i.e. Hans Kelsen, Karl Renner, Anton Menger), men of letters (i.e. Musil), philosophers (i.e. Schlick, Neurath, Lukacs, Buber, Ebner), music (i.e. Mahler, Schonberg), and many, many other important people. Johnston's book also covers other less well known but important figures too. For example, he covers Hans Gross, a pioneer in the development of scientific police detection.

Anyone who has already read such books as Allan Janik and Stephen Toulmins' *Wittgenstein's Vienna*, Malachi Hacohen's *Karl Popper: The Formative Years 1902-1945* or even, Edmonds & Eidinows'*Wittgenstein's Poker*, will appreciate this fascinating and well written book.

This book is worth every cent, an amazingly well written and concise history of the culture, from all angles. I can't recommend it highly enough.

For anyone interested in the artistic, philosophical and psychological impact of Viennese culture, this is a must. Freud, Wittgenstein, Schiele, etc. Prof. of History at U. Mass., Amherst, Johnston writes clearly and with enthusiasm. See also his illustrated _Vienna, Vienna_.

Herb Boyd is well known to readers in New York for his hard-hitting, easy and informative journalistic style. He also deserves to become well-known for his award-winning book on the African American experience, "Brotherman -- The Odessy of Black Men in American," co-edited with Robert Allen. It displays a keen knowledge of African American documentation concerning the role of Black men in our society. His "Down the Glory Road" shows a fine sense of the sweep and force of the African American experience and how it can be rendered in easy-to-grasp prose. Now Boyd has given us the carefully researched and stirring documentary, "Autobiography of People: Three Centuries of African-American History Told by Those who Live it." This is no mere celebration of achievements nor is it a tale of woes and pain. What Boyd has meticulously constructed by ferreting documents famous and unknown from the dusty files of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and elsewhere is a powerful narrative of Black America told by those women and men who walked the miles, scaled the mountains, fought the battles, suffered the losses and achieved the victories. Here are Africans telling what it meant to be wrenched from peaceful villages and stuffed into suffocating slave ships for the terrifying and deadly voyage across the Atlantic, and then living to fight for their liberty and to tell their tales. Here is the lone African American, Osborne Perry Anderson, who survived the famous John Brown raid in 1859 on Harper's Ferry, and disclosing as no history books used in our schools does how the enslaved population rose up to fight and help Brown and his gallant band, which included four other free men of color. Here is the Harlem Renaissance told in the words of its legendary participants: Langston Hughes, Zora Neal Hurston and others. Here is the civil rights movement captured in its intensity, pain and triumph by Paul Robeson, Rosa Parks, Ella Baker and James Forman. Herb Boyd has given us an America our schools need to study and learn from.

Twice I attempted to write this review of Herb Boyd's AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PEOPLE, with it's" three centuries of African American history told by those who lived it"

but soon realized I should finish reading it first. His collections (of excerpt) is so powerful so revealing; and each one seem to flow into the next. like a chronological change of events.

I can see how it may be differcult for some to believe (and easier to deny) the suffering and sacrificing our ancestors endured, to make possible the freedom and well being we now enjoy. Surely it'll instill pride in we Americans of African descent and Americans of goodwill..

Myself, more so being the fact that I too, made a contribution. An excerpt was selected from my Korean war memoir, WHAT'S A COMMIE EVER DONE TO PEOPLE? (Publishes by McFarland Publishers Inc.). Sure, at the time, I was politically ignorant to the reasons I was there fighting, like many others black soldiers, then we were fighting for our lives, the fight for our freedom, we who survived, was to come on our return t o America.

Hopefully, my story, alone with the many others that appears in AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PEOPLE will help enlighten other 17 & 18 year old American-American to the reality, that the freedom we now enjoy, others fought and died for it.

PS; In "AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PEOPLE" includes my favorite hero, the adventurous, explorer, scientist and author, Mr. Matthew Henson, who's life story inspired me to be an adventurer.. DARK COMPANION. It was the first book I read. I was nine years old.

Again, My Sincere Thanks to you Brother; Herb Boyd your book is a magnificent collection of excerpts. And no doubt it'll serve as an inspiration to many.

Peace & Pleasant Writing Curtis J. Morrow

Conversations with Herb Boyd

While I attended New York University in the late 80's, I majored in 18th Century Literature and minored in African American history. Hands down, my biggest challenge was being able to keep up with my reading, and retain all that was required of me by my professors. If only Autobiography of a People Three Centuries of African American History Told By Those Who Lived It, Herb Boyd's newest book had existed years ago when I was a student in college.

As I am still a student of African American history, Boyd's book is right on time. Booksellers and African American history buffs who live in Manhattan received a royal treat on Saturday, February 5, 2000 if they tuned in to "Books That Matter" with Leroy Baylor and listened to Boyd talk about his newest success. "Books That Matter," a public access program promotes reading and literacy to a diverse readership and interviews new and well-established authors. Recent guests include: Tavis Smiley, Sapphire, Johnnie Cochran, and William Loren Katz. The show airs on alternate Saturdays in Manhattan on Channel 34 at 10:30 p.m., in Brooklyn on Channels 34 &67 at 10 p.m. every Friday evening and each Monday evening on Bronx Net at 10:30 p.m.

I found Baylor's interview with Boyd enjoyable, and several times I felt like I as a student again learning about the great history of my people. The wonderful rapport between Baylor and Boyd was immediate and a treat for the viewer. The book, which is a compendium of 118 powerful African American voices is quickly being heralded as a New Classic in African American Literature --a compliment it rightly deserves.

This book is an anthology edited by Herb Boyd.It contains compelling material that is written by various authors who tell of the African American experience as they witnessed it.The book should be read by all those who would like to know what has occurred in the collective experience of the only Americans who were brought to this country against their will and treated as chattel. It may surprise many to learn that the African American community is not monolithic.The various voices selected by Mr.Boyd attest to this notion in the telling of the story.Again,this book is one that should be read by everyone who needs or wants to know of the tragedies and triumphs of a proud and glorious people and their multiple experiences in America.

Do you ever wonder how black people living as slaves described life in America? Herb Boyd, author and journalist, has been a professor of black studies for thirty years. Thus, he is uniquely qualified to distill from the reams of black thought that which might best stand as a fitting testament to African Americana. Editor Boyd has deftly woven the dark backstory to the glamorized myth on which the American Dream rests. The author establishes that blacks in America have never been that content underclass by and large depicted in this country's history books. He disputes the notion, central to American history, that Africans brought to America were docile, uncivilized, unintelligent and, thus, deserving of their lot. Culling from the words of those who did dare to speak out (often with disastrous consequences), Boyd has woven an eloquent, emotional tapestry of the black experience. Its power derives not from any self-conscious rage, but from the simplicity, the unguarded frankness of the voices. This is a timely book, sorely needed at a critical moment in this nation's history.

An amazing testament to the talent that Henry Rollins possesses. Drove me to buy his other work.

henry is the kind of guy we should all want to be,ourselves. If we all took time to get to know ourselves and become more comfortable with what we find then we would get more pieces of "dynamite hack" like this...you need to find yourself? here is a good start.

"BANG!" By Henry Rollins is one of his early works and gives a glimpse to where his style evolved from. Consistantly dark and disturbing Rollins explores the dark side of human nature. Murder, madness and solitude, the themes that are inescapable in both his written and music works. Rollins style is at times beautiful and lyrical, others brute and ugly, and he never relents. The reader is barraged from start to finish. Not his best but, still a very good book. A must have for avid fans and collectors of his work.

A VERY good book. Deep, sometimes, deppressing, a definate classic. BUY IT, or Henry will KICK YOUR BUTT! HE's GOT SOME REALLY COOL TATOOS!!! HE CAN BENCHPRESS RIKKI LAKE!!! HE PRANCES AROUND IN HIS UNDERWEAR ON STAGE!!! Henry Rollins is a GOD! And if you believe otherwise, he'll BEAT YOU SILLY!!! nuff said.

rollins shows you the dark side of the world that no one wants to talk about.he's not afraid to tell the truth & expose the cruel & unusual particles of life. from 1000 ways to die, to flat out poetry. he sucks you into the mind's eye, proving your worst nightmares to be true. never putting the book down, you're forced to question all the qualities of life & the people in them. so, let it all hang out, learn a little more about yourself, and expose the truth

I totally agree with the other 5 star reviews.
Even without a background in military history, it felt like I was there myself. I have seldom read a less sentimental yet emotionally more touching book. Especially the final chapter, the actual conquest of the Old City and Temple Mount had me reach for the tissues. And that famous picture on the cover is just perfect.
It is true, knowing Jerusalem as a tourist does help, and this book takes you there again. I will remember what I read the next time I walk up to the Lions' Gate.
The only thing that bothered me slightly was the rather obvious lack of proper editing. Maybe in a future edition? The book is certainly worth it.
Oh, and a warning: I recommend this strictly to loyal friends of Israel!

Motta délivre une excellente narration minutée des opérations de sa brigade parachutiste. Mais le langage est très technique et ceux qui manquent de connaissances militaires peinreront parfois à suivre. Le livre manque surtout d'une introduction qui situe l'action de la brigade parachutiste au sein des forces du commandement centre et de cartes détaillées.

Mordechai Gur was the commander of the Israeli forces in the battle for Jerusalem in the June 1967 Arab-Israeli war. His account of the war also relates part of the political background of the war, including the decision to take the Old City of Jerusalem only after Israel had been attacked by Jordanian forces. Gur gives a detailed account of the battle including the heroic struggle against the entrenched Jordanian forces in Ammunition Hill, and the dramatic taking of the Old City, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount. It was Gur who in the first rush of excitement electrified the people of Israel with his cry ' The Temple Mount is in our hands'. Gur was a strong, quiet soldier, a heroic person who served his country and people well in a distinguished military career. The taking of Jerusalem was the climax of that career and he tells the story in an accurate, and reliable way without great frills but with a deep and restrained feeling .

Many readers will be familiar with Michael Oren's excellent recent work entitled `Six Days Of War' which relates to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Perhaps the most significant event of that conflict was the actual battle for Jerusalem which saw Israel once again in control of the whole of Jerusalem, including east Jerusalem, the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. Areas so long occupied by Jordan.

Monumental events that have since held intense, international, political and religious significance. Even today Jerusalem is central to the Middle East 'peace process' and the stumbling block to virtually all negotations. The momentous events described here eventually resulting in Jerusalem going on to be officially declared as the eternal and indivisible capital of Israel during August 1980. A fact yet to be recognised by most of the international community.

Israeli Lt. General Mordechai Gur, the first to break through and reach the Temple Mount provides an excellent, firsthand account of the events leading up to, during, and following the 1967 battle for Jerusalem and the actual taking of the Temple Mount during the conflict.

This is a highly personal, intense account of the actual fighting. You feel as if you are there with the troops on the ground. Those familiar with the streets and environs of Jerusalem & the Old City will be even more so.

The progress of the actual battle against the well-armed and well-trained Jordanian forces is documented throughout and the momentous sentiment expressed towards the end when suddenly at the Western Wall is almost palpable.

An exceedingly well written, moving account which proceeds at a rapid pace hardly pausing for breath from once incident to another. Highly recommended.

This is a very entertaining book about the desperate battle for Jerusalem during the Six Day War of 1967. The author was overall Israeli commander of this battle and his style of writing gives the reader a you-are-there feeling as the battle is planned and fought. If you like alot of action, you will enjoy this book. There is not a dull page. What I really appreciate about this narrative is the way it brings out the reality of combat. Seldom does anything go as planned. Mistakes are made and confusion is usually present. Among the bullets and bombs almost every human emotion is presented. War is terrible, but there is a time for glory.
Basically, the battle is in stages. Various strategic points must be taken by the Israelis from the Jordanians in a precise order. The reader is taken from one point to the next and is introduced to the major Israeli combat units and leaders in the process. A nice map of Jerusalem at the time of the battle is at the front of the book, so the reader can easily follow the flow of action.

John Fraim has distilled the essence of the conflict between East and West and delivered it to us from many points of view that makes it clear why we are in the mess burned into our consciousness by 9/11.

This is a must read for people who just don't understand why the world seems to hate us.

Fraim does any excellent, and comprehensive job of covering an important piece of intellectual territory.

In our everyday life we often are oblivious to the impact the manipulation of symbols has on us. Marekting of consumer products, the images of our popular culture and the things we call 'entertainment'. And yes, politics......

All these topics are covered in some detail that canhelp you understand the sublte, and not so subliminal images and symbols which enter our lives everyday.

The last two years has rocked our world with a sharpening conflict of very basic symbols, values and beliefs. Fraim's book is a must read for anyone who wants to elevate thier thinking beyond the reactive mode and truly begin to understand how powerful the use of symbols is in shaping our core thinking, beliefs, attitudes and ultimately behavior--both in the grocery store and the voting booth.

This is a fascinating report of a time which has forever altered the course of the world, namely the months immediately following September 11, 2001.

Mr. Fraim, whose elusive position makes hime difficult to label or pin-down, analyzed and drew from various media sources almost daily thoughout this time period and what he ended up with sometimes feels more like a "thriller" than an alalysis or report on current events. Ambivalent and highly symbolic photos thoughout the book give this unique piece of work an enigmatic feeling.

If this topic interests you, once you have picked this book up you will find it hard to put down.

Symbols increasingly shape our lives but few understand their influence over us. This book offers a brilliant and fascinating primer on contemporary symbols. The author - a leading authority on symbols and creator of the Internet's most popular site for symbolism - takes symbols out of reference books, religions, psychoanalysis, literature and art and places them in the center of popular culture and the global battles being fought today. America is placed at the center of global symbol creation with Hollywood and Madison Avenue (entertainment and advertising) as the great creators of global symbolism, New York media as the communicator of symbols and Washington DC as the great manager of symbols. All of this is explored in the light of 9/11. A brilliant and essential new perspective on the world.

It has become a cliché in modern communications theory that perception is everything. Mass media create "views" of things and events, which are governed by a contest between symbols since the difference between contents is negligible ... Coke and Pepsi, Chevy and Pontiac, Walmart and Sears, Harvard and Yale.

John Fraim's brilliant, witty and entertaining Battle of Symbols might, nevertheless, take the title of The Marketing of Soft Power. The emerging new paradigm of power, soft power, as John Fraim defines it, is the power of the information age, which replaces the hard power of the passing industrial era of economic growth. Fraim comes to this subject with background as the president of GreatHouse Company, a marketing and consulting firm. He is widely published in marketing and psychology journals.

Fraim quotes Joseph Nye from The Economist to the effect that "modern power has less relationship to the reality of resources and more to the hyper-reality of images and perceptions." The events of 9/11 are for Fraim a prime example of the power of symbols to establish and control thought, particularly regarding the question of why America is so intensely disliked around the world. The selfless champions of freedom and democracy (symbolically at least) could not understand the severe clash of symbols set loose in their Arabic adventure into Afghanistan and Iraq. Where does this attitude come from? What does it feed on? According to Fouad Ajami, a leading US Middle East scholar, "The Anti-Americanism is automatic, unexamined, innate. To Islamists (America) is a defiling presence; to pan Arabists, the backer of a Zionist project to dominate the region."

The Americans are equally biased. Harvard historian Samuel Huntington expresses the bias perfectly: "The underlying problem for the West is not Islamic fundamentalism. It is Islam, a different civilization whose people are convinced of the superiority of their culture and are obsessed with the inferiority of their power."

Others agree with this view. Columnist Andrew Sullivan sees the US engaged in a religious war: "The religious dimension of the conflict is central to its meaning." Islam carries with it symbolic weights and values that abhor the decadence of American culture, or lack of it. The outcome of the West/Middle East conflict will have profound culture impact on both sides whether each side is ready for it or not. The symbolic allegiances will shift.

Fraim deftly reveals the powerful forces of symbolism and their covert global inter-relationships with a page turning excellence of prose style. There is also a vein of choice quotable stuff throughout the book. Battle of Symbols is an eclectic yet focused study of symbol power. Besides the witty description of Islam as a "cool" medium borrowed from Marshall McLuhan and not to argue whether a religion is actually an independent medium of communication, Fraim invokes the best insights not only from McLuhan but also Arthur Kroker Edmund Carpenter, and Donald Theall et al.to add the high seriousness that the subject demands.

Fraim does an excellent job of cutting through the difficulties of information overload quoting pithily from Otto Rank: "For the time being I gave up writing ... there is already too much truth in the world ... an over-production which apparently cannot be consumed." His analysis of the effects of the Internet is rare in its perception especially of its propagandistic role in American political life. Even the dangers in understanding are dealt with insightfully: "There is a great paradox involved with understanding ... Understanding symbols offers the threat of reducing their power. In the same way that greater production leaves less time for observation." The book ends on an ominous demographic note: "The Arab world has a large youthful population while American has a large aging population."

Fraim's message, however, is positive and reassuring even in its deadly accurate treatment of the inadequacies of the present political and economic troubles multiplying from our lack of understanding of how vital it is to have a practical knowledge of symbolic values. I strongly recommend this excellent study to all students of communication.

Looking to support companies that agree with your point of view? Then this is the guide that you have been looking for. Heather Chase, a life-long lover of animals and founder of Models With Conscience, explains how to live a life filled with both beauty and compassion. Chase explains about current trends of using animal-derived ingredients like tallow, estrogen, spermaceti, and civet musk in everyday personal care products. These products involve inhumane treatment of animals - some require the animal to be killed before the ingredient can be harvested. Instead, Chase suggests some possible man-made or plant-derived alternatives, such as glycerin or jojoba. The book includes an extensive list of companies that work within the boundaries of cruelty-free production. Chase also recommends the use of synthetic or faux fur in respect to fashion or make-up brushes. She further explains that ". . . many endangered species (including lizards, zebras, deer, and kangaroos) are often hunted illegally for their hides." A few more animal-derived materials used for fashion or personal care include silk, ivory, sea sponges, and pearls. There's a chapter that addresses the benefits of eating a Vegan diet - both to humans and animals, wherein Chase shares some of her favorite non-animal product alternatives. Also included in the book is overview of the philosophy of Models With Conscience and a brief introduction to a few of their models. ...

Are you already vegetarian, or a still a carnivore with an increasingly niggling conscience about what (or who) you eat, wear and rub on your body? Either way, Beauty without the Beasts will gently expand your awareness how animals are exploited beyond the shrink-wrapped steak in the supermarket chill cabinet. The more we extend our compassionate focus on issues such as animal tested products and animal ingredients in other items besides food, the more likely such offending companies will alter their policy for the better... we would hope. So making a difference to how companies exploit animals in their products means knowing what product and then simply NOT buying it. Heather Chase's book highlights these issues in simple but effective terms and will certainly help you make conscientious decisions when choosing beauty products.
Wonderfully un-patronising, unpretentious and oozing uncluttered common sense ... BwtB simply states facts and realities about commercial exploitation of animals, from cosmetic industries to circuses. It is both a useful resource and compassionate person's oracle in achieving inner harmony and outer beauty whilst clearly avoiding cruelty to animals.

Beauty without the Beasts is editor's choice at Veggieglobal and Looking-Glass UK (formerly Amazon Site of The Week)

Vegan Voice September/November 2001

Beauty without the Beasts A Guide to Cruelty Free Personal Care Heather Chase

Heather Chase is the founder of Models with Conscience (MWC), an international group of models of various ages and sizes dedicated to promoting cruelty-free products and causes. Beauty without the Beasts was written because Heather was convinced that caring and compassionate people everywhere would join in her quest if only they knew more about the issues at stake and where to find cruelty-free products. This is an American-based book but it is still highly relevant for the Australian/NZ market. In the chapter "Aware Personal Care," the author gives a full description of animal-derived products, civet-free fragences and cruelty-free companies. However, this book is mainly about Heather and her models' commitment to doing no harm to any living creature. It's this alone that lends the book its most charming feature. As the photography shows, Models with Conscience aren't just about anti-specieism but are unashamably against ageism and sizeism as well. This is a thoughtfully-written book from Chase's own experience and its style is bound to attract many readers who have contemplated the concept of cruelty-free cosmetics and/or lifestyle but just haven't gotten around to it yet. She provides information and tools to help consumers choose animal-friendly skin care products, apparel, foods, entertainment, and more. Her message is "Liberate yourself and the animals by the choices you make." Each model photographed in the book gives their story about their passion for animals and why Models with Conscience is a great way to combine career goals with ethical considerations. In many cases this is a far cry from mainstream modelling practices. The bottom line is that abuse and suffering must stop and if Heather Chase has her way it will be. It must be. Today's consumers are growing increasingly animal-conscious. In no small way this gentle book contributes admirably towards that burgeoning awareness.--Jessica D'Hart

Heather Chase founder of Models with Conscience knows how to look gorgeous without harming animals. Heather started Models with Conscience on the premise that models are more radient when they have a clear conscience. This book is your must have guide to Cruelty Free products. If you are a lady like myself who loves to shop but also wants to live a cruelty free lifesyle then this book is perfect for you. Heather has included in her book a list of Cruelty Free Companies,Civet Free Frangrances,Animal Derived Ingredients,Animal Derived Materials and much much more. This book is one you need to add to your collection.

I enjoyed reading this book. I find that most books written to provoke thought are written from a condemning perspective. This book is not like that. It provides objective platforms for the reader to view such topics as animal testing (vivisection), fur harvesting, and factory farming, without accusations and guilt.

This book is unique because it provides the reader with an abundance of information that can be immediately used to make changes in everyday life using everyday products. For example, if you are buying dish soap for your house, why not choose a brand that is not tested on animals? Chase gives the reader a list of over 600 companies that do not test on animals. The book is worth the price for this list alone.

I urge everyone to buy a copy and read it - even if you are not an "animal lover."

I have confidence that when you finish reading "Beauty Without the Beasts," you will be pleased you did and will begin to make simple choices in your everyday life that will directly benefit you, animals, and the planet.

The natural beauty of an Indian village has been portrayed realistically in this novel even with the tiniest detail that the reader could view it as if in a movie in front.

Moncy Pothen's hero, Arjunan, is a typical village guy learns Hindu traditions and holy books like Bhagavad-Gita from his parents, in his childhood, and the ancient hero with his same name, Arjuna, inspires him. It is well explained how the unexpected events change his whole path of life when he decides to participate in the social reform. He involves in an extremist group by believing only an armed up rise of the common men would change the corrupt society. He is an educated man, with a respectable job, family and social status, sacrifices everything for the rescue of the exploited and the down trodden. When he returns from jail, regretful about his past, the society does not forgive him and allow him to socialise normally. His good deeds, importance and intention are being scrutinized for a long while.

A woman's helplessness when she looses all hopes in life; at the time of making difficult decisions; when she has to support others in distress and also when she has to choose between the right and the wrong: is shown clearly by the character Ahalya. How the power of woman can be rejuvenated by a node or a small support can be witnessed in the book at a later stage. The woman's role in the society is well explained with many woman characters and it proves without doubt that the woman is not a weaker section in the society and she can stand along side with man in every activity.

Human mind is described with expertise in this book. The way people think and react at life's different circumstances is highlighted realistically. Humour is also applied in various occasions as a part and parcel of the Kerala society. The countless characters in this book represents the cross section of a society, which includes members belong to the countless castes and creeds in India. Their life harmony and the way in which religious fanaticism tries to disrupt it are also explained well. It proves that extremism, whether it is political or religious, is harmful to the society and the common men always stand against that.

The Author shows that love is a combined feeling of security, courage, jealousy, possessiveness, oneness, sharing and caring. True love can face any obstacle when together. Even the smallest of things done for the other can make a big difference.

The unexpected ending of this story also makes it unique.

First of all, as soon as I completed the last lines of the book, tears started rolling down my cheeks. I really wonder why it happened. I think the climax has such an effect on me because basically I am a traditional Indian girl and all Indian girls are same in their heart though some act as if they are not. Beneath the Clouds and Coconut Leaves is a realistic book which gives a good idea about the social and economic conditions of people in Kerala since independence and it wonderfully portraits the feelings of a female heart.

I assume that this book will be a wonderful literary experience to the readers around the world. Mr.Pothen is a kind and nice person. He really impressed me with his story and his excellent writing skills.

Mr. Moncy Pothen in his Novel, `Beneath the Clouds and Coconut Leaves,' narrates, with ease, the rhythms of uncared, stranded lives in bitterness since the dawn of independence.

In his entire story, he spotted the starving world for love with its human touch in real life. Through out the tale, the panoramic expressions are the aerial outcome of the true nature with the living world and the ecosystem.

We can see the pompous days of feudalism are ending and a new age of scarcity or humbleness awakening and it is the hero, an unexpected source that was instrumental to the fall, comes for the aid with attempts to rescue. In the book, we experience the success of humanity above all the ideologies. It also portrays the political, social and cultural scenario in Kerala, the tiny South Indian State, in its true state.

I wish the domain made by the Author be a great success.

Those who lived in Kerala in the Sixties/Seventies would know what it means to be a Naxal. How many young men/women have sacrificed their lives on the altar of this utopian cause! How many families have suffered, some violently and some in silence! All for a cause that just fizzled out within no time and vanished from people's memory without a trace.

It's not a hitherto unexplored theme, but to my knowledge past initiatives have been in Malayalam language. Here Moncy uniquely portrays the life in a typical Kerala village, its social structure, its pulses and the swings. I'm sure the reader will be overwhelmed by the sentiments Moncy has successfully depicted without losing its innocence and flavor.
Kurien V.
Saudi Arabia

Thank you for providing such great service. You followed through on your end of the deal perfectly.

This thoroughly researched and well-written book held special meaning for me, one of the last generation from the segregated South who entered a movie theater through the "colored" entrance and sat in the balcony, and who spent four years at Duke U. during the early '70's. The presence of the Klan in my small North Carolina town was always known but hidden, and this book provided insight into why poor whites find membership in the Klan and its philosophies so attractive and how the white elite was secretly complicit in its support of the Klan. This book introduced me to Hayti, the section of Durham where low-income African-Americans live. Despite my four years at Duke, I'd never heard of this neighborhood, and the story of Hayti resident Ann Atwater's activism to improve conditions for poor blacks and whites in Durham is amazing. Duke U. is a very insular campus, and town-gown relations between the school and Durham have historically been tense. I'm very glad that this book exists for incoming freshmen to read; to spend four years on a campus and have no knowledge of the town surrounding the campus (as I did not have) is shameful.
A very valuable insight in this book is the author's understanding of the strange dynamics of class, which exists throughout the South but is seldom mentioned. Blaming African-Americans for their economic woes, and receiving secret support from the white elite, has historically distracted poor whites from the reality that it is this white elite, with its power and money, that keeps poor whites economically down-trodden.
Although I was in Durham slightly later than the years during which the events of the book take place, I had some familiarity with many of the key players (Howard Fuller, Floyd McKissick, Asa Spaulding), and the book exhaustively discusses the roles of everyone involved in this tumultuous time in Durham. It reads like riveting fiction, and the evolution of the relationship between C.P. Ellis and Ann Atwater is a wonderful story.

As someone who works for parity in this society, I look for materials that show clearly that poor white people have more in common with blacks and other ethnic/racial peoples than they do with the power structure that oppresses us all. This book clearly and beautifully illustrates that point.

It has always mystified me that more poor "white" men, in particularly, fail to see this. Every young white man who blames blacks for his inability to get a decent job, the meagerness of his life, or whatever, should read this book. Every petty racist should read the story of C.P. Ellis and Ann Atwater and learn something about the real problems, not the cheap shot racist answers that many of us come to too readily in this society.

I've purchased five copies for myself and friends. A great book to give that relative, co-worker or acquaintance who persists in making racist comments and blaming blacks for the problems in this society.

This book has been out of print for some time, but thankfully the University of North Carolina Press has resurrected it. Duke University's incoming Freshman class has been assigned to read this book as their compulsory summer reading assignment. The Class of 2011 will then discuss this book during Freshman Orientation Week. The selection of this book as the summer reading assignment is timely with the upheavals in Durham and at Duke during the so called "Duke Lacrosse Scandal."

It is interesting to note that Durham held on to Jim Crow laws and was very slow to integrate public schools compared with some high profile Southern cities. When forced to comply with court-ordered integration, the school district took the unusual step of pairing a long-time black activist and a ranking member of the Ku Klux Klan to lead a committee whose purpose it was to deal with the issues surrounding integration. It seems like this would be a disaster, but surprisingly it was far from it.

I should note that this is not some dry recitation of the past. The story reads much more like a novel. I couldn't put in down and found myself quite moved by the story.

This is a truly poignant book that demonstrates how much we have in common with people of other races, creeds or colors and how, by finding common ground, we can move ahead in our society. There are lessons here for us in the new millennium.

For those interested in an excellent book dealing with similar issues, I recommend Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story

An extraordinary book, not for its writing or ideas, but for the *very idea of it!* How could this have happened, and how could the book tell the story like this??? As a feminist I'm challenging the assumptions of white males who think they are in touch with African Americans, or with feminism. As a white Woman, I feel for the experiences of Black Women, and am sickened by the way white males mostly just don't get it. This is such a strange book you will be blinking hard for sometime afterward.

No sentimentality here. Just warm, rich story telling of a great man. I'm actually embarrassed to say that after lifetime of jazz I just dicovered The Duke. This is a very well written and balanced portrayal of a man,his music and his times. If there's more to say I don't want to read it; it's time to listen.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable story of the life and times of one of America's greatest and most prolific composer/musicians. It characterises the "Duke" as a caring, people loving person with close family ties, and a quest for excellence against all odds. The Forward by Wynton Marsalis is clear and insightful. The author has accomplished an easy to follow sequence of events enhanced by photos and drawings. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the genre.

Beyond Category is the best introduction to Duke Ellington's life and music. It was created to coincide with a Smithsonian exhibit and it offers a quality professional biography of Ellington's life and times. The author considers Ellington's life a series of problems to solve for his mind. Some of these problems are how to learn piano, how to start a band, how to compose with a partner, how to react to the recording band, how to deal with the loss of key soloists, how to compose larger works and ends up hitting many of the high points of Ellington's life and works.

Most of the new research at the time came from Mercer Ellington's enormous donation of his warehouse of materials for the Duke Ellington collectionl. Yet as a book intended for a popular audience, the musical content of this trove was not really fully dealt with. Mercer's collection comes through in the fabulous photographs that are interspersed throughout the book. It may have been better to have all the photographs grouped in several sections as not everyone will have time to read the entire book I suppose.

One very helpful aspect to the book was that at the end of each chapter there was a guide to key recordings of Ellington's life. This type of material is very helpful to those new to Ellington's life.

I found the prose to be clear and adequate although not as lively as some of the other excellent jazz biographies I've read such as Chambers' Milestones.

This book gets a 4.5 star rating for anyone new to Ellington. It's accessible, readable, and gives you several ideas to approach the true gold mine of Ellington's music.

For jazz researchers and scholars, there's still room for a knockout biography of Ellington that adds the information from the Smithsonian collection to wide ranging interviews and even better prose. Researchers will want to read this, but I'm not sure how much of this material is groundbreaking.

4.5 stars for neophytes
3.5 stars for Ellington scholars

4 stars overall

As an old time lover of Jazz, but rather new to really examining the lives behind its great musicians, and particularly Duke Ellington, I started out with "Duke Ellington: A Spiritual Biography" by Janna Tull Steed (great book (and just 192 pages) for anyone new to the Duke & jazz). It was Steed's book that really built the interest to explore Ellington in more depth and, Hasse's book is just what I was looking for. It is a hefty book but it is absolutely and completely accessible, just what is required to approach this great man of Jazz.

His music has resonated all around us for nearly a century. We almost unconsciously react to the melodic rhythms of his brilliant compositions as we watch television or listen to the radio. Often the arrangements are backdrops to our daily lives...soothing our mood or stimulating us to tap our feet or simply sway to its almost spiritual cadences. Such is the music of the Great Duke Ellington. In "Beyond Category" we find an outstanding biography of arguably the greatest composer the world has ever known. From his early days as an aspiring composer/bandleader in Washington, D.C.; through his New York days at the Cotton Club; and onto his unprecedented tours of Europe, Africa and the Far East, this book takes you on a delightful journey into the creative mindset and personality genius of Ellington. Unlike many writings of this nature, Hasse manages to avoid sentimental veneration in conveying many of Ellington's talents in regards to people, business dealings, and his relationship with women. The book is a well-written, enjoyable composition that draws the reader into Ellington's world. Additionally, the author grants appropriate respect to the musicians, artists and businessmen who aided Ellington throughout his career, thus balancing the text superbly. I highly recommend "Beyond Category", not only for the Ellington fan or even a Jazz fan, but for anyone interested in the life and times of a musical genius and an icon of American history.