Journals Books

As a frequent traveler to Tunica Mississippi, I found Scoblete's discription of his time there to be both halirious and informative. Once in a while you can have a bad or funny experience there, but he seems to have had them all in one trip. I think his was a trip I would have enjoyed, after we were back home, safe in Missouri.
His other events in his wild life are well told, and anyone with an intrest in teaching, or writing, or gambling, or in astral travel will enjoy this book, and I highly recomend it to all.

Wonderful Book

Frank Scoblete's "The Virgin Kiss" does what so many books can't do, it grabs you from the very first paragraph and doesn't let go until you finish the last sentence. If you are looking for belly laughs, sprinkled with first love, innocence, sexuality, and amazing adventures this book is impossible to put down. Scoblete has written a great book for us to truly enjoy.

What can I say that hasn't been said already?

This is a terrific book. You run the gamut when you read it. The book is surreal, humorous, outrageous, side-splitting, frightening, uproarious and thoroughly entertaining.

I just bought a whole bunch to send to my family and friends. I think anyone would find this book completely enjoyable.

A chilling, funny, yet serious journey through the life of "Scobe". From his teenage years, to his years as a teacher, through his latter adventures in the casinos and on television. There's something for everyone in here. Prepare to laugh out loud and get chills down your spine!

The Virgin Kiss is a fast read that is enjoyable from start to finish. Sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes poignant and sometimes even scary but always fun and interesting. I love a quick-hit memoir - just enough to get a helping of a person's life but not too much to feel that I've over indulged and the Virgin Kiss is the right choice on the menu. I highly recommend it.

If you thought opossums are just road kill on Florida roadways, you will never view wildlife quite the same after reading May Lenzer's WALTZ ON THE WILDSIDE. She captures the personalities of woodland critters with amazing insight and allows the reader to see them through her eyes.

You will meet Popeye, the desert tortoise who recognizes his name and comes when called. He only eats gourmet turtle food and lets the family cat ride around the kitchen on his back. There are Jekyll, the thief, and Orville, the firebug, two abandoned ravens unable to fly, who live in the Lenzer household until they are ready to be released.

She spots a coyote and his mate, with their two pups, along the roadside during a severe snowstorm. The female is black and white and appears to be mostly sheepdog. The fate of the coyote and his mixed breed wife and children are a testament to romance even in the animal kingdom

This is a handbook on wildlife, but mystery, intrigue, romance and murder are all included in captivating detail. The night screams of a creature that stalks her; an unexplained, horrendous wound on the back of one of her donkeys; a healthy squirrel found dead in its cage, are just a few of the stories Lenzer shares with us. Her account of murder on Howard's Creek scratches the conscience of even those who are ambivalent about animals.

Bonds are strong between the animal foundlings and their surrogate mother. WALTZ ON THE WILD SIDE brings a lump to the throat when it is time to release the animals into their natural habitat. May Lenzer gives her charges her blessing and watches as they return to their kingdom to live as nature intended. From ants, beetles and bats to squirrels, opossoms and whales, she runs the gamut of American wildlife from California to the Florida Keys. The world is made a better place through her caring and love for nature's children.

This book, charmingly illustrated by artist, Maggie Guinn, is a classic. It should be included on all bookshelves and read by generations to come.

In one word, this book is delightful! If you are an animal lover, Waltz On The Wild Side will make you laugh, make you cry, and teach you something along the way. It is a work of art wriiten so descriptively that you are transported into every story. I could visualize in my mind the pictures the written word had painted on every page.

I bought this at the local mall from the author. What caught my eye is the cover. I feed all sorts of wild things year round in my backyard and oppossums come, sometimes mothers with clinging babies, and they are my favorites.

These stories are so warm and full of compassion but not overdone. Just real, like the woman who wrote them. If you've ever stopped to admire a field of flowers, a butterfly, or just love wildlife and wild places, you have to buy this.

I'm surprised to see just two reviews. Here's mine. It's great and so are the pictures.

If you want your kids to do some good summer reading, this is the one.

I found this book to be a wonderful read for adults and the plus is it is outstanding to sit down with your children and enjoy it together. This book certainly opens your eyes to the world around you that is never seen. The "stop and smell the coffee" certainly applies. I have personally learned more about life from these 135 pages than in my 61 years on this beautiful planet. Hopefully May Lenzer has done something for us all to maintain the integrity and beauty of the hidden world beneath our very feet.

If any of you have a special child or grandchild who enjoys reading or being read to about the life of animals, this little book is a joy and a delight. The author paints vivid pictures of beatles and mice, ravens and whales, toads and parrots, snakes and tortoises in locales from New York to California, Florida to Oregon. I must disclose that she is my cousin, May Lattanzio Lenzer...and a gifted writer. The book will be treasured by children who are held on laps and who are holding children on laps...the young and the young at heart...those who remember nature walks with their own parents and those special moments of discovery. May brings alive those patches of paradise that have not yet been paved over into parking lots .
Michele Zimmerman

The pictures in this book are astounding. I read in the book that the pictures were taken within a few miles of Chicago; I so wish he had gone further to get more pictures. These may be weeds, but they are beautiful photographs of them. I recommend it for anyone interested in photography and flowers.

I plan to give this book to lots and lots of people for Christmas this year. Yes, it's exquisite art, yes, it enriches the reader by connecting her or him to the Earth beneath us, but it's also simply a GORGEOUS book to look through over and over again. The photos here on Amazon, as pretty as they are, simply don't do the book justice. The photographs in the book have a depth and richness that evoke such a mood... A really nice mood. I've given coffee table art books as gifts before, but this'll be the first art book I've given as a gift when I actually have it on my coffee table.

When is Mr. Bjornson going to do another book? Very soon, I hope.

Good art always makes me see the world in a different way. Great art has stopped me dead in my tracks by making the ususal unusual...Chuck Close and Ansel Adams to name a few photographers. Mr. Bjornson has photographically brought what was deeply discounted and made it into something ethereal and precious. This is a great life lesson as well as true art (all for (...)

Boy do I like this book! From the front cover with its striking portrait of nodding wild onion (Allium cernuum) to the alien looking bur sedge (Carex grayi var. hispidula) on the back cover and everything in between its luxurious vellum pages. Yes ma’am, yes sir, I like this book. Weeds is a superb collection of some very common weeds cast in an uncommonly flattering light. Sure, it’s apparent that Bjornson occasionally utilizes some special effects magic to enhance their beauty. So what? Even super models need a little touch up treatment from the ole airbrush now and then. These sixty-four outstanding photographs make a clear aesthetic statement: weeds can be beautiful. We all know weeds can be downright ugly. But through the appreciative eye of Bjornson their hidden beauty is revealed. He has made a silk purse out of a sows-thistle, so to speak.

But weeds are not just another pretty face to him. Learning about weeds revealed a cosmic truth to Bjornson. The truth that “one needn’t travel the world to find untamed natural beauty.” These enchanting photographic portraits are gently interspersed with some thought provoking ‘weed’ haiku such as, “Wherever weeds won’t grow let man beware to go” and “Weeds are the strong and persistent creatures who live in weak circumstances”. Bjornson also cheerily refers to these “persistent creatures” as the “free spirits of the natural world”. Free spirits! This is great stuff. Who in their right mind would ever refer to velvet leaf (Abutilon theophrasti), as a free spirit? I dare say not a single Weed Science professor in recent memory.

And speaking of velvet leaf, Bjornson’s picture of this oh so common character is dazzling. One can almost feel the densely hairy stems. The detail is remarkable. This attention to detail is true of each and every picture. I don’t know how Bjornson achieves his effects but the realism of the photos is gently juxtaposed against his artistic interpretation in a way which conveys their beauty without distortion. His technique lovingly captures their color, form, and texture. Truly, these dramatic and beautiful portraits are almost mystical. But as he says in the intro, “It is a matter of perspective”. Do I rave? Yes, because I really like this book and I would suggest you peruse it with a glass of your favorite beverage, some Bach and a big cushy chair.

Those of you looking for an ID challenge won’t be disappointed. None of the pictures in the main portion of the book are labeled. They are identified in the back of the book by a smaller version of the same picture. The scientific name does accompany the picture. Since Bjornson gathered all of his plants within a few miles of his Chicago studio there are a few that may be unfamiliar to those living in Central Ohio.

This is a unique art book of extraordinary caliber. It is marvelously conceived and executed. Production values are high. It is a first class piece of work in every sense of the word. Brjonson demonstrates that he knows his subject thoroughly and personally. A subject of which he says, “One man sees a weed the same weed to another may be a flower.” You can preview this book by logging on to Bjornson’s website .... I know you won’t be disappointed. By the way, did I say how much like this book?

I have lived my whole life in the area where Bjornson collected the ignoble subjects of his book and have walked right over there beauty.

In this book Bjornson has transformed the lowly weed to the hight of zen-like visual beauty. He makes it look so simple...so simple that only hard work and great talent could produce such a work.

Many years ago when I was taking botany in college the professor told us that a weed was only a plant that nobody wanted...Well that may be true but it dose not apply to this beautiful book which I am sure you will want.

What I find so amazing about this companion guide to Weight Loss Confidential is that it is truly a complete and self-contained program that provides teens the essential tools to manage their weight - once and for all!

Fletcher drives home the point that for teens to manage their weight successfully, they must adopt a plan that is individualized and right for them - no more 'cookie-cutter' programs! But she also reinforces that regardless of the approach, the bones of any successful program still involves a life-long commitment to healthy food choices coupled with a do-able physical activity program that teens can live with.

The real jewel in Weight Loss Confidential Journal is not only do teens benefit from the wisdom of an expert nutritionist who has "been there" with her own son's weight battles, but they also benefit from the in-the-trenches wisdom of their peers. Cap it all off with some awesome, simple and teen-focused recipes and meal plans, Weight Loss Confidential Journal provides a recipe for success that teens and their parents cane really sink their teeth into! Bravo, Anne Fletcher...Bravo!

The Weight Loss Confidential Journal is a terrific companion to the Anne's book Weight Loss Confidential. The book and journal are focused on helping teens develop and sustain healthy nutritional and activity habits. The best part is that in addition to being scientifically sound, Anne interviewed other teens who had lost weight and kept it off. Which is such a great approach!! The Journal is broken up into 23 weeks with a topic for each week, as well as, a place to write goals and track exercise & food intake. Each week also has excellent tips from other teens that are very motivational and interesting. I would highly recommend this Journal to be used in conjuction with the book!
Beth Wolfgram MS, RD, CD

This journal helps teens who want to lose weight, take it a step further by providing the tools to do it in a "user friendly" format. Each week provides tips to help teens achieve their goal of becoming a healthier person from the wisdom of teens who have actually made this happen. As a registered dietitian, I recommend Anne's "Weight Loss Confidential" when working with overweight teens and I am now excited to share this fantastic food journal/workbook with them also!
Denise Barratt MS, RD, LDN
Health Concepts Nutrition Therapy

Weight Loss Confidential Journal is unique in that it features advice for truly overweight teenagers, not those seeking to lose five or ten pounds. Neither patronizing nor preachy, the advice provided is provided from teens who have maintained significant weight losses.
The book features 23 weeks' worth of advice. Each week, the focus is on a different aspect of controlling one's weight. The themes "Recover from your slip-ups", "Make peace with your body", and "Get rid of diet thinking" emphasize the mind-body connection of the total person.
Weight Loss Confidential Journal also provides space for a daily 23-week diary. Besides recording food and beverage intake and time spent exercising, participants are asked to record their feelings, moods, and random thoughts, and are encouraged to jot down the day's successes. At the end of the week, users can list things that were helpful, evaluate whether their goals were met, and set new goals. Readers are also asked to list how their lives are better, and why they want to achieve a healthier weight. Reviewing the week helps readers to see their progress. Interestingly, the space designated to record weight is a small one; this shifts the focus from being solely on weight to encompassing larger goals and seeing the big picture.
Planning and realistic goal-setting are stressed. Users can plan their responses to obstacles, such as a class trip, that might interfere with progress.
Written by a registered dietitian, this book takes a moderate and balanced approach to nutrition. It focuses on eating healthful, appropriate amounts for all food groups, and includes portion sizes for foods and beverages, guidlines for food plans, and healthy recipes for teen favorites such as pizza and sandwiches.
Overall, this is an excellent book. It presents an individual, realistic approach to weight management in a user-friendly format.

Like all of best-selling author Anne Fletcher's fantastic books on weight loss, this one is no exception. Anne has come up with a companion book to accompany: Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight and Keep It Off - And What They Wish Parents Knew. As a nutritionist and researcher in the area of weight control, I can tell you that journaling is a tried-and-true behavior modification technique that has been scientifically proven to aid individuals in their weight loss efforts. This journal is not just a blank book but is a teen-friendly diary, peppered with real-life success tips--shared by actual teens who have successfully lost weight. What's more, it contains numerous fast and delicious teen-inspired snack, meal ideas and healthy recipes. Highly recommended!
Janet Brill, Ph.D., R.D., LDN
Author of: Cholesterol DOWN
(Three Rivers Press, 2006)

I so love Teresa McClain-Watson's writing, I've read all of her books including Plenty Good Room. I first read "Surviving Mr. Right" and enjoyed it so much (such wit and humor) that I immediately looked for another by her. When I found "Loose Lips", I was at first skeptical because reading the summary, it didn't sound that interesting but LORD was I wrong!! Thankfully. Of all of her characters, Ben and Josie had me the most enthralled! I absolutely love them. Ben is beyond sexy and Josie just pure cracks me up. But I can identify with her too. The conflict between the two (personality, age, interests, etc.) makes for thrilling reading and I couldn't put the book down. I've read both "Loose Lips" and "What We Did For Love" at least five times over already and I'll continue to do so. I never get tired of Ben and Josie. Please Mrs. Watson, bring on some more. We readers need it!

Oh My Goodness. I must say, when I picked this book up at the store I only bought it because it was the sequel to "Loose Lips". Now that I have read it, I WANT ANOTHER SEQUEL. I am so estatic to have read a book, gotten to the last page and I want to read more! The relationship between Ben & Josie is so turbulent, yet and still they are unable to give up because they are so in love with each other. They both grow a lot in this book and I want to continue to experience their growth as a couple. I want to know how the Vegas episode goes (I don't want to give the book away), I want to know how life continues for these two people. I want to know how Ben & Josie grow together. I want to know how Ben handles himself now that Josie has developed into the woman he knew she could, & the woman he wanted to see & he now has the desperate need, desire & love for her that she once openly expressed for him. I want to see Josie strong, driven, purposeful & confident in herself & their relationship. I want to hear more about Scotty & see their comraderie again. I want to see Ben smile more often & experience life as he never knew he could now that he has the woman he doesn't want to live without.

This is the best sequel ever!! It doesn't overshadow its predecessor but instead compliments it perfectly. If you want to lose yourself in a book, get sad, get angry, get happy & experience written suspence, then read this book. If you don't want to enjoy those things..read it anyway. I promise you will not be dissapointed.

This followup book will keep you wanting more!! I totally enjoyed Loose Lips and actually loved What We Did even more. Josie is growing up and it was fullfilling to see the tables turned with a jealous Ben. I am actually reading this book again now that Josie and I have finally understood the depth of Ben's love. Some slight continuation errors but overall, just Awesome!! To the Author: Please let there be another book, this story is NOT finished, not by a long shot!!

I am totally addicted to these two people in these books. I have read each of them back to back for as long as I have had these books..please, please, please write a sequel so that I can know what happened to Ben & Josie. I want to follow them to the end of thier lives.

I am a prolific reader and will not waste my time or energy on a book if it isn't good. My thought process is that life's too short and there are too many other good books to waste my time on just one. I hated for this book to end. This book touched my heart as few have when dealing with love. You felt Josie's love....kind of made me want myself a Ben. He's the strong, silient type. Won't pass this book on to others as I have with other books. I'm keeping this one to read again...I NEVER DO THAT!

This book wonderfully encourages young people to practice the therapeutic and creative art of journal writing.

I found this book heartachingly true. Parts made me laugh, parts made me cry. Jump into it with your hear open and your eyes wide. You won't regret it.

Rachel Elisabeth

of self-knowledge through journals, myths, dreams, story and autobiography. Deena Metzger will have you grabbing your pen over and over as she leads you down the road to the inner territory of the writer.

Metzger does the best job I've seen on jump-starting your creativity, and tying your writing into archetypes. There's lots for the reader who wants to think of writing as a spiritual exercise. BUT for me, by far, its great gift is pragmatic. Between books, or when I feel stuck, or at the beginning of a revision, I take out "On Story" and work through all her suggestions as if it were the first time. I always come up with something new and deeper relevant to THIS story--or I come up with a new story entirely. If you are ready to get past Natalie Goldberg to the goods, here's the book. It helped me tremendously with my last novel.

Aristotle said "the unexamined life is not worth living." Deena Metzger provides effective and fun tools for examining one's life. I know that my life is awesome!

This book is incredible. I wish this book were around when I was a baby. It would make my doctor's appointments so much easier. I'm so grateful that I can do this for my baby so that she'll have no questions about her medical records from day 1. My only complaint about this book is that it's impossible to find. When I first heard about this book 4 months ago, I searched everywhere to get it. I just now found it. I'm not sure if it's out of print or just in high demand, but it's difficult to find. If it were easily accessible, I would be giving this as a baby gift for every shower I attend.

I purchased 2 of these books as I have two children 23 months apart. I found this book to be invaluable in keeping their medical records straight and in one place. I bring the books to their pediatrician appointments with me and document everything right there - great space provided for well visits, illnesses, surgeries, medications, etc. Even my pediatrician thought it was terrific - she had never seen it. And for when my children are adults, they will have a good history of their health for their own familiy records. I have recommended this book to all my friends who are parents as indeed a must-have. All moms seem to know about "what to expect when you're expecting" and I think all need to know about this as well. Kudos to the author!

This book is a blessing. When my daughter was 6 months old, she had numerous recurring medical problems, from ear infections to allergies. I searched and searched for something to record all of the information that I was trying to keep track of. I was so desperate that I thought about authoring some type of journal myself. However, I stumbled upon this Medical Journal, and it is truly wonderful. It has sections to record anything about your child's medical information. Truly Wonderful!!!!

I received this book as a gift and I LOVE IT. Being a new mom this book has given me an understanding of what to expect at each doctors appt. It has also helped me with tracking any medication that my little guy has used. I find it hard to remember names of all the drugs out there, and then trying to remebered if they worked? This book has help me track that kind of information, plus all the other details I learn at each doctors visit. The one addition I have made to this book is I have added tabs to each section. When I am in the doctors office I like to flip to diffrent sections of the book while talking with the nurse or doctor. I can get the answers faster in my book that the nurse or doctor cana by flipping through thier files and charts. I now give this book to anyone having a baby, it is the most valued gift we have rec'd... and it is for life. Thanks for a great book.

This book is a wonderful baby shower gift! Everyone I have sent it to loves it. This book helps you to record your child's medical records in an easy organized way. With today's HMO environment it is a way to keep your doctors informed about past history and family medical problems as well. I buy 12 at a time. You can never have enough on hand for gifts! If you love your child you must own this book. It could save a life!

I've been a fan of Joe Vitale's since I first picked up Spiritual Marketing. After that came The Greatest Money-Making Secret in History! Each book brought me a clearer understanding of Joe today. Then he handed me the draft of what would eventually be titled Adventures Within.
The story answered the question, "What happened to get you where you are today?" Boy, did it ever answer it!
The first 2 chapters are pretty raw and disturbing. At first, I didn't want to keep reading, but I'd promised Joe my thoughts and a quote on copyediting the whole book, so I continued. And am I ever glad I did. The following chapters are fascinating, evoking, thought-provoking and informative. I realized that the first 2 chapters had to be there for the readers to get the enormity of the changes as Joe gets freer and freer through his various courses of study and exploration. I think I've read the book 7 or 8 times, and I learn something new -- about Joe and about myself -- every time I read it.

I was in my 30's in the decade of 1980. Joe's personal journey of enlightment and self knowledge was one common to mine for the 80's and the 90's.

Reading about Joe's adventures shed new light on my own experiences. It's his frankness of what he saw and how he feels about it in reflection that help me clarify some of my own thoughts and beliefs of the various mentors I sought during those years. Joe brings up many observations about the various high profile personal development movements and groups that most people would shy away from saying. Joe didn't hold back.

Frankly, once I started reading the book I just couldn't put it down. I had to finish it in a single reading.

I feel the real value in this book is in how Joe shares his learnings and experiences with many self-growth modalities. In the beginning of the book, Joe shares a few difficult experiences he had in his youth related primarily to his father. Then he moves into his experiences as a follower of Rajneesh. This is followed by his many experiences interviewing and/or participating in some of the most effective and controversial people and organizations in the human potential movement of the 70's and 80's. As you read his experiences you learn FROM him and THROUGH him. My only criticism is that I ran into some annoying typos. I will definitely invest in some of his other work.

Joe's new book, is in a word 'shocking'.

You will absolutely be THRILLED by this book IF:

a) You are interested in what is termed the "New Age" movement
b) You've tried countless "self-help" books and you're still where you are.
c) You believe that miracles are possible.
d) You DON'T believe in miracles, because this book will make a believer of you.

You'll be even MORE thrilled if you know Joe personally, and you THINK you really know him, because you probably don't.

People know him as the World's First Hypnotic Marketer, and the author of countless best selling books, but Joe will introduce you to many other people... who has shaped and moulded his belief system, namely:

a) The boxer
b) The white Witch
c) The Harry Houdini Protege
d) The World's Greatest Preacher
e) Anand Manjushri

These are people you probably never knew existed.

As a bonus..if you read closely enough, you'll love how Joe's relative turned beef into fish, right in front of his very eyes!

And Joe will also take you on a cold hard objective look at the "woo woo" stuff like Fire Walking, Astral Sex...and what will REALLY bring you true happines and fulfillment.

I sincerely belive.. that unless Joe releases something else.. this is MY personal favourite book for the moment. I was not able to put down the book after going through the first chapter...and I don't think anybody will be able to..

It's definitely not hype to say that the first two chapters are 'forbidden'.

In fact I was puzzled when Joe didn't even tell me about this book...until I read it and realized why....

It'll make you laugh, cry, squirm in discomfort.. and go "How DARE he"..

To conclude.. if you love Joe's writings.. you MUST get this book because I really believe that this is the BEST EVER!

Get it!

Respectfully,
Jo Han Mok
Singapore

I am amazed. I didn't know what to expect with this new one by Dr. Vitale. I stumbled across this one after reading his other best-sellers like "Spiritual Marketing." well, this one sent electric shocks through me. The first two chapters alone were riveting. I couldn't believe what Dr. Vitale had gone through.

Then the other chapters were inspiring and informative about healing blind people and walking on water and even---this was wild---astral sex.

This is the biggest book Dr. Vitale has written, except for the one he wrote on P.T. Barnum, and this may be his best. I can't believe he wrote it 15 years ago. Anyway, I think anyone wanting a fascinating book should get "Adventures Within."

If you are looking for a book that does it all, this is it. Each page is a wonderfully modern treatment of the wildlife and artistic essence of unspoiled Africa. Beautiful collections of drawings, and sketches using photographs of field notes really sets off the wonderful format of the book. The artwork is breathtaking and the paintings will make your heart stir with the desire to be in Africa yourself. This is the next best thing.

Africa: An Artist's Journal comes from Kim Donaldson, a renowned wildlife artist who grew up in Zimbabwe on a ranch. His lifelong passion for capturing wildlife in art lends to a journal that covers the wildlife, culture, and history of Africa as a whole. A highly recommended pick for any interested in wildlife art.

This book is for anyone who loves Africa, wildlife and or artwork. It has pages and excerpts from his field sketchbooks, drawings, sketches and paintings. The artwork is exquisite. What makes it a must have is that you also get a well written brief history/description of the countries, the national parks, animals and people residing in each region interposed with Kim Donalson's personal experiences. It makes you feel like you have been there.

For anyone who has been on safari or only dreamed of going, for animal lovers everywhere, and for those who love Africa or want to know more about the continent, this is an extraordinary guide. What I loved was the quality of the art (virtually photographic), but with a translucence and depth that photographs cannot match coupled with the insiders commentary that is incredibly humble, given the authors obvious knowledge of the subject. One of the finest African wildlife books ever and a definitive addition to my collection. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

The Strand Book Stall at Bangalore was having its yearly sale in DEC.2003. I was out there browsing when I ran into this gorgeous elephant on the cover of this book. I get this feeling about books and knew I had to buy this one - it reminded me of the book by Ernest Thompson Seton that I read way back in 1986. It set me back by INR 1,615, but what the heck; the "Lions of the Serengeti" on pp. 12-13 itself recovered the cost of the "investment"!

The more I go through this book, the more I am amazed. Somehow, Kim Donaldson has come out with a masterpiece on Nature in Africa in all its glory and has been able to capture the many animals and their many moods in their natural habitat in a style that makes you feel that you have "walked the walk and experienced the silence" of Africa. Here's Kim's idea of a painting: "The way I decide the worth of a painting of Africa is by the feeling it evokes - whether it makes me homesick."

There are real gems right through the book. Tucked away at the top of the painting titled Grevy's zebra on pp. 154-155 is this African song of praise to the zebra:
~~~~~
You, who are night & day in one body
You, who are dark & light in one form
You, who are good & evil in one shape
Animal of two colors, animal of perfect harmony.
~~~~~

I browse this book at the junction points of a day: dawn and dusk. It reminds me of Sri Ramakrishna's observation that Nature is a majestic expression of divinity. It also reminded me of a particular verse in the Bhagavad Gita. So I hunted for the same in the copy of the Bhagavad Gita that I have, which is a translation by Barbara Stoler Miller (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553213652/104-8977925-4483157).

After some searching, I found the verse:
~~~~~
Deluded men despise me
in the human form I have assumed,
ignorant of my higher existence
as the great lord of creatures.
~~~~~

Imagine my shock when I noticed that the number of the verse was 9.11 (Chapter 9, Verse 11)!

Tender and true. I hated hated hated for it to end.

This book is better than J.R. Moehringer's The Tender Bar and the The Tender Bar is a near perfect Memoir. Here is the difference. With Moehringer, like Crandell, you are getting a story that will change you, but with Crandell's The All-American Industrial Motel you are right there beside Doug, hearing what he is hearing, seeing what he sees, and trying to breathe like Doug is trying to breathe. Chapter 18, is one of the best chapters in modern literature. Those who need this book the most, men twenty-six to forty, the Gen Xer's, whose confusion and raw votes led us to the America we have today--the killing--will try to say Crandell's account of finding your life in the Reagan Years and it's black greed wake, doesn't apply. But a few oh so lucky ones will know they have finally found the salve. While they didn't grow up in the forsaken tornado flatland of Northern Indiana, they still struggled and are still struggling with everything Doug Crandell has been so brave to share. Crandell has raised the shades men. It's time to give up the Kettle One. Put the Red Bull and Jaeger back on the shelf men and pick up Crandell's All-American Industrial Motel. Those products were meant for someone else your same age, not you. You are the son of your own father. Thank you Doug Crandell.

This exquisite Memoir will split your heart in two and you will wonder how you had survived with just the one before. The union workers in The All-American Industrial Motel are men I have known and loved my whole life. Their lives are as true as the story Doug tells of his awesome summer in Indiana working in the ceiling tile factory with them and it has taken me three quiet days to gain sufficient perspective from the book to write about it. It is that piercing, that honest, the voices so vulnerable that the reader is raw from the connection.
Doug Crandell writes to us so much of himself and of so much love and respect for his family that you want at once to hide in the life you've made, safe from the hurt of having left, all the while longing to be there again soaking up all the intricacies of family.
To real work, real love and real risk the author pays homage and I am grateful to have been in the audience for such bravery!

Like his first memoir, Pig Boy's Wicked Bird, the All-American Industrial Motel takes place during one pivotal year in Doug Crandell's life. In this new memoir, the year is 1990 and Crandell is one class away from college graduation and is working at a factory in Indiana along with his father. The farm is gone, and his family has been facing tough times. The tension within the family at this point is volatile, and Crandell's deteriorating relationship with his father is described in fantastic detail. Crandell finds an escape in his friendship with Jerry, a rough co-worker who he's known most of his life but has only befriended during his time in the factory. His ordeal is heart-wrenching as he tries get his father to open up emotionally and balances whether he should just leave with his degree or stay and become a "lifer" at the factory as he watches those who have taken this path. The book may seem bleak, but you will not be able to put it down. You feel a connection with Crandell, and will find yourself drawn in by the people who he befriends in the factory. You will also find yourself frustrated by Crandell's own frustrations and his family's bad decisions. Crandell is a writer of extraordinary ability, a wordsmith which you should not dismiss.

My Top Ten list of American writers changes with my mood and interests. The list is populated by Sherwood Anderson, David James Duncan, Ezra Pound (not from Europe, but from Idaho actually!), Steinbeck, Tennessee Williams, Delillo, O'Connor, et al. But, with his earlier work, PigBoy, Doug Crandell leapt onto the list, and his place is cemented by his latest memoir, The All-American Industrial Motel. The story is tender and frightening in the way that secrets between fathers and sons can be: the truth you both know but don't dare speak. The book is funny, heart-felt, and strangely riveting. Having had more minimum-wage jobs than I care to recall, where I was the college boy amongst the blue-collars, relating to this story, and the thick atmosphere of the factory culture, is comforting in the way that sleep is after pulling a double shift.

Crandell reveals enough herein to make one nervous with an anticipation of future events that other authors could never wring from common lives. This is the author's gift: making the melancholy struggle of mid-west lives seem more important than those we read of in the tabloids. And of course, they are. Thanks Doug for a great book!