Beat Books

Disappointing. This is a self-published tract about the benefits of experimental proton therapy. Although other forms of treatment for prostate cancer are discussed in brief, this isn't a balanced, knowledgeable treatise on the disease. It's too personal and not written my a medical professional.

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer on July 29, 2008. The Urologist wanted to operate ASAP. PC surgery is a terrible experience which requires 4 to 6 pints of blood and usually leaves one with many negative side effects. That night on NBC nightly news there was a piece about one of their employees who underwent Proton Beam Therapy at Loma Linda University Medical Center in CA. The resulting online link referred me to Bob Marckini's book. This book is outstanding!! It's very easy to read and provides a ton of info regarding the different types of therapy, but especially what I feel is the best, Proton Beam Therapy. Please, please read this book before having surgery, radiation or any other type of therapy.

The book is a good read and tells one person's story, but my husband and I researched and received several other medical views. We were told this procedure is only approved for limited cancers (brain, head, neck, eye, and pediatric). After I purchased the book, clinics provided this book to us free of charge when we inquired about the procedure at their clinic. I felt it was used as a sales tool. Read it, but also research and ask a lot of questions.

Roberts' book has really opened my eyes to the options available for Prostate Cancer. His information on the things to be aware of for the biopsy and the advantages and disadvantages for each option saved me a lot research. His book has made me more aware of the information that I should be looking for from the doctors. I am in the process of determining if I have cancer and I am taking charge of my treatments. I am especially impressed by all the testimonials from the cancer survivors. You will be amazed by the backgrounds of these people. His book needs to be part of your "Take Charge" mission.

This book is an excellent resource for those who wish to pursue proton beam therapy for prostate cancer. Written in the first-person, the author describes the process of his diagnosis of prostate cancer, what the various tests mean, how they are interpreted, and then how to select an appropriate treatment.

The treatments for prostate cancer are many, and how you are "steered" by your urologist is largely dependent on his/her comfort level with the various forms of treatment, and his/her previous training. For instance, some urologists "push" surgery, for that is how they learned to treat the condition in medical school. Other urologists may steer you to external beam radiaion, cryosurgery, or implantable radioactive seeds. Again, there are a variety of options in regards to treatment, and one needs to hear all the options and be an informed consumer before a final decision is made.

Unfortunately, too few urologists are aware of the cutting edge treatment of prostate cancer through proton beam radiation, and this is the gist of this book. The author relates how he had his prostate cancer treated successfully at Loma Linda Medical Center with proton radiation. He tells his entire experience there, not only of the actual procedure of proton beam radiation, but also of the opportunities for fellowship and group support that are unique to Loma Linda.

I have prostate cancer, and after reading this book, I decided on proton beam therapy. (My urologist was not informed on this procedure and did not include it in his list of recommended treatments). I could not get into Loma Linda (they were undergoing a revamping and upgrading of their tretment bays), so I elected to be treated at Bloomington, Indiana, at the Midwest Proton Research Institute (MPRI). The treatment is the same, just a different location. There are 4 active proton beam centers in the USA at the time of this writing, with more being developed. Chicago will open a site in 2009.

Proton beam therapy is not for everyone. The cancer must be a relatively early cancer, with a Gleason score of 7 or less (this value indicates the aggressivebess of the cancer).

In the end, each man has to choose his particular mode of therapy based on his stage of cancer, his tolerance to the various forms of treatment, and the side-effects of each treatment. It is a very important decision that must be made after all the information is considered. The great thing about this book is that proton beam therapy is given as a valid and effective means of treating prostate cancer.

I rank this book as a "must-read" volume for any man with prosate cancer. It is very well written and includes resources to call at the end of the book. Excellent and informative book - make sure you read this if you have prostate cancer!

Jim Koenig

Somewhere in the 409 pages of this book you'll find buried a truly great work of American literature. It is hard to fault Kerouac for his devotion to spontaneous and unedited writing; though these methods imposed limitations on what he could accomplish as a writer, they also contributed to what makes his books so fascinating. If Jack had lived in Hemingway's time, he would have submitted Desolation Angels to the publisher and would have been handed back a 300 page masterpiece.

The most problematic section is the first one, "Desolation in Solitude." I understand that Kerouac wanted to convey the sheer insanity of his isolation as a lookout, but considering that he already devoted about 30 pages to this in Dharma Bums, he essentially retreads the same mystic nonsense for another 70 pages without giving much new insight into his experience. The one interesting bit that comes out of the whole ordeal is the gradual dissatisfaction that Kerouac feels for Buddhism (which, through his interpretation, seems to fall a bit close to nihilism) and his reacceptance of Christianity.

But after this first section, things pick up and Kerouac delivers one painfully sad and and transcendentally beautiful insight after another (one of my favorites: his frustration at receiving a $3 jaywalking ticket on the way to a job, costing him half his day's pay-- but you have to read the way he puts it to understand, of couse). It is worth noting that Desolation Angels really is two different books written almost 5 years apart. The first half he wrote while in Mexico City (during events he describes in the second half, Passing Through), while the second half was written in Florida (I think) while he lived with his mother. Thus, Kerouac's interpretation of life radically shifts when you begin the 2nd half. He also suddenly becomes a lot more candid, talking about his life as a writer, his use of drugs, and the homosexuality of his peers in a lot more detail and honesty than he could manage before. It is also important to understand that "Desolation Angels" (part 1) was written BEFORE On the Road was published, while "Passing Through" (part 2) was written AFTER. His sudden brush with fame can probably account for this shift in perspective.

I don't want to go into too much detail about the multitude of spiritual revelations within the book, as its better to hear it out of the mouth of the mystic. Reading the book, one can't help but notice that Kerouac, even when past his literary and spiritual peak, was not the embittered and impotent wreck that he's usually considered-- not based on his touching insights in "Passing Through." He clearly has a lot of faith in humanity, and of the necessity that people act out of love and respect rather than hate and fear. Many critics quickly dismiss Desolation Angels as a "lesser work," but I think that if you're willing the persist through the dense opening section, the rewards are nearly as profound as those of his more famous novels.

There is a lot in this book to enjoy and think about. Why it wasn't included in the syllabus for Post Modernist Fiction when I took it at Columbia in the 1970's is puzzling. Why read "Ulysses" or "The Sound and the Fury," two "classics" that leave you empty and frustrated, when you could read this book and at least walk away somewhat empowered? Why read two uninteresting drunks when you can read an interesting one? Maybe Kerouac might motivate you to take over Low Library or, better yet, drop out of Columbia and get a life. There must have been some reason.

Kerouac was apparently schizophrenic and I tend to prefer the thinker to the party animal, especially now that there are more party animals than there are parties to house them. What makes Kerouac interesting, though, is the way these two aspects of his personality interacted with each other. Scorn for the status quo, popularized in the "60's", whatever on earth the "60's" connotates in God's mind, can be traced back at least to the French symbolists, was then manipulated by 20th century national socialists, then rediscovered by the Beats and finally morphed itself into its opposite (the status quo) by the hippie-yuppie-military-Madison-Avenue-God-knows-what-else establishment we are currently enslaved by... I think I've run out of sentence. Ask Dennis Hopper when he's not making a commercial for Wall Street. Anyway, Kerouac gets this insanity at some very lucid level and it sets him apart from his peers, who were less (not?) able to view themselves, or their "generation," very critically. This all helps one muster up the (courage?) to deal with the current train wreck we're witnessing, with car after car mindlessly piling up on the smoldering heap. Not that Jack didn't add much to the smoldering heap. In fact, without the schizo element, it would be hard to believe that the same could get as heavy as he does in this book.

You can mindlessly read the first section of "Desolation Angels" on Desolation Peak. Kerouac seems like a normal, oversensitive guy and the section has a nice brevity and completeness about it. His existentialism is more current than Sartre or Camus and he is a better writer in many ways. He doesn't need to fictionalize because he sees that life provides the best material, so why muddy the water with a bunch of "lies?" Kerouac's only real "lies" are his bop prosodist excursions, during which his natural writing talents are short-circuited by his need to be "cool" and mimick Joyce and the other masters of confusion and tedium. The fact that Kerouac contradicts himself philosophically and morally almost constantly throughout is not a problem: he's B-E-A-T remember, like with a stick. And you're supposed to be as wasted as he is when you cognate, so what's the problem? It only matters when his stomach suddenly starts hemorraging in 1968, and then only to him really. He's like a star NFL quarterback, easily replaced once some 350 pound goon turns him into nursing home material. In "Desolation Angels," we get to witness the end of humanity as it was once known and Kerouac takes entire centuries of thought and sensibility with him to the grave.

But, Kerouac has two things going for him: he remains lucid enough, for the most part anyway, because he is documenting "simple life," as he might describe it. And, hence, secondly, he is able to convey greater complexities because he generally avoids the rhetorical stream-of-consciousness trap. It's like a Don Johnson "Miami Vice" shoot-out scene taking place in a library, with Don protecting himself from a stray bullet with a copy of Malraux, then opening to a page and reading an excerpt. If you're not laughing at least once every page, you're not reading closely.

Personally, I'd rather read Gauguin or van Gogh because they saw it coming. The issues were the same: freedom vs. modernity. Kerouac has many of their insights, but he thinks America, the open road, and guys who don't bathe regularly are going to save him and, by the time he finds out that they're going to kill him, it's too late. Apparently, like all blue-blooded Americans, he could be a pretty mean drunk. Fortunately, succeeding generations dropped their souls like Neanderthal Man dropped his tail and, so, there is no existential problem anymore. But, as Mr. Bowie notes on "Heathen," some of us "stay behind." For him it's 1982. Why 1982, I couldn't tell you. For me, it's 1903, the the year Gauguin died. For Jack, it was probably 1957, or therabouts. Either way, this book takes you back to a space that is now nowhere to be found, only recalled with pangs.

Of all parties mentioned, only Gauguin really completed his mission, as he had the sense to get out of Western Civilization before it turned him into one of those pickling cucumbers you stare at in horror at the grocery store, as it rots before your very eyes. No, Gauguin paints some beautiful pictures of the savage life that is dying, calls Schuffenecker an "idiot" and then, fulfilled, quietly dies. For Kerouac, this option was attempted (the Buckley interview was it?), but not really possible. However, it is most likely what he needed to do to complete the Duluoz legend. Unfortunately, Lowell, MA is his idea of the tropics. Ultimately, Jack's rucksack got full of too many sins, omissions and Americanisms to get him very far, so he ends up on a Greyhound bus with Memere too drunk to make out the next stop on the bus ticket.

All of this is much easier to comprehend if you view it as classic comedy, which is something Americans were once very good at making.

I read this book while travelling in India. I was amazed and touched. I haven't thought that Kerouac could write any better or even at the level of Onthe Road and The Subterraneans, I was wrong. If you like Keorouac, not to say a fan, buy this book.

Jack Kerouac's 'Desolation Angels', written about a period of his life roughly 10 years before his death, acts as a nice bridge between 'On The Road' (which was awaiting publication during the course of events described in "Angels") and a subsequent publication, Big Sur, both of which I've read.

During his two month self-imposed exile to work as a fire ranger on Desolation Peak, Jack Kerouac was forced to confront many of his pre-existing or emerging demons. The location for this period of his life is especially apropos for the 'desolation' surrounding Kerouac, much of which was self-created, as he sank further into depression and alcoholism.

The book covers more of his life than just the two months on Desolation Peak, but as Jack re-emerges into society, you get the sense that this 'loner' was only comfortable being 'alone' amongst others...that while he could see, smell, and wander amongst others, and feel tolerably 'isolated'...he could not stand the true isolation he could achieve, to remove himself from society altogether.

Jack wanders from the American Northwest to Florida, to Mexico, to Tangiers, to California with his mother in tow, and eventually back to Florida, when his mother grows further depressed with their cross-country move after only a month.

Many players from Kerouac's former novels appear in this one as well, albeit with different names...the poet 'Gregory Corso,' to whom Kerouac lost 'Mardou Fox' in "Subterraneans" is called 'Raphael Urso' in "Angels"...'Dean Moriarty,' from "On The Road" is 'Cody' in this incarnation.

Kerouac's detachment from the Beat Generation, his status as their reigning 'king', his fame, and his Buddhist beliefs all come into focus during this novel, one of his finest, in my opinion. If you rode shotgun with Kerouac for On The Road, explore his life further, and you will uncover far more about this dark, troubled, but fascinating author.

Kerouac at his best. Like the former reviewer, I agree that it times it can be thorny. However, if you take these "lull" moments for what they really are, you will see that much can be gained from reading them and not taking them as another Kerouac run-on. This novel, which I read third in the sequence of On the Road, Dharma Bums, and then Desolation Angels picks up nicely from the conclusion of Bums, and provides a great trilogy for those getting into Jack. Perfect character descriptions, encounters with his fellow beats, and the absolute wallowing of Kerouac into his Self...this being the best part of the novel, which the other two lacked. 5 Stars. Take your time with it, this is a beautiful piece of work.

While I have great respect for Jack Kerouac, I am not all that impressed with his writing. I never really got into The Beat writers, although by all accounts I should have in late high school when I was interested in "automatic writing." That stream of consciousness, punctuation-less thought that comes from your mind when it can't quiet itself. I think I have the same assessment of many of the Beat writers and poets, and I did have the unique experience of going to City Lights Book Shop in San Fransisco, which is owned and run by one of the original Beat poets. I respect their art and their way of expressing it, but it never really hit me as anything profound. I enjoyed Tristessa some, but not as much as I was hoping I would. I had heard so much about Kerouac from my best friend, who loved On the Road, but I was never hooked. If you are interested in esoteric topics presented in slurred poetry then this is for you. I don't care much for some performance art, and much of what I have read from the Beats seems like a literary version of that. Perhaps I haven't read the right things, so I may not have a good grasp on them. I'll have to try and read some from William S. Burroughs. I hear he had some great books.

In Tristessa, Kerouac writes about his time on the road in Mexico City. The book is broken down into two parts, a year apart. It is a sort of love poem to Tristessa, the morphine addicted prostitute that he is in love with.

In true Kerouac fashion we once again live vicariously through his vivid writing of his experience on the road. His ability to bring the reader right into the middle of his world is the reason I keep coming back to him again and again.

Jack Kerouac describes his low-budget meanderings within the slums of the Prostitution and Drug Culture in 1950's Mexico City. His descriptions of the hovels that his "compadres" live in, is quite engrossing... it reminds me somewhat of the activities in the neighborhoods of modern-day Tijuana (short all the pets and chickens and so-forth)... I wouldn't recommend anyone attempt these same "feats" in modern-day Mexico City, as it has become a much more dangerous place for tourists over the last 50 years.

The fact that Kerouac is able to travel and live among the bohemian under-culture is one thing, but that he is able to describe it with his running dialog style on a typewriter is quite unique (a style that is something close to what I'd independently come up with at 14 in 1973, while capturing a dialog between a good friend and my sister on my Mom's old manual typewriter).

I can`t really review the whole book yet as I`m only on page 16, but so far this book is thick, and dripping in poetry. Kerouac is genius, unmistakable. I should have read this sooner--by page 16 it`s already more highly beautiful then 1000 other books combined. I`ll read the rest of it and write more later--Hopefully it`s more of the same

Tristessa by Jack Kerouac *****

Tristessa may just be the best thing Kerouac ever wrote. Yes I know On The Road was, and still is one of the greatest and most important books of all time, but I must say I don't think Kerouac ever felt what he wrote as much as he did when he wrote Tristessa. You can feel his heart aching in the literature, something that is very, very rare to find, but very rewarding when you do.

Tristessa follows a man in Mexico City, Mexico who is completely infatuated with a women named Tristessa who is a junky, to say the least. This tortured story follows these two along with a revolving door of assorted men, and her fellow girlfriends over the course of about a year and a half. These two love each other but the narrator can't bring himself to give into her because of her addictions and flighty ways, but he also is conflicted and can't leave her in this condition because he really does love her so, and her him.

This is a gut wrenching tail of love, loss, and not being able to let go. If this is not the most prolific thing Kerouac ever wrote it sure is close, and wins my pick for his best.

Fabulous book! Bair gives clear and easy-to-follow instructions to connect with one's heart and from there to the natural world. I believe it is what the world needs. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

This book has wisdom from beyond the ordinary realms of everyday life. This gives the reader tools and information to use to take steps "up" in life in order to know what purpose they are here for and to live that with passion. The author is highly knowledgeable and uses both general and specific information and personal stories from many people to bring home the points and importance of using these tools and when to use them. They help with the ordinary challenges of everyday life and open the door to the beyond. Pretty exciting stuff that could enlighten anyone who is seeking more from life.

This book is a groundbreaking work in the sense that most sufi teachings are encapsulated for small groups of followers of one particular Master or Stream of enlightenment, but this work has the currency and immediacy to answer the cry of humanity's illnesses today and provide healing and help in the areas of relationships, health, and character building. I look forward to the publication of the successor volume due out this Sept. 07, and I know that it shall be an even bigger event for readers of this important wisdom school in our time. This book is definitely the crest of the wave of practical healthy steps toward enlightenment and valuable and useful applications for steps toward an enhanced life and increased appreciation for living in these difficult days, eventually leading us back to the source from whence we all came, by unlearning some of the hang-up and attachments holding us back and making us all ill. A great primer for meditation, concentration, and contemplation. Enjoy and welcome home.

I have read many many "heart" entitled books over the years and it is surprising to me that so few people are aware of this book and the method of meditation that it introduces, especially given its ease and effectiveness. Before I discovered this work, my own heart had attained various states----from serious questioning with Ramana Maharshi and other spiritual quests, to the ecstatic verse of Rumi and Hafiz----from sharing with patients, life's trauma and joys through years as a health care provider, to the wrenching-heart-breaking-openings of ended relationships.

When I began Heart Rhythm Meditation, sensations and awareness felt great right away which aroused my curiosity and encouraged me to keep practicing. But it took me six more months of various methods of this meditation before realizing I was experiencing much more than just a temporary high or an insightful understanding. Some essential aspect of my being was gradually changing by such a simple practice of attending to my breathing and my heart-beat.

(For the quickest experiential entry, go immediately to "The First Intervention" practice on page 144 for a limited number of breaths. Then go right on to page 155 "The Second Intervention" also for a limited number of breaths. Gently. Simply. Easily. Entering into a "conversation" with your lungs and then opening to the possibility of a "conversation" with your heart. If any anxiety or concerns arise in this new relationship with your heart, move right on to page 166.)

I have read this book every year for the last nine years and shared it with patients and students. With even a little patience, I know you will discover or uncover within, exactly what the book's subtitle suggests: energy, clarity, peace, joy and inner power. Moving into your heart, layer after layer after layer. Holding a feeling state longer and longer. Living less through your mind, and living more from your heart. You will not lose any mental abilities but calm and enhance them as you gain your full heart function. As Puran Bair speaks so succinctly, you may now live with your mind in service to your heart.

(This book provides practical emotional experience of the Elements and insights on pranayama for those interested in either of these arenas.)

Puran and Susanna Bair have also published another title: Energize Your Heart

Living from the Heart has altered my perception of what it truly means to be "real" and has had a profound effect on not only how I perceive others but more importantly on how I react to all of life's situations. I've found that through the breath practices alone my life has changed. My energy is double if not triple what it was, my ability to listen to others and really hear what they are saying has increased when I listen with my heart and maintain a full breathing pattern. Add the element breath practices and WOW you have a guaranteed method of changing your energy to match the situation. If you need to be the calm voice of reason in a business meeting where everyone else is charged up and you use the air and earth breaths you can not only see the bigger picture and commonality of everyone's concerns but you can remain calm in the storm and actually calm down everyone in the meeting (both in person and via phone). If you've had a long day and need to get a boost of energy or optimism then the fire breadth will increase your energy. The water breadth is perfect for developing and sending empathy and emotions for not only your closer relationships but also with those you may have just met. I've found that learning to harness the power of your breath can be an extremely powerful tool in business as well as in life.
I have tried many different forms of meditation over the past 24 years and have taken multiple leadership, communication, relationship building and "stress relief" courses yet they only cover bits and pieces of how to effectively listen to your intuition, relate to another person, show empathy and relieve stress. Living from the heart gives you sound, easy to practice and incredibly powerful methods of developing your concentration, intuition, communication with yourself, and guides you to living a heart centered life.
The key to this method of meditation is that it is not just visualization or counting or any of the other methods that take you away from your body and self but rather key practices that will apply to every situation in your life. This book not only teaches you how to meditate but gives you the tools to apply the benefits of mediation to enhance your everyday life. It gives you the tools you need to contact your heart, hear what it says, learn how to breath (which if that is all you learn from this book your life will be greatly enhanced), and to really connect with your spiritual side. The method is based on thousands of years of collective knowledge from multiple religions and spiritual practices blended with the latest in scientific research.
Puran Bair has done an absolutely spectacular job of synthesizing the best practices that many spend a lifetime learning and presenting the knowledge in an easy to understand, easy to practice and incredibly powerful manor that anyone can learn and benefit from.
I've given copies of this book to countless friends. Anyone that wants to learn how to really breath and utilize the power of the breath, develop awareness of their body and heart, increase their body's natural healing capacity and connect back with (or enhance) their spiritual awareness will love this book regardless of religious affiliation (or lack of religious belief).

In addition, those who will benefit are not just those on a spiritual path but anyone that wants to harness the power of their breath...using the square (or diamond) breath is a highly effective way to increase your lung capacity and VO2 Max...useful for runners, atheletes, anyone living in or traveling to high altitudes or basically anyone interested in increasign their stamina, recovering from surgury (takes pressure off your chest), and increases your vitality and health.

This was OK, but contained nothing new or groundbreaking - what I would call "Master of the Obvious" advice. I was really disappointed that the author even had a chapter advising that improving your looks would make you feel better. What was bad about the advice was she used as examples a man who got a face lift and a woman who paid a professional shopper to completely overhaul her wardrobe. Come on, Mira, get a grip!!! It was at this chapter that I lost all respect and to me the book lost credibility. I still can't believe she would include something so shallow. I'm just glad I didn't pay full price for this.

Bought this after reading her other book "Is He Mr. Right?" which I recommended to my girlfriends. I briefed it and thought it was too simplistic so I was going to give it away. Then 1 night I couldn't sleep and read the book backwards and it was very good. So good that it was used in my meeting w. employees and it motivated them to be better. I plan to re-read, take notes, then pass this book on to others who will benefit from it. Looking forward to reading her 3rd book too "Too good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay".

We all know people who drag around, whine and complain and can't take the initiative to make things happen in their lives. A copy of this book might be a life saver for them.
It's a good one for even high-energy people to have on hand. Every now and then things get you down, but dipping into this book gives ideas to jump start your enthusiasm again.
When you read a section, you say "of course," but it is good to be reminded of these. Some concepts may be new to you.
Examples of these "secrets" are:
*negative people bring you down
*unfinished business is an energy drain
*embrace the present
*never envy anyone
Mostly the book benefits you by giving you perspective. We all have a lot going on in our lives, but keeping it in perspective makes it much easier to deal with. Attitude is everything!

Here are the teachings of this book summarized. Here is how to have more energy:

Quit worring about other peoples expectations. This is a huge drain on energy. Live up to your own standards.

Do things daily that are meaningful. What are your priorities?

Pray in a meaningful way, have a dialog with God.

Do what you really want to, stop doing what you do not like.

Imagine what you will be like with emotional energy. Make it real in your mind.

Look forward to a bright future.

Have fun in life!

Don't cry over spilt milk, move on.

Envy is poison and Guilt is Stupid.

and much more, very basic teachings that are common sense but we all need to be reminded of these things. If you want to examine these areas buy the book, if you know all of this, keep looking else where. This book is very basic.

Run, dont walk and get your credit card. You ,may think- I cant I have no energy. Well after this book, you WILL. You will literally feel the weight being lifted off your shoulders as you read. You will not believe how incredible this book is. Ever wonder why you are feeling blah? I couldnt figure it out either. I thought there was something wrong with me. I exercise, eat well, take care of myself but I felt too pooped to pop. This book will literally wrap you in a big hug and slap you upside the head as well. I could feel myself feeling lighter as I read. EVERY possible thing you could possibly think of that you think is bringing you down can be tied to emotional fatigue. Mira addresses every issue.... And what to do. If that doesnt work or you cant do a particular solution, she offers another. I cant even begin to tell you how great this book is. You will feel like your old self and feel full of energy again. I feel like I can be me again. Thank you Mira!!!!

this book is like
WOW
KA-POW
a sock in the gut
a kick in the butt-
on fly jeans that were
often worn by torn men
and broken women
who called themselves

beat

this bible is a meet-
ing ground of sound tribal mind
open heart prose
souls that want to rise with
those that have al-
ready rose

each chapter contains
some laughter
about how things came together
during that magical time
of free
verse
and holy ryhme

ginsberg
kerouac
burroughs
ferlinghetti
and more
dissolving their flesh
exposing their spirit driven core

oh, i love to read and bleed this book dry
i love to cry with sad saints
and be healed by words revealed

in the city we are
"constantly risking absurdity and death"
but we
who
are brave
and
not
a slave to tyrants
can freely take a chance
and take a new breath
and dance
with Holy Men
gone
bye.


Peace & Blessings,
john, 'the Light Coach'

This book features some excellent beat writers and includes informative blurbs on their history and style. Each artist has a little chunk of their writing for you to sample, and the material is everything from stories to letters to classically bad prose.

What impressed me were the essays by each other, on the actual generation hype.

"Young people seemed more intense, clutching, and I couldn't help feeling they took themselves too seriously... 'good, clean fun' appeared to be a thing of the past. Or perhaps the aura of suspicion and defensiveness was merely a reflection of my own fears..." --Carylon Cassady

It's a great book for deciding which authors you want to read more of.

This reader is a good overall introduction to beat literature. While I could have done with a few more examples of writing from the women in the movement, that probably would not have kept the book as "portable" as its title promises.

An absolute wonder, a perfect selection of Beat writings: Poems, fragments of novels, essays, history, mythology, philosophy... The Portable Beat Reader is one of the most essential books in my collection and rarely leaves my side. And it is, thankfully, portable, and much easier than bringing everything with you all the time. Aquire it, open it, and just start reading.

Simply put, this is what I turn to when I need inspiration for reading, for creating, for anything. It combines wonderful bios of everyone from Kerouac to Bob Dylan, and their poems, book excerpts, and lyrics galore. Absolutely enjoyable, absolutely essential. Thank god for Ann Charters.

This book gave me a great amount of knowledge and detail about Lupus. However, I especially enjoyed the author's table talk approach. The text was not weighted down with too many medical terms. Instead, the author did an excellent job of sharing her everyday battles and victories with Lupus. The encouraging words and advice she offers can be applied to improve everyday life, not only those living and battling with Lupus. Excellent!

I have had two family members to die from Lupus. And I still didn't have a clue of what it was. This book gave me great knowledge of the disease. It also gave me insight of what my family members were going through. I really enjoyed the book.

This is an excellent book full of inspiring and informative information. It is a good book to read even for people who are not suffering from Lupus."If it got any better I could not stand it".

I thought this book was very informative to read with or without having lupus. It's very detailed about letting you know what a person wiht lupus goes through no matter how healthy they may appear on the outside. The book has wonderful stories about the writer trials and tribulations and how she personally beat lupus. This book was motivational and funny and it's a great book to read if you have or know someone that has lupus.

I enjoyed the book more than I expected too. I first picked it up expecting to just scam throught it but I just couldn't put it down. It offered hands on life details of a real person sufferng from lupus. I really didn't know alot about this hidden disease, but found out alot once I read the book. It was also many parts in the books that made me cry mainly because I began to put myself in the authors shoes. It was an excellent book to me.

Well I have just got the book but feel so fascinated as each page moves. It has reinforced my understanding also. How companies waste their time and HR department undertake such a process that will put off any candidate seeking career opportunity. We all know that CVs hide more than they reveal. and the best of the talents do not apply for the jobs.

All that is required in what Chris Resto aptly advises is to reflect contagious energy , fresh perspective and abundance in aspiration.. The job seeker wants is a career accelerator and not a mere job.. The Recruiter wants is a profit accelerator. Unless that bandwidth does not happen, the very exercise shall be futile. Yes one does get a job but managing and growing in it is the real challenge.

Since I happen to run Professional Mentoring Programmes and Pre placement training, the first thing that I advise people is to put the CV into a shredder. Because the Recruiter needs them more than the job seekers.. So first read the Nick Corcidilos ASK THE HEADHUNTER ([...]) That is indeed a must read for avoiding the HR Dept traps. Jeffrey J Fox also advises the same in Don't send a CV.. But now Christ Resto in this new title Recruit or Die explains the dynamics of Job market and best practices.

Read all this if you want the " right job " and never be a CV pusher.

with best wishes

RK Dhanvada
rk@dhanvada.com
India

I have gone through the interview process three times at MIT, twice as a student and once while an employee at Microsoft. I have also interned at Thomson West, which is frequently mentioned throughout the book. From all of my experiences with these companies and others, the information presented in the book is extremely accurate, both from a process perspective and the attitudes of students.

For a company, I loved that the book focused on:
1. Knowing what you are selling - I have talked to many employers who did not have a clear idea of this, and it was a huge turnoff. The book provides a great list of questions to help you identify what you are selling to students.

2. Establishing personal relationships with your recruits - When looking at competing offers, in retrospect, I realized that I have always chosen the company where I had the greatest relationships with the recruiter, other alumni, etc. The book emphasizes building these relationships and provides great suggestions on how to build them.

3. Setting expectations appropriately - This is a prevailing theme throughout the book, and I couldn't agree with it more. The book lists everything from making sure you tell recruits when you will follow-up with them to how to properly set expecations about recruitment goals within your organization.

While the primary audience of the book is recruiters, as a current student, I also found the information in the book helpful in navigating the interview process the second time around. I used the contents to identify companies with great recruiting processes, ask more meaningful questions about the companies, and provide better feedback to companies on how they could improve. While juggling information from so many companies, it even helped remind me of what was important to me about the next company I work at: career growth, opportunities to solve challenging and meaningful problems, and the culture of the company. I can't wait to apply what I read in the book when I start recruiting for the next company I work for.

Whether you are a student, a new recruiter, or an experienced one, I would definitely recommend picking up Recruit or Die!

I graduated college a couple years ago and I think the viewpoints on college students and grads are dead on. That's probably because they're from tons of actual interviews with students and grads ha. The book is definitely well researched and I would be very attracted to any company who practices the things this book recommends.
Also, I found this book applicable to many aspects of recruiting in general. Many of the concepts work great for student organizations on campus, similar to non-profit orgs or small businesses that can't afford to pay large salaries. If you're the leader of a student org, I recommend reading this to improve your recruitment tactics. There are many parallels you can draw between a college org and a business when it comes to recruitment, like applying job fair tactics at your next tabling fair (or whatever your college calls it... a day or days when many/all clubs table and flyer).

I was very excited to read this book, and it didn't disappoint. I am a leading edge member of the millenial generation and I work for a college in career services, so this book is quite relevant to me. Resto and co. are very accurate in describing what college students want out of work and how they operate, as well they should be accurate-they also work with students. Their suggestions are pretty good as well-I will be very curious to see if any of the recruiters coming to our campus employ these suggestions!

If your company recruits new hires by going to college campuses, you need to read Recruit or Die, no matter how good you think you are at recruiting. If you have a formal recruiting program or even if you just attend job fairs looking for good new employees, this will still be a valuable book for you.

The good advice begins in the Introduction, where the authors ask and answer the question: "Why Microsoft, McKinsey and Goldman Sachs?" They point out that all three of these favorite places for graduates to seek employment have a great brand. But other companies do, too.

What sets these three apart from the pack is what they do. The authors identify four things.

They won't settle for anyone other than exactly the recruits they want.
They work harder and smarter than their competitors to know their target audience: the recruits.
They sell themselves better than their competitors do.
They present a united front.

That's strategy. Tactically, the authors tell you that contact is king, that you should sell your people first and your company second and that courtesy and class go a long way.

The authors suggest that if you follow the kind of diligent process that the recruiting stars follow, you'll get great results. I think they're right.

Years ago, when police departments suddenly found themselves facing massive retirements with few recruits showing up at the door, I designed recruiting programs for police departments. Almost everything I learned that's positive is here plus a ton of details that I wish I'd known at the time. You can cut your recruiting learning curve by reading Recruit or Die and applying its lessons.

You'll learn to think, for example, about your company and the jobs you're offering from three perspectives. You'll ask yourself what the differences are between what you have, what recruits think you have, and what recruits want. That set of distinctions, alone, can help you sharpen your offerings and your process.

Again and again you're reminded to build on your strengths. You're reminded to meet the questions and needs of the people you want to recruit. That's all good, but there are some things I wish were different.

There's too much emphasis on "talent" as "people who've done well in school." Sometimes the young person who's dramatically improved performance late in school is a better choice for your company. One Fortune 200 company used that as part of its target recruit profile for years.

There's also way too much emphasis on big schools, big companies and the east and west coasts. Scan the schools whose students are quoted in the book and you're hard pressed to find any schools in the Midwest or in the South below Chapel Hill.

There are virtually no smaller company examples even though the lessons of the book are adaptable to small companies. And there are virtually no small schools represented either.

The fact is that the bulk of college graduates will be something other than first-tier brains and come from something other than first-tier schools. They will go to work at companies of all sizes, all over the country.

I wish the book reflected that reality better. But even if you're a small company recruiting at a small state school in a Midwestern state, there's a lot of good practical nuts-and-bolts advice in this book. You'll find a wealth of information on the operational details of attending job fairs, effective job postings, following up with recruits.

The bottom line is that if you need to recruit, you need to read Recruit or Die.

Mary and her husband have ,thankfully, not suffered in vain. LDN which came to my notice through this book has significantly improved my health which had been detiorating for several years. I am so grateful to Dr. Bihari for bringing LDN to people like me who suffer from auto immune disorders. This treatment which is safe and inexpensive has been an answer to my prayers.The symptoms which I had already developed still come and go but much less frequently than before. Most importantly , no new symptoms have developed since I started taking LDN. I am able to more fully enjoy life with my husband and our 5 children without being in pain and exhausted all the time. I only wish that G.Ps in Britain would do their homework and prescribe this drug more readily. I have personally encountered a lot of ignorance and arrogance among some GPs who know little about the treatment and are unwilling to learn. Thankfully in the Republic of Ireland it is more widely known and available. It can be prescribed safely to women who are trying to conceive and at 4.5 mg can be taken safely during pregnancy.If you suffer from any auto immune disorder or suspect that you do, I would urge you to read this book and try LDN. If your GP won't prescribe it , don't give up. I obtained my treatment through a private prescription and it is well worth the £28 per month.Anyone who has been helped by LDN should publicise the treatment as widely as possible. I really feel that we have duty to help others who might benefit.
THANK YOU MARY - KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK !

Sometimes clear and definite personal experiences "anecdotes" are better proof than cloudy "gold standard" research. Though formal medical research is still in early stages, a neurologist who refuses to use "unproven" LDN for MS amd Crohn's disease is needlessly letting his patients suffer and decline. This book is in agreement with many other "anecdotal" sources that this is a more effective treatment than the expensive (profitable) and painful drug treatments the doctors demand. I (author of HONEST NUTRITON) have a niece and two close friends with MS and several with Crohn's. They should get this safe and effective treatment. Thank you, Mary Bradley, for writing a very clear, readable, and convincing book.

After 10 years of traditional therapy I decided after a lot of research to try LDN. The book was easy and enjoyable to read. Shared with my support group. This treatment has some remarkable success but little support
since trials are rarely done. It would be fantastic to have an inexpensive drug recognized for its positive benefit on chronic debilitating illnesses. We need the $$$$ signs to go out of the drug companies mentality and push to investigate and be positive on helping so many who struggle daily. Maybe more success stories need to be published.

I was diagnosed with MS in July 05 at 29. In Jan of 06 I ended up paralyzed from the waist down due to an severe exacerbation. I was not on any of the C.R.A.B. drugs at the time, but was using holistic remedies that I had read about. After getting out of the hospital I went on Copaxone. While it seemed to help, I was not thrilled about taking a shot everyday nor the $3000 a month cost of the medication. I was relentless when it came to looking for other therapies. I stumbled on this book by just searching for literature on MS here on Amazon. The book looked unassuming, but the title was too intriquing to pass up. I bought the book and read the entire thing the day I received it. WOW! I was so excited! I was having difficulty finding a Dr. to prescribe LDN as most seem to follow the standard protocol to avoid lawsuits or because of pressure from drug companies. I emailed Mary and she emailed me back and within a week I found my current doctor and have not looked back. I have been on LDN since mid April and am so thankful! My muscle spasms have decreased so much I don't have to take any other meds for them. My bladder dysfunction still persists, but is so much improved that I only take half the dosage of those pills now. And, it is SOO nice only taking a pill at night before bed than giving yourself injections everyday. Finally, the cost!! I spend $30 a month for my LDN. My costs have been cut 100 fold. If you have MS or any autoimmune disease I would encourage you to read this book. Everyone (NMSS in particular) keeps touting that an oral medication is just around the corner....IT'S ALREADY HERE AND AVAILABLE!!!!

I was recently diagnosed with MS this past June and through an incredibly fortunate turn of events,my In-Laws suggested I read Mary Anne's book...which I did. It is so well written,chock full of imperitive information that I was not receiving through the medical community,provided much insight into this desease,and at times humorous and touched me in an amazing way. Yet, I was even more touched to again have the incredible good fortune to actually meet Mary Anne and her husband Noel in person in July. To say that she and her family have been thoroughly instimental while I'm on this journey is an understatement.'Up the Creek with a Paddle' is an absolute must-read for anyone grappling with a life-altering disease, whether the person directly affected or the caregivers/family/friends. LDN has provided me with such massive help and hope and had it not been for Mary Anne Bradley, I would never have known about LDN's existance. To read this book and learn of LDN will turn your life around, to have met Mary Anne and Noel Bradley restores your faith in true Earth-bound Angels!Thanks for them both and thanks for 'Up the Creek with a Paddle' will never be enough. Mary Anne is a true pioneer and has the fortitude and tenacity that is seemingly lacking in the medical community on a whole.Her book should be a must-read for anyone going through very difficult medical challenges...not exclusive to MS. Thank you so very, very much for everything, Mary Anne!!!
Kelly Collentine

I contributed the recipe for orange buttermilk sherbet that is in "Beat That", Ann Hodgman's second volume of the very best recipes in existence (get vol. 1 "Beat This" as well). This is a cookbook you'll really cook out of and will tell all your friends about, not only because the recipes are great, but because she's also a hilarious writer. And in the hot dog days of summer, don't forget to make a batch of my fabulous orange buttermilk sherbet. You'll love it.

This book can't be beat! I know because I contributed the fabulous recipe for orange sherbet that's included in it. (If you think you don't like orange sherbet, that's because you've only tasted the commercial stuff. Comparing my sherbet to that is like comparing champagne to Kool-Aid.) The same goes for the other recipes herein. They may not be low-fat. Ms. Hodgman admits she never met a recipe that couldn't be made better with more butter, bacon, or sugar, so these goodies may not be for everyday consumption. But when you want a dish that will wow company or knock the socks off at the next church supper, this (and the previous volume, Beat This!) is the place to look. And as other reviewers have said, even if you don't intend to cook a single dish out of this cookbook, it's so entertaining and funny to read that you should buy it anyway. I'm one of Ms. Hodgman's greatest fans, and you will be too once you look at a copy of Beat That!

Taking the best of the best for her second book, Hodgman compiles a delectable collection of recipes aimed to please the most discriminating palate and dares you to find something better. Few do, but Ann gives them their kudos when it happens. OK, it's not gourmet, low fat or even low-calorie, but this is the best of the best and creative, so who cares about the waistline!!! Run a few extra miles and work it off if you have to, it's worth it.

This is the cookbook I reach for most often when I'm looking for a recipe on a staple or a spin on a classic. Along with recipes, she has funny anecdotes that allow you to get to know her and her family (including her pets), and there's a great index in the back about why fine ingredients should be used and where to buy them. If you're an experienced cook like me, try the recipe 'as is' then tweak it and/or make notes in the margin; if you're relatively new to cooking like my boyfriend, the recipes are easy and fun to follow regardless of experience. But I assure you that most recipes are ab fab 'as is,' particularly the Salmon Spirals, Lumpia, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Orange Sherbert.

Buy it, cook it and let your friends think you're the most amazing cook who ever walked the planet! Mine do. Then go out and buy her "Beat This!" cookbook if you don't already have it and continue the magic.

I've only made about a half dozen of the recipes in this book but each one is superb and company-worthy. You'll NEVER have to worry ever again about what to take to the next pot-luck luncheon at work. The author concentrates mainly on dishes we grew up with, comfort foods, etc. A sampling: cheese straws, meatloaf, apple crisp, great gravy, edible playdough(!), mom-style chicken salad, grape ice cream, best banana bread (it really is!!), shrimp salad, etc. A huge plus is the author's very funny remarks on almost every page. Buy this book........you won't be sorry.......except for your expanding waistline.

Ann Hodgman's cookbooks blend humor with recipes that are simple and familiar. I grew up with food like this and it is comforting to have it presented in a way that is peppered with humor.