Genres Books

I routinely taped his radio program "Rock and Roll Alternative" in the late 70s to early 80s. He was always introducing new songs and educating me about the new music going on. If one of the new bands happened to be in town he almost always had them in the studio for an interview. This book is a great retrospective on that period of my life.

Anyone interested in the history of Rock should get this book. It's written in chronological order, and I found myself spending hours following the intricate relationships between the various bands.

Getting this book is like striking gold for anyone who loves punk rock. It's a treasure-trove of information, in meticulous order. This is the kind of book you can open randomly at any page and just start reading. The author really did his homework. If you want to learn more about punk, you can definitely get the information reading this book.

This book is riveting. I label it dangerous, because after you'ver read it, you will be compelled to go out and spend all kinds of money seeking out records from all the bands that are spoken of in the book. Nothing is missing. Concerts that I attended are there with dates, times and copies of ticket stubbs. You thought you knew who played for who...........then you read this. Fascinating.

Unlike any other book on the market about the Punk Rock revolution. It can be read cover to cover (as I did!) or you can pick and choose the entries searching for information on your favorite bands. If you are a music enthusiast, this book is definitely for you. It has all the stories on ALL of the bands whether they were comercially successful or not. Perhaps the best thing about the book is the excellent CD that comes with it. I can't wait to read the follow up!

I bought this for my 20 yr old nephew who is in a band. He said the book "rocks". It had a wide variety of oldie bands and current bands. Wilson needs to write Vol. 2.

I bought this for my teenaged stepson and he loves it. It's one way of getting him to read something from a book.

I was fortunate enough to obtain a signed edition of the book. Such graciousness only hints at the wealth of information Wilson provides to music lovers of all stripes. From genre expert to casual listener, from rock aficionado to generalist, this book provides for hours of reading and an equal amount of chat with friends. After testing your own knowledge, Rock Formations provides a launching pad for a good night of trivia.

The great strength of this book is that it is a casual read; as Wilson notes in the somewhat dauntingly titled "Warning/Disclaimer": "the purpose of this book is to inform and entertain." On both counts it succeeds. It covers such a range of bands, and does so in such an engaging way, that readers are rewarded on first and subsequent readings. And the writing style is succinct without being dry. Sprinkled throughout are revelations that mix reflection with a smile.

Wilson clearly labored for close to a decade on this work. And his interest is our reward. Affordably priced and nicely presented, one hopes that Wilson's book inspires a follow-up. I will leave the `moniker' and focus of that text to the author. He seems full well capable of dealing with both exigencies.

This book "Rock Formations" is an excellent example of something that should be out there in the literal world and is put together with the fan in mind to boot. There is information on "The Beatles" formation and what other famous band influenced them to create their name. You can find out which one of the "The Beach Boys" helped give a certain duo their name. If there is ever an example of an item to put on a Christmas list of "Things the Music Fan Might Enjoy" this is it! This book is a great insight to the way the creative minds of these artists think. It made me think.
If you ever wondered where a band like "Led Zeppelin" got their name from and what member of "THE WHO" helped to define it, well it's all here, from "Air Supply" to "Frank Zappa" This is one of those books you'll find yourself referencing for years to come. Where did "2PAC" get that name from? You'll have to read this book to find out. There are new artists appearing all the time. I hope there are many revisions to come. In three words "It Totally Rocks!" and is a "Must Have"!

I bought this book for my brother who is a music buff and an amateur musician. He was thrilled with the gift and proceeded to read the book in its entirety in a matter of days. Of course I was pleased he enjoyed the book and thought enough of it to put it on his coffee table for guests to peruse.

Since we live close to one another I would start thumbing through the book whenever I would come over to watch sports or to babysit his kids. What I liked most about it is that it is organized in such a way that makes it a fun and easy read. Other books of this kind read more like a dictionary with a slew of entries one after another that don't share anything in common. For example, in Rock Formations there is a chapter called "Early Impressions" that covers bands that took their names from incidents in their childhood pasts like Lynyrd Skynyrd (I always thought it had something to with flying, which made the name cruelly ironic). I actually started reading in one of the middle chapters and jumped around to different chapters until I had read the entire book.

As a non-musician and an average music fan, I liked the fact that the entries were worded like stories and didn't use a lot of musical jargon. I'm a big fan of 80's music so there were a lot of entries that I really enjoyed such as Foreigner, The Police, Talking Heads, Tears For Fears, etc. I believe the author is British, which explains the coverage of British groups that were popular in the 80's. My brother has more eclectic taste in music so he appreciated the "non-Rock" entries (i.e. Reggae, Rap, R&B).

I would definitely recommend this book for any music fan. It's a fun book to read and you'll probably yourself jumping around chapters as I did. I've also won a few friendly wagers with some friends that have heard myths and rumors about band names, although I'm not recommending this book as an instrument for gambling!

I've read many a' Rough Guide to a variety of musical forms, and Kurt Wolff's book on country absolutely takes the cake. From the music's hillbilly beginnings to the alt-country offshoots of the '90s, this well-researched book is written with wit and a tender affection for the genre's highlights AND lowlights. I can't imagine a better gift for someone interested in country music. My only gripe: Now that the book is four years old, some of the artist information could use an update. Second edition, Kurt? Please?

An essential addition to your music library - whether you're a country novice or expert. The author has meticulously researched and written about country music in a well-organized chronological format that allows the reader to fully grasp the roots and progression of this music genre. The book includes biographies of country artists (those who are well-known, as well as some forgotten gems), discographies, reviews, and essays which fit the music into a broader social and historical perspective.

Great purchase - one of the best music reference books I own. Also check out the companion guide - 100 Essential CD's. Some interesting picks.

This is a truly fine one-volume encyclopedia of country music. Organized both historically and generically, the book is divided into 14 chapters, each discussing a type of music (hillbilly, cowboy, western swing, honky tonk, etc.) and tracing it from the time of its introduction to the present, with an overview followed by entries spotlighting the artists in alphabetical order. The chapter on rockabilly, for instance, includes both Elvis and the Stray Cats. Each entry concludes with brief reviews of recommended recordings. In addition, there are over 250 photographs of performers and album covers and numerous sidebars with short essays on a variety of topics.

The book comes in at almost 600 pages, covering the length and breadth of the subject and making a pretty fair attempt at measuring the depth, as well. To give an idea of the book's scope, the "classic" stars Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline don't appear until the middle. For anyone who may think country music starts and ends with Nashville, it will come as a surprise that so much of this music originated elsewhere.

You can read this book any old way you like, flipping through the pages, letting the pictures catch your eye as you discover favorite performers. If you grew up with country, there's many a trip down memory lane. If you're just discovering country, it is an excellent reference book just filled with information charting the careers of artists and their place in country music history. Well written, handsomely designed, easy to read and enjoy, it's a terrific book that will enhance any fan's love of this great musical tradition.

I bought this book at the advice of a friend and was not disappointed. Wolff is a thoughtful and articulate writer, and this book has plenty of recording artists that I was not aware of. It is arranged in chronological historical chapters, which show the progression of country music to the present. Interesting write-ups on all the major artists, and plenty of information on musicians you probably won't have heard of.

Love this book, just stumbled on it a few weeks ago, and can't put it down. I've been listening to country and loving it since I was a little girl, and this thing keeps turning me on to more music I want to go out and buy. Cool bio's on the artists and a great section on the seventies outlaw artists.

"The intriguing novel 7 Days by Sammie Ward delivers a page turning read about murder and suspense exposing political life and the shadiness that can be found."

"There are only seven days until Lieutenant Colonel Victor Sexton's retirement from the Army Criminal Investigation Division becomes official. His dreams about living a simple life are about o become a reality. He's looking forward to beginning the second phase of his life. Unfortunately a series of events changes his plans. "

"First of all a previous acquaintance re-enters his life and several murders occur which draws him into an investigation that uncovers information that forces Victor to question the motives of those whom he thought he could trust."

"Sammie Ward does a remarkable job pulling readers into this dynamic story full of dirty deals, infidelity, and hidden agendas. Ward's ability to capture the reader with her well developed characters will keep your eyes glued to the pages of this compelling story."

SEVEN DAYS by Sammie Ward is a mystery involving military personnel and murder in the Officer's Quarters. Lt. Col. Victor Sexton had a week left in the military before retiring when the murder of a female Lieutenant occurred in her quarters on base. There was no one around at the time of the crime except her married lover's wife, who had followed them. Sexton wasn't interested in her story about seeing another man on the scene. Sexton saw it as a way to take the pressure off. Meanwhile, a former commander's wife set him up with a blind date. He wasn't very interested, but because of his relationship with the commander who now a senator, he agreed to go. The blind date, Dominique, wasn't interested in him either, that is until she saw him. He was the same man she had a two week affair with two years ago which abruptly ended when he left Germany and didn't tell her as much as good-bye. She also had a vested interest in solving the mystery of the murdered woman because she was a nurse under her command. Soon another nurse died in a very similar way and Sexton knew he must solve this case before the killer got Dominique. The pressure was on.

Sammie Ward created a mystery with a lot of tension, hot romantic scenes and hidden agendas. The characters were well developed and the plot kept the suspense going until the end. There was even suspense in the rekindled affair between Victor and Dominique. Would they succeed this time or was Dominique still too angry at his abrupt departure two years ago? It was a real page turner that I couldn't put down until the last word. It was an excellent read for those who love mystery entwined with romance. You got plenty of both in this excellent book.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Lieutenant Colonel Victor Sexton is not a complicated man. He likes things simple; so simple, in fact, that after his retirement from the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), he's looking forward to settling into a low-key life of co-managing the Cadence Supper Club, a local nightclub owned by his brother, Gerald. Other prospects, such as a career in politics, tempt Victor, but he's resolved to getting some much-needed rest after a long life of service and sacrifice. All he has to do is wait seven days, and his dreams of a new life finally become a reality.

Suddenly, a series of events erupt in quick succession that threaten the cherished stability and simplicity that Victor craves. First, he unexpectedly re-enters the life of the lovely Captain Dominique Frazier, officer in the Army Nurses Corp, with whom he had a brief but torrid affair over three years ago. Next, a series of suspicious murders involving Victor's friends and close associates disturbs the peaceful, ordered life to which he's become accustomed. Finally, as he investigates the murders further, the hidden truths that he reveals cast shadows of doubt on those he has grown to trust, and he becomes an increasingly dangerous threat - most especially to his own life.

7 Days is a fast-paced and enjoyable read. The dialogue is crisp, the action quite satisfying, and Ward does an excellent job of crafting a compelling storyline, capturing the realities of back-room deals and the many other unsavory truths of political life. With each new plot twist, she leaves you with just enough questions to keep your interest at such a high level that it often feels as though you can't turn the pages fast enough.

Moreover, 7 Days differs from many of its relatives in the suspense/thriller genre because of its true heart: by displaying the concomitant agony that Victor endures as each of the tough decisions that he has to make places further strain on his personal and professional relationships, Ward gives us the true embodiment of a hero: physically and spiritually conflicted, yet resolved to do what's right for a cause greater than his own. His determination to persevere until true justice is served wins Victor your constant admiration and respect and keeps you silently cheering for him to overcome increasingly tougher obstacles.

Look out for more great works by Sammie Ward. Her versatility in interweaving such divergent themes as political intrigue, infidelity, and ghosts from the past makes her a superb writer to watch.

Sammie Ward masterfully draws the reader in a fast-pace, page turner that spins a web of intrigue, murder, and suspense. This lethal combination with romance will leave you wanting more than Seven Days!

Seven Days by Ms. Sammie Ward, tells us the story of Colonel Victor Sexton. He has served sixteen years in the United States Army and is due to retire in just seven days. As Victor prepares for life as a civilian, a nurse is found dead in her room. As Victor's last assignment in the Criminal Investigation Division, he is determined to find her killer before his retirement.

Along with investigating the murder of Lieutenant Tamara Hill, Victor tries to win back the affection of Captain Dominique Frazier. A woman that he spent two wonderful weeks with in Europe a few years back, before he was unexpectedly called away on duty. After Dominique gets transferred near Victor, he is convinced that fate brought them back together. Dominique, hurt from his sudden departure, refuses to accept that she still has feelings for Victor and continues to push him away.

Seven Days is a good book to curl up to on a rainy day or any day. This is a fast-paced mystery that will have you wondering whodunit all the way to the end.

Reviewed by Shaquitta Leday
APOOO BookClub

This is a guitar tab book. there are no words except for the lyrics. if you want to read about the band or the album this is not the book to buy. some of the reviews dont know what they're talking about. there is no cd and the book says nothing about the band. if youre looking to learn the guitar edition of the cd you should get this book because its great. but dont be mislead thats all it is.

if u are a person who iz a punk rock fan, this iz fo u. It iz the 2nd album published by Limp Bizkit, a punk band with amazing music and talent. it features some geust apearnces such az Jonathan Davis, Method Man, and Scott Weiland. this also packs alot of types of music. by this i mean differant levelz of energy, not stuff like country. it haz mellow songz like re-arranged and no sex, n 2gether now which iz rap, and the real punk like break stuff and nookie. this iz an awesome album; i highly reccomend it!

Dont listen to these [people]who are saying "I met Fred Durst and you will feel like you know him persanally once you read this book!" ... Its not funny, people look at these reviews to decide if they will purchase something. Anyways, this is a GUITAR TAB book for limp bizkit significant other CD. I myself DO HAVE this book, and its very good. If you wanna learn some of those sweet riffs wes cuts, get this book. If you are interested i a lot of cool guitar solos and prgressions, this isnt the book for you. If you wanna learn how to play exactly what on the cd, get this book! I hope this is helpfull.

You met Freddy D? Cool. I honestly haven't read this book, but if it's about Limp Bizkit, then it's prolly really good.

I met Fred Durst and you will feel like you know him persanally once you read this book!

Rob Cook did an awesome job on this. As the owner of both mid-60's and mid-70's Slingerlands, I wanted to find out as much about my drums and the company that made them as I could. Fortunately, Rob Cook made this quite easy with THE SLINGERLAND BOOK. It is THE complete Slingerland history resource and is not only full of interesting information, but is also an enjoyable read. Many Thanks to the author!

The book has been revised and updated in a major way. I see that Amazon.com lists the new ISBN of the second edition which has been completely reworked; new scans, twice as many color pages, etc etc. (Now if they could just put the photo of the new cover up... Why is it listed as unavilable? Oh well... go directly to my site for images and other info. I am the publisher: www.rebeats.com.
Thanks!
Rob Cook

This book is out of print. I am the author and publisher; there are no more copies in stock here or at the wholesale distributor Hal Leonard. A revised edition is in progress, will probably be released in about January of 2004.
Rob Cook

Wonderful pictures and historical study. Rob Cook knows his stuff!! A must for any drum collector, historian, and musician.

As in his new book on Rogers Drums, Rob tells us everything there is to know about the Slingerland company, the founding family, the business, and most importantly, the drums. A labor of love!

If you are a not-so-modern drummer, this is an important guide to collecting Slingerland drums. Thanks, Mr. Cook! PM in TN.

As with the majority of other reviewers of this book - the exception having apparently only a remote acquaintance with English, which would, indeed, make the book rough going - I found Mr. Phinney's work to be not just interesting, but delightful.

It is a rare feat to be able to touch the scholarly and analytical bases, as well as to entertain. I cannot imagine a university course on the cultural influences of African-American music - or on American popular culture or music - which would be complete without reference to this book.

I read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. It really is a richly detailed book. The interviews were fascinating. This is a superior book to others I have read on the subject. I liked the photographs, too. Author Kevin Phinney lets the artists do the talking and keeps the mundane sociology to a minimum. His writing style is informative without being preachy. He explains so much of rock and roll in exact terms that make sense. I wish the publisher would go and give the book more publicity. I only found out about it while searching the name of a former black blues player who's in the book. Anyway, a good book, well worth your time. And, you get a lot for your money. This is a solid bit of musical research. Enjoyable and entertaining reading.

I read Souled American in a few sittings - it's that good. Here, for what I think must be the first time in a highly readable and very entertaining book, are the truths that some music historians have tried hard to keep in the dark. Writer Kevn Phinney has a pleasant writing style and this enhances the overriding theme of this fact-crammed journey through Black Blues and White Rock And Roll - that much of what we know or experience as the roots of "white rock" was really the result of the hard work and vast talent of earlier African-American musical artists and, in some cases, musical geniuses. The interviews with such greats as Ray Charles, David Byrne, Sly Stone, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, and others are worth the price of the book alone. Mr. Phinney really knows how to ask questions and draw out information.

The author's understanding of how musical worlds, tastes, styles, and talents blended or were at odds with each other enhances his thesis. He appreciates the historical roots of blues and rock. When did any writer of a book head for Kansas City to really dig into the subject of KC Blues and then make a sane link to specific styles of rock and roll. Sheer brilliance. And enthrallingly written. The author brings in refences to myriad bands, such as The Rolling Stones or Chaka Khan. The musical richness of this volume is superb.

Mr. Phinney details politics, sociology, and culture as it influences music from the horrid days of Jim Crow to the White Rap escapades of Eminem. The author knows full well that white culture has been mightily transformed by black music. There is no escaping this fact. Souled American is a great book that has long been needed. Mr. Phinney makes stunning links between slave chants and specific musical riffs being heard today. This entire project seems a staggering undertaking. But the book is not daunting at all. It works on every level. It informs, enlightens, entertains, and succeeds on every level and I'm glad I read it. The author has a keen awareness of culture, counter-culture, and cultural shifts. Not only should the book be read by every musician, it should be read by anyone who loves the blues or rap or hip hop or good old rock and roll.

By far the best comprehensive read on music made in the United States that I've read. Phinney weaves a story line that takes us all the way back to the era of the African slave trade where an Englishman named Richard Jobson becomes the first European in recorded history to write about his observance of witnessing Africans involved in the making of music. He brings us through history right to today's doorstep where music makers as diverse as Eminem to Wynton Marsalis continue to tell the story not only of their music, but who we are as people living and contributing to an constantly evolving culture. The research is extensive and exhaustive. It reminds me of Ken Burn's Jazz series on steroids as it encompasses all genres of music through many centuries including slave work songs, minstrelsy, gospel, ragtime, blues, jazz, rock and roll, R & B, rock and todays hip-hop. There isn't enough attention made to the Latin tinge in American music but that ommission just as it was with the Burns series doesn't take away from all of the great research that defines this book. For music lovers and people who are interested in the underpinnings of American culture in general, it is a must read! It is a definitive statement of the addage that music is a mirror that reflects the people and times it was created in. Highly recommended!!

Bobby Jackson
Cleveland, OH

If you are a music fan, a history fan, a pop-culture fan, or just someone who loves intelligent storytelling then you will love this book. I really was not exposed to the Blues or early Jazz prior to reading Souled American and now I find myself listening to music with different ears.

A Testimony of the Lions is a book you will not want to put down once you start reading it. The only fault I found is that I wish the author would have made it twice as long as he did. It is good read for those with doubts about evolution or Christianity. It is a totally interesting book involving science fiction, history, and religion as well as a fast paced thriller. You need not suspend your sense of reality to read this book. It is right up there with modern technology and is quite credible in how it reads out. Otis doesn't pull any punches. I just hope someone makes a movie from this novel.
I'd go see it in a heart-beat.

This book is my favorite genre, historical fiction, but with a twist! Entertaining, enlightening, and emotional, Mr. Otis keeps the reader up at night waiting to see what the next page holds. Fantastic read!

A TESTIMONY OF LIONS

The work of a very intelligent scientific historian that presents a challenge to the average Joe. The beginning suggests a reflection on the author's own childhood and the formation of a crisp imagination. He capitalizes on the reader's knowledge of recorded history and willingness to reach into the vast arena of "How it might have been". The surprise ending leaves unanswered the feelings of fulfillment and fodder for the imagination of the reader.

This was an intriguing read challenging me continually to verify historic events. Finishing the book weeks ago I can't get it out of my mind. Events in life keep pushing me to read parts again and again..

Robert Otis writes a thriller that you won't be able to put down. In fact, the last 60 pages will keep you on the edge of your seat. The book much reminded me of John Irving's old classic, A Prayer for Owen Meany. Otis writes in that same story telling fashion, and his main character is one you will quickly find much in common in your own quest to attempt to do what is right in life. In fact Otis even explores the possibility of meeting and talking with Jesus Christ, to ask that age old philosophical question: what is the purpose of life and humanity. As far fetched as this might seem, Otis makes it possible with a kind hearted scientist who is tired of the bureaucracy of his top secret job of developing a time machine for the government, and uses this technology for peaceful purposes, to escape to 33A.D. The novel has heroes and villains, a spirited romance, people you will know from history, topped with a very thought provoking and charming script. This historical fiction is a must read if you're looking for a book to get you into the Christmas spirit, or through difficult days in your own existence. I read many books (mostly King, Koontz and Grisham), and this book has that same kindly flavor and intrigue. Do something nice for yourself, and check it out!!

This is a wonderful book, and it is amazing that it is Michael Quadland's first published piece. The characters are masterfully developed, and the language is both brilliant and engaging. I hope for another work soon.

Michael Quadlund has written a good novel on the subject of broken relationships and the way the past reaches out and spoils the present. As William Faulkner wrote, "The past isn't dead; it's not even past." I guess you know what you're getting into when you take a book off the shelf that's called THAT WAS THEN--a complicated time scheme that juggles three different chronologies, each of them interdependent on the one before. Basically Corey was a well-liked boy of a small town in New England something like Peyton Place with a steady girlfriend, Gina, who is rather like Allison Mackenzie in Peyton Place, while Corey falls victim to the oldest trick in the book, sexual enslavement to his music teacher, a male predator who befriends his targets first, then manages to make them love him to a certain extent. His early teens form one set of references for the reader, and the next thing you know, without really finding out what happened between Corey and Mr. Dean, it's years later, Corey's all grown up and he meets and marries Gina when they are seasoned adults.

Little does he know that his life is about to take an enormous turn when he becomes involved in a same sex relationship with an actor, Jack, a man whom he regards as his "twin," a man who seduces him by tending to a wound Corey receives in his leg that entails Jack having to remove Corey's pants--we've all been there!--and next thing you know Corey and Gina are bidding each other goodbye and Corey starts a new life with Jack. Everything is rosy for a few years until doubts set in: is Jack seeing somebody else on the sly? All of these storylines are being told at the same time--the 1960s, the 1980s, now--not to confuse you but to mimic Corey's increasing self-knowledge. I won't spoil the ending but believe me, you will either be throwing the book off the bridge, or cradling it to your chest in awe. Individual sentences are sometimes very moving, but due to the requirements of the plot some of the characters, Jack especially, are opaque like frosted miniblinds.

I didn't want this book to end. I identified with every character. Each one had a little piece of me, and I loved them all. It was so refreshing to read a book about a gay character that was accurately portrayed. This author knows how humans think. The book was modern, sensual, and thought provoking.
PLEASE don't make me wait to long for another book!!!!

That Was Then.......GREAT READ !!!!! I loved this book. To me the sign of a good book is not wanting the book to end. I found myself reading much slower towards the end because I didn't want to loose Gina, Corey and Jack. Mr Quadland did a wonderful job developing these characters.

I plan to give this book as a Christmas gift to 3 of my friends. Hopefully, they will read it fast and we can have an in depth discussion.

This is a book you want to reread.

A remarkable accomplishment, That Was Then was unbelievably Michael Quadland's first novel. The character development is rich; the writing style, engaging. There is a depth of perception about life that is exhilarating, amusing and poignant at the same time. Getting to the last page was bittersweet. Although the book was satisfying, I was already missing Corey, Jack and Gina.

"This book is about life as it is interpreted by books."

So begins the introduction of Edward Mendelson's The Things That Matter: What Seven Classic Novels Have to Say About the Stages of Life. As a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University, Mendelson has read and discussed many novels. What interests me more than his being well-read, though, is his approach to reading novels.

Novels, of course, present a world full of life and characters of their own and should be read to understand that world and those characters. Mendelson takes a view like my own, however: that novels are not meant to be read in vacuo. "A reader who identifies with the characters in a novel is not reacting in a naïve way that ought to be outgrown or transcended, but is performing one of the central acts of literary understanding."

When I began to read novels in earnest I was a bit late to the game; most of my unassigned reading while I was growing up was taken from the topics of the sciences and computers. Before I had entered my twenties I had achieved unusual proficiency in those areas, even for a specialist, but I was embarrassed by my ignorance of literature. Of course I had read the usual works covered in the public school system but no one had managed to impress upon me the value of novels. Consequently, it would be more correct to say that I skimmed the usual novels and I could regurgitate various facts about The Scarlet Letter, Lord of the Flies, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but they didn't mean much to me at the time. So instead I read The C Programming Language, TCP/IP Illustrated, and UNIX Programmers Reference. Even much of the history that I managed to read was for a rather specific topic, as was the case with The Codebreakers.

Rather than attempt to go through life hiding my ignorance of literature and constantly fearing its exposure, I decided to solve the real problem by actually reading novels and attempting to understand them. I started with some that I remembered enjoying in high school, such as Alas, Babylon. I then returned to The Scarlet Letter and branched out to things that I should have read but had managed to avoid and in the process discovered the likes of Jane Austen. Though my love of books was always present, it was in returning to the novel that my love of reading grew.

In The Things That Matter, Mendelson takes us on a tour of the stages of life, discussing each in turn as it is considered in one of the seven novels featured.

Birth
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley (1818)
Childhood
Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë (1847)
Growth
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë (1847)
Marriage
Middlemarch, George Eliot (1871-72)
Love
Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf (1925)
Parenthood
To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf (1927)
The Future
Between the Acts, Virginia Woolf (1941)

In Mendelson's capable hands, each of these novels is able to take on particular meaning. Not only are the events of the author and the historical context considered, as might be true in any literary criticism, but each is tied back to the stage of life that is the focus and what it means. In discussing meaning, Mendelson does not arrogantly push a pet theory on the reader. "Theories belong to science," he writes, "which relies on repeatable results that can be tested by experiment or refuted by fact..." Reading a novel is a personal experience and writing about novels is from an individual perspective.

Readers are invited explicitly to join in the dialogue, judging what is written for themselves, and considering meaning for themselves. Disagreement with the writer is the reader's prerogative. I love how Mendelson treats the situation. "I hope our disagreements, when they occur, can provide the comforts of both heat and light."

I enjoyed The Things That Matter thoroughly, as I'm sure will any reader who thinks of novels as worthy of reflection and consideration beyond what they mean to the author.

I echo Tom Casey's review below. I read some of these novels thirty years ago, and started re-reading them two years ago. What perfect timing, then, for Edward Mendelson's very interesting approach on these novels. On the surface this book does not appear to be the typical academic work it is, but each chapter on its own could have been a doctoral thesis. To tie these seven novels into passages of life is quite remarkable. In addition, footnotes, though infrequent, shed light on very important issues of the times that are easily overlooked. To enjoy this book one should have a fairly good knowledge of the novels. But you can read the essays in any order that you want; each essay stands alone. Highly, highly recommended.

I just read "The Things That Matter," having seen it on my library's shelf and picked it up out of curiosity. I loved this book not only for its content but for the timing with which it showed up for me to read. My brilliant-at-math-and-science-stuff child was having a challenge with English Lit class; this book has given me a way to relate to them the value of novels to real life stuff, especially thinking about how "universal ideas" in life play out in personal actual life.

I found Mendelson's critical reviews of "What Seven Classic Novels Have to Say About the Stages of Life" timely and well written. I highlight below several points that struck me.

. I have never, never, NEver realized the intricate complexities of "Frankenstein" til I read Mendelson's analysis. I had heard that the authoress (Mary Shelley) was brilliant and accomplished and connected in her time, but to be honest all I could image in my mind prior to this book was the film treatments of a) Boris Karloff, and b) Mel Brooks. Suffice it to say I have a whole new appreciation of the rich ideas and paradoxes Shelley wove into her story!

. Mendelson does a fine job of weaving seven stories into seven Stages of Life (Birth, Childhood, Growth, Marraige, Love, Parenthood, The Future). Never mind the excellence of each chapter's analyses; the crafting of the whole book, and its demonstration by example of its meta-theme that "things that matter are written about in great literature," excite my professional admiration for a job of craftsmenship and talent well done.

. Further exciting my admiration are several points mentioned in the preface and in the essays as Mendelson distinguishes "universal ideas" that these authoresses (Mary Shelley, Emile Bronte, Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot, Virginia Woolf) present in their narratives:

1) He chose all woman authors because "it has nothing to do with any fantasy that women have greater moral and emotional intelligence" but rather "a woman writer [in the 19th and 20th centuries] had a greater motivation to defend the values of personal life against the generalizing effect of stereotypes." This is still an issue today for ALL of us, I think, whatever our personal circumstances or lifestyle choices.

2) That opposite life principles may be equally true, that what is publically espoused may be privately doubted. Or said colloquially, "The opposite of a Great Truth may be in itself a Great Truth." Examples include, in "Frankenstein," the espoused principle that a good upbringing of a child will result in a good character of an adult. But: "The opposite may also be true."

To read Mendelson's "take" about these works and their authors has made me feel more acquainted with seven "tastes of greatness!"

"This book is about life as it is interpreted by books. Each of the chapters has a double subject: on the one hand, an English novel written in the nineteenth or twentieth century, and on the other, one of the great experiences or stages that occur, or can occur, in more or less everyone's life." These opening lines of Edward Mendelson's work of literary criticism - The Things That Matter - encapsulate his intent. A study of seven classical novels by Mary Shelley, Emily and Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot and Virginia Woolf, Mendelson's essays present his thesis that novels provide insight into specific stages of life and, these novels, when viewed collectively present a "history of the emotional and moral life of the past two centuries."

Mendelson has aimed his work at readers of any age, the only prerequisite being knowledge of the seven novels. He writes in a conversational manner, as if lecturing directly to the reader. Theories and supporting arguments are presented within the text, footnotes included only when critical. Woven throughout is information about the prevailing theories and literary themes of the period.

In the section on Wuthering Height_s Mendelson explores Brontë's idea of romantic childhood, tracing its roots to the romanticism of Wordsworth and Freud. His _Wuthering Heights is a very different one than the one commonly studied in high school. Heathcliff and Catherine are desperate to recapture the total unity experienced as children, to merge two selves into one. Whereas the commonly held perception is of a novel of thwarted passion and cruelty, Mendelson believes Brontë deliberately led readers to this conclusion and away from her true meaning. "She disguised Wuthering Heights as a story of doomed sexual passion perhaps because she regarded her potential readers with something close to contempt...they could not understand what this book tells them."

Each of the authors is examined with the same focus, each essay meriting its own review. Mendelson states that he "could easily imagine a similar book to this one made up of entirely different examples."

I'll keep my fingers crossed that inspiration strikes and Mendelson shares more of his thoughts on life and literature.

Armchair Interviews agrees.

In case you ever thought less of women writers than their male counterparts look no farther than Mendelson's review of seven classics all written by women who wrote what matters in life with vivid, vibrant language.

Starting with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein that is the result of an inspirational motto by Mary Wollstonecraft: "A great proportion of the misery that wanders, in hideous forms, around the world, is allowed to rise from the negligence of parents," to early attachments in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, to early disattachment by Charlotte Bronte, to the humdrum beats of ordinary life in Middlemarch by George Eliot, to the realization of life's illusions in Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, to a rebellion in To the Lighthouse, also by Virginia Woolf, and finally to the disillusionment met in Between the Acts, yet again by Woolf.

Great books as can only be understood best by this book.