Reviews Books

This book is absolutely essential if you want to understand what television has done to Western Civilization. It is not a rant against shabby programming but a brilliant analysis of what the medium itself does to us, regardless of content. Marc is a compassionate and witty writer and his book deserves to be widely known and discussed.

The main point of Bonfire of the Humanities is that there isn't a difference any more between what used to be called High and Low Culture. These categories might have been hard to define, but at least academics used to know where to put Titus Andronicus and where to put Star Trek.

The Low Culture David Marc is most interested in is television, which he points out controls us by delivering pleasure, not pain, as dystopian literature sometimes predicted.

But there were artists who foresaw how we would get hooked on TV. (Even the expression "hooked on" reduces the viewer to just another plug-in.) I remember a scene in Francois Truffaut's film Fahrenheit 451, where the fireman's wife is is watching/participating in a TV soap opera. The characters stop and address her by name, asking what they should do about the latest plot complication.

What's worse is I don't remember if the scene is in Ray Bradbury's novel, which I read, or not. But I still remember the image from the movie. I've been educated out of the reading culture and into the viewing culture just like the character in Truffaut's film.

What makes Marc's essays so informative (and a lot funnier to read in places than most university press books) is that he isn't a partisan of one culture over the other. He criticizes teachers who have allowed their students to graduate without developing a love for reading and writing as well as the professional curmudgeons who want to limit "education" to some cannon they've decided on.

Did you know that reading Madame Bovary and watching Beavis and Butthead might drive you to the same kind of antisocial behavior? Huh huh huh.

The film critic David Thomson said that there have been two terrible threats to humankind in the second half of the twentieth century - - nuclear weapons and television, and that the way it turned out television was the more insidious, beamed into our brains every day.

I am a doctoral student in English and I teach multiple sections of Freshman Composition. This is the first book this presents a recognizable picture of the contemporary classroom: a place where literacy is taught as a specialist's skill to students immersed in television culture. If you are interested in the future of reading and writing, I recommend this book highly. It is also hilariously funny.

To his credit, Marc, an erstwhile literary scholar, doesn't delve into the pseudo-academic question of whether television is or isn't a cornerstone of contemporary American culture. Instead, he examines what actually has transpired in the US -- the wholesale acceptance (and enjoyment) of the medium -- and describes its impact on the ever changing landscape of the Republic. With an oftentimes acerbic wit, Marc, lifts the curtain on the great Oz, allowing us to see who we are and what we've become, intellectually and culturally, whether we want to admit it or not. Ample notes let the reader discover further musings on the effects of this commonplace appliance. Overall, a brilliant -- if not disquieting -- social critique of Americans and our often reviled, often beloved boob tube.

.... "It has seventeen new essays and 37 new book lists added to the second edition mentioned here. Forty six essays describe how individual groups are organized and portray thier strengths, weaknesses, and unique characters. Special-interest groups, groups with professional leaders or sponsors, new groups, and groups that have been meeting for decades are all represented. Readers discover what makes a good group tick, from how to organize meetings, select members and books, and stimulate discussion to turning a flagging group around. More than three dozen reading lists supplied by the groups themselves help to provide insight and inspiration for all who currently belong to a book group or are tempted to start a group of thier own....

From Fall 2000, but Amazon does not carry it yet. Hopefully soon. "It has seventeen new essays and 37 new book lists added to the second edition mentioned here. Forty six essays describe how individual groups are organized and portray thier strengths, weaknesses, and unique characters. Special-interest groups, groups with professional leaders or sponsors, new groups, and groups that have been meeting for decades are all represented. Readers discover what makes a good group tick, from how to organize meetings, select members and books, and stimulate discussion to turning a flagging group around. More than three dozen reading lists supplied by the groups themselves help to provide insight and inspiration for all who currently belong to a book group or are tempted to start a group of thier own. This book replaces 1-55652-246-0" catalog

I was looking for information about starting a book club when I found this book. At first I thought it would be useless because I was looking for guidelines, and this is a collection of essays. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the essays here not only provided the information I was looking for but were enjoyable reading in their own merit. The collection reads like a book of short stories. The compiled book lists are also very helpful.

A Thoughtful Guide to Forming & Enjoying a Stimulating Book Discussion Group with essayss written, often collectively, by members of many & varied groups together with a What To Read section. With a foreword that only Margaret Atwood could write, this collection of quirky, humorous & serious essays gathered from book groups around the country, enchants, entertains & had me plotting how to start a group out of our local library. A really neat read. ................

This is destined to become one of the classic management texts. I found the authors treatement of the subject matter to be insightful and well thought out. This is a must for any person of color who is wondering why it's taking them so long to move into the executive level. As a trainer I will be using this as one of my texts, and I plan on sending a number of copies to my friends.

Few books have the ability to relate the importance of the information contained within to both professional and layman alike. That is, however, exactly what this book accomplishes. It shows you the how the achievements of minorities trying to attain status at the corporate level are linked to career decisions and mentoring relationships. This is accomplished by examining the characteristics of several minority executives at different companies who have managed to break through the glass ceiling. It also teaches several approaches for acheiving racial diversity throughout a company. It examines three large corporations who have accomplished this feat, by tracing their diversity efforts throughout the past few decades. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the processes by which businesses accomplish diversification throughout all levels of the company.

I just finished reading Breaking Through and learned quite a bit. Recommend it to you. I wish the subject of leadership, and how to properly use it to get results on the job, was addressed more. I recommend you also get a copy of another book that addresses this issue and is very applicable to the subject of minorities as leaders: "The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills." It's at Amazon too.

Breaking Through is a multifaceted book that speaks to a spectrum of audiences: the business leader committed to creating a diverse workplace; the human resource professional charged with designing and implementing diversity initiatives; the minority professional aspiring to break through.

This book sheds light on the complex career dynamics presented to minority professionals in corporate America. As an aspiring minority professional, I took away valuable strategies, as well as pitfalls, for achieving my career goals.

The book is a balance of compelling empirical evidence and real-life examples. The depth of analysis makes for an engaging and enlightening reading experience.

Breaking Through will serve as a personal professional reference guide and I am sure that it will become an invaluable resource throughout my career.

Best review book to prepare for the subject for USMLE. Comprehensive and detailed. Explained some concepts I couldn't find the explanation for in any other textbook. Lots of useful tables and charts. Much better than Pediatrics by Blueprints Series. Don't miss this book if you want a great score in this subject.

This book is very well-written and flows quite smoothly --- there's not so much of the choppy, outline-ish feeling found in other books of the BRS series. Keep in mind that it's 600 pages long, so you'll need to budget your time accordingly. It took me the full 6 weeks of my pediatrics rotation to get through the book. The questions at the end of each chapter (and in the comprehensive exam) are challenging, but they'll prepare you well for the end-of-rotation exam. Highly recommended!

I'm usually not a big fan of the BRS series, they just tend to give me the impression of long text description for each topic with minimal picture/illustration. However, I got this one because one of the authors wrote the school exam for my peds clerkship, and I heard that the exam was based on this book. Turned out that the book was pretty good, and was very comprehensive in the variety of topics covered. The chapters are organized by organ systems (Renal, pulmonary, etc.) Practice questions follow each chapter and there is also a comprehensive exam at the very end. There do seem to be more details than needed for a 3rd year med student level, and reading the entire book once does take some time.

This is one of the best review book out there, definitively the best for Peds. I only wish more BRS were available for step 2. It is much much better than Blueprints Peds, which is the other one I bought. Great questions at the end of every chapter. Excelent format that helps you retain a lot more than you'd do with other review books.

Calculus for the Forgetful by Wojciech Kosek is an excellent short calculus book. The author fundamentally achieves the goals outlined in the preface. The prose highlights the "core ideas and concepts" of the subject. Enhancement with proofs and examples is natural and easy. I certainly would consider using this as a primary text if supplemented with a collection of exercises, problems, and projects.

I am used to teaching calculus in a very intensive format in which each class lasts 3½ weeks. The professor must "trim all the fat" (some say "execute a full liposuction") in order to achieve success. Thus, I naturally favor a shorter treatment than the usual encyclopedic calculus text. Kosek's effort certainly is the best I have come across. I will recommend it to my students as a supplement to text adopted by my department. In fact, I will suggest they buy and keep Calculus for the Forgetful and sell the regular text to a subsequent student.

This book is the perfect response to the modern calculus textbook that provides so much information that students can't see the forest for the trees. It focuses tightly on building understanding of central concepts by the use of intuitive arguments and well chosen examples. Particularly effective are the examples that address common misunderstandings and mistakes by demonstrating what not to do.

This book has all the right scaffolding to hold up the building that is calculus. Small, easy to carry and has everything you need in a calculus reference. Plus, while covering the basics nicely, there are expert comments included for those who are interested, and they are marked by a different type-setting so that the user who just needs to get in and get out can easily skip these parts. Perfect for the calculus 2, 3, physics, engineering, or other student who needs the occassional calculus refresher/reference.

I'm really impressed with the way this book handles complicated and subtle calculus ideas in an accessible way. I hadn't taken calculus in quite some time when I first looked at it, and it really did jog my memory! If you're looking for a good resource that isn't a textbook (or that doesn't pack the price of a textbook but covers the same material), this is it!

Max Gerson M.D. cured more than a few terminal cancer patients with food. Some people who were supposed to die 50 years ago are still alive. This is probably the most important book on medicine published during this century

This is a book that America's "cancer industry" would like to keep under wraps. Within the pages of this technical treatise, you'll find complete how-to details that thousands of seriously ill cancer patients have used over the years to give their bodies the power to heal their cancers. Using a powerful juice therapy and natural diet of organic fruits and vegetables, the Gerson therapy has saved the lives of men and women that traditional medical establishment called "terminal." Even if you're not sick, this book belongs on the shelf of every serious health seeker

I have heard Charlotte Gerson speak and have read many of the testimonies of healing in this book. I am convinced that raw foods and juicing, plus elimination of toxic foods are essential in maintaining good health and healing from all disease. It makes so much sense that our diets are killing us, but I have heard so many doctors say that it doesn't matter what we are eating. Listen to Max Gerson and what his patients have to say!!!

This book is an excellent weapon in our fight against cancer. One of the alternate therapies to put in the powder keg in the battle against cancer is diet. The author of this book has been called a genius by many. Diet can be a powerful weapon against cancer because of diet's effect on our immune system.

Though he comes across a lot meaner in this book when contrasted with the movie starring Al Pacino, Carlito remained a very strong, and even sympathetic character for me. I can only think of a few characters-- fictional or real-- who have won me over, despite their considerable flaws: Humbert Humbert in Lolita, Neil (Robert De Niro) in Heat, Tuco from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and Henry Hill from Goodfellas.

The first person prose was very readable and believable. It also displays wit and humor that doesn't take away from its grittiness. All in all, I would strongly recommend this book. I am hoping there will be a re-release of the follow up book, After Hours.

Like many, I was first introduced to this book when I saw the popular movie starring Al Pacino, Sean Penn, and Penelope Anne Miller. I received the book as a Christmas present, that particular paperback being a movie tie-in reprint with Al Pacino (Carlito) on the cover. I think I gave away the book to the library when I moved a couple of years ago. Film Ink's edition, showcasing a typical street in an ethnic neighborhood, impressed me. I've always been fascinated by some of the provocative photography on book covers these days.

The saga of Carlito Brigante's life (in essence the film Carlito's Way) is actually chronicled in two books, the first titled Carlito's Way, wherein Carlito in 1st person narrative describes his rough-and-tumble childhood and induction into New York's ruthless criminal world, culminating in Carlito's arrest, conviction, and sentence of thirty years in Riker's Island. Yet no one can accuse Brigante of being simply a heartless killer. We get to sympathize with his plight; he is undoubtedly the hero of Torres' tale.

The next installment, titled After Hours (written in 3rd person this time), is actually the setting of the movie, beginning when David Kleinfeld, Carlito's Alan Dershowitzesque attorney, gets Carlito out of prison on a technicality. The David Kleinfeld character is another reason to read this book after seeing the movie, as things in the book turn out quite differently for most of the characters affected by Kleinfeld's machinations. There's also some additional fleshing out of characters and episodes not included in the movie, including Brigante's trip to Spain, where the brash hombre shows off his bullfighting skills. I'm not giving anything away.

Like the Shawshank Redemption, the movie also highlights the profound changes in American everyday life and culture (and with it the criminal world) during the twentieth century. The two books trace Carlito Brigante's criminal career, from the swinging and colorful 1940s, when Carlito existed on small-time armed robberies and switchblades, all the way to the sleazy lava-lamp lit cocaine infested 1970s, an appropriate prelude of the Me Decade. Central to the story is the role New York's Italian Mafia plays in the life of Brigante. Brigante, a Puerto Rican, is eventually admitted to their exclusive innermost circles, but because he is not a Sicilian is never elevated to the status of a "Made Guy," which ultimately leads to his downfall. Via subplots and secondary characters Torres notes the rise and fall of the Cosa Nostra's influence in the Big Apple.

I thought that Miller brought a lot to the somewhat hapless role of Gail, Carlito's longtime love-interest and confidant. I found it much more believable that Carlito's girlfriend would be a stripper and aspiring dancer. In the book her character is an elementary school teacher, which makes the idea of Carlito persuading her to go to the Bahamas a bit implausible.

In an interview contemporaneous with the film's release, Torres said that his novels were inspired by his exposure to countless Carlito Brigantes who had walked through his courtroom throughout his career on the bench. Torres also includes a vocabulary of Hispanic street slang and underworld terms.

An extremely capable writer of prose, Torres pens a stimulating, readable, and believable portrait of life in the Barrio. Barrio is Spanish for jungle, in this context the urban jungle-ghetto that wickedly and unknowingly nurtures the self-destructive psyche of a career criminal who knows nothing but a life of violence and self-preservation.

Splendid!

If you like crime stories don't miss this one. This is one of my all-time favorites and it never really got the attention it deserves. The story of Carlito Brigante shows us the world of crime from a different angle than the classic Mafia tales. Carlito is Puerto Rican and comes up in the New York of the fifties and sixties. He's a hard-core criminal, hard-nose, and he makes no bones about it. He starts of with breaking-and-entering, moves up to racketeering, and after a long impatient wait breaking into the big-time--heroin trafficking.

Yet Carlito never comes across as a merely evil person. Living in America, where the streets are paved with gold except in the barrio where he spent his entire life, Carlito says that no way was he going to spend his whole life washing dishes when there was big bread out there for guys with the guts (he would use a different word) to go get it.

Torres, to his credit, never romanticizes Carlito to the point that he comes across as a good guy, either. Carlito follows his way because its the one HE chose, and if that means dancing with a fine lady at the Palladium one night and then going into Lewisburg Penitentary for a 3-year stretch the next, that's how it goes. Those are the risks and rewards of the life he leads. He meets characters like smooth guy Earl Bassey, crazy guy Nacho Reyes, wise guy Rocco Fabrieze, and bad guy Pete Amadeo. All in all, "Carlito's Way" is a wild ride, both the ups and downs.

I really recommend that you get the audio version of this book and listen to Torres read his book. The movie "Carlito's Way" actually focuses on the second book Torres wrote, titled "After Hours." It's good, but the first novel is told in the 1st person, in Carlito's voice, and Torres is fantastic as he speaks in Carlito's voice. Well worth a listen.

For fans of streetlife and "the real" in general, this is a fantastic read. Having seen the movie, I wasn't quite expecting the book to be what it was - a running mental monologue recounting the life and times of Carlito Brigante, the fictional yet prolific gangster the film was based upon.

Having grown up in Brooklyn, I was thoroughly impressed by the accuracy with which Torres illustrates the "I've got mine, so .... you" thug mentality that's so much a part of the underground New York experience. That, combined with the "Code Of The Streets" and a tiny dab of conscience, is what makes Carlito seem human and uncannily real-to-life.

Torres, being a NYC criminal court judge, has chosen to expound his abundant understanding of the criminal mind not through textbooks or bland case studies, but through this brilliant character depiction. I place it in the same category as "Down These Mean Streets" - a modern urban classic.

An informative and enjoyable guide to Britains popular comedy series that is full of everything you wanted to know about the carry on films and probably more. Intelligent and witty, this offers a critical guide to all 31 carry on films which comes complete with facts behind the scenes of the film, the best scenes in that particular film, best actor/actress and shared memories from the cast. Lovley photographs throughout from stills of the film as well as cast and publicity shots. As well as an informative guide to the films it also offers a faultless guide of the t.v series that began in the late sixties and every stage production of the carry on phenemonan. A must have for any serious Carry On fan. Very enjoyable. Recommended!

An informative and enjoyable guide to Britains popular comedy series that is full of everything you wanted to know about the carry on films and probably more. Intelligent and witty, this offers a critical guide to all 31 carry on films which comes complete with facts behind the scenes of the film, the best scenes in that particular film, best actor/actress and shared memories from the cast. Lovley photographs throughout from stills of the film as well as cast and publicity shots. As well as an informative guide to the films it also offers a faultless guide of the t.v series that began in the late sixties and every stage production of the carry on phenemonan. A must have for any serious Carry On fan. Very enjoyable. Recommended!

This great carry on companion is a great addition to any fans collection. It features all 31 of the carry on films and also biographys of the cast and crew. It's such a great price too, one that any fan can afford. Also there is a behind the scenes section where you find out information on the stars lives outside of the carry on circle. This is a must for any carry on fan and i recommend you buy it today.

An informative and enjoyable guide to Britains popular comedy series that is full of everything you wanted to know about the carry on films and probably more. Intelligent and witty, this offers a critical guide to all 31 carry on films which comes complete with facts behind the scenes of the film, the best scenes in that particular film, best actor/actress and shared memories from the cast. Lovley photographs throughout from stills of the film as well as cast and publicity shots. As well as an informative guide to the films it also offers a faultless guide of the t.v series that began in the late sixties and every stage production of the carry on phenemonan. A must have for any serious Carry On fan. Very enjoyable. Recommended!

I just finished reading this book and I found it educating and interesting. The author was masterful enough to illustrate the zeitgeist of China in those times, to show how and why did the communist succeed, to show, what is so needed in these times too, that alternative always exists. Written from the standpoint of a Westerner is not a drawback but rather an advantage of the book as the author could take a step back and analytically dissect the reality. A must read for anyone interested in Chinese history.

After reading the Chinese version of CHINA SHAKES THE WORLD online in a Chinese BBS, I cannot helping borrowing myself an English copy from PSU library. A Chinese graduate student in the US, I am truly grateful that Belden faithfully and vividly recorded China's Civil War, which fundamentally shattered China's past and opened the way to modernization for her. As a school boy, I found the official history textbook unappetizing, and although I read a lot of books on the military aspects of China's Civil War, a lively and stunning description of class struggle and people's war has eluded me until I read this book.

Many of my peers regard the Communist version of Chinese Revolution as more or less propaganda. I'm going to recommend this book for anyone doubtful, and again I'd express my heartfelt gratitude to the author, who unbiasly portrayed and commented on a part of fate-deciding history for the Chinese people.

BTW, I'm buying myself a 2003 version of CHINA SHAKES THE WORLD on Amazon, as my 26th birthday gift. May genuine journalism live forever!

This book, deeply touched my heart, is so unique, yet deflected from mainstreet opinion in USA, although author tried not to be that way. So far, all you had know about Chinese Communist Party may not more than anti-human-right, uncivilized, insidious deadly manic. But, some of you may ever wondered, in very remote distance prehaps, how could them win Chinese civil war in 1940s, how could them defeat UN army in 1950s. by knowing some Korean War, you may also ask, how could CCP turned sloppiest old Chinese cowards into warriers.
Well, if you have those questions, you will find answers in this book, if you never doubt about mainstreet media and don't have any of those question, you may going to draw a whole new conclusion about CCP after reading this book.
If allows me please, I'll say this is the only book you will understand China in the past and present. Thanks to the author, a great unprejudiced reporter.

This is a really powerful book..... It is an account of China under the government of the Nationalist Chinese written by an American journalist who, in the end, fell under the spell of Mao's PLA not for ideological reasons-- but because of a personal affinity for the Chinese people.... who were suffering....

I was advised to read this book in college by a professor who claimed that "if you can read this book and not cry, then you don't have a heart." Certainly, Belden's account of how through Communism the Chinese people relieved themselves of some of the subjugation which a feudalish society compounded by Western imperialism subjected them to, graphically illustrates suffering.... murder, rape, and many other human vices.... in ways that few other books do.... and hints at WHY people (barring events of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution) can still respect Mao as a leader and a liberator of a nation....

I'd recommend this book to anyone.... if you can get a copy....

I have a feeling that this is a review that no one will ever read....

A great book by Jack Hunter. Christopher Walken is a very gifted actor, and Hunter gives loads of insight into the many characters he has played throughout the years. You may even be inclined to view some of the movies, again after reading this book. It is obvious that Hunter recognizes talent when he sees it. Hunter goes beyond the typical type-casting, that many film critics are stuck on. This book has many nuggets of wisdom, and is laced with respect. Christopher Walkwn is very fortunate to have an insightful author, like Hunter, write about him. Thanks Chris for sharing your gift of acting. Thanks Jack for sharing your gift of writing. The pleasure has been mine from Indiana.

A great book by Jack Hunter. Christopher Walken is a very gifted actor, and Hunter gives loads of insight into the many characters he has played throughout the years. You may even be inclined to view some of the movies, again after reading this book. It is obvious that Hunter recognizes talent when he sees it. Hunter goes beyond the typical type-casting, that many film critics are stuck on. This book has many nuggets of wisdom, and is laced with respect. Christopher Walkwn is very fortunate to have an insightful author, like Hunter, write about him. Thanks Chris for sharing your gift of acting. Thanks Jack for sharing your gift of writing. The pleasure has been mine from Indiana.

This is a great source of information about Christopher Walken, his movies, and the themes that drive them - however - it does tend to overanalyze, and contains little information on Walken that you could not pick up yourself on the internet. It seems that Walken is not the chatty type. In his own words, he enjoys working and is not proud of all the 90+ features he has appeared in, but he does have his favorites. I have no idea after reading this book if one of these top ten are in fact the actors favorite - rather they are showcased as his best performances. This is a lot of speculation, as Walken has an incredible amount of work, including broadway shows to choose from. So if you are looking for that personal touch, it's not really there. You have to ask yourself though, is there really anything behind Walken as a person that would warrant a personal touch? From all appearences, he works, he goes home, he works some more. He has been married to the same woman for 30+ years, thinks he cooks really well, and aside from the really odd stab at screenwriting (he wants to do the John Holmes story - apparently he is fascinated with Holmes' life, and the attention paid to Holmes' member vs. the real man behind the porn - Okay Chris - you get the different award) he would appear to be reasonably stable (discounting the Natalie Wood thing, but even that is scandal of the most mundane variety.). Christopher Walken is a person who has lived his entire life on film (since the age of 3) and no doubt will die on film as is his wish. So perhaps there is no personal touch to be had and his films are the only window into his life, aside from the odd interview (such as his most recent wish - to host a cooking show). If you want to experience an exhaustive analysis of ten of what are his best well-known films by good reviewers that have never interacted personally with Walken himself - this is for you. If you want to read Walken on Walken, get the playboy interview.

I only rate this book with 4 stars because of its interesting subject - not for the editor Jack Hunter. Did Hunter actually read it? I was completely distracted from the material by the numerous spelling and grammatical errors. An actor like Christopher Walken deserves better treatment than this sloppily thrown together collection of essays. Though some of them were pretty interesting (Deer Hunter, Comfort of Strangers), I found myself wondering if Hunter actually watched all of the actor's major films. How could he include The Addiction and Suicide Kings in the Walken Top 10 but leave out the awesome performances in At Close Range and Biloxi Blues - both with gripping climax scenes that deserve essays of their own. A comparison of Walken in his stand-off with Sean Penn to Walken's flip-flop stand-off with Mathew Broderick (Walken is held at gunpoint by Penn/ Broderick held at gunpoint by Walken) sorely needed to be added to this collection. Will someone please re-write this book?!?!! Heck, give me a week; I could do better than this.