Reviews Books

Amazing Grace received the 2003 Western Heritage Award (Poetry Category) from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

Amazing Grace received the prestigious 2003 Western Heritage Award (poetry category) from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The sixty-four poems in this collection, the second book from up-and-coming Texas poet Larry D. Thomas, probe the complex interrelations between the land and the creatures that inhabit it. The book won the 2001 Texas Review Poetry Prize and it is easy to see why these lean, sharp-edged poems were selected by the judges. Geographically and thematically, Amazing Grace encompasses all that is integral to Texas and Texans, while at the same time transcending the merely regional to explore universal human truths.

The collection is divided into four sections, each of which anatomizes a particular region of the state. The first quarter of the book, Their Heaven of Bleakness, is set in West Texas. It is the most tightly-knit of the four sections. Opening with a poem entitled "`Of Dust Thou Art'" and closing with "`And to Dust Thou Shalt Return,'" these twenty pieces are linked by interwoven themes of living and dying-the springing from the soil of life, death's return to the land, the miracle of rebirth from earth's dark womb-and by the ever-present tie between the dry West Texas country and its drought-resistant denizens. The imagery of these powerful lyric poems is as rugged as the Guadalupe Mountains and their language cuts like a blue norther, bone-deep. Here be turkey vultures, rattlesnakes, claret cup cactus, cattle, and above all an unconquerable people who "take to their gritty beds, / ease the quilts of grandmas / over their leathery bodies / like slabs of red earth, and they pray."

The setting for the second quarter of the collection, Near the Big Thicket, moves east across the Balcones Escarpment into the shadow of the Piney Woods. The dark shadows of the pines are echoed in these twenty pieces by a deeper darkness that underlies so much of the human experience. In "The Slough," Thomas interweaves concrete natural imagery of death's rank decay with the figurative putrefaction of original sin so that the poem becomes an extended metaphor whose vehicle is the dark bayou and whose tenor is the human condition. The viewpoint character of the piece "can hear / the muffled steady engine of its rot" as the slough "works its timeless wonders / under still, dark waters. Its film / has already claimed his pale, blue eyes."

In the third quarter of the collection, At the Jetty's End, Thomas revisits the Gulf coast that he portrayed with such poignancy in his debut collection, The Lighthouse Keeper (Timberline Press 2001). The ten pieces in this section are filled with a tone of longing that contrasts nicely with the dark tone of the poems in section two. The land-dwelling speakers and viewpoint characters of these bittersweet lyrics seek with varying degrees of success to merge themselves with the sea. "Mooring Line," a piece reprinted from Thomas's debut collection, addresses the difficulty of making this connection-and its tenuousness once the connection is achieved. The controlling image of the poem, the mooring line of the title, lies half-buried in sand, "sponging the screams and fleeting / shadows of the gulls, / tethering uselessness / to the slow, consuming pull / of ruin."

The fourth quarter of the book, A Short Distance from the Border, circles back to far West Texas like one of the hawks Thomas uses so effectively in these high desert poems. The fourteen pieces in this final section celebrate the diversity of the West Texas and Northern Mexico country and its people with subjects ranging from bikers and tattoo artists to young boxers to the "chocolate eyes of young mothers / so comfortable with death / they candy its skulls / for the tongues of bronze children." In "El Camino del Rio," Thomas employs the Rio Grande as a metaphor for the geography the river has carved and the cultures and peoples it has nourished. Some, like the Apaches, have gone to "the places of no return" so that "Only / the screams of hawks, bouncing / ad infinitum off the canyon walls, / sound as if they belong."

As promised in the title, the poems of Amazing Grace are rendered with a poise that almost belies the strength of the language and images from which they are made. Thomas has captured the spirit that underlies the physical geography of the land and the hearts of the people who have helped to shape it. In the dust from which his characters spring, and the "rich / red fields / of deep lineage" that so patiently await their return, lie the beginning and end of us all.

This is a great introduction to the Tree of Life and the Kabalah.

A loving teacher and writer of the Kabbalah, Achad illuminates our broken places and emphasizes a return to the ancient teachings evolving from the Tree of Life. His illustrations help to clear up confusion and to elucidate his points. A wonderful spiritual journey.

Sephiroth, triangles, Malkuth, Kether and beyond. The framework upon which we drape our understanding has been expanded from two dimentions to many. This is the beginning of a journey worthwhile to those ready for the understanding. Consider our lives, largely 3D. Now consider the Tree: no longer a static, 2D diagram of an ancient concept. See it in 3D (or more?) Visualize the entire Tree, spinning. See each Sephiroth, 3-D, spinning. Understand the harmony, the completeness of the Body of God. It is my understanding that the Frater was a member of the Golden Dawn and an "apprentice" of Master Crowley. A dissolution of their relationship ocurred (better than I will decide whether by philosopy, ego or pride) and a new branch of esoterical thought budded from the Tree of Life. This is a fruit of the Tree.

I was looking for one of these books never realizing how many there were. I went with this one because of previous reviews and I am not sorry. The price was good and the book is very helpful. I love the fact that it is a self-test book, you just label all the parts and then the answers are on the bottom. The pages are nice and thick so even when I thought I might be pressing too hard with my colored pencils I was still not showing through to the other side, which is important for a coloring book. The book is also well organized so whatever section of the body you might be studying, it is easy to find with nice sized pictures. After a lot of research I am glad I chose this one. I have and will continue to recommend this book to others.

This helped me tremendously for studying for my lab practical exams (bones and muscles). It has all the needed detail while keeping it simple as to not detract from the task at hand. Great product, highly recommended.

Visual learners need to see and experience what they are learning. What a great way to learn anatomy! I find coloring to be a very relaxing activity too.

I went to Tulane Med and attribute a lot of the clinical pearls I learned to Wiese. I'm currently an intern and find his student/intern handbook indispensble. He's strength lies in effectively communicating complex teaching points by breaking them down into easily understood concepts that stick for years.

Torang Sepah, MD

I went to Tulane Medical School, and Dr. Wiese is my mentor! He's the best teacher I've ever had. This book will be priceless for any medical student or resident.

As a 4th year student who had a terrible 3rd year (poor teaching, malignant attendings/residents), I was dreading my AI. I felt I did not have a good handle at all on how to deal with patients on the wards. I wish I had read this book before my 3rd yr! It points out WHAT TO DO on wards, etc. in a crystal clear way.

Much better than 1st aid for wards or even scut monkey (which is too detailed for a 3rd yr students). For the 3rd yr who needs something quick and easy to read this is it.

Warning: If you are the type who does not like things being told to you and would rather "jump in" without prior knowledge, this book will suck for you. However, if you are like me, and want somebody to tell you what to do and how to do it....this book is great!

I got this book as a tech student and it is great if you study this book you should have no problem passing the certification exam. It is packed with alot of info. I really like how the explain the answers. Instead of just telling you the right answer it also explains why that is the right answer. I would recommend it to any tech student.

I have just finished recertifying and most of the questions in this review book were either word for word or a rearrangement of a question from this book. I have taken and passed the CST exam twice using this book as my primary source for study material. My advice as a surgical tech of 16+ years - Buy this book now, you won't be sorry !

Because of the many multiple choice questions and catagories of this review book; all subject matters and possible test questions are covered throughly. By repetatively performing the various test and reviewing the answers I got wrong, I felt well prepared for the certification test.

As The World Turns is one of the longest running soap operas. This book is a wonderful gift to the numerous fans of the show. It has beautiful pictures and poignant stories about the characters, some who have been on the show from the beginning.

Yes, yes, I have been a fan of this show since I was 13, so it's a really guilty pleasure revisiting all the storylines that so enthralled me. This book has great pictures, and covers the entire history of the show from 1956-1996. That's a lot of twins, kidnappings, murders, and family drama. What comes through best about this book is its sense of history. I truly will always have a place in my heart for this show, and the Hughes family.

PS... even more fun is seeing the old pictures of Julianne Moore and Meg Ryan, both major characters in the 80's...

Whether you are a long-time fan of As The World Turns, or a new fan of this CBS daytime drama, you will want to add this book to your library. Lifelong fans of the show will enjoy re-living the rich history of As The World Turns, and new fans will enjoy learning the history of the plot twists and turns of this popular daytime drama.

The book is chock-full of pictures of cast members, and includes special sections on As The World Turns weddings, personal anecdotes from the actors, and features pieces on former ATWT actors who have achieved superstardom. A wonderful feature of the book is a complete cast list.

If you watch As The World Turns, you must add this book to your personal library.

What writer does not want inside information on getting their written work reviewed? Of course, we all do. This is the exact information addressed by well established and excellent writers and reviewers Shirley P. Johnson and Laurel A. Johnson in their Short "Ask A Reviewer".

The Short is more than informative. It is casual and yet full to look at every angle from the reviewer's side. It has its turn with fun in the reviewers' casual demeanors. Meaningful data is shared that every writer wanting a review will want to consider in approaching a reviewer. Information on sending materials is especially meaningful.

The Short is not bogged down with details, but is concise, yet thorough. It details reviewers' styles and angles of consideration. In addition, their reasons for reviewing are revealed. This part of the work makes it especially worthy as their reasons becomes personal.

For all writers desiring to grow in public stature through the review process, "Ask A Reviewer" is thoroughly recommended. Johnson and Johnson (unrelated) are highly regarded through their established works and reviews. This Short is one more to add to that list.


Stephanie S. Sawyer
author

"Ask A Reviewer" is a well structured, honest, peek into the life of two dedicated reviewers,Shirley Priscilla Johnson and Laurel A. Johnson. Thank you for answering many of the questions I had about the review process. Your messages are uplifting,encouraging, and provide this reader with a more clear roadmap for getting reviews for my work. Your dedication does not go unnoticed. I suggest this short a must read.

Regards,
Robert a Meacham
Author, " The Release", "Mind's Diary", Amazon Shorts Contributor.

If you are an author or publisher who is interested in getting more and better reviews for your book/s, "Ask a Reviewer" has the kind of practical, down-to-earth advice you can put to use immediately - and with good results. It is written in an easy-to-read, question and answer format and is chock-full of honest, insights, information, and inspiration. Within a day of reading this Amazon Short I successfully found three different book reviewers, in both the United States and Canada, who accepted my latest book for review.

The authors, Shirley Priscilla Johnson and Laurel A. Johnson (no relation), are both veteran book reviewers as well as award winning authors - each with an impressive track record. My hat is off to them for providing a much needed tool for all of us who aspire to promote the books we have labored so diligently to create.

Assumption And Other Stories is an anthology of short stories by the demonstrably talented Chicano author Daniel A. Olivas (Deputy Attorney General, California Department of Justice). His diverse stories intermesh themes of human sexuality, tragedy, challenge, loss, gender, and ethnicity , ranging from a young lawyer who tells her parents about her lesbianism, to the dark sexual rumors of surrounding the suicide of a popular young priest at a Catholic school, to the terror that strikes families when a white supremacist starts shooting at a Jewish children's day camp. Highly recommended reading, these original and memorable stories clearly document Daniel A. Olivas as one of the best and most original Hispanic American authors working today.

What a wonderful read! Complex and intriguiging, covering a wide range of complex moral, physical, and emotional predicaments of the Latino community of Southern California, making them accessible to the reader in the most inclusive and spell-binding way. No simplistic situations here; Mr. Olivas is advancing American writing from the Latino perspective to the level of the great South American authors.

This books contains a series of shorts stories that are freshly written and enticing to read - at times funny and always fascinating. Although fiction, the author's references to actual locations in Los Angeles (including Pico-Union) sometimes transported me back to the "old neighborhood". Enjoyed this books many short stories involving themes of racism, Latin culture and sexuality. Highly recommend.

I found this book a welcome gift. It was very helpful when picking out films I could enjoy with the grand-children. Thank-you, Willie, for the often humorous reviews.

I sometimes see Willie on our local FOX-TV station, and he's very easy to relate to.

I just received this as a gift, and it's a great, humorous resource for movies you might not think about first when visiting the video store or scanning those on-demand listing on cable. A lot of the review had me laughing out loud. I always enjoy reading his current reviews online. A great resource for your film library.

Movie critic Willie Waffle has produced a delightful guide for people who want to get past the "new releases" shelf at the video store and find something that may have missed the multiplex. Waffle's astonishing range and engaging descriptions make this book an indispensible reference and as much fun as the movies he writes about.

I have been searching a long time for a book to explain the "why" behind disease. While not perfect, This book has come the closest (yes, even closer than robinn's and cotran Pathology of disease). I recommend using it as a reference{even though it is a review book) to accompany goljan's rapid review pathology.

This is an excellent review book and it helps nail down concepts in pathology and beyond. It is difficult to find sometimes - but Kaplan has the book for the regular price of $29. I am not sure what fun and exciting version some of the used book sellers have that is worth $124. Great book, but watch what you spend. Be patient and you might be able to find a better price elsewhere.

The book is actually 405 pages. There is a great deal of information presented in a unique fashion which made it more interesting to read. I learned pathology from a different perspective through Dr. Brown's book (Thank you!)and was able to supplement and strengthen any previous knowledge. There were numerous (through out the book) typographical errors which need to be corrected.No erroneous info however. An excellent book.