Roger Books

The oracle of Delphi,is all about the pythia or oracle at Delphi.
It describes what Socrates,Plato,Aristoteles,
Demistones and many other intellectuals,how and what the oracle wrote and predicted.
The Oracle sat on a tripod in the inner sanctum of the temple.
The riddles are very interesting in analizing them.There are many stories about the warriors of Sparta.Many remains have been excavated in Delphi at the Temple,however of all the writings only one has survived.
"Know Thyself".
By knowing thyself we go into depth of what who and how we are as a person.
I feel that if you believe in these things,reading the oracle's response is a vey insight of the inner person that we are.
My feeling about the response of the pythia is that she was in a trance caused by sulfur fumes caused by a sysmic fault.The answers were given to her by the intellectuals and priests that were at the Temple.
Plato was one of them.

Lipsey's book gathers together tales and anecdotes of the people who consulted the Oracle at Delphi. He attempts to draw spiritual wisdom from these tales for modern man. His approach is more philosophical than historical or scholarly which makes for a more interesting read than "Classical Athens And The Delphic Oracle" by Hugh Bowden. Throughout the book he makes a distinction between the Delphi of the mind and the Delphi of fact. Every tale is followed by the author's illuminating commentary.

The book delves into such matters as the ambiguity of the oracle's answers. When an answer was particularly cryptic it would be the responsibility of the inquirer to "complete the oracle" by reflecting upon its message and coming to the correct interpretation. There were attempts to bribe the oracle which could lead to a cruel fate. A chapter is devoted to the trial of Socrates who invoked Delphi in his defense. Socrates claimed his philosophical quest to humiliate the wise was a pious attempt to determine the meaning of a flattering message from Delphi. The oracle was asked if there was anyone wiser than Socrates and the priestess replied that there was no one. Other philosophers debated the nature of the prophetic faculty or expressed doubts. An interview with the son of the Tibetan State Oracle provides a contemporary example.

The author favors the assumption that the Pythia entered into a trance to serve as a medium or channel for the god Apollo. Other theories are that the priestess used some sort of psychoactive substance but the legends and myths only mention chewing laurel leaves or drinking spring water. Another theory is that she sat over a cave in a tripod and the vapors from this opening inspired her divine frenzy. There is considerable debate over whether she gave her response in poetry or prose which was then rendered as poetry by the temple poets.

A trance is probably experienced more often than is thought. Most people will not claim to have ever experienced a trance because they have been given exaggerated descriptions that do not match their experience. And too many fanciful claims have been made for states of trance which creates more skepticism than there should be. However, a trance state does bring the mind more closely in contact the spiritual side of human nature. And in a state of trance the mind is capable of greater intuitive comprehension. Although this will not result in prophesies direct from the all knowing gods, it may lead to more intuitive guesses about the course of events than is otherwise possible. Finally, it seems appropriate that the oracles are given in riddles because it is better to express intuitive insights poetically and speak to the soul than to use the language of concrete thought and merely speak to the mind.

This wonderful book transports us back to ancient Greece into the presence of the Pythia, Apollo's priestess at Delphi. Lipsey is a scholar who hasn't lost his sense of wonder, and recaptures for us the spirit of sacredness the Greeks felt as they approached the most famous and important oracle of Western antiquity. This is a superb exploration of Greek spirituality, focusing on the Greeks' effort to understand the will of the divine. The many stories here are always engaging and sometimes totally mindblowing. This book easily wins my highest recommendation.

This book is elegantly written, thoughtful, sensitive, impeccably researched, and thought-provoking. Lipsey is an enthusiast rather than a scholar, but only a mean scholar would resent the attempt to make the ancient oracle live for modern readers. To take a phrase from Lipsey himself, the book is a 'tap on the shoulder' - a reminder that there is more to the world than meets the eye or ear. So Lipsey tells all the available tales of the Delphic oracle as a way of making the numinous world more accessible. By and large he lets the tales speak for themselves, while adding pertinent but not intrusive commentary. Highly recommended for visitors to Greece and metaphysical searchers.

This book was funny and moving. It made me cry. I loved it so much. Anyone and everyone should buy this book. It completely disproves that you have to be famous to write a great book.

I read "Heart to Heart Worlds Apart" shortly after it was published in November of 1999. I loved it so much I bought copies as Christmas presents for all my family and many of my friends to read.

This book is a well written, easy to read, story about the friendship between two families from different backgrounds, different cultures, different races, different continents, and the author's trip to Africa to visit her friends.

I enjoyed how the author intertwined childhood stories of herself and her friend before they ever knew each other to show the things they have in common. I also relished the way in which the author's writing style helped me feel like I was sharing her experiences and her feelings. I especially enjoyed her account of visiting the "seeing" and "feeling" sides of Victoria Falls and her account of the dragonfly migrations at her mountainside home at dawn and dusk.

Reading this book helped me turn a corner in my own life. I feel happier and more content more of the time. I feel more appreciative for the things I have instead of focusing on the things I don't have.

The author's story touched my heart and further opened my understanding of how fortunate and blessed most Americans are compared to many people in the world. It made my heart swell wide with gratitude, appreciation, thanksgiving, and a desire to help the author in her quest to raise funds for educational scholarships in the country of Zambia. In addition to the many thousands of dollars of her own money the author has already raised and spent towards printing this book, she is donating 100% of the money raised from the sale of this book to the previously mentioned scholarship fund! She hopes to sell one million books and raise ten million dollars. I whole heartedly endorse this book's message of love and good will towards all people of the world. I encourage you to buy and read this book and recommend it to your friends and family, or even better buy copies for them. This book is WELL WORTH the modest price.

I came home tired and discussed with work, people, life. I saw a copy of the book on the table and picked it up out of boredom. After the secound chapter I couldn't put it down. I stayed up all night and read. This book has given me knew perspective on live. I cried for a half hour after I finished and now I want to share it with everyone I know,.And the scholarship fund what a fabulous idea! You won't be sorry if you purchase this book.

I read this book when it first came out and was so impressed that I bought several others to share with my friends and family.

This book is easy to read and is so touching. It's a book that everyone should pick up. It taught me so much about how to love others, no matter what race, creed or color. What an awesome example this author is to everyone in the world. If everyone could feel the same way as she does, there would be peace throughout the land.

I'm still buying more books to help share her message and I hope that everyone else will too. It would be awesome to help some of these less fortunate people be able to get a college education. Don't miss this book!

This book was wonderful because it had lots of picture to draw ideas from. It also had information on different seasons and how the plants would be affected. It was so helpful to me.

This book is a wonderful resource. The book is full of design ideas shown in site plans, 3-D renderings, and with great close up photos of the flowers, scrubs, and trees. Many designs are shown in each season and in a progression of how it will look in three to five years and then in ten to fifteen years. I found this book to be very helpful in designing flower beds, in picking plantings, and in knowing how to care for each planting.

I am new to gardening and I am have cleared out my backyard, I had no idea what I was doing or what kind of plants to put where until I read this book. It also has good ideas for building patios... great illustrations too!

I'm not under 13, but I didn't want to give my name and email.

This book is great. It takes advantage of some great underused native plants from the Mid Atlantic. It is very helpful because it provides plant spacing and maintenance. Most plants are low maintenance, all year interest.

I have used the landscape plans in my yard and will continue to use this book as my number one reference.

My Mom was a master gardener, and I grew up in a wonderfully landscaped home. However, once I bought my own home I found that gardening talent was not genetic, it was earned. So I bought a ton of books related to Northwest gardening, and read each one diligently. I put into pratice Home Landscaping because is was extraordinarily practical and straightforward, the rest tend to be coffee table books. Conceptually, this is just a fantastic book, and while it puts out "bulletproof" gardening plans with specific plants and locations, the concepts of what goes where and why are the most useful. Experimentation is great, but with the concepts used, it's just a little less painful.

I had low expectations for this when I ordered it. I figured it would be one of those overly general "how to" books that leave out much of the important information. I was surprised to find that it has very specific plans for a variety of garden situations, plans which already show specific groupings of specific plants.

I found this very helpful because I'm not particularly experienced in designing a landscape, nor am I wealthy enough to afford a landscape designer. There is a design for every corner of my new house, tailored to sunlight, etc. I can follow the plans verbatim and end up with a landscape that looks like it was professionally designed, or I can make small changes to personalize it. This is, as the previous reviewer commented, much easier than starting from scratch.

Definately worth the money.

THE BACKGROUND: I know next to nothing about plants, and what little I do know is mainly for plants that grow well in the Deep South, where I grew up. I now have a cute house with a remarkably boring yard 2500 miles away from the "Deep South" - in Seattle, to be exact.

THE GOAL: create some nice-looking, *low maintenance* landscaping for the yard, but without having to become an avid amateur gardener, carpenter or landscape designer.

THE TECHNIQUE: as is my style, I go in for complete overkill and immediately buy a dozen books on the subject of landscaping and gardening - must be thorough in my research, you understand. I pour through them, make lists, check with local nurseries, draw detailed plans, etc., and after many hours of work and decision-making, finally decide what to buy and where to plant them.

THE RESULT: 90% of the plants I finally choose as appropriate to the area, low maintenance, and nifty looking, are in this ONE BOOK already, and there were plenty of others in this one book that could have substituted for the remaining 10%. My planting layouts also fairly strongly resemble several of the suggested layouts detailed in this book.

THE LESSON: Should have started and stopped with this one. I coulda fit in tuba lessons or something!

Buy this book, Cascadia gardeners and landscapers! It's what you need! Oh, and it also has tons of useful information on creating walls, fences, gates, paths, garden layouts, pruning, planting, etc.

VERY highly recommended.

This book has colorful drawings suggesting gardens [to scale] for all kinds of settings - shade, sun, slopes, corners, and narrow strips, as well as color photos of the plants and suggested varieties of specific species.
Included are directions for supporting structures such as paths and trellises, general plant care, and soil preparation.
It's a thorough book with lots of ideas in an attractive format.

I happened upon this book...and thought it looked interesting. It's an awesome book. A wonderful story of a friendship between two men in both good and bad times. Mr. Rogers seems to be such an amazing person. So much more than the persona on TV!!! Buy this book!!! Then pass it on!

In the fall of 1995 Tim Madigan interviewed Fred Rogers for an article he was writing on TV violence for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It turned out to be the beginning of a friendship--mostly conducted long distance, by email and phone--that would profoundly affect Madigan and would last until Mister Rogers' death early in 2003. In I'm Proud of You Madigan discusses Mister Rogers' role in his life during their seven-year friendship, explaining how Rogers' support and unconditional love helped him through problems with his marriage and his brother's untimely death from lung cancer. Madigan quotes liberally from Rogers' correspondence and from their conversations, both of which are infused with Rogers' spirituality: Mister Rogers was an ordained minister, and references to prayer and God were a staple of his communication.

By all accounts, Fred Rogers was possessed of an otherworldly goodness. It's impossible to come away from Madigan's account or other write-ups of Mister Rogers unimpressed.

"I had always hated to swim, but didn't have the heart to say so then. So Fred led me into the club's locker room, introduced me to the attendant and a few of his other friends, found me a swimsuit that would fit, then quickly and unselfconsciously stripped off his clothes. On the way to the pool with a towel over his shoulder, he stepped on a locker room scale and smiled.

"'One-four-three,' he said. 'I've weighed exactly one hundred and forty-three pounds for as long as I can remember. Did you know that in sign language that means, 'I love you'? One finger for I; four fingers for love; three fingers for you. Isn't that wonderful?'"

He was, Madigan's book makes clear, constantly thoughtful, apparently always on the lookout for a means of expressing his support to his friends, and to their friends and family.

Madigan's life was much improved by his relationship with Mister Rogers, particularly since the friendship straddled such rough patches in Madigan's life. Madigan is honest about those difficulties, and quite willing to expose his vulnerability. Indeed, his account is so honest it sometimes feels as if the author has rubbed his raw wounds on the page. I wouldn't do it, certainly, and, truth be told, I'm tempted to feel embarrassment on his behalf. The title of the book, for example, is a reference to Fred Rogers' response to a letter Madigan wrote him in 1996, explaining how he craved acceptance from his father as a child and that he was still looking for acceptance from a father figure:

"That is the question I have of you this morning, Fred. Will you be proud of me? It would mean a great deal to me if you would. I have come to love you in a very special way. In your letters, and during our brief time together in Pittsburgh, you have done so much to teach me how to be a person and a man. And now I have this favor to ask of you.

"Will you be proud of me?"

I am of a cynical bent, and find it difficult to believe in the possibility of--or even the desirability of--unconditional love (with an exception granted for one's children). So I confess that the intensity of the relationship between these two men strikes me as strange. But the book offers an interesting look at the sort of man Fred Rogers was, from someone with a unique perspective on the subject.

-- Debra Hamel

This book is an all time favorite that has touched me deeply. Tim Madigan writes his own very personal story in a way that impacts the universal longing we all have for significant relationships.

I've long since lost count of how many times I have passed a copy of this book on to friends or to counseling clients in my work as a professional therapist.

I grew up without much exposure to television and completely missed Mister Rogers' Neighborhood growing up. Thanks to my 22-month old, I am now a big fan of Mister Rogers and am so pleased that his legacy has endured. This book is for both admirers of Mister Rogers' work as well as those not so familiar with the wonderful man he was. The gifted author Tim Madigan captures the essence of Fred Rogers and shares the friendship they nurtured over several years. Marriage, friendship, family raising, life trials and death are all covered in this gold nugget of a book. Tim Madigan's reputation as an award-winning writer/reporter is once again confirmed! If you're prepared as a reader to embrace sensitive life topics and intermittent periods of laughter and weeping, this book is for you. I have purchased several copies of I'm Proud of You already. I am happy to report that all of my gift recipients have been moved by Tim Madigan's beautiful writing and so enriched by the story he tells.

Well, of course I give this book five stars. I wrote it. It offers a review of the historical events that led up to the trial of Plenty Horses for shooting an Army lieutenant in the back of the head shortly after the Wounded Knee shoot out. In writing the book, I wanted to cover an incident that marked the end of the Indian Wars but that had scarcely been treated to more than a footnote in most books covering those conflicts. I also tried to show the West as it truly was, which is to say that I was interested in showing how reality differed from the myth of the West that underlies so much of our nation's self identity. I also wanted to give readers a dramatic story that would hold their interest and compete well against other activities. I wish the best of reading experiences to those who do pick up the book.

"In the Shadow of Wounded Knee" is a deftly written account of several trials that served as an epilogue to the better-known events of Wounded Knee. DiSilvestro does an excellent job of setting the stage for the trial of Plenty Horses, a Lakota Indian accused of murdering Edward Casey, the last white soldier killed in the Indian Wars, and a secondary trial in which several low-life cattlemen were accused of killing a well-known and well-liked Indian. DiSilvestro describes the sad state of affairs that led to the massacre of Indians at Wounded Knee, and how reaction to the massacre colored, in particular, the trial of Plenty Horses. DiSilvestro provides a lively account of the uneasy state of affairs between whites and Indians, the specific events leading the two murder cases, the trials, and their aftermath. The influence of politics on both trials says a great deal about that time in history, but also left me thinking more about how politics still influences justice (think of the current debate about our obligations to prisoners in the war on terror). "In the Shadow of Wounded Knee" is a fluid, thought-provoking, even-handed treatment of a fascinating topic that continues to be of great relevance.

The more you read about American history the more you come to realize the significance that so many obscure and long forgotten events had on the history of our nation. I have read about a great many such events over the past few years and this was a major reason that I was drawn to Roger DiSilvestro's new book "In The Shadow Of Wounded Knee". Certainly I had read about the tragic events that had taken place at Wounded Knee SD in that last week of December 1890. But I was totally clueless about the subsequent assassination of Lt. Edward Casey
by a young Lakota warrier known as Plenty Horses and of the ambush and cold-blooded killing just days later of a middle-aged Lakota Indian known as Few Tails by three brothers named Culbertson. Both Plenty Horses and the Culbertson brothers would be accused of murder and be forced to stand trial. The outcomes of these trials were assumed to be a foregone conclusion but events were rapidly unfolding that had the potential to alter the outcomes of one or both of these trials.
There was much at stake for both the Lakota Indians and for the newly arrived ranchers and settlers.
Understanding just what was going on in the Dakotas during these troubled times would be extremely difficult without an understanding of the history of relations between the U.S. government and the Indian nations. In the first four chapters of "In The Shadow Of Wounded Knee" Roger DiSilvestro does a superb job of getting the reader up to speed on this checkered history. And so when these two unfortunate killings occur in January 1891 the reader is abundantly aware of the context in which this violence took place. At the same time you will be much more likely to understand the highly charged climate that surrounded each of these trials. If you are an avid reader of history like I am then "In The Shadow of Wounded Knee" will give you another little piece of the puzzle that will help you to understand just what was going on in the Plains as hostilities between the U.S. Army and the Indian nations were beginning to wind down. Clearly most Indian leaders could see the handwriting on the wall. "In The Shadow of Wounded Knee" is extremely well researched and very well written. My kudos to Roger DiSilvestro for a job well done.
Highly Recommended.

The author is to be commended for exploring in the depth and detail that only a book can provide, an incident receiving heretofore scant attention in previous histories of this campaign. Robert Utley's 1960s "American Heritage" article on Plenty Horses and Casey has stood as the best source on Casey's death, until now. As with many such books, the author spends a great deal of time with historical background and context, which, if you are a Sioux Wars student, you may already be familiar with in one form or another. To his credit, these sections are well-written and engaging as well as revealing of some new insight. Clearly, he has done his homework.

The best part of the book lies in the courtroom drama that unfolded when Plenty Horses was put on trial for the killing of Lt. Casey (see background description provided by Amazon) that was held in eastern South Dakota at Sioux Falls, far removed from the scene of conflict. The excitement that pervaded the town is related quite well through the use of contemporary newspaper quotes. The first trial ended in a hung jury; the second trial produced his acquital. The author fully explores how it was established that the U.S. military and the Lakota were at war and therefore the killing of Casey by Plenty Horses was not a murder but a legitimate wartime killing. The defense attorneys for Plenty Horses built a case resting on a number of issues proving that a wartime climate prevailed which impacted on the way Plenty Horses reacted to Lt. Casey's close approach to the the Lakota camp that resulted in his being shot: the large troop deployments, the fights at Wounded Knee and Drexel Mission that preceded the Casey killing, the issuance of army rations rather than Indian Bureau rations to those Lakota who surrendered and the testimony of Captain Frank Baldwin, close underling of none other than General Nelson Miles, who expressed Miles' opinion as to the nature of state of war prevailing at that time. The author makes clear and cites evidence concerning the military's fear that if Plenty Horsees was convivted of murder, the door might have been opened to legally question the nature of the numerous Lakota deaths that occured as a result of Wounded Knee, especially the number of women and children killed.

In the end, Plenty Horses escaped capital punishment, returned to the reservation where he lived until the 1930s. As for Wounded Knee itself, the author wisely states that "the truth of what happened at Wounded Knee is beyond reach."

This cookbook is set up in a very unique which sets it apart from others in this genre. The dishes are rustic yet sophisticated; definitely a nice fixture for a beginner but also for a seasoned cook looking for some inspiration.

'Italian Easy' authors Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers are two English chefs who seem to carry a lot of weight in the community of writers on Italian Cuisine. They are one of the first employers of Jamie Oliver and were, I suspect, a strong influence on his style and choice of cuisine. In spite of Oliver's great celebrity, Gray and Roger owe nothing to this. Their reputation is firmly based on doing good Italian food before Jamie came to the limelight. Mario Batali also offers their books as one of his favorite reads for Italian recipes.

Creating food that is both easy to prepare and sophisticated in taste and presentation always seems to me to be a chimera. An attempt to put together two things which are simply incompatible. I think Rogers and Gray have succeeded as well as anyone who has put their mind to this task. In their favor is the great pantry available to an Italian cook. Sometimes I think that if you put Parmesano Reggiano, fresh Tuscan olive oil, capers from Panteloria, sliced garlic, and basil from Genoa on shoe leather, it would taste good. It you replace shoe leather with artisinal bread, pasta, shellfish, spinach, or chicken and add tomatoes and anchovies, you basically have the recipes in this book. This is certainly an exaggeration, but not much. I am truly impressed by how simple and easy many of the recipes in this book appear on the page. Like a lot of simple recipes in Patricia Wells' new book 'The Provence Cookbook', they make you wonder how something so simple can taste good. I tried recipes in both books and I can attest that even a simple combination of pasta, broccoli, olive oil, garlic, and pancetta which comes together within 20 minutes, can be really impressive, especially as a dish which gives one both a starch and a vegetable.

The same surprisingly short list of ingredients is the norm for most of the recipes. This is not to say there is no variety in the recipes. Just the opposite is true. In the short chapter on ricotta recipes, there are two different Italian specialities based on similar short ingredient lists that are totally unfamiliar to me. The first is 'Gnudi' that may be loosely described as a ricotta gnocchi. There are two recipes, one plain or 'Bianchi' and the other with spinach. The second type of recipe is a ricotta gratin named 'Sformata di ricotta'. The very best aspect of this and many other of these recipes is that it calls for cherry tomatoes which succeed in being reasonably tasty even if they are grown in a hothouse out of season. Another example of a successful mix of novelty and diversity is the chapter of nine potato recipes. Two of the nine are gnocchi, so there is nothing new there, and one is mashed potatoes with nutmeg and parmesan, so there is nothing dramatic there. But the other six recipes make dramatic combinations of potato with fennel, mustard, pumpkin, lemon, and tomato sauce.

Speaking of tomato sauce, the book's pantry 'quick tomato sauce' is really quick with four ingredients and about 20 minutes of cooking time for an experienced cook. Compare this to Mario Batali's basic sauce which I find difficult to prep and cook in less than an hour (but then, I'm not the fastest knife in the kitchen).

Even dishes which may appear to have involved or difficult recipes such as potato gnocchi or risotto appear simple in Rogers and Gray's words. I think this is a symptom that these recipes are not as daunting as they may seem to the newbie, but it is also a symptom of the fact that Rogers and Gray are writing to people who have some experience in the kitchen. The dozens of helpful little hints you typically get on the 'Molto Mario' show about the technique for heating garlic in oil, for example, are simply not there. There are no tips on peeling fava beans or even a hint that fava beans are naturally double wrapped. There is no babble about terroir or commentary on how the recipes were found or invented. Unlike the 8 year old 'Italian Country Cookbook' there is no consistent use of Italian recipe names with English translations taking a second line role. While many recipes such as potato gnocchi are Italian classics, many others are either highly streamlined versions of Italian classics or they are River Caf? inventions with Italian ingredients and techniques.

I really like the many chapters with only a few recipes in some chapters, making it easier than usual to find the nine recipes based on potatoes or the three risotto recipes or the nine truly simple spaghetti recipes. The Brits must be as fond of spaghetti as we colonists. I really dislike the artsy presentation of the dozen bruschetta food photos on one page opposed to the corresponding dozen recipes on the following pages. What WERE these people thinking? Luckily, this nuttiness plays itself out by the time we get to the third chapter, carpaccio and we return to the sanity of recipe and photo on facing pages.

This is the first River Caf? cookbook I have reviewed, and I regret my having overlooked them up to now. The authors have truly succeeded in giving straightforward recipes, easy to prepare with readily available (but not necessarily cheap) ingredients.

Very highly recommended, especially if you have any taste for Italian food and need fast recipes. Also highly recommended if you like Jamie Oliver's style of food. This book is no nonsense good, easy cooking, as long as you have good basic kitchen skills.

You get the usual top quality presentations. Preparation is really easy! Triggers your own ideas.

I cannot believe that only two people have reviewed this book! It is by far one of the best books I own, and I have quite a collection. It is better than anything Giada DeLaurentis has done, simpler than Mario Batali, and as much as I love Jamie Oliver, is better than his new Italian cookbook as well. The book is simply beautiful. The layout and the photography make everything look irresistible. Even more importantly, everything I have made from here has been exceptionally good. The bruschetta ideas are inspiring. Almost everything in here is so simple, you wonder, why didn't I think of that? And yet the simplicity is deceiving as the outcome is beyond delicious. The pea and scallion pasta with prosciutto is insane. The sea bass with potatoes divine. The veggie dishes are so good I recommend this book to vegetarians despite the fact that it is not a veggie cookbook. If you buy one Italian cookbook, this is the one....

Marie-Jeanne is a gripping story about one woman's resilience. Once I read a few chapters I found it hard to put the book down and when I came near the end of the book I did now want it to finish.

Life did not deal Marie-Jeanne a good set of cards but she plays her hand as well as she can. As we read her story we find that she has an amazing capability to overcome very difficult circumstances. She is a very resilient woman and it is this quality that struck me most about her given the lack of this quality in society today.

Roger Harrington has a very engaging style of writing. I look forward to reading his next book.

was very impressed with this novel. I was not expecting much, but it turned out to be the best book i've reaI d in a while. ZR

This book is definitely a work of literary art. The author knows how to create a mood, and not only that, to draw the reader into an incredibly rich labyrinth of pain and suffering....
MR

This is likely the most difficult review I've written. Not because I didn't enjoy the book, on the contrary, it is so well written I fear any words I might express, would not do justice to the author.
"The Journey of Marie-Jeanne" is unlike any fiction I've had the pleasure to experience. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read and is nothing short of literary excellence.
An entire life summed up in 259 pages. Living in Canada, Marie-Jeanne tells of her simple and unremarkable life with its trials and tribulations.
The telling of this woman's `unremarkable' life touched emotions I have not felt in a number of years.
Throughout the text one will find dispersed plain and poignant life lessons as Marie-Jeanne questions the existence and purpose of a God that seems to care little about her life. Every reader will identify with the truths Marie-Jeanne words so simply. The reader will drift from the pages in self reflection inspired by the words of the character.
Author, Roger Harrington has mastered the unwavering voice of his character Marie-Jeanne as she tells her tale of poverty, her troubled relationships with her first marriage and with her sons. I found myself glued to the pages in hopes she would find happiness in her second marriage and with her son with whom she finally found a strong bond.
"The Journey of Marie-Jeanne" brings to reality the inevitability of the circle of life no matter how hard one attempts to avoid it, or how much one feels one deserves better.
This book goes beyond a good read and into an experience of life. I very much look forward to reading other works by this author.
I began reading the book Saturday morning, and was determined to read it all in one day. However, as I reached page 190 or so, I decided I wanted to stop, just to let it all sink in and I didn't want to miss anything important at the end!
I picked it up again Sunday morning, and sat in stunned silence for quite some time after finishing; just taking in all I'd read of this masterpiece

Down under, in Australia, there is a creature who doesn't know who he is or where he belongs. His friends, Bushtail Possum, Wallaby, Blue-Tongued Skink, and Kookaburra kindly try to help him, but he just keeps falling "KERSPLAT!" Old Bandicoot says he's a Platypus, but where does he belong? Young readers will enjoy following Kersplatypus' adventures as he searches the Australian landscape for his identity.

Author Susan K. Mitchell has brought some of the animals and the geography of Australia alive for children in a most delightful way. The illustrations by Sherry Rogers highlight the story, plus give an extra depth and richness, so that you feel as if your are right there with the animals. The story is not only fun to read, but also informative. The activities in the back give children and classrooms added fun in animal recognition and geography. This book is highly recommended for children ages 3-7.

Sherry Rogers has done it again: another beautifully illustrated children's book that teaches a little about wildlife, this time in a unique ecosystem that not many children are lucky enough to visit: Australia! Her drawings are infused with a joyous energy.

Kersplatypus is a children's picturebook about a young platypus who doesn't know where he belongs. Other Australian wildlife try to introduce him to climbing trees, flying the skies, or bounding along the ground, but the platypus just doesn't take to it. At last he discovers his natural home - in the water with his beloved mother. Additional pages of fun facts about the platypus and other animals native to Australia round out this delightful, enthusiastic, and educational picturebook.

Sylvan Dell Publishing publishes the best in children's literature. Their books are entertaining, tell a grand story, educate children (and adults) and are oh so appealing to the eye with their fun, quirky, colorful and delightful illustrations.

Kersplatypus is the exciting adventure of a strange little creature that suddenly appears after the big rains in Australia. The animals wonder what `he' is (even the little creature doesn't know what `he' is). But the animals do know he has fur, a tail, feet and a duck-like bill. With the clues they have, the animals band together to help the little creature discover who he is and where he belongs.

Sometimes good friends, tenacity and spirit go a long, long way in finding the answers to the questions that don't seem to have answers.

I love Kersplatypus. He's the cutest little platypus. And I love the cozy, caring feel of the story. The illustrations add tremendously to the flavor of the story and are so beautiful that children and adults will be drawn to them.

I also love that the book contains some fun facts about the platypus-and that there are activities for the children.

This book is also a great gift to give those special little ones in your life. I suspect the kids will wear out the book from use. It's that good.

Armchair Interviews says: Kersplatypus is a must have!

THIS BOOK IS OK NOT AS GOOD AS THE COWBOY AND THE SENORITA. I WANT A BIO ON ROY ONLY. HE IS AMERICAN MUSIC AND MOVIES, RADIO AND TV AS WELL AS THE SONS OF PIONEERS. HE IS AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT HISTORYONLY ECLIPSED BY CROSBY AND AUTRY. I LOVE HIS STORY WITH EVANS THEY HAD A GREAT MARRIAGE AND LOVE. BUT A GRAT BIO WRITER HAS TO DO ROY ONLY.

TRUE FACTS- DONT LISTEN TO DUMMY DUSTY WHO GIVES FALSE INFO. TRIGGER WAS HALF QUATER HORSE AND HALF THOROUGHBRED! ALSO TRIGGER WAS NOT THE FATHER OF TRIGGER JR. AND IN FACT HAD NO BLOOD TIES TO HIM AT ALL. THAT WAS CALLED HOLLYWOOD PR DUSTY!

THIS BOOK IS OK HAS LESS MISINFO THAN THE COWBOY AND THE SENORITA BECAUSE THEY USED DOPEY DUSTY AS THEIR MAINE SOURCE.

Professor Raymond E. White, author of numerous published articles concerning Roy Rogers and cowboys in film, presents King of the Cowboys, Queen of the West, an in-depth biography of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, two of twentieth-century America's most celebrated personifications of the American West mythos in popular culture and entertainment. King of the Cowboys, Queen of the West naturally focuses on both actors' careers in film, recordings, television, and even comic books, but also covers their meticulous maintenance of their public image and how their Christian faith was incorporated into their performances. Vintage black-and-white photographs intersperse this solid and highly readable reference for fans and media scholars alike.

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans' fans and students of popular culture will appreciate especially the voluminous and what must be virtually definitive references and documentation on the more than sixty-year career of the cowboy couple. Although some of the material goes back to before they met and became married. The eleven appendices begin on page 117 and run through the start of the notes on page 485. In addition to the filmography and discography of each noted in the review's heading, the appendices contain material on each's radio and television appearances, song compositions, appearances in comic books, inspirational books by either one or both (many written with a coauthor), and a "log" of more than 275 "A Date with Dale" radio programs between 1984 and 2000 noting location, topic, song, and guest; these were 30-minute "spiritual talk shows" hosted by Dale Evans. The biography preceding the appendices goes over the success of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in the different areas of popular entertainment while also devoting chapters on them as symbols of the mythic American West while being at the same time exemplars of the wholesome family life which was a prime social ideal in the post-WWII years from the late 1940s to the early '60s when they were at the height of their popularity.

Popular Press 3 presents "KING OF THE COWBOYS, QUEEN OF THE WEST: ROY ROGERS & DALE EVANS", definitive source on two American icons for more than sixty years of Roy Rogers (birth name: Leonard Franklin Slye)...birth date November 5, 1911 in Cincinnati Ohio...left us July 6, 1998 in Apple Valley, California...Dale Evans (birth name: Frances Octavia Smith), birth date October 31, 1912 in Uvalde, Texas...left us February 7, 2001 also in Apple Valley, California...written by Raymond E. White a professor emeritus of history at Ball State University, White has published numerous articles on Roy Rogers and on cowboys in film... whose accounts of thrilling adventures of B-Western heroes during the Saturday matinees of yesteryear takes us back to our childhood, family and friends...in dual biography shows how Rogers and Evans through their Christian faith into their performances, each testifying the longevity of their careers, inclusive radio logs, discographics, filmographics and comicgraphics for historians, collectors and fans, this is a wish come true, reliving those wonderful years from the past through the pen of Raymond E. White..

Roy was a top box office draw for Republic Pictures...when you went to see him on the big screen, you got exactly what the marquee said...plenty of thrills, action and hard riding with a song or two thrown in for good measure...Roy was a member of several music groups named the Hollywood Hillbillies, Rocky Mountaineers, Texas Outlaws, and his own group, the International Cowboys...then came 1934 he formed a group with Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer called the 'Sons of the Pioneers'...he was known as Leonard Slye, then Dick Weston, and finally Roy Rogers...in 1937 Roy went solo and made his first starring film in "Under Western Stars" (1938), featuring Smiley Burnette (Gene Autry's old sidekick), Earle Dwire, Jack Rockwell, Earle Hodgins, Jack Ingram and of course Trigger the smartest horse in the movies...Roy appeared in almost 100 films...then came television with "The Roy Rogers Show"(1951) ran on CBS television network from October 1951 through September 1964.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: (Chapter, Title and Page Numbers)
Illustrations - IX
Preface - XIII
Chapter 1 - Roy Rogers and Dale Evans: Symbols of the Mythie American West - 3
Chapter 2 - Radio Roundup: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans on the Air - 24
Chapter 3 - Waxing the West: The Recording Careers of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans - 45
Chapter 4 - Quick Draw: The Comics of Roy Rogers, Dales Evans and Trigger - 67
Chapter 5 - Adventures in Paradise Valley: The television Careers of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans - 86
Chapter 6 - The Bible Tells Me So: Christianity in the Careers of Roy Rogers and Dales Evans - 104
Epilogue - 113
Appendix A ~ Roy Roger's Filmography - 117
Appendix B ~ Dale Evan's Filmography - 166
Appendix C ~ Log of Roy Rogers' Radio Appearnces - 174
Appendix D ~ Log of Dale Evans' Radio Appeances - 213
Appendix E ~ Roy Roger's Discography - 230
Appendix F ~ Dale Evan's Discography - 300
Appendix G ~ Roy and Dale's song Compositions - 340
Appendix H ~ Roy and Dale's Comics - 345
Appendix I ~ Roy and Dale's Television Appearances - 400
Appendix J ~ Log of A Date with Dale - 459
Appendix K ~ Dale Evans Roger's Inspiration Books - 479
Notes - 485
Bibliographical Essay: In Their Own Words - 505
Index - 517

SPECIAL FEATURE BIOS:
1. Roy Rogers (aka: Leonard Franklin Slye)
Birth Date: 11/05/1911 - Cincinnati, Ohio
Died: 7/06/1998 - Apple Valley, California
2. Dale Evans (aka: Frances Octavia Smith)
Birth Date: 10/31/1912 - Uvalde, Texas
Died: 2/07/2001 - Apple Valley, California

Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 as a member of the "Sons of the Pioneers" and elected again in 1988 as Roy Rogers "King of the Cowboys"...Roy got his horse "Trigger" in 1938 and rode him in every one of his films and TV shows after that... "Trigger" died in 1965 aged thirty-three...Roy's dog's name was "Bullet" and appeared in almost as many of his films as "Trigger" did...Roy's theme song, "Happy Trails", was written by Queen of the West and his wife Dale Evans...inducted (with his wife Dale Evans) into the "Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum" in 1976...inducted as a member of the "Sons of the Pioneers into the "Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum" in 1995 just three years before his death...Dale Evans married Roy Rogers on New Year's Eve, 1946. Rogers ended the deception regarding Tommy. Rogers and Evans were a team on- and off-screen from 1946 until Rogers' death in 1998. Together they had one child, Robin Elizabeth, who died of complications of Down's Syndrome shortly before her second birthday. Her life inspired Evans to write her bestseller "Angel Unaware"...Evans went on to write a number of religious and inspirational books...For her contribution to radio, Dale Evans has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6638 Hollywood Blvd. She received a second star at 1737 Vine St. for her contribution to the television industry..From 1951 to 1957, Dale Evans and her husband starred in the highly successful television series "The Roy Rogers Show", in which they continued their cowboy/cowgirl roles, with her riding her trusty buckskin horse, Buttermilk. In addition to her successful TV shows, over 30 movies, and 200 songs, Evans wrote the well known songs "Happy Trails" and "The Bible Tells Me So"...Roy and Dale personified the romantic mythic West that all America believed in when they saw the couple on the big screen and small tube every week.

Great job by Raymond E. White and Popular Press 3 Publishing, everything you wanted to know about "The King of the Cowboys and Queen of the West"...little-known facts about a well-known cowboy and cowgirl...Don't miss this one...now appearing on Amazon and Popular Press 3 Publishing ...get your copy today. Great reading in the days and weeks to come...I guarantee it!

Total Pages: 550 Pages ~ Popular Press 3 ISBN 978-0-299-21004-5 ~ (7/17/2006)