Companies Books

In the Ultimate Deceit of the Human Race, Ezzrath totally loads the book with knowledge and information that most people never see. I have found that most people who oppose and fear her work have never read it or tried to understand it. I recently attended a lecture by Ms. Shem that offered more than just explanation and many references, SHE LITERALLY PROVES that we humans have been trained and manipulated to think that life is one way when in all actuality it is truly another. I myself never believed most of what she had said being born into a Baptist Christian family myself. Since the title was about deceit and she did not speak as I had been trained to believe I assumed that Ezzrath was putting my religion down. But she is quite the opposite. She teaches what she beleives to be deceit in the many religions, but says that the utmost deceit is to judge one another and put each others religions down. She doesn't condemn beliefs or religious practises that promote the well being of the human race, which she says is in each and every religion along with misguided information that seperates and hurts the human race. It is this information that she reports on and calls for people to use their own minds.

If you are looking for a book with no hidden agenda, a wide source of information and best of all not looking for a following, this is the book for you. Her argument is presented in a way that is clear and easy to understand. A great starting point for anyone thirsty for more than what you can currently see. She tries to remove the veils or blinders that have been placed over your eyes for so long. I have brought several books to share with anyone that would have the courage to read it. There response was GREAT!!! I think of her book like the scene in the "Matrix" where he had to choose what pill to take. The pill of truth or ignorance is Bliss. I hope you choose TRUTH!!!

In the Ultimate Deceit of the Human Race, Ezzrath totally loads the book with knowledge and information that most people never see. I have found that most people who oppose and fear her work have never read it or tried to understand it. I recently attended a lecture by Ms. Shem that offered more than just explanation and many references, SHE LITERALLY PROVES that we humans have been trained and manipulated to think that life is one way when in all actuality it is truly another. I myself never believed most of what she had said being born into a Baptist Christian family myself. Since the title was about deceit and she did not speak as I had been trained to believe I assumed that Ezzrath was putting my religion down. But she is quite the opposite. She teaches what she believes to be deceit in the many religions, but says that the utmost deceit is to judge one another and put each other's religions down. She doesn't condemn beliefs or religious practices that promote the well being of the human race, which she says is in each and every religion along with misguided information that separates and hurts the human race. It is this information that she reports on and calls for people to use their own minds.

In the Ultimate Deceit of the Human Race, Ezzrath totally loads the book with knowledge and information that most people never see. I have found that most people who oppose and fear her work have never read it or tried to understand it. I recently attended a lecture by Ms. Shem that offered more than just explanation and many references, SHE LITERALLY PROVES that we humans have been trained and manipulated to think that life is one way when in all actuality it is truly another. I myself never believed most of what she had said being born into a Baptist Christian family myself. Since the title was about deceit and she did not speak as I had been trained to believe I assumed that Ezzrath was putting my religion down. But she is quite the opposite. She teaches what she beleives to be deceit in the many religions, but says that the utmost deceit is to judge one another and put each others religions down. She doesn't condemn beliefs or religious practises that promote the well being of the human race, which she says is in each and every religion along with misguided information that seperates and hurts the human race. It is this information that she reports on and calls for people to use their own minds.

If your principles stand for love, truth, unity and peace, then this book will reflect a lot of what may be in your heart, but most of all it will elevate you to higher levels of consciousness. However, if you stand for destruction, fear, vengeance and division, then this book is written for YOU. Ezzrath eloquently explores and reveals with irrefutable proof about the Hebrew Israelites, who are they and where are they now. The truth about the Bible, or more precisely, the author shows you how to decipher the 'word of truth' as instructed by the Bible. The author reveals how and why the world is perpetually self-destructing and more importantly, WHO has led the human race to this ultimate deceit. This book is loaded with facts and information about the ALL THERE IS: religion, spirituality, metaphysical and esoteric. Soul provoking and should be on EVERY shelf of the people of faith. Better still, you should read it! "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third, it is accepted as self-evident." - Arthur Schopenhauer

Back when I was a teenager, (in the early 1980's), I loved this book. It was my favorite sci-fi novel. Really good stuff. parallel universes, and a girl with violet eyes...

This book whetted my appetite for science fiction at a very young age and I still remember its wonders 35 years later. I kept checking it out of the local library so it would stay in circulation and I would always have it available. Time got ahead of me and we moved away. When I returned, I headed for the library to follow my same pattern and found it was no longer in the system. It was a science fiction book, with a poet's soul, for young readers and older ones who have yet to loose the excitement of what fantasies await in the future.

For several years in Jr High and High School, I was a SF junkie. I just couldn't get enough. And Nourse was my favorite SF author (with the exception of the Foundation Trilogy).

The Universe Between had some almost bizarre ideas about transporting between two universes. But the very strangeness was part of the fun. If we ever actually do get to travel to another universe, the method used may end up being just as strange as the method presented herein.

One of the things that I appreciated most about Nourse was that he was able to tell a story and keep your interest without pandering to sexual innuendos like some other popular SF writers sometimes do. I would be completely comfortable letting any of my young children read Nourse's science fiction.

--George Stancliffe

...

Dr Alan Nourse didn't write much sf -- though he had a prolific career writing non-fiction, esp. with a medical bent -- but what he did was solidly plotted and exciting. Most of his fiction is out of print now, sadly, but it stands up well with the contemporary works by Del Rey, Bova, Norton and Asimov.

This is a collection of ten short stories.

Like several reviewers, I discovered this book around age 12 in a Junior high school library. It was my favorite novel for about 10 years, and remains in my top 5, even 30 years later.
The author, Alan E. Nourse was a physician, who wrote SF novels and short stories as a hobby. Given that, the combinaton of qualities that shine forth from this novel are very impressive, in my opinion.
First, Nourse uses some unique ideas, based on speculation about scientific questions of the day (the short stories which this novel sprang from were first published in 1951, in short stories called "The Universe Between" and "High Threshold", per my searching on the internet).
An example: Using the highly adapatable "blank slate" of a young child's brain to imprint/adapt/learn an environment which is incomprehensible and even dangerous to a "rigid" adult mind - utilizing the normally unused parts of the human brain. (I hate to give others, because they would be plot "spoilers" to some extent - but most of these utilize hard science concepts and are explained in a way that entertains and teaches too).
As I've reread and rethought this book as an adult, it also occurs to me that Nourse is most likely writing on multiple levels and sending multiple messages. Such as:

1. An exciting adventure appealing to the young, young at heart, and both the hard and the fantasy SF lover.
2. A commentary on the difficulty of meaningful communication between people of radically different cultures/backgrounds.
3. A commentary on the surprising number and nature of the wonderful discoveries about our universe the pursuit of science brings us.
4. A reflection/reminder of the precious nature of life, and how close/uncertain death can be at any moment - a reminder not to take anything for granted.
5. Commentary on how important it is not to squander our natural resources, and the critical need to plan ahead for humanities' resource needs - given the inevitiblity of population and technological expansion throughout the globe over time.
6. And finally, repeatedly, a reminder of how little we know, and how little our limited perception allows us to grasp the true nature of reality.

This novel should leave you thougtful; hopeful, yet challenged. An exciting, interesting and unique children's SF novel? Yes! But also quite a bit more - very commendably written by this "hobbyist" for the thinking adult SF fan, in this reader's opinion.

This is a great book. I haven't finished it yet, but it has already given me many ideas. Unlike so many "self-help" books out there, this book actually gives you small, specific steps that you can take to change certain behaviors that others might find annoying (such as practical ways to teach someone about "personal space").

This is an excellent tool to help children look at their social skills and resolve issues. Children who become bullies and victims often do have poor social skills and difficulty making friends. This does a great job of helping the reader pinpoint the problem and find solutions. Another fabulous book I just finished and recommend to all parents that deals with these important issues is Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying. Step-by step strategies on teaching children about making and keeping friends, confict resolution, expressing feelings and standing up for themselves (assertiveness training)are invaluable.

My 6 year old son and I read this book together. It was very helpful to him. The book is written in "kid friendly" stories. They are easy to understand and make it easy for the parents to explain.

Very well thought out, expertly written and easy to apply in a myriad of social situation that may have you and your child puzzled.
I found it to be very helpful and have been able to apply its lessons.
It could even help adults a little in hindsight and will certain benefit your child.

Finally a book with some answers. Up until now, they all seem to describe the problem, but offer little in the way of solutions. This one has really been helpful.

So often today we find the victim and family of an horrific crime victimized the second time. When I read an excerpt of "Dead Man Walking" and then saw who was directing and starring in the movie version I realized that this cruelty was being visited upon the family of Faith Hathaway. I have always had my doubt about the death penalty however the writers have a very valid point about the alternative punishment: life without parole. As long as the murderer is alive there is a chance of commutation of sentence (the removal of a mandatory sentence makes an inmate eligible to be considered for parole) or an outright pardon. After researching the number of commutations allowed in the past I now realize that, with great deliberation, there still is a place for the death penalty.

This book is valuable for anyone interested in the debates about justice, but particularly for readers of Helen Prejean's Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account Of The Death Penalty In The United States. I also advise reading Debbie Morris' Forgiving the Dead Man Walking: Only One Woman Can Tell the Entire Story, and the Bourgue family's Dead Family Walking: The Bourque Family Story of Dead Man Walking, both written by victims of the murderers for whom Helen Prejean was such an eloquent advocate. This is not as appealing as Dead Man Walking, not as warm and fuzzy, but it is an unflinching, indeed horrific, look at the reality of murder and vicious cruelty.

I believe that if we, as a society, release someone whom we have good reason to believe is dangerous, we are responsible for future acts of violence. Not as a responsible as we are for executing an innocent person, but still bearing a burden of guilt. What I like best about the book is that he talks about the reasons that keep me from accepting the abolition of the death penalty. Varnado points out that the arguments that are advanced against the death penalty could, with slight editing, be advanced against any punishment; at 53, I can remember when they were. Executing the murderer doesn't bring back the victim, but neither does anything else. Many of the leaders of the abolition movement, currently begging us to be content with life-without-parole (LWoP), are the same people who have been opponents of any long-term imprisonment. I don't think that we would have LWoP if we didn't have a death penalty. Given the arguments against three-time loser laws, will people who don't accept LWoP for three felonies, even if they are all violent, continue to support LWoP for a murder, however heinous? I think they'd revert to their earlier and more sincere opinions.

It's not an easy question. The legal system is simultaneously too harsh and too soft. Innocent people have been convicted. Chills go down my spine when mayors, governors, etc., announce that heads will roll if someone isn't accused within 48 hours. "Testilying", i.e., false information by the police, is apparently all too common, but the defense is no better. Obviously our legal system is not too concerned about public safety: convicts are given probation, violate it, and are simply given probation again. I hear horrifying tales of the carelessness of parole boards.

I have also come to think less of Helen Prejean, the more I know about her. I finished Dead Man Walking not convinced, but with great respect for her. As she has become more famous, and more information is available, it has become clear that she feels her cause justified lying and general carelessness with the truth. As Varnado and Debbie Morris point out, she simply accepted what Willie told her without any investigation. It was fine as his spiritual advisor to deal with the world as he saw it, but when she crossed the line into legal advocate and author, such sloppiness became irresponsible. Further, she apparently was knowingly telling a lie when she claimed Willie was remorseful. Not only did he contradict her in his own interview, but Debbie Morris told us that she admitted that she didn't think he was capable of remorse. She has now written a book about people who were supposedly innocent of the crimes for which they were executed; I suppose that I will read it, but at this point, I wouldn't take her word for it. She has co-founded a program for victims, but as Varnado points out, she remains extremely insensitive to them as individuals. Her prayer condemning the participants in an execution, including the victim's parents, is a case in point. She topped this off by not considering how they would feel about appearing in her book, let alone the movie! She's great at touching apologies, but they only mean something if one tries to do better.

Readers concerned about valuing the murderer over the victims may also be interested in reading The Victim's Song by Alice Kaminsky; Yale Murder by Peter Meyer; and The Killing of Bonnie Garland: A Question of Justice by Willard Gaylin.

Victims of Dead Man Walking has been the most difficult, tear-jerking, enraging, must read I have come across. Ever. This brutal rape and murder happened not far from my home, and Faith's memory is still well within the minds and hearts of people all over our area. She was a beautiful, smart, 18 year old young lady who had the world within her reach on graduation day. But a cruel, unrelenting Robert Willie and Joseph Vaccaro, both of them boasting about a life of crime without remorse, stole Faith Hathaway away from this earth. They raped her repeatedly, stabbed her until the gaping wounds nearly severed her head, and left her to die alone in Fricke's Cave, only to be discovered 8 days later by a then 25 year old whip detective Mike Varnado. Hollywood doesn't want you to know these things. They would rather you believe that a then 24 year old "Matthew Poncelet" (a dead ringer for Robert Willie if there ever was one), who received the death penalty by electric chair, became a remorseful repentant man when he met his fate. Nothing of the sort ever occured. His partner in crime, Joseph Vaccaro, sits this day in a federal penitentiary still serving out his sentence for yet another crime, the rape and kidnapping of a "16 year old from Madisonville".

This book is so very well written it feels as though Detective Mike is speaking to you personally. He makes it easy, while terrifying, to put yourself in his shoes, countless sleepless nights after discovering Faiths swollen, nude, decomposing body in the once family oriented Fricke's Cave. You can feel the anger rise up from the pages from a very cruel young man who boasted of his murders, who never showed remorse, but loved the attention he gained from the spectacle of a nun and the television news. After the book DMW and movie of the same name, the real story of Faith Hathaway was nearly forgotten until Detective Mike brought forth the true details of the crime. One need not be pro nor con death penalty to learn valuable lessons and true facts of Faith Hathaway. After speaking with Faith's mother personally, I learned that Mrs. Harvey (Faith's mother) asked Tim Robbins (DMW director) to at least visit the area of Fricke's Cave where her daughter was left to die. Mr. Robbins response was "I don't have the time". Please - make the time for this book, the REAL story of the Victims of Dead Man Walking. These words by Detective Mike will make you a litttle wiser to the facts of this young girl, the trial that followed, and could very well give you the knowledge to save your own life one day.

I lived in the area when this tragic, senseless, and incredibly brutal rape & murder took place near my hometown. Friends and relatives worked the case, and the entire area mourned the loss of Faith Hathaway as the peaceful innocence and sense of safety in our rural area was forever shattered.
The wounds were re-opened when Dead Man Walking came out. It was a slap in the face of everything good and true. It was an incredibly cruel blow to Faith's family, who deserved so much better after the tragic loss of their daughter.
Thank you Mike for setting the record straight, for honoring Faith's memory.

I read the book "Forgiving The Dead Man Walking" by Debbie Morris, who was also kidnapped and raped by Robert Lee Willie and Joe Vaccaro. Debbie lived to tell the story in her own words... I highly recommend it for those of you who care about this topic.

I didn't like this book. I'm sure it's supposed to be inspiring and happy by the end, but I didn't have that reaction. The beginning was so sad, that when the "change" comes in the middle, instead of rooting for the mouse, all I could think was "That would never happen!" -For me to be reading "a children's book about a mouse" and think that something was "unrealistic" means that something was missing in this book for me. Maybe the change from despair to Utopic was too abrupt for me to be able to make that leap. Clearly other people (reviewers here) made that leap without any difficulty, but for me, this book left me feeling sad.

A clever funny and warm little story that reads quicky. Bright, simple and charming drawings highlight the adventures of a small mouse who triumphs over troubles to bring his family together. A very satisfying ending and a book that kids will want to hear again, and again, and again...

A MOUSE LOOSES HIS FAMILY MEMBERS & THEN FINDS THEM. IT'S JUST AN OK BOOK, VERY UNDERSERVING OF ALL THE 5-STAR REVIEWS. A BETTER MOUSE BOOK WOULD BE- IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE.

My favorite illustration is the one where the mother mouse is feeding her son (or daughter?) an impossibly large cheese banquet, much to his/her great delight. A wonderful book!

This was my daughters very very favorite book. She had all the words memorized by the time she was barely 3. I would ask the questions from the book and she would respond with the answers. I still ask her Whose Mouse Are You ? sometimes and her own baby will be born in October. By the way, until we find out the sex of the baby we are calling him/her mouse. Your kids will love this book too!

Fabulous!!! This 365 Crochet Stitches Perpetual Calendar is a must have for any Crochet Artist. The directions are concise and detailed. The photos are very clear to see each stitch. Both Jean and Rita have provided a great resource guide for crochet!!!

Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss' 365 CROCHET STITCHES A YEAR PERPETUAL CALENDAR arrived too late for more timely Fall gift-giving mention but if you can still get it, it deserves a place on any crocheter's shelf for the year. It offers a year-long calendar format in a book form which packs in hundreds of crochet stitches and step-by-step instructions from beginning to advanced. The calendar format includes a closeup photo each day, with spiral binding for lasting year-long durability.

This is not one of those calendars that you use to jot down dental appointments or trips to the vet and then toss out at the end of the year. This is a calendar that you will keep forever, using again and again to keep your crochet skills really up-to-date!

As I flipped through it, I dreamed of incorporating these new stitches (well, new to me...) into scarves, sweaters, hats, etc. Imagine the delightful challenge of producing a square of each stitch into an awesome afghan! I'm drooling at the possabilities...

One of the best features of 365 Crochet Stitches a Year: Perpetual Calendar is its SPIRAL BINDING, insuring that you can easily reuse it for years to come.

Clear instructions and photos of a swatch for each stitch make this little gem useful for beginner's or experts. And since it's a perpetual calander, it's a bargin at this price.

It's a little bigger than your typical desktop calendar but the stand up feature is fantastic. I love mine and happily give it the space it needs.

Probably the "last" book you'll ever have to buy on crochet stitches ... OK, for the avid crochet enthusiast, there's always another crochet book to buy, but this calendar can keep anyone busy for a very long time. All stitch patterns have the multiples listed so they are easily adaptable to any project - from dishcloths to king-size afghans! Even if I'm not crocheting, I enjoy perusing the pages, seeing all the beautiful designs created with a hook and some fiber. A definite "must have" for any crochet aficionado's collection.

This is such a precious book! It's one to read in small bits, because it is so chock full of simple wisdom. Love it!

Andy Murry has a close relationship with his Lord and Savior, Jesus. He makes the point that we can only experience Christ by accepting that Jesus paid the price IN FULL for our unclean natures. Keeping rules of conduct is only a product of our FAITH. We are saved by GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST. GRACE IS AN UNEARNED AND UNDESERVED GIFT FROM GOD THROUGH CHRIST. AMEN!

Review by Richard W. Kelsey, PE and Author
Search "Powerful Wisdom for Powerful Writing,"
Amazon.com or AuthorHouse Publishers

Outstanding treatment on communion with Jesus. Very practical, accurate, useful in helping disciples to walk daily with the Lord.

I am a great fan of great devotional writing and Andrew Murray's "Abide In Christ" is one of my top choices along with a few, time-tested others (Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly, The Depths of Jesus Christ by Jeanne Guyon, The Spiritual Guide by Michael Molinos, The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer).

I know of no other lesson that is as crucial to every child of God than learning to "Abide in Christ." And yet there is nothing easier than drifting along on a thousand other spiritual currents than "the one thing that is needful." Our lives can thus be so fragmented and parceled among so many competing demands that we have lost sight of Jesus Christ. And to no longer fix our eyes on Him is to lose sight of everything.

One of our greatest lacks today, both individually and corporately, is authentic, intimate, sustained encounter with Jesus Christ. We think all things are well as long as we are continuing to learn more "about" Him rather than "from" Him.

The bible itself has become an obstacle rather than an avenue to greater intimacy with our Lord. Again, we think all things are well as long as we are continuing to learn more about the bible rather than the One whom the bible writes. We think learning biblical principles for living is somehow adequate and what we are called to. But this is not the call of Jesus Christ on our hearts. "You search the scriptures," He said, "thinking that in them you have eternally life, but you won't come to Me that you might have life." But in many instances, just like our forebears, we think it sufficient to eat from the tree of the knowledge of "good and evil" rather than coming to Jesus, our tree of life, our bread of life, our water of life, our "all in all." And on the road to Emmaus, Jesus "pointed out to them all things in scripture that pointed to Him." In all of our bible reading, do we fix our eyes on Jesus?

The deepest longing of Jesus Christ is for closeness with us. In one place it says that Jesus cried with a loud voice saying "Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest!" We need to be reminded of this, often and daily.

Murray writes:

And observe especially, it was not that He said, "Come to Me and abide with Me," but, "Abide in me." The communion was not only to be unbroken, but most intimate and complete. He opened His arms to press you to His bosom; He opened His heart to welcome you there; He opened up all His divine fullness of life and love and offered to take you up into its fellowship to make you wholly one with Himself. "There was a depth of meaning you cannot yet realize in His words: "Abide in me."

Just what is this "depth of meaning?" What is this "unbroken, intimate, and complete" fellowship with Jesus Christ? What is this call to "inner communion" into the heart of our Lord? Do read this classic devotion "Abide In Christ" and discover some of the answers. Rediscover the ultimate call and central message of Jesus Christ to all those who have lost their way.

This was one of the greatest books on living in Christ I've ever read. Though tough reading, it still influences my prayer life today. If you haven't read it, you must!

This book is a concise and friendly guide that is great for admins. It proved itself the first time that I had a problem allowing me to quickly find the answer I needed.

This is one of those most have books for any SQL Server DBAs reference library.

Brian Knight covers a LOT of different items and goes into sufficient detail on all topics. Probably the best real world book on SQL Server administration out there. I've worked with SQL Server for over 5 years and have been a senior DBA over a large enterprise SQL Server farm but I still learned a great deal from this book.

This is an excellent book. The coverage of SQL Server is very solid. However, if you plan to purchase the author's newest book, SQL Server 2000 for Experienced DBAs, DO NOT purchase this book. The newer book covers everything this book covers, in addition to the topic of high availability. Owning both books would be completly redundant, a mistake I personally made.

If you're thinking of buying this book, because you've tried everything in Microsoft's online manual "Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 Performance Tuning Guide" and are still having some performance problems, then this book could be your solution.

It helped me solve some of the problems I was having with our productive server and helped me understand some basics a bit better than before. It does not contain everything you need to know, but gives you some ideas how you have to look for further information and what you have to look for.

It contains some good reference material, but not all of the hidden features. As with every book under 1000 pages this is not THE bible for the DBA but is a complementary book that will provide some invaluable information not found elsewhere. This book was well worth the price..

SQL Server 2000 Administration headaches? ... Well if you need a rapid reference on system administrative functions that could not only save your company $$$ on downtime and system availability but improve your response to difficult situations this is a DBA must have. I have purchased more books attempting to get reliable information and tips to make my Administration of SQL Server Database systems robust, reliable, and rapid on response I have finally found the information I needed in "One" book. I would recommend this book for Mid to Senior level Database Administrators and as a guide for training Junior level DBA's to prevent bad habits and teach the proper habits of monitoring, managing and maintaining SQL Server databases overall. Oh and the nice touch is that TIPS: and CAUTION: notices throughout the book educate the creative "out of the box" approach to proper system risk management. I hope Mr. Knight considers sharing his talent with future Administrative Guides !!!

These plays are modern classics. Albee has an interesting view of our modern word (especially the american way of life) and expresses it really good in his theatre plays. Zoo story specially is a 'must do it' play for all the actors

These are the two of the three plays ("Virginia Woolf") that will go down in theater history as Albee's contribution to the stage. The others may not make it. Both of these plays capture Albee at his rebellious best, just in from Westchester County where he had been living the country club life with his adopted parents, and now living in Greenwich Village. "The American Dream" captures the world of his parents, while "Zoo Story" takes up Albee's new life on the streets of New York (paid for out of his grandmother's trust fund). These plays have a vernacular zip and zing his later plays lack. They make for wonderful theater. Much of this early promise was realized in "Virginia Woolf" but then Albee, like the man with three arms, seems to have lost his voice.

Zoo Story

There is something unique about the works of Edward Albee, a kind of mood, or wry-but-not-entirely-dry attitude, one recognizes but can't quite put his finger on. This "story" of a suburbanite with two daughters minding his own business on a park bench who is accosted by a poorer but somehow wiser man who has been at the zoo was Edward Albee's first play to be seen by the public. Dating from 1958, the one-act play, which like much of Albee's work seems to deftly mix absurdist elements with an intimate rendering of the American bourgoisie--and a sort of silent, if perhaps ironical, nod to mystical Christianity--he reminds me of a dramaturgic Saint Francis of Assisi--was first seen in Berlin. As in Who's Afraid of Virgina Wolf? and The Goat, the object of desire is off stage, at least until the end, at which point "its" "retrieval" reveals a generalized dissatisfaction which the playwright allows to be dispersed as satisfaction after all, in conformity with the peculiarities of human desire and the conventions of literary endings. This two-man play seems to work largely because the older, more well-to-do man, Peter-a kind of icon of smug suburbanite self-satisfaction, who wants to be entertained, as it were, from the outside--is drawn in--across the white picket fence, or here, the green slatted Central Park bench--to the life of the slightly younger Jerry--a sort of stand--in it would seem for the playwrite, and his dramatic task to involve us all in a participatory experience this side--or perhaps a little more--of religion.

The American Dream

Although I have read/seen only four of Albee's works (Who's Afraid of Virgina Wolf, Zoo Story, and The Goat), this seems to me the work of his that owes most to-or is closest to- the theater of the absurd-particularly to Samuel Beckett. And yet, as the title suggests, the work is far more American-down home, you might say-and so is the humor. The main characters are "Mommy," "Daddy" and "Grandma"-and Grandma is a scream. Her brilliant, if irascible, wit contains some brilliant, if not exactly unbiased, observations on the treatment of, expectations from, and inner reality of, the elderly. She comes off as the most intelligent person in the play, and the one we identify with the most-even if her metaphysical capacities for hiding objects, forgetting who her strumpet daughter is, and desiring with spiritual ardor the flesh of the young who may or may not be her own are not necessarily everyone's instantiation of satisfaction's successful pursuit.

An unqualified genius with language, Edward Albee has a fair claim to being the USA's most important living playwright, though most would give the nod to Arthur Miller. *The Zoo Story* and *The American Dream* are among Albee's first plays, and both dabble in the absurdism that defines his work. The plays are very different from each other: *The Zoo Story* is a more serious play that builds slowly toward the inevitable, while *The American Dream* is more of a nonsense-farce, with echoes of Ionesco and Becket. But the logic of *The Zoo Story* and the comic brevity of *The American Dream* make these plays much easier to get a handle on than his later *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf* and *A Delicate Balance*. In fact, both plays have a spiffy economy that Albee's work seemed to lose until his recent masterpiece, *Three Tall Women*.

Anyone interested in American theater should study Albee, and these plays are a good introduction. Also (unlike most of Albee's plays) these plays could be performed by student or beginning actors.

The American Dream is another of Albee's many commentaries on our society. Albee saw that in every one of us there exists an ideal, the American dream. While this dream is different for us all, Albee felt that all of us simply expect our American dream to come true. This play examines the anarchy that can result from the realization that life just doesn't work the way we all imagine it can. Albee's goal is to make us all more aware of the way we think, so that we may alter it to be more correct and fulfilled. This play is not for a reader looking for entertainment. The lack of humanity in the play makes it a very abstract piece, obviously aimed at conveying a point rather than a story.

What a wonderful book. APACHE is beautiful.

What a beautiful book. It's really stunning. I'm envious. I hope the publisher does as well with it as I think they should.

APACHE is a beautiful, really beautiful book.

APACHE: The Sacred Path to Womanhood is magnificent. It, the photography and writing, deserves an award.

Apache is graphic & well-told as a photo story, which is rare indeed.