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Author Terrell T. Garren's dramatic story of war crimes in Western North Carolina is a captivating, dynamic true story of what happened to his own family members during the American Civil War. What an adventure! This book will capture the reader as if the reader is there, in person, living in the community, experiencing the events as they are happening. How intriguing to have the photos of the leading characters! The secret kept by the author's great-grandmother for one hundred forty years is now known and the historical facts leading up to the event are told in this epic story of war, war crimes and, romance on the homefront. This story left me with deeper empathy for the suffering of not only the troops but, of the women left alone to suffer on the homefront the crimes of the Civil War. I will never forget this moving story of "The Secret of War".

I found it difficult to put this book down. I've read a number of histories and historical novels about the civil war. This one was more personal as it followed members of a family through their war experiences and tragedies.

War is ugly. Up close and personal it is an abomination. Observing its impact on the Russell and Youngblood families and how the war brought out the best in some and the absolute worst in others, was a sad reminder of the horrors and atrocities being commited in wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Sudan.

At least at the end of the Civil War for these two families, honor was restored to some degree and healing could occur.

I don't know when a first chapter (can be read on Amazon website) has "grabbed" me like this one. As a lady who normally avoids war stories, I found this one extremely interesting, and very relevant to our current war in the Middle East. This book will keep you thinking about the situations involved long after you've finished reading it.

The Secret of War is an indelible and pivotal contribution to our understanding ot this most disturbing passage in American History. Against a backdrop of beautiful Western North Carolina mountains, we learn of a grim and silent history that has often been ignored.

Without taking either Union or Confederate side, Garren lays before us a spread of heart-touching and terrifying events. He shines a bright light on the fact that war begins and continues with power-hungry men on both sides who do not realize the full ramifications of their actions.

Through the story of Delia Youngblood, Garren gives a voice to women everywhere who have for too long fallen silent victims of the senselessness of war. That voice says: "Look at this. It will destroy us, even as we are destroying ourselves."

I read the book about a week ago, and I am still thinking of Delia. For the spirit of women and men, past and present, I am glad that her story has finally been told.

The Secret of War
Terrell T. Garren

I once believed historical fiction was a corrupted form of non-fiction. Thanks to Terrell Garren, "The Secret of War" has changed my mind. Mr. Garren has written an absorbing, completely engaging book, from start to finish. As Mr. Garren said, when he graciously visited our book club to discuss his book, "fiction can be used to tell a greater truth." Amen to that.
In July, 1861, Joseph Youngblood, a reserved, yet love-struck young man from a German immigrant family, left his beautiful western North Carolina farm and the woman he loved, to fight for states' rights against Mr. Lincoln's invading Union Army.
What this cost Joseph, his family, his fianc?, Delia Russell, and that region of western North Carolina, is the subject of Mr. Garren's book. Based on a true story, this is a magnificent and poignant study of Mr. Garren's family history. "The Secret of War" is an apt title; not only because of the "dirty little secret" that we rarely hear about - the brutality that faces the families who are left behind in war, but also his own family's secret that was kept for generations. The story was told, finally, to Mr. Garren by an 85-year-old great aunt three days before she died. This quest to unearth his family's history was an obvious labor of love and an exploration that consumed Mr. Garren's life for 15 years. The more he dug, the more he found.
Mr. Garren delivers us to this time in our young nation's history, carefully relating the struggle of his family, and tries to make sense of Delia Russell Youngblood's (Mr. Garren's great, great grandmother) daemons caused by a disastrous, ludicrous set of steps that led to her mental and physical breakdown. I won't give it away here, but the anger one feels for uncaring, unsympathetic, and violent characters while Delia is left, with the help of two very old, loyal slaves, to manage the homestead without safe, secure help, is just one of the ways Mr. Garren's story consumes you.
Western North Carolina's economy was, like most of the South's at that time, agrarian and rural. Yes, slavery was entrenched in this part of America. Some small farmers may have owned one or two slaves, yet it was the large, "corporate" farmers, who owned and contracted the most slaves. This was big business for these select few, mostly leading Southern politicians who were the slave owners.
The 19th century was also a time when honor and dueling among men were not only an integral part of upper class society, but also encouraged. Fight or light were the only options. This historical detail was, according to the author, one area usually not covered by historians as to one of the reasons for the War Between the States. When Mr. Lincoln's troops invaded the South, it was an act of dishonor to all Southern men. There was no choice but to fight the North's obvious disrespect. States' rights were a convenient excuse to protect the economic machine known as slavery.
Fort Sumter, and its aftermath, were just means to an end for the wealthy Southern slave and largest landowners used to protect their wealth and position. Thus, honor was the South's talisman for the Civil War. The Fort Sumter bombing and the Union Army invasion became a rallying cry for the Southern elite, who often bought their way into commissions and jobs away from the actual fighting or could afford to pay someone else to fight for them.
The young men like Joseph Youngblood and his brothers, who did not own slaves, were caught up in that rallying cry for states' rights, and ultimately went to fight the Union Army bravely and without reservation.
"The Secret of War" cuts back and forth between Joseph's constant struggle to survive and return to his beloved Delia; and Delia and the events surrounding the Union's Army advance on Asheville, North Carolina and surrounding area. However, the most crucial detail is the horrific loss of the Southern men. An entire generation was lost. Mr. Garren has meticulously set forth the numbers of soldiers lost in Western North Carolina - 25% or 27,486 of the men died in service. The number of soldiers who were permanently maimed, who lost limbs, etc. is staggering. The young, independent farmers - an entire generation -were either killed or maimed and unable to support their families.
Mr. Garren has delivered a stellar work of historical fiction. He helps us relive this awful time in our history and to understand the despair and ultimate loss. We live in the hearts and minds of his characters soaking up the descriptions of the land and the tragedies. We are forced to acknowledge the criminal element, (a historical reference often forgotten) and the men, like Delia's father, who pushed for war to support their own economic means; not necessarily for the good of their community.
There is no question that Mr. Garren gets it. War is hell and our country lost more men in the Civil War, than all of our other wars combined. The nation lost a part of its soul that was tied to the land. It was the beginning of the end of the family farm and homestead. We will never fully comprehend the result of the exodus from this part of the country to find ways to support families devastated by the war.
"The Secret of War" folds us into all the secrets of war and we are better informed. Unfortunately, this information has not taught us anything because of our obvious inability as a nation to learn from our mistakes.

I love Kim Diehl's books. They have beautiful photos. One could spend an afternoon just daydreaming through her books. The patterns for the quilts are easy to read, comprehend, and follow. I highly recommend her books to all quilters.

Simple Traditions: 14 Quilts to Warm Your Home (That Patchwork Place)
For those of you who love traditional quilts, this might be the ultimate book. There are both pieced and appliqued quilts, and there are pieced quilt centres with beautiful appliqued borders - something for everyone.

As in the other two Kim Diehl books I own, there are full and complete instructions for making your quilt, right from getting started to finishing the quilt and binding it. If I really really had to choose my favourite quilt, it would be Feathered Stars Wall Quilt (52 1/2" x 52 1/2") and I have already had a request from my 5 year old granddaughter to make that for her. I must say she has very good taste!

I know anyone who purchases this book will love it as much as I do.

I ordered this book from Amazon,& since took a lesson from the author Kim Diehl,have a quilt made from it, she is a delightful person to have a lesson with ,you would not be disapointed if you took from her.
B.Stratton,avid quilter

Beautiful projects with an old-fashioned look to them. Any quilter would enjoy making them, from a small applique wall hanging to bed quilt size. Something for everyone.

The book is stunning. The projects are explained very well--the pictures beautiful. Would recommend to anyone who likes color, simple composition and traditional/folk art images.

This is the definitive guide for anyone looking for a corporate sponsor. It was enjoyable to read and I find myself reaching for it time and again. The concepts were easy to grasp and the tools were especially useful. It is a great source of information for beginners as well as seasoned sponsorship seekers. It's a great read and well worth purchasing.

Being a realtive newcomer to sponsorship procurement, this book has been valuable and well used. The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit teaches every step necessary to make first contact, foster relationships, build a creative winning proposal, administer your proposal and prepare followup reports.
This and the two previous Sponsorship Seekers Toolkit can take a novice and teach them how to speak to sponsors confindently and knowledgably.
If you're a seasoned professional, Kim and Anne-Marie come up with such creative partnerships, you'll find yourself smiling over the common sense they inject into every chapter.
This book has taught my staff how to present proposals that will enhance multiple sponsors, thereby giving them more bang for their buck as well as making the event more memorable for the audience.
This book is a dog-eared must in my professional library.

Content was relevant and definitive. Great examples and templates and every aspect clearly explained and expounded where necessary. An essential piece of reading.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone attempting to obtain sponsorships. It is well written and easy to follow with many useful tools.

This book is very useful and practical thanks to its suggestions in a matter which is at the same time delicate and fundamental. Besides it is well-organized and clear in its contents

Delivered quickly and much cheaper than college book store. This was teacher's edition, which has answers the student edition does not.

I must say I felt bad with the price of the book - I felt it was much too high. But after reading the first few chapters of the book, and noting that it flows and is very easy to understand, I do not have to complain so much now. I am loving the book now.

There isn't much more to say. This book is concise -- it gets right to the point, every time. It is also thorough -- it covers everything you need to move on to advanced statistics. But, best of all, it presents the material in a way that is very easy to understand and allows students to apply their new knowledge to the behavioral sciences.

I have taught statistics for many years and this is the best stats book I have seen. It is clearly written, has easily understood formulas, and excellent examples. I highly recommend it!

[A review of the 7th Edition, that came out in 2006.]

The text starts off easily. With the elementary definitions of mean, median, percentiles etc. Things you probably should have dealt with in high school. Likewise with its treatment of probability theory. Though the latter goes directly to the normal or Gaussian distribution.

But the meat of the book really starts in part 3, which is about inferences of means and mean differences. For you, as a student or researcher, what is important is not a definition of terms and distributions, but how to test hypotheses. From this flows such ideas as the t statistic and the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Part 4 builds on this, with nonparametric tests and regression analysis. The linear regression in one variable is simple. Then you get multiple regression with 2 variables. Tied in is the chi square test and various other tests.

The book also is a quick introduction to using SPSS as your basic statistical program. In your field, SPSS is likely to be the dominant such program, and you need an indepth acquaintance with it.

As an addiction therapist and recovering addict myself and the author of "Something for Nothing: Shoplifiting Addiction & Recovery" and "Biting The Hand That Feeds: The Employee Theft Epidemic," I found John Prin's book to be an extremely well-written tale of his own life that anybody should be able to relate to and benefit from. Mr. Prin has distilled the essence of all addictions and self-destructive behaviors to their very fuel: secret keeping. I would encourage anyone to read this book who needs to know the difference between healthy and unhealthy aspects of our private lives. Mr. Prin is onto something here!

In a world where we all have skeletons in our closets and many locks to keep them there, John Prin has changed the rules and thrown his closet door wide open. WOW! Is my reaction to this very honest autobiographical account of Prin's life. From a moment where he nearly killed his mother, to alcohol, drugs, adultery and finally to Christ. What courage it took to invite the public into Prin's private world of addictions, how the addictions developed and how he fought each one to become a whole person. We also learn about the toll addictions take on family and friends around the addict. It is extremely well written in a manner that keeps the reader never wanting to put the book down.
This book is well suited to the addict in recovery, the addict looking for help and the therapist looking for insight into the world of addicts.
Kudos to Prin for his unique honesty that is so helpful for all addicts looking for validation that they aren't the only ones with the problems they face.

Stolen Hours is a valuable contribution to the literature on addiction and recovery, especially as it relates to the Christian faith. Having been through drug and alcohol treatment four times myself, but then finally finding freedom from addiction concomitant with my conversion to Christianity ten years ago, I can attest to the experiential validity of Prin's account. A central part of recovery is the realization of one's true identity as fashioned in the image of God, but suffering the effects of a fallen nature. Unfortunately, this is not something that most treatment centers will (or can) impart or even endorse to addicts seeking recovery. Addiction is but one means that points to our need of an eternal Savior. Prin's book is one of the rare accounts in the literature on addiction that recognizes this. Prin uses riveting firsthand accounts and retrospective insights to unpack these concepts for us. I am truly grateful for his efforts.

John has told all about his life and how he has kept secrets. This secret keeping he has called "Stolen Hours." A very honest book. John has told his life story along with all his personal weaknesses to wake the reader up to his own life and his own possible stolen hours. He has called my attention to my stolen hours (secrets) and made me aware of them so I can begin to honestly deal with them. A highly readable page turner on one level and a very helpful book on another deeper level. I recomment it highly

STOLEN HOURS relates a true story of one man's recovery and redemption. Even if you believe that you personally have "nothing to recover from"-which may or may not be the case, despite what you admit in your heart of hearts-STOLEN HOURS will ring true and be irresistible to put down. This book resonates with the reader from page one and surges ahead with truth, honesty and power. You may find you harbor more unhealthy secrets than you know. And STOLEN HOURS will help show you the way to break free of their hidden power.

STOLEN HOURS tells the autobiographical life journey of John Prin, Upper Midwest baby boomer: A man who is `normal', functional and `happy' on the outside, yet secretly enslaved by inner demons of drugs, alcohol, pornography and disillusionment within. It took Prin many decades to start freeing free himself from unhappiness, dysfunction and self-loathing; and I suspect the process continues to this day. Although his Christian faith played a strong role in guiding his path to enlightenment, his autobiography is definitely a page-turner... and will ring true... to all secret keepers, those of all faiths or no faith at all. STOLEN HOURS speaks to everyone, and resounds with new life and possibility. Read it now-it's a fast, compelling book that will have you responding, "Yes! And yes... and yes. Me too! And now I understand why". And then you the reader, like I, will be waiting eagerly for Prin's next book.

This is my God has become a classic on Jewish Thought and Culture. If you are just beginning or are a seasoned scholar, This is my God has something for you.

I totally recommend this book. You will enjoy immensely. Read it with a highlighter, you are going to want to quote it later.

A formidable book, written for everyone, from the pious Chassidim who seems to know all about Judaism to the secular Wall Street Jewish Banker who is far from his faith but feels every now and then the sweet but stern internal calling of his demanding heritage

The best chapters,in my opinion, are related to the experiences related to the secular Jewish people when they got involved in the Jewish religious rituals at the synagogue or at home during childhood, "one feels like he is telling ones own experiences when he was a Jewish kid, so unexplained and uneasy situations at that time become hilarious

Generally speaking, Wouk, who is observant, tried to be very open avoiding dogma and intended to convey to the Jewish reader the precious value of his 4000 years heritage and a way to learn how to feel proud about it.

Wouk did not forget the non-Jewish reader either, he wrote this book with simple concepts and language so anyone interested about Judaism can get a good basic introduction through these pages

Wouk, Herman. "This is My G-d: The Jewish Way of Life", Little Brown and Company, 1959. 1988.

How I Live

Amos Lassen

Here in Arkansas, especially from my gay friends, I contstantly get questions about my being Jewish. After a few moments of discussion, I usually refer people to Herman Wouk's "This is My G-d" which, even though is not new, explains basically everything Jewish in the easiest way. The book goes with me wherever I go. I keep a copy in my office at the university, a copy in my study and one in my suitcase. Anyone who wants to know what Orthodox Judaism means to a well informed and intelligent Jew but who is an American (by birth) as well, can find out what he wants to know in this book. Written in terms that are easy to understand, the book stands alone in being a guide to the Jewish religion. Herman Wouk is a wonderful person to consult on matters Jewish. He writes with humility and wisdom and his explanations are clear and concise.
There is a lot of literature on the Jewish religion available and new books on seem to be published almost daily. Wouk gives us a brief history of the Jewish people and an excellent discussion on the meaning of G-d. He explains who we are and how we have survived and carefully looks at the importance of symbols in the religion.
In part two of the book, Wouk approaches issues of faith and sows how it is impossible to study all of it. Looking at the holiday calendar, he is able to equate the observance with the nature of the Jewish mind and explains in detail what the synagogue is and what purpose it has. Looking at the dietary laws and explaining how orthodox Jews observe them is an experience that I have not found in other books. Wouk manages to bring the laws to a level of understanding that explains and codifies them. He also speaks of clothing and shelter which I found especially interesting as most do not realize that there is a certain way that Jews look at them.
Wouk takes us through the life cycle--from circumcision to Bar Mitzvah to death and explains issues of love and marriage. Looking at law, Wouk explains the differences between Torah, Talmud, common law and modern theory. Finally he looks at the state of Judaism in the present and evaluates the various schisms in modern Judaism.
The newer edition contains an epilogue which deals with Israel and the question of Jewish survival. For a novice this is a place to begin and for others it is a book to consult. Surely a religion that has lasted thousands of years cannot be written about in just 300 something pages but I tell you, it has been a great help to me in both understanding myself and explaining Judaism to others.

This work is a wonderful introduction to and survey of Orthodox Judaism. This book stands out from the pack of other works on the same topic in that This Is My God was written by a master novelist (Wouk gave us Winds of War, War and Remembrance, The Caine Mutiny, et al). Herman Wouk is passionate and candid in what he writes here.

The tone is conversational, unconfrontational and uncondescending. Although packed with factual information, Wouk keeps it personal and interesting by moving back and forth between the mechanics of Orthodox Judaism, and his own personal experience - especially his formative years under the hand of his beloved, learned and pious grandfather. Considering the scope, it is brief, by the author's own admission.

Wouk explains the basic approaches marking Orthodox, and to a lesser extent Conservative and Reform, Judaism. He discusses the practice . . . dietary laws, tallit, the Sabbath, the Feasts, etc. He sketches history and historical figures (I especially appreciated his sorting out of the great sages and each of their places in Judaical history). He describes the source texts - Torah and Talmud. Also, Wouk easily could have - but did not - bury the reader with Hebrew phraseology.

This book is unique and well worth the time for an interested truth seeker of ANY faith to invest. I could continue with the praises of this work, but I would just be repeating what other reviewers have already written.

I will add a couple of critical comments. This book, published in 1959 (written while the State of Israel was only 10 years old, how remarkable!), has become a bit dated. (Obviously no fault of Wouk's here). Orthodox Judaism has evolved increasingly into what people call "Ultra-Orthodox" and has become largely identified with Hasidic dress and practices. In today's world an observant Orthodox author, out of reverence, may well have refrained from penning the title "God", preferring rather "G_d" (interesting since the diety's personal Name is not actually God . . . a gentile word having rather pagan roots). Orthodox vs Conservative vs Reform have all changed a bit over the years. I was disappointed that Wouk did not even mention the phenomenon of Messianic Judaism, which has grown greatly since the book was authored. Wouk also more or less wrote off the Karaites as an extinct sect . . . but that movement has also grown greatly since the book was authored. But of course Wouk's passion is Orthodoxy, and my point is that there has been much change even in the brief historical period since 1959. This is a minor criticism and hardly detracts from the value of the book.


Secondly, although I was drawn to this book by its enticing title, it would have been more accurately titled, "This Is My Religion". Orthodox Judaism wholly embraces the the Talmud. Unlike the Torah, the Talmud is arguably the work of great men, but not necessarily of God. There is wide and heated disagreement on this point. But in Wouk's book, any insight as to the nature of God will have to be inferred from the general discussion.

But again, any truth-seeker, and especially followers of the God of Israel, should have this information. An observant and learned Orthodox Jew will likely find no new information here, but may enjoy Wouk's personal perspectives.

A heartfelt and personal discussion of Judaism. Herman Wouk is the master of the historical novel. His guidebook to Judaism is written with love and respect.

This is a wonderful, hilarious, moving account of how Dr. Vertosick progressed(or regressed?) from a mere mortal of a junior medical student to a god of Neurosurgery. It is filled with comedy and tragedy--both of which are chronicled by the author with uncompromising honesty and compassion. A great book for the non-medically-inclined reader!

The book starts out a little slow, but it does pick some speed. This is a narration of the life of a young (and naïve) neurosurgeon in residency. Frank Vertosick shares some profound experiences in this unsparing book, which will be particularly useful to those who want to know what residency entails - it's challenging and interesting points.

Among Vertosick's stories is one about a young man taken into the hospital with the then-unknown disease of AIDS. He became the first person reported to that particular health department with the strange new illness. We are also told heart-wrenching stories of human struggle, like the story of Shirley, who dies after numerous hours of fighting a damaged aorta and brain. There is also a touching story of Andy, who happens to have "trisomy 21" (Down syndrome), and is also deaf, blind, mute, and has a brain hemorrhage.

The book is quite shocking in some parts, and educational too. Where you imagine a triumphant ending, the unexpected (and sad) happens. It's a book of triumphant stories, and disappointing ones. The stories all move at a decent, likable pace. The book leaves you with the feeling that physicians are in fact very human as Vertosick tells the story of Charles, who has an uneventful aneurismal tear while in his hands. Not all is victory as a neurosurgeon. A surgeon often has to deal with death and mistakes.

Some parts were fictionalized to enhance the story, but still a good book nonetheless. Enlightening.

The author has an edgy, sleep-deprived, wisecrack-a-minute style that makes me glad some states, at least, have reduced the number of hours per week a medical resident must work, from one hundred to eighty. Neurosurgery is a very unforgiving craft, and not all of the stories in this book have a happy ending. Neurosurgeons must tackle some pretty hopeless cases, and the human brain is a very unforgiving operating theatre.

Nevertheless, "When the Air Hits Your Brain" is an unputdownable read. I've been through it twice now---once during a night where I couldn't sleep anyway. If you do intend to sleep, don't read it right before going to bed.

Here are the author's five rules for neurosurgery interns:

1. "You ain't never the same when the air hits your brain."
2. "The only minor operation is one that someone else is doing."
3. "If the patient isn't dead, you can always make him worse if you try hard enough."
4. "One look at the patient is better than a thousand phone calls from the nurse."
5. "Operating on the wrong patient or doing the wrong side of the body makes for a very bad day--always ask the patient what side their pain is on, which leg hurts, which hand is numb."

Emotionally, Dr. Vertosick's worst rotation was to the local Children's Hospital. A child who was born with an inoperable brain tumor is the focus of the chapter entitled "Rebecca."

A baby's brain is very hard to operate on: "At six weeks of age, the unmyelinated brain is thick soup which can be inadvertently vacuumed away by operative suctions. Moreover, nerves the thickness of pencil lead in adults are little more than a spider's web in a baby."

Dr. Vertosick doesn't spend the whole book wisecracking. He ends the chapter on Rebecca: "I am not particularly religious. In fact, the birth of children bearing cancers I find difficult to reconcile with a merciful God. Nevertheless, there must be someplace where Rebecca now laughs in the bright sunshine, finally free of her ventilator and gastrostomy."

Read how the author strays into the 'inferno of overconfidence' as a chief resident, and comes "perilously close to emotional incineration." Follow him into the operating room as a patient's brain oozes through his fingers, where he is squirted in the eye by an AIDS patient's spinal fluid, and where he cures a woman who was misdiagnosed as an Alzheimer's patient when what she really had was a brain tumor.

I'm in the process of donating all of my books to the library that I know I won't read again. "When the Air Hits Your Brain" is not one of the donations.

Neurosurgeon Frank Vertsoick Jr.'s memoir opens with the five rules enumerated on his first day of a six year residency and never forgotten:
"Rule number one. You ain't never the same when the air hits your brain....It was built for performance, not for easy servicing.
"Rule number two: The only minor operation is one that someone else is doing.
"Rule number three. If the patient isn't dead, you can always make him worse if you try hard enough.
"Rule four: One look at the patient is better than a thousand phone calls from a nurse.
"Rule five: Operating on the wrong patient or doing the wrong side of the body makes for a very bad day."

These pretty much sum up the tone and gravity of Vertosick's rivetting, harrowing and touching book. The son of a steel worker, Vertosick came to neurosurgery almost by accident. His memoir focuses primarily on the years of training from medical student through chief resident.

Vertosick's first anecdote, from his first operating room observation, will have readers grabbing their throats - literally - in shock. His mentor, Gary (who becomes a familiar chain smoking, fast-talking irreverent character) picks up a drill. Vertosick asks how it knows when to stop before plunging through the skull into the brain and is told it has an automatic clutch mechanism. Only the mechanism fails. Those who continue reading once their heart rates return to normal will be hooked.

In an arrogant profession, Vertosick is an appealing narrator. He can also write. His descriptions of hospital routine and crisis, pecking orders and interdisciplinary rivalries are frenetic and often hilarious.

But his portraits of individual patients bring them to poignant life and often death. There are happy endings - the young, virile accident victim whose progressive paralysis indicated spinal damage, but who was saved by a risky diagnosis and fast surgery. But there are many others - the retarded man whose aneurysm became something worse through a slip of the knife,or the pregnant woman with a brain tumor who refused to abort her baby and therefore refused treatment in medicine's litigous atmosphere.

But Vertosick's memoir is not just a string of anecdotes. It's a portrait of his profession and its effect on a doctor's psyche. He first tasted "the intoxicant of power" after botching a routine procedure on a veteran and being thanked for it. "On the street, this would not be called a medical procedure but assault and battery - with witnesses, no less!"

There's the exhiliration of saving life. One of those was a man pronounced brain dead and delivered as an organ donor. Thanks to Vertosick and an observant junior, the man walked out of the hospital a week later and lived another two years.

While Vertosick's subject is inherently fascinating, it's the author's ability to convey his exuberance, fear, anguish and joy that leave the reader hoping he'll trade scalpel for word processor again.

This stands out in the field of medical literature. By definition, there are a very select number of people who could have written this book. Firstly, the number of brain surgeons is strictly limited (duh) for reasons that become apparent as the book progresses. Secondly, and most importantly, I think only a small minority of them can be as bloody good writers as Vertosick.

The book conveys pathos, humour and a dramatic shift in mindset experienced by our author as he is initiated into neurosurgery...from intern to surgical psychopath. This journey takes him several years and a number of lifetimes to complete. The lifetimes are those of the patients and their relatives that he (and we) are priviledged to be invited to share. Naturally, not all the stories have a happy ending and whilst it is clear that Vertosick cares, so, you will find, do you.

As a fiber artist, I am very interested in the history of fiber. Elizabeth Barber's "Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years" is fantastic, both as a history of the use of fibers and as a history of working women. I learned a great deal about women's role in society from her research, and it makes me proud to be a modern woman working with fiber, just as my ancestors did. Highly recommended!

Anyone interested in so-called gender studies, textiles, prehistory, or just in regular people ought to read this book. The authoress, in incredibly simple language (she can't REALLY be an academic, can she?), tells the story of women and the textile work that has (pre-) historically been theirs. Bringing the insight that only a practicing weaver or spinner could have to the dusty world of archeology, she sweeps the reader into the homes of real people. Lots of metaphors, but honestly, it's that kind of book: rich. I only wish I could read it again for the first time.

I ran across this book almost by accident. I was feeling rather glum one day, and I asked my wife to recommend a book for me - something that was out of the ordinary and would cheer me up. She recommended "Women's Work". I was a little skeptical that it would appeal to a techie guy like myself, but soon I was absorbed in Elizabeth Wayland Barber's storytelling.

"Women's Work" tells the story of textiles in human history. In nearly every society, spinning, weaving, and sewing have been done almost exclusively by women, so the history of textiles is also a history of women's work - or one important part of it. That's still reflected in our language, for example, when we refer to the "distaff side" - a distaff being a stick used to hold fiber for spinning.

Wayland Barber tells her story with with wit and clarity. And more than that, she tells the story of the story - that is, she traces not only what we know about textiles in ancient times, but describes how we know it. So, this is not only a fine history, but it's a fine, readable treatise on historiography as well.

I can warmly recommend this book to anyone interested in textiles, or women's history, or how history is written, or who has the blues and just wants to read a darn good book.

Interesting history of some parts of women's work. I enjoyed it very much. Whether you are interested in fabric or not, I think you'll enjoy this book. It is scholarly but still a good read that keeps your interest.

I bought this book on the recomendation of my spinning instructor. I was expecting the documentation of early spinning and weaving techniques, and the discussion of preserved textiles. I wasnt expecting to be inspired to go out and buy a copy of the Iliad and the Odyssey to read about the textile and history references that she brings up! I had no idea that Greek mythologies mention items of clothing that have been found in the area and dated to pre-Greco times....and were stil identifiable items of clothing in the last century.
Basically this book is a textile and history junkies best fix.
If you are a re-creationist,(such as the SCA) or particpating in Lving History demonstrations, you will definately want this book for its discussions of documented cloth finds,
If you like this book, you may also enjoy reading "Salt, a World History" as they mention several of the same places, and historical finds.

I just finished reading this book for the second time. At least one reviewer has complained of the Adkins writing style but I could not disagree more. I'm a very busy person and would not waste my time reading any book twice unless it was exceptional, and this book is just that.

The writing is clear and easy to follow, refreshingly honest and frankly the account is intensely interesting. Yes. there is a typo or two but you'll be way too involved in the amazing first hand account of A.Z. Adkins to notice. My grandfather was an infantry first lieutenant who saw similar duty and this book really helped me to understand a lot about his service.

These men withstood so much hardship one can not read this and not have a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for what these men gave to us and the world.

Thank you A.Z. Adkins. For the book and more importantly for enduring incredible hardships and giving us the gift of freedom.

Andy Adkins Jr. was a Second Lieutenant and served in Company H, 80th Infantry Division during World War II: his regiment landed at Normandy in 1944 and fought they way on foot across France and into Germany. If you want a riveting, hard-hitting memoir which recreates the moment of a soldier's experience, the title says it all: YOU CAN'T GET MUCH CLOSER THAN THIS: COMBAT WITH COMPANY H, 317TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 80TH DIVISION. First-person memories of war experience assume a 'you are there' atmosphere as the author speaks with comrades and experiences battles, rough conditions, and struggles.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is interesting first person account of World War Two from the perspective of a soldier from my area of Florida! That alone made the book a pleasant surprise. But besides that, I found this book a well written account of a young man taken from college to fight with the 80th Infantry division.

The book reads like a great war story rather than a war-time biography or diary. It's a quick, informative, read that does not overwhelm the reader with details. You really don't have to be a WWII historian to really enjoy this fine book.

What I think is unusual about the book is it mentions cities not normally mentioned in the history of other units and events not commonly written about. For example, the author goes into great detail regarding the use of motors in close action with the infantry. The fact the author received an absentee ballot for an election, voted and mailed it back home (that's a first in over 300 WWII history books I've read).

It also has an excellent short history of the 80th Infantry Division, including cities and counties it "visited" along with attached units and other statistics.

My uncle, Harry Goldsborough, served in CO. F, 2nd Battalion, and I had heard a few stories from my Mother about her brother's experiences in World War Two. The stories were few and and unpleasant, and I gather that he did not speak much of the war. The reading from this book gave a great insight to where my uncle was during his time in the 80th and what he probably went through. I found the reading very easy and it made me proud of his service to his country.

"You Can't Get Much Closer Than This: Combat with Company H, 317th Infantry Regiment, 80th Division" by Andrew Z. Adkins Jr. and A.Z.A. III represents a non-homogenized non-sterilized look at the Second World War from foxhole level. Nearly everything in this book comes from A.Z. Adkins Jr's wartime journal, and thus presents a view of the war from one individual's perspective. If you're looking for a 'bigger picture' tied into this story (somehow this reviewer thought that because A.Z. Adkins III brought his fathers journal to life he might provide some 'filler' to tie together items - no such luck). The book can be broken into four basic parts (not the chapters of the book though) representing four chronological periods that fall naturally along lines of major events in the ETO. The first period is the Normandy/bocage fighting period, the second is the Breakout, pursuit and initial West Wall (Siegfried Line) action, the third is the Battle of the Bulge and following action leading up to the Rhine crossing, and the forth is the Rhine crossing to V-E day. Of all these sections the third is by far the best in terms of visceral impact and readability. The other three sections unfortunately suffer from a dull prose that is only infrequently livened by an engaging story or writing style. Fortunately, Adkins and Adkins do not candy coat combat and in presenting an un-sanitized version of events do give the reader some less common in the genre. Still this positive does not sufficiently outweigh the negative of style (not to mention the numerous typos and other editorial issues).

As "You Can't Get Much Closer Than This" is one mans story of the Second World War with little of the 'bigger picture' woven in it is hard to review (positively or negatively) the historical value of the book, rather it seems appropriate to review it from the standpoint of whether it is a good read or not. Regarding this latter criteria this reviewer would have to break with the praise given in nearly all other reviews and say that this is a good 3.5 star read at best. The book is short enough to get through quickly, readers will get a truer picture of war than in most 'memoirs', but the reading will not always be easy or fully engaging and enjoyable. 3.5 Stars.

In some ways reading one of these two-page chapters everyday seems tedious if your really doing some soul searching about what is being taught to you...still, I think its very helpful.

If you're wanting to be uplifted, buy this book and read a part of it each day. Dr. Beckwith is such a beautifully positive person and his intention to see that in each one of us is obvious in his writings and teachings.
This is a great little book to have with you at all times and to share its insights with others.

One Day She'll Darken: The Mysterious Beginnings of Fauna Hodel
Rev. Michael Beckwith..is the most powerful teacher of them all...at least in this decade...I call him a brother from another planet...a visionary of light..to read his teachings...to hear his spoken word...to listen to his sermons...moves me like none other...he is the wind beneath our wings...those of us..who are blessed to have sat in his church..are all so thankful for his teachings... his work is a WOW factor at the highest level.

This book is for those who respond to positive suggestions and are open to New Age philosophy with just as much affirmation of faith in a deity. The suggestion is to read the affirmations and its analysis, sit with it for a time each day, with the promise that at the end of 40 days something will have shifted in the reader's thinking.
I believe that this method is worth pursuing and have found it beneficial in improving my perceptions of how I see the world, how I nurture my relationships, in how I regard myself.
After reading it the first time I've decided to give it another round to reinforce its upbeat message.

Michael Beckwith has created a MUST HAVE book of spiritual inspiration and practice. These daily meditations are an absolute feast for the soul. Deceptively simple, this small book is filled with big ideas that, when put into daily practice, are PROFOUNDLY transformational. I have given this book to a number of people and I quote from it often. Beckwith is masterful in his use of language and the high vibration of this man's spirit leaps off the page and into your heart. Get this book and use it! The perfect gift for anyone of any spiritual persuasion.