Journals Books

The above quote is from one of Ralph Ellison's letters to Albert Murray and it summarizes both of these two men's positions on both art, as well as their outlook on African-American advancement in this country. I found this book to be extremely inspring, partly because these two men are/were very brilliant, partly as black history, partly as literary criticism, and very much for the fact it changed my conception of these two men. While these two cats are seen in the public imagination as some sort of conservatives in American culture, their letters show them to be two men very involved in black vernacular expression and very understanding and apprecieative of regular, as Sly Stone said, "Everyday People", and also, as people who show great disdain for bourgeise pretensions.

One of the striking things for me about this book is the fact that both of these men are older than my father, who was born in the thirties. It totally explodes my misconceptions about black people before 1954 (Brown vs Board). While messrs. Murray and Ellison talk about many issues pertaining to blacks and that include prejudice, they are in no way limited by racism, and it only periphirally comes up during their letters. Their focus is on how black expression is deeply ingrained in the American sensibility. And this is prior to the advent of Elvis Presley and Rock & Roll (for the most part). Jazz and Blues of course are the primary conduits of this. But the two also discuss Willimam Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain in terms of how the motif of the black American influences their work. They're fans of great writers like Andre Malraux, Dostoyevsky, and James Joyce, and in their work they see parallels in their work to the black struggle and want to in their work describe the black experience with the same type of literary mastery.

Also very heartwarming is these two mens concern for each other and each others families. It's big fun to follow their adventures through Europe and the United States and the insights they get from them. Not to mention their love of cameras and photography.

What impressed me the most about this book though, besides the literary/cultural concerns which resound throughout all of these writers work, is the down home, city slicker, hipster black language and viewpoints of Albert Murray and Ralph Ellison. In their own way, they remind me of the "keep it real" hip hop generation and the "no sellout" soul/black power generation. In one example, Ellison tells Murray that Murray is the type of cat who would, "eat chitlins at the waldorf (astoria)", and that he'd do it not just to "slum" or "keep it real", but becuase he thought they were as good a food as any other. These two cats exemplify that old black, old American goal of not fogetting where you come from. As black intellectuals, they also have their times when they're very disdainful of black bourgeise institutions.

As an example in one instance of discussing response to Ellisons "Invisible Man", Murray refers to "...also saw Jet (magazine)'s expected stupidity. This reminds me of a line Chuck D said in Ice Cube's "Endangered Species", "When we die, then we'll make Jet." In several instances Murray and Ellison talk about things that prefigure the attitudes of hip hop. And I know this is ironic becuase Stanley Crouch, a disciple of these two men, is one of the most vocal black critics of hip hop in the world today. Examples of this are definetly these two men using the "b" word at certain points, Ellison actually takes being called a "hell of a n...." as a compliment, and Murray uses the "n-word"to denounce his former employees at Tuskeegee. Of course these men are not gratuitous with this type of language, but they take poetic liscence with them (as the greatest of tasteful M.C's like Chuck D, B.I.G, Tupac, Nas, Daddy Kane etc.) do. They totally explode the silliness of some of the cultural gatekeepers in the black community that these words should never be uttered. As artists they don't look at words morally, they use them were they fit. However they do use them with taste, and being middle aged men and educated men, they don't hafe to use them for every other word. But some of the language in this book is proof to me that the hip hop generation by no means came up with this lingo on their own, we got if from our pops, and uncles, and men in the community. However, we could also get a good lesson in taste, and how to take our "chitlins to the waldorf" from these two cats.

If you love black history, get this book. If you want to see the genesis of the modern African-American mentality and how it relates to the old, get this book. If you want fresh literary perspectives, get this book. If you want an example of black intellectuals who didn't forget where they came from, get this book. If you want inspiration for your own art, run and get this book, becuase in the words of Albert Murray:

"Maybe I really broke the bed down, and then maybe I ain't done nothing but hit it a lick and promise. Maybe I ain't no certified cocksman yet, but that g-ddamn chick is pregnant due: you examine her. Maybe i'tll be a nine-pounder and maybe we'll hafe to put it in an oxygen tank, and maybe it'll be a f*c***g miscarriage; you examine it....

I could not put this down. It is a funny, warm, and insightful jam session on the subjects of literature, jazz, and American culture. This is a must have for any student of those subjects. It's also gives fascinating background into the lives and intellectual development of these literary giants.

This is an excellent book. Fans of Ellison and Murray will appreciate the intimate look at the lives of these writers that can be gained from reading the letters published in this work. Moreover, the call and response nature of the letters beautifully mimic that which can be heard in some of the classic jazz and gospel songs of America. You'll have a hard time putting this one down...

Thanks to Dan and Cheryl De Worken I have found a training log that has everything i need to track food consumption, water intake, and all my work-outs all lined out for me. I can track my weight loss, fat loss, and see how much muscle i've gained. There is nothing even close anywhere that can help you accomplish your goals. Plus they have a toll free # you can contact and get help, advise, etc. Thanks

Thanks to Dan and Cheryl De Worken I have found a training log that has everything i need to track food consumption, water intake, and all my work-outs all lined out for me. I can track my weight loss, fat loss, and see how much muscle i've gained. There is nothing even close anywhere that can help you accomplish your goals. Plus they have a toll free # you can contact and get help, advise, etc. Thanks

Amazing does not fully describe this outstanding training workbook. It is all completely laid out for you; food inventories, cardio record, resistance training and routines. The Transformation Toolbox breaks up the routines for you for optimum results, chest & tri, back & bi, legs & shoulders, body mass, and abs and calves. This wonderful guide helped me to commit to myself. It is perfectly laid out for a 12-week program, with a page for everyday. I find that this is extremely helpful when doing the food inventory. I am able to look back and see if I was taking in enough protein and water, or perhaps taking in too much fat. This program really works! It has helped me stay organized and committed to my fitness goals.

A remarkable book of a beloved priest's journey to a greater understanding of God. Striking is his learning, as we all must do, that this spiritual journey in a physical world is difficult and different for each person.
Father Eagan moves to a mystic knowledge of God while living and serving in everyday life. Particulary powerful is his description of God tearing down the "House that Eagan built" and rebuilding into "Eagan's house that God built".
I've had difficulty in reading Father Merton - my weakness obviously not Merton's - but Father Eagan's journey, taken in the same vein as Merton, held me in its grasp from beginning to end.
I note that one reviewer read it in one sitting. I couldn't because each chapter left me emotionally drained and seeking answers to what Father was discussing. After prayer and reflection I returned each day to joining Father Eagan on his journey - a spiritual quest for Jesus.
I highly recommend this little known book - an extraordinary traveler; an extra ordinary quest!

This is an inspiring story of a man who lived his life as a high school teacher and Jesuit priest, often wondering whether he was making a difference in these young people's lives. To the reader it is abundantly clear he is making an enormous difference. A must read for anyone in or considering the teaching profession.

This book was given to me by a friend. He read the book in a single sitting. Impressive, considering it's 193 pages. I picked it up and began reading. I began reading the most powerful book I've read in over a decade.

It's the type of book you know is inspired by a higher power. Fr O Malley definately has a flow to his writing and it that keeps you wanting more. Twice I was moved to tears, tears of sadness and joy, for life, love, for God.

Although good, this book is not for everybody. It's for someone who is searching for God. It is for someone with a desire to do Gods will above all else.

In the end Fr. O Malley dies of cancer and one instinctively understands that this is his way of the cross, sadness mixed with understanding that the way of the cross is never easy.

I highly recommend it.

Use this journal in conjunction with The Traveler's Gift and you'll have a life-changing experience--if you're honest with yourself and your journal. Asks thought provoking questions that may have surprising answers.

Andy Andrews does such a fantastic job with this book. There's no better way to convey these principals then how he does it. With real life characters from our nations's history. Abe Lincoln, Christopher Columbus, Anne Frank and more. They show us how optimism, an all knowing belief, and a rosy outlook will shape your life and your experience.

It's like getting into the minds of some of the greatest people of the past. I shared with my mom, she shared with her friends. This is a must have, feel compelled to share book.

Bravo Andy, bravo indeed.

I rank Andy Andrew's book, The Traveler's Gift, very high on the list of inspirational/motivational books. This one truly has the potential to change lives. THE TRAVELER'S GIFT JOURNAL is a companion book that will help you unleash and utilize that potential.

One of the shortcomings of motivational books is the human inability to follow through. This companion journal helps you along the way of changing how you view life and helps you maintain focus.

Here, you can record your progress and challenge yourself to obtain your ultimate life goals. You're also reminded along the way of the lessons learned in The Traveler's Gift and how to apply them to your own life.

There are countless options when it comes to self improvement books. Many of them are considered time tested classics such as Robbin's "Awaken the Giant" or Hill's "Think and Grow Rich". But there are very few such books out there presented in a more practical and riveting way as The Traveler's Gift and this companion journal is invaluable to help put the lessons learned into action.

Uno de los mejores libros modernos de Cuba (sino el mejor) y de AL., un monumento al lenguaje, al humor y a la nostalgia. Cabrera Infante, uno de los beneficiados del boom, sigue su propio camino en esta novela que ya es un clásico cubano y L.A.

"Tres tristes tigres," a Spanish tongue-twister, is the title of Cabrera-Infante's anti-novel, and as this book's title suggests, what lies between the book's covers is nothing short of a never-ending mental-linguistic twister of epic proportions. The book grabs the reader on page one and takes him on a linguistic roller-coaster, a mental labyrinth, and a chaos of events at once discrete but united, as music might be both cacophonous and melodious. And all of this with Havana's nightlife as the backdrop. Don't look for a plot: there is none. But what there is is a rendering of words and language in a format never before seen, nor seen since. Cabrera-Infante's work will confuse; entertain; at times it may even bore you, but in its entirety you can see the man's genius. Once you put the book down you will realize that language--what distinguishes us from animals--is nothing more than ink on paper; sounds from mouths; misinterpretations, reinterpretations, random, chaotic inventions that we--just like he--can use for our own purposes. In the end, maybe we can't trust our ears. Or in this case, our eyes.

Tres Tristes Tigres G. Cabrera Infante

La noche, esa que siempre vuelve y nos envuelve con su encanto y sus canciones, con sus bares y sus cantantes noctívagos, con los habitantes noctámbulos que aun siendo los mismos son siempre diferentes a los del día. Esos seres que al final de la noche mueren o quedan postrados en la cama esperando que el día siga su curso y de paso a la noche...
Cualquier aproximación temática a esta gran obra nos traería como respuesta que su tema es la noche y sus habitantes. Algunos quizás objeten esta obra diciendo que es obtusa, pero dentro de toda esa maraña de 454 paginas se extiende un universo de por sí, algo totalmente entendible, moldeable, maleable, perfecto, encerrado en sí mismo y como todo lo bueno, algo loco. El libro avanza y retrocede con referencias a personajes tan cercanos como Shame Joyce o tan lejanos como Alejandro el Glande. Unos muchachos metafísicos, hombres de la antimateria, nos conducen por pasajes filosóficos a través de la Habana a 100 kilómetros por hora dejándonos el sabor de salitre, el sabor del sastre Sartre cociéndome las costuras rotas del alma en la que no cree. Y esa nada que me invade, ya que soy nada, y si ella me invade, me demuestra que soy nada y que pronto, después de demostrar que era nada, volveré a la nada de donde vine. Y el absolutismo de los números y las cábalas?

4 9 2
3 5 7
8 1 6
--------------------------------------
15

Y siempre, no importa como lo sumes siempre será 15 de arriba abajo y de derecha a izquierda o incluso de forma transversal. Y sabiendo que la vida es más grande que todo esto, que la vida contiene los números que creamos, los dioses a quienes les damos vida, las filosofías que nos sustentan, y las ciencias que nos educan, siempre cede el hombre ante el impulso de dejarse llevar por un credo que limita su libertad en detrimento de su creatividad. Es por eso que me gusto esta obra, es fresca, interesante, creativa, no se deja arrastra por ningún tipo de idea y critica casi todo.
Y las ideas de bustrófedon acerca del lenguaje?
Los safaris semánticos y los eternos juegos de palabras que hacen a uno envidiar no tener un amigo así. Andar en la compañía de alguien para quien el lenguaje no es meramente comunicar ideas que a veces son erróneas o tontas, sino que ve el lenguaje como un mero juego que a veces tomamos muy en serio. Alguien que transmite y transmuta las palabras a otros seres que también las reciben con beneplácito, bene, molto bene. ¿Quién no leerá en los escritos de teselio y quien no oirá la música de vincent Bongo, o leerá las obras de chasepear o de Jean Paul Sastre?
La vida es + y +, siempre + y no debemos dejar que una sola obra nos envuelva y nos haga seguidora de su credo de palabras. Debemos amarla mientras dure su lectura, como ama el marinero a la chica del puerto, sabiendo que mañana levantara las velas la embarcación y ya no volverá a verla, pero le esperan otros puertos, a quien quizás querrá +, por el momento.

Luis Méndez.

This book gives a first person perspective on what the civil war meant to one union supporter who had a law office in St. Louis, but later left to avoid the conflicts in Missouri. Well done!

This book is an authentic, first person account of the Civil War situation in Missouri from 1861 to 1865. It is taken from the hand written journals of Franklin Archibald Dick, and compiled by his great,
great granddaughter, Gari Carter.

The journals are an amazing, new and primary source of information on the Civil War. They are his personal notes on the War, the U.S. economy and global politics of the era. He was a perceptive attorney and Union officer, and recorded his day-to-day experiences in the Troubled State Journals

If you want a close-up account of the Civil War story in the state of Missouri, directly from a man who was there, read this book.

Troubled State: Civil War Journals of Franklin Archibald Dick is a collection of private journals written by Franklin Archibald Dick, a St. Louis attorney, Union officer, and provost marshal general. Assiduously assembled by Franklin Dick's great-great-granddaughter Gari Carter, Troubled State offers a firsthand view of historical events such as the early Camp Jackson incident (during which he was Captain Lyon's assistant adjutant general). Dick was concerned about the slow progression and horrendous cost of the civil war; witnessing the divided city of St. Louis broke his heart, and journals reflect his progression from optimism to grave doubts about the future. Thoughtfully annotated and supplemented with brief biographies as well as a family genealogy and bibliography, Troubled State is a welcome addition to Civil War primary source shelves.

Martha Grace Reese has spent years studying that dynamics of church evangelism and offers her wisdom in this three book series. But for Reese this is a personal passion - she believes in the life-changing gift of the church and is empowering us, through these books, to make a difference. Reese has "unbound her heart" in this book so that we can see a glimpse of the possibilities before us as local church pastors and leaders. This is a must read for every pastor and leader of a mainline church.

Mainline churches have not won any evangelism series for a long time. Just as the Boston Red Sox broke the curse of the Bambino, the Real Life Evangelism Series knocks one out of the park. Reese equips mainline church leaders with prayerful and practical tools needed to change the church through the power of Christ's redeeming love.

This approach is, of course, based on "Unbinding the Gospel" and works best with a leadership-based understanding of those principles. And you really want to read that, anyhow.

But if you've felt like you've tried "40 Days of . . .whatever" and it just didn't fly, try this -- really. Especially for mainline/oldline congregations who find some of the language or approaches in Saddleback or other denominational programs too, um, "too," this approach is basic, straightforward, but utterly non-condescending. Members and visitors at churches looking for an approach to spiritual growth and congregational vitality will find these books an answered prayer -- which is, in fact, the whole point of what Gay Reese is writing and speaking about.

God answers prayer.

But you have to ask, and -- big step, this -- you have to listen.

And then you have to do something about what you hear . . . which is where the real adventure begins. These books give you a clear run at making the "leap of faith" to do all of that and more.

In Grace & Peace,
Jeff Gill
http://knapsack.blogspot.com

You can get this great book from the Booksource in St. Louis, Mo.

This book is great. For those of us who like interesting/odd actvities, this is THE book. It provides basic and advanced methods for scaleing buildings, exploring steam/drainage tunnels, and other urban activites. Espcially nice is that the book includes sections about what to wear, equipment, and how to deal with people who think your nuts. It's thanks to this book that Urban Exploration and the Infiltartion zine came into existence. Even though it is 10 years old, the book is still very relivent to today. This book is a must... Oh, and sorry for my rampent misspelling.

This IS the book for Urban Adventure. And Yes, it did start a movement, or more properly, collesced a movement of people who were already exploring abandoned buildings, subway tunnels, storm and steam dreains, and labyrithian basement complexes. This is the grandfather of all of the great sites ont he Web today that deal with Urban Exploration and Infiltration.

Strangely, when I interviewed North for an article years ago, he wasn't hung up on urban exploration, per se. He was a real outdoorsy guy who prefered the mountains to the city, climbing a rock face to a building face. For him Urban Adventure was something that provided surrogate outdoor pleasure when he didn't have the time to get away to the wilds.

Urban adventure, as Alan North says, "will change the way you see your urban environment. The structured, asphalt-and-concrete, developed world will become your wilderness playground." North wrote the book on it, The Urban Adventure Handbook (Ten-Speed Press, 1990), the definitive urban adventure "how-to" manual.

An old brick building becomes a cliff face to scale. The clogged rush-hour streets become rapids to navigate on two wheels. A grim steel and glass office building turns into a fortress to penetrate with cunning and stealth. The city sewers are a labyrinth to explore.

Why risk life and limb for adventure? North says it's a "genetic imperative. People want to push. They strive for what's new and exciting. And there is nothing like an adrenaline rush."

"I won't say urban adventure is the greatest thing," North says. "I'd much rather be climbing in the Sierra or hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. I think it's a great thing because it's available."

"There's nothing wrong with spending money for adventure," North says. "It's one of the best investments I can think of. But you don't need to spend the money. You don't need any special tools or shoes or anything. With urban bicycling, for instance, just any old bike will work. One speeds work fine."

It doesn't take much to have an adventure. A good pair of tennis shoes, a flashlight sometimes. A map might help. What else? "Just an attitude," North says. "All you need is a creative view toward the sculpture that is all around you, a few free hours and the will to be an adventurer."

This little gem is "laugh out loud" funny! I guarantee you'll read it cover to cover the first time you open it. Every guy can relate to almost everything in this book, because as the saying goes......"been there, done that".

I laughed so hard that it hurt. Boy how little i knew. The page about the "Revenge" was somthing i never heard of. I never knew that men could have so many problems in a mens room. A great gift for anyone. A CEO can hand them out to all of his employees. I will give it out to all my men friends and relatives. A very,very, funny gift.

Garry Adelman has provided a great service to men and women alike. Men who read this pithy book will inevitably nod their head with agreement over Mr. Adelman's sage observations. Women who read this story will inevitably turn to their significant others and ask, "Do men really do this?"

This is a wonderfully illustrated, profanity-free story about bathroom habits that, ironically, makes for great bathroom reading.

I just got my Vampires Journal and it's much nicer than the description. I love it! This is one not to miss if you're into Vampires, Goth or haunted things.

I bought this journal near Halloween last year, and I am always writting in it. I have always loved vampires, especially "Angel" off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This journal is a great addition to any journal collection.

I was given this for my 15th birthday this is perfect for someone who loves vampyres like me or is a good halloween gift. It has beautiful ilustrations inside and you can make up stories. I was very sad when I was unable to write any more in it. Hope when you buy this item you have as much fun as I did. It was a birthday to remember.