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I got this book from the library. It looked interesting because the pieces Ms. Carlson made were beautiful yet there was little sewing involved. That along with the fact that she loves fabrics appealed to me. Although fish are not my favorite subject, I felt that the way she describes the process could be applied to any other animal. So I practiced using a picture of a bird and was surprised at how well it turned out, esp for the first time trying this method. Then I used a photo of a tiger and I admit I was very impressed with my finished product! I have never considered myself an artist but my tiger amazed me. I also loved having to look through my fabric stash for just the right piece of fabric for each detail. Thank you, Susan!

This book has so much creative inspiration in it! I did traditional quilting for 8 years and while I still love it there was something in me that would long to do something with all those fabrics that had printed animals and trees and bright flowers on them. Something non traditional. This book along with "Beautifully Embellished Lanscapes" by Joyce R Becker made my creative muse completely take off! Even if you don't like fish the techniques and inspirations in this book are sure to inspire you to make something that does capture your fancy. Sometimes there is something about seeing what other people have done that makes the wheels starting turning in your mind and helps you to come up with your methods. If you are even considering this book I would recommend you buy it and give it a try.

I'm shaking. Literally! I have books for Africa on quilting and not one of them has made such an impression as this book. Susan Carlson is simply an artistic genius. Her quilts are nothing short of amazing, the beauty and the realism surpasses belief! Her techniques are simple, clearly explained and shared with enthusiastic joy. I started my own fan-fish, before I'd even finished the book! You're an inspiration Susan, thank you for such a marvelous, delicious book-it's certainly wet my artistic appetite and if I didn't live so far away (New Zealand), I'd be signed up for your next class!

I'm very new to quilting...having just completed my first quilt and I was looking for what to do next when I spotted Susan Carlson's Free-Style Quilts A "No Rules" Approach. The idea behind this book (and the title) intrigued me. The artist's work, and those of her students are very inspiring. I couldn't wait to start, so armed with the book I went to my local fabric store (okay truthfully I went to all the stores that carry fabric in a 30 mile radius). It changed the way I look at textiles. Picking out fabric, always so much fun now has a new dimension to it. Fabric I might have overlooked in the past holds so much promise/potential. Now I look at the patterns or textures thinking, could this become a fin? Oh, this would be perfect for a butterfly's wing! It's like creating a painting with fabric. Her free-style approach is very freeing. You can use an enlarged photocopy of the picture as a template to cut, but that's more of a springboard. Thanks Susan, I'm hooked. I've posted a picture of my first free-style project (it's still in progress). My mind is brimming with ideas from photos I took in Hawai'i, from flower shows, maybe this summer I'll even attempt a portrait!

The title of this book is very misleading. First and foremost the ONLY technique recommended (or explored) by the author is cutting and GLUING fabric (yes, "GLUE"). The technique is developed from a combination of foundation and applique quilt methods; hence, the 'free-style' method, is to substitute glue for any and all other peicing methods. In addition, "No Rules" is not a 'play-on-words'; her techniques require extensive drafting/drawing, piece numbering etc. . Therefore, exact guides, measured 'seam allowances' (glue overlap allowances) etc., are imperative to her method.
Ms. Carlson is a huge fish lover. I, unfortunately, am not. 95% of the examples and 100% of the 'exercises' are of FISH. I had hoped for a wider range of subject matter; or that the book description had included this very relevant fact.
All of this being said, the book is very well organized, with lots of color photographs, well written, and true 'hands-on' step by step approach to the author's method.
However, unless you want to glue fabric and depict a lot of fish, I would recommend giving this title a pass.

I have worked in the domestic violence field and related fields for 20 years and this book has been a guiding light
throughout. I am delighted to remind readers that there are new chapters and that the book has been thoroughly updated. More information can be found on the website [...]. With such a strong history and the latest in important thinking this book is an incredible resource. It remains a great gift to the field and to countless survivors and their loved ones.

I left my partner 6 weeks ago. There were so many signs that I didn't recognize until I had left and until I read this book. The exercises are realistic, and very very helpful. I am searching for more, I wish this book never ended so that I could receive daily readings from this author!

Could have been alot more helpful. A lot more.

Great book for empowering women, but there are some problems due to its age. The most glaring is the claim that there is "no persuasive evidence that children are happier or healthier in a two-parent than a one-parent home" - there is now a wealth of empirical evidence to demonstrate that children are certainly better off emotionally with two parents, and even more tellingly, with their biological parents. This must be considered when making the decision whether to leave or stay.

Few think of escaping verbal, emotional or physical abuse as shortcuts to freedom, but it surely is, and is likely the only route to get there. Babysitting abusers is rotten work, and keeps them from "facing the music," robbing both of what might be happy lives. Anyone who is an abuser deserves to go it alone, and has "earned that right" many times over, usually at the expense of the abused.

A fairly interesting book. O'Donnell lists the campaigns of the elite troops of this theater of command, details the plan of battle, and then gives the oral histories of those who served in those campaigns. Most of the veterans are at the end of their lives, so these oral histories present a heartfelt tribute to the difficulties these soldiers endured during combat. What surprised me most was how these soldiers/veterans got choked up recounting the battles they went through, and the friends they lost. Freedom isn't cheap, and these soldiers are living proof of how America was affected by the battle.
This is a good read. Oral histories are good at describing the personal experiences of soldiers, but they don't put perspective on the actual battle campaigns. If one wants to know more about the War in the Pacific, one needs to read a general history, before reading this book.

This review is of the Audio CD version of this excellent book. Jeff Riggenbach did a fantastic job reading this text. He managed to give proper emphasis without drowning the material.

Many soldiers are reluctant to talk of their wartime experiences for fear of seeming boastful. O'Donnell got these veterans to open up and tell their stories. They did so that the fallen heroes would get proper credit, not to tell of their own exploits in a grand fashion. Many of the other reviewers have told of the specific episodes relayed in the book, but what struck me was the depth of feeling that these men had many decades after the fact. One soldier tells of looking up the family of a fallen buddy after the war. It was as if he felt driven to tell them of their son's valor and his worth to his fellow soldiers. Another tells of a friend he saw die in combat after having met his wife and been their with him during the arrival of their child. It was a common theme that these men had these experiences with them every day, if only just beneath the surface. I highly recommend it to those who would like to grasp the depth of the sacrifice these individuals made on our behalf.

I found this an unusually readable book as first person narratives of combat. The emotion was left in the accounts and you can't help but be touched by the various stories as opposed to a detached historical rendering. The latter is important as a context for these highly personal accounts. There is no attempt to cover the gore and pathos of combat. The accompanying maps were very good also and helped to pinpoint actual events; many of the battles I never heard of. Reminds me of With The Old Breed and Pacific War Diary for its impact, also Flags of Our Fathers. It's great that these veterans lived until a time when they could have permission to express these emotions; they weren't allowed this I don't think until the last decade or two.

I read this book after "Beyond Valor" by the same author and I wasn't disappointed. "Into the Rising Sun" is a collection of first hand accounts of the brave men who fought in the Pacific. The author sets up the accounts with some background material to make more sense to it all. After re-living some of these battle through this book, I started to understand what a living Hell these guys lived through. The intensity of the Japanese soldier was astonishing.

This book has special meaning to me since my father was a Marine fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. He was at Guadalcanal and Okinawa .I now know what a hero he was!

This is the second of Patrick O'Donnell's books. O'Donnell is a gifted oral historian who's been collecting the recollections of men who were soldiers and served in the Second World War, partially through a website he set up some years ago, and partially through other sources. This compilation shows off O'Donnnell's strengths, and weaknesses (such as they are) and is a good example of his work.

O'Donnell, for whatever reason, is very attached to "elite" infantry units. In his book on the European Theater, this included paratroopers, rangers, and the members of the 1st Special Service Force. In the current book, which covers the Pacific Theater, the distinction between "elite" forces and the regular ones is somewhat more blurry: Army Rangers, paratroopers, and members of Merril's Marauders are the participants from the army, but the author chose to distinguish the Marine Raider and Parachute units from other Marine outfits. This is a weakness as all of these forces were disbanded in 1943-4, and so the book would be rather truncated as far as the Marine Corps went for the last 18 months or so of the war. This (of course) is unacceptable, so the author merely follows former members of these specialized units who were absorbed into other, regular Marine regiments.

The result is that some battles are covered in considerable detail here, while others (notably Saipan and Peleliu) are ignored because the Marines who participated in these campaigns weren't "elite." This includes members of the 1st Marine Division, who were arguably the most experienced in terms of combat against Japanese soldiers. So what's here is rather skewed and somewhat disjointed, but if you accept that, then the material that's here is worthwhile.

I enjoyed this book, within its limitations, and I would recommend it and the others in O'Donnell's series, provided you accept what they are.

This book is a great book for people of all experiences in Network Marketing. The stories and the information are not only inspirational but educational.

Like John Milton Fog I am a professional network marketer and I believe that "Readers are Leaders" and that's what I'm always looking for - Leaders. In Network Marketing you have to give first -- then you receive! Sign up for the www.TwentyDollarRetirementPlan.com and I will have BORDERS send you a FREE copy of It's Time...For Network Marketing. Learn from 52 of the best Networkers in America. Buy the book or get if FREE from me. Either way - you win.

I truly believe this is a must read for anyone looking to make a difference in their lives and others. John Milton Fogg has assembled a remarkable group of people to tell the story of this industry. Anyone who reads this will find something and/or someone they can relate to. It is in the top four of my favorite books to read and one I will reread often.

This book is a gift from John Milton Fogg. It has all of the best in the business in one book. If you do not understand or learn MLM after reading this book, you had better find another career. It is fabulous. The information that I got from this book is the best upline any networker could possibly have. It is more like an encyclopedia of network marketing. Anything you want to find out is right in the book. I highly recommend it for any newby or someone that is just plain lost about how to do MLM. It is like a menu of delicious entres. Just chose what can work for you. It satisfied my appetite.

If the general public would read, or even scan the stories in this book, it would change the reputation of Network Marketing. It makes so much sense. The problem is, most people just don't know how to run a business and so they never see success in Network Marketing or any other business.

I personally know several of the authors and they really are "the real deal". I enjoyed reading their stories in addition to the Big Names in NWM world. We need more true stories of successful Network Marketers. We don't need more "Experts" who have never been successful marketers.

This book contains up to date information in relation to the ketogenic diet and other seizure control options that is also easy to read and understand by non professional people.

A great book for healthcare professionals and parents who are planning to use this diet for epilepsy treatment.

I'm interested in unusual therapies, and know someone who has a child with multiple disabilities including a seizure disorder. I found a videotape about this diet at a rummage sale a few years ago, and while it makes the diet sound relatively simple, this book says otherwise and goes into detail about people who are good candidates for the diet and those who are not. Many testimonials and case studies are presented as well.

The woman I know was given this option and said, "We don't want to starve our child." After reading this book, I can see where she was coming from. The restricted calories don't concern me as much as the fluid restriction, which could potentially be very dangerous and the book addresses this problem as well.

For the proper person, this diet could potentially be a lifesaver and it's worth trying if all factors are appropriate.

I bought this book for my daughter who has a child with epilepsy. It was very imformative and helpful. Reading the case histories and the mistakes that were inadvertently made, diet-wise, helped us lookout for the same pitfalls. I would highly recommend this book.

If you have or know a child with epilepsy, THE KETOGENIC DIET: A TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN AND OTHERS WITH EPILEPSY is a 'must' for your consideration: it offers a solution beyond medication which provides a doctor-supervised diet high in fat and low in carbs and proteins, which limits calories - and is proven to control seizures. There've been many advances in the field, so this updated 4th edition is essential even for library holdings with prior editions. Besides the latest research, this book includes a new section on the Atkins diet and other alternative nutritional therapies. Very highly recommended as a top alternative to medication for kids with epilepsy.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

After reading Let's Get Financial Savvy! I now have started to fund my work retirement account, started a balanced budget, written and working a plan for getting out of debt. This book gives you such clear step-by-step instructions for getting your financial life in order. After reading Lois' book no one should be in the dark about money and it's potential.

I have ordered and have read quite a wide variety of personal finance books and investment books over the last 6-8 months. I am pleased to say that Let's get Financial Savvy is not just a neat title. The book blends the topics of personal finance and investment in an easy to read personal style. Your real life experience makes for inspirational reading too. It covers the fundamentals of both topics very well and is not overly lengthy. Since it was written relatively recently is also very up to date. Well written.

Those new to personal finance concepts, such as young adults newly out of college, (as will many an adult in need of a financial mangement refresher) will find Let's Get Financial Savvy! by Lois Center-Shabazz to be an important and effective guide. The author persevered through a financial crisis and here imparts personal experienced based tips on how to invest, handle money, and protect against risky ventures. From online investments to mortgages, as will many an adult comes packed with charts and calculations.

Let's Get Financial SavvyDr. Lois Center-Shabazz, founder of MsFinancialSavvy.com, was born and raised in San Diego, Ca. After graduating from The University of California at San Diego, then dental school at Loma Linda University, she began her successful career as a dentist while pursuing her interest in investment and financial research. Such a life would seem comfortable and rewarding; for Dr. Center-Shabazz this was merely a prologue.


After 18 years as a dentist she made the decision to sell her practice and move to Virginia with her husband. This new freedom gave her the opportunity to fully develop her investment education program she started in her early years as a practicing dentist; she now devotes her full time to studying and teaching investments and personal finances. In her first phase of her financial education, Dr. Center-Shabazz was angered to find that the "professionals" who had been handling her money were misleading and uninformed. This revelation was the driving force for her to learn all she could and become "financial savvy." This culminated in the founding of www.MsFinancialSavvy.com, the most comprehensive and user-friendly personal finance website in use today. Dr. Center-Shabazz did not leave her quest there. With the release of her new book, Let''s Get Financial Savvy, Dr. Center-Shabazz offers a groundbreaking new way for everyone to take control of their money, and understand the complex world of finance. Drawing from her experience with debt, and the uphill battle to expunge that debt Dr. Center-Shabazz has quickly become the valedictorian in the new school of the financially independent.Since founding MsFinancialSavvy.com, Dr. Center-Shabazz has been featured on numerous talk shows and spotlighted in newspapers and magazines across the country. The content of her book is so fascinating, it has garnered her the 2002 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for Self-Help, given by The North American Book Dealers Exchange. Today, she continues to spread her message speaking to the "financial enlightened" and to help people from all walks of life to become financially savvy.

Dr. Shabazz, has mastered the art of "money!" She has focused on very important money issues but has explained retirement, ira's, cd and mutual funds in a way that a beginning investor can begin to invest and an experienced investor can take tips from her to make their portfolio larger. This was an excellent and informative book.

What a fine performance from this hitherto unknown writer of nonfiction books. I cannot believe, having read this book, that I know--however thinly--what life must be like inside prison walls, and then outside in an altogether new kind of prison. Hopkins draws brilliant sketches of a life torn by inevitable forces of evil and goodness. Thankfully, goodness prevails. Even better, Evans Hopkins has lived to tell us about it. Kudos.

Evans Hopkins grew up in Danville, Virginia during a turbulent time in history when his town, like many, were resisting desegregation at every turn. As he entered into his teen years, Evans became more and more frustrated by what he felt was a black community that easily accepted the mistreatment they were forced to live with. This eventually led to his involvement with the Black Panther Party, an organization with ideals more in line with his hands on approach to obtaining civil rights. Eventually, his involvement with the organization increases to the point that he persuades his parents to allow him to move to North Carolina to live among the comrades at the nearest Panther chapter.

After working with the North Carolina chapter for a while, Evans had the opportunity to go to California and work at the headquarters of the organization. Deeply idealistic, he was quickly disheartened by the inconsistencies between what the party preached and what they practiced. Ultimately, he fled California, fearing for his life -- but this is just the beginning of a downward spiral. When he returns home, he must obtain employment not only to support himself, but also his newborn son and his then estranged girlfriend. He begins working for his father's landscaping business, but is frustrated by the meager wages and backbreaking work. Soon the lure of fast money wins over, and he finds himself facing a life sentence. The next phase of the book focuses on the difficulties of prison life and all of the life changes he encounters during his incarceration. Evans examines his choices and mistakes, and rediscovers his love for writing. Finally, he talks about his new beginning -- his life AFTER life. In this portion of the book, he shares about his period of readjustment to life outside of prison, changes among his family members, and his blossoming writing career.

LIFE AFTER LIFE is more than a memoir, it is a character study. What is more impressive is that Evans Hopkins is able to look back on his life and reflect with honesty and openess. He not only shares about his life, but he also puts the lives of many of the people he encountered in his journey into a meaningful social context. Written in an conversational style, LIFE AFTER LIFE is an easy read that touches on any number of important topics.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

"Life After Life" is a true and enlightening description of a young man's rage and finally his redemption. Evans Hopkins' well-written autobiography vividly describes his good and bad personal experiences. Many of them stemmed from his personal attitudes towards people he was in contact with. Fortunately, with support from his family and other positive people, he was able to a new look on life. These changes encourage Evans to have and practice more positive thinking and actions. His writing is an inspiration for lost people. It should encourage those who are failing to strive, to seek life's positive path.

This book is essential for anyone who agrees with the idea that the leaders of the Civil Rights movement didn't do all the work. Evans Hopkins writes in gripping prose about his life story, and is among the first to shed light on the Panthers from a first hand comrade point of view. The book not only is insightful but inspiration. It brings back to light the struggles of a time all but forgotten and is the best book in the new canon of works written by activist of the movement.
Not only is it a piece about the movement, it shows how the movement affected his life and virtually everyone's life. And it is truly a story of rage and redemption that provokes the reader to find the redeeming qualities in him/herself.
Must read doesn't say enough!!!!!

Life After Life is an exalting and dynamically written memoir that is destined for great literary achievements. This polished and brilliant author, Evans Hopkins, has revealed and characterized the epitome of growing up as a young man embroiled between manhood, family, and acceptance in a society notorious for its unjust boundaries and inequalities. His fascinating story will surely ignite your soul.

Mr. Hopkins was profoundly inspired to prove that life changes begin with self-motivation,love, and the courage to reintegrate into the environment that was eager to cast him out. With heroic pride and a strong will to empower himself, he has endured the litmus test for human consciousness.

We can all derive encouragement and insight from this extraordinary book. At best, the perspective wisdom to bear witness to positive change and influence others to recognize their own obligations toward a more harmonious humankind.

Enjoyable and wonderful. Well written, to the point...many anecdotes, but never mean...informative.

A great buy. Makes great present to anyone who is even vaguely interested in piano literature or music in general.

Undoubtedly it's a bible for pianists, as well as a must have for all classical music fans, even whom can not read staves well.

It's getting so that if Charles Rosen announced a forthcoming book on the collective memories of his summer vacations during his youth kind of thing, I would buy it! Bottom line, and obviously what I'm saying here is that I like the way he writes 'all' of his books, what he has to say and how he says it! A style that both holds and informs if you will. So too, he's "been the road" so the contents of these books draw on the cumulative wealth of his experiences whether it's a discussion of Beethoven's sonatas, the classical era itself and its stand-outs or this present book on the world of the pianist.

Regardless of one's level of experience on the piano, this book is an excellent read from a man who knows what he is talking about. It is NOT a book zeroing in on posture or breathing or "don't bang the keys" recitations or 'lectures' but rather a nitty-gritty practical tome that touches on various areas and what life with the keys is all about. The ups and the downs and all in between.

BTW, if books like these appeal to you written by folks who have "been there, done that" albeit well 'verifiably' so as is the case with Mr. Rosen, and as they equally appeal to me when I can locate such informative tomes, and as a classical oriented player making no excuses for literally loving the classical war-horse pieces, check out "Piano Pieces" by Russell Sherman [New England Conservatory]. Another great read!

Doc Tony

As a pianist I stand in awe of Charles Rosen's phenomenal analysis and exposure of the life, status, mind, intellect and passion of one of our most celebrated pianists. If there were ever any doubt about why one plays the piano, here is the answer. This is another MUST HAVE for any honest and serious pianist, either amateur or professional.

I didn't know Charles Rosen from a hole in the ground before I picked this up; I'm just a piano enthusiast. His personality comes through in his writing as he reflects on past concerts and recordings and travels and the likes. Not a memoir, but I suppose something pretty close to it. He essentially goes on about the different facets of being a pianist and if you eat breathe and sleep piano, you're sure to enjoy this. His writing style is polished and rather dignified, without being pedantic or scholarly. Heck I wanna go out and buy all this guy's books and records now. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because it took me some getting used to at the first chapter, but once I adjusted to the fact that he's world class material and I'm just a schmuck doing scales, it was all smooth sailing from there.

As one reviewer notes, Robert Williams name is not noted in other books about this era. This is a great loss to history. Also reading "Blood Done Sign My Name" will give readers a more complete picture of life for Blacks in the South in the 60's & early 70's.
However, as Timothy Tyson told me in February, "desegregation is not complete". "Blood Done Sign My Name", is in production as a major movie at this time. It is being filmed entirely in North Carolina.

A compelling look at a fascinating figure of the modern American civil rights movement whose story continues to be relevant. Particularly interesting is the nuanced and thoughtful treatment of the complex dialogue and tension between "nonviolence" and "self-defense" in the history of the Black freedom struggle in the US.

The period of Williams's life following his exile is only very tersely outlined (as the author himself admits), giving the book a bit of an abrupt end. More analysis of Williams's decision to renounce public life, of his scepticism about the later direction of the "Black Power" movement that had claimed him as one of its icons, and of his decision to seek an "understanding" with the US gov't enabling his return from exile, would probably make for most interesting reading.

Mainstream history seemingly gets real nervous about who is carrying a loaded weapon and who one associates with. Combine the two and it will take an outstanding historian like Timothy B. Tyson to bring to life the tireless work and controversies surrounding civil-rights activist Robert F. Williams.

Williams brought the element of armed self-defense in seeking equal rights, especially in his hometown of Monroe, N.C. Though Williams, a military veteran, stressed that the specter of self-defense was necessary - and proven successful in confronting the KKK and other racists - his stance drew the ire of the NAACP's national office, the FBI and other government agencies & those in the civil rights movement who stressed non-violent actions no matter what the situation.

The book is more than a biography on Williams. It shows how his demands for equal rights meant something different to various individuals and groups, though Williams would not politically "fall in line" with any movement. It was the perceived idealism that drew many to Williams, but it was such a coalition - including Malcolm X and the Socialist Workers Party - that made him particularly dangerous in the eyes of federal officials.

While in exile from the U.S. after being erroneously charged for violating several federal laws, Williams was in Cuba after the revolution, North Viet Nam during the war, China as the Cultural Revolution caught fire and travelled to Africa. His independent thinking got him in trouble in Cuba; a radio show he conducted to the U.S., Radio Free Dixie, along with public comments he made, found Williams facing the wrath of Cuban government officials and ultimately led him to China.

The book also shows how his wife, Mabel and women in Monroe & in other cities not only demanded civil rights, but were willing to defend themselves and their families from violent attacks through the barrel of a gun. Mabel Williams was also an important person in the writing, editing and publishing of a newsletter that gained national and international attention.

Williams was an important catalyst for Huey Newton and the Deacons for Defense in their quests to skillfully confront the haters on the streets. In yet again another example on why we must continue to look past the history as it is written in textbooks, Robert F. Williams showed what can be accomplished when the intimidators become the intimidated while trying to perpetuate the myth of white supremacy.

The civil rights movement was not created by, lead by, or moved forward by the dozen or so media heros whose names we all now know. The civil rights movement succeed because so many ordinary people decided that they could no longer stand to live in the midst of injustice, and decided to step out of their daily lives and do something about it.

Robert Williams did just that. An ordinary working class guy, he used his people skills to form a network of working class black people who did not have the patience of the old line leaders of the local NAACP chapter in his hometown. He got himself elected president of the chapter, and backed by dozens of local people, formed one of the most activist chapters in the country. The national NAACP never was comfortable with Williams or the work of his chapter, and at best held them at arms length.

Inevitably, Williams' hard pressure on local structures of racism lead to a backlash. When he was attacked and his family threatened with death, the local police did nothing. When he and his community defended themselves, by taking up arms to combat the armed violence of the white racists, he was charged with murder, and became the subject of a massive FBI hunt. Escaping to Cuba, he operated a radio station, beaming the "truth" along with progressive jazz and blues which would never be played on corporate radio in the south, to Dixie.

Ultimately, Williams' stance of self-defense was taken up by Stokley Carmichael in the South, and by the Black Panther Party in Oakland, and is now well known as the "Black Power" movement. But at the time, it was simply a slightly more hardline version of the NAACP. Local chapters of the NAACP, building on long traditions of mutual support in black communities throughout the south, supported by thousands of ordinary people, formed the backbone of the civil rights movement. Anyone who thinks otherwise should read the statements by Bob Moses and the other SNCC organizers, who readily admitted that they could never have accomplished anything at all if not for the decades of groundwork done by the local NAACP chapters throughout the south.

Great book, which everyone interested in the history of the Civil Rights movement, or just interested in the way social changes really happen, should read.

Ultimately, the notion of white supremacy and the so-called glory of the Lost Cause always devolved to the use of violence and intimidation against black people and any one who sided with them. Williams' is an amazing story of courage and determination as he challenged the KKK and assorted white rabble of rural North Carolina in the 1940s through the 1960s in his quest for racial justice.

Williams, a soldier during WW2, came back to Monroe, NC after the war and took on the clowns and goons of the KKK and the local and state white government. When they fired on his home, he shot back, upsetting the applecart of segregation.

Tyson's book is a powerful portrayal of a man quite willing to die for his rights, a man fed up with the violence degradation inflicted on him by southern society, and a man willing to kill to protect his property, his person and his family.

Tyson's realistic and entertaining portrayal of the stupid and inane actions of white southern racists in North Carolina is another reason to read this book. The local thuggery is almost comical, until one remembers they are well armed and prone to alcholism and violence. Tyson goes into great detail about a 1958 case where two black boys, 10 and 8 were BEATEN and IMPRISONED for kissing a white girl.

Williams and his wife are not well known heroes of the Civil Rights struggle. This book gave me a greater appreciation of the vicious hatred, violence, and stupidity they were fighting, and how disciplined and determined the Civil Rights struggle had to be in the face of overwhelming white resistance.

Howard and Ali were pals...you can feel their love for each other in this book. We miss both of these players...

Where else but in American sports can an old, white, Jewish veteran befriend a young Black Muslim draft dodger? They may not have been friends who loved each other, but it was convenient for both of them. If you can't take advantage of a friend, then he's not. They had things in common. Both were driven. Both had over inflated egos. They were the greatest. If you don't believe it just ask them. Well, Howard Cosell is dead & Ali doesn't talk any more. Their early life & struggles are covered well so that you understand where they came from. Cosell was a World War II vet. He earned a law degree then decided he wanted to do sports on television. He was brash, obnoxious & smart. His relationship with Ali & Monday Night Football made him a nationally recognized sports journalist. Ali, originally Cassuius Clay had a fairly normal upbringing. Then he won Golden Gloves Championship & Olympic gold metal in 1960, that propelled him into his pro career. Before he was finished he had became & is the most recognizable man on earth. He was the world Heavyweight Champion, that most singular of all championships, three times.
Ali was despised for his faith, his refusal to serve in the military & of course his race. Eventually, he overcame all these obstacles. The U.S. government pursued him, denying his draft deferment status. As a result he was also denied the right to box for several of what would have been his most productive years. He lost millions of $$$ & was stripped of his championship. Eventually, he was aquitted. Cosell covered him all along his journey. The author, Dave Kindred spends quite a bit of time on Ali's three fights with Joe Fraizer & rightly so. Ali's life has become an inspiration to kids on all continents but especially the impoverished millions in Africa. He was persecuted by his own government & cheated by the leaders of the Black Muslim faith that managed him. He apparently is now a quiet soul bearing no malice to anyone. Cosell on the other hand became embittered after his MNF gig. He wanted to be taken seriously as more than a sports announcer. When he wasn't he didn't take it well. Poor health eventually claimed him. A good sports book for all us fans of a certain age that remember Cosell & Ali in their prime.

David Kindred has written what amounts to a duel biography of the controversial odd couple that is Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell. The author tells us that Ali elected to not join the military because the Muslim Nation told him not to. To cross them was to literary toy with his life. The assassination of Malcolm X being used as an example. While not necessarily agreeing with Ali's decision Cosell supported Ali stating that taking his heavyweight championship away from him without any semblance of due process was completely wrong. There appears to be evidence that Cosell may have already been experiencing dementia when he came out with his second book entitled I Never Played the Game. Aware of the criticism in his book of his cronies in the TV booth for Monday Night Football Cosell was asked before publication whether he wanted to include these strong opinions. Since he always prided himself on telling it "like it is" he felt it would be hypocrisy of him not to do so now. Cosell was a devoted family man while Ali ventured into nocturnal delights. It was hard for sports fans to be neutral in regard to either of these men, but boxing was the ingredient that brought these two men together first in mutural respect and then in friendship. Incidentally, page 247 has a hilarious anecdote of Howard using his colorful vocabulary in breaking up fisticuffs involving teens in Kansas City. Whether you are a fan of either man or the part they played in sports you will find this to be an extremely enjoyable book to read.

Dave Kindred has done lovers of sports and history a favor with Sound and Fury.

Using two cultural giants - Mohammad Ali and Howard Cosell - he has produced a fresh and readable social history of the latter half of the Twentieth Century. Let me be clear. I love Ali. Kindred refers to him as the most influential sports figure of the last century. In my mind, he understates the case; Ali is the most influential person of the last century.

Cosell, on the other hand, may have hesitated to tell you he was. He was not. Trained as a lawyer and gifted with the ability to articulate complexity, he brought a thinking man's view to radio and television sports journalism.

Individually, they were interesting. Together, they were hypnotizing. They produced controversy, drama and comedy almost every time they appeared together.

Dave Kindred tells the story of this alliance from a unique perspective. As a newspaper and magazine sports columnist with nearly 40 years experience, he covered Ali's early fight days as a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal before moving on to the The Atlanta Journal- Courier and The Washington Post. He draws upon his experiences to re-create the Ali-Cosell story in ways I have never seen attempted.

The result is a fascinating portrait of two outsized figures - their heroics and their demons. Drawing on personal observations, fresh reporting and interviews, Kindred writes a page-turning treatment of two lives that together changed sports, television and I would argue, the world, forever.

Sound and Fury (14 hours, 11 cds, unabridged, Blackstone Audio) is a duel biography of Howard Cosell and Mohammed Ali.

Sport writer Dave Kindred knew both men, he has written a bio that transcends his knowledge of both men. His text is an honest, no hold barred , warts and all biography. When a third person (like Kindred) writes a biography, he tends to put his personal touches with his own bias, this book is NOT that.The book showed an unlikely partnership created by media hype.

In the audio narrative hands of Dick Hill, this audio project seems more like a docudrama in its scope. Hill's narrative voice takes on verbal personas of Cosell and Ali, without mocking them. His talent has grown from the days at Brilliance Audio.

Sound and Fury is an amazing production . . . you won't forget it audio, long after you heard it

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD