Michigan Books

Louis Jordan, the super-lunatic madman supreme of jazz comedy and sultan of storytelling and the saxophone, has had somewhat of a cult following for many years among jazz and r&b fans of his era and historians of the music (and people like myself, whose father passed down his love of Jordan's records to me). Unfortuantely, while his contemporaries such as Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Cab Calloway were deservedly honored as elder statesmen of the music at the time of their deaths, Jordan was forgotten by all but a few when he died in 1975 and a revivial of his music among the masses was about 15 years in the future.

John Chilton also helps to rectify this tragic wrong in his biography of the great jazz comedian. He does an excellent job in combiining research with interviews with Jordan's then-living family and contemporaries, old interviews with LJ, and films and recordings of the jive-master. He gives our man his long-forgotten due not only as a fine musician, but as a treasurer who preserved a lot of genuine African-American humor and folklore in his recording. His early influences, such as his father's love for Bert Williams' recordings of comical story-songs and Jordan's own relationship with the legendary Satchmo, explain the roots of Jordan's unique style of comical jazz storytelling.

Chilton also gives our man his due in managing to preserve a lot of genuine African-American folklore and comedy in his story-songs and closes with a timey quote from Martin Luther King on the need to preserve such things.

The only weakness is a not-too thorough discography (although a lot of Jordan Cds and DVD's have been relelased since the initial publication of this book).A familiarity with Jordan's music and films would help the reader, and if you like Louis Jordan, you'll love this book.

This book helps bridge the gap between the pre-war big band era and the modern juump blues bands and eventually rock and roll. It is a very readable book, whether or not you are familiar withn Jordan's life and music. Because Louis Jordan was such a big influence on Chuck Berry, I found it particularly interesting in developing the context from which rock and roll arose. To fully appreciate this book, have recorded versions of Jordan's music available for reference.

For many years, while Bill Haley, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, and even bluesman Muddy Waters were all celebrated as having contributed to the birth of rock and roll, the contributions of jump blues/swing/jive man Louis Jordan were almost always overlooked, if not forgotten. It was left to his contemporaries such as James Brown, Ray Charles, and BB King (King recently released a tribute album of all-Jordan material), not to mention such former duet partners as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Bing Crosby, to sing the praises of this very talented but always underappreciated legend. John Chilton seeks to right the wrong with this biographical treatment, and for the most part, does an admirable job. Louis' rural beginnings in oil-boom Arkansas are chronicled, as are his tenure with the Chick Webb band (where he was "cut" in a musical contest by the immortal Lester Young), his many hits, his many marriages, his relentless drive for perfection, his decline in popularity at the hands of rock and roll, the music he helped inspire, and his final vindication (as with many black musicians) in front of appreciative British audiences. Overall, Chilton does a thorough job, but one senses that he is rushing to get through the material; he rarely spends any time on any one subject. Example: Jordan's most famous songs, such as Choo, Choo, Ch'Boogie and Saturday Night Fish Fry, are given no more time and attention than such lesser gems as Honey In The Bee Ball or Sax-A-Woogie. Another example: He mentions the affair between Jordan and Fitzgerald, but leaves it at that; no discussion on how this affair affected his marriages or how the former bandmates relationship changed over time. At 245 pages, the text is a good read, but surely, Chilton could have spent another 100 or so pages reflecting at length on these and other topics. Part of the problem seems to be that Chilton, as a jazz critic, shares the jazzman's disdain for Jordan's overly commercial material and approach. Still, there is a lot of good research here, and a biography of Jordan was sorely needed. Chilton, for the most part, has done a very fine job, however the definitive biography of Louis Jordan will take several years, and should be undertaken by someone who would better put him in context as a founding figure of rock, as well as a leading light in swing and jump blues.

Louis Jordan's consumate professionalism, and the clean life he lead wouldn't make him seem to be the ideal topic of an autobiography (on the surface)... Nevertheless, between his wit, his horn and his passionate desire not to be upstaged by ANYONE he managed to revolutionize modern music by smashing Jazz, the blues, and a bit of down home entertainment together, paving the way for what would eventually become the music known as rock and roll and R & B.

Written in a well researched anecdotal matter, this book documents the man who was one of the biggest selling artists of his time. His movie shorts managed to inspire an entire generation of artists who would later take his formula and create rock and roll. In his own biography James Brown (The Godfather of Soul) rants and raves about Louis, mentioned the influence that Caldonia in particular had on his life, especially the way he'd go up and shout real high, just like Little Richard (only long before Little Richard.)

In this book you will meet many legendary entertainers (now virtually forgotten) and find out what it was like to be an entertainer of color in some very difficult, yet changing and turbulent times... and in particular the riff between him and many of the younger musicians who's music he absorbed but often accused him of being an "uncle Tom" for his whimsical style of performing.- - You'll find out about life on the road, the difficulty of holding together bands, and touring the chitlin' circuit in the days of segregation... and suddenly those silly songs like "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" and "Iz You Iz" will take on a whole new meaning.

The book contains a nice discography, about a dozen pages of pictures... including one with Dottie Smith, a member of his group who's still singing and performing here in Philadelphia, Sunday Nights at Barber's Hall and that I've sat in with on occasion. - - John Chilton is a superior Jazz historian who's as good as collecting the facts, as telling the stories they represent ! ! !

This is truly a cross over book. You don't have to be gay to understand or love it. It;s about aging, mortality, love, and most of all about the life choices we make. It's beautifully written. I was caught up from the first page and couldn't put it down.

This is truly a must read. I read a lot of books but this one grabbed me. Though it's a great read for everyone - it's particularlary moving for women who've made tough choices...oh heck..just READ IT!!

Coming of age in the sixties - the sexual revolution, high times, demonstrations for and against almost everything - it was a life-changing, mind-altering experience for everyone alive in those times. For a young woman from the north of England who discovered very slowly just how revolutionary her own sexualty would prove to be, it not only changed her life but challenged her relationships with friends and family. Claire Robson shares the sometimes painful reality of her experience with poignancy, unvarnished truth, and wry humor - much humor. I found myself laughing out loud, sometimes on the verge of tears.

Her first sexual encounter with a woman, surely didn't mean she was one of THEM. She couldn't be a lesbian. She was simply experiencing life fully. Although she lets her readers see all the signposts along the way, it is not until she's on holiday in Norway with her husband that she finally realizes that she really is a lesbian after all. She returns to England, outfits herself in leather and rides her motorcycle to London where she expends as much energy becoming Superdyke as she ever had denying her orientation before.

"Love in Good Time" is well written. When it is funny it is knee-slapping, wet-your-pants hilarious. When it is not funny, it is searingly poignant, to the point of tears.

I highly recommend this memoir to nearly all readers. The picture of London in the sixties nicely balances our American sense of that period. For students of gay history, this is a necessary addition to the library. And above all, it is a well crafted coming out story.

I absolutely adored reading this book, and am giving it to all my friends. It's a rare find when I discover a book that makes me laugh out loud in moments... and find myself weeping in others. Claire Robson has a magical gift with language - her rich writing brings the smallest of moments alive. It's quirky, and poignant, and hilariously funny at times... at the heart, it's a deeply touch story of the writer's emergence. This isn't just a story for women... but for anyone who loves a good read about being human in this often crazy world.

This book is still remarkably very actual. It is a follow-up on Susan Strange's previous book `Casino Capitalism', which analyzed the financial situation in the 1970s and 1980s.

no international legislation
Susan Strange remarks astutely that there is still no international legislation to fight (and certainly not to solve) an eventual global financial crisis. More, she makes of the international bureaucracies (IMF, BIS, BIRD, OECD) cynically (not as profoundly as J. Stiglitz) a laughing stock.
Prophetically, she observes an explosion of the derivatives market, because banks have to take more and more risks to stay profitable.
For sure, the world needs sound international authorities. The nation States cannot `manage mad international money, yet its leaders are instinctively reluctant to entrust that job to unelected, unaccountable (and often arrogant and myopic) bureaucrats.'
Ultimately, the choice between Keynesianism and monetarism is a political one: `more equity and stability or maximization of wealth creation, quantity or quality of economic growth.'

Aid, drugs, tax havens
Aid for developing countries has minimal or no effect. As an example she cites Bangladesh: `after years of generous foreign grants the economic situation was worse than before. The political and social consequences had been highly corrupting.'
She pleaded for the legalization of drugs, but didn't understand that secret services use drugs money to finance illegal activities (Peter Dale Scott, Gary Webb).
Tax havens are not attacked, notwithstanding the fact that their only goal is `to minimize liability for corporate taxation and their use by heads of State to rob their own people.'

Crime pays
`Robber barons, pirates, thieves and confidence tricksters all ended up wanting to become pillars of society. They married their sons and daughters in the aristocracy. Three generations on and no one knew or cared about how they had got there.'

Susan Strange's book should have been a must read for all economists all over the world.
It is still essential literature for all those wanting to understand the world we live in.

I would like to know if that book is going to be translate in french. Thank you.

Please me know if this book will be tranlsated into Korean, in a few year

The global economy, especially those aspects dealing with global finance, often appear to be intimidating in their complexity. Susan Strange decodes processes of finance and monetary policy and puts them in terms that just about anyone can understand. There is, in fact, nothing that complex about these processes at all. The metaphor of "casino capitalism" still holds...and they are playing with your money. One would do well to read this in combination with a book by George Soros. Comprehensive, but readable. A great book.

For those of you who love both the beauty of quilts and the process, here is a wonderful book. There are pictures of Mary Schafer's quilts and a great descriptive narrative of how she designed and executed her own designs as well as reproductions of old quilts. I love the fact that she made all her quilts by hand as they were done by our ancestors. There are even a few patterns of her quilts in the back of the book. For me, this is a "must have" for my quilting library.
Helen Cooke Eggleston

Mary Schafer is inspirational. Loved every minute of this book. Loved her attitude towards quilts and quilt blocks and her beautiful quilting patterns. Could have read on and on. Excellent book for those who love reading about prolific quilters, how and why they create so much and the love they bring to their works.

Of all the books on quilting that I have collected over the past ten years - this book is my favorite. It not only incorporates the history of quilting during the mid twentieth centure, (when it was languishing - and before the recent popularity starting with the bicentennial). But, it takes you back with Mary and her friends as they studied the quilts made during the beginnings of this country, and during colonial times. Often hunting through old attics and / or taking photos of quilts made by some of our most famous historical women as well as examples of rare and unusual patterns by those not so famous.

It's filled with sweet stories of when Gwen and Mary were getting to know each other - getting together to "talk about quilts." Also, included are dozens of colored photographs of Mary's quilts with templates for her favorites in the back of the book, a catalog of all of Mary's quilts - which number in the hundred(s), Mary's personal biography, and an account of her own personal method of quilting - - - EVERYTHING BY HAND. Examples of complicated, and also not so complicated patterns. In a word, something for everyone.

You will finish this book wishing that you knew Mary personally, and feeling like you already do. It is a story of a very humble, generous woman who has devoted most of her adult life to the pure joy of quilting and sharing that joy with others.

I've read it over and over again, and it never fails to inspire and motivate as well as feeling blessed that I own such a treasure. Mary's love of quilting is contageous - Gwen's writing is, as always - one of the quilting world's best . . . And-this is definitely a book that every quilter should have in their library.

I have the hardcover version and it is beautiful, both story and photos. The text is wonderfully written. It is a great tribute to a lady that deserves a special place in American quilt history.
Highly recommend

This is a great collection of articles covering all aspects of business strategy. Prior knowledge about the subject matter, though is not necessary, will help you appreciate the material more. I strongly recommend this book to those people interested in building a thorough understanding of strategy.

'Mastering Strategy' consists of essays with consistently excellent quality, & covers a broad spectrum of strategy topics. It offers readers with perspectives on various dimensions of strategy, including: social impact, historical development, academic interest, operational issues etc. All essays are concise & good selection of further readings are included at the end of each essay, in order to guide readers for further investigation.

Editors at Financial Times (FT) co-authored this volume, with Tim Dickson serving as executive editor . It offers "The Complete MBA Companion in Strategy," the result of FT's strategic alliance with the University of Chicago Business School, INSEAD, the University of Michigan Business School, and the Said Business School at Oxford University. This is the seventh volume in what is identified as "The Financial Times Mastering" series. It contains articles that first appeared in FT in late-1999.

The material is carefully organized within 16 chapters. In the first, there are two essays: "Strategy and the delusion of Grand Designs" authored by John Kay, Director of london Economics; the second -- "Strategy, blind men and the elephant" was co-authored by Henry Mintzberg of McGill University and INSEAD, Bruce Ahlstrand of Trent University (Ontario), and Joseph Lampel of the University of Nottingham Business School.

As for the final chapter, "Fresh Challenges for the Future," it was written by Dan Schendel, founding and current editor the Strategic Management Journal. The reader is advised that "This final module sums up the main themes of the book, addresses some of the current controversies, and offers pointers on how the field may develop in coming years. The core message is that those who fail to keep up with the best in strategic management risk losing their businesses and losing their jobs. The cases of failure cited throughout the book underline the point." My own crystal ball imploded long ago so I now cut Schendel considerable slack, given the fact that his comments on "fresh challenges" were composed five years ago. In fact, I think his analysis holds up remarkably well.

Although exceptionally well-written and skillfully-edited, this volume is by no means an "easy read." My own opinion is that it will be of greatest interest and benefit to the more capable students enrolled in graduate schools of business, and, to senior-level executives. Of course, the immediate value of each chapter will be largely determined by the immediate needs and interests of each reader. I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the superb graphics provided by Graham Parish. I also want to commend, again, Tim Dickson and his associates -- notably Ken Pottinger, James Pickford, Laura Scanga, and various school "co-ordinators" -- for pulling together so much excellent material, then getting it all properly presented. Bravo!

The book presents an excellent companion of the top issues involving strategy today. The book is structured according to global themes, like strategy and economics, strategy and leadership, and so on. Each chapter has 4 or 5 articles related, written by authors from important business schools. Issues like game theory and commitments are deeply reviewed, but in a simple way, easy to understand, thus allowing anyone with no MBA to understand it. The book offers an easy way to update your strategy knowledge, if your are interested in business strategy.

I read Mayhem on Mackinaw Island. I gave it four stars because it is a good book.I liked the book because it is very exciting. A part that I liked was when Sandy and Tim got stuck in a very scary version on Mackinaw Island.There is unusual monsters out to get them. Tim and Sandy need to get out of this island. Will they?

I'm writing this review about Johnathan Rand's Michigan Chiller Mayhem On Mackinac Island. This book is for readers who like scary adventurious books. I say you should buy this book because it is funny and scary. In this book Sandy and Tim get ate by a tree and get trapped in a strange world. They are told that they have to find something called the Stone Key. So to find out what happens and if Sandy and Tim make it back home,read this book.

Mayhem on Mackinaw Island was a thrilling story for our young reader, age seven. We have traveled to the Island, enjoyed the beautiful scenery, toured the sights and eaten delicious Mackinaw Island Fudge, but, we have never been swallowed by a tree. I can't tell you how disappointed our son was that he hadn't read this book before our visit so that he could have looked for the tree that swallowed Sandy and Tim! That should give you a good indication, that this book was a hit with our son!

Jonathan Rand is writing a series of kids books called Michigan Chillers. They all take place in Michigan towns. The kids here love them. The chapters are short - easy to read aloud to younger kids. My 8 year old is reading them herself and I'm reading them to my 6 year old. They both love them. They aren't really scary, which is good but they are very suspenseful - real cliff-hangers. Highly recommend!

This book covers most of the well known trout streams in Michigan. What makes this book really good, is that it tells one everything they need to know to be successful fishing the given water: map location, access points, flies to use, and a great description of the stream. Not only is this book a great asset to the newcomer, but old pros will learn a thing or two about their homewater.

This book is an excellent compilation of information about Michigan's best rivers and streams. It is a wonderful book whether you are a beginning angler or an expert. The authors went to all of these rivers and fished and talked to locals and even checked out some other events in the area of each river. Highly recomended!

I spent two full years trying to learn MI trout waters. Put 22,000 miles the first year on my new 4x4 (in 1989). I just wish this book had been out then. Would have saved me months of time, hundreds of dollars, and I would have had a LOT more fun and caught LOTS more fish. There are more secrets in this book than in all the others in the series combined. Sure would love to spend just one day on/in the water with these guys.

This book is nearly all home runs. The descriptions are accurate and helpful. It's especially useful if you're tired of fishing the same "great" rivers (Ausable, PM, Manistee, etc) and getting skunked in a crowded, overfished venue. They'll show you dozens of locations most people have never considered that produce some very productive fishing. I've used this guide for the past two years and have never been disappointed. Hint: Look for the phrase "One of our favorite . . ." The authors really went to these places and really fished these streams so it's not like most of the guide books that are just warmed-over comments from 10-20 years ago.

I'm thrilled with this touring book. Not only does it give you routes and mileage, it give you a ton of information you'll need along the route. Fabulous for anyone who wants to ride the roads in this wonderful state. Includes the famous route around Lake Superior that goes through Minnesota, Ontario, the UP of Michigan and Wisconsin. We're doing a week long ride through from Mackinaw up to the Keewanaw Peninsula's Copper Harbor in 2 weeks. I'm so happy I decided to make this purchase before we went. It's got all the country road routes we're interested in riding. I see they have other "Motorcycling Across.( state name)......" books at Amazon, and If we ever travel in those states, I'll be buying them for sure. You wont be disappointed in this tour/guide/map book

I just received this for Christmas and think it's great. Nice maps and route descriptions, but much more than that also. You get a bit of history along with the route descriptions, and also recommendations for good (i.e. not McD's) restaurants and interesting places, events, and activities along the way.

Great directions and descriptions of places in Michigan I'd never heard of before.

This book is a must for any motorcyclist in Michigan. William Murphy details different runs throughout Michigan down to hotels, where to eat, local history, even gives you mile markers for each city. If you are tired of the same local runs, this book highlights the best and scenic roads our state has. Also, In the back he highlights emergency numbers, hotels, bike shops, and many clubs. Thanks William!!!

I am happy to recommend this book to anyone who wishes to gain insight into the daily, lifelong challenges faced by individuals with physical disabilities. It is a book which educates without slapping those of us without obvious disabilities in the face using the "you can't possibly understand how it is for me" method of "enlightenment." Instead it allows the reader to peer through a window into Ms. Linton's life, to develop an understanding of the many barriers and related challenges she and others with similar disabilities face related to what most people take for granted: traveling freely throughout one's environment, gaining an education, dancing, making love, making a life. The book educates by engaging the reader in the journey Ms. Linton has taken from her early days as an activist for peace to her later days as an advocate for equality.

This is a beautiful book that I couldn't put down once I started reading. Linton's account of her entry into the world of the disabled and her gradual movement toward activism answers questions I've always been afraid to ask. Besides being funny, angry, compassionate, frank, and always interesting--she's a wonderful storyteller. The book reads like a great novel. It's as powerful as James McBride's memoir, The Color of Water, and should become a classic. Read it and you'll see why.

I would advise the person and the family of the person with a spinal cord injury (SCI) to learn. When you become able to read, that is. I found that I could not read anything at first. Partly because of denial and partly because I was suddenly pluncked down in an alien world, much like the world I had always lived in, just considerably taller. The simplest things I had done before my SCI became incredibly difficult, if they were possible at all. My mind, body and emotions were in such shock that I could not read anything. The information which was given to me became impossible to understand. I didn't ever think that I would just get up and walk, although my dreams were (and still are) full of running, climbing and even flying. I was dealing with pain that cannot be discribed and I got remarkably little help with it. Until my constant pain was somewhat under control, I didn't plan, for the future or even for the next moment.

The idea of having some kind of normal life was not even a consideration for me. Just breathing and existing; in an odd sort of way a kind of Zen "being in the moment," was all I could achieve. And it was NOT a form of enlightenment; on the contrary, it was an "indarkenment."

So I might not recommend this book for the newly injured. It is possible that it would not make sense, even if the newly injured person were able to read. For someone who is past that first shock and confusion, though, this could be very helpful. It is clear in pointing out that there are as many different people with a SCI as there are people without one. Very clear and helpful in pointing out the main directions which are still available for people with a SCI. Get this book for someone you love, but don't push it. Just make sure it is available and, when the person is really ready, it will be there for them.

I innocently picked up this book from the table at a relative's house, read the first page and could not put it down. The story of Simi Linton's internal and external struggles and revelations in a new world are presented in an effective understated tone that treats the reader as a partner in the adventure. Along the way we get to examine our own attitudes about disability. The book is so well written and real that I feel that I have been taken for that 'ride' the little girl asked about (you have to read the book).

I did not grow up in Detroit, and unfortunately I have never visited Detroit. I lived most of my life in Greece, apart from the time that I went to college in NJ, and had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my Greek-American relatives. Thus, I became very interested in the subject of Greek migration to the USA.
Mr. Georgakas has written a very interesting book, showing how Greeks have both "resisted" and incorporated American culture, and how they have struggled to keep their national identity afloat.
He also describes how a young man like him, can overcome the fanaticism of identity, and open his eyes to the American reality of the 50s and 60s.

Again, it is a very interesting book, and through its pages the reader can understand quite a few things about Greek Americans, and understand their struggle and incorporation in society.

I TOO GREW UP IN DETROIT, ONLY A MILE OR SO FROM WHERE THE AUTHOR GREW UP AND I WENT TO THE SAME JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS. ONE BIG DIFFERENCE: I GREW UP WASP NOT GREEK, SO MY MEMORIES OF DETROIT IN THE 50'S ARE SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT THAN THE AUTHORS. FROM THIS BOOK I LEARNED ABOUT ANOTHER SIDE OF EAST SIDE DETROIT. THE BOOK IS INSIGHTFUL AND ADDED GREATLY TO MY KNOWLEDGE OF GREEK CULTURE AND THE MAKEUP OF DETROIT IN THE 50'S.

As a young teen, I remember going to Detroit's Greektown to walk up and down Monroe Avenue and the side streets, too. Mr. Georgakas has written an intimate and finely drawn picture of what life was like as a first generation American. He points out the social formalities, levels of politeness, and the fine sense of moral behavior expected of those first generations. Georgakas has also contributed many articles to the Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora which comment on the historical and sociological aspects of a very interesting ethnic subculture. No, it was not like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" because the real subculture had strong fathers and mothers who vigilantly protected the virtues of all their children. Greek Americans were told to achieve and esteem education. Those early fathers were proud to have their offspring, male and female,obtain a college education. So much of Georgakas book brought many past sentiments to mind and added to the pleasure of reading. I would recommend this to those who wish to revisit the earliest era of Greeks arriving and living in America.

My Detroit is a fascinating, entertaining and informative book. The author, Dan Georgakas, describes life in Detroit during the first 26 years of his life as he grew to adulthood in mid 20th century America. As a result, he provides a slice of Detroit history told from a young person's unique point of view. In the first part of the book, he describes growing up in vibrant and ethnically mixed east Detroit, focusing on school years and his youthful social life. The latter pages cover Georgakas's college days and early work experiences as a high school teacher. The reader comes to see that, in his early years, the author was somewhat of a contrarian to the prevailing norm. He reveals, "As I proceeded through college, I found myself drawn to individuals and organizations highly critical of many American norms. Even in literary matters I was usually attracted to writers who were out of favor." This was a period when student unrest was prevalent in many U.S. colleges.

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Detroit was the powerhouse of the automobile industry. The city was thriving economically, artistically and industrially. The State of Michigan was also in a dynamic growth period: its universities were expanding; super highways were under construction; and businesses were growing rapidly. Incredibly, within a few years Detroit fell into an economic dive and lost about half of its population. By 1950 the automobile industry was led, not by the auto pioneers, but by hired managers. These so called "whiz kids" proceeded to set in motion the ruin not only of the automobile industry, but other private and governmental institutions as a result of their myopic, misplaced practices. My Detroit reveals the actions that led toward the tragic decline. Georgakas believes that the decline would have been avoided if the city's business, labor, education and government leaders had implemented more enlightened policies. The author, however, has not lost hope for a Detroit renaissance. He writes, "Greek mythology offers the hope that a resplendent phoenix can arise from the most uncompromising ashes. I hope fervently for a Detroit phoenix." On a recent visit to Detroit, this review writer observed hopeful signs of a renaissance.

Dan Georgakas's questioning mind makes the history he presents unique, original and interesting. Refreshingly, My Detroit is not a rehash of conventional thinking.

I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.