Ford Books

Selling the Fantasy was a refreshing break from the norm. I loved this book because it was different and educated me on a lifestyle that I know exist but normally disregarded because I thought it didn't pretain to me but realize it does to everyone in one way or another.

The characters we're believeable although i had a problem with Lisa's selfishness and what she was willing to give up to be with such an A-hole like Kenneth. Kenneth was stuck on himself and for the most part rude and condesending and let me not even start on the other so called strong women in this book. Any self respecting woman wouldn't turn her life upside down for any man especially one like Kenneth that feels it's his way or the highway. He can have his cake and eat it too but they bet not even think of stepping outside the relationship or all bets are off. Not saying the lifestyle is degrading because basically we have all been in one voluntary or involuntary rather we want to admit it or not. The flow of the book started out slow because of repeat information. The anticipated drama is what i loved most about this book and the ending was explosive. I love the way the book unfolded and educated on the lifestyle. I look forward to reading the sequel that i know has to be in the works and other future projects by this author.

I read this book in 5 hours!! I could not put it down!! Though it was a little too detailed, the story had me mesmerized and anticipating what was to become of the "threesome"!! Could there be a sequel?

I read the entire book in 4 hours, I couldn't put it down. Selling The Fantasy is an erotic book that tells the story of multiple partners. All the partners have to make incredible sacrifices to conceal their secret alternative lifestyle. It's a great read for the curious minded.

Author Stacey L. Ford penned a fiction work about relationships that involve more than one person who agrees to be together. There are no worries of cheating, and everyone loves each other and stands to gain as much from the relationship as they put into it.

Kenneth Maxwell, K Max to all his fans, was a hot new comedian who never failed to mention the polyamory lifestyle in his comedy act and his desire to have it... but it is just comedy, right? The guys loved him and the women challenged him on his comments and every now and then, one of them would be bold enough to ask him about his true desires when he opened the floor for questions at the end of his act.

Lisa Johnson loved K Max, and she could not resist asking the normal questions and eventually getting a chance to get to know Kenneth Maxwell on a personal level. Their emails and telephone conversations led to rendezvous, hot sex and discussions about a relationship that would include another woman who was a mainstay in Kenneth's life.

Having convinced Cassandra to turn her back on her family and relocate to another state to set up house, K Max was on a mission to find the other partner for his desired polyamory lifestyle. K Max's ultimate fantasy would be complete if he could just convince Lisa to join them and live out his dream of a life time. Would it work with both women? Could Lisa neglect her family and friends and even her daughter to live out this fantasy? How could K Max sell her on this way of life without chasing her away?

Selling the Fantasy was a very interesting read that had me wondering if folks really went so far as to find two women to complete their polyamory family lifestyle. One thing is for certain: there would never be a dull moment. I recommend "Selling the Fantasy" to anyone who is interested in the swinging lifestyle or is seriously considering polyamory.

Reviewed by Sharel E. Gordon-Love
APOOO BookClub

As most women over thirty would agree, a good Black man is hard to find, and Lisa Johnson has had her share of losers. A successful marketing executive, she has a young daughter to support, but she is tired of life without a soul mate. When she meets handsome, charismatic comedian, Kenneth Maxwell, he is exactly what she wants in a man. Kenneth is equally taken with Lisa and is willing to commit to being in a relationship with her - with one small twist.

Kenneth's career is red-hot and taking off. As part of his act, he often speaks about a polyamory relationship - where a man is equally committed to two women and all parties are aware and accepting. Although this is part of his act, he is trying to make this a reality. He already has Cassandra Russell sold on the idea; he just needs another beautiful, successful and smart woman to complete the triad. Is Lisa the one? Will their relationship work, or is he just seeking to fulfill a fantasy?

Stacey L. Ford's debut novel, SELLING THE FANTASY, is a strong first offering. Her prose is marvelously provocative with solid, well-developed characters. The story line's concept is unique and refreshing. Although at times, my reading experience was exasperated by repetitive information and the plot did not really begin to flow until I was halfway through the book. The ending leaves room for a sequel and it will be great to visit these characters in a future release.

Reviewed by Paula Henderson
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I knew the solos would be over my head, but I bought it anyway. No problem, because when the solos drop out, there is plenty of time to play along with some excellent blues. The solos at the beginning start me off just right. I haven't really played in years, and after getting this book and CD today, now my playing fingers have blisters, and my thumb, too (I finally found a pick, thank God). BTW, I found this under a search for Robben Ford, but he does maybe three solos on the CD, but no matter, it's all good.
This is a great tool to play your own unique style along with the backup band. You really only need knowledge of the blues scales and a facility with bending notes. Hey, if any music book and/or CD gets you up off the couch and playing that thing, then it's good!!

Robben Ford does 4 solos ranging from 1 to 2 minutes with only one, 'Deja Blue' clocking in at close to 2 minutes. He's hands down the best player represented here. He even makes a boring progression like 'Ship Captain & Crew sound good. It's just timing, phrasing and classy chops that do it for him along with alot of God given ability. You have all these solos tabbed out,(I can't vouche for the accuracy but I'm assuming they're fairly accurate) and the remaining 3 to 5 minutes of the tune to jam to. Steve Trovato does 3 solos and he's just a notch down from Robben. His Stevie Ray Vaughan pistache 'Never Ending Blues' is a stand-out. Scott Henderson has just 1 solo and it's very energetic but his playing is best represented in Tribal Tech recordings. He uses his whammy bar alot in subtle ways but to my ears he needs more interesting progressions to jam to to bring out his outrageous musical personality to best effect. Nevertheless, the best of luck trying to decipher his solo,(even with the transcription !) The rest of these solos are good but not great. If you like country, the very last song, 'Sunset Saloon' has B bender Tele phrases for you to try and emulate by Pedro Wyant. Not my cup of tea. This is a good value at 14 bucks because you get instructional material, performance notes, tabs and at least 7 expert blues solos,(4 by Robben Ford-perhaps the very best player in the genre). If you can play some,(know your blues and pentatonic scales), and have the motivation you could get pretty awesome at blues lead guitar with this book/CD package.

I have more than a dozen instructional books on blues, and this one counts as one of the best.

It shows not only the solo parts, but also the rhythm sections. Another book that does that is 'More Blues You Can Use', also a very good book, but solos on 'Ultimate Guitar Blues Play-Along' are more challenging.

So I would recommend this book to intermediate/advanced blues guitarists who want to increase their vocabulary.

It can be kinda tough to find good guitar books for the intermediate/advanced player looking to go up a notch. This is definately a good book for that. This is not for beginners. From start to finish it's all a challenge. I've definately added some new licks and technique to my bag, especially in the string bending department. The cd is invaluable and it's great to play along with. I usually start off trying to play the solos note for note but end up wandering off doing my own thing. Another good feature is that the solos stay within one key and the scales/positions used are explained before the solo. So instead of just learning a solo, you also learn how to apply the licks in your overall playing.

This is a fantastic tool to increase your knowledge of the blues. It includes full transcription, chord progression, and a nice write up about the details of each piece. I've never seen something presented in this way and was very pleasantly surprised with this. I have attacked this by spending a day on each song because there is a lot to digest aside from the normal pentatonic and blues scales that are typically associated with the blues. The best part to me was being able to hear how some great players approached the song and then being able to follow them with the backing track. Great!

Having been a member of COUM TRANSMISSIONS from 1971 to 1976 I must say that Simon Ford has done a commendable job in his overview of the work of COUM and TG.I have corresponded with the author and he recognises that there still remains more to be told.There certainly is much about performances and first hand experiences that needs to be added.Hopefully in a subsequent edition ,or in a new contribution by another author, this will be addressed. Another reviewer asked the question "what became of Foxtrot Echo and Fizzy Paet?".We are alive and well and living lateraly,as allways, in England.

though it is true that without throbbing gristle and their off-shoot, psychic tv, industrial music as we know it today would simply not exist. However, throbbing gristle was not the absolute first industrial group in the world. The first was Cabaret Voltaire, though they and Gristle started so close to each other that it probably doesn't matter. Piece of little known trivia.

Anybody interested in truly subversive music / art / anti-art needs to read this. This obsessively documented and well written tome lays out the attempts by Coum Transmissions / Throbbing Gristle to wreck civilization, and for good reason. Dadaists P-Orridge, Tutti, Sleazy and Carter meet in post industrial collapsed welfare state Britain and decide that things must be changed or at least destroyed and set about to do so. Musically influenced by the Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart, 50-Foot Hose, Nico and a number of other artistes you've never heard of, t/g created the soundtrack for industrial society's post-mortem. On the surface apolitical, t/g was severely antiauthoritarian on all levels, deconstructing the 20th century while advocating a true revolution of the cortex, where everyone would be free to think for themselves without the restraints of normality or even sanity. Simon Ford does a very good job of putting t/g in context, and reminding us blase 21st century dwellers just how provoking they were. These four people shook the art and music world, and the reverberations affect people who've never heard of them, let alone the many that have heard of but never heard them. Read this while listening to "Second Annual Report", "Special Treatment", "Rafters" and "D.O.A." Can the world be as sad as it seems? Don't worry, t/g is long gone and civilization is safe.

Can I just say that the constant linking of Throbbing Gristle to modern day "industrial" acts is totally fallacious. TG have nothing to do with these groups, the only possible link is in the use of loud aggressive electronic music (which was only a part of TG's oeuvre) - but then Faust (even Hawkwind!) were doing that schtick long before TG. True, TG did coin the phrase, "Industrial Music For Industrial People" -but with a socio-political/ cultural intent and meaning far beyond the ken of a bunch of spoilt American middle class kids trying to shock their "moms". Read the book.

Speaking of the book. Looks great and is generally very well researched and highly recommended. For me, the COUM Transmissions part was the most interesting 'cos the least documented - even so it would have been interesting to hear from other COUM participants such as Fizzy Paet and Foxtrot Echo, also to find out what these people are doing now. The TG part told few stories that I hadn't heard before but did confirm that, sometime around 1979-1980, Genesis P-Orridge seriously lost the plot: I'm afraid the comments on Hitler and Nazism from this period are ill-informed, naive and plain stupid - not worthy of a man who, I have on good authority, is actually an extremely nice person. All in all, I was left feeling rather sorry for Gen, who seems a bit too artistic and sensitive for this nasty old world of ours.

It took me all of 1999 to get hold of this book, and finally amazon.com sold me a slightly damaged copy for $32. People are waiting for a second printing and/or a US edition. The cover looks cheap, white with a cut-out and rearranged photo of TG members from the «20 Jazz Funk Greats» album cover. But that's about the only negative thing I could say about the book. This will stand as the definitive work on the subject for a LONG time. It's incredibly thorough, and with many picures and illustrations never or rarely seen before, including many photos of the pre-TG hippie version of Genesis P-Orridge. It tells the full story from GPO's birth in 1950 up to the split of TG in 1981.

While TG has been the subject of quite a lot of writing before, in two of the RE/Search books and many music mags, the performance art COUM period has had very little attention and critique. This is fully rectified here. When TG put out their first LP, you're more than halfway thru the book. Ford's unfolding chronological work is strong on both personal biographical detail and assessment of COUM/TG's place in art history.
I see TG/GPO as much stronger conceptualists than actual artists, much like their mentor William Burroughs. But as such, they have wielded an extremely strong influence on others, and sown the seeds of whole new genres of art and music. The unorthodox use of synths, «industrial» noise and cut-ups are now commonplace, while in the 70's it could cause riots when presented to an audience most used to the popular music of the time.
The COUM group's extreme use of bodily fluids and food in performance could be viewed as a continuation of the ground-breaking work of people like Hermann Nitsch and Otto Mühl. Coum did some far out stuff, but were in my opinion not as much pioneers in their field as TG was. But the scandalous 1976 «Prostitution» show at the ICA in London must have been a lot of fun. Backed by tax-payers' money, Cosey Fanni Tutti tore out nude pics of herself from men's magazines she had posed in, and presented them as art. If it's in a gallery, it must be art, right? Not quite. The exhibition created a massive moral outrage.
For record-collecting geeks, a full discography listing ALL releases (official, semi-official and bootlegs) is included in the back of the book, but in the book itself only the recordings released while TG was active are discussed. Which is a perfectly valid decision, as these are the original «manifestos» authorized by all TG members.
An indispensable book for anyone with an interest in 20th century art and music history.

This marvelous collection of 5 star short stories will grab any reader's interest. Each tale resonates with a flavor of place and era and also introduces a rich array of characters.

I recommend Ms. Ford's superb book for all discerning book lovers.

Amy Sterinbach

In these keenly observed stories, Elaine Ford depicts the travails and lives of all of us. Her prose is rich, enabling her characters to come to life, even at times of despair. I recommend these stories, as I do her novels for their originality and keen understanding of the human condition. The sense of place--whether it be the UK, Annapolis, New York, Maine, Somerville, or Greece--is remarkable.

Elaine Ford's "The American Wife" rings her signal changes on experience. Whether a first- or third- person speaker, the narrator in these stories is never noisy, nor ostentatious. In some cases, as in "The Scow," the story of a woman emptying her parents' modest cluttered house after both have died, the voice is depressed and a reader yearns to be relieved of this sad situation and the sad obligations that sooner or later claim most of us. We are as surprised as the narrator is, however, when she discovers that both of her parents may have chosen suicide as a quiet way out; a way, in fact, that will sound noisily in the narrator's consciousness for the rest of her life.

In other stories, a voice which begins by seeming somehow too attenuated, too oppressed by situation, becomes more interesting by means of the speaker's refusal, precisely, to "get better," to straighten up, to soldier on. In the stunning "Changeling"(a story that any mother who has faced life with an infant will relate to easily) the isolation of the wife of an academic in Greece seems as first, as it does to her busy, stimulated husband exaggerated. Sandy, his wife, is intelligent and utterly compromised (she does not speak Greek, she is left with no resources except her own two legs, which can and do get her out of the house, but beyond this she has nothing). Who is to say, really -- who, that is, but the reader -- if her baby has been taken from its carriage, as she avers, and another one left in its place, or whether the pressures of loneliness, solitude, and the essential misapprehension that spell the failure of a marriage have affected her mind to the extent of paranoia?

This story is rooted in earlier decades as are several in the book. We readers know that Sandy's situation -- stay home, mind baby, have no other relations at all -- is farfetched for an educated woman of today in a world of internet, instantly available translation and automatic (if superficial) "friends"; but what still holds true is that the parenting of infants is an utterly demanding enterprise and to do it in alone, with no support of spouse or friend, is at best an oddly outer-space experience in which the parent-alone floats and floats, longing for any kind of ballast.

In Elaine Ford's novels -- "The Playhouse" and "Ivory Bright" among my favorites -- she has dealt with what Frank O'Connor called submerged populations, the essential denizens, for him, of the short story. But Ford managed in her novels to broaden the landscapes of those populations and still to reveal their utter peculiarities. In the stories in "The American Wife" she has gone back to the even smaller grid: a wife-mother abroad, married to the wrong man, lives in two of the tales; in another a speaker returned home to visit a cousin dying, finds that she dislikes the sufferer just as much as she did decades earlier when, healthy, the cousin had stolen her boyfriend; the icy visit recorded in "Levitation," involves a mother and daughter who both (the young woman about 20, perhaps, the mother in her early fifties) assert their rights to feelings and resentments about a marriage gone bad, neither of them yielding even an inch.

One reads Ford for her terse prose and her singular ability to sneak up on one. In the small incidents, looks, and gestures she records are our lives. The young woman in "Levitation," for example, reaches high above her head to practice -- with utter concentration, and immediately after the very painful visit with her mother -- lifting herself off the floor by intention alone. This seems ridiculous and yet reinforces the power the daughter has asserted to make her own life. In "Reaping Tares," one of the funny stories in a collection more grave than not, another young woman, an attorney, finds a very specific way, right under her professional nose, to boot away a rival for her husband's attention.

Ford doesn't shrink from describing the smallness of lives. However we may rue that smallness in reality, it is always a distinct pleasure to recognize it in fiction. In "The American Wife" we find ourselves mirrored. We are, as it turns out, not alone.

Elaine Ford is a gifted writer. Her characters come alive; her descriptions of places and events bring smiles and sighs of recognition. Her stories are satisfying.

I hope there are more short stories in Ford's future. I liked these so much I read them twice.

Life is stranger than fiction, which is why so many authors try to create plots that are probable and characters who are recognizable. Not so Elaine Ford, whose stories are as unpredictable as New England weather and whose characters are as quirky as we all might be if we stopped worrying about what other people might think. No two of her stories are alike; no characters are cliched. In "Cousins," the narrator explains: "In her old age, Edie's mother has largely dispensed with politeness, in what Edie thinks of as a conservation-of-energy move. Or possibly, because of her mother's poor eyestight, the dismayed expressions of others no longer register. She's free to do as she pleases." That description could stand for how Ford handles characters - they are free to do as they please. Likewise with the shape of the stories. As an elderly professor counsels: "Cara Cecilia, . . . In making poems, as in living, non c'e trucco. There is no trick, no secret, no shorcut. You must find your way yourself. That is what your friend had to learn, as we all must."
If you're looking for more than just a good read, try this book.

I had the idea it would blissful to ride to work with Toby Stephens reading stories to me. I was right. These are charming and sometimes hair-raising tales told with all the variety he can bring to his voice to mesmerize and enthrall. I have heard other books on tape where the reader falters at the woman's lines or sounds too much the same to distinguish between characters. Toby can go from growl to light-as-air with the greatest of ease. These stories have far too much violence for the smallest of children but, otherwise, offer a delicious trip to fantasy land courtesy of a master storyteller.

The product came quickly. It was exactly as advetised and met expectations. Thank You.

This book is awesome! I read it 3 years ago and I borrowed it again from my aunt and I'm reading it now. If anyone knows where I can get a copy of the Reader's Digest version please post. Thanks!

I bought this for my two sons, ages 7 & 9. We put it in at the beginning of a 2.5 hour trip and it kept our entire family very entertained. The trip flew by.

This is not a bad compilation of the classic 'Arabian Nights' tales, but be aware that it has been greatly abridged for children's eyes. This has been accomplished several ways: Some of the most raunchy stories have been left out entirely, others have been heavily edited. Somewhat irritating and baffling, however, is that several of the stories haven't been edited so much as left with huge gaps and sometimes without any kind of ending. When I read these stories as I child, I was fascinated but deeply confused at the lack of resolution in several of the stories. Having read the "adult" Arabian Nights tales since then, that confusion has been cleared up.

This is not a bad adaptation for children, but I would have preferred a more carefully edited version, rather than one with somewhat sloppy cuts that left me, even as a child, aware that something was missing.

By thinking of Rainmakers as separate from the organization, the firm severely limits its potential and actual benefits from the rainmaker's efforts. This book is valuable for training potential rainmakers, but probably more useful in helping the firm to understand what the rainmaker is doing, why and how they can help. By focusing the energy of the firm on rainmaking, a much more powerful force will be generated to serve existing clients and encourage new business. This book provides a good basis for creating this new synergy for the firm.

I am the author of the book Futures For Small Speculators and Single Stock Futures For Small Speculators as well as the president of Liverpoolgroup.com.

Our focus is in the futures, commodities, and option business. We trade oil, cattle, gold, currency etc. And each one of our employees is an "independent" contractor. The problem with that is the fact that often times this very independent entrepreneurial group has a hard time working together to develop client relationships.

Everyone is competing against everyone else. There is little to no synergy or teamwork.

This book showed me MANY examples of how to guide and direct the individuals of the group to be more cooperative with one another and how to help them make more money. I was astonished that I was doing somethings right, but the things that I was doing right were being negated by the actions I was doing wrong. Over and over again Mr.Harding says that rainmakers get in their own way when it comes to training other potential rainmakers and he is right! If I had not read this book I would have lost some valuable members of my team due defection.

This is a great book and was a joy to read. One reading is not enough. This book must be read three to four times with a highlighter and a notepad- so you can write down the numerous ideas that will occur to you as you read the book. Then keep this book as a reference that you can go back to time and time again.

I am a consultant in a company which does not have an organised rainmaker system (yet). As such, much of what I read in this book was new to me and I have discussed its contents with my boss. I think that this book will help us to improve our business. It is full of insightful ideas.

I used this book in the planning of a training program for business development activities at the engineering/surveying firm, Psomas and Associates. We needed a training program for every level of staff from principals to marketing support staff. This book was amazing! It made the job sooooooo much easier! The information in this book was nothing short of inspiring and the success we are having in the program is testimony to the quality of the ideas and programs described in the book. I recommend it very, very highly!

Of all the books available on business development in the professions, this is the best of the best. Concise, practical yet never simplistic, Ford Harding hits the strategic issues of business development, then ties the issues to solid implementable actions. As an advisor to CPA and law firms, I consider this book to be the "course textbook" for learning the subject matter quickly. Professionals don't have time for volumes of thick how-to manuals. Give it to them straight and quickly. This book does that. Every page unlocks another important concept in business development. When finished the reader not only knows the subject, but knows what to do next. Instead of throwing the book in a cabinet, it should be kept in a handy place, and as the professional becomes more experienced, it can take him/her to the next level of understanding, and to the highest reaches of successful rainmaking. A must read for any professional who wants to grow their practice.

The book is nicely illustrated and the book quality is good. However, it is too advanced for children. It is over-rated I suspect due to the voices of the celebrities that are on the CD. Many pages are actually quite depressing and negative. I like more upbeat books even if there is a moral to be taught.

The format of this book and the others like them give a young reader a very enjoyable experience. The adult side helps to embellish the story but the children's side lets a new reader be part of the story not just a listener. Our first grader takes great pride in his part of the book and seems to have better comprehension. These are a great find.

I had been given 2 of these books from a friend and I decided to see if there were anymore. My son loves this book. He's now working on reading the adult side. It's a great idea to have a page each, 1 for the adult and 1 for the child. We have several of these books now and I see my son sitting down and reading them on his own.

I read this book to my little sister, she is 9 and thought it was the funnist book she had ever heared of. She really liked the part were the emporer.... well I won't give the ending away. But, I hope you enjoy it.

Generally, I do not care for audio books; many of the readers speak in a dull voice that rapidly drives me either away from the story or to sleep. However, there are a few exceptions; this is one.

Understand, that this is not the normal audio book; this edtion has a large cast of actors who collaborated to produce this item as a fund raiser for Starbright.

The result is an ensemble piece that is witty and charming. Part of the fun for me, was guessing who was reading before looking at the cast list included in the box.

Other folks feel that this isn't for children; I don't know as I don't have children, but I found that my "inner child" was highly entertained for 40 minutes with this tape.

If you are a fan of one or more of the actors in this edition or like puns (there are many here!), then you will probably like the Starbright edtion of the Emporer's New Clothes.

Despite its award winning status, the title of this anthology led me to believe it was either young adult oriented or in the vein of the recent plethora of updated fairy tale collections. I was very pleased to find I was wrong.

Jeffrey Ford is a highly intelligent, clever wordsmith that more closely resembles Bradbury and Wolfe than the Datlow/Windling crowd. Like his unstable scholar's work in "The Weight of Words", Ford's writings are greater than the sum of their parts.

In particular, I'd like to praise the novella, "Botch Town." As soon as I was a few paragraphs into it, I recognized the familiar territory of the "remember the year when..." stories by Bradbury, King, et al, that I enjoy so much. The autobiographical tone was convincing, and the characters were universal and believable. My friends and I had our own version of Mr. Blah Blah, and our own Halloween hijinx were remarkably similar to those described within. (I also appreciated the subtle nod to Spike Jones fans.)

Among my other favorites are the darkly humorous "Boatman's Holiday" and the surreal tour-de-force, "Giant Land."

If you're looking for a collection of substantial, sophisticated yet accessible, stick-to-your-ribs short fiction, then pick up The Empire of Ice Cream.

I give it 3 stars because - maybe - the rest of the stories are better. It's possible that I'll never find out.. Is this a book for children? If it is, I should give it 4 stars...

I'd seen a dramatic reading of "The Annals of Eelin-Ok" (one of the stories in this collection), an experience that has stuck with me much longer than most dramatic productions... Mr. Ford does not profess to be a playwright (yet), but he writes with SO much immediacy, whatever is happening in his stories is so important to his characters, that you get sucked into the stories very quickly - what is important to those characters now becomes important to you, too. I'm currently enjoying very much his earlier THE FANTASY WRITER'S ASSISTANT collection of stories, and look forward to re-visiting "The Annals of Eelin-Ok" in this volume, as well as discovering the accompanying tales. To be transported into his stories is a very gratifying experience. Who'd have thought that a dramatic reading about the sprites/spirits that inhabit sandcastles between low and high tides could become a epic tale, full of romance, action, and contemplation on life itself? And all the while having you on the edge of your seat? I've seen a lot of theatre, and wish more of it was an engaging to experience as the work of this non-playwright.

Jeffrey Ford has made quite an impression in the last few years, with several fine novels including the World Fantasy Award winning The Physiognomy, The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque, and The Girl in the Glass. But my favorite Ford works have been short fiction -- and it so happens that my personal favorites appear in this new collection, his second.

The title story, indeed, is one of my favorite stories by anyone from the last few years. My interest was immediately engaged by the Wallace Stevens reference, though Ford, in his introduction, disclaims any intention of alluding to Stevens' great poem. The story is about a man with synesthaesia. He becomes an accomplished piano player and composer, even as he perceives the notes he plays or composes as sights or smells or tastes. Somehow coffee ice cream causes a special hallucination: a young woman. As he grows older, he finds that pure coffee allows real contact with this woman, and he learns that she, too, is an artist and a synesthaesiac. The story climaxes as he tries to complete a major musical composition -- coming to a predictable but still quite satisfying and moving conclusion.

Another brilliant piece is "The Weight of Words." This suggests that the placement and appearance of words can affect their meaning in such mundane ways as subliminal advertising, or such more profound ways as causing death, love, or the appreciation of beauty. It's told by a man who has lost his wife and hopes to regain her by the use of weighted word -- instead he gains something quite different.

There is one new story in the book, a very long novella (nearly novel length): "Botch Town". This is a pitch perfect and rather sad evocation of childhood in a lower middle class New Jersey suburb. The title refers to a model town that the narrator's brother constructs in his basement -- somehow their sister, who is in some way brilliant but not very comprehensible, seems to use this town to reflect real happenings in their own town, including the whereabouts of a mysterious visitor who may be connected with the disappearance of a neighborhood boy.

There are many other jewels here. "The Annals of Eelin-Ok" is a tender, bittersweet, story of a Twilmish, a creature that colonizes a sand castle and lives only until the castle is washed away. "The Beautiful Gelreesh" is quite different in mood, a sardonic piece about a doglike creature with a rather extreme means of curing depression.

"A Night at the Tropics" concerns a cursed chess set and the bully who stumbles into possession of it. The story is framed in a very Kiplingesque manner: the narrator, named Ford, tells of his return to his childhood house, and a visit to a bar his father frequented, "The Tropics." It is there that he again encounters the bully, and hears the tale of the chess set. And, much as Kipling so often and so brilliantly managed, the frame ends up blending with and enhancing the central story. (And, to my relief after Ford's denial of the Stevens reference in "The Empire of Ice Cream," his introduction here explicitly acknowledges Kipling's influence.)

I won't mention the other stories, but I'll say that they are a varied and intriguing lot. The book itself is a lovely physical object, as we expect from Golden Gryphon. And Ford's introductions are fairly brief but very interesting, definitely significant value added. This is surely one of the best story collections of the year.

Jeffrey Ford is AMAZING. There are not many authors I could describe as such, but he is one. Buy his book; this man is an undiscovered gem. His literary fantasy is gorgeous in the way he tells it and the stories themselves. As much as I devoured this anthology, I was also really disheartened when I turned the last page.

To make myself feel better, I've been giving everyone I know copies of the book or encouraging him or her to try Mr. Ford. Let me do the same for you; you won't regret it (something I do not say lightly).

This book provides an indepth look at all aspects of falconry. The section on preparing to recieve a bird was very helpful and detailed. I have never read a book which has provided such a detailed description of all common birds used in the sport. I recommend that everyone who is beginning in this sport, or is considering taking it up should read this book. The only problem about this book is that it talks too much about the law in England, which is not relevant to us in North America.

This is a great book for anyone interested in falconry! EmmaFord describes everything in detail and she guided me through myapprenticeship with ease. However, it also contains sound advice for the experienced falconer.

She discusses the most common hawks used in the sport and guides one through the manning and training of the three main groups: Shortwings, Broadwings and Longwings. At the end of the part dealing with the training of the group, she explains hunting with them in detail.

There is a complete chapter on equipment and will help the apprentice to choose the right equipment, with the hawk's safety in mind .

For those unfamiliar with falconry terms, there is a nice glossary explaining them in detail.

I would advise anyone interested in hunting with birds of prey to get this great book by one of the leaders in the field! END

As a somewhat informed novice, I found this book very interesting and informative. It has good descriptions of the birds used in falconry as well as thorough beginning training techniques. However, the buyer should know this book was written for falconry in the UK. Topics such as governing laws, terrain terms and types of quarry are often "foreign" to ours in the U.S.

I found "Falconry: Art and Practice" very interesting and fascinating. The author included personal details, sometimes humorous, describing the beauty of the art, not just the instructions and facts, helpful as they were. The book was also easy and enjoyable to read.

This book was great!! It had so much information I had to read it 3 times to get it all. It has so much info like how to make your own equipment,how to train your bird, tells all the equipment you need to have, and so much more.

The book is very good except that most of the book is from a UK point of view. The book has some good adresses in the back for all of your falconry needs. If you are a novice a seasoned falconer,or just someone interested in Birds of Prey you should get this book.

I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. IT WAS GREAT TO READ ABOUT WHITEY'S OPINIONS, REASONS, EXPERIENCES, AND SOME GREAT BASEBALL STORIES. I AM A BIG FAN OF WHITEY'S AND HAVE BEEN SINCE THE 60'S. GLAD TO HEAR FROM HIM IN THIS ONE OF A KIND BOOK. WHITEY IS VERY HONEST, OPEN, AND HAS GREAT INSIGHT IN RANKING THE BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL POSOTION BY POSITION. A MUST READ FOR ALL FANS AND ESPECIALLY YANKEE FANS. THANKS WHITEY, FOR A GREAT READ AND A LOT OF ENTERTAINMENT. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Whitey Ford's new book,with former Yankee beat writer Phil Pepe,is a winner.Picking the top 5 players at each position might seem easy,until you sit and think about the long line of great players the Yankees have fielded.Not that theres a lot of controversy,but a couple of Ford's picks might surprise you.Its an enjoyable rehash for older fans with mostly familiar anecdotes.It's also an education for younger fans who might not be familiar with past Yankee greats.And the cover photo is indeed a Yankee cap,worn by them in the early 20's,although I feel that the navy blue cap with the white interlocking NY would have been a better choice.

Reading Whitey Ford's "Few and Chosen" is like listening to him....soft-spoken with a twinkle in his eye. This is a book you can pick up and put down and not miss much. The stories are usually short (sometimes too short) and the anecdotes are just about what you'd expect to hear from "The Chairman of the Board".

I appreciate Whitey Ford's honesty with regard to players who preceded him. He doesn't comment on them much because he didn't see them play. Still, he gives what impressions he has. After reading Tim McCarver's disappointing and overworked "Perfect Season" several years ago, "Few and Chosen" is like a breath of fresh air.

There are a few new facts (new to me, anyway) that come out in his book, like the small numbers of home runs hit by players before Babe Ruth. Things of this nature help to make baseball more interesting to many of us.

Whitey Ford pitched the first baseball game I ever saw in 1963. I'm glad he's still around to pass on his observations to us.

I don't proclaim to be a great Yankee fan but a great baseball fan. This book has something for everyone. Besides ranking the greatest Yankees, I agree with most disagree with some, Whitey just provides some stories about players that are riveting. Most you have never heard or read anywhere else. That is what is exciting to me. These stories really bring alive a time and place that baseball was and is trying to get back to. You are brought back in time to a place in America when baseball was all important. Now you can at least experience the fun of reading about it and being there for a while.

I recently read the book written by Whitey Ford, entitled Few and Chosen, published by Triumph Books. I found the book to be extremely enjoyable and very well-written. Whitney Ford offers personal and insightful analyses of the five best players at each position, and the contributions made by the players. The book provides a very creative review of the accomplishments and the character of the great players who played for the New York Yankees. I enjoyed reading the book very much. I commend Triumph Books for publishing such a creative and enjoyable book, and I highly recommend the book and the work of Whitey Ford.