Reviews Books

Written over 150 years ago, Democracy In America is even more important and compelling today than it was then. This past fall, I had the opportunity to teach a Government class for my college. My class studied the second volume of this invaluable classic. It was such a pleasure to study it through a mentor's eyes. It truly came alive for me in a way that it never had before as I prepared to teach it.

Despite his young age, Tocqueville was a master at understanding human nature. Volume II is filled with both compliments for American culture and cautionary advice for us as citizens. It's amazing how accurate his predictions and warnings were. We are falling into the very snares and excesses about which he cautioned. I wish that all Americans would take the time to read this insightful volume. If we would simply heed Tocqueville's admonitions, we would be well on our way to rebuilding our great American culture and securing our liberty.

"When the taste for physical gratifications among them has grown more rapidly than their education . . . the time will come when men are carried away and lose all self-restraint . . . . It is not necessary to do violence to such a people in order to strip them of the rights they enjoy; they themselves willingly loosen their hold. . . . they neglect their chief business which is to remain their own masters." ~Alexis de Tocqueville

I didn't think it was possible for Tocqueville's to outdo volume 1 of "Democracy in Amercia" but I was definitely proved wrong! Volume 2 is more deep and philosophical in its approach to understanding American democracy and ties up any loose ends that might have occured in volume 1. A book that needs to be read now more than ever before, volume 2 deserves to be considered among the Great Books of Western civilization.

De Tocqueville was simply of one of the great social scientists writing about America and Democracy. From reading the book I deduced that De Tocqueville was a social scientist before Marx! He compares European culture and government with the fledgling culture and democracy he observes in America. He is very much impressed with what he sees taking place in America in the 1830's and hopes it will spread to Europe. He at first believed that America's prosperity was simply due to geography and their distance from powerful neighbors, he abandons this idea after his visit to America. He comes to realize that the West is not being peopled "by new European immigrants to America, but by Americans who he believes have no adversity to taking risks". De Tocqueville comes to see that Americans are the most broadly educated and politically advanced people in the world and one of the reasons for the success of our form of government. He also foretells America's industrial preeminence and strength through the unfettered spread of ideas and human industry.

De Tocqueville also saw the insidious damage that the institution of slavery was causing the country and predicted some 30 years before the Civil War that slavery would probable cause the states to fragment from the union. He also the emergence of stronger states rights over the power of the federal government. He held fast to his belief that the greatest danger to democracy was the trend toward the concentration of power by the federal government. He predicted wrongly that the union would probably break up into 2 or 3 countries because of regional interests and differences. This idea is the only one about America that he gets wrong. Despite some of his misgivings, De Tocqueville, saw that democracy is an "inescapable development" of the modern world. The arguments in the "Federalist Papers" were greater than most people realized. He saw a social revolution coming that continues throughout the world today.

De Tocqueville realizes at the very beginning of the "industrial revolution" how industry, centralization and democracy strengthened each other and moved forward together. I am convinced that De Tocqueville is still the preeminent observer of America but is also the father of social science. A must read for anyone interested in American history, political philosophy or the social sciences.

I am more than satisfied after I received the book and actually took a read. The book is well made and organized, containing super rich content in a compact size. I also found those photos in good quality.
Along with the book you also get the access to the Student Consult online which I think still needs improvement. The software took a lot of time to synchronize with my PDA and it generates many un-coded letters.
But anyhow, this book itself is worth the price. A must read for new dermatologists.

I bought this book a month ago,read it thoroughly and find it quite intersting and informative.It is different from the books usually written on dermatology.All questions asked are very common,informative and the one which are usually asked in the ward rounds and clinical meetings.
I recommend this book to all the dermatologists !

Another excellent secret series book that covers must of the essential dermatological facts that must be known by any health care provider. It includes lots of good quality photographs and interesting facts. Certainly, this book is worth the time and the money.

Reading Dime-Store Alchemy is a fine way to get to know Joseph Cornell's work (and of course Charles Simic's). Simic uses a writing style which pieces together different elements of Cornell's favorite authors and poets, beautifully reflecting the montage operation created by Cornell himself. As Simic ambiguously reveals aspects of Cornell's life in New York City, the reader finds him/herself on the same search for an understanding of beauty that the artist spent his entire life investigating. Don't miss it!

Then you will love this book of short essays and responses to Joseph Cornell's work by our Poet Laureate. It's amll and without a dustjacket, quite elegant and easy to take with you to read when you find yourself with a few spare minutes.

This elegant book reminded me of "Einstien's Dreams." The book is about the genius of imagination. Cornell's provincial life gave him the opportunity to observe his world closely and let it expand into his art. The writing by the poet Simic is a piece of art in itself.

Mark F. Berry's Dinosaur Filmography is wittily and entertainingly written and based on thorough knowledge of both real dinosaurs and the special effects used to recreate them. Berry has pulled together information from many little-known fan magazines, but he does not rely on recycling old material. He has done original research by interviewing several filmmakers, mostly effects artists. Berry's commentaries are full of infectious enthusiasm about the better films, but he is also
genuinely critical. He understands what makes dino movies
tick.

There are about 200 illustrations, about two dozen of them in color. Each entry includes a brief synopsis, critical commentary, notes on participants and the production of the film, and a section on special effects. Berry includes films but not TV; thus he has entries on the two Flintstones theater films but not the TV series. He includes animated features and some of the most important animated shorts, such as Gertie the Dinosaur, but not all cartoon shorts featuring dinosaurs. Documentaries are omitted.

Appendices briefly cover films with brief dinosaur scenes or minor saurian plot elements, abortive projects and the Japanese giant monster films. There is a major bibliography of books, magazine articles and online resources. Dinosaur Filmography
puts in the shade all previous dino movie books, except for
Stephen Jones' Illustrated Dinosaur Movie Guide (1993), which
has much shorter entries than Berry and is nine years older, but
is still worthwhile for Jones' sharp comments and excellent illustrations.

Mark Berry's 'The Dinosaur Filmography' is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in some time. It is meticulously researched and extremely thorough. It is also engaging in its analysis, which is often accompanied with first hand anecdotes from some giants of the dino-film industry. It is the kind of book I dreamed about having when I was a kid. Every dinosaur movie I've ever heard of, and some that I haven't, are here. Many are accompanied by photos that I've never seen, which is a real treat - especially for some of the classics, such as King Kong, where I thought I had seen them all. This is one of those books that you will never get tired of. It is equally entertaining whether reading for a couple of hours or paging through for a couple of minutes.

The timing of this review coincides, not so coincidentally, with the time of year. Every October I pour over TV guides to see if any of the classic (and not so classic, but I love them just the same) dinosaur or giant B-monster movies will be on. Unfortunately for at least a couple of years running, I've seen all too few. Since there seems to be a specialty cable channel for just about every subject, why couldn't there be one on dinosaur and giant monster movies? I'm sure I'm not the only one who waxes nostalgic for the charm of these films - whether they be classic Harryhausen flicks or the rubber suit jobs that thrilled us as kids regardless (Unknown Island and The Land Unknown come quickly to mind). In addition to being a great read, Berry's Dinosaur Filmography book is the perfect resource for such a channel. Next October I'll be scanning the channel guides again in the hope that somewhere a cable programmer came to the same conclusion.

As a kid growing up, like most kids , I loved dinosaurs. That affection let me into a life long love of films in general, and that wonderful sub genre, the dinosaur movie. From Knig Kong and Harryhausens magnificent creations to the drek of Bert I Gordons enlarged Iguanas, I saw them all *(not to mention all the wonderful distant radioactive relative from Japan!) This book has all the well known (and not so well known) films of this genre. Filled with synopsis, commentary on the films and FX, great photos, and a lively, informative and wonderfully readable text. Never stooping to wild over intelectualization of the films, this book is a great treat and deserves a place of honor on any film lover, science fiction, or dinosaur fans shelf! Some Japanese kaiju fans might feel slighted, but Godzilla and Company are more fantasy creations than dinosaur, but there are listings of those films in the appendix. Another great McFarland book, and THE book on Dinosaur movies!!!

An outstanding resource to prepare for the boards. Of all of the texts that I reviewed and read, this was the easiest read and probably the most helpful to prepare for the boards. It is packed full of the facts you will need to successfully pass the test. It is also a great book for any diving doc out there who may want a decent text to review diving medicine. It would also be very useful to any physician who may find themselves taking care of patients who dive.

"Fantastic review! It is concise, complete, and well organized. The perfect tool to ace the Board Exam." - Laurie Beth Gesell, MD, Medical Director, Center for Hyperbaric Medicine, Director, Division of Hyperbaric Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

"Very useful and informative material for personnel staffing active hospital based hyperbaric medicine unit." - Keith van Meter, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine Head of Emergency Medicine, Charity Hospital New Orleans

"The essential starting block from which you should direct your preparation for the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine subspecialty board examination." - Jim Caruso, MD, FCAP, US Navy Diving Medical Officer

"Pleasant and entertaining, correctly detailed, and accessible to a broad audience." - Enrico Camporesi, MD, President, UHMS, Professor & Chairman, Dept of Anesthesiology SUNY Health Science Center, Syracus

"Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Review For Physicians" contains information physicians need to know to do their work in hyperbaric medicine, and understand test questions for the board exam.

This review and study guide is an organized, easily readable, but extensive compendium of information in diving medicine, physiology, diving history and practice, physics, and clinical hyperbaric treatment of diving and non-diving conditions.

Among many new topics in this year's

edition are all 13 approved indications for clinical hyperbaric oxygen treatment complete with protocols, chamber equipment, codes, fire safety, and regulations. Sample test questions, with answers, step by step mathematical calculations, and explanations are included.

This book can be ordered by anyone interested in the topic areas, and is not limited to diving physicians. It is written "In Plain English" by Dr. Jolie Bookspan, former research physiologist for the USNavy.

A delightful review of the world of Doctor Who as it stood in the 1970's. It includes many rare pictures from the series as well as publicity shots and behind-the-scenes photos. From Adams, Douglas to Zygons (Terror of), this is a wonderfully produced Master-piece! A truly great book for all Doctor Who fans!

I've just read this wonderful book and it is WELL worthe reading so dont think twice about buying this book

This is my favorite non-fiction Doctor Who book of all time. The book is loaded with some never before seen footage and insightful data. The layout is wonderful and captures the decade that brought us Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. My favorite chapter of the book features merchandise from the 70's -- so far the only Who book that addresses this aspect of the show.

Tangled Web UK Review December 2005


File Updated: 21/12/2005

Dreams of Justice: Mysteries as Social Documents by Dick Adler
pbk out December 05 (Poisoned Pen Press) at £8.59

Dick Adler is a highly regarded crime fiction reviewer for 'The Chicago Tribune' and this book gathers together an eclectic selection of his insightful critiques, with the emphasis on relatively recent books. In his introduction, Tom Nolan notes that the book can serve 'as reader's/buyer's guide' and applauds Adler for his ability to convey the special flavour of such a diverse range of titles. He compares Adler to the late and legendary reviewer Anthony Boucher - and this is not over-praise. After a couple of introductory chapters, one of which describes Boucher as 'the man who invented mystery reviewing' (in the US, perhaps, but Dorothy L. Sayers and others made an impression much earlier), Adler collects reviews in a series of themed chapters: 'black mysteries', 'history as mystery', 'Brits behaving badly' and so on. A notable feature is that, like Boucher, he is admirably keen to pick out rising stars: an example is Jim Kelly, two of whose books are acclaimed. Reviewers as perceptive as Adler are uncommon; collections of reviews such as this are even rarer. This is a book to relish, not only as a guide to unfamiliar yet excellent novels, but also for Adler's sympathetic, intelligent analyses of a very varied group of writers, from Arsenault to Zafon.


( Martin Edwards - author of the highly acclaimed Harry Devlin Mysteries)

Dick Adler, the longtime Chicago Tribune mystery columnist, has published his first collection of reviews and essays. "Dreams of Justice: Mysteries as Social Documents" includes some of his favorite pieces on mystery books and authors, most focused on developing the title's theme.

The strongest examples of Adler's writing are the longer columns, especially those devoted to the careers of authors Chester Himes and Ross Macdonald, and the books of Walter Mosley and George Pelecanos.

Also particularly fine is his essay on pioneering critic Anthony Boucher ("the man who invented mystery reviewing" as Adler calls him), who once plied his trade in the pages of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Through his longevity, keen writing and near faultless taste, Adler has become the dean of American mystery reviewers, and "Dreams of Justice" is a fine tribute to his career.

Dick Adler is a highly regarded crime fiction reviewer for 'The Chicago Tribune' and this book gathers together an eclectic selection of his insightful critiques, with the emphasis on relatively recent books. In his introduction, Tom Nolan notes that the book can serve 'as reader's/buyer's guide' and applauds Adler for his ability to convey the special flavour of such a diverse range of titles. He compares Adler to the late and legendary reviewer Anthony Boucher - and this is not over-praise. After a couple of introductory chapters, one of which describes Boucher as 'the man who invented mystery reviewing' (in the US, perhaps, but Dorothy L. Sayers and others made an impression much earlier), Adler collects reviews in a series of themed chapters: 'black mysteries', 'history as mystery', 'Brits behaving badly' and so on. A notable feature is that, like Boucher, he is admirably keen to pick out rising stars: an example is Jim Kelly, two of whose books are acclaimed. Reviewers as perceptive as Adler are uncommon; collections of reviews such as this are even rarer. This is a book to relish, not only as a guide to unfamiliar yet excellent novels, but also for Adler's sympathetic, intelligent analyses of a very varied group of writers, from Arsenault to Zafon. An indispensable book for mystery lovers.

The third volume in this great set is just as indespencible as the other two. The details given are very important to someone like me (in the horror film industry). I can not wait for the fourth.

Tony Bernardini
Horror Theater Video (dot com)

This series is up to four volumes, each of which is packed with details of hundreds of movies. For each flick, there's a listing of major cast and crew members, a plot summary and review, and loads of information about various DVD releases. The contributors will tell you all about the assorted aspect ratios, soundtrack options, subtitles, commentaries, extras, Easter eggs, and picture quality, and they'll advise you which DVD version is the most awesome. They often comment on how the DVDs stack up to the original prints--whether the color has remained true, how grainy the picture is, what kind of damage has crept into the transfer, what scenes were deleted or added, and so forth. Sometimes the amount of data they provide is daunting, especially when they begin to hold forth on the virtues of obscure Burmese DVD releases of Euro art films from the Soviet bloc in the Sixties and such-like.

Be advised that virtually none of the films covered are mainstream films, at least by American tastes. It's a lot of genre stuff (science fiction, fantasy, horror, grindhouse/exploitation, and so forth), plus oodles of foreign material, mostly Italian, French, and Japanese. It seems as if virtually every giallo and Italo-Spanish zombie movie ever created is listed in one of these volumes, along with the more surrealistic stuff from Japan. The editors also have an amazing obsession with Chabrol and basically go through everything he's ever done, although it's not quite clear why.

These books are one of the best film resources I've encountered and you can spend days going through them. Very much worth the price and highly recommended.

I purchased the first two volumes of this series at a local store here in Vancouver for $45.00 each and thought I had a bargain with the quality I found in them. But when I found that there was a third volume available from Amazon for one third of the local price, I jumped at the chance to buy. The first volume has been revised (and if you have the unrevised first edition, the second edition contains `120 pages of new material), but if you are into the type of films covered in these books, they are worth their weight in gold. Each film begins with a look at the disc's technical specs: color, year, running time, director, stars and finally dvd manufacturer and region availability. Then follows a synopsis of the plot, followed by a discussion of each disc's technical merits. These include aspect ratios, color, sound and what king of extras can be found on each disc. For example, I wanted to buy the film "Cube", but I couldn't find a copy in Vancouver, so I drove to Seattle and found a copy there. Having looked the film up in these books, I'm glad I had to drive south. It seems the Canadian disc is a bare bones affair: no extras except the trailer. The American disc on the other hand has tons of extras. This kind of information is hard to find anywhere else. These books will also stand up to constant use as they are very well bound. The only drawback that I have found is that they list films that I very much want, but aren't available in my region. Oh well, at least I know they're out there somewhere. These are excellent guides and at the price Amazon is asking, worth every penny.

I feel as if I have known Dave Parsons for most of my life. His poignant and moving revelations of his life stories paint an intimate and revealing portrait of a poet who is grounded in the real world. Parsons creates an ambience that invites the reader into the poets living room to share the triumphs and tragedies of lifes moments that most of us neglect. Parsons has defined poetry for us through his revelations. The world awaits the next installment of wonderment.

I found many of Mr. Parson's poems very moving. "They" is one of my favorites.

Editing Sky is a poignant collection of intimate poems that also seem universal in their appeal. They describe powerful experiences of an Austin childhood, handball, conoeing, marriage, alzheimers, the marines, historic houses, and much more. The poems draw you in and move you with their straightforward, vivid style. When you combine the intimate images, the direct style, and the pleasing eloquence and ease of the words and their arrangement, it makes for a truly satisfying poetry reading experience! I enjoy reading the book over and over and I would highly recommend it.

It's great to see Wilson get this recognition for his brilliant insights and fine writing. For many of us the writers and characters of the Twenties and Thirties hold a special fascination. Wilson who knew most or all of this celebrated cast of characters during this period is a splendid witness to these decades. It's book for dipping and browsing.

This first volume of an LoA edition of E.Wilson collects reviews and literary essays on and from the 20s and 30s.
I think they should be required reading for all Amazonian amateur reviewers. Not that I always agree with everything that he had to say. He was a snob, no doubt, and proud of it, it seems. (Look at the delightful text called Muses out of Work from the 20s, where he pontificates on poets and poetry; then he adds an afterthought when the collection of reviews was published in book form in the 50s: he includes Hart Crane's letter attacking him for being a sort of social parasite, and another letter that attacks his general poetic theory, but admits that his judgments are still good, because he manages to ignore his own theories. That's where my headline is taken from.) As time progresses, his essays become more mature and his subjects more relevant. Must be a function of age, I guess.
The collection is full of interesting thoughts on subjects like Poe, Henry James, Upton Sinclair, Dos Passos, Wilder, D.H.Lawrence, Americans and Russians in exile, American and English English, etc... The man was rather vain, as expected. He took pleasure in bashing the early Scott Fitzgerald, he was exceedingly proud in taking a small part in launching Hemingway...
Why do I read him? 2 main reasons: 1st because of LoA, 2nd because Wilson was a great help to Nabokov when he came to the US as a refugee during WW2. Good deeds must be rewarded. Never mind that they fell out later over Lolita and Nab's Pushkin translations.
Apart from his snobbery, the man had sound principles: one of the first rules for a civilization should be freedom of artist and scientist.
And he was a good polemicist: the influence of T.S.Eliot is making young men prematurely senile...
This volume 1 of the LoA edition contains mainly two essay collections: The Shores of Light, which takes about 3/4 of the space and doesn't seem to be available in print separately any more, and Axel's Castle, a collection of essays published in 1931, which I will review separately.

Re-reading these essays and reviews has simply increased my respect for Wilson. I can only say that reading Wilson has helped give me a framework for evrything I read.