Bell Books

I became aware of Dr. McCauley-Bell when I logged on to a seminar that was hosted by Society of Women Engineers. The course title was Decision Making Under Uncertainty and it discussed a five step plan for personal success: Goal setting, Planning, Good association and believing in yourself. At first it seemed a typical seminar, but there was something about the presenter that was different. Dr. McCauley-Bell has a unique personality and a generosity of spirit that is refreshing and different.


Winners Don't Quit: Today They Call Me Doctor is the autobiography of a African-American woman, who obtains her doctorate with immense blood, sweat, and tears. It is divided into chapters dealing with different periods of McCauley-Bell's life beginning with her teenage pregnancy and roughly following the course of her life through to graduate school.

In the book there is a notable emphasis on the relationship between her mother and herself. The tension of the book was always centered within the strength of these two women, who saw life in very different ways. Winners Don't Quit is an engaging biography. I think it would make a great introduction to a leadership and self-esteem training session for young women. I felt inspired after I completed the book. The first thing I did was to loan the book to an exceptional young acquaintance.

There is a saying that a person who pursues a difficult goal wins twice, once for the lessons learned in the attempt and again when the goal is achieved. There is a spiritual by Charles A. Tindley called Nothing Between. For more on Tindley see Charles Albert Tindley, prince of preachers. There is a part that I think can be related to the tone of the book.

"Nothing between, e'en many hard trials/Though the whole world against me convene / Watching with prayer and much self-denial/Triumph at last,with nothing between"

If you enjoyed The Power of Positive Thinking then you'll love Winners Don't Quit. The book was difficult to put down and even more difficult to forget.

As an Engineering student I was definately able to relate to the challenges and difficulty that Dr. McCauley-Bell spoke about in her book. It was refreshing and encouraging to read about her triumphs and successes, and that she too is just like me. Thank you for writing this book. I was lost and confused about what direction I wanted to take my career and my life, and after reading this book I feel that I have a renewed sense of purpose. You are truly God-sent. It was a pleasure meeting you at the NSBE convention in Dallas. I wish you all of the success and happiness that is sure to come your way!!!!!!
May God continue to Bless you and your family!!!!!!!!!

Dr. McCauley-Bell overcame numerous hardships to achieve her goals. She's uplifting and motivational. It's difficult to persevere over one or two hurdles, but Dr. McCauley-Bell had more than her share. She certainly deserves the successes she's been able to achieve. Her story is well written. It was wonderful to see her growth as a Christian from a young person to a mature adult. It was also especially noteworthy to realize the depths of her soul, which she needed to lay bare for the world in order to achieve her goal of sharing with and encouraging others. She's fearless. In a day and age when role-models are typically not worthy of the title, Dr. McCauley-Bell is a breath of fresh air. Her central message of believing in your dreams and not quitting is an important one, particularly in this day and age.

Pamela McCauley Bell takes you on a journey through her life from being a high school cheerleader & mother, to being a part time student with a goal of completing her college education. Dr. Bell knew early in her life what she wanted. She went from being a struggling teen mom on welfare to being a married young lady with a degree. Pamela had to deal with a abusive husband who only wanted to control her after enduring the situation for a while Dr. Bell finally realize what she had to do to keep her and her daughter safe and happy.

Pamela maintains her goal of obtaining her bachelor's degree and believes that there is no more to her education. When questioned about going to graduate school, the wheels in her head begin to turn helping her formulate a plan. The one thing that Pamela McCauley Bell never forgot was success no matter how down she felt. Dr. Pamela McCauley Bell tells an interesting story about her early life and how she succeeded to gain her success. The book is an excellent read reaching out to everyone letting them know through tough times there's always a way to fix it. All you have to do is rethink your situation, focus, and try again. The book is truly inspiring and it reminds you to drive on.

A good light read on personality typing within the work world.
Once you figure out what type you are, you can figure out where you are welcome.The book has testing and is a composite read on basic personality theory.

This is the one to read. I even gave it to my husband to read. Easy to read. I read it in 2 hours. This book gave me the reasons people act the way they do. Then it gave me a way to talk to those kinds of people.

I initially bought this book for my husband, who was having a difficult time at work with his boss. My husband has huge praises for the book and now that I have finished reading it, I've come to understand why. Arthur and Dayle have managed to consolidate and present strategies on how to deal with difficult people in a handy and easy-to-read book. Even if you don't find time to read, you can easily read some pages on the way to work in the train. A questionaire helps you to identify what type of person you are, and explains the different personality types, helping you to see why yome people react in certain ways. You will realise eventually why you seem to always clash with a certain personality group. This book gives you tips on how you can handle 'difficult' people and helps you to have a clearer picture of yourself. For all you know you may be the S.O.P. (Source Of Pain) that others are experiencing!!

I picked up this book because of the title and price. Excellent source of support for managing projects with cross functional teams. I am planning on buying for the team as a team building session. Quick and easy to read with helps tremendously....

Such a wonderful inspiring little book of wisdom, filled with delightful drawings. I recommend this book for giving as a perfect gift as well as for personal enjoyment. Keep it where you can browse often!

I really enjoyed Zenisms. As a newcomer to the philosopy of Zen I found it to be a great introduction and an inspiring book. Very, very funny!

I always thought that enlightenment was a solemn and earnest undertaking, not to be taken lightly. Then it was pointed out to me if I take life too seriously, I wouldn't get off the planet alive.

I originally knew David as a Zen shiatsu practitioner and I caught up with him recently about his new book. The quest for no-mind has not been easy for David "I was threatened with removal from meditation for laughing on more than one occasion" he said on the other end of the phone, holding a new Romanian translation of Zenisms. The home of Dracula we quipped, trying to flesh out some kind of joke about that. It doesn't come but it is very funny for some undoubtedly un-enlightened reason.
Bell has a dedication in Zenisms: "For my teachers. (Now look what you made me do)" which is followed by a disclaimer that the book has not been tested on dogma. This is kind of re-assuring. (Don't you just hate it when someone questions your beliefs?)
Described as almost ancient wisdom, Zenisms, if one could have a serious moment, is a quite brilliant adaptation of koens and teachings of Zen.
Some have been around for centuries, still being taught in Dojos and Zendos to this day. In this book David brings the humour so obviously intended for students but somehow lost through their ernestness. I imagine this would make it all the more funny for their teachers!The point is that levity is just as important gravity on the road to knowledge. Of course, it's the journey that counts. "After all, Buddah laughed didn't he?" says David. "I just think that it's important to receive the wisdom in these teachings and it's equally important to have a sense of humour about it too".
To be funny without being cynical is an art, to have fun without poking fun is a key ingredient to this books appeal. I found Zenisms very enjoyable and well...enlightening. If you have the mind to have no-mind and think that's funny then I think you will love Zenisms.

What a georgeous book! I laughed and was moved by the pages as they explored the Zen of humour...so nice to remember that quests toward enlightenment are fun! I recommend this book tpo anyone who loves the gentle laughter of insightful brevity, and people who are inspired by clarity of thought. Delicious!

I LOVE Zibby -- she reminded me of myself and many other girls I have observed over the years. I have met many a Zibby, hurtling toward the teen years while grappling with what it really means to be a girl. Thanks to Alison Bell, we can now read her mind, and we see a strong, sassy, smart, and loyal girl who finds a way to be true to herself. I wish I had had Zibby to read when I was in sixth grade -- it might have made a lot more sense!

Betsy Kahn, Middle School Librarian

My daughter who is actually a seventh grader just finished this book -- she's a little of a tomboy too, so she related well even though the story is about a sixth grader. I also read it and I liked the Zibby character. She's an independent thinking girl who doesn't allow peer pressure to steer her towards stuff she's not interested in or ready for. The story moves along nicely -- lots of believable kid interaction. Very fun story -- the next one in the series looks very fun too!

I really loved this book and so did my children. The story is lots of fun... Zibby is a spunky girl who is making the transition to middle school. It doesn't exactly go as planned! But she comes through it in the end with heart and humor. The book is great for girls who are starting middle school and younger girls who are looking ahead. It also touches upon the problem of dealing with cliques and changing social roles...but does it with a light touch and a really funny plot.

Zibby Payne is psyched to start the sixth grade with her best friend Sarah. They have always been close and have lots in common, from head to toe. They like many of the same things and often trade shoes so that they have mismatched pairs.

Unfortunately, her first day of middle school does not completely go as she had planned. Sarah and Zibby's friends start talking about boy bands, comparing lip gloss flavours, doing each other's hair, and giggling when boys from their class walk by. Zibby can't believe her eyes or her ears.

At least she still has Sarah. Right? Well, kind of. Sarah's still her friend, but she's interested in this new recess routine.

Zibby would rather go play soccer with the boys than talk about them. She decides that she's a tomboy and starts wearing her older brother's T-shirts so she can kick the soccer ball around at recess. She then founds an Ultra-Exclusive Tomboy Club. Sadly, one other girl is declared fit to join, and the club is short-lived. Meanwhile, Zibby is shocked to discover that her older brother has a girlfriend. What is going on with everyone lately?

As the self-proclaimed tomboy continues to play soccer with the boys, she watches Sarah and her other friends chatting away. She truly misses talking to Sarah. Zibby realizes that although she and Sarah each have new interests, they still share other things, and the two can remain friends.

Alison Bell has created an outstanding character who sticks to her guns and trusts her instincts. Zibby is extremely loyal and very aware of the power of words. She apologizes when she gets too loud or overworked about something. Young readers will learn some important lessons from her, including two very big ones: you don't have to change for others to like you, and you should be proud of who you are. I highly recommend Zibby Payne and the Wonderful, Terrible Tomboy Experiment because it is absolutely adorable and true-to-life.

I look forward to reading Zibby Payne and the Drama Trauma, the second book in this series. If it's anything like the first book, it will have kids relating to and laughing along with Zibby from start to finish.

This is a simple book but very satisfying. There is very little text. The 6 page Introduction by Julian Bell is the only narrative but it is a wonderful introduction to the subject of self-portraiture in western art. Each picture has a brief caption that lists the artist, her/his birth and death dates, title and date, a brief description of materials and size, and the location of the original. The portraits are arranged in the book in rough chronological order. At the end of the book is an index by artist and a list of acknowledgements.

Each page consists of one self portrait as large as the page will allow with its caption description. One of the drawbacks to the book is that it is only 4.5" x 7", and the reproductions are small as a result. A larger format would have allowed for larger prints but would have cost more to produce.

Sadly, the work limits itself primarily to western art and I was left wondering about the role of self portraiture in African and Asian art. Outside minor limitations of physical size and scope of coverage, the book is exquisite candy to the eye and mind.

By century, the works break down as follows: 24th c. B.C.E. - 1; 9th c. - 1; 11th c. - 1; 12th c. - 1, 14th c. - 4; 15th c. - 35; 16th c. - 57; 17th c. - 78; 18th c. - 57; 19th c. - 89; 20th c. - 193. The compilers put all of an artists self portraits side by side. There are 10 Rembrandts, 4 Van Goghs, and 4 Picassos. There are also 45 self portraits by women.

Geographically, the artists are from 36 countries. 26 of these countries are in Europe, 4 are in the Western Hemisphere, 3 countries are in the Middle East, 2 are in Africa and one in Asia. The index in the back of the book lists the countries the artists were born in or worked in, as well as their occupations and specialties. The countries represented are Armenia, Austria, Belorussia, Bohemia, Britain, Canada, Cuba, Egypt, Finland, Flemish Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Moravia, The Netherlands, North Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, South Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine.

I would have liked to have read this book with an encyclopedia of artists at hand. This is a valuable addition to any art library. Highly recommended.

This small scale (though weighty) tome is a compact , wide-ranging survey of Western art in the most personal of terms - self portraits of artists both well known and obscure. The brief essay by Julian Bell sets the overture tone for this enlightening stroll through art history from 2350 BC to 1997 AD. And though we know well the self portraits of Rembrandt, Durer, van Gogh, Andy Warhol, and Cindy Sherman, it is a pleasure to explore the vast frescoes of the Middle Ages and the commissioned paintings of the Renaissance and find subtle artist self portraits in the crowd scenes! Another aspect of this important survey is the inclusion of women painters from history and recent past/present. We all know the stature of Artemisia Gentileschi, but who has had the pleasure of viewing Judith Leyster, Sofonisba Anguissola, Catharina van Hemessen, Elisabeth- Louise Vigee-Lebrun in context with Goya, Velasquez, Carravagio, Whistler, Ingre, Freud, Bacon, Saville, etc.? The reproductions are rich, intimate, often enhanced by well-cropped details if the painter's image is one face in a huge canvas. How better to take quietly study art development, technique, subject matter, social commentary than to slowly page though this engrossing collections of artists as they viewed themselves. Buy this book, before it goes out of print!

I purchased this book as a gift for my father in law, an artist and it was very well recieved. I did not get to peruse it at my leisure becaue it was wrapped in plastic, but once I did I regretted not buying a copy for myself.

Derrick Bell is the well known former Harvard law professor who left his tenured position at Harvard because of the school's refusal to deal equitably with women of color. He has written a number of books, and those featuring Geneva Crenshaw are among his best. This latest book focuses on racism, and takes a deeper look at Jewish-black relationships, and the property rights in white skin color. While most thinking black Americans wouldn't find much to challenge here, many whites will find this a disturbing book on a number of levels.

The statement made by the fictional president of the USA that "we can no longer afford whiteness as an assumed right of citizenship" is one which should engender serious thinking among whites who want to really understand 21st century America. Even though this book was published in 1998, the issues it raises have not disappeared with the change in the century, increased numbers of "mixed" race children, and increased intermarriage between American blacks and others.

Would I buy this book? Yes. Would I keep it? Yes. This is a worthy read with plenty to think about.

Derrick Bell returns to his "legal fiction", which again proves fascinating. Prof. Bell amplifies the sub rosa elements of race relations in the US, and holds them up to the light. This is a great read for any thinking person. Not to be missed.

What I found most impressive about this book is the way it challenges assumptions and attitudes about Jewish racism and hegemony. Bell is a courageous and brilliant writer, and this is the best novel I have read in several months. And as a feminist and white woman, I found it much more interesting than many other books by white writers who attempt to address these issues. Highly recommended.

as a person who has read many books on Alcatraz, i can say that this is an excellent book to read, filled with many pictures. Describes all the escape attempts, and generally keeps you from putting it down to read it in one sitting..... I highly reccommend it!!!Great insites on The Birdman, Creepy, etc...some facts that other books dont reveal...

I have read about ten books on Alcatraz and this one is by far the best. The author is the son of one of the guards that was at Alcatraz. He has certainly done his homework before writing this book. He lists each attempted escape from the first to the last listing the participants and what happened during the attempt and also what eventually happened to each inmate.

This book was great!!! It contained much precise information about the Island, from beginning to end: Conquistadores to the closure of the Federal Pennitenary on March 21, 1963. It personified many individuals who lived on Alcatraz, both families and inmates. It also gave a very descriptive overview of almost every part of the prison and it's operations. The book also has much information about individual prisoners and their escape attempts. Not to mention, the book is loaded with tons of pictures. I believe this book was the greatest book ever writtten about Alcatraz Island Federal Pennitenary. I guess enough to make me want to go into the field of Corrections Administration. The book is very easy to read, along with many vivid pictures on each page that makes the entire book very impressive. Mr. Donald Hurley did an outstanding job!!!

World limnologists predict that the global water supply will, by 2060, cause greater concern to human existence than a shortage of fossil fuels. The Anandrous Journey is a highly readable adventure about a female protagonist and a zoology professor who managed to triumph over everything from the sexism of the early 1900's to physical dangers encountered on scientific expeditions. Her study of microscopic plankton continues to be a vital ecological factor in determining the projected life of Earth's bodies of water. How Hattie Bell Merrill, a petite five foot tall women, stood up to her male counterparts is described with amusing and revealing imagery of the moral, social and professional mores of her era.

Hattie Bell Merrill stood barely 5 ft. tall from her men's boots to the top of her pompadour. The author describes her delicate 100 pound frame as, "usually encumbered with camera and specimen gathering equipment as she trekked through hazardous, unknown terrain." She traveled by steamship, river boats, cog rail and horseback to areas where few white women ventured. She mingled equally with peasants, wealthy industrialists, natives of the rain forest and men of letters and science. When Merrill ventured out from her sepia-toned academic community in the North to the vivid spectrum of the tropical Amazon and South America she stated,"It was as liberating as loosing the constraints of my corset stays and changing into a shift." This is a biography that will make the reader want to cheer for the heroine who coped with obstacles more of man than of beasts.

M. L. Hartridge writes with accuracy and compassion this turn of the century saga as one who actually lived during the life of her heroine. The vivid descriptions of cultural contrasts in The Anandrous Journey are exiting visions in print!

A gripping novel set to the historical background of the NewMexico Territory in the 1870's. It deviates from the atypicalapproach of bar room fights, contrived sex scenes, and shallowcharacter development found in the paperback novels of today. The primary characters, Jack McLarem and Kriss Andersen, have depth and feeling. It's almost like I've known them as friends. I couldn't put the book down from start to finish. Great novel. END

Set in New Mexico in the late 1870s, Hewson's tale of brutal revenge and retaliation uses the last year of Victorio's hostilities as a framework. That Apache leader and other historical figures make token appearances, but center stage is held by peaceable, somewhat cynical rancher, Jack MacLaren, friend of Victorio and a man of honor. Much better written than most straight westerns, but bloody. Reviewed by Books of the Southwest.

This Western novel is more real than most. Well researched. The story twists in unusual ways with an excellant conclusion. The epilogue puts some closure on everything so the reader isn't left wondering. I can't wait for the sequel "The Copper Queen". I'm not a Western novel fan but enjoyed Apache Sundown a lot, it's a book anyone should enjoy

This is an excellent resource for lunar and planetary events, both past and future. I have been regularly consulting it for many years. The section on lunar occultations is especially invaluable for those seeking to predict local conditions. I own six books by Meeus. All are significant contributions to my astronomical library. Meeus is the master of celestial mechanics. Anyone interested in astronomy and the movements of celestial objects will appreciate any book by Jean Meeus.

So....a woman with a bright, happy sheen to her voice calls me, the Planetarium Manager at the Bishop Museum in Hawaii, and asks "when is the full moon in August of 2003?" "You're getting married then, right?" "Yes, how did you know?" When I get such questions...and I love getting them, love that chance to help connect astronomy with the personal lives of our visitors...I reach for Mr. Meeus's book. This is an invaluable resource. If you need moon phases, or equinox times, or whatever, deep into the new century...this book has it. Anyone who has any role in the public interpretation of astronomy needs it on her/his shelf. -Shanahan

For anyone wanting to find out exact times of celestial phenomena several decades in advance,I recommned this book. Excellent writing done by the world's most expert on calculations of this nature.