Black Books

This book faithfully recreates the world of Frazier Robinson and the Negro Leagues. Outstanding and fascinating. It would make a perfect gift for any baseball fan. Paul Bauer inserts nothing between you and his subject. It is a must have book for any serious fan of the game.

This is a wonderful book that needed to be written. I had the opportunity to meet Frazier while living and I am so glad that his stories live on in this book. It brings back the memory of the time when players played the game for the love of the game and not for what they were being paid. And worrying about what deal they could acquire in the off season. Also in a time when color mattered over talent it should remind us that never again should we engage in human exclusion

This book tells how things realy were back then. When Mr.Robinson told his story, he did not sugar coat anything. You don't find this in alot of the other books that were written about the Nego Leagues. I highly recommend this to book to any baseball fan.

Being a baseball history buff (addict) for the past 42 years, I've read just about everything I could get my hands on. I cannot now think of an autobiographical book to which I could attach a higher recommendation that "Catching Dreams" by Frazier "Slow" Robinson. This true gentleman travelled the dusty roads that connected the sites of Negro League baseball during the 30's, 40,s and even the 50's. Although produced by the University of Syracuse press, there is no attempt to make the book erudite or complicate it with an assortment of exotic literary techniques and obscure words. Instead, the publisher and co-author, Paul Bauer have presented the story of Slow Robinson in language truly spoken by the man himself. When you read this book, you will feel that you are seated beside Mr. Robinson as he speaks with words, terms and expressions uniquely those of a man with little formal education, who gained his lessons in life on the fly and had to learn his own language. His ability to recall a voluminous list of names and anecdotal material from his experiences, and to relate them descriptively, suggest a man who would have had little trouble dealing with a formal post-secondary school education. His relationships with such Negro League stalwarts as Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Leon Day and Satchel Paige are detailed with humour, insight and compassion. He is forthright without offending his old friends, as in Ball Four by Jim Bouton. In his own words, his goal in life was to be remembered as a nice guy; he passed with flying colors. If you choose only one book to read on this subject, you simply cannot go wrong with Catching Dreams.

I consider myself a student of Negro League history, and I read virtually everything I can locate on the subject. I have also developed friendships with many of these players over the years, and many of them have written books/memoirs regarding their playing days. In speaking with these great pioneers of professional sport, one quickly surmises that certain "stars" spent a fair amount of time embellishing legends and perfecting the art of self-promotion once their playing days ended. A handful have even managed to parlay this ability into a modest supplement to their income via baseball memorabilia shows, and I sincerely hope this trend continues for all who have mastered it.

Truthfully however, this group comprises only a tiny percentage of the remaining Negro Leaguers (they're just the loudest, so they garner the most notoriety, I suppose). Should you attend any gathering of former players, you will notice that these "showmen" are generally shunned or otherwise discredited by their peers. That speaks louder than anything I could write here. While these spotlight-lovers' ability to spin a yarn surely brings furthered interest and financial benefit to personal appearances by ALL former players, it likely also speaks to the historical accuracy one can expect from their books.

A select few didn't go the Barnum route -- they were who they were, they did what they did, and, while proud of their accomplishments on the diamond with arguably the greatest ballplayers of ANY era, they continued to live as they always had after their baseball careers ended. I am thankful when any player publishes a book, but when one of these select players leaves a record of what they saw, heard, accomplished and/or overcame, free of hyperbole, that book takes on a "treasured" status on my bookshelf. More than just a treasure, CATCHING DREAMS is flat-out the best of the genre. Buy it, read it, and learn something. I wouldn't recommend it this highly if it wasn't this good. It is.

Kudos to Paul Bauer for his efforts in faithfully documenting what was said and getting it published. I was fortunate enough to know Mr. Robinson well, and this book is an accurate representation of his character and personality -- it's honest, accurate, and self-effacing. You could waste time and money on lesser efforts by better-known players, or you could read something that captures the feel of a private audience with the author (with the added bonus that it's all TRUE!). I knew him well enough to know. I find myself wishing everyone else could have, too. Trust me. Buy the book.

Please find and read books by these authors, too:

Wilmer Fields (another honest account), Monte Irvin (yet another honest account), Effa Manley (difficult to find, but remarkable), Kevin Keating/Michael Kolleth (guide to the Negro League autograph collecting hobby, exhaustively researched and thoroughly enlightening), Phil Dixon/Patrick J. Hannigan (also hard to find, but still the best collection of negro league photos ever, and also well-researched).

Two authors survey the 'road rules' of the CEO using an unusual approach: by providing a contemporary parable story which winds through past, present and future relationships with family, colleagues, and the business community to illustrate how the protagonist 'Joe' rediscovers values and meaning within his business pursuits. Profiles of some fifty top private company CEOS concurrently illustrate numerous techniques, tools and tips for effecting such transformation. Use CEO Road Rules as a road manual for implementing values-based business planning.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Being an entrepreneurial CEO and leading an organization through growth transitions can be lonely, exhilarating, troubling and exciting. Using the tools described by Key and Stearns, leaders of such organizations have useful, practial guides to make the transitions successful. Building resilience, achieving balance and passing from success into significance requires the right focus and the right people working together with great execution. The CEOs described here, hope you will benefit from their journey as Nido Qubein says "with less trial and a lot less error in your work and personal lives."

From my own background in psychology, this CEO allegory makes perfect sense! Not only is it a sound guide for leadership in the business world, but also serves as a valuable roadmap for life. Dr. Key has drawn from a story familiar to all of us, and applied these lessons to company management. The principles of the book are written in a clever form which is easy to understand, incorporate and apply. I would recommend "CEO Road Rules" for all those interested in a business or psychological field. In fact, it would be an invaluable guidebook in graduate level programs as preparation for future careers: for professors, the points made lend themselves to clear, concise presentations; for students, the book is ideal for small discussion groups. It is my hope that "CEO Road Rules" will find a wide audience in those readers who are searching for the "right focus, right people and right execution" in the career of their choice.

Through an engaging and insightful exploration into the minds and hearts of prominent CEOs, CEO Road Rules provides a detailed road map for the challenging journey to leadership success.

Key and Stearns offer specifics on how to find the right people, gain the right focus and accomplish the right execution, as well as for how to leave the right legacy - an essential aspect of the process. This book contains a wealth of practical information that is clearly presented and can be readily applied.

CEO Road Rules is both a compelling story and a valuable guide book for achieving success in business and - perhaps most importantly - in life.

I loved the way this book began - by using a fictionalized format reminiscent of "A Christmas Carol," we are introduced to essential business values and principles, as well as to the man who unwisely ignored them. Keep reading, and the evolution begins - we not only learn key values, strategies, and interactions, we also are given the tools with which to execute successfully in business and in life.

This book is a must for CEOs, entrepreneurs, upper management, or anyone interested in building a lasting legacy. You will come away invigorated and with new appreciation for those who work alongside you.

the first time i recieved this book it took me about 2 weeks to read it all the way through and i would have to say this is a great book for people are seeking more knowledge about all aspects of what rastafarI is from its origan till its current standings it covers the tip of all subjects that flows on through rastafarian teachings and wisdom comming from someone who knew not much about rastafaI before reading this book i give it a 10 because it gives you info on lots of subjects discussed on rastafarI but leaves much for your mind to want to continue to search out more for yourself

This is the best book I've read on the subject. It is complete and gives the views of various scholars both Rasta and non-Rasta. I keep it as a resource and have read it 3 times.

A very large wealth of information on the rastafarian movement. A very scholarly anthology. Read it three times over and learn more each time! Will use for years.

Chanting Down Babylon is a welcomed addition to the growing literature on Rastafari. This reader sucessfully brings together most of the scholars studying Rastafari, as well as Rastafarians themselves, providing an important insight into Rastafari. The inclusion of articles addressing biblical hermeneutics as well as Rastafari theology begins to fill an important gap in Rastafari scholarship. A real treasure for those interested in learning about Rastafari for the first time, and for those who wish to expand their knowledge of this important religious movement.

I found this work to be one of the most complete on the study of the the Rastafarian movement.The information is well presented and is cohesive and highly informaive. This work is ideal for the new convert or anyone who wants a thorough examination of the faith. I highly recommend it.

Gwendolyn Pough has done something that many would have never thought could be done she wrote a delicate yet interesting academic book on an era that many seem to think will faze out hip hop has been with us for three decades or more hip hop has continue to thrive even when things that had nothing to do with it where use it against it but Ms. Pough takes it even farther she takes it to a point where most will tell you don't exist she breaks it down and tell you how woman yes I said it woman not just any woman but black woman step in and made their selves known in hip hop even though other hip hop scholars deny that ever being.

Gwendolyn takes you back to the days when working the turntables was a way to perform, rapping was a way to be heard, graffiti was a way to be seen because the state didn't want to have a performing arts curriculum so the black youth found away to allow their culture to thrive without the help of those who were educated to teach them these things they didn't need anyone to tell them what was the correct note or the proper way to do a dance the generation of that time was determine to make something of their selves and to say that this culture as Ms. Pough considers Hip Hop continues to grow so does other aspects of it from Rap to the Urban gear we see not only is it baggy jeans anymore we now see our young black brothers sharply dress in a three piece suite courtesy of Sean "P Diddy" Combs, brothers are wearing GRILLZ in their mouth because of Nelly, and last but surely not least women artist aren't afraid to take the stage because they have seen Missy, McLyte, Mary J Blidge, Queen Latifah, TLC, Salt N Pepper those ladies before them do it and they are determine to do it their selves I mean if you look at it Missy Elliott she is doing big things from producing to running her very own company. You can't tell me that hip hop has not arrived and that the black woman didn't help it arrive I mean woman are playing important roles in hip hop movies I know you all saw Brown Sugar where Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan are representatives of hip hop she is a part of it just as much as he is but no man will ever tell you hip hop is represent like it is black and white / man and female but Gwendolyn Pough has no problem telling you the truth behind the culture we know as Hip Hop.

After reading the book I sat back for a moment and really thought of what Ms. Pough said and her book now for me it was easy to accept as a young black woman working in the hip hop industry as a radio personality I see it all the time some black female artist trying to go up against whatever fella that's on the corner rapping its nothing to see a sister battling it out to maintain her place in the game they will get raunchy with their words and say something that you wouldn't expect but they will do what it takes to stand with the fellas because they know what its like to be in the male world of hip hop. So I stand give Ms Pough a applause for her dedication and hard work to make today's world understand that woman have a place in every culture even hip hop.

"Wave ya hands in the air and shake`em like you just don't care." These are words often used to hype the crowd for hip-hop concerts around the country. I found myself singing the same tune as I read this remarkable tribute to African American culture, hip-hop and feminism. Pough does an exceptional job of researching the roots of black women in the hip-hop phenomena, which has swept the world and become embedded in its very foundation. The hip-hop culture is broken down and explained through the lens of black women detailing how it has changed and how women are viewed. She traces the rhetoric of women in all hip-hop genres: urban literature, rap & soul music, development of the spoken word, and black film. The essence of the title, Pough explains is how black women bring "wreck" which is a form of praise to describe the "skill and greatness" of the lyrics.

Do you know the great women of hip-hop? You should take the time to sit down with this account of rap legends - Roxanne Shante, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Yo Yo, Salt-N-Pepa and many more. You will learn about Sylvia Robinson, the owner of Sugar Hill Records, break-dancer Baby Love, and poet lyricist Jessica Care Moore and Sista Soulja. Pough uses the work and dedication of these women to help readers understand how women are portrayed in hip-hop. She reaches back to Sojourner Truth preaching black power and equal rights use then leaps forward to Queen Latifah performing socially conscious rap and Salt-N-Pepa exuding sexuality in their breakout lyrics. From the stereotypical roles of "mammy" to the present day images of "chickenhead", black women have used rap music to outline their life, reconfigure their identities, and breakdown the historical stereotypes and negative images that male rappers have constructed.

Pough has provided the world with a well-researched, provocative account of hip-hop culture and the women who have added to its success. Readers can relive the development of hip-hop and sing the songs, remember the films, dances and slang made popular starting from the early 1970's to the present. This is a must-have book for every hip-hop lover, feminist, or African American studies student/department. The issues discussed in this book will provide hours of discussion for anyone who reads it. Pough has brought "wreck" to the area of academia.
Reviewed by M. Bruner for Loose Leaves Book Review

When hip hop made its debut onto the urban scene in the 1970s, most saw it as a fad that would eventually fade into oblivion. Some thirty years later this culture, essentially born from urban decay, with its eclectic mix of rap music, poetry, dance, dress and attitude, has become universal.

In her new book CHECK IT WHILE I WRECK IT, Gwendolyn Pough, assistant Professor of Women's Studies at the University of Minnesota, highlights some of the contributions of noted female rappers to hip hop and explores their impact on the evolution of the genre.

Dr. Pough explains the phenomena of "bringing wreck" a catch phrase often used in hip hop circles, as a form of praise, to describe "skill and greatness." The author uses this terminology to ascribe to the ways in which various female rappers; from the lyrically raunchy Foxy Brown and Lil Kim to the socially conscious Queen Latifah and Lauren Hill have brought "wreck" to the world of hip hop by causing "disruptions which somehow shifted the way black people were viewed in the society at large." The author further expounds on the theory that the hip hop culture has the power to "affect change and bring wreck in a meaningful way" and exhorts female rappers to recognize the tremendous possibilities of hip hop and use it as a force for good.

CHECK IT WHILE I WRECK IT is a thought-provoking, enlightening read which affords all readers a window into the world of an often misunderstood, yet extremely popular culture. At the core of this book is the author's call for female rappers to continue to "bring wreck" to the hip hop world, as they strive to carve their own niche in this essentially male dominated culture.

Reviewed by Autumn
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Unfortunately I must disagree with the other reviewers in that Pough's book is a history of women in hip hop. It is actually much more than that. Check It While I Wreck It is mainly a discussion of black women in the public sphere and questions how black women are portrayed not only in hip hop culture but in black culture. The author asks the reader to review some of the things we as women love so much about hip hop and ask how much these things have influenced today's young women. She gives her own reasons of why women have a hard time breaking into the hip hop culture and engages in the age-old question: can black women uplift themselves and embrace their own culture without the emmasculation of black men. With that said, if you are looking for a history of women in hip hop, this may not be your best source. However, if you looking for a study of black womanhood as a culture and its evolution, this would be a great choice.

Throughout the history of Hip-Hop, its relationship with women (particularly Black women) and feminism has been strained. Though there have been a few success stories regarding women on the scene and behind the scenes of the Hip-Hop movement, women's place in it have been, for the most part, invisible, degrading, and kept to a minimum. In Gwendolyn's Pough's exciting new book, Check It While I Wreck It, the assistant professor of women's studies at the University of Minnesota examines the dysfunctional relationship between Black women, feminism, and Hip Hop.

The book commences with a history of Black women in the public sphere who have contributed to the betterment of African-Americans such as Angela Davis, the historical Black clubwomen, and women who were trailblazers in the blues music industry. Pough reveals how Black women laid the foundation for future successes for the entire race. Pough writes "Black women were major players through Reconstruction, the civil rights movement, and the Black Power movement." In fact, because of their exclusion, the author even suggests a re-writing of history.

Later the author gives us a more recent history of women's contributions to the arts and Hop, including Sylvia Robinson, the label owner of Sugar Hill Records, break dancer Baby Love, and female rapper Roxanne Shante. The book gives major props to Grammy-winner Queen Latifah, Sista Soulja, MC Lyte, and poet Jessica Care Moore.

Pough also critiques the products of popular culture such as movies like Boyz N The Hood and Just Another Girl on the IRT, books such as Sista Soulja's The Coldest Winter Ever and Omar Tyree's Flyy Girl, and of course rap records such as L.L. Cool J's I Need Love, and Latifah's U.N.I.T.Y.

The book is best when examining the problems that exist between women and Hip-Hop, from the objectification of women in music videos to the acts of hyper-sexual rappers such as Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown. Pough writes "Today, in addition to the old images of the sexually promiscuous Black women...we have the bitches, hos, stunts, hoochies, pigeons, chickenheads, and baby mamas put forth by Black men rappers. The need to struggle against stereotyped images is still present." Let's hope this book will keep the discussion that invokes change alive.

"Check It While I Wreck" is a thoroughly researched, erudite, and culturally relevant work that is virtually impossible to put down. Reminiscent of the writings of bell hooks, this scholarly work in feminist theory and Hip-Hop culture is destined to be an instant classic taught in college lecture halls across the country.

This is a must read for all people. Each story is a personal glimpse, on an intimate level with the struggle to survive in a racist society. Some stories made me laugh out loud and some brought tears to my eyes. I am one of the authors. I had no idea how many others had felt my pain. Wish I could purchase a book for everybody I know.

Each essay spoke right to me. Some whispered and others shouted, but I knew exactly where the sound was coming from. Mind you, those hurts and slights may have happened quite awhile ago, but the memories seemed to have shaped (and are shaping) some extraordinary individuals. Will be giving this book to many people and genuinely hoarding my first edition copy.

Arline Lorraine Piper, author of the award-winning story, "The Question," in CHILDREN OF THE DREAM, captures the essence of the anthology in her extremely modest description of herself. "If I am at all extraordinary," she says, "it is in my willingness to expose my truth to myself, so that my truth can also be accessible to you. But this effort on my part to be ruthlessly honest with myself will only have full significance for you if it empowers you to the same honesty with yourself...." Welcome to the victors' tales, stories not merely of survival and overcoming, but of ultimately prevailing. With enormous range, across class, color, gender, age, lifestyles and experience, the stories in ruthless, honest remembering. For a nation suffering from collective amnesia where race is concerned, CHILDREN OF THE DREAM is a powerful cure. Sometimes funny, sometimes painful, sometimes subtle, sometimes in-your-face, each vignette is its own reminder of exactly how things on the race front got to be the way they are. This is a dialogue on race, voiced by people on the street, telling it the way it always has been and, regrettably, still is. CHILDREN OF THE DREAM is one more piece of evidence contradicting the popular, simplistic notion that there is one authentic Black experience. For instance, even though it happens to be my own story, not all African Americans grew up in single parent homes in the ghetto struggling to make ends meet. Dawn Bennett-Alexander's "(R)Evolution of Black and White" humorously, yet compellingly, makes just this point and Staajabu's "255 Sycamore Street" and Robert E. Penn's "War" go on to reinforce it. CHILDREN OF THE DREAM is a book for the entire family. Any young adult, for instance, can relate to the two 19-year old Bennett-Alexander sisters who share their experiences from markedly different perspectives in "The Black Experience" and "Betrayal in Black and White." When their baby sister, 9-year old Tess Alexandra, weighs in with her clear-eyed essay, "'Mixed' Emotions," even the youngest school-age child can hear and understand her voice. And as if that weren't enough, I dare you to remain unmoved after reading Antoine P. Reddick's brave but heartbreaking "All the Black Children" and then flip to Toure's "Blackmanwalkin," a young man's joyful tribute to his father. Finally, for those who think virulent racism is a thing of times past, apartheid lives well and prospers next door, on the bus, in school. Laurel Holliday has done something quite extraordinary. Once again, in this her last in the "Children of Conflict" series, she has stepped back and made it possible for readers to hear, without filters, the enormously varied voices of ordinary people speaking as the experts they are on growing up, in this instance, Black in America. CHILDREN OF THE DREAM offers readers the gift of entering the 21st century less ignorant, less divided, less mean-spirited, less smug, more generous, more hopeful, more sensitive, more empowered to face the clear and still present truth about racism's destruction. Make no mistake though. As one of the contributors to the anthology, I assure you that we do not point fingers, seek sympathy, or even threaten retribution. Rather, we have laid open pieces of our lives so you can see how we are all shaped, for good and bad, by the same forces. As with all gifts, you may take these or leave them. But for the wise ones, who desire a new, empowered, awakened way of racial being, the choice will be perfectly obvious

As a reader from outside America, this book was a revelation about a society which has so much to offer the world and yet often sells its own citizens short. Anyone, black or white who has ever experienced racism anywhere in the world will recognise themselves in these stories. It would be invidious to name specific writers from the collection, there is not a bad story in it which is to the credit of all the contributors but also to the work of Laurel Holliday who has brought yet another fine collection of stories by ordinary people to the reading public. What makes this collection exceptional is that it deals not only with racism by whites oppressing blacks, but the equally significant evil of blacks who seek to denigrate their brothers and sisters for 'not being black enough'. This is something which is recognisable to all who live in areas of racial or sectarian conflict. I wish that this book could be made compulsory reading for every school child, along with previous Laurel Holliday collections dealing with Palestine/Israel, Ireland and the victims of WW2 and the Holocaust. Read this book, it really will change the way you think!

Children Of The Dream A review by Gunter David Ft. Washington, PA

In the age of the status quo between black and white in American, when the races have social contact mainly at work, rarely at home, Children Of The Dream: Our Own Stories Of Growing Up Black In America makes a vital contribution. For how are we to know about each other, except by reading of inner thoughts and feelings, since most of us don't openly talk to each other?

This book is filled with memoirs of Afro-Americans struggling to come to terms with the color of their skin in a white world. But unlike other books having covered the same terrain, this volume describes the experiences of children, as told by adults looking back. The hurts, the wounds, but also the hopes and triumphs are recounted in the first person. They make for deeply personal stories, both revealing and informative.

Among the most moving is the very first in the book, "The Question" - a recollection by Arline Lorraine Piper of how her grandmother fed hungry white men during the Depression, when her own family had little to spare. "Sticks And Stones And Words And Bones" by Amitiyah Elayne Hyman, tells of relationships with white neighbors. There is sadness and a sense of loss in "My First Friend (My Blond-Haired, Blue-Eyed Linda)" by Marion Coleman Brown, on the theme of how children are taught to hate. And then there is "White Friends" by Bernestine Singley, a bitter indictment of both black and white social values.

The book is the latest in editor Laurel Holliday's "The Children Of The Conflict" series. Her introductions of each story beautifully set the scene. The pictures of the authors as children provide an illuminating touch.

This is an excellent tool for the elementary school counselor- each of the games can be adapted to use for any grade level k-6. The students love the interaction and I loved the ease of use. I would HIGHLY recommend this book! I am waiting anxiously for Shannon's next book!

This is a great resource for elementary counselors, teachers and substitutes! This book has many great lessons that gets the students involved while having fun and learning many new skills in the process. This would be in my top 5 must have resources to have as an elementary counselor!!

This book has been a great tool that I am able to use in my classroom! I am now able to have the students actively participate in a fun learning experience instead of always having paper pencil activities to complete.

This book is wonderful! I have used a number of the classroom guidance games for my students. There are games that are related to a number of topics. This is a wonderful book for school counselors to purchase. I definitely recommend it!

This book is a wonderful resource. I am lesson planning for the guidance curriculum for the school year, and have already included a lot of guidance lessons from this book. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to other elementary school counselors. This book provided exactly what I was hoping for- 30 minute lessons based on counseling standards that require little prep time and have a high "fun" factor for the children. Buy this book!!!

This wonderful collection of thirty-five essays, published in 2006, and co-edited by Stephana I. Colbert and Valerie I. Harrison began as a means of helping Ms. Harrison cope with the loss of her own father. What it grew into was an anthology in praise of great African-American fathers... and of Black Fatherhood. In choosing the 1969 song by The Winstons, Color Him Father, as a source for the book's title, they not only set the tone, but wound up rediscovering the Grammy Award-winning song's writer--Richard L. Spencer, Jr.--who is now a high school teacher, and a proud father himself.

Although the fathers in this collection of stories vary greatly: some were prosperous, while most were working class; some were raucous, while others were stoic, some were disciplinarians, while others were more like big siblings to their children. All of them receive glowing praise from their children. In fact, anyone who didn't have a father like these may read these essays with the occasional pang of jealousy!

The collection's foreword by Dr. Haki Madhubuti asserts why great African-American fathers are so necessary ("Children are a people's investment in themselves, they are not to be taken lightly or for granted."), and suggests six aspects of effective parenting that parents (but especially fathers) can incorporate into their families for success.

The seeds planted by the fathers in this collection have borne some very sweet fruit: six of the essayists are now attorneys/judges; six more are business executives; seven are educators; and eight are authors, poets and/or playwrights. In addition, some of the essayists have worn multiple hats in their professional careers.

Siblings Venise and S. Torriano Berry provide two quite different, but ultimately complimentary remembrances of their father Virgil: a hard-working man with a robust personality and a warm sense of humor, who was still a stranger to his children in many ways. The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr. (yes, that one!) provides a short, but humorous tale about a young man's childish mischief, the cost of disobedience, and the depths of a father's love. In My Favorite Green Dress and A Promise for the Seasons, the editors reflect--with humor and melancholy, respectively--on the remarkable fathers that prompted this work in the first place. As the first line of the foreword states: "Responsible fathers matter."

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, both for the fathers in your life and the fathers-yet-to-be, but also for anyone who has to serve as a mentor to or inspiration for young Black men, and as a gift to yourself.

While Color Him Father is presently available only on a limited scale, it is well worth the effort to find.

While the theme of the book is a father's love, the stories conjured up for me images of my aunties, my mom, uncles, big sisters and brothers - those who cherish us, who take pride in our littlest of things just because we are. The emotions are so raw that I felt the strength of the strong-shouldered dads melt to tenderness. I took pleasure in all the stories, but especially Harrison's A Promise for the Seasons. Only a father can make some things right and this book is a memorable tribute and keepsake.

This collection of essays about Black fathers has been long in the coming. It celebrates men who have achieved and accomplished beyond the odds, though not all are famous. The meaning of the book lies in capturing the virtues and strengths of ordinary and extraordinary men, and sharing it with us. The best essays are shared from the heart as well as from the memory of the writer. In attempting to get a range of tributes, some are too short. But all contribute to our understanding and to our knowledge. Any unevenness in the work wrought by many different authors is overcome in the sincerity and poignancy of the collection. This work is well worth reading, and understanding.
Dr. Judith A. B. Lee,
Professor Emerita
University of Connecticut

This book is a tribute to all the wonderful fathers of the world!!! It's important as parents that we understand the impact that we have on the lives of our children. The impact we have on our children as people and more importantly, the impact we on them a individuals!! In this book, the impact of a father and the importance of a father in a childs life is clearly defined!!! This book is the best purchase I've made all year!!! EXCELLENT READ!!!!

This book is a must read for anyone interested in seeing first hand the importance that fathers play in the lives of there childern. Color him father is filled with short stories that are easy to read and thought provoking. Anyone who reads this book will be profoundly impacted.

This is a very nice Bible with high quality genuine leather covers. Very nice center column Scripture references. Comfortable to hold and small enough to carry around in a backpack or back pocket. This Bible will last for years of travel, reading, and study.

Come explore the most fantastic journey through mankind's fiery history .. from time immemorial, beginning from the Genesis of the Deity's sparkling creation and all there is - through the Revelation of the foretold eternal yet to come. Find for yourself the Truth about True Love, Eternity, Happiness, and the Journey we call Life ... all within the pages of the Immortal Word.

This tiny leather bound Bible is really potable.
It's beautiful burgandy and has gold edge also.
And I find this "Word of Christ in Red" very usefull.
Concordance, Color Maps, Index to Maps are enough for
a Bible of this size.
I give this five stars.

this bible is my favourite bible i own, it's small and easy to carry to church services, it has a flap which closes on the front, a ribbon to find your place, very helpful cross-references and footnotes in the center margin, book, chapter and verse nos. at top of each bible text page, maps at the back, mini concordance, helpful Preface and "How to use this reference Bible" section, words of Christ in red. But, would like to see an extra page or two in the mini concordance, and map dimensions also in metric (maybe one day in a later edition!) And, being all in modern english, makes the Bible easy to understand and read.-

This NKJ Bible is an extraordinary small compact reference Bible. My seven year old son needed a NKJ Bible for his Christian School, and this is perfect for his small fingers. It is also small enough to fit on his school desk, and the words are big enough to read even though this is a compact size Bible. The snap flap gives the Bible an exquisite look for the small price I paid for the Bible. I guarantee I will be buying another one just like this one for my purse and long travels. Thank You for reading the rating on the perfection of this NKJ Bible.

Amazing source for talent management covering the most important HR functions to be fully utilized for building a sound strategy. Full of case studies, role models, statistics,. It is a source so valuable to use and keep for reference

An easily understood, quickly assimilated read. I read the entire 200-page book at one sitting, and shared ideas with the co-owners of my company right away. Usually, business management textbooks are full of jargon. Competing for talent is in plain english, and can be applied immediately.

This book offers "heads up" competitive intelligence that will work for any company or organization that wants to attract and retain a high quality workforce. I have seen bits and pieces of this information as we have worked with our own corporate culture. Having "Competing for Talent" in my hands five years ago would have saved us a great deal of research.

Employers are continually concerned about competing with each other to hire and hold the best employees they can find. Sometimes this competition becomes a frenzy, since the best people-qualified, experienced-are in high demand. It's essential, to compete well, to become an Employer of Choice. Ahlrichs, in her preface, observes that employers of choice "know that their 'choice' status is a significant achievement attained through consistent application of comprehensive strategies and tactics, as well as top-bottom organizational responsibility for retention.

This book is divided into three important sections: the big picture, recruiting, and retention. In Part One, How Employers of Choice are Winning the Talent Wars, the three chapters focus on Learning from Employers of Choice, Employer of Choice Foundation Strategies, and Building and Communicating a Top Employer Reputation. These writings present a good overview and insight into how Employers of Choice are operating. The orientation is to understand what these companies are doing, rather than a how-to approach. There is a lot to learn here.

The second part, Creative Strategies for Recruiting Top Talent, offers the readers four chapters, starting with How Employers of Choice are Redesigning Recruitment. The next chapter, Only You Will Do, has a little more instructional tone, but still primarily takes a third person view. This chapter concludes with a helpful Orientation Checklist. Chapter 6, Surfing for Recruiting Results Online does provide a healthy amount of how-to. While this field is changing almost daily, there is a lot of value here for the reader. Plenty of website domains are included. The last chapter in this section, Finding New Hires in Unlikely Places, is filled with good ideas. Here I felt a lot more of the how-to I was looking for.

The third section is entitled Comprehensive Strategies for Retaining Top Performers. Here the chapters are titled Understanding Why Employees Leave; Managing and Leading for Retention; Retrain, Develop, and Profit; and New Compensation and Benefits Strategies. There is a lot of value in these chapters-lots of ideas and perspectives. An exit interview guide will be helpful to those companies that have not taken advantage of this tool. The author seems to really hit her stride in providing ideas for readers in this section. The same holds for her conclusion, Becoming an Employer of Choice.

The book is well-written, filled with valuable information for the reader. The solid chapters are supplemented with a good resource guide and an index. I'd recommend this book for company owners, senior executives, and human resource professionals. As an ethical reviewer, I must share with you that I am co-author of "How to Become an Employer of Choice," a competing title in the same field. With that perspective, I would be quite comfortable recommending my clients read "Competing for Talent" as a supplement to my book.

Competing for talent should be required reading for anyone interested in learning new approaches for hiring qualified employees in today's very competitive work environment. I work for a state university system that has restrictive limits on what we can pay. Competing for Talent provided me with useful real world solutions to attracting and retaining qualified employees. This book had a positive and immediate impact on our hiring success.

I was quite surprised how good this comic was, as I had never before heard of the artist. Complete Lowelife reminds me of Peter Bagge's and Will Eisner's works, because it has humour in it and it tells about the sadness in life. And of course, the Hernandez Brothers' impact to Brubaker's work is quite visible. At some points the art is somewhat clumsy, but it really doesn't bother, although more personal way of drawing could be a good thing. The artist's improvement is clearly shown, as the this is a compilation of years work. I could relate to some of the characters very well and it's nice to know that problems regarding girls, drinking and money are quite global!

If you have ever been lonely, depressed, single, young, broke, and experienced the on-again, off-again joy of on-again, off-again relationships, then join the club. For those of us who have managed to get beyond those years, Brubaker manages to bring it all back to life in a way that makes it real again, though thankfully less painful than having to go through it all again. A must-read for those who like intelligent commentary on the human condition.

This is an autobiographical comic by Ed Brubaker who writes for such comics as Batman and the revamped catwoman. After reading Alex Robinson's comic Box Office Poison I wanted to read other comics that were in the slice of life vein. This book was recommended to me. I did not know until after purchasing it that it was an autobiographical comic which game the book an added punch. It was an extraordinary but sad read. The characters are both likeable and dislikeable at the same time, and because they are based on actual people the realism is top notch. so it back for a ride in booze, drugs, bad sex, and used book stores.

Quite a sad little self-examination piece that got me thinking as well.

Some of the situations in that book were like another world to me... I've never been into the drug scene, and there's a lot of that in there. I think it's an interesting subculture, which leads to my fascination with films like Pulp Fiction or Trainspotting, but it's nothing I'd ever get involved with in my wildest dreams.

But then, despite so much of the book centering on the author's old drug habits, there was a lot of coverage on his romantic problems / troubles, which is a world that I consider all too familiar. It's pretty funny... I've only ever had three steady girlfriends in my life, a couple strong mutual attractions that never added up to much, and a couple dates out of left field to round things out a bit. I'm far from a professor on the subject, but whenever I read or see something that deals with hearbreak, I instantly sympathize with the author.

The art's perfectly fitting to the mood of this story, and as a couple others have pointed out, it really progresses over time. An emotionally charged story, with more than a couple situations I'm sure you'll recognize if you've finished growing up. Proof that even the nicest kids can turn to crap in the right environment.

I was expecting another slice-of-life Autobiographical comic mixing the mundane with the humorous. The opening story delivers that, and I was laughing myself sick.....then the REAL story began....

A Complete Lowlife is author Ed Brubaker's true story of petty crime, drug addiction, murder and redemption. The book gets darker and darker with each story, and there were parts that just broke my heart.Since this is a true story, things don't get wrapped up neatly; the main character doesn't always know the right thing to say, or when to say it. He doesn't always do the right thing.

Like you and me.

Anyone who hasn't always been proud of things they've done or said will be able to identify. Brubaker is now a successful comic book writer, currently doing a wonderful job on DC's Batman. All the more impressive considering what he's been through. There's just no way you won't be touched in some way by this book. Give it a try.