California Books

I've been meditating and studying yoga for many years and thought I knew a lot until I read this book. This book grows on you--it's so full of practical ways to use meditation to improve your life, that you begin to take it for granted. If you want to know how to live like a master amidst the swirling vortices of life's ups and downs, this is the book that has the answers.

As usual, Donald Walter's book is insightful, inspiring, and easy to read. I love his style of teaching and writing. I get so tired of the "pop spiritual" books being all flash and marketing and little on substance. Donald Walters walks his talk and has a depth of understanding about spirituality that is rare in the world.

Walters offers many helpful hints for meditators of all paths, novice or experienced. Even though he is the founder of Ananda (as clearly explained on the back cover), his approach is completely non-sectarian. I would highly recommend this book as an appropriate gift for a friend who meditates, or to give your own practice a boost.

"Superconsciousness" is the term used for the metaphysical mechanism behind human intuition, spiritual and physical healing, successful problem solving, and the discovery of deep and lasting personal joy. In Awaken To Superconciousness: How To Use Meditation For Inner Peace, Intuitive Guidance, And Greater Awareness, J. Donald Walters (founder of the Ananda communities based on the practice of yoga and the philosophy of the Indian sage, Paramhansa Yogananda) shares his many years of experience and expertise to show the reader how to use ancient yoga tradition to attain inner peace and provides the inquiring mind with inspiring meditative exercises, including chanting, affirmation and prayer. Engaging, informative, "reader friendly", Awaken To Superconciousness is highly recommended reading for students of Eastern philosophy and the use of meditation as a tool and technique for mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical self-improvement and self-help.

If you're a yogi, a meditator, agnostic, even an atheist- I think you'll be helped by this book. I was. Walters shares very simple meditation techniques that work. This approach has been tried and tested for thousands of years- it's all basic yoga meditation, presented in a way that Westerners can understand. If I could 'get it' from this book, then anyone can!

Anne Perry, the enormously popular writer of historical fiction, just recommended this ballad by G. K. Chesterton as one of five must read tales of historical fiction. (See the Wall Street Journal's online Opinion Page for April 21, 2007 in an article entitled "Past Tense.") Here's part of what she said:

"This is the story of the English King Alfred's desperate stand against invading Danes in 878. England is conquered, and Alfred is a fugitive when he sees a vision of the Virgin Mary that bids him call together the remnants of his people for a final battle. "The Ballad of the White Horse" is an epic poem of courage, passion and unsurpassable beauty."

If you'd like to read other tales and poems by Chesterton, you might want to get "The Ballad of the White Horse" as part of a collection of his poetry that I edited for not much more money. It's called G. K. Chesterton's Early Poetry and has "The Ballad of the White Horse," along with two other books of Chesterton poetry under one cover. That means you'll also get his best humorous poetry, "Greybeards at Play." No less a writer than George Orwell ranked Chesterton as one of the three best writers of funny poetry in twentieth century England. The poems are a riot of the ridiculous and are accompanied with equally funny sketches he did.

And although Anne Perry and I have the same last name, as far as I know we're not related. Her's is a pen name. Mine is a real name. I guess I'm not creative enough to invent a name for myself.

G. K. Chesterton's Early Poetry: Greybeards At Play, The Wild Knight And Other Poems, The Ballad Of The White Horse

Mr. Chesterton has a masterful skill with the pen; _Orthodoxy_ and _The Napoleon of Notting Hill_ are wonderful books--but _The Ballad of the White Horse_ is heartbreaking in its power, beauty, and nobility. With a stunning use of alliteration, rhythm, and imagery, Mr. Chesterton teaches the reader about true hearts, true faith, and true sacrifice. I have bought a few copies of this book to give as gifts to friends, and I eagerly recommend it to anyone who will listen. This book is a must-have for any individual interested in expanding their knowledge of great poetry!

Out of the thousand or so books I have read in my life, if I were to put the Bible aside (since the Bible speaks with a special authority to believers and cannot really be compared to other books), I have read no more than five or six books that I would call truly great. That means there are only five or six books I would rate at five stars. This is one. Yes, it is that good.

I have never read any author who could make the English language sing the way Chesterton does in this poem -- for over a hundred pages. In contrast to contemporary "poets" whose "poems" consist of a bunch of strange words scattered apparently at random on a page, whose meaning, if there is one, is far beyond obscurity, Chesterton had apparently unlimited ability to create rhyme and alliteration, and then he bound it all tightly in the sing-song ballad style that carries it all swiftly along. The words of this poem are glorious to hear, and really, this book should be read aloud, so that one might hear the music of the words.

And few have ever been able to match the way Chesterton paints pictures with words. I will quote one passage, and hope it is not to long, to illustrate this. The scene here is Alfred's army making one final charge against the Danish camp:

Then bursting all and blasting
Came Christendom like death,
Kicked of such catapults of will,
The staves shiver, the barrels spill,
The waggons waver and crash and kill
The waggoners beneath.

Barriers go backward, banners rend,
Great shields groan like a gong,
Horses like horns of nightmare
Neigh horribly and long.

Horses ramp and rock and boil
And break their golden reins,
And slide on carnage clamorously,
Down where the bitter blood doth lie,
Where Ogier went on foot to die
In the old way of the Danes.

It would be hard to imagine anyone anyone describing such a violent scene in so few words any better than Chesterton does in that passage. And this passage is but one of dozens of glorious word-pictures that Chesterton's poetry paints in this book.

Beyond its magnificent use of the English language, this book also contains much philosophical insight -- insight that, although first published in 1911, is directly and clearly applicable today. Chesterton expresses very clearly the way that Christianity has formed the heart of Western culture over the ages, and the way that Christian faith -- which seems all about self-denial and thus sadness -- leads to unconquerable joy.

The book, of course, is not perfect; no work of literature can be. There are places where it gets a bit too preachy for my taste. But the book's flaws are few and minor, while its good points are many and glorious.

How good is this book? I have read it at least 50 times in my life, and I still enjoy reading it. In my opinion it is one of the truly greatest works written in the English language. It is one of the few books I have read that truly deserves five stars.

I had read some of Chesterton's fictional books, most of which contain poems which he has written, and I very much enjoyed his poems, so I decided to get a book of his poetry. This too I really enjoyed, so I decided to get another book of his poetry, this time it was The Ballad of the White Horse, and this book simply blew away all of the rest of Chesterton's poems. In fact, it simply blows away most poems by anyone. I have read Dante's Divine Comedy, Milton' Paradise Lost, Eliot's Wasteland, Chaucer's Canturbury Tales, etc., but I can honestly say that I enjoyed this epic far more than any of them. I am not saying that it is a better written poem or that it should be ranked above these classics, but I am saying that it is much more exciting to read than the others. Somehow Chesterton makes his poem involving: you are drawn into it and cannot put the book down until you have finished the chapter. He wrote it in such a way that the verses beg to be read quickly, and as I read I found myself reading faster and faster, until I was stumbling over the words and had to slow down again. Chesterton, like no other poet whom I know of, paints a picture of glory, honor, bravery, and captures the true spirit of an idealized Medieval War. The poem resounds with the drums of doom, the cries of angels, the hordes of invading barbarians and great deeds of heroes of old. If I were to recommend owning one epic poem, this would be the one.

Overall grade: A+

A stirring epic poem with a message important for the future of western civilization...to act on hope when there is no longer any hope... The outcome is always, finally, in God's Providence. "The Ballad of the White Horse" should have great appeal for young men who can dream impossibilities because they are firmly grounded in the eternal verities. The battles scenes will fire the blood!

Personal experiences mixed with arguments about transgender issues provide the reader with insight about what it really means to be a transsexual.

Definately an excellent read, and one to keep in the library of any FTM.

This is an easy, fun, and interesting read. The book rekindled my sensitivity and respect for humanity.

It's a very good book, because it's one of the very best books I've ever read on trans issues. It's good if you need it for a positive outlook on transitioning. It's a book that has helped me as a person and I know that this book can help other guys out there see that they're not alone and there is a good way to transition.

Green, explores his own experiences and tells them in great detail. He's very educational and has helped me get through some tough times. It's a book I couldn't help not buying. It's in my library when I need to go back and see that I don't need to apoligize for who I am.

Jamison Green's book Becoming a Visible Man is easily among my current top choices of trans-related texts. Not only does Green give readers pieces of his own personal experiences (following the trend of many other trans texts), but he also offers accessible, educational, and nuanced arguments around trans issues. In this way, Becoming a Visible Man is not only the story of Green's own personal becoming, but also, and perhaps more importantly, the story of the structures, institutions, and other forces that circumscribe, shape, and color all our becomings. In this vein, I'm confident that this book would appeal to transpeople and non-transpeople alike, both those with none or very little knowledge of trans issues, as well as those with much experience in this area.

While I haven't had the fortune (yet) to be familiar with Green's writings in the FTM Newsletter, I have no doubt that he provided much help and wisdom to its breadth of readers. His writing is balanced and aware of its biases, always mindful of questioning the existing structures of power, and responsible to those with whom he seems himself in community and alliance. By no means does this mean that Green attempts to speak for or about all transpeople or all transmen, or that he understands all transpeople or their experiences to be the same. Rather, Green is quite adamant about the differences between and among transpeople, at the same time that he is clear that we must come together in all our differences to effect true social change. And to his credit, through this all, his author's voice is calm and poetic; a great combination indeed of form and context!

I really could go on at length about the merits of this text...there isn't one thing I didn't like or find useful in its 231 pages. But, I'll settle for highlighting some of my most favorite passages:

(68) "I realized that if I could live in a way that declared my own self-acceptance--that is, not to broadcast my history every minute of the day, but to speak up honestly when it was appropriate, not necessarily with anger or even impatience, but with the compassion that I was finding within myself, to dispel myths and stereotypes that people cling to about us--that it would show others they could do it, too. Together we could change the conditions that generated our fears."

(78) "Politics is the art of negotiation among divergent goals, and cooperation is difficult when people are unaware of their motives or goals, or unable or unwilling to reveal them."

(89) "Being a transsexual is not something we do in the privacy of our own bedrooms; it affects every aspect of our lives, from our driver's licenses to our work histories, from our birth certificates to our school transcripts to our parents' wills, and every relationship represented by those paper trails."

(127) "For some people, the consequences of a transperson's assertion of his or her identity are simply too frightening because it threatens their own position within a particular community of ideology or faith."

(128) "My brother was not exactly disapproving of my sexual orientation, nor was he resentful of my ability to pitch in with his friends on construction projects or to manage home electrical problems, but he was much more comfortable when he didn't have to explain me anymore. This is not a reason to transition, as far as I'm concerned, but is a fact that an appearance of conformity with normative gender behavior does cause less social friction, a fact that every child has had drummed into her or him from earliest consciousness.

(177) "The extent to which we convey the truth of our experience is the extent to which any audience will receive us, yet so long as other people control the forum, or so long as the analyzing or commenting voices are not informed by direct experience of us, we are still vulnerable to being treated with nothing more enlightened than prejudice."

(180) "Social conventions and institutions support individual prejudice against the rights of transsexual people, adding to the burden of secrecy. These conventions persist because no one has tried, until very recently, to correct them."

(191) "Gender is a private matter that we share with others; and when we share it, it becomes a social construction, thus it requires, like language, a `speaker' and a `listener.' It is between the two of these actors that gender is defined, negotiated, corroborated, or challenged...But if we don't speak a language that others understand, then it can be a source of difficulty, even conflict, if we find ourselves in an intolerant environment."

(210) "If we are concerned that others will perceive our physical differences as laughable deficiencies, the answer is not to dehumanize and desensitize ourselves so we can manage rejection, but to sensitize others to appreciate us, and to learn to manage our own self-doubts so that others will be able to see worthy partners in us."

I received this book as a gift. What a treasure it has become - great recipes for all seasons, an excellent layout, beautiful illustrations, and simple instructions. It is now the first cookbook I go to!

Absolutely a phenomenonal cookbook! Just purchased on vacation in Cape May, New Jersey at Love the Cook. Gorgeous pictures, wonderful recipes......California at it's best! A real winner...a real find.

I originally received this cookbook as a gift. I was so delighted with it, I subsequently ordered four additional copies to give as gifts. The recipients are still thanking me! First, the recipes are creative and delicious -- fully enhancing the flavors of bountiful, diverse, fresh ingredients found in the San Francisco Bay Area and Wine Country. (It's hard NOT to eat well in this region!) Second, the cookbook itself is uncommonly successful in evoking this spectacular setting with gorgeous photos, sidebars of interesting sidetrips, local restaurants and wineries, and mind-boggling facts regarding the abundance of local agriculture. Food preparation tips, background information on local food and wine festivals/events, and delicacies such as Meyer Lemons are also highlighted. While it's fun to simply browse through this beautiful cookbook, it's even better to sample the Junior League's trade-mark "home cooking with flair." Full menus are offered here. My personal favorites are the Baja Guacamole, Savory Polenta w/Asiago Cheese, Garlic-Roasted Chicken, Pork Tenderloin w/Apricot Ginger Sauce, and Cherries & Berries Compote w/Crispy Puffed Pancake. The Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars are worth the price of admission all by themselves! I'm not surprised this cookbook is winning national rave reviews and awards. They are very well deserved! It is so beautifully rendered, it puts most commercially-produced cookbooks to shame.

Received this cookbook as a gift and have since given it as a wedding gift... this is my favorite cookbook hands down... has a great layout with nice pictures... recipes are organized seasonally with focus on fresh local food... recipes have interesting combinations of flavors and spices... everything I've made has turned out to be something I'd make again as a staple meal for entertaining or just for the family.

I received this cookbook as a gift. I must admit, at first I found it so nice to look at that it sat on my coffee table on display. Recently, however, I hosted a baby shower and prepared several dishes which were simple yet elegant. Everyone was so impressed--I felt like Martha Stewart without any of the hassle. Another nice feature of this cookbook is that it recommends menus, which is great, b/c I never know what to serve together. This is one of my favorite cookbooks now!

Two men with different problems in a half-way house learn to accept each other. The causes and results of the problems are explored by Frankie Schelly as she uses the novel to educate the public. She writes from personal experience having worked with individuals with mental illness and addiction. Not an easy book to read due to its intenseness, but should be read by anyone dealing with persons suffering from mental illness or addiction.

Anyone who reads CHANCE PLACE will be changed in a positive way by its content and that in itself is a success for the field of mental health care.

It was the early seventies when Nathan Waite finds himself in a Princeton dorm, the sound of Roberta Flack's music taunting his memories of making love with Cheryl and her pleas that he find help. He sees his handwriting on notes he has been studying for a test, but does not remember writing the words. As the cacophony of his growing illness crowds him mind, it results in chaos, and leads to Nathan's confinement to the mental health system.

At fourteen, Frenchy Bibideaux flees his alcoholic and violent home life for the streets. Chance brings an offer of a ride from a stranger. Despite his mother's warnings about riding with strangers, Frenchy climbs in the warm car to ride home with Peso. Clothes, money, fantasies are all lavished the boy. He enrolls in a Catholic school and lives a luxurious life. But when he turns sixteen, Peso seeks payment. Life continues to spiral out of control until French wrongly lands in a halfway home for the mentally ill in Minneapolis.

Desperate for companionship, Frenchy befriends Nathan. Nathan's family has suffered financial and emotional devastation from his illness, remanding him to the halfway house out of necessity. Both men struggle with an incomprehensible mental health system. Eventually, Frenchy's sexual confusion results in a terrible affront to Nathan. Their alienation finds unexpected healing, however, when Frenchy compromises everything for the one chance to save Nathan from a mental health system gone awry.

Author Frankie Schelly pens a stunning novel with CHANCE PLACE. With compassionate humor, poignant opportunities and unexpected joy, CHANCE PLACE finds powerful redemption. As the child of a schizophrenic mother, I am very critical of the presentation of the mentally ill in fiction and fantastically pleased with Schelly's presentation of this difficult topic. Schelly's understanding of mental illness and the sensitivity she displays reveals her own battle with schizophrenia in her son, and her awareness of the human face the illness attempts to mask. A poignant tale that weaves the disparate elements of friendship, betrayal and forgiveness into a fascinating narrative, CHANCE PLACE earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.

Anyone who has had experience with mental illness will identify and know that this book rings true. Schelly exposes the shameful lack of effective help in the System and allows us to view life from the inside of a schizophrenic's mind. CHANCE PLACE, well researched and sensitively written, arouses compassion and understanding. I recommend it as a must read on this subject.

Ms. Schelly captured the human dilemma. We see that pathological symptoms in the human being can be understood through relationship process. She struck soundly at the core of challenges we face as we try to maintain a sense of Self and form meaningful relationships. Ms. Schelly's work causes us to pause and take stock of our own behaviors in relation to our fellow man. Although she selected mental health as her focus, this book is instructive for all of with every contact we have. I applaud Ms. Schelly for the telling of this story.

This is the best Chihuahua book I've read. It's very informative, great pictures and an easy read. The author does a great job covering topics such as purchasing, training, grooming, nutrition, health and much more. It's a good book and I highly recommend it, it's worth the money. Every Chihuahua owner should get this book.

This book was a quick read, but full of knowledge! I have always liked the Barron's dog editions, and this one was great too! It gave wonderful information when purchasing a puppy, what to look for, questions to ask, as well as training tips, grooming tips and more. Some subjects are a bit vague, and you might need another book for, but besides that, just for general understanding of a Chihuahua, this is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it! :-)

I am a first time Chihuahua owner. This book has been such a big help! Our vet was impressed by how much I know about this wonderful breed! I would recommend this book to any Chi owner!
It was also a very easy read!

THIS IS A MUST FOR ALL CHI OWNERS.I ADORE THESE LITTLE DOGS WHO ARE HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND TOTALLY CAPTIVATING...THEY ARE NOT 'PLAYTHINGS' - AS PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE BREED MISTAKENLY BELIEVE - BUT LITTLE 'PEOPLE', AND GREAT PSYCHOLOGISTS! THEY ALL LOVE BEING CUDDLED, BUT ALSO, TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN ANY TASK U SET THEM, AND MAKE IT QUITE OBVIOUS THAT THEY ARE ENJOYING THEMSELVES...BUT, BEWARE...UNLESS U FIND OUT ALL ABOUT THEM BY STUDYING AND REFERRING TO, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS BOOK, U WILL NOT KNOW WHAT CHIS ARE CAPABLE OF & MOST IMPORTANTLY THEIR CARE & NEEDS..THE DESCRIPTION BELOW THE TITLE OF THE BOOK IS SELF-EXPLANATORY. EVERY CHI IS A NEW CHALLENGE AS THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT. TRAIN THEM STARTING EARLY AND IT WILL REAP RICH REWARDS..LAUGH AT THIS STATEMENT AND THEY WILL HAVE U AT THE END OF THE LEAD! TREAT THIS BOOK AS A BIBLE. I REFER TO IT ALMOST DAILY WITH MY LATEST CHI WHO IS JUST 10 MONTHS OLD & HAS HAD A MIND OF HER OWN FROM WHEN HER BREEDER BROUGHT HER TO MY HOUSE AT 14 WEEKS.

this book is really great! if you are looking for loads of info on chihuahuas,or just a bunch of really cute pics of them, then buy this book. it has great pics AND lots of info.buy it! its great!the best chichi book ever!

... No psycho-drama authorship trying to turn historical facts into "entertaining history". This book takes the documented history of the Vietnam air war, thoughtfully analyzes the data, and presents rational conclusions that can be used as lessons for the future. This is "intelligent history" at its best. Well-done!

This book is an excellent account of the "corporate" deficiencies of the USAF in the late 60's and early 70's. The deficiencies of the air-to-air missiles in the Vietnam war are strikingly similar to the deficiencies of the torpedos in the USN in the first two years of WWII. Equally striking was the smug attitude of the service about the superiority of US aircraft ("The F-86 had a 13:1 kill ratio over the MiG-15. Who cares that they slaughtered the F-84s?") and the poor pilot training that occurred for both USAF and USN F-4 drivers. The MiG-21 was indeed a nasty surprise. With a higher thrust-to-weight ratio and a lower wing loading, it could both out-accelerate and out-turn F-105s and F-4s. The only American advantage was a higher clean top speed, and external ordinance stores and fuel tanks often abrogated this. The MiG-21 had poor visibility, and a short range, but was an excellent point defense interceptor that transitioned well from bomber defense to dog fighting. (As an aside to the book, with modern electronics, the MiG-21/Lancer and MiG-21/2000 are excellent low-cost fighters today, but each air-air missile will cost you as much as the airframe!) The book details both the combat adaptations that worked (jamming pods, IFF interrogators) and the effective efforts of the USN and criminal negligence of the USAF (and I write as an ex-USAF officer) to improve dog fighting capabilities between the end of Rolling Thunder in 1968 and Linebacker I/II in 1972. The Navy instituted the Top Gun school and made effective modifications to the AIM-9 Sidewinder - the Air Force made a couple of ineffective changes to the AIM-9 and some moderately good ones to the AIM-7, though much of the better performance of the latter during Linebacker was due to higher engagement altitudes resulting from the use of laser guided bombs for the strike packages. He does make the point in the end that the USAF attitude improved after Vietnam when the junior officers of that war increased in seniority and that the introduction of AWACS and trading top speed for maneuverability and visibility in the new generation of fighters cured many of the deficiencies seen in the Vietnam war. A minor objection is that the book does not refer to officers below general rank by name.

This is simply the best book on the air war over thenorth. Here you found both technichal datas, doctrinal debate and combat history. Michel style is dry, he ocnentrates on fact rayther than personal memoir or oral history, but reading this book you will have the best picture of the actal missions over the North Vietnam. Tha autohrs follow the history of the air war both from US and DRV perspective comparing airacraft, weapons and doctrines. The book is full of detial form the advantages and disavanteges of the various aricrafts to the dreaded flight four USAF formation. He actually dispel some myths (especially adressoing the real effectiveness of the SAM defense). If you are interested in air war this book is a must.

Clashes deals with the air war over North Vietnam, something I've had a fascination with for some time. Why, because I wanted to understand why servicemen were put into a dangerous position and what did really happen. To help answer this, Col. Michel takes on the entire air war over North Vietnam (Rolling Thunder, Linebacker I, and Linebacker II). Rather than looking at it from the cockpit view (ala Thud Ridge: F-105 Thunderchief missions over Vietnam or When Thunder Rolled), Col. Michel takes us up to the operations level and provides a good high level breakdown of many of the raids and the engagements between fighters and the North Vietnamese air defenses. The book is divided into two parts (Rolling Thunder and Linebacker) with subsections focusing on different components (both parts use equipment used, early engagements, later engagements, and summary). In each of subsection, Col. Michel does a very good job describing what is occurring and what the Americans and North Vietnamese are doing. In addition to describing engagements, Col. Michel does a great job describing the involvement of EC-121's (College Eye/Disco) and Red Crown (a naval ship controlling the fighters) and their impact on the fight. Unlike other history's, Clashes does not name the pilots involved, rather their radio call signs are used.

Parts I Loved:
Clashes gives us much information about the aircraft involved, the abilities of the men flying them (their training and tactics), and the environment they're fighting in. I loved the drawings, they do an excellent job showing the differences between a fluid four and a loose deuce. I also loved Col. Michel including the technical aspects; performance test of captured MiG's, the Command and Control aspect (often overlooked), and the power and effect of jamming.

Parts I Wish Were a Little Stronger:
Iron Hand missions were a little on the weak side. I have a love and fondness for Wild Weasels and wish that more had been brought out about their support of the missions and how they operated (I'm sorry, this was weak in comparison to the attention paid to Chaff bombers). I also wish more had been brought out about rescue missions and the work they did there.

Bottom Line
Rating wise, this is a very solid 4.5 star book. I am giving it the node to 5 for Amazon purposes, but for my personal rating I can't rate it up there with Fire in the Sky: The Air War in the South Pacific by Eric Bergerud (I'm sorry, Fire in the Sky is my personal favorite or telling the story of an air war. Clashes though is right behind it!). I understand why Col. Michel focused heavily on the air-to-air engagements and for the insight he provides there this a solid 5 star book. No matter, if you want to know about the Vietnam Air War (mainly in Pack's 5 and 6), then this is the book for you.

"Clashes:Air Combat over North Vietnam 1965-1972" is the best book I have ever read on aerial combat over North Vietnam and one of the best books I have read on aerial combat in general. It provides an excellent analysis of what went right and what went wrong in the skies over North Vietnam. I was truly amazed to read how often the air to air missiles, especialliy the AIM-7 Sparrow, malfunctioned. For anyone interested in aerial combat, this excellent book is a must!

Richard Sparks' "Diary of a Mad Poker Player" is a wonderful read. It reaches out to the reader on so many levels.

It's the quest of a dedicated amateur poker player to win his way in to the World Series of Poker through a combination of online satellite tournaments and satellites held in brick and mortar casinos. Richard Sparks is an extremely witty man and a great teller of tales, and along the way he interviews everyone from legends of the game such as Doyle Brunson, Chris Moneymaker, and Sammy Farha, to unknown players who are hoping for glory after winning their way into the World Series of Poker through an online satellite.

I'm not sure there's another writer out there who could combine his quest for winning a seat in poker's richest event with the make and model number banjo played by Earl Scruggs, classic Monte Python sketches, and a few quotes that William Shakespeare might have authored, had the bard been born a few centuries later, instead of in his own, unfortunate time, before poker was invented. Not only does he combine all this irreverence, but somehow it works in masterstrokes of wit and wordsmithing.

Sparks also tells the story of how online poker came to prominence and how it led to the incredible growth in tournament poker in general and the World Series of Poker in particular. After all, at the turn of the century, the World Series of Poker was happy to have slightly more than 300 entrants pony up $10,000 each to play in its main event. In 2006, nearly 8,000 played, a number no one would have dared to imagine just a few short years ago.

He delves deeply into the legal status of online poker, as well as its safety. So just while you're having fun with Sparks' madcap romp through poker's highly textured landscape, you find yourself on a knowledgeable ride through the underpinnings of contemporary poker.

There's even some good poker advice tucked into its pages. Though it's not an instructional book by any means, the advice that bubbles up to the surface is sound and solid.

There's actually nothing about "Diary of a Mad Poker Player" not to like. It's authoritative, informative, insightful, wildly funny, incredibly witty, and a book you can go back to time and again. If Richard Sparks represents everyman in his quest to play at the WSOP, this is everyman at his best, and funniest. I highly recommend it.

"Diary" is terrific for learning the inside game of poker and laughing. There are very entertaining characters behind those reflector glasses and grain feed caps. I discovered important plays and strategies while enjoying the author's Monty Python-esque humor. Finally, my knowledge of "tells" has exceeded waiting for a gasp, heave or howl. I don't think amateurs or experts will be disappointed.

This is a sad poker book. (I have not read the Stu Ungar bio which must be even more poignant.) He gives a lot of the gritty details of his poker play. Don't get me wrong: the tone isn't sad, but the game play is.

In fact, he admits he never does very well at the tables, and I can't tell if that's due to bad beats or his own bad play.

Instead, try the Moneymaker book which at least has an upbeat poker ending or Aces and Kings, about several well-known players.

Or read Positively Fifth Street by James McManus about his adventures in the WSOP Main Event. It's not just upbeat; you can tell he understands the game.

P.S. Sparks has a new book out, Getting Lucky: the Education of a Mad Poker Player. In it, the author admits his game needed help when wrote this book. (As he was coached by Tom McEvoy before he wrote his new book, I'm sure his game has become much better!) For those who think I was too harsh with Mr. Sparks, I did buy his new book.

Great book! Sparks uses each chapter to capture different aspects of poker today. The book is very fast moving and hard to put down. I would definately recc it to anyone interested in either big time or online poker today.

This is an extremely novel book as it is a first hand account of a journalist's obsession with poker and of his online attempts to procure a seat for the 2004 World Series. The narrator, Richard Sparks, spends the first half of the diary talking about the game in general and providing us with accounts of his own efforts to gain a seat. Sparks is a good writer and possesses a creative mind. One would never describe him as boring. Overall, it's an average+ book, although it could have been a better. Sparks pastes in too many conversations from online poker chat boxes, and does not devote enough pages to the 2004 WSOP event itself. There is, however, one section in which Diary transcends, and that is where we are made privy to the transcript of the interview he had with Sammy Farha. It's absolutely excellent. We learn more about the man in those few short pages than we do over the course of all his ESPN human interest moments. There are other titles to buy ahead of this one, but it's still enjoyable.

but very minimal. Not adequate for a serious student of the scriptures. I have tried to look up many Jewish words, both in English transliteration, and in Hebrew, and have been very disappointed.

I would like to find a good Hebrew-English, English-Hebrew dictionary with transliteration. This dictionary is a good start, but that's all it is, a start.

Orthodoxy and rabbinical scholars almost assuredly will be familiar with most of these terms. The authors freely admit that they compiled the terms from their own upbringings - "modern, American, liberal, matriarchal, and from Conservative and Reform backgrounds." Thus, many of the rituals discussed are from that perspective.

For instance, a minyan is a gathering of ten men, the minimum required for a religious service. In this text in this book, the word "people" is substituted for men, but the bottom of the entry explains that traditionally that number only referred to men.

For those who grew up without a Jewish background or for those whose knowledge of general Jewish vocabulary is lax, this is a wonderfully written book. The words are arranged alphabetically. A dictionary of Jewish words could include potentially hundreds, if not thousands of pages, so the authors narrowed down the scope to include words that one might hear in daily life in the USA. The words are drawn from Hebrew, Aramaic, Yiddish, and Ladino. It would be ideal for non-Jews who simply want to figure out some of the words in conversations that their Jewish friends use!

Since all words have to be transliterated, different spellings with Latin letters are cross-referenced to the entry which tells where the definition will be given. This is invaluable since many words in the USA are spelled a variety of ways, such as Chanukah, Hanukah, Hannukkah, and Hanukkah.

The definitions are clear and concise. Words used in definitions which are bold-faced are also entries in the dictionary.

What many may find especially helpful is the category lists in the back of the book. For instance, there are lists for objects found in a synagogue, for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, the Jewish calendar, food, Pesach, and many more.

"The Jewish Word Book," by Sidney J. Jacobs, published in 1982, contains more entries. However, I prefer this book by the JPS because the words are explained more in-depth with many examples of words given. Unless one is extremely well-versed in Judaism, this book is very helpful without seeming overwhelming.

This book is not a comprehensive introduction to Judaism, and it won't be of much use to non-Jews. It is essentially a glossary, lists of words in alphabetical order, with short translations, definitions, and explanations. It is an excellent resource for those of us who have forgotten the exact meaning of common ritual terms and prayers, or for those who are just starting to learn and are having trouble remembering which holiday or prayer is which. The index has some handy categories of words: for example, Rosh Hashanah will refer you to the book listings that are associated with that holiday. The book does not have an Orthodox orientation, but will be useful for some Conservative, all Reform, and for
new, Jews.

Updated and revised to add new words, terms and expressions is the handy DICTIONARY OF JEWISH WORDS, an easy A-Z reference defining words from Hebrew and Yiddish and offering a paragraph of definition and examples for each. Any collection strong in Jewish history, culture and language should have this easy reference: its coverage is quite extensive.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

What a delight to have a book that picks up where so many of my deceased relatives left off in my Jewish education. A straight-forward, easy-to-read book that is a valuable resource to every Jewish home, every partially Jewish home or any wanna-be Jewish home!

If you are interested in becoming a Druid Revivalist or a member of the AODA this book is a must-read. If you are not sure which path you want to trod, this book will be very helpful in explaining just what exactly it means to be a Druid Revivalist. Remember, if Druid Reconstruction is your cup of tea, then forget about this book. The only reason I give it a 4 instead of a 5 is because the book can be a bit dry at times.

This book was quite useful into explaining, what it means to be a modern 'Druid'.Ross Nichols wrote the book,'The Book of Druidry',some thirty plus years ago.Eventhough Nichols' Druid book was interesting reading,Greer's book is one of the best modern intrepretations of Druidry around today.Greer's book is the best facilitative druid handbook for daily ritual and spiritual practices.In this age of fatalistic attitudes,this book is empowering and enriching for one's soul.When one accepts one's connection to Mother-Nature,then one can live a positive life rather than a self-destructive morose one.This is not a persiflage prattle on Druidism.It's a fresh serious introduction on what a real modern Druid believes,observes,connects and practices during the turning of the Earth's seasons.An excellent start for everyone earnest about being a modern Druid,honoring and sharing the surrounding all-powerful Mother-Nature.

This book is based on the Revival Druidry of the 18th & 19th centuries, including many of Iolo Morganwg's fraudulent inventions & the Albans as holidays (there's not much evidence that any but the Summer solstice were celebrated by the Celts.) Of course, the foreward by Philip Carr-Gomm is written in a way to romanticize Revival Druidry, but he has a clear agenda in doing so (to help sell books.) The author states that "ogham served as a magical alphabet," but this is nonsense. Most frequently, archaeological evidence of ogham writings tend toward mundania; boundary markers, gravestone inscriptions. Although there are some good things in the book, the title should have been "The Revival Druidry Handbook," in which case I wouldn't have purchased it.

Mr. Greer, once again, provides the reader with an in-depth look at Druidry as a way of life and a religion. His information comes from a long history within the path that he writes about. Excellent information, well thought out and well laid out.

The Druidry Handbook is a beginner's text for those interested in finding out more about Druidry (past and present) as well as those individuals who think they might want to become a Druid, either as a solitary or part of an organized study group. This book is divided into three parts.

Part one looks at the history of Druidry. I was quite impressed with this section as the author was not intimidated to discuss the lack of substantial resources about the Druids of ancient times nor did the author shy away from discussing the complexities associated with the Revival Druidry period. I was also pleased that the author looked to the Celtic myths for answers as many scholars tend to ignore these important resources completely.

Part two and three of this book look at specific aspects of Druidry. Part two introduces the reader to basic concepts such as the importance of triads in this belief system. Part three goes into more detail on general Druidic beliefs including a very good explanation of proposed calendar cycles and their associated ceremonies. The author also includes a very well thought out initiate program for those wanting to try on the Druid lifestyle.