Alternative Books

This is an adorable picture book. I was babysitting for a very restless four-year-old and was having difficulty getting him to sleep. I took out of stack of books to calm him down and he picked this one up right away. After reading this story, he insisted that I read it again! I ended up reading it to him three times, and he said he enjoyed it much more than the other books we had read that night. When he was leaving, he asked me, "Could you please order that book for me?!" Shutta Crum has a very special talent as an author, and does an excellent job writing for the young audience of 'Fox and Fluff'.

Fox is the biggest, baddest guy on the block...until fiesty Fluff hatches, imprints on Fox, and starts emulating his reluctant father figure. Peep by peep, Fluff chirps his way into Fox's heart...and the reader's! It's hard to find books that support a vegetarian lifestyle without bopping you over the head with their message, but this is one vegetarian book you can sink your teeth into. WIth adorable art by John Bendall Brunello, this story is destined to become a favorite for meat and plant eaters, alike!

Shutta Crum's at it again, and this time - with Fox and Fluff - she's already earned The Oppenheim Group Plantinum Medal for it!

Fox and Fluff is a fun read for 3-8 year olds. This is a story about a not so tough fox and a motherless chick; naturally the wise Fox adopts Fluff - the cuddly chick and all works out after a nearly disasterous adventure. The Oppenheims are right; our 3 and 6 year olds both were held by the natural, rhythmic flow of this story. Of course, the 3 year old kept asking questions about why Fox did this, why Fluff didn't have a mother, etc. That is just all the more reason to share this beautiful little tale that is wonderfully illustrated with youngsters.

What a delight it is to see each of Crum's now three published books reach out and catch and hold children. And she has several more scheduled out in the coming months! Once you pick it up you'll want to share it, and once a youngster hears it or reads it they'll want to enjoy it again. Yes, the most critical panel has resistered - the kids like Fox and Fluff. Yours will too. This is a must have in the home, in the classroom, in the library collection. Look forward to Crum's next book due early in the spring!

"One evening a little white egg bounced off a farm cart and cracked open. Out hatched a fluffy round chick, just as Fox was coming along the path. Fox thought, What's this? A snack! Chick thought, Who's this? Papa?" So begins Shutta Crum's heartwarming story of an unlikely duo. Fox can't eat someone who calls him Papa, so he tries to lose this little feathered pest, but Fluff is attached to his big, strong "Papa", and every time Fox turns around, there's Fluff tagging right along. All the animals in the forest find this situation hysterical. Poor Fox is losing his vicious reputation, the rabbit, mouse and frog aren't afraid of him anymore, and so he does the only thing he can think of to get out of this awkward Papa situation. He takes Fluff to the farm and leaves him at the henhouse. Fox thought life without Fluff would set everything right again. But he didn't count on missing the little fellow..... Ms Crum's gentle text begs to be read aloud and shared, and is rich in wit, humor, and energy. John Bendall-Brunello's captivating illustrations are bold, bright, and expressive, and each page is filled with endearing characters and playful details. With its clever happily-ever-after ending, Fox And Fluff is an engaging preschool crowd-pleaser that shouldn't be missed, and works well with Judy Hindley's Do Like A Duck Does.

Danielak's book is useful as a guide to an aspiring artist or even someone who wants to be an art gallery owner. She looks at the practical aspects of promoting your artworks. Something that artists might simply have no background in doing. The traditional thing is for artists to try to hook up with an established gallery. The problem is that such galleries have a surfeit of new artists to choose to exhibit. Plus a gallery's commission might be 40-50%. That is the price you, the artist, pay for your new name and your inexperience.

The book offers informal methods to improve your exposure to a buying public, and hence your bargaining power with a gallery. Essentially, these are ways for you to directly market yourself. Some should now be axiomatic. Like having your own website, when fans can contact you directly. It is surprisingly cheap to run a minimal website, and the costs keep falling each year. Yes, you can have a MySpace page. Plus pages on other prominent social networking sites. But you really should also have your own domain, where you have total control over the layout and content.

Plus, you should build an email list through as many avenues as possible. The cheapest way to do outreach. So that when you do have exhibitions, you can call out your fans. Hopefully, some of these will turn into buyers.

Margaret Danielak's "A Gallery Without Walls" gives artists clear, valuable and down-to-earth insights on how to market their art. Margaret gained practical experience while representing the paintings of her father, Robert G. Stevens, a talented artist of the plein air school. Realizing the need especially for up and coming artists to be able to successfully launch and market their work led to her own business, Danielak Art and this great guide for artists. She now represents a growing collection of artists in diverse medias from her "Gallery without walls" in Pasedena, California. Highly recommended.

"Margaret Danielak is an outstanding example of what happens when lineage, education and experience are aligned and focused in one artist representative. Danielak has the appropriate lineage to inspire artists to think about the rich possibilities of showing in alternative venues to get more exposure to sell their work. The daughter of an artist, armed with a film career and an uncanny instinct for authentic promotion, she has proven her suggestions in the marketplace with consistent sales. Short of standing in line to be represented by Margaret, and regardless of reputation or representation, artists who want to thrive would do well to invest their time trying on some of these ideas. A GALLERY WITHOUT WALLS exceeds its promises of providing artists with a first edition map of the territory for selling art in alternative venues. As part of the guided tour, you are treated to succinct reviews of many basic promotional tools that no self-respecting artist should be without at any stage of their career - even with gallery representation.
Aletta de Wal, Director & Artist Advisor, Artist Career Training
P.S. Our mantra is `Exposure = Success" so book qualifies for our Artist Career Training Recommended Publication list.

Ask an artist how they sell their work and a typical answer is, "I love to create art but I don't know how to sell it." This book solves that problem. Written by someone who has "been there, done that" the author tells the reader how to price art, create presentation materials, how to do promotions how to handle financials, how to create 'themed events', - it is a "how to" book on selling art written in an easy-to-follow and succeed style. - Murray Raphel, Raphel Marketing

This is the most comprehensive study of cross dressing I've seen.

The text covers the subject very well - not just here in the United States, but a large portion of it covers the scene in London and Paris as well.

The illustrations are great, and show what can be done.

This is not a "how to" book as much as a "here it is" book. Everyone who is at all interested in cross dressing will, I'm sure, find it very worthwhile. Just looking at the photos is worth the price.

There probably won't be another croosdressing book for a long time that covers the field as thoroughly, and the cover photo alone makes it a worthwhile addition to anyone's coffee rable!

Eve

Eve

As the proprietor of a drag performance club in New York, I eagerly awaited the release of this book, which had been rumoured about for almost a decade on the scene. Well, this book was worth the wait!

Brubach does a workmanlike treatment of the material, including some outstanding documentation of Parisian icon J. Alexander, but it's O'Brien's photos that make this book a must for anyone interested in transvestism, drag or late 20th century glamour. This former student of Walker Evans certainly carries on the documentary tradition brilliantly here, with this non-cliched, deeply sensitive portraiture.

Masterfully done by a man (photographer Michael James O'Brien) & a woman (Holly Brubach), who share a real appreciation of the fine art of cross- dressing & its trials & triumphs, this is the best, most caring analysis of drag & its artists I've ever read & the empathy & depth of perception caught by the photos (some color, some b/w) is alone more than worth the full price of admission (which I was glad to pay in the bookstore!)

Initially I picked this book up on the strength of the wonderful photographs by Michael James O'Brien. However it was the broad scope of Holly Brubach's look at the phenomenon of drag in different cultures and the depth of her observations about gender, which ultimately delighted me.

Ms. Brubach writes with a keen eye and ear for ironic details. Her expertise in the field of fashion and the arts gives her a unique perspective from which to write about drag, but if you think this subject superficial prepare to be surprised. Her humor, necessary to exploring such a subject, often had me laughing out loud. Highly recommended!

God-optional Judaism by Judith Seid (isbn 0-80652190-2)

Judith Seid has the enormous gift of writing simply and clearly about complicated issues. In one slender volume she manages to summarize the history of Jewish belief systems down to present times, and discuss the various approaches of each system to traditional holiday celebrations and life cycle observances. Despite having had a lifetime of Jewish education hardly a page went by in which I did not discover a new insight. But for me, two other features of this book make it invaluable. First, it is fair minded and inclusive. Seid is not out to convert so much as to inform. Without getting bogged down with the myriad details of Jewish observance she succinctly clarifies the choices available to someone interested in modern Judaism. Equally important she elucidates the historical validity of these choices, demythologizing the claims of "authenticity" or superiority posed by some. You decide what fits you, within established, centuries-old alternatives. What brings all this home is her frequent use of anecdotes culled from her pastoral experience, poignant examples of the questions so many of us confront in examining our beliefs. My one criticism may seem like a quibble. She appears to be saying that secular spirituality is confined to social interaction, even though in other sections it is clear that she does not define spirituality in such narrow terms. This book is essential reading for those people who wonder about Judaism and/or its relevance for their own lives.

"God-Optional Judaism," by Judith Seid, is an intriguing book that offers an answer to the question: Do you have to believe in God to be a practicing Jew? Seid says "No."

Seid explores the notion of secular Judaism: a way of life, or a cultural and ethical path, that is liberated from traditional notions of deity. You can be an agnostic or an atheist and still practice a meaningful form of Judaism, according to Seid. She offers suggestions for those interested in starting a secular Jewish congregation, and includes an informative "question-and-answer" section in the book.

Seid's book is well-written and thought provoking. Although she is writing from a Jewish perspective, I believe that many of her ideas could be equally useful to people of other faith traditions (Christian, Muslim, etc.).

I'm giving this book five stars, NOT because I agree with its theology (I most certainly do NOT - I myself am a religious Jew) but because it is well-written and thought provoking in its own genre. Judith Seid is a "cultural Jew," that is, a Jew who relates to the history, music, art, customs and traditions of Judaism in a secular way, but who does not believe in God or "the religion." Her book explores non-theistic ways that cultural Jews can connect with their heritage. (Isaac Asimov would have loved this book -- he was just such a cultural Jew.)

Much of this book is way too secular for my own tastes, but the author does raise some challenging questions about Jewish history, liturgy, and traditions that made me stop and think. She has also clearly demonstrated what I have been saying for years, namely, that Jewishness is more than just a "religion." This book clearly explains that POV.

Although Judaism is commonly defined as a religion, the Hebrew language does not have a separate word for "religion." Neither does Yiddish -- the closest you can come is "Yiddishkeit," which simply means "Jewishness" and encompasses everything from liturgy to foods and music.

I myself define Jews as a tribal culture in the anthropological sense: common language (Hebrew), common land of origin (Israel), common ancestor story (Abraham and Sarah), common foods and holidays, and common religion. (Seid does not use this exact breakdown in her book, but her ideas are compatible with the tribal model.) A secular Jew may reject "the religion," but still deeply connect with the other aspects of Jewish culture, in the same way that a Native tribal person might remain connected with their language, foods, dances and ceremonies, even if they do not believe in the tribe's mythology.

Much of this book focuses on how to re-define Jewish holidays and life-cycle events in non-theistic ways. There is a strong emphasis on connecting with the tradition through land and nature. The holidays themselves are labeled according to the seasons in the Contents, and the observances she suggests are centered around such activities as growing your own horseradish for the Passover Seder, feeding the homeless during Sukkot, seeking introspective solitude with nature on Yom Kippur, tasting fruits on Tu B'Shevat, etc. There are lots practical suggestions and resources, too, including recipes and websites that I found useful even though I'm not a secularist. (One site, for example, told me where to get pre-fab hardware for erecting a sukkah with 2 x 4s.)

This book is more than mere "lox and bagels Judaism." Seid has given a lot of serious thought to her presentation and, whether or not you can accept her point(s) of view, it is clear that she is fully committed to her Jewish identity. I recommend this book to anyone -- Jewish or not -- who would like to understand why being Jewish is so much more that a "faith" or "religion."

A simple, straight forward presentation of Humanistic Judaism, with cultural and historical informtion about Jewish customs and holidays. It is especially useful in sorting out what's worth keeping, and what's not, for those who don't believe in god but want to stay Jewish.

Very insightful,I had only learned the negative effects in school and growing up. This plant could really could really help heal our planet.

This is an excellent starter for your search on important facts about hemp and its commercial uses. There are some medical notes in this for those interested. I had the money to purchase a million copies I would give them away. Ho hum. No mun! Please take the facts in this book real serious. No joking. This is a must read for all even you smart ass stoners.

This is one of the most Informative works on the subject of Hemp that I have read in 20 years. I have been researching Hemp & Marijuana for over 40 years. To date this is one of the most educational compilations of information on the subject that I have found. If everyone in America were made aware of the information in this book, the insanity of the Hemp/marijuana war being waged in this country by overzealot/misinformed
Law Makers and Enforcers would end. Then we could begin building a Billion dollar industry that will save the countries farmers and the world would be a better place.

"The Great Book of Hemp" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy." http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy

HB Kim's book is a comprehensive atlas for TCM. A myriad of material is weaved into crystalline charts to help bring clarity to the essential texts that are on the Board lists.

The book is organized by 8 categories: Foundations, Diagnosis, Acupuncture, Herbs, Formulas, Western Medicine, CNT and Laws & Regulations.

I use this text almost every day; it was under my pillow when I studied for the boards and its a sharp tool for my practice and for teaching review classes.

Get this book at HBAcumedia's website, where it's more affordable and you can see sample pages, but it's worth every penny regardless.
It has my highest recommendation.

John Kokko, L.Ac, MSTCM

Masterful in his organization, precise in his presentation, skillful in his synthesis, and insightful in his knowledge and understanding of Oriental Medicine. There is no acupuncture exam study guide available today that is more complete, lucid, and generous. HB Kim's devotion to his students and his passion for our medicine is expressed in every chart and in every page of his Handbook of Oriental Medicine. Discover for yourself why students on the west coast refer to it as, the `TCM Student's Bible to passing the CA State Board Exam."

This book is an absolute must-have for anyone preparing for the California State Board or NCCAOM Acupuncture licensing exams and for every TCM library. It is also an invaluable reference for use in clinicical practice on a daily basis. HB Kim has been the premier review class teacher for the last 8 years in California and this comprehesive book reflects his experience and knowledge of what is an important reference for both the student and practitioner. I give it the highest recommendation!

This book delivers in-dept oriental medical knowledge and skills in such a systematic and concise way. It's full of excellent summaries and charts. I must say that this is the one and only TOM test preparation guide!

I have owned this book for years. My mother and I swap it back and forth time and time again. Great reference with many simple remedies. None I found were harmful in any way. Either it worked or on to trying something else. I'm buying a secondy copy so I'm not with out it. Bummed it cost so much I paid $14.95 the first time but it's worth it.

My sister and I met the doctor in 1975 the year I arrived in CA. Went there for a physical problem. Were impressed and purchased the book right then and there. We have tried many of the cures, etc., and have found them to work. My daughter swears by it also. Please keep printing this book for all those coming in the future that will need it.

My sister and I met the doctor in 1975 the year I arrived in CA. Went there for a physical problem. Were impressed and purchased the book right then and there. We have tried many of the cures, etc., and have found them to work. My daughter swears by it also. Please keep printing this book for all those coming in the future that will need it.

I purchased an original edition in the early 80's and have relied on it for simple remedies. My friends have conquered such things as kidney stones and migranes from utilizing some of the remedies suggested. I recently mis-placed my copy and that caused me a great deal of stress. I felt like I had lost an important weapon in my attempts to stay healthy and well. I can not express the true joy of knowing that I can get another copy so I can feel whole and fully armed again!

I'm a massage therapist and used part of this book to study for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB). This book is really helpful for showing you how to take a client history. This book is needed because it shows you the legalities and proper way to run a massage business. Documenation protects you in cases of audits and also is a source for assessing the client's progress and contraindications. I also studied the following for the National Certification Exam:
The Ultimate Study Guide for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Key Review Questions and Answers (Volume 1), (Volume 2), and (Volume 3)
(Author: Patrick Leonardi)
The last 3 books helped me to prepare for the type of questions encountered on the national certification examination. I highly recommend all 4 books. I passed the first time with the help of these books

Very thoroughly explains why to document manual therapies, professionalism, and how to document effectively. Diana Thompson has lots of experience and know-how to share!

Her first edition of "Hands Heal" was a collection of forms used for charting massage therapy sessions. When I saw the new book on the shelf being three times as thick as the first I thought "Oh my what more can be done with charting!" I now understand her obsession with charting. It is not just charting your sessions, but learning to communicate what you do, so the medical community and the public will begin to understand massage therapy as a healing modality. Communication starts with the therapeutic relationship with the client. Healing begins when the client becomes involved in the process. Then you can pass the information along to all parties involved - the lawyers, the doctors, whoever. If you document every treatment, you will be able to find out what is working and what is not with each individual. Documentation can assist you in builing your practice and support the massage profession as a whole. I particularly liked the section on ethics as she supports the idea of peer groups, mentoring and supervision as a means of development for the practitioner. I believe the future of the profession lies in those areas.
If you are a massage therapist in any state, this will guide you to a successful practice whether you are involved in billing insurance companies or not.

I've watched this book evolve over a number of versions. Each one gets better and better. Yes, at times Dianna Thompson appears obsessive but on the other hand, that's what makes it great. Recently I was asked to write a detailed case summary that will be used as evidence in a lawsuit for a client I saw over a year ago. My SOAP notes are what saved the day for me. Thanks Diana. This book is essential for anyone working in a therapeutic environment.

Delightful material, well written. Mr. Angelo does a fantastic job in relating his experiences with this Hands on treatment modality. I really enjoyed my time and was sorry to finish, as I felt I had a good friend during the time I shared with Mr. Angelo.

If you are interested in spiritual or energetic healing, this is a must-have reference. Well-written, clear, brings the subject into finite, manageable terms accessible to all. I have bought many books on energy healing and spiritual healing methods, and this is the best I've found so far.

Please note: Both this book and Hands-on healing are the same, just the title has been changed.

This is a must for anyone really interested in self-healing and healing others.
A real step by step guide with lots of exercises of great value.
Thank you Jack.

Jack Angelo explains the principal and technique behind hands on healing using a series of exercises. This book is very well illustrated and a must for anyone interested in healing of any type.

Harnessing the Wheelwork of Nature is a fascinating book about the transmission of electrical energy developed by Tesla. If you are not familair with this incredible man, consider his hundreds of inventions that have laid the groundwork for robotry, computers, microwaves, and nuclear fission, among many others. In the late 1800s, Tesla filed patents on things such as the incandescent electric light, the transmission of electrical energy, radios devices, electrical transformers, and generators.

This book is both entertaining and enlightening, and well worth the purchase price. Tesla has long been overlooked by the general public and deserves recognition as a great inventor, that even Edison learned from. This book in particular focuses on technology that Tesla invented over 100 years ago to transmit electrical energy around the globe, without powerlines. Why have we not implemented his ideas?

This is a very important book, very comprehensive, and the newenergymovement.org is an organization very deserving of your consideration and support if you are at all concerned about the state of our environment and world today!! Tom Valone has some other very good products to bring this message to your friends; videos, etc. Our Noetic Sciences study group thought Integrity Research Institute's video was exceptional and so is this book!!

BOOK REVIEW

"Harnessing the Wheelwork of Nature" is a new book by Thomas Valone, who edited this book in time for the Wardenclyffe Tower Centennial (1903-2003)*. This book presents for the first time, the feasibility argument for Tesla's most ambitious dream, the wireless transmission of power. Pictured on the book's cover near his feet, the 187-foot Wardenclyffe Tower was Tesla's means to deliver natural 8 Hz electricity anywhere in the world, by longitudinal waves.

Unknown to most electrical engineers, Nikola Tesla's dream answers the energy crisis worldwide, saves electrical conversion losses, and provides a real alternative to transmission lines. Among the total of sixteen chapters or articles, only a few are reviewed here.

In Dr. Corum's two contributed papers, he explains Tesla's magnifying transmitter, which Tesla compared to a telescope. Corum points out that "the tuned circuit of his magnifying transmitter was the whole earth-ionosphere cavity resonator." This fact helps explain why Tesla stated, "When there is no receiver there is no energy consumption anywhere. When the receiver is put on, it draws power. That is the exact opposite of the Hertz-wave system...radiating all the time whether the energy is received or not." Thus, with Tesla's futuristic transmission of power, source dissipation will only be experienced when a load is engaged in a tuned receiver somewhere on the earth. This fact alone represents a major leap forward in electrical transmission efficiency, even one hundred years later.

Dr. Rauscher indicates in her paper that the earth's magnetosphere is the source of electrical energy, as Tesla emphasized. She points out that the relatively small longitudinal impulses that the Tesla Tower supplies triggers the earth-ionosphere oscillations to take place so the receivers can tap the earth's atmospheric electrical energy. Tesla estimated the available energy of the earth-ionosphere cavity at 7.5 gigawatts whereas Dr. Rauscher today shows that it is closer to 3 terawatts (3 billion kW), while the US only consumes about 360 million kW today for electrical needs (at 27% of the world usage). Therefore, the earth has almost three times the capacity available for electrical consumption than the entire world presently utilizes everyday.

Why wasn't the prototype of Wardenclyffe finished in 1903? Tesla offered this visionary conclusion: "The world was not prepared for it. It was too far ahead of time. But the same laws will prevail in the end and make it a triumphal success... Let the future tell the truth and evaluate each one according to their work and accomplishments. The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine."

Up until now, there has been a general malaise regarding the lack of scientific comprehension of Tesla's greatest dream. For example, the Serb National Federation notes, "With the exception of the first biography of Tesla by John J. O'Neill, science editor of the New York Herald Tribune, and published in 1944, unfortunately no biographer since has had the necessary scientific/engineering academic credentials to discuss Tesla's work in the various fields." Contributors to Harnessing the Wheelwork of Nature are primarily physicists and engineers who are experts in Tesla technology. Their wealth of knowledge demonstrates their mastery of this extraordinarily progressive and technical subject. Finally, the best academic credentials have been brought to bear on the world's greatest electrical futurist.

This is a very readable and profusely illustrated reference volume on wireless transmission of power, besides being an excellent biographical gold mine of Tesla history.

Nick Cook, editor of "Jane's Defence Weekly" and author of "The Hunt for Zero Point" says, "Tesla is one of the great overlooked geniuses of science and electricity. His full story deserves to be told. Tom Valone sheds important new light on his life and work." ...

Deftly compiled and edited by Thomas Valone, Harnessing The Wheelwork Of Nature: Tesla's Science Of Energy is a straightforward look at Nikola Tesla's iconoclastic dream and scientific ambition for the development and utilization of a wireless transmission of power itself. Investigating Tesla's alternative to transmission lines and how his ideas could have changed (and may yet change) the shape of human civilization itself, Harnessing The Wheelwork Of Nature is a simply fascinating read offering a unique perspective on an idea that may well have found its time at last. Composed of a series of articles contributed by an impressive spectrum of informed and informative writers, the essays are grouped into three sections: History of Tesla's Early Electrical Life; Principles of Wireless Power Transmission; and Miscellaneous Articles and Tesla Reference Material. Simply put, Harnessing The Wheelwork Of Nature is mandatory reading for all students of Tesla's remarkable life and contributions to science.