Places Books

This is a magnificent, beautiful book. We left it open on the kitchen table, and everyone who passed by turned to a new, exquisite image. I've now snatched it back to my office and expect to browse repeatedly when I have a chance for a cup of coffee and a brief get-away moment. It is truly a gift.

Maine The Home Place by Murad Sayen is an especially appealing photography book. Not only is this book visually pleasing as you view beautiful scenes in Maine, but it also is very emotive as you also "feel" Maine. The quality of the photos is superior and most of them look as much like paintings as photos. If you are ever fortunate enough to look through this book, go directly to page 28 ( one of my favorites)and enjoy the compostion of hands. There have been numerous artists who have highlighted hands in their composition but never with the unique approach that this one does. I have only had this book on my coffee table for one month, and have already "sold" 5 copies. People's responses were so positive that 5 lucky people will be getting this book for Christmas. Maybe you could be lucky also. If Maine was ever your home, I think you will enjoy having this book around as much as I have, and Maine was never my home.

The thing that strikes you as you turn the lush pages--the land and seascapes, the faces--is the surface sense of calm. And yet, below those surfaces there is always a suggestion of great energy, of processes being carried out. In the cover photo, for instance: a country church, maple trees in their October regalia, a cemetery, the cornstubble foreground--lies the hint that things are in motion, even there below the ground. The world is moving toward a new incarnation.

This dualism--or energy and calm--kept me turning pages, forward and back, over a period of many days, looking closely at colors, faces, cloud formations, ice crystals on a pond, dawn sunlight on a lighthouse.

At first I quibbled that Sayen has confined his camera to so few regions of the state; and yet, in truth, this only reminds us that art, in order to be universal, must be local. To develop the kind of intimacy that Sayen (a confessed "outsider") obviously has with his subject, it is necessary to keep it focused.

With "Maine: The Home Place", Murad Sayen has created a masterful book, far more than another of the garishly colored "coffee table" books that publishers seem to crank out each year. This is a book that bears repeated readings, and which, for me, continues to offer fresh discoveries. In addition to the photographs, there is a series of elegantly written essays and photographer's notes. For anyone looking to be delighted and deeply moved by the complexity within simplicity, "Maine: The Home Place" is a volume that will do that.

When I opened Maine: The Home Place, I didn't know how much I was opening up. I looked through it, then I realized I needed to look into it: I did so at two pages a day until I went through the book. I especially love two of the pictures (although each page and picture looked more like a composition in a painting than a camera capturing a scene): The Androscoggin at Bethel, November and North Pond, Greenwood, October. There is a disarming directness in the simple presentation that drew me into the pictures, and into myself. The captions reminded me these places are here, in this world. What I found myself doing since I opened Maine: The Home Place is seeing myself and the world around me differently. Cezanne says that "Art is a harmony parallel to nature." I am wonderfully confused by Murad's presentation of nature and art that has gotten into my heart through my eyes. What more can you ask from a book than to make the world and yourself more alive? Maine: The Home Place is a book that will do that year after year, picture after picture. Great job, Murad Sayen.

Murad Sayen shows us in his amazing pictoral that Maine is more than a magnificent coastline dotted with harbors and lighthouses. His photographs and essays capture the essence and beauty of Maine that those of us who are fortunate to live here can now share with the rest of the world.

He is masterful in his use of lighting. The effect is mystical and invokes a strong emotional response to his work. For all those who want an unlimited opportunity to escape to Maine, whenever the spirit moves you, I highly recommend Maine: The Home Place.....the way life is!

Hats off to the author. This was indeed a Marvelous book it held my attention as well as the attention of my children...I would encourage all to pick up the book and give it a try. A Marvelous World takes you on a magical journey with tons of exciting adventures...Nothing about this book is typical....Its a great read for kids and the kids at heart.....

I'm ALMOST done with this book and am looking forward to the next book(s) in the series. Its a wonderful mix of modern American times, magic, adventure and sci fi, where a couple of young kids/tweeners learn the value of their skills and how to be unique!

I purchased this book after hearing the author talking about it on TV. My pre-teen loves this book. I have purchased books in the past but this is the first she started reading and can't stop talking about it. This was one of my best purchases and at a great price.

Wow! What a story!

Louis Proof is a teenager in East Orange, New Jersey. When the book opens, Louis one of the most popular students in his class. He is helpful, kind, and smart. He accepts an invitation to go to a wonderful amusement park where all of your wildest dreams come true. After things go a little wrong there, Louis leaves and mysteriously collapses and falls into a coma.

When Louis awakens, it is three months later and everything is different. Many adults are being replaced with replicas of themselves -- and they are a child's dream. They let their kids do anything they want. Slowly, Louis realizes that he is the earth's only chance. Earth is being taken over by Galonious, a very funny but evil person. He takes away a person's inhibitions and promises freedom. Some people steal and vandalize while others commit murder.

I spent some time speaking with my fifth-graders about this concept and I believe that they found it as scary as I did. The story doesn't come to a conclusion, as there are supposed to be sequels. The hero is also African-American, which is a first, and there are many references to popular culture which makes the story fun.

Enjoy reading THE MARVELOUS EFFECT!

Reviewed by: Marta Morrison

This is a beautifully written book that will instantly engage even a reluctant reader. It's fun, it's deep, it's alive with a lively plot and creative setting. I use it for an urban book club. Most of my kids have never read a book over 100 pages, yet they finished this book ahead of schedule. It's a very smart book with great vocabulary and themes that are rich for discussuion. This author has written a book that kids can see, hear and feel.

Every once in a while a book sticks in the back of your mind. Among the few books that has done that for me is Memoir of a Misfit. It isn't so much the style of writting or the subject matter though I suppose that both touch a place of my life my "too cool for school" attitude was created to overcome. In a word, it's honesty. Not simply honesty to describe events and choices without tayloring or coloring but honesty to admit the silly, colorfull, comical, and often tragic choices misfits tend to make. Every misfit wants a family. Every misifit wants to understand the science of belonging. And every misfit wonders late at night when lonelyness is at it's worst what kind of horrible bargaining could put an end to the fear and isolation the a part of daily life.
Memoir may not be the story of your life but, if you have felt this way at all, it may tell the story of your thoughts and feelings. Don't miss out on it.

I really don't know whatto say,but I suppose everyone says that. I must admit that so many things you've said made me laugh because I knew that you were me with every word. Finding myself alone in a corner asking... no, screaming at God; demanding answers to why he has left me. I find myself answering "of course not" to the question "how are you" all the time and staring in the mirror wondering why people find me so interesting to stare at. What's wrong with me? You managed to bring into words the feelings I could not. Thank you. And thank you for Liz.
-Tieshia

It was an incredible experience to read into the world of Marcia Ford. I found myself unable to put it down, thinking, what could possible happen to her next!? She has been through so many hardships, most that she can look at now with a humor that makes life seem easier to live. I myself am still searching for that home that is so frequently spoken of in this book. I learned so much from her life, and thanked God that I didn't have to learn it the hard way like she did. Her strength encouraged me a great deal. The day I finished I let a friend borrow it. It is the kind of story that HAS to be shared because different people will gain differently from it.

Marcia Ford is an authentic child of the '60s, affected by the swirling tempests of Vietnam, flowering drug use and societal disintegration. Yet, she found her way out of this morass of rebellion -- only to discover manipulative forces at work in the church as well. She writes about all this with a verve and an eye for detail that is both humorous and insightful. I think what I liked best about this book was that, in the end, the author maintained her faith instead of the all-too-common: "Life stinks, everyone's a hypocrite and we're all oppressed" infantile musings that pass for philosophy. This book is a page turning delight.

Marcia Ford claims she's always felt like a "misfit," and for most of her life, she says people have looked at her "funny." Initially, she thought it was because her family was so weird, walking down the sidewalk in a straight line, as they often did. But at the age of ten, when she was away at camp and her family moved without telling her, Ford found herself standing in a room full of strangers who were all looking at her funny. And lo and behold, she wasn't with her family. Unfortunately for Ford, the funny looks continued long after she was "born again" and desperately tries to fit in with other Christians.

In MEMOIR OF A MISFIT, Ford writes what it's like to be a square peg trying to fit into a round hole --- something most of us can relate to, especially within church walls. But what sets Ford apart from the rest of us "misfits" in Christendom is her willingness to stop embracing the impossible ideal of what a Christian is supposed to look, act and feel like and just be...herself. On the way there, though, she runs around in circles, trying everything --- promiscuity, marriage, drugs, alcohol, suicidal thoughts, fundamentalist Christianity, finally chucking all religion --- before eventually coming around, thanks to a couple of Christians showing her unconditional love, to a new faith and realistic understanding of God.

At certain points in her narrative, I felt Ford was sharing too much personal information and it made me a tad uncomfortable. But it works because she writes her tragic tale with so much honesty and tongue-in-cheek wit that it keeps you from getting bogged down in just how sad her story really is. Maybe it's because there's so much to read between the lines.

I thought about Ford's words and my status as a "misfit" as I sat in church last weekend, surrounded by people who all seem to have their act together. Everyone was smiling. Everyone looked so perfect. During the sermon, I actually turned every which way, scanning the crowd to see if I could find someone, anyone not fitting that mold Ford desperately had to break free from before she was able to have an honest and growing relationship with God. I was a hair's breath away from asking the person sitting behind me if she ever questioned anything or if she had any problems. I admit, Ford's book made me wonder how much of myself I had checked at the sanctuary door without noticing before that moment.

Ford's bottom line? Breaking free. And that bottom line serves several purposes: First, to admonish fellow Christians to allow others to discover God loves them, quirks and all. To deny that basic tenet of the Christian faith narrows the Gospel message to one of "fitting in." Her life story echoes Jesus' words in Matthew 9 as he scolds the Pharisees, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick...I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Ford's should serve as encouragement to other misfits in the church --- and all of us fit into that category, really --- to stop contorting ourselves into acceptance. Right now. Her journey of faith hasn't exactly been a straight line, but thankfully, she's forged a path for all of us who love God but have been turned off by the church. She wants us to come back and try again. This time, not looking around, comparing ourselves to others but rather looking up and getting to know God --- the God of misfits.

--- Reviewed by Diana Keough

There's a deceptive simplicity about this back-and-forth between two birds. One's red, the other's blue, and the idea is that you read one color and your kid reads the other as they mimic each other.

Or, in my case, I read both, but in different voices. But before I could stop myself, I took on a cadence, and began to notice the story's singsong quality.

In the book, the lines are also staggered, so alternating colors and layout work in harmony with its jazzy meter. Eventually, the two birds join up, chirping purple lyrics, until a purple bird joins them as their songs spread this way and that across the page. Even the wires where they perch become bars of music.

Simon, who worked in advertising, channels Milton Glaser, the guru of modern design with his "I [heart] NY" and "LOVE" logos. Her minimalist style makes the most of a few simple shapes and primary colors surrounded by ample white space. The way the figures appear on the page is part of the book's musicality, with their own visual rhythm.

That's just to say there's more than meets the eye here, and more to the ear as well.

"Mocking Birdies" heralds the spring with a jazz poem for several voices.... What a clever, amazingly fun book! Young kids will enjoy the color-based joke and bold illustrations, but the book's stylish design will win adult fans, too. Simon is an author/illustrator worth watching. In appreciation, I can only echo the birds' words: "Encore! Encore!"

Wikipedia explains that mockingbirds are "best known for the habit of some species of mimicking the songs of other birds, often loudly and in rapid succession." The Mockingbird is the state bird of Texas. This could be a fun book to add to the "state symbols" lessons. Kids understand that copycatting is a sure way to get under someone's skin. The book flap reminds us that "stop copying me" is a frequent childhood refrain.

The bright primary colors and geometric shapes of the birds prepare the readers for a bit of fun as they read this book. The birds sit on lines that resemble a music staff and then later, telephone lines. The text varies in size and color, which would make the book interesting to share as a choral read with a class. I would put the book under an Elmo so the whole class could see the colors and read the words. One group could read the red lines, another, the blue lines, and the purple lines together. The echoing quality of the text would make all students feel successful. This is also a good book to share sitting side by side with just one special reading friend.

Good design. Does it help or hinder a picture book? Ask me that same question about a year ago and I would've answered you with an overly-enthusiastic "HINDER!". Ask me today and now I'm not so sure. When I read picture books like David Pelletier's laughable, "Graphic Alphabet" I decided to shun any title for kids that cared more about layout and composition than who its intended audience should be. Other books have had their design sillinesses, but that one in particular took the cake. Then this past December I had a chance to see David Carter's remarkable pop-up extravaganza, "One Red Dot". Now there, ladies and gentlemen, is a beautifully designed book that never forgets for a second that kids may be part of its intended audience. So my opinions started to shift oh-so slightly to the maybe-well-designed-picture-books-ain't-so-bad-after-all. Good thing I did too. Otherwise I might have immediately pooh-poohed Annette Simon's amusing exercise in combining children's copycat behaviors with an upbeat well-designed cacophony of sound. Design has never had a young audience so keenly on its mind.

A single blue bird on the left-hand page looks across a vast white space and says, "You!". A single red bird on a right-hand page looks across a vast white space and says, "You!" as well. What the blue bird says, the red bird repeats. The blue bird is convinced that the red bird is doing the imitating and the red bird believes the opposite. It's only when both birds come to understand that they want the same thing that they sing together a bright purple song. Of course, this attracts the attention of a purple bird with his own purple music. He joins in the song as well, and a green and orange cat (perhaps the original copycats) say, "someone's singing my song". The book ends with the birds copying and repeating a tune of their own.

With simple shapes against a white background, the colorful birds are like little bright musical notes. They perch on telephone wires for much of this book. Those telephone wires, in turn, become the lines on a sheet of music when the birds finally indulge in out-and-out full-throated singing. The book doesn't go so far as to explain what the combinations of different primary colors are, but it still manages to get the point across. Kids can see that when the blue bird's blue lines merge with the red bird's red lines, the result is purple lines ah-plenty. The words themselves were fine. Sometimes the lines didn't scan as well as I would've liked. Sentences don't always rhyme or work, but overall they convey the bright and cheery intensity of the characters.

Out of curiosity I tried to see whether or not anyone prior to Ms. Simon had ever thought of doing a book of this nature. If mockingbirds mock then logic would dictate that there might be other copycat type picture books out there. There are, but none of them have ever dealt with mockingbirds themselves. There was Peggy Rathmann's, "Ruby the Copycat" and of course the, "Copycub" books by Richard Edwards. But insofar as birds are concerned, mockingbirds usually just appear in different picture book versions of that old song, "Hush Little Baby", and that's it. "Mocking Birdies" will be a hit with any kid just learning to read who needs bright colors and simple words to follow. It may even make fairly good readers theater if one kid takes all the blue lines and another all the red. Consider it enjoyable fare.

This picture book is a real treasure.

A blue bird sings in blue text; a red bird copies that singing in red text.

Stop singing my song!
Stop singing my song!

But after the initial copycat dialogue, the two begin talking:
"i sing red as the dawn, when the sun peeps hello"
"i sing blue as the noon, when the sun calls to play"

Next thing you know, the two birds are singing together. And red and blue voices overlap to make purple. And then the purple bird shows up! And then there's a green cat. "Skit scat" "copycat" "copycat cat CAT."

The color coded dialogue contributes to the fun. I'm not sure how well it would work in a traditional story time, even with a storyteller who is good with doing different sounding voices, because of the great moment where red and blue overlap to be purple. Instead, I think it would work best with multiple readers, whether its in a small group with one or two beginning readers, a parent and child, or with a larger number of storytellers.

I like how the electric wires the birds are sitting on become a music staff. And I like how the colors of the rainbow are used. And I also like how the book jacket is different from the actual book cover, with the book cover incorporating the clever red and blue make purple motif.

"Murrow: His Life and Times" is a superb biography about Edward R. Murrow. No one had a greater impact in defining and shaping broadcast journalism than Murrow, and in highlighting the responsibility of journalists, broadcasters, government and citizens in a democracy. Television, he observed in 1954, "can teach, it can illuminate...but it can only do so to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends...otherwise it is merely lights and wires in a box." Whether his brilliant and breathtaking radio coverage from London of World War II, or his confrontation with red-baiting Senator Joe McCarthy, he was always principled, strong and courageous. Speaking of the anti-communist hysteria sweeping this country in the early fifties he would turn to Shakespeare, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars, but in ourselves." As mass media races onto the Internet and enters a new digital era, the experiences and issues raised during Murrow's life become even more relevant. In the mid-fifties he warned, "the frontiers of knowledge have been pushed back, and the more that comes to be known, the less is understood...looking ahead to a time when human destinies are to be determined by the uses or abuses of new sources of almost unlimited physical power, one may ask if democracy will be able to develop the competence to deal with these complexities." He concluded, "If so, it must be through a broadening of education and the use of communications not yet realized, or perhaps even conceived." Murrow is a man for all times.

Edward R. Murrow was elusive. He was a pioneer radio and television broadcaster. His career arc did not include print journalism. His success was modern. Murrow, b. 1908, had a golden natured man for a father and a shrewd and enterprising woman for a mother. He ws the youngest of three sons. Black moods dogged his whole life. In the 1930's Murrow worked for a committee placing European scholars in American academic posts. He had contacts at CBS. At college, Washington State, he had been a speech major. At CBS, 1935, he became the Director of Talks. Murrow was also responsible for education and religion.

Radio was changing the world of politics. Overseas radio was primarily a novelty act. NBC had Alistair Cooke and so its coverage of the abdication crisis was better. Murrow was asked to take a job in London as the European director for CBS. William Shirer was offered the job of continental representative of CBS. When Germans invaded Austria, Murrow traveled to Vienna. His immensely successful career as a radio reporter, commentator, had begun. Murrow and Shirer used stamina and imagination to cover the developing crisis in Prague and elsewhere on the continent. Listeners were taken to Nuremburg to hear Hitler. At the end of September NBC and CBS radio braodcasts reported on Munich. Murrow sat with Jan Masaryk.

War finally came over Poland. CBS staff positions in the European capitals were filled. Murrow put in time everywhere. In the spring, blitzkrieg tactics caused the occupation of Belgium, the Netherlands. Norway fell. The Dunkirk evacuation took place. Churchill assumed office as Prime Minister. Commentators crowded into London. As neutrals CBS staff faced endless delays and red tape. A stringer, Vincent Sheean, became Murrow's boon companion. The reader is immersed with Murrow and company in rather delightful fashion in the events leading up to America's entry into World War II. A reader is able to sense in the author's careful descriptions the immediacy of war as brought to the radio listeners. Broadcasting brought facts and analysis to the audience in real time.

London was under air attack. Janet Murrow busied herself with the evacuation of children to America. The BBC moved broadcasting underground. Murrow inhabited freely both the upper class and the London ghetto. Eventually daytime operations ceased. It was not known at the time, but it was an RAF victory. Night bombings continued. With the approval of the censors American audiences were permitted to hear the sounds of a raid. Murrow conveyed the impersonal nature of the new technology of killing. Home news editor at the BBC, R.T. Clark, became a mentor to Murrow. He was versed in the classics and military history. In the fall of 1940 Shirer left for home from Portugal. He and Murrow had built up radio news from nothing. Home leave, 1941, proved to be a case of culture shock for the Murrows. In America there were no shortages. Murrow was effective because he did more than his job. Through happenstance he met with FDR Pearl Harbor night. He sat on the scoop that the President was determined to go to war. In the spring of 1942 the Murrows returned to London.

Murrow, disappointingly, had to coordinate CBS staff reports at headquarters during the operation of Overlord, the Normandy Invasion. In the end he was cut up with rage seeing the camps, Buchenwald and others. The Nazis had done a more thorough job of brutalizing the people than he had deemed possible. After an eighteen months' stint as an executive, Murrow returned to broadcasting. He was bitter over the death of George Polk in Greece in 1948. Polk had modeled himself on Murrow. In 1950 he took an unequivocal stand against Joe McCarthy and lost his sponsor. Regional sponsorship was arranged. Owen Lattimore commended Murrow for keeping the record straight on his case.

Fred Friendly and Murrow were ready, in 1951, to convert I CAN HEAR IT NOW to television. ALCOA sponsored SEE IT NOW. It needed to brighten its image. At the beginning of 1953, after doing an historic piece, 'Christmas in Korea,' he was exhausted. His view of the US was changing. Murrow's attack on McCarthy on SEE IT NOW was considered an act of courage by most people. It resulted in FBI scrutiny, he became a watched man. After McCarthy's demise, employers and news broadcasters were still treading gently. By 1957 Murrow was a celebrity, but SEE IT NOW was cut and he and Friendly were given SMALL WORLD. After speaking in Chicago to an association of journalists about the need for independence in television news, Murrow lost clout at CBS. Informally he was demoted. Fred Friendly became the sole executive producer of CBS Reports. One of the programs in which Murrow participated notably was 'The Harvest of Shame.' Murrow was appointed to head USIA under Kennedy. He resigned in 1964 and died in 1965.

Thank Heaven that this book - long out of print, I had my copy nailed down - has now been re-issued, and thank Heaven for the current renaissance in interest in this magnificent journalist and iconic human being. Murrow's speech to camera at the end of the McCarthy expose ought, if there is any justice, to be committed to memory by every American in the same way that the Gettysburg address is now.

As for the book itself - well, I bought my first copy in the early 1980s, Murrow having been a childhood hero. It's bit, it's beautifully written, and is it enough to say that my original copy is falling apart? And that all my Christmas present problems are now solved?

There are other good biographies (I'm a Murrow fanatic, if this isn't clear already)and I wouldn't fault any of them; and the newly-reissued DVD set of the Murrow Years is also essential and full of the most wonderful surprises. I guess that Sperber wrote the ur-text, and so this is probably the place to start. But thank you to everyone who remembered that he should not be forgotten. Meet a true American hero.

By the time most of us baby boomers were old enough to watch more substantive television fare than Felix the Cat, Edward R. Murrow was an aging icon without portfolio. He did not have the regular exposure of a Douglas Edwards, Chet Huntley, or David Brinkley. He would on occasion do spectacular work-as elementary school students we would discuss his "Harvest of Shame" documentary on the sufferings of migrant farm workers. But it was from our parents and older relatives that we inherited something of a sense of his importance in an earlier time, in the same fashion that they might speak of a Bob Taft or an Adlai Stevenson.

What we could not know in 1959, what biographer A.M. Sperber makes abundantly clear, is that we were watching the shell of a driven man who had exhausted his incredible stores of emotional energy to international cooperation, then to radio coverage of the horrors of World War II, and on to shape the formation of the CBS new department during the explosion of the television era and the age of McCarthy. Sperber traces the rise and decline of this charismatic, almost manic, entrepreneur from the most unlikely of origins, that of a lumberjack named Egbert who quickly realized the liabilities of his given name in the male work camps of Washington State.

Egbert, now Edward, chopped wood only long enough to scratch and claw his way into Washington State College. A student with fingers in many campus pies, he joined an organization called the International Institute of Education in 1931. The IIE in the early 1930's was a form of college student exchange program, one of its sponsors being the not-quite-ready-for-prime-time Columbia Broadcast System. When Murrow spoke at a West Coast gathering of IIE representatives, he earned himself election to the national office of the IIE in New York, a paid position there, and free air time on CBS radio. Murrow produced Sunday afternoon radio lectures and round table discussions, demonstrating a flair for attracting international speakers. As Murrow learned more about the plight of Jews in Germany from reporter [and later close friend] William Shirer, he used the machinery of the IIE in the United States to rescue as many Jewish intellectuals as possible and place them in American colleges. It was a tactic not universally appreciated, nor would his close cooperation with the Russians be forgotten by J. Edgar Hoover.

By the beginning of the Battle of Britain, Murrow was assigned full time by CBS to provide radio coverage of Hitler's assaults and to coordinate the company's European reporting network. It is impossible to capsulize here the horrors of those eighteen months for Murrow and for England generally, when every night brought a terror at least as awful as the World Trade Center bombing. Murrow created a network of European radio correspondents-many of whom would become household names in their own rights. He overcame industry biases against putting reporters on the air and using taped reports from the fields. But most of all, he revolutionized the very style of radio news into "factual storytelling" by his nightly accounts of German bombings that by happenstance occurred during the East Coast's prime time 7 P.M. radio news hour. Later, as the theater of war shifted east, Murrow was among the first western reporters to see first hand an operating extermination camp. He could not bring himself to talk about it over the air for several days.

Murrow returned to CBS in New York a conquering hero of sorts, the network's hottest property. Sperber does a good job in explaining why the postwar Murrow-CBS marriage was a stormy one. For one thing, the war years had reshaped Murrow into a cross between an Old Testament prophet and a posttraumatic stress sufferer. He would never be quite at home in an industry moving toward television, increased advertising dependence, and escapism. Secondly, Murrow was too much the prophet to claim objectivity. He would never be confused with, say, Bob Trout. Long before Woodward and Bernstein, Murrow crafted the art of investigative reporting for a presumably concerned nation, particularly through the medium of his weekly "See It Now" series, a rough and tumble forerunner of "60 Minutes." His most controversial television piece, his hour-long exposure of Joe McCarthy, was out and out editorializing, albeit accurate. In Murrow's mind, he was serving the common good. Others were not so sure. Thirdly, Murrow himself had a past that made him a potential network liability. When he produced his "Harvest of Shame" documentary, for example, hardly a paean for capitalism, those with long memories would recall his enthusiastic embrace of Russian intellectuals in the late 1930's with the IIE.

The great irony in the breakup of Murrow and CBS is that the deciding infidelity may possibly have been unintentional. In 1960, with quiz show scandals threatening the credibility of the television industry, CBS President Frank Stanton announced a policy to eliminate the appearance of deceit in any of his network's programming, not just quiz shows. When pressed as to the extent of this policy, the network cited other programming, including rather surprisingly Murrow's own "Person to Person" prime time home visits to celebrities. In one reading of this event, Stanton may have simply been protesting the pre-scripting of interview questions and the staged walk-through of the homes. Or, there may have been a subtler message. A young Harry Reasoner inquired of Murrow on air, in so many words, "why are you, the Jeremiah of the industry, wasting precious prime time with the innocuous drivel of fighters and starlets?"

Unlike Reasoner and Howard K. Smith, who felt no compunction about switching networks, Murrow lived and died CBS. Illness and ultimately death interrupted his stint as window dressing for the Kennedy administration in 1965. Perhaps his prodigious cigarette smoking had finally claimed him. More likely, it was the pressure of living so many lives in one frail human shell.

Since its publication in 1986, no other biography on Edward R. Murrow has been written that can depose A.M. Sperber's magnificent work. "Murrow: His Life and Times" is, by far, the best biography written to date on America's first, and possibly last, great broadcasting journalist.

Sperber's book captures the essence of Murrow's life from a young intellectual to his rise from college campuses to directorship of the "Institute of International Education" and to Murrow's début at CBS where he broadcasted the bombing of London during World War II. It was during this period that Murrow demonstrated, so clearly, his finesse with the American audience as they listened to his broadcast of the traumatic events as they unfolded in World War II Europe.

Sperber's methodical research, numerous interviews, attention to detail, and her writing give the reader a close and personal look at the extraordinary triumphs and tragedies that made up Murrow's life. Readers are able to follow Murrow's footsteps and virtually see into his world, as he became the voice of World War II and the voice for America. Murrow's denunciation of Senator Joseph McCarthy's treatment of Americans during the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) hearings set into motion the senator's decline and closed a dark chapter in American politics -- all with his rational, yet forceful manner of speaking.

Sperber writes of Murrow's journalistic integrity and his struggles for openness and frankness in the media -- ideals that brought Murrow into constant conflict with CBS. The author also illustrates Murrow's battle with tobacco addiction - an addiction that would have devastating affects on Murrow's health. An entire life flawlessly researched and written in 705 captivating pages that will embrace readers today as it did when the book was first published 1986. After reading Sperber's book the reader will understand why CBS headquarters in New York City still displays a plaque in their lobby which contains the image of Murrow and the inscription: "He set standards of excellence that remain unsurpassed."

"Murrow: His Life and Times" should be required reading for students of communications and those working in media. There is no better chronicle of America's greatest broadcasting journalist. Readers will find this book hard to put down once they begin reading it. It is superb in every respect and the very best biography on Edward R. Murrow.

What a great addition to any St. Patrick's Day arsenal! A great cliff-hanger-type folk tale, complete with kings, sea monsters, vindictive witches, and a heroine who gives a whole new meaning to "riding off in the sunset"! The illustrations are superbe! My kinders raved about this book, even though I feared it would be a bit above them. We read it in sections, stopping at the brink of each near-certain disaster, so that it was just the right amount of listening for my many wiggily boys!! It fits in so well with our current fairy tale theme, that I would include in this genre, as well. This is a not-to-miss adventure, complete with classic twists and turns, and a few new ones!

I bought this book for my nephew but decided to wait to give it to him for several reasons. The main one being that I absolutely LOVE the book myself! LOL! However, while the story is good and I know he'll enjoy it, he's still a bit young (not even 2); it seems more appropiate for 4 years old or older.

In the story, Young Kate uses her wits to save her family and her village with an ending I never saw coming -- not your typical 'Fairy Tale Ending' but an excellent one nonetheless especially for our modern times. I fell in love with the illustration's ton of detail that kept me looking at each page long after the reading was over.

My one complaint is that, while the book itself is good sized so you can see the pictures, the paperback edition seems a bit flimsy. If this story is to be loved (and thus read) as much as I think it will then I may have to order another copy or two to last through the years. Perhaps the school binding edition is more sturdy?

Both girls and boys will enjoy this story and I think you grown ups will, too.

"O'Sullivan Stew" is a rollicking book with a truly heroic female protagonist. The pictures are both lovely and funny--if you pay special attention to facial expressions I guarantee you'll be laughing out loud. Kate, the heroine, spins yarns with a skill beyond her years, painting pictures with her inventive tales. Her speech is like music--you can practically hear her brogue while you're reading. And if her storytelling doesn't convince you that she's painting pictures with her words, then the illustrations will. They vary from dreamy pastels to muted and murky to bold and bright depending on the nature of the tale she's telling. And when she stops, the world turns black and white.

Not only does this book contain excellent illustrations, a strong, believable heroine, and a captivating story line, but there are several surprises and an unexpected ending. I hope you'll read it... it would be a shame to miss out on such a marvelously fun book!

The Irish have long memories, and even longer tales to reflect that. This book is a wonderful way to get children caught up in the excitement and tension of a classical tale, while also giving them a resourceful and modern heroine to admire. The book is everything a children's story should be: it's funny, the languish reads well and beautifully, and the illustrations are well done. This is a must-have.

This is probably my favorite story for a St. Patrick's Day read aloud. The village of Crookhaven is cursed when the local witch's horse is stolen by the king. Kate O'Sullivan and her father and brothers try to steal the horse back but are captured. It is up to Kate to weave a series of tales to get them all off the hook by describing other "true" stories where her family was in a "worse spot" than this one. The King is amused and enthralled by Kate's tales until the last one and all her work is about to be undone until an astonishing secret is revealed.

Hudson Talbott's illustrations are a riot of color and action. The expressions of the characters are so evocative you will laugh out loud.

Grab some Irish music to play in the background and share the story with everyone. The story will compell you to read with an Irish brogue even if you never have before.

Hudson Talbott books are like having a storyteller sitting at your elbow. The pacing of the story as it interplays with the illustrations is perfect.

I am a huge fan of Derek Jeter's. That's why I chose this book. I gave it five stars because Matt Christopher described every part of Derek's life accurately. I had already read Derek's autobiography and in that book I learned that his Dad made him sign contracts. In these contracts with his father, Derek had to promise to get good grades -- or else he didn't get to play in any All Star games or anything. Later, dude!

This series in general, and the Jeter book in particular, are great for a 5-10 year old sports nut. I read this with our 6 year old, a chapter a night for a couple weeks.

It's well written and moves quickly.

It makes reading fun by being about something a sports fan kid will really enjoy.

And Jeter in particular is a good story because he's such an great role model for kids -- he crosses racial divides, espouses the virtue of hard work, respect and not taking anything for granted.

Highly recommended

It's a grand slam! Baby. If you like nod slam Yeah baseball you are going to love this book. It's called on the Field with Derek Jeter. It's about a boy who has a fantasy to become the greatest short stop for the New York Yankees. His dreams come true. This book is cool and it is for all Ages. You will like this book but baseball Fans will love this book at One point in he book I all most cried I
recommend this book to you because I am a big baseball fan.

On the Field with Derek Jeter

On the Field with Derek Jeter is my favorite book because it is about my favorite player dreaming to be the player he is today! The setting is mostly on the baseball field. This biography is written by Matt Christopher and he has lots of good biographies. Derek Jeter is the main character and there are lots of people that helped him make his dream come true, like his dad! My favorite part is when he is assigned to the Minor Leagues! The book starts when his mom and dad meet. The theme of the book would be Derek Jeter's comes true. The book starts very exciting even thow it is very serious.
And I think anyone who is a baseball fan or a Yankees fan will love this book!
- Natatlie,9

The book I'm reviewing is At the Plate with Derek Jeter by Matt Christopher. I think this book deserves five stars. This book is a Derek Jeter biography. A problem that occurs in this story is when he's in high school. He almost gets cut from the team. This tells you how Derek Jeter became a pro baseball player. I would recommend this book to anybody.

Emerson N.J. fifth grade student

I purchased this book as a holiday gift for "tween" members of the family. At this time, all I can say is that the book was accurately described and shipped promptly.

My kids loved the two books in the series, they hardly wait for the final volume.

My 11-year-old son reads everything he can get his hands on. When I asked him how he liked this book, he thought about it, and finally said,"I would have to say it's the best book I've ever read." 'Nuff said!

Having grown up with Edgar Rice Burroughs - this is exacty the sort of high adevnture I loved. These are more sophisticated techically (no need for starnge powers etc). I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and am not disappointed with the second. The presentation ks is superb, with excellent facsimile documents and photographs, made to look like a real journal, beautiful fold out maps and schematics of Ships, and submarines, captivate. The story is fast paced and has and authenticity to it. A real Indiana Jones meets the league of extraordinary gentlemen. Enough to stimulate the imagination of any reader adult or child. t

The ship was tossed and turned as the typhoon ripped through the South China seas. This is just a little of all the action, adventure, and mystery that happens in this book. Operation Typhoon Shore has great action, but the mystery is even better. For me the mystery is what hooked me, and kept my mind focused on the book. The book left me hanging at the end of each chapter motivating me to read more. Joshua Mowll sets the book up so I found clues in the text, and uncovered a little part of the mystery at a time. When I was reading the book it made me feel like a detective, so it felt like I was in the story.
Another reason I liked this book was because of the lively characters. The author gives each character a vivid description. At some parts during the book I felt like the characters were with me. Also, each character had a purpose, so they weren't just in the story because the author wanted them in it. Instead each character is used for a specific piece of the story that without it the reader would be lost. Finally, the mystery and characters is what kept me reading.

This is an excellent and informative book. I was however quite surprised that Checchino, which I believe has 1 Michelin star and is possibly the best known restaurant in Rome, doesn't rate a mention, especially as it certainly fits the Slow Food motives.

This book was an invaluable resource. Perfect for those who cherish great meals and good wine. We toured Italy from Lake Como to Verona, Venice to Florence and Bologna. In each city we made a point to eat at a site mentioned in this book. Every meal was unbelievable !!! We would love to see more Slow Food guides for other cities around the world.

We brought this book prior to an '07 three week trip to Northern Italy. It is based on the 'Slow Food' movement now going on in Italy. We purchased a number of other books to supplement this one. This book is excellent for people who want to "go" the way the Italian do, i.e., good food (a must for them)at a reasonable cost and small hotels/B & B types without all the hype. We are now using it again for a late '08 trip back to Northern Italy. As a side point - there are also Slow Food shops in Italy where you can purchase quick meals or food items to take away - all of the highest quality and fair price. Remember this "Slow Food" movement was started by Italians for their own people - the main idea was for top quality food and reasonable accomodation at a fair price and they have achieved it. Remember to look for the "Golden Snail"

An essential handbook for anyone with dreams of eating their way around Italy. The descriptions evoke strong images of romantic nooks with sumptuous offerings - all supporting the Slow Food philosophies of local quality ingredients prepared by passionate gastronomes. Included are accommodation options covering 3-star hotels to intimate farm stays. I won't travel to Italy without it.

I almost hate to recommend this book since the Italian language editions have been sort of our secret for many years. Now anyone can find these wonderful places to enjoy authentic regional foods and wines in the REAL Italy! We've been to many, many of these places over the years and the descriptions of them are spot-on so I'm confident that the places we have yet to enjoy will be equally as good. Be patient though, just because the book is in English does NOT mean the folks at these wonderful eateries speak the language. The glossary helps a lot in this regard.

Braiden has captured the unique flavors of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and B.C. with her lively commentary of the distinct ingredients you can find there. Her profiles of people and places make me want to visit each and every destination. If I can't get to that farm or winery, at least I can make the meal myself - and pour a glass of Braiden's hand-picked Northwest wine recommendations to accompany it.

The recipes are easy and delicious, inspiring us to use local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients. So far, our family favorites are the Grilled Asparagus Salad with Prosciutto, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Balsamic Vinaigrette and the Dungeness Crab with Ginger-Cilantro Mayonnaise! Yummy~

This cookbook is absolutely gorgeous. It is a wonderful guide to the Pacific Northwest for both locals and visitors. The recipes are fabulous (try the Chipotle Chocolate Cake) and very easy to do at home, while still elegant. And the wine pairing suggestions are spot on. Outstanding book that would make a great addition to anyone's cookbook collection - and one that you will actually use.

This book offers many exceptional recipes however there are two from Chef Maury Bennett in Idaho that are amazing his passion for local fares radiates through his ideas. I would like to see an entire cook book done by him!!

For the wine and food nut, this book is of epic proportion. Vivid and lively pictures combined with the real people and real stories of the Pac NW illustrates the connection between Braiden Rex-Johnson and her subject. The
wine country traveler's guide to the good life in the Pac NW. Bravo!

To counter the damp and dreary days of winter I surround myself with distractions that promise better days to come. At the top of my pile is Braiden Rex-Johnson's Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining. Just looking at the cover of this love letter to NW cuisine warms me. I imagine myself dining al fresco on the patio of this restaurant or a myriad of others. Then I pour over the interior pages, like a gardener pouring over a seed catalogue in winter. I indulge in the descriptions of familiar restaurants and wineries as well as intriguing new ones. I plan our next excursion into Eastern Washington or the Willamette Valley or the always promising Vancouver area, while noting the recipes from these areas that we want to make today and the wines we will want to serve with them. I smile at the quotes from favorite and unfamiliar chefs and feel as though I now know something of what makes them who they are. And then I remember another friend who I want to share this book with and I'm back online to order it. What a perfectly luscious way to wile away the winter days.