Washington Books

This book helps you with the ins and outs of serving at the pleasure of elected officials in Washington. I hope some of my friends will need it in January.

A great book. I was a career government employee rather than a political, but the advice is great for everyone who aspires to accomplish something in government. For that matter, most of the lessons transfer well to the private sector if you just use a little common sense.

Certainly anyone coming to Washington as a political appointee should read this book. I worked for too many who did not.

Full disclosure: I read this book because I met Dave Oliver and liked him. Now that I have read the book I like him even more.

Most management texts seem to be aimed at the private sector. Oliver makes a great contribution with a text focusing on the different management and leadership environment within the government, including relations with civil servants, Congress and personnel in other agencies/Departments. In addition to useful tips on organizing a personal staff and managing a schedule, he provides insight on loyalty -- an essential currency inside the beltway -- and information management. Case studies unsurprisingly draw on Oliver's experience at the Defense Department, and some parts of the book seem overwhelmingly focused on the military, but nearly all of the lessons Oliver offers appear applicable to any part of the federal government. The book, which is a quick read due to the clear writing and logical organization, should be required reading, not just for political appointees, but for civil servants who will be working for political appointees, as well as lobbyists, lawyers and industry representatives who need to understand political appointees in seeking to persuade them to adopt a particular viewpoint. One minor quibble: a good copy editor should have caught more of the typos scattered throughout the text. Hopefully, this will be corrected in future editions.

This is an excellent book no matter where you are trying to succeed. The leadership skills apply to any profession. It's also a good education about the way our country is run. The author is entertaining as well as informative. If this book had been required reading in any of my high school or college classes I would have actually read and retained the information beyond the test. Dave Oliver manages to capture the attention of a broad audience with his entertaining and intelligent writing.
Where is this man and how do I get a chance to work for him?

first read this in 1979-80. truly an experience that stays with you. only one other book has had a lasting effect on the depths of my being: robert pirsigs'zen & the art of motorcycle maintanence'. every 'man' needs to explore Frank Waters gift. every 'man' needs to give this to his 'son'.

In this book, Martiniano, the main character, struggles to achieve a homeostasis amongst confining to the laws of the whites while still keeping the values, norms, and beliefs of his older Native American culture. There are a few sublots involving a religious sight that all come together to make a compelling conclusion to a beautifully written novel. The imagery involved within the piece make The MAn Who Killed The Deer a defined and rather extraordinary novel. It is a timeless claassic which should be read and enjoyed by all who still care about making themselves better persons.

This is a subtle, poignant novel which explores cultural conflicts and personal struggles for identity and interbeing. It concludes with an awareness of the inevitable oneness of all people within the rhythms of the earth. The novel made me contemplate my own values and relationships. It moved me to tears and quiet joy. It gave me a strong sense of my place as a human being in the web of life. I did not want the book to end. Martiniano, the man who killed the deer, is a vivd, honest character who will remain in my mind

It helps to have visited the village of Taos to appreciate this novel dealing with the tribes sacred Blue Lake and metaphysical power. Given the circumstances of the plot, its unfolding has intense meaning to all who seek their souls true identy. The narrative insidiously leads from one attitude to another, from what was learned to what is felt. Going "back to the blanket" is an imperceptible reunion with the customs of the past that moves man to become what he really is and/or wants to be. The beauty of the idea can affect deeply readers searching for their own unincumbered identity and peace.

I read The Medusa's Smile twice.
The first time rather fast just to see what really happened. But well before the end I was falling in love with the 17 year old Marina and the elusive sophisticated Marco Albrizzi.
I had also the feeling that I was missing something. That there was more than the story in the book. So I read it again, slowly. And then I was able to enjoy the atmosphere, the emotion, the restrained melancholy.
Is really more lasting the love that has not been totally fulfilled?
Is an old friendship the ultimate consolation?
Read the book and decide by yourself.

For everyone who has visited and loved Venice this intriguing novel will hold special delight and meaning.

The author's descriptions are breathtakingly real, sensitive and provocative. The juxtaposition of the heroine Marina's present and past life and the contrasting worlds of Venice in the winter and summer are compelling.

The story is particularly unique in the time-frame it spans. Italy of the 1950's and 1960's is captivating as it comes alive with the author's intimate knowledge and skillful writing.

The surprise ending holds pathos, tenderness, and the poignant reality of love lost and yet forever there. Readers of this novel will not be disappointed.

This is a novel of juxtaposition: Venice, shuttered in the cold light of winter and opulent in the heat and passion of summer--beauty, masking ugliness--innocence, becoming the handmaiden of guilt. Marina Renier Anderson,after the breakup of her 23-year marriage to a prominent American surgeon, returns to her native country, Italy. She goes to Venice and begins to relive events of a summer spent there when she was seventeen--events which culminated in a tragedy. In mythology whoever looked at the face of the Gorgon, Medusa, was turned to stone. That summer, the modern version of Medusa, beautiful and horrifying, turned hearts to stone. Marina is hoping for healing and release from her guilt. She must, however, learn to accept what cannot be altered. This novel is a tour de force, skillfully managed by a writer whose love affair with words brings to life a magical place and unforgettable personalities.

All good storytellers pull us into their world. Laura Brylawski-Miller lifts the veil to a Venice imbued with a shimmering air of unreality. Her narrator, Marina, returns for a winter visit during a time of marital crisis and reflects on a long ago summer at Venice's Lido beach in the company of wealth and glamour where much was illusion and deceit - "beyond the curtain of snow lies that summer at the Lido...blue and gold and bloody forever. "

Brylawski-Miller's descriptions are masterful. Her sense of place is only surpassed by her finely delineated characters. After my daughter-in-law finished reading the book in one gulp, she commented "I was really sad to put it down.. I am definitely going to look for her other novels because the characters in this one stayed with me for days - and I really missed them."

An engrossing coming of age tale - and so much more...

MISJUDGED by Gail Tusan Washington is the heart-wrenching tale of Suzanne Vincent, a hardworking woman who has become a judge in spite of her youth. She was appointed by the governor and now it is time for her to run for re-election. Chance Rotherman, an attorney, wants the position and will stop at nothing to get it. Her campaign manager suggests that Suzanne bring out some unpleasantness Rotherman has been involved with, but Suzanne isn't for playing dirty. Unfortunately, Rotherman doesn't feel the same and an eighteen-year-old secret Suzanne has been keeping just might cause her to lose the election.

As a judge in the family court, Suzanne deals with dysfunctional families every day, and as expected, some of that dysfunction spills over onto her. A woman she ruled against committed suicide and Rotherman finds a way to encourage the woman's grandmother to make a scene at Suzanne's campaign speech. Will the people listen to Rotherman? Will he expose her secret?

MISJUDGED is the painful story of a woman who is attempting to do the right thing, but discovers the dirty world of politics doesn't care where her heart is. It is a page-turner that dips into the psyche of Suzanne while exposing the dirt that can be flung during a political campaign. It says a lot about how the United States elections are run. It also explores family relationships and has a hint of romance. I would highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

This is a must read book. Gail's style is riveting and makes you want to continue reading. I will be looking forward to her next book.

Beautifully written novel. Great fiction debut for this real life judge. Author manages to pull reader into the twists and turns of the story. Looking forward to her next effort!

The story is excellent. The writer's experience of serving as a judge shined through the pages! A MUST READ.

Mother Knows presents a rich collection of emotionally meaningful short stories-some by writers I hadn't heard of before, but will be looking for now-about motherhood from all directions.

The opening piece, "What's Left Behind," is a deeply moving (but not sappy) story of a pregnant woman who loses her husband and children in a flash flood. Here are the first two lines: "He sweeps by me. My husband, Dizzy, rushes past me with his arms outstretched like a preacher at altar call."

There's the woman who's trying to take care of her small "determined" son and her equally stubborn father who, after a stroke, can only speak gibberish. The realism of this story is striking: the intertwining of love and dedication with exhaustion and a powerful, though passing, desire to flee from the obligations of family.

A remarkable range of authors and perspectives are included. There are at least five immigrants in this collection-wonderful writers with backgrounds and challenges very different from my own or my children's. (One author was born in China, another in Turkey, one in Puerto Rico, and one in Zimbabwe. I mean, wow.)

For me, the best fiction gives me a larger view of the world and yet reminds me that I am a part of it. And, although it sounds sentimental, these stories reminded me that it is the urge to love and be loved that keeps us moving through this world. This powerful collection of 24 (!) stories-by big names and soon-to-be-big names-has earned a permanent spot in my library.

All of our lives are inextricably bound with our mothers' lives. What I especially appreciated about these stories was that they told the truth--from all directions--about the complicated, but love-infused bond between mothers and their children. It's a meaningful, affecting, and hopeful collection. (And I've got some great new authors to follow now, too.)

I loved reading this anthology of stories about Motherhood! Very touching. A fascinating and heartwarming read, for sure.

I got this for my wife for Mother's Day and I think I'll actually read it when she's done! Unless she lets our daughter read it first.

The eruption of Mt. St. Helens is captured in photographic glory for any who would learn about the explosion of the volcano and the subsequent recovery of its surrounding environment. Black and white and some color photos accompany extensive descriptions of the eruption, its short- and long-term effects, and environmental changes.

i love this book and the doofus who thought this book wasnt that great(the one below me) needs to read it again he says it moved quickly to the recovery of the mountain: look at the title! thats what it is about retard.you should recognize a great writer when you see one. humph

I went to visit Mount St. Helens just a few weeks before she started rumbling and spitting again. I got this book because it is so much better than the superficial descriptions given at the visitors centers. The book also has a much better story. It talks more about the details of what happened. Drawing show the inside of the volcano and what happened to make the eruption occur the way it did. All in all, a much better understanding of the mountain than I got visiting it.

The mountain is not exactly unique, but the lateral blast came as a real surprise to the volcanologists. Only in retrospect did what happened make good sense. The previous eruptions created a solid rock cap on the top of the mountain. The cap was strong enough and heavy enough that it successfully held the pressure. Like the proverbial irresistible force the side of the mountain swelled up and eventually fell away. When that happened the plug at the top of the mountain fell down opening up the channel to the top. Now they know how those previously discovered horseshoe shaped craters are made.

What you don't get from the book is the sense of magnitude that you get from visiting the site. You really can't imagine the blown over trees that go on for literally miles. The answer is simple. First, read the book. Second, go visit the mountain. Third, read the book again and you'll pick up a lot more.

An excellent book, completely readable and very informative. I visited the devastated area by chopper within a year after the big one, and Carson's book told me that a lot of the interpretations I heard in 1981 are no longer considered valid. I particularly enjoyed the appraisal of Weyerhauser's tree farms vs natural reforestation. There are favorable points for both, and it's essentially a matter of choosing the scientific or the industrial benefits. I bought the book at the Monument (Forest Service, not Park Service) and reading it while I was there made it all the more exciting. My only complaint: the page layouts. Too many tall, narrow pictures are printed across the binding. Photos of these dimensions would easily fit on a single page, and their impact and beauty are diminished when so much of them is buried in the binding. Possibly this flaw would be less objectionable in a sewn hardcover edition. Also, pictures are often printed as insets in larger photos -- which suggests to me that the book design was considered more important than the photographs. The illustrations are great complements to a splendid text, and they deserve kinder treatment.

A satire on the romance genre, Mounting Desire is hilarious. It's an obvious reversal of gender stereotypes, but it works. If you're looking for a bitingly funny read that isn't afraid to poke fun at America's biggest selling genre--whether you're a fan or not--Mounting Desire is a book to pick up.

This paraody of romance novels, romance writers and romance itself is a really fun romp! Simultaneously profound and silly, Mounting Desire is particularly appreciated at a time when the U.S. seems to be embracing its puritan past with reckless abandon. Jack, the born- again- virgin- romance- novel author, doesn't date. Instead, he says: "I fantasize about ideal women. I dress them up in whatever I want, the more corsets the better. I put them through excruciating psychological trauma before having fifteen-second sex with them , and then I delete them." Expect to laugh a lot with this one. So, don't balance your mohito on your tummy while you're poolside.

I read Nina Killham's first book, HOW TO COOK A TART and loved it. This second book, MOUNTING DESIRE, is hysterical. Killham creates characters that seem so real and puts them into situations that seem so absurd. Even though she introduces many characters throughout the book (actually caricatures in many cases, such as the male cover model) the reader is able to follow along easliy. That is until you start laughing so hard you drop the book and lose your place. I can't wait to read her next book and see what she sends up next.

I got into it straight away. I had to keep sneaking off so I could read in peace. The two main characters are believable, and I couldn't wait to find out if they finally got together. I also liked the amusing dramas that came their way, and the supporting characters rounded it out perfectly. A perfect beach read and a lot of fun!

By most outward appearances Antigone Clark has the kind of life dreams are made of, but appearances don't always reflect truth. As MOURNING BECOMES HER opens, Antigone has returned to her apartment after her mother's funeral, only to discover that her live-in boyfriend arranged for movers to pack and remove all of her belongings during the service. Homeless, motherless, yet full of pride, Antigone must figure out how to move on with her life and continue to portray the image she has carefully crafted as a carefree Broadway actress. Her current run in a highly successful production has resulted in her being billed as the top black actress on Broadway, but that run is about to end. With her financial security uncertain, Antigone relies on her pride and independent nature to get her through each day, despite the snickers of her peers who are well aware of her untimely break-up. She is struggling with the death of her mother, a woman whom she has spent most of her life resenting.

Enter Baldwin Dahl, one of the hottest black actors in the business. He is on such a popularity high, he can pick and choose his next acting gig from a stack of offers. But aside from his role in a Shakespeare production, he only seems interested in building a relationship with Antigone and saving her from herself. Baldwin has a history of being the martyr in relationships, often sacrificing his needs for the needs of the woman he loves. But will his love be enough to save her and will his willingness to put her needs before his own persist?

MOURNING BECOMES HER is a complex, literary-style tale about one woman's journey toward accepting love despite a lifetime of disappointments and rejection. K. C. Washington carefully creates a character, who despite being self-destructive, readers can understand and relate to. The tension between her need to reach out to love and the need to build a wall of defense around her heart carries throughout the book and kept me invested until the very end. There were times when the story stalled, but overall, MOURNING BECOMES HER is a well-written, intelligent, and enjoyable story.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I read this book on a long flight to LA and it was such a page turner it really made the flight go by fast! I'm sure the people around me thought I was crazy the way I was giggling and laughing out loud. I loved Washington's crafty use of words and references of NY Theater and NY city life. Take the smartness and fashion of "Sex in the City" mixed with a complicated heroine of Antigone and you have one of the freshes debuts. Can't wait to see what author, KC Washington, writes next! (I found her website -> http://[...].com/)

Washington brings us a fresh take on a classic heroine. Ego-bruised Broadway actress Antigone Clark, the female protagonist of Mourning Becomes Her, brings to mind the 1940s silver screen leading ladies, but in a thoroughly modern setting. Our protagonist is leery of the advances of the almost too perfect Baldwin Dahl, and understandably so (for reasons you'll just have to read the book to find out). Antigone's hilariously sharp-edged repartee with Baldwin is truly cutting! It's heartbreakingly comical to see angst-ridden Antigone guard herself from the prospect of this romance, only to realize she and Baldwin have an undeniable bond. BONUS ALERT--Not only do we get this great love story, but also a beautiful exploration of a father-daughter relationship. This book is wonderfully engaging, soaring miles above your usual chick-lit fare; I could barely put it down. Kudos to the writer of this superb novella!!

Washington introduces a new love-to-hate heroine in Antigone Clark, an up-and-coming African-American actress who doesn't stop playing the part when the stage lights go off. For more reasons than one, the lights never go off in Antigone's world - even when they do - just as the lights never go off in this witty cover-to-cover read.

Indulge in this book when you're having a lazy, selfish day and don't want to feel guilty about it!

The story of an immigrant seeking the American dream and also the story of an American striving to meld her conservative heritage with Western freedom, Ms. Sultan's tome is a modern day reckoning of the experiences of all peoples who sought bridgehead on the shores of the United States -- set against the backdrop of a war in the backyards of both her past and future, a war where the casualties she experienced were family members, freedom, and in many senses identity. From the embarassment wearing home-made clothes to public school as a child of an illiterate mother, to breaking out of the strangulation of an arranged marriage in her teenage years - to the triumph of influencing the Afghan Constitution in the name of women's rights as an international leader, Ms. Sultan's story reverberates with both common humanness and hums with the timbres of early greatness. Ms. Sultan's book pushes envelopes most other authors don't even know exist. Her story is uniquely American and Americanly unique. At not yet 30, she has already begun to change the world, and this relevant, engaging, provocative, fun, sad, and sometimes disturbing tome are easily a first volume of a life meant to meaningfully impact the planet we inhabit. "My War At Home" is a book for the present and the future.

I was astounded from the first page of this amazing account and was not able to put the book down until I'd finished it and the issues she raises in her book now have me tied in knots and puzzled as to the solutions. Masuda herself told us she is confused and who in her shoes would not be? How many people would risk even their most precious thing...the relationship with her family in this case, to tell a story that needs to be told? It is even more amazing because Masuda is only 28 years old. Such wisdom is seldom found in people twice Masuda's age; her courage and honesty are exceedingly rare and should be applauded rather than scorned and mislabeled as pandering for attention. Masuda blames noone for what happens to her. In fact that is her point...we have people living in the same country but on completely different planets and people stuck within their own cultures and unable to transcend it even when they themselves are hurt by their beliefs or actions. Afghanistan has impoverished itself with its own denial of education to its people and especially women. At the same time this does not make it right for the United States to impose its culture and kill innocent people in the name of moral superiority or freedom. A messy and complicated story told in a very eloquent and moving way. My head is spinning and I am wondering what I personally can do to help Masuda in her cause. Bravo!!! This book is a must-read for almost everyone and I am sending it to all my friends this year for their birthday.

Masuda's story is incredible. I couldn't put it down and have already recommended it to dozens of people. Masuda for President!!

If you've ever seen an American Muslim woman walking down the streets of New York or anywhere else in the US and wondered about the many Americas in which we live, this book is for you. How do these people live and think in a USA that is as much theirs as it is ours? My direct experiences of my own country couldn't be more different than Masuda's. I grew up in the mid-west and most of my friends were white mid-westerners. Growing up, I knew on an intellectual level that there are a lot of different ethnicities that make up our country but every time I passed a Hassidic Jew, an American Hindu wearing a turban or an American Muslim woman covering her hair I wondered what their lives were like and how they experienced America. This book offers amazing insight into how this specific minority lives and thinks. What's more, upon meeting Masuda (disclaimer - I have) you could also come to the conclusion that no one is more quintessentially American. She seems to completely bridge the gap and can relate to me as much as I imagine her being able to relate to a shop keeper in Kabul.

The more people like her that we have helping us understand our interlocutors in the Middle East the better off America will be. Masuda shows us that we're all human and that understanding the perspective of the other side is key to reaching any long-lasting mutually beneficial relationship with their countries of origin.

This fascinating book gives the little-known history of the growth in the first half of the twentieth century of a vital community of visual artists in the Greenwich Village -- in the two blocks just north of Washington Square -- and the inevitable gentrification that followed. Using real estate records and other contemporary sources, the author provides an illuminating account of the often collaborative -- and very successful -- effort by landlords and artists to develop and renovate property here. Many of the renovations remain today as highlights of one of New York's most famed and picturesque historic districts. Especially noteworthy is Ms. Budny's illustrated accounts of the transformation of part of one particular block by the use of stucco, glazed tiles, and window boxes to evoke a Parisian charm, and of the artists who animated those spaces.

This gem provides beautiful photographs and fabulous documentation of the interwoven influences of art, artists, and art patrons. Context is rarely provided in discussions of artistic excellence, but Budny gives us the spirit of the time and opens the frame of reference to the broader international and provincial levels that compose the vibrant early 20th century art world. This work is an important link between the fabulous Parisian scene and the emerging American dominance of the avant-gard.

This little book is meticulously researched and rich in historic detail and human anecdote. The text is eloquent--spare and clear; the illustrations--many previously unpublished photos--are stunning and arresting. It tells the story of the conversion of a Greenwich Village neighborhood north of Washington Square at the turn of the 20th Century into a creative mecca evoking the Latin Quarter of Paris. Our knowledge of these artists and their families is enriched; a must have addition to any library, personal or public, that is serious about American art history.

A thoroughly enjoyable read about an exciting artistic time I did not know existed. Well researched and illustrated with a clear love by the author for the groundbreaking artists that inhabited this forgotten area of New York City. Clearly a time of extraordinary artistic sharing between artists like Noguchi, Manship, Lachaise and Hopper and many other characters that fully comes alive with colorful stories from the day. The book is both a redefining of the historical beginnings of America's avant garde in the art world and a poetic call to arms for the need for such a nurturing artistic community in New York City.