Washington Books

I really enjoyed reading this. It flowed really nice and I kept wanting more. I finished without ever getting bored.

The story about a young man dealing with becoming a father was good, but what blew me away was the incredible depiction of the life of a person with a minimal handicap. His epilepsy doesn't show immediately to others, but it haunts every moment of his life. He has completely educated himself to limit the disease as much as it can be limited and if he is control of his life he controls the disease. But none of us can control our lives and the conflict of this book seems to be, can he be heroic enough to risk imbalance and save his son? Can he take the steps to make others in his life recognize that he can handle the handicap and run his own life? I thought there were a couple of other issues - people testing your love by pulling away and how we manipulate our life stories to fit the truths we can handle about ourselves that resonated with truth. There seemed to be a great honesty in this book and I was deeply impressed.

Nobody builds a character like Garth Stein. Evan and Dean are real without being overdrawn, instantly likeable without being cloying or cute. Best of all this story of a relationship never turns the reader off with simple-minded parenting pap. This is the real deal between two imperfect people and all of us imperfect people should be able to relate.

Stein is also an excellent scene-builder. The depictions of the pop music scene in Seattle is instantly believeable-the reader feels like an insider immediately. The depictions of living with epilepsy were a revelation and very moving. I'm surprised, having read this book, that its inherent drama hasn't been used in fiction more often.

Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine

Epilepsy has rarely been examined in fiction.
In How Even Broke his Head and Other Stories, Garth Stein puts an end to the silence.
With cool and measured precision, he introduces us to Evan Wallace, epileptic, and then forces us to watch Evan's ever-so-slow drift toward the inevitable seizure. Along the way, somehow, we find ourselves hoping Evan's efforts to ward it off, control his grip on consciousness, will succeed because at stake is the love of his son - a son he's only just learned exists.
Stein's depiction of their coming together is real, raw, gritty. Both father and boy are flawed. They feel their way, just like all of us.
The struggle begins the day they meet, and for Evan becomes his first real attempt to come to terms with the disorder that until now has ruled his existence.
Garth Stein knows this subject. His PBS documentary "When Your Head's Not a Head, It's a Nut?" is the story of his sister's preparations for surgery aimed at relieving her epilepsy. You owe yourself this read. It'll grow your head.
Art Tirrell - author of The Secret Ever Keeps - March 2007 from Kunati Book Publishers.

This novel is a brilliant and beautifully written meditation on the ever shifting nature of the truth. It is also an excellent portrayal of how Evan, the "black sheep" of his family, learns to take charge of his own story and stop letting others dictate it for him. Yes, he is a flawed character. He has secrets that he has kept from his family because he was too ashamed to reveal them. He has a 14 year old son he has never met, and he is an extremely talented musician who isn't getting anywhere with his music. And he has epilepsy.

The journey we take with Evan as he learns to grow up and become a father is immensely satisfying. The details, especially regarding the emotional lives of the characters, are beautifully described.

You have to be smart about reading this, though. While it is written in the third person, it is not an omniscient narrator. It is a very tight third person where everything is really coming straight from Evan's P.O.V. It is as close to being written in the first person as you can get while still being a third person narrative. I found this fascinating! And I loved the tone it set for the book. So if you find yourself complaining that Mica, for example, is too good to be true, you are not reading carefully! Of course she is too good to be true--everything we learn about her we learn from Evan, and he's fallen completely in love with her.

I honestly don't understand how more people haven't found their way to this book. How Evan Broke His Head--about family, truth, fatherhood, and being able to rewrite your own story--is an amazing read. I was transported instantly into the world of these characters and almost forgot that they were characters and not real people whose lives I cared about deeply.

The book came in plenty of time for a gift. It did have a slice in the paper cover and slightly on the main book it's self. Looks like when someone opened a box with a box cutter. It didn't effect the out come of the book though.

This cookbook contains many of the most popular dishes served at the Inn at Little Washington. I was surprised how true the recipes are to the dishes served at the Inn. Few recipes require exotic or inaccessibly expensive ingredients. While some recipes are labor-intensive, others can be prepared rather quickly and easily with excellent results, such as the Rockfish with Mushrooms and Grapes.

The Red Pepper Soup with Sambuca Cream has become a favorite in our house, even among those who typically do not enjoy red pepper. The Medallions of Veal with Calvados Cream is also well worth the effort. The ice-cream recipes in this text are also excellent.

If you are not an avid cook, this book has lovely pictures and makes for a good coffee table book. The text is also well-written and interesting. Highly recommended.

This is the restaurant by which all other restaurants are measured. It is perfection in every way. Therefore, it is not surprising that I would want the cookbook. What may be surprising to some, then, is how good the book is. There are many notable restaurants and famous chefs are not rare. Chefs, however, who write well and present good cookboooks is less commonplace. The writing is excellent and the recipes turn out as anticipated. I pick up the book (together with Levin's book) sometimes just to recall the most splendid restaurant experience of my life and to look forward to dining there again soon. This should be a good book even for those who have not had my experience; it should be for any lover of good food and good dining.

We have been guests at the Inn at Little Washington and enjoyed lovely repasts there. In the book, "The Inn at Little Washington Cookbook," we have taken the magnificent offerings to our own table. Especially memorable is the tomato salad, rated the best by the Washington Post reviewer, with tri-colored tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, and shaved asciago cheese - a feast for the eye and the palate. The lobster medallions with grapefruit are delicions and easy to prepare. There is practicality in the preparation and easy-to-find ingredients. The photographs are wonderful. I have given this lovely book to many friends who have shared my delight with Patrick O'Connell's gift from the heart!

We had the pleasure of spending a weekend at the inn and on one of our 2 dinners there actually ate at the "chef's table" in the kitchen. While there we were able to sample a large portion of the menu and obtain an autographed copy of his cookbook. Upon returning home I assumed the recipes would be convoluted and difficult to follow. THIS IS NOT THE CASE! Patrick's recipes are clear, straight-forward and enable any cook with moderate kitchen skills to wonderfully replicate the dishes he serves at his fantastic inn! If you want to produce delicious dishes, with a hint of southern US, French & Italian influences then buy this book!!! You will not be disappointed & your guests will be amazed!

This book is one of my new favs. It's a great story, and it made me smile. It's a bit diffrent from the movie, (the ending) but it will make you laugh.

but with a few twists here and there and much more in the way of detail and character development. Lots of fun, humor and really allows you to understand more about the cultures involved.

The narrative by the precocious (and somewhat obnoxious) high school girl Momoko Ryugasaki begins with a lengthy tutorial on everything that you could possibly want to know (and perhaps a good deal more)about the sixteenth-century Rococo origins of the Lolita style. She doesn't particularly care about what the reader (or anyone else) thinks, but her candor and perspective on life is endearing enough to keep one reading.

She is a refined and fashionable young lady who circumstance has sadly stranded in a rural and distant suburb of Tokyo. But it also leads her to Ichigo Shirayuri, a tough, yanki biker chick who, at first, seems to be Momoko's exact opposite. Through this odd relationship, Takemoto crafts a story with remarkable subtlety and power. In spite of his incredibly detailed knowledge of the Lolita and yanki lifestyles, his real genius is his understanding and portrayal of human nature and relationships. Just as the bond that forms between Momoko and Ichigo grows to transcend their differences, the real meaning of the story deepens to expand beyond the bounds of culture and lifestyle. And from a reader who has little interest in fashion or motor scooters, Kamikaze Girls gets a five-star rating and a place among what I consider the masterpieces of modern Japanese fiction.

awesome book. one of those books u can finish in one sitting cos its just so entertaining! definitely a one of a kind story. i wish there were more books like this one.

okay probably not words you think of when you think of a Japanese novel about a Yanki and a Elegant Gothic Lolita. Probably few if anyone that reads manga would probably even think to pick up the book. Yet I say EVERY girl should read it.
Because, its about the bonds that are the very beginning of any life long friendship. The friendships that actually last and will stand the tests of what ever is thrown at one during life, and what you'll throw back at life to keep that friendship.

Its just a wonderful book, that every girl should read. Even if its about two wildly different Japanese girls and neither is really a 'mainstream underground' in America, everyone LUVS a E.G.L. and who doesn't want to be a big bad Yanki sometimes?

word of warning, there is some cussing. artfully and tastefully done. and yes I apply those types of words to cussing.

Most reviewers focus on the issue of religion - Shylock as a Jew - but fail to look past the issues of faith and consider the discussion of business ethics in "The Merchant of Venice".

I won't go into the racism and religions arguments because I have nothing new to say on those subjects, and they have been done to death by everyone from high school freshmen to PhD candidates.

As much as any other theme, greed and impact of greed on business are themes that don't get the consideration in this play. In the era of the collapse of the "Sub-Prime Lending Market" and all the related scams, scandals, and tragedies, and Enron, and the impending collapse of several commodities markets, the theme of greed is more relevant than ever. "Oh my daughter, oh my ducats" has a familiar ring as realtors wring their hands that their properties can only be sold at a loss due to their own thoughtless avarice. As Shylock demanded the pound of flesh he was owned, mortgage firms foreclosing on properties where the buyer was encouraged to lie on the application has familiar feel to it.

"Merchant of Venice" has comedy, and has several other themes, but greed is the least discussed, and has the air of the elephant at a cocktail party that everyone is too polite to mention. The play was written in a time when people would fund military ships in order to share in the loot and salvage the ship brought back. From this play alone, you could make the case that Shakespeare was the first Socialist, the first person to openly question the business ethics and practices of his time. By setting the play in Venice and making the personification of Greed a Jew, he gently deflects the audience to the real statement he's trying to make.

Aside from the possible political message, this is quite a play. The characters are lively and timeless as all the best of the Bard, and the themes of romance, wayward children, and justice are as timely and thought provoking now as when they were written.

Excellent and complex play with as much drama and social criticism as comedy.

E.M. Van Court

_Merchant_ is a hard play to swallow -- brilliantly written and scathing in content. One worries about the futures of all the characters, most of whom are so flawed as to inspire only pity for their respective beloveds. The deus ex machina ending, in which Portia conjures happiness all around out of thin air -- except, of course, for Shylock, is merely bewildering.

Yet _Merchant_ should not be forgotten. One gets the impression that Shakespeare *wanted* his audience to be uncomfortable with some of the horrible prejudices depicted, and one definitely feels challenged. In addition, the extent to which we have moved on from the anti-Semitism so apparently cavalierly brandished in this 'comedy' leaves us with the responsibility to remember and be aware of prejudices that could be recalled to life, given the wrong stimuli.

I bought my Kindle edition for a "Shakespeare Sundae" dessert + reading, and was very pleased with its formatting and readability. The price is right, too.

It's one of Shakespeare's best. I thought the Folger Folio people were a little full of themselves. I mean 3 different reviews of their projects (which are formidable) is a little excessive.

One cannot read Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice without realizing the significance that religion takes in the play, specifically the portrayal of the Jewish and Christian characters. When we first encounter the play's principal Jew, Shylock, we can only feel resentment towards him for the way he carries himself and conducts his business. Then, when first exposed to the play's principal Christian characters--Antonio, Bassanio, and Portia--the audience likely feels sympathetic towards them because of their unfortunate run-ins with the villainous Shylock. But I wonder if this is a truly accurate reading of the play. It appears that critics are divided on whether Shakespeare was further advancing anti-Semitism existent at the time by depicting Shylock in denigrating stereotypes throughout the play or whether he was actually condemning anti-Semitic behavior by turning Shylock into a sympathetic figure by the play's end. It is my contention that Shakespeare is merely reflecting societal norms at the time as he indicts religion altogether.

Though we cannot forget Shylock's appeal to humanity in his "Hath not a Jew eyes" speech, nor Portia's appeal for mercy at the court trial, there is far too much evidence of misdeeds and hypocrisy by all of these characters to think Shakespeare is "picking sides" in this battle of religions. Shylock's greed and need for revenge are certainly damning portrayals of his faith given how religious he claims to be. But given the "holier-than-thou" attitude's of Venice's Christians and their hypocritical actions to the contrary of their religion, it is clear to me Shakespeare has a major problem with Christians who "talk the talk" but do not "walk the walk." I will discuss the villainous representation of Shylock, then analyze the hypocrisy of the play's primary Christian characters and will question if these Christians embody the righteous example of which they speak.

The portrayal of Shylock is paramount throughout the play, mainly because we are torn between disliking him for his cruelty on one hand and empathizing with him because of the abuse he suffers on the other. When Shylock enters the play in the Act 1, Bassanio is trying to get a loan from him using Antonio's credit because he needs a large sum of money so he can appropriately woo Portia. There is certainly no denying Shylock's passion for accumulating wealth. The other characters frequently comment on Shylock's greed throughout the play, and he even tells his daughter that he dreams about moneybags. Shylock suffers ridicule from the Christian community because he charges high interest rates on loans, but also because he is a Jew, comparable to a dog or the devil in their eyes. As Shylock considers the loan, he seems more interested in having Antonio bound to him than with the loan itself, and we soon learn of Antonio and Shylock's mutual resentment. Shylock is hesitant to help Antonio out because Antonio has hurt his own business dealings in the past by lending money at no charge, but also because he is a Christian. The evidence of Shylock's greed continues to mount. In Act 2, Solanio describes "the dog Jew" running through the streets of Venice and crying more earnestly for his lost ducats than for his lost daughter (who has ended their relationship, married a Christian and converted to Christianity, further enraging her estranged father).

Beginning in Act 3 and continuing into the first parts of Act 4, Shylock repeats statements like "I will have my bond"--the dubious "pound of flesh" from Antonio's body. Shylock's repetitions of his claim turn into a death chant of sorts for Antonio since he is now unable repay the loan. When asked what he plans to do with Antonio's piece of flesh since it's obviously worthless to him Shylock replies, "To bait fish withal...if it will feed nothing else it will feed my revenge" (Act 3, Scene 1, lines 45-46). We can now see Shylock eagerly awaiting his chance to kill Antonio and get his symbolic revenge on all the town's Christians, whom he despises.

Despite Portia's famed speech at the dramatic trial in Act 4, in which she lectures about Christian goodness and "the quality of mercy," Shylock refuses to show Antonio mercy. He claims he "craves the law" (Scene 1, line 203) and will not be merciful and forgiving to Antonio, and no one can change his mind. All of these incidents are constant reinforcements of Shylock's bitterness and cold-heartedness, which has been shown throughout the play, and which are clearly not in line with the virtuous nature of Judaism.

Of course we know that there is an unexpected change of events about to happen to Shylock. Instead of having his bond, we find that Shylock's bond with Antonio is impossible to recover since he may not shed a drop of Antonio's Christian blood in the process. Portia then orders Shylock's property seized and "mercifully" allows him to convert to Christianity rather being executed for attempting to take the life of a fellow Venetian, seemingly "delivering" him from his Jewishness. But up until Shylock's sentencing, we might be somewhat content with the depictions of the evil Jew and the righteous Christians. But as we examine Act 4 (and the entire play) more closely, we are forced to recognize that perhaps Shylock is actually a victim of the hypocritical Christian society in which he lives. Being able to read this play in a post-Holocaust and post-Civil Rights Movement world, we cannot help but have some empathy towards Shylock for the way he is treated, though clearly he is not a very virtuous man in his own right.

To analyze Christian hypocrisy in this play, it is necessary to go back to Portia's dramatic speech given at the trial, discussed previously. Portia preaches about the blessings of showing mercy, almost playing the role of a preacher. But if we retrace her steps back to Act 1, we hear Portia confessing to Christian hypocrisy. "Portia alludes to the familiar commonplace of the breach between Christian precept and practice" (Hassel, 117). This assertion comes from the following passage spoken by Portia:

"If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches, and poor men's cottages princes' palaces. It is a good divine that follows his own instructions. I can easier teach twenty that were good to be done than to be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching" (Act 1, Scene 2, lines 11-15).

The primary Christian characters of this play are representative of the people living at the time. Antonio, the merchant of Venice himself, has a great reputation among his fellow Christians who see him as a righteous and self-sacrificing citizen and friend. His bigotry towards Jews is not frowned upon because all of the others share his belief. Behind Shylock's back, Antonio ridicules him as a moneylender, but then enters into a loan agreement with him anyway. Antonio shows no mercy to Shylock when Portia pronounces his sentence. If Antonio were a genuine Christian, would he not have humbly accepted his acquittal then tried to reconcile his differences with Shylock? Instead, Antonio agrees to take half of Shylock's possessions without objection, thus eliminating his main business rival. These actions (along with Antonio's berating of Shylock) are not of Christian compassion and mercy but of selfishness and religious hypocrisy.

Now I briefly turn to Bassanio. Bassanio is portrayed as a bit of a playboy--squandering all he has, refusing to work and willing to beg for financial assistance. He is more than willing to marry Portia for financial gain. He certainly has a tendency toward materialism and consumption, which are not Christian values. Although Bassanio does not really victimize Shylock in the same way the others do, his lifestyle does tarnish the religious credibility of the Christian community.

Now I turn to Portia, who embodies this hypocritical Christian nature and does not practice what she preaches. We are clued in to her racism as she complains about one of her suitors for marriage, the dark-skinned Prince from Morocco. Portia makes the comment "If he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me" (Act 1, Scene 2, line 33). "Portia knows it is a sin to be a mocker, but she mocks her suitors anyway" (Hassel, 114). Portia instead settles for the gold-digging Bassanio.

Although Portia's "quality of mercy" speech sounds like a wonderful description of Christian values, it is really an ironic display of Christian talking points versus actual practice. As I mentioned earlier, Portia's words do not correlate with her deeds. She tricks Shylock in this scene, first by disguising her character, then by turning the perceived law against him, leaving him a shell of his former self while enriching her friends. Shylock's life is completely ruined and she makes an even bigger mockery of his religion. Portia appears spiteful, not compassionate, and certainly does not come off as a merciful Christian.

Though Shakespeare is a tough read for me, I think I finally came to an understanding about what this play was really trying to convey. At first glance, you find yourself hating Shylock and admiring Antonio, Bassanio, and Portia. Later, you find yourself empathizing with Shylock because of the hypocrisy of the Christian characters. While the critics have argued it both ways, I truly feel that Shakespeare is merely commenting on society as he then saw it, which turns out to be a strong indictment of both religions--or at least how their virtues are carried out by their followers.

What exactly was Shakespeare attempting with The Merchant of Venice? Was Shakespeare anti-Semitic? Does the play promote anti-Semitism? What was Shakespeare's purpose in writing such a work?

As the play opens, the eponymous Antonio's dearest friend Bassanio laments his need of cash in order to seek the hand of Portia, the heiress of a noble Venetian family. Antonio is depressed, but it is only as the play progresses that we come to guess the reason for his depression: the marriage of this dear friend will, as such events always do, change the nature of their friendship and make it less intimate. As Antonio shows no other romantic interest in the play, and is alone and lonely, this depression possibly suggests that Antonio is homosexual.

But how would the cash enable Bassanio to engage in this pursuit? In fact we never learn precisely why the money is needed. There seems to be some kind of wealth or social class requirement for playing the game whose prize is Portia's hand and Bassanio needs to purchase the trappings that would, meretriciously, enable him to appear a member of the aristocracy.

As a successful merchant, Antonio is in a position to provide his friend with the desired funds. He doesn't have the cash on hand, however, as his wealth is tied up in his trading fleet at sea. But this fleet provides collateral, and the Jewish moneylender Shylock has access to the ready cash from his own store and from that of his friend and fellow Jew and moneylender, Tubal. But why should Shylock entertain a request from Antonio, a Christian who has reviled him and spat on him in the most public space in Venice for being a Jew, a public humiliation of the most egregious sort, as well as sadistically maligned him in a number of other ways, and now touts his moral superiority by noting that he lends to his own friends without interest. Responding to Antonio's sneering arrogance, Shylock offers to lend the money at no interest -- but demands an awful penalty should the borrower default -- the famous pound of flesh. And why should he not, in the unlikely event of Antonio's default, revenge himself?

Meanwhile, Antonio's and Bassanio's friends help their friend Lorenzo assist his lover Jessica, Shylock's daughter, in running away from her father's home, which she does, stealing a substantial sum in jewelry, including Shylock's most treasured possession, his late wife's gift to him.

Bassanio passes the test of the three boxes and wins the beautiful Portia's hand.

Antonio's ships are reported lost at sea and, defaulting, he is subject to the exulting Shylock's revenge. Shylock proceeds to have the default ajudicated, but the judge fails to appear. Portia arrives, dressed as the out-of-town judge whose fairness and erudition are well-known, and proceeds to play the unsuspecting Shylock with all of Antonio's contempt, to the delight of the vindictive Jew-hater Gratiano, depriving Shylock of his revenge. The "court" relieves Shylock of half his wealth and requires him to convert to Christianity. Antonio, who defaults, pays no penalty, and in the end his ships all complete their voyages to his substantial gain.

In this play, Shakespeare both mirrors the Jew-hatred of his contemporary society and, interestingly, portrays the implicitly parallel society of Venice and its Christian characters with an undeniable condemnation hidden beneath a scrim of identification: the sneering supercilious Antonio who claims the mantle of the generous Christian; the deceiver Bassanio, who borrows a lot of money with which to appear wealthy in order to deceive his future wife; the gratuitously vicious racist, Gratiano; Shylock's daughter and future Christian Jessica, who steals from her father his most intimate keepsake; the angelic aristocrat Portia who mendaciously assumes the identity of a trusted judge and turns the law on its head for the benefit of her husband's best friend and engages in some sadistic Jew-savaging herself to the delight of all the non-Jews present (and apparently Shakespeare imagined that the audience would enjoy it as well).

Shakespeare appears to be playing both sides of the coin here, both playing to popular Jew-hating, and creating a plot which not only exposes the amorality of the Christians but also depicts Shylock as a sometimes truly sympathetic character.

The play's structure is very familiar and guaranteed to please. Evil character plots to destroy innocent protagonist, but with the help of friends the evil character is outsmarted or outmaneuvered and gets his comeuppance, while the good people live happily ever after. Shakespeare though has created a curious drama indeed. The good folks are really quite distasteful characters, though Shakespeare puts beautiful words in their mouths. And the "villain" is in fact much more than an evil stereotype. Shylock is no paragon of decency, but he is the most fully realized human being in the play and commands the careful reader's or auditor's sympathy.

Shakespeare portrayed the Christian Venetians as corrupt characters while on the surface presenting them as the sympathetic actors in a more or less conventional drama of good Christians and bad Jews. A recent book bringing together current research on the life of Shakespeare notes that the most likely identity of the "Dark Lady" to whom Shakespeare wrote a number of passionate sonnets was a Jewish woman. This book (Shakespeare, by Michael Wood) notes that Shakespeare worked in a part of London in which he must have seen Jews frequently. Wood also notes that this play was written quickly at the time of Shakespeare's liaison with the Dark Lady. Interestingly, while Shakespeare was certainly aware that he was portraying the Christian characters as corrupt, he was also treating them, as the "good guys". He was playing a very strange game, both sympathizing with the Jew Shylock, contemning, in a less than explicit manner, the Christian characters, and at the same time portraying Shylock as the evil Jew and the Christians as the beneficent characters he expected his audience to identify with.

The case can be made that, far from producing an anti-Semitic play, Shakespeare wrote a play that, while pandering to the anti-Semitic prejudices of his audience, condemns the hypocritical ethically-compromised Jew-haters of Venice, and, by extension, London.

I loved it!!! I couldn't put it down. The intrigue and detail made me feel like I was in Washington, DC and I loved the Biblical references. It had just enough sex and "f" words to make it good reading. I will certainly recommend it to my friends.

In this, his first book, Terry (Wes '69), has melded media and crossed generations in the producing a first rate thriller. He's combined the intrigue of the author, R. Ludlum (Wes '51), with the the sohisicated repartee of the actor, B. Whitford ("West Wing's" Josh Lyman, Wes '81). The result is a delight for the devotees of the former two. With "So Shine...," Terry cements his rightful place between them. May he be equally prolific!

I could not put this book down and finished it straight through. It kept me up all night. It was such an absorbing and fast-moving story. There were a couple of stops where I had to close my eyes. The descriptions of stuff is just too real! This is a really fun read.

I read a review that said this was better than Grisham and , for a swhole host of reason, it is! Wonderfully put together, genuinely a fleshed out tale. Terry demonstrates an incredible understanidng of government, politics and Wall Street which he uses to create a REAL PAGE TURNER.

This is a complex story, and it kept me on the edge of my chair. The chapters are so beautifully woven that it's a delight to read.

All breast cancer patients should read this while going through treatment. The stories provide hope during a difficult time in a woman's life.

Once again, Barbara Delinsky's updated version of her original UPLIFT book provides survivors and their loved ones with courage, hope and humor about a dreadful disease that strikes one in eight. As a survivor and contributor to her latest effort, I am in awe of the women who shared their experiences with such insight and candor. Thank you, Barbara, for championing this cause. Stay well, my friend.

This book is a "must read" for anyone who has a family history of breast cancer, is currently undergoing treatment for it, is a survivor, or is close to anyone who has breast cancer or has survived it.

Breast cancer, while predominantly a "female disease" does strike men (it also strikes transgendered individuals, especially those on female hormone regimens).

The need for a book with a title like "uplift" becomes apparent when we stop and think about the place of the female breast in modern culture. Mass media and many aspects of our culture fixate on breasts in such a way that many women feel defined by their breasts. Consequently, breast loss can have a profoundly diminishing effect on a woman's self image.

In some locations, the emphasis on breasts has become extreme. I live in Kansas City, which is second only to Hollywood for the number of breast augmentations done per year (both in actual numbers and per capita). In the late 1990s (while in KS), I had a girlfriend who was so striking that my buddies referred to her as "that goddess."

But she didn't see her incredible beauty. She agonized over the fact she was small-breasted (an A cup). Not only was she beautiful, she was intelligent, articulate, and entertaining. If you had a list of the 1,000 most desirable characteristics a woman could have, you could check off one after the other in her case.

Despite her looks, brains, and personality, she was immensely insecure. She even chewed her nails down to the quick. The problem, in my opinion, was she succumbed to false comparisons that left her feeling she was somehow deficient because she wasn't carrying around huge levels of silicone, saline, or adipose tissue on her chest.

One time, she asked, "What do you see in me?" I was so stunned by the question, and so incapable of knowing even where to begin, that I couldn't reply quickly. She took this as confirmation that she wasn't "woman enough" and said so. That's about on par with saying Lance Armstrong isn't "biker enough." Yet, this idea dominated her self-image. She typifies what many women go through, even without breast cancer. Imagine the feelings after losing a breast or two.

How could this woman, with so much going for her, become emotionally impoverished over what is basically a minor cosmetic attribute? Especially when, only a few generations ago, women in America bound their breasts in an effort to hide them? That's a good question. It's one to think about.

In the meantime, think about how devastating it must be for most women to lose a breast or both breasts. That is one of the many issues facing women with breast cancer. Men with breast cancer don't face that particular issue, but they share all of the other breast cancer issues with their female counterparts (including, for most men, the loss of hair).

Of course hearing "You have cancer" is devastating to anyone. While cure rates today for most cancers are high (if the cancer is caught early), we still think of it as "the deadly disease." Most of us want to survive, so we avail ourselves of modern medicine in an attempt--one that is usually successful--to beat the cancer. But the process is grueling, painful, scary, exhausting, and risky. With breast cancer, there are additional emotional pressures--especially for women.

Uplift takes us through every stage of the breast cancer victim's long ordeal, and it even follows up with survivors five years after. The book is essentially a well-organized collection of thoughts of people who made the journey, along with some thoughts contributed by those who traveled with them. Delinsky's commentary helps the reader keep those thoughts in perspective, and she does an excellent job of prefacing the material in each section.

I don't know how much material Delinsky actually sifted through. But the result of her labors is a mix that is variously uplifting, instructional, and insightful. There's nothing sappy or boring in any of it.

For example, how do you feel after reading this excerpt from a woman who talks about hiding her bald head from her husband of thirty five years. She'd let him see her only in a wig or turban (towel wrapped around her head after a shower). The pressure apparently got to her one day, after she let him in the bathroom:

"...but suddenly I decided to just take the stupid towel off my head, and I immediately started to cry. Mike held me, smiled right into my lashless eyes, and said, 'So what?' And I thought the best I'd ever heard was 'I love you.'"

Uplift brings real power to people who are fighting breast cancer, whether on the front lines or in a supporting role. Those who've read Uplift can stride into this ferocious battle, this fight to the death, with greater calm and a deeper well of reserve to draw from. Those who are in supporting roles will not have to clumsily grope their way through, but can instead understand how to be a powerful ally to the person they don't want to lose.

Most books have one or two strong chapters that stand above the rest. I can't say that about Uplift. It's all strong. It's all good. It's all worth reading again.

Unfortunately, I won't have the opportunity to re-read my copy any time soon, because it is going to a breast cancer survivor and then on to make its rounds. Yes, the borrowers will eventually buy a copy for their own bookshelves, but my copy will be gone for quite some time.

It looks like I'll have to pony up for a second or third copy, so I have one on hand. But that's not all bad, either: all of the author's proceeds will be donated to breast cancer research.

This book is organized well. Each topic has its own chapter so women going through one procedure don't have to hear stories about other procedures. (Sometimes, less or more.) The various entries provide advise, support and realism that only real breast cancer patients and survivors can. It was like having my own personal support group between the covers of this book at any time I needed it! A great tool for women going through treatment. It also provides insight to friends and family that want to know how they can help their loved ones. Lots of good practical ideas!

As a breast cancer survivor myself, my observation is biased. The book is actually a handbook for women going thru treatment, and beyond. I only wish this book had been available 15 years ago when I was going thru treatment. But its here now, and I certainly would recommend it for anyone going thru treatment, or as a gift for a friend or family member to give to a loved one going thru this very emotional disease. 5 stars isn't a good enough rating....but it's the best one you have.

The Audio Dictionary has a reserved spot on my desk. I have had it only a few weeks and already it looks as if I have had it for five years. I find myself constantly refering to it for specification writing, white papers and design/bid documents. Gary and Glen have really outdone themselves in creating this masterful work.

This book is an excellent source for words used in the sound arts and audio recording industry that you need to know to go into the business. Trying to find accurate and consistent definitions is very hard but this book puts the definitions all in one place in a clear and understandable way.

Great item to have if your going to be working in the field of music.

When I first got into audio engineering there was no way of understanding some of the more technical concepts I was expected to know. This book makes it really easy to understand a lot of the terms, I still always keep this book handy when I'm reading an AES journal article, just to help me out if there is something I don't understand.

The Audio Dictionary is a great book for anyone who's looking for a concise, clear explanation of any audio-related term. It's not (and does not pretend to be) a complete treaty like the Handbook for Sound Engineers, but offers a quick and reliable solution for those questions for which you don't have an answer from the top of your head and don't want to spend 2 hours reading the complete scientific explanation.

I consider it a must-have for any Audio Engineer who takes his profession seriously and have at least one copy in the library of each school we operate in Spain.

Seeing these images from the late 1930s to early 1940s is so surprising and still very familiar. These people, places and things are fresh in their freckles, chipped nail polish, rutted tire tracks and dusty streets. Gorgeous photos and fine details on the New Deal programs that caused these photos to exist in the first place.

My two favorite photos were an exuberant, pin-curled girl with her county fair prize ribbons proudly pinned to her new checked dress and the county fair "girlie" show girls backstage, weary and too young in their bedraggled costumes.

I wished that the book had more of these scenes from small town (or even big town life). The last portion of the book focuses on scenes from the factories preparing for war, and the essay explains why these photos were the focus. Nevertheless, the most moving photos to me are the ones showing the small town experience that puts color to the Grapes of Wrath black and white stills in my mind. We are very lucky that these photos have been preserved and so well reproduced for viewers today.

There are some outstanding shots in this book. As a photographer who prefers color, I was fascinated to see transition from the B&W in early part of the century to color. A very good book to have if you are interested in yet another contribution (B&W to color) of these first documentary photographers.

This book is a miracle--a gorgeous collection of crystal-clear, full-color photographs that somehow depict a world that many people, myself included, have long unconsciously assumed existed solely in black and white.

Color photographs, hundreds of startling and beyond-Technicolor images of the tail end of the Great Depression and the first years of World War II, fill this beautiful and artfully designed book, and the experience of leafing through them is a revelatory one, an immersive, affecting, transformative one. Just look at these people, these places, these signs: these are not ghosts; these are not the silvery images of museum walls and newspaper archives; these are people; this is the real world; this is the past looking a terrifying hell-of-a-lot like the present, like you, like me. This is poverty and happiness and history and a world gone by, and this is all of that made immediate, and brought to you and to me as if we had just stepped out of a time machine to wade through it all ourselves.

This book is unbelievable. I don't think I could recommend a book more highly, and the only reservations I hold regarding it are the ones that come from being so altered, so changed, so turned upside down by something like this, by something that can make a person view the past and everything so differently. From Pie Town, New Mexico to Lincoln Nebraska, from UFO-like blimps over South Carolina to fishing holes in Louisiana, this is the past of America made alive, made new, made real.

The book's introduction, by writer Paul Hendrickson, is terrific is well, expertly putting the photographs into context, and invoking both explicitly and implicitly the spirit of James Agee, Walker Evans, and LET US NOW PRAISE FAMOUS MEN. It draws attention to small details of many of the images, details that may have gone unnoticed otherwise, and emphasizes these images' importance to history.

I absolutely love this book, though at times I can barely handle it. I recommend it as highly as I can recommend anything, though I can't guarantee it will leave you unscathed, unchanged, even okay. But get it, read it, see it, and then watch yourself start to see the world, see America, see the past, see it all it in a different way.

My mother saw the Bound for Glory exhibition in Germany and was so impressed with it that she got ME this book, knowing how much I love to photograph rural Georgia (USA), then became so captivated by it that she was reluctant to give it up. The first time I opened the book I was so overwhelmed that I had to close it again; the images are stunning and truly inspiring, and each photo has so much depth, it takes time to properly digest. Not your average photo book. Highly recommended.

Like many of us, I have come to think of this era in balck and white - a perception honed through years of poring over my parents books and photo albums. Looking at these images gives me the sense of Dorothy exiting her sepia farmhouse into the Technicolor Munchkinland - it's mezmerizing, and the images themselves tell detailed stories about their itme and place. Another book that evokes the same feelings in a more contemporary moment is Sam Fentress' Bible Road, which has beautifully rendered photographs from across the American landscape in black and white and color - if you like Bound for Glory, you are bound to like Bible Road.

This is truly inspiring. It will open your eyes to the world of Washington and inspire you to make a difference. Please visit the the web site for Americans for Limited Government in which Sen. Coburn was chair

This book, based on the reviews here, is self-righteous pablum with little factual substance. A better, book, one that I've actually read, is Chris Edwards - Downsizing the Federal Government (Cato).

This is one of the most rewarding and enlightening books I ever read. It was a real sleeper as far as publicity goes, but everyone should read this book. Liberals who just scrunge up their faces when they hear Senator Coburns name, should think again and read this book. Senator Coburn is a very conservative republican, but he does not rail against liberals or democrats in this book. He must have rightly figured to do so would tag the book as a typical partisan effort. Instead he exposes what the Republican party establishment does and goes after Republican leaders. He only mentions Democrats when he has to in relaying information about any particular congressional bill. He surely didn't win any friends in congress when he exposed the inner workings of that body. Politicians quickly (if they didn't sart out that way) transform into playing the power game. Everything becomes about power and not what is best for the people. The bribes, strong arm tactics, threats, play along to get along, we'll do the right thing later, gotta secure power now kind of shenanigans. You definately do not have to agree with Tom Coburn politically to appreciate this book. It's great to get a birds eye view on why our government does not work. I can see what congress is doing and not doing now and understand why thanks to having read this book. The establishment doesn't want you to read this book, but do yourself a favor and read Breach of Trust. We need to shake things up in Washington and elect new people. In fact Mr. Coburn talks about the 20-25 in congress who stick to their principles and truley work to do the right thing. It's good to know who they are. Let's get a majority like them. To get a feel as to how to do that it helps to read this book. This is eye opening stuff. Thank you, Senator Coburn.

Wow, and Wow again!!!! This book makes a lot of sense, no matter what your party or political viewpoint.

As a business owner who, like most, has a low opinion of Congress, this is a must read. Voters' approval ratings of Congress are widely reported to be in the low twenty percentile, are now are the lowest in history, and are still dropping. Congress is clearly broken. This unique book explains why it's broken, with many revolting but compelling examples.

And it also shows us a way to fix today's out of control, unaccountable government. It suggests practical methods for fixing Congress before matters get even worse. The author deserves a medal for responsible public service, and this book deserves to be read and understood.

John D. Trudel

This is an extraordinary book, an easy to read book, which is organized to provide 10 truths, 3 myths, 4 dangers, and 5 actions that citizens can take to restore the integrity of the Congress (both Senate and House).

The author's conclusions, based on his experience as a three-term Congressman, are consistent with both the recent polls that show that Americans damn both the Democrats and the Republicans as corrupt and ineffective at representing We the People, and with books such as Peter Peterson's "Running On Empty: How The Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It."

As a moderate Republican, I found this book representative precisely of the vision I signed up to in the 1970's--smaller government, less waste, more discretion to the states.

Two quotes really stand out:

xix: "Although the events o September 11, 2001 have focused the public attention on the threat of international terrorism, the greatest threat to the continuity of our form of government is our government itself."

79: "What makes this [Party Line] mentality dangerous is that when the team is held together by careerism and mindless partisanship, individual members are punished for thinking for themselves [or their Districts]. When members can't think for themselves their constituents are deprived of honest representation."

The book itemizes the positive aspects of the "Contract with America" that the Republican class of 1994 hoped to achieve, and blasts Newt Gingrich for failing to honor the contract and failing as a leader.

Robert Novak is to be complemented for his superb foreword and his support of this book.

All of my reading suggests that America is ready to demand that the bulk of their representatives follow the example of the Member from Vermont, and declare Independence from the two corrupt incumbent parties. America appears to be ready for a new political party that will restore government of, by, and for the people. This book is a good starting point, and makes the case for discarding both parties as being so corrupt and unrepresentative as to be beyond salvation. We are on our own.

I'm a former Chief of Police from the Seattle area, and started my career in So Cal, so I've had my own share of law enforcement experiences, many of which I related with while reading this book. The culture, crimes and personalities detailed in "Burnt Offerings" are woven together as only a master storyteller could. Strong language and situations, though not excessively overdone, reflect the underbelly of society that most never see, or want to know about. This book is a page turner that you will not want to put down! I can only hope the author, Chuck Newsome, plans another book.

Awesome!!!! I loved this book. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. It leaves you wanting more. Based on factual experiences, it has every element in it to keep it exciting. It sends your heart pounding in suspense from the first pages. I can't wait to hear more from this author!

Mr. Newsome has taken the reader into the real world of law enforcement, in perhaps the most violent city in the U.S. Nothing gussied up here. He portrays police officers as few writers do, men and women asked to do a thankless, damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't job by a society which cares little for the toll it takes on these extraordinary individuals. I literally could not put this book down. Besides a tremendous storyline and character developement, there are many surprises along the way. The ending? Well, I guess one needs to read the book.

I REALLY ENJOY THIS MR. NEWSOME MADE ME FEEL AS IF I WAS THERE,WITH THEM IN THE STORY. I GREW UP IN THIS AREA SOMES THINGS SEAM TO BE REAL. HOPE THERE IS ANOTHER BOOK COMING.

Mr. Newsome's first published novel had me assigning actors to the key players in this nail biter... I was drawn into this story and the imagery was as clear as on the big screen. This story has the making of a "block buster". I can't wait for the screen version and, better yet, can't wait for the next novel from Charles Newsome. Keep them coming!