Ball Books

well written and oftentimes riveting account of an undersized punk trying to get his...and does. very illuminating spotlight on the sneaker companies, their camps and the exploitation of talented black youths. If you like basketball, this is a must read.

I read this book in one day so that should tell you something. It read quickly and wasn't too boring. Unfortunately it wasn't too exciting either. As a college and professional basketball fan, I enjoyed learning more about what goes on behind the scenes. I learned a lot about how competitive high school basketball is and how crazy recruiting works. I found Sebastian to be a fairly likable guy, but found his family somewhat greedy and money-hungry. I borrowed this book from my local library and wouldn't recommend anyone to pay money for it unless they are related to the author or a member of Sebastian's family. If I owned this book, I likely would NEVER pick it up again, much less read it.

The book puts you behind the scenes in Bassy Telfair's last year in high school. Great writing! The author keeps it moving, gets out of the way of the story (unlike Adrian Wojnarowski's St Anthony's book), and makes you feel like you're there. I understood more about this scene from this book that any other. A couple of minor frustrations: 1. He jumps around a little in time without explcitly saying what year he's talking about; and 2. After mentioning that Telfair repeated 4th grade, he doesn't remind us that he's a year older than his grade would suggest even though that's probably important for some stories.

At some points it seems like the author wants us to see the folly of making a big deal out of kids' basketball, but here he is writing a book and making money off of it. All in all, though, O'Connor doesn't preach, he just tells the story and lets us decide what to think about it. One of the best-written basketball books I've read.

"The Jump" is Ian O'Connor's excellent behind-the-scenes account of Sebastian Telfair's leap from New York City high school ball to the NBA. I recall that when Telfair arrived on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a generously-listed 6-foot guard from Lincoln High in Coney Island, he (as opposed to media phenom LeBron James the year before) seemed to explode into national prominence out of nowhere. O'Connor's book shows you that the author and other savvy talent spotters had tabbed Telfair as a potential NBA lottery pick 12 months or more in advance (indeed, O'Connor shows that people were annointing "Bassy" as NBA-grade as far back as fourth grade).

You've really got to hand it to O'Connor for having the prescience as a journalist to start following the kid, then watch his subject lead his team to third straight NYC title, land on the SI cover, sign a mega-deal with Adidas and become the first small high-school guard to be tabbed in the draft a lottery pick (Portland Trailblazers at #13).

All in all, a great read about the hidden (and rather seamy) side of the many, many hands in the circle trying to position and push an 18-year-old kid into the NBA. Through it all, Telfair comes out looking and sounding like a pretty good kid. From the tone of the book, it sounds like O'Connor would attest to that conclusion. It's amazing that with a veritable maelstrom around him all year, Telfair basically blocked out most of it and played some really fine ball in all-star settings, thereby sealing the lottery deal.

One can't help read this book and wonder how two recent events are going to forever change the the type of scenes O'Connor describes in 'The Jump'": David Stern's decision to increase the minimum draft age to 19; and Adidas' decision to buy Reebok (O'Connor demonstrates that the escalating "sneaker wars" are in large part driven by the fierce three-headed competition between Reebok, Adidas and Nike.).

Sebastian Telfair was born into a poor family that lived in a bad neighborhood filled with violence and drugs in Brooklyn, New York. His dad was in and out of jail throughout his life and his mother struggled to work. The only provider he truly had was his older brother, an athlete who failed to make it to the next level, who failed to bring in the wealth like his now famous cousin Stephon Marbury did just a few years before. With Sebastian being one of the last children growing up in the Telfair family he was made into the last hope at a luxurious lifestyle.
Sebastian Telfair had always avoided the dangers of his neighborhood. Instead of being up to no good like some of his peers, he just played basketball all day long. Eventually Telfair became skilled in the sport like no other his age. In fact, as a 10-year-old he was actually ranked the best 4th grader in America Throughout his teen years he continued to persevere in his basketball dreams by winning numerous basketball tournaments and then excelling at Lincoln High School. After his four year run there, he came to an important decision in his life. Should he go to college or straight to the NBA? At first he said he would attend Louisville but the money was just too tempting and Telfair went straight to the NBA as the 13th pick by the Portland Trailblazers. As a rookie Telfair struggled; many of his critics claimed he should have gone to college to become more polished. Now he's getting prepared for his sophomore season hoping to make more of an impact.
The Jump was very descriptively written. Almost everything talked about in the book had some kind of background information included with it so that the reader would never be unaware of something. The story of Sebastian Telfair's life has its share of drama, so naturally his biography will too. From his past coaches trying to follow him to glory, to people trying to pressure him into life changing decisions, just about every page was filled with dramatic situations. Another factor that made me enjoy this book was all of the detailed basketball action that made it seem as though I was actually watching the game. For readers of all kinds, especially sports fans, this book will be a very appealing.

O'Connor did a great job of implementing detail into this biography. Not only did he elaborate extensively on Sebastian Telfair's background, but he did the same for almost every other person Telfair knew or encountered. For example, when writing about Sebastian as a junior high student playing for the Juice All-Stars of Brooklyn he described the coach, Ziggy Scaginano, and his past fully. A reader can really tell that O'Connor has done his research by all the information provided.
Probably the most interesting part of the book was all of the drama. The story of Sebastian Telfair's life written in The Jump seems perfect for a day- time soap opera. His dad and his brother were constantly having run-ins with the law while his mother had to stay home to care for all of the children. Telfair's cousin Stephon Marbury, who lived almost next door in their Coney Island apartment complex, made it to the NBA, taking his family with him, while leaving the Telfair's to remain in the projects. Sebastian's brother, Sylvester, had a great college basketball career, but when draft day came he and the rest of the Telfair's were left severely disappointed as not one team felt they needed him. Then when it comes time for Sebastian to make the most important decision in his life, everyone, including people he's not familiar with, tries to tell him what to do. There are so many different storylines involved that the reader can't possibly put the book down without hesitation.
Another part of the book, which will be mostly appreciated by basketball fanatics, is the amount of description during parts where basketball is played. In fact, O'Connor uses this to draw the reader's attention at the very beginning of the book when writing about Sebastian Telfair playing a championship tournament game at Rucker Park. The reason why these parts of the book succeed so much in catching the reader's attention is because of the elaboration put into them. The author describes the actions of the players and emotions of the crowd so well it makes you feel as if you were actually watching the game instead of reading about it.

The drama and basketball action complemented each other well in providing an entertaining book; while the detail made sure that the reader could fully understand and indulge in it. To a sports fan The Jump is a must-read book because of all the basketball action and related storylines. To the casual reader The Jump is an interesting book to pick up because of its descriptive and detailed writing, along with its addicting drama.

-C. Duncan

The book cam quickly in the mail and was exactly as described. Thank you!

I am impressed by the organization of this phonological awareness program. I have just started using it with Kindergarten children who need more help developing PA. They love the game-like, quick exercises and are learning the difference between a sound and a letter name. I use a dolphin puppet for Fix-it which the children look forward to seeing every time we meet.

I am the parent of a 9 yo 3rd grader, recently diagnosed as dyslexic. Unable to get appropriate help from the school district, I have a tutor I am working with who suggested I use Road to the Code to help with phonemic awareness. It was very easy to follow and I was surprised how much my older child actually enjoyed the games. He recently finished the last lesson as has made significant progress with his short vowel sounds and letter recognition. He is also beginning to understand there is a logical "code" to attack words with. There is practically no skipping around a paragraph, looking for a "clue", like he was doing prior to this instruction. Now that he is on to more advanced curriculum, he sometimes asks to do some of the "Road to the Code" exercises for fun. I will definately use this program with my (non-dyslexic) kindergartener. The use of only the 8 most frequently used letters, the repetition, and variety of exercises are highly effective and simple. All materials are very low cost and easy to make. I wish they would have used this for him in kindergarten!!!!!

I am a Reading Specialist and certified Reading Recovery teacher. I find this to be an excellent resource for helping Kinder. and beginning 1st graders (can move at a faster pace) develop phonemic awareness. I use this 4 days a week with a group of three 1st graders who have been identified to be most at-risk for reading failure (NOTE: I did NOT use DIEBELS to assess. DIEBELS only screens and it's scores are based solely on the speed in which a child can supply answers. Not enough information if you want to teach children to recognize their strengths and become strategic readers and writers. In fact, DIEBELS does not even consider a child's ability to encode words onto a page. I got all the info I needed from Marie Clay's Observation Survey, CLEF, last year's teacher, and current classroom teacher).

We begin our time together with Road to the Code and then move into some quick "extensions/reviews" (hands-on activities, phonem. aware. based songs or poems, etc.), followed by a guided reading lesson that is Reading Recovery based (this of course includes independent and share-the-pen writing). This gives the children an authenic opportunity to apply what's been learned in Rode to the Code.

It is very well organized and these ladies REALLY know what they are "talking" about!

Road to the Code is just loaded with information and ideas for use in the classroom. Begins at the beginning with phonological awareness activities and prodeeds forward. Great source for instruction and differentiation. Super !!!

snowball
verb: To increase or expand suddenly, rapidly, or without control: explode, mushroom.
v.intr.: To grow rapidly in significance, importance, or size: "problems that snowballed by the hour."

In this highly entertaining novel by April Hamilton, the reader is drawn into a story that begins quietly, without fanfare. Once it gets rolling, however, there's no stopping it. The clever chapter titles ("The Winter Games," "Flakes") are consistent with the tone of the novel, which manages to present the most bizarre goings-on in a matter-of-fact manner.

Hamilton's descriptions of how various TV shows would cover the story are hilarious and her observations about human nature are spot on. This is a fun read that also gives pause for thought in the most unexpected places.

Snow Ball is an amusing crime novel with plot, subplot, and sub-sub-plot elements that the author manages to keep track of without overburdening her prose. Starting off with two crime boss wives who could have stepped out of a Lake Woebegon skit, it neatly skewers the agendas of various small-town players who are scheming to get ahead by taking advantage of a young woman whose husband has mysteriously disappeared. A fast and lively read that will keep you guessing until the end.

This is the second April Hamilton novel I ready and I enjoyed it as much as the first one I read. I found myself reading at every free opportunity I had. I didn't want to book to end. I can't wait for the author's next book. Great job pushing the Indie Author movement, too. I have a friend who has been trying to sell a great novel. I gave him your information.

To my taste, this novel is nowhere near as good as her second one, "Adelaide Einstein," which I would give five stars. It's almost as though "Snow Ball" and "Adelaide Einstein" were written by two different authors. I not only found it easy to put this novel back on the shelf, so-to-speak, but I just kept hoping the story would hurry up and end. I gave the novel three stars, rather than merely two, because the author used clever dialogue at times and gave evidence of having researched several topics more than superficially.

Snow Ball Hits A Target

I am giving this book five out of five stars not in comparison to all the other novels I have recently read, most of which have better covers, higher production values, and stronger substantive editing, but in comparison to what I thought a self-published novel would be like to read.

I "met" April L. Hamilton on the Amazon Breakthrough Novel forum, where we soon found we disagreed on the way serious fiction writers should view the option of self-publishing. I argued that self-publishing by definition diluted writing quality, because self-published books had not been subjected to the kind of editorial scrutiny and attention that a publishing house provides. I felt that self-published novels should continue to be ignored by literary awards programs and major books sections, firstly because no qualified selection committee had chosen to publish them, and then because they had not benefited from the quality editorial input that forms part (ideally, at least) of the standard publishing process. Without some screening mechanisms, book reviewers and awards-selection committees would soon be buried in drivel.

April argued that with the advent of easily accessible on-line print-on-demand publishing, and the availability of good editors for hire--not to mention designers and layout artists--the self-published author today can obtain the same quality input on their work as a publishing house provides. She also made a strong argument that with the ongoing mega-sization of the publishing industry and loss of mid-range houses, most writers who were formerly referred to as "mid-list" authors would probably never see their books in print at all if they left their destinies to the establishment. Their only certain course of action, according to April, was to go independent (or "indie," as she calls it).

My thinking has been changed by my exchanges with April and others of her mind-set. I still will not self-publish my own fiction, or recommend that others do so, no matter how hard it is to find a publisher and an agent these days. But now at least I can see why some people with actual writing talent might choose to go this route, with no detriment and possibly some advantage to their careers. Self-publishing today is not the same as "vanity" publishing used to be--or at least not necessarily the same. Even if most bookstores will not stock self-published books, they can still be marketed and sold on-line, and thereby provide some income--as well as attention--to their authors. I have seen self-published books reviewed in major papers, and one recently won a literary prize. In the case of print-on-demand, their authors are also doing a favour to the environment.

Snow Ball surprised me for the quality of its appearance. It is not up to major publishing-house standards, but I'm sure that within a few years CreateSpace-type companies are likely to overcome the current shortcomings in this area. I was also surprised with the quality of the copy-editing: there were a few typos here and there, but that happens even in books by major trade publishers. But I was especially surprised with the quality of the story April L. Hamilton has written. It was complex and well-structured, effective and absorbing. Snow Ball is a is a social commentary on the "celebrity" phenomenon as much as it is a light-hearted mystery about a man who suddenly disappears and the woman he leaves behind. The irony and sardonic humour of the social observations don't detract from the fun of the story itself and, although it would have benefited from substantive editing (as would this "review," I surmise, now that I see how long it's grown and how little of it is actually a review), the novel was well paced and interesting.

With her Indie Guide to Self Publishing, April L. Hamilton has become a standard-bearer for writers looking for a sure route to publication. With Snow Ball, she shows what can be achieved by an author who would rather publish her own novel than never see it in print at all. I still believe that most of the people who will take advantage of the new technologies to self-publish their fiction are simply going to create drivel that we'll have to wade around in--hoping we can find signposts to the good and possibly even excellent before we are completely buried. But as well as being enterprising, April is a careful and imaginative writer, and when I add together her writing abilities with her determination, I have no difficulty giving her five stars... even if she is being judged in a category in which she is almost by herself, at least for now.

Most people know of Liz Applegate through her informative monthly nutrition columns in 'Runner's World.' In terms of this book in particular, I came to know about it an odd way - Dr. Applegate was injured in a bizarre incident in which her shoulder was torqued by a radio talk show host who had somehow engaged her in an impromtu, on-air arm wrestling contest (Applegate makes a veiled reference to the incident in the book's intro).

Anyway, for those following the saga, the book was an outcome of the changes she was forced to make to her exercise routine to accomodate the injury. Certainly not the typical path to authorship, but I'm pleased this book made it to the market.

While the text of the book is geared towards women readers, I'll point out that these are exercises and routines that can benefit both sexes. Using the ball as your anchor simply takes the drudgery out of what used to seem like work. Even achieving a sense of balance on some of the recommended routines is a challenge and a workout in itself. The exercises are clearly described, and the accompanying pictures really help you envision what you need to do once you're over the ball trying to put an idea into practice.

Frankly, to date I've ignored the sections of the book concerning nutrition (about half the content) and focused solely on the exercises. That's the only reason why this book gets four stars instead of five. I'd rather have paid half the price to get the half of the book that corresponds directly to the title. The nutrition part seems like an ill-fitting add-in to me (although I'm sure some readers will appreciate its presence).

There is a lot of interesting information in this book, especially the explanation of why female fat cells are so hard to conquer (none of my other exercise books cover that subject). Others have said they were not as interested in the food section of the book as the exercise section - somewhat ironic since the author apparently is a nutrition professor. I bought the book for the exercises, but found they were not as rigorous as some other books I have combining weights and balls. This, however, has turned out to be a good thing, since I am currently recovering from a surgery and needed a less taxing exercise program than my usual one. Come to think of it, weren't these exercises designed by the author when she was recovering from a shoulder injury and surgery? My surgery was in that general area. Anyway, based on other reviews, I wasn't expecting much from this book, but it has actually turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

I found this book after being in a workout rut for most of my life. I thought it was just another worout book, until I realized how much fun it is to do. I am only in my first week of the program and already my body is feeling all the benefits of using the exercise ball. If you want to have fun while you weight train this is the book for you.

The information provided in this book is great. I've never been disappointed with Liz Applegate's books or articles. I do, however, think that a spiral binding would have made this book much more user-friendly. Also, when I looked at the web site that goes along with this book, I realized how much nicer color, quality photos would have been. I ended up printing out the few exercises from the website to use as a quick reference. In hindsite, I wish I investigated the website before I purchased the book.

This book is a great reference for people who want athletic ball exercises (as opposed to Pilates- or yoga-based exercises on the ball, which seems to be very popular). Applegate writes that she started using the ball herself as part of her recovery from a shoulder injury and then surgery and felt that she was in the best shape of her life afterward. This is a common story, but very impressive coming from someone who used to compete in triathalons.

If you've done strength training before, have any experience with ball workouts or yoga or Pilates, you may find the exercises she details for the first two weeks less challenging. The exercises for the next two phases of the program (weeks three and four and then weeks five and six) are more demanding. I worked up a sweat on the core exercises and then humbly admitted that I wasn't ready for a few of them. While "sexier" is highly subjective (I just hate when fitness books promise that), I have no doubt that one will be firmer and functionally stronger if they stick with the program for the prescribed six weeks.

This book doesn't rate a perfect five-stars, unfortunately. The book spent more time than I would have liked on nutrition and the "dessert diet". While I found Applegate's overall approach sensible, I also thought it was a little bit simplistic. Also, I felt that the "workbook" section she provided to track the six-week progress was too much- I would have preferred a sheet to copy, or maybe a reference to a website. The workbook section was almost 100 pages, and some of it could have been cut down. Also, while I appreciate that she took the time to add customized routines for various athletics, most of them were two or three exercises. In addition, Applegate could have (and should have) included more stretches to use with the ball. Finally, and this was most troubling to me, I didn't like that she seemed to play into the stereotype that women will "bulk up" by using heavy weights in order to convince her readers to use the heavy balls instead of dumbbells- or her ball program instead of traditional strength training. While some women will bulk up, most will not, and many women don't necessarily find that look unattractive.

In summary, this a good reference guide for ball exercises and programs, but you may want to take some of the other information with a grain of salt.

This is the kind of book that gets many people hooked on reading in the first place. Calling it a page turner might sound cliche, but a well timed cliche is right at home amongst its pages. With characters that show up in your imagination in black and white, By the Balls makes you check the inside cover to see when it was 'really' written. Lets hope there are more like it on the way!

Superb. This book makes me wanna head to the nearest dive bar, sink a few stiff ones and hop into my time machine -- destination: 1942. The only reason I don't is, well, time travel and booze don't mix. So I make due with By The Balls.

For men, this book literally grabs you by the balls from the first page and never lets go (for women, this book figurativly grabs you by the balls, etc.). The character of Ben Drake is the kind of hard drinking, hard talking, hard detecting detective you just don't see anymore but really should. The mystery is pure old school P.I. with a nice dash of modernism mixed in for a concoction that sure packs a wallop. Please, I beg of you, read this book.

If only as much effort and thought had gone into the writing of this book as into the design, Ugly Town might really have had something. The covers and illustrations, the intro pages- heck, even the size and weight- are darn near perfect in exactly the retro way they intended. But the writers have a background which includes scripting comics for Dark Horse, and that's how this reads.

It's a meatless tribute to all things hard-boiled, featuring prose written in a spare (much too spare) style. Descriptions are sorely lacking, and the dialogue, while it talks "tough," is un-creative.

There is really only a couple of instances of good dialogue. Here is one: "There's nothing like a mourning widow. And [she] was nothing like a mourning widow. More like a morning window, and I could see right through her." Not classic stuff, but if the rest had at least attempted this style the book could have attained a kind of punny vitality. But no. It doesn't attempt real spoofery, and it certainly is not authentic.

It's like boys playing in sandbox much too vast for them. Descriptions of drinks and cigars give the impression that the authors just wanted to feel naughty, while a scene where the hero talks his way out of being killed by a thug is especially contrived, obvious and amateurish. Other aspects detract as well, but suffice it to say, Red Harvest this is not.

I really can't see true pulp fans being fooled by this, but give it a try... after you've read Chandler and Hammett and James Cain and Paul Cain and Whitfield and Burnett and Daly and Browne and Brown and Huggins and Brackett and Cave and Whittington and Fischer and Ballard and Bellem and Latimer and Martin and MacDonald and Gault and Spicer and Miller and Dewey and Woolrich and Nebel and Gardner and Adams and Davis and Spillane and Kane and Chase and Albert and Halliday and... you see?

There are much better out there. Lots of 'em. Then check back with the authors of this book after they've gotten some practice. Maybe they should check the above list, too.

Tom Fassbender and Jim Pascoe (alias Dashiell Loveless), have invented the worlds first time-travel conveyance out of paper and ink, and heavily fueled by Ketel One Vodka! (read this books' "About the Authors" page to decode that statement) Would you like to know more? Grab "By The Balls", their first collaborative publication from UGLY TOWN PRESS. This short, tittilating, and thoroughly engrossing trip to the world of Testacy City will grab you by the you-know-whats, and squeeze until it hurts! The shady denizens of this crime-noir fiction evokes black and white images of Turner and Harlow, Cagney and Bogart, with a nice touch of 90's Pulp Fiction thrown in to sweeten the kitty! The dialogue sings, the imagery lurks, and the whole kit-and-kaboodle works magically to revive a genre not seen since the 1940's. By the time I finished it, I swear my clothes smelled like cigarettes, and my breath like cheap whiskey! Can't wait for more!

Yet another book about the trials and tribulations of life as a junky. Young Mr. O'Neill's writing is about as dull as the supposed needles he uses. I don't know if this was cathartic for him or if he actually thought this was interesting. This book is about as insightful and enlightening as a can of soup.

One man's account of addiction and his encounters with dealers, pimps, prostitutes and musicians - told with dark humour, style and, above all, honesty.

Tony achieves the impossible: he writes smoothly about the most harrowing amounts of drug ingestion I've ever encountered. It's like watching "Leave it to Beaver" except the family is all shooting themselves up and each other up and yet it has all that tidiness of a 50's American television show. It is just because Tony has such a good command of the language. He obviously had a lot of trouble controlling his drug usage, it almost killed him.

So what does a fine writer like Tony do after writing this book? I mean, is there a market for a book that isn't about ingesting lots of drugs?

I want Tony to do well because his writing is just, well so pleasant. And that is despite the first chapter of this book having more drugs ingested than I've known of being ingested anywhere else in my entire life. Fortunately for me the pace of drug usage slowed down in subsequent chapters or I would have overdosed from the reading.

Tony is a founding member of the Riot Lit Collective, a small group of writers who have banded together on the Internet. Keep an eye on them.

This is a very atypical book. At first I thought it was going to be a drug memoir type of thing, but opening DIGGING THE VEIN I was confronted with something darker altogether - this is the authors own "Season In Hell" - a pitch black, nightmarish account of the authors heroin and crack fuelled implosion.

People looking for another mainstream recovery memoir will probably find much to complain about here. The actual writing is more impressionistic and poetic than those types of books tend to be - this is more "Junky" by William Burroughs than it is Jerry Stahl's "Permanent Midnight". The sections of the book concerning rehabilitation focus more on the cast of lost souls and burnouts who are in the hospital with the author than any of the actual `process' of recovery. AA and NA are pretty much dismissed out of hand and the thought of being a member of such a group compared to joining the Scientologists. Instead, DIGGING THE VEIN is almost a celebration of the horrors of addiction. And as such, I found the book to be quite shocking. But after I put it down I could not fault either the quality of the writing, or the purity of the author's intention. I can honestly say it is unlike any other books about heroin addiction that I have come across in recent years.

On a basic sensationalist level, the book is OK. But it comes to an abrupt, and to me, arbitrary end, and I'm not sure what happens to the author, or even whether I care about him; he never gives me any reason to.

As great reading, it can't touch Hubert Selby's "Requien for a Dream," even though Selby's book is a novel.

I guess people with an axe to grind against 12 step programs will find some fodder here. But imo, it's just ludicrous for a heroin addict to say with any certainty "I was a junkie at 21 and now at 23 I'm all finished with that." Unless he still IS a junkie at 23; the book is not clear on that point whether he's decided to give in to his addiction.

Great book! I really enjoyed reading Dave's prospective of the game I love. I found it purposeful, direct and full of great solutions for improving America's pasttime. Dave has hit another grand slam! He gives everyone an action plan that includes people of all colors, class and creeds.... moms, dads, coaches and the like. Must read for young people and adults alike. Another great job Dave!

off the Bat when George Steinbrenner is the doing the introduction then you know anything can be resolved. Brother Dave Winfield is a down to earth cat who pulls no punches and wants to see More Young Black Players respecting and knowing the what the Negro League,Jackie Robinson,Larry DOlby and other Black Ball Players who paved the way through Blood,sweat,tears to play this National past time. Dave Winfield has alot of strong concepts at making the game even better and also a strong future. this is a must read book.

This book did what I expected it to. It laid out some good ideas that Winfield feels would both improve the game of baseball and improve the image of baseball. In these times of steroids (allegedly, of course) and poorly behaved athletes, a clear, "UNITED" manifesto and direction for baseball is something the game clearly needs. Winfield delivers this.

Another reviewer points out that there are no "A-ha!" moments in this. I have to agree with him, HOWEVER, I think that is really actually the point. What Winfield proposes in this book is not earth-shattering, but one must believe that implementing these changes, the game will be better, both on and off the field. What is so shocking, to me, is that implementing a lot of these changes should really be so simple that the true "A-ha!" is that they aren't already being done!

What muddles the book, though, is that the book does get to be a bit rambly. It is hard not to feel like this is a beefed-up transcription of a monologue that Winfield gave one afternoon. It seems to me, though, that any type of book, whether about baseball or politics or knitting, in which the author is making a proposal, or making a pitch to a certain way of thinking, that there will be some extent of "ramble".

I would take Winfield to task, though, in that he at times seems to ignore the white elephant in the corner of the room. He, at times, lets people off the hook a little too easily and does not take them to task. But you should kind of expect that from him. I'm not questioning his integrity, but, as others have pointed out, he has one foot in both sectors of the game- as the former player and the current executive. His allegiances are, unfortunately, prone to being a bit murky.

Having said all this, I still give this book 4 stars, because he has very good suggestions for all aspects of the game, suggestions that will surely not hurt the game. If I were to become commissioner of MLB, he'd be one of the first people I'd bring in.

Former Yankee slugger, Dave Winfield's put together a thoughtful, from-the-heart analysis of what's wrong with today's major league baseball...but it's a softball (if you will) approach to improving baseball's public image. It's heavily lacking in direct quotes. Anecdotes are few and far between, and fiery criticisms are just not there.

Apparently, Dave told himself one day: "I gotta' write down what's wrong with baseball." -And this is the result. Dropping The Ball is a nice, over-coffee review of everything about the game and what needs improvement and what to do about it. He makes some good points, but very few are of the "Ah-hah!" eye-opening variety one might expect of someone on a mission of change.

One of the forever-recurring themes of the book is that "[MLB] isn't doing enough to market [baseball] properly" hence, he says, the drop-off in fan interest across the board. He gently complains about the inferior abilities of some players, but doesn't address league over-expansion, which may be the cause of it. Too, Winfield could have zeroed-in on the hows and whys of over-priced tickets...and the major-league out-of-pocket costs for game-day hot-dogs, beer, pizza, parking and Pepsi. He didn't. Dave, what about the new pasteurized, kid-friendly, Disney-land-like stadiums that waterdown youngster interest in the game? [Didn't Las Vegas learn that pandering to the under-12 crowd just didn't work?] -And how come corporate elements can easily get playoff tickets while the average fan doesn't have a chance? Dave doesn't say. He (only in passing) mentions the crazy-high player salaries, but our author doesn't attribute big-time fan disinterest in and detachment from the game to them.

--But one thing is clear. Dave gets a little worked up over the decreasing percentages of Black major league baseball players...but then seems to concur with MLB's decisions to go on outsourcing to the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, etc. to get large rosters of cheap (but decent) players into today's baseball games. The numbers of White players is also on the decline, he points out, but not a whole lot is made about those stats. On and on, he treats the lack of Black athletes in the game as a true major problem. Maybe it is, but I don't think he fully made his case.

Dave Winfield is still a baseball insider, being an exec for the San Diego Padres MLB team. Maybe that's why this book lacks the focus, luster and impact of a true motivating force. Like MLB itself, the focal point of the book is generally ho-hum. It's like a current US Senator sincerely (?) writing about "making Congress `better'" -without naming names or overtly coming down on all of the "guilty." Now, how would that work?

This book is chock full of warm, heart-felt generalizations and sentiments, repetitions, and excuses. Winfield's put down some lengthy but sketchy plans for his "Baseball United." His "solutions" are all very nice, but "improving" an already successful multi-billion dollar organization [MLB] seems mostly an aimless gesture that leaves this reader flat. Not much fire. Not much "insider" revelation. A fast, pleasant read...but there's not much new or deep here. Winfield kind of dropped the ball on this one....

Being a person who noticed the whiteness of baseball crowds for years now, I took to the call to urgency made by Winfield and Levin in this book. Baseball has suffered a number of problems over the years, and this book struck me as one that was written as a labor of love by a Hall of Famer who wanted to see his sport do better for itself, and not written as a brash "tell-all" expose.

I suppose that I was right in that regard. Winfield and Levin do truly love professional baseball as a game, and they make a lot of valid points: dwindling interest and participation by inner-city blacks, the economic advantage of "farming" Hispanic players versus fostering them in our own communities, and presenting ideas that would help build bridges between major-league baseball teams and players with their communities.

I suppose that, feeling a great sense of appreciation for Winfield's points led to me feeling so disappointed in this book. Much like Winfield's baseball, it's still something to admire and appreciate, but there is a great amount of untapped promise. Winfield takes a very real and noticeable demographic change to a ludicrous extreme when he talks about "the last African-American ballplayer." It may be his attempt to sculpt a "modest proposal" for baseball, but it does not contain Swift's shrewd irony.

In addition, Winfield laments that the NFL and NBA are succeeding where baseball is failing in working with the community; he also is bothered by the structure of baseball scholarships for college students relative to the same sports. In the end, one gets the feeling that he isn't in the least bit concerned about improving genuine opportunities for disadvantaged children with an interest in sports. Instead, I feel that he's merely upset that these opportunities aren't centered around *baseball*.

The book contains this idea throughout it, underneath the surface of Winfield's arguments. His discussion of the MLBPA player's trust is evidence of that, when he spends several pages lauding how the NBA and NFL promote their charitable works. His concern isn't the degree of involvement as much as it is the public perception that good things are being done. I find that rather self-centered and bothersome.

There are still great points made in the book. Winfield's criticism of the economic structure of baseball in the past, in the current era, and the phony nature of the MLB commissioner as a patsy to the owners is accurate and needed. His (possibly ironic, given his career trajectory) concern with the lack of "legacy" players (like Kirby Puckett), who stay in one town for their entire career, is surely related to the lack of camaraderie between players, teams, and community; how can one become enamored with a city when a trade or free agency may jeopardize that at any time?

Ultimately, though, I think the kinds of policies Winfield suggests for "Baseball United" are naive (if he thinks that we can shift from the current era of profit-hungry owners to one of community-oriented philanthropists so quickly), misdirected (yes, providing inner-city kids with opportunities to play ball is great, but since we know so few people make it to the big leagues, couldn't such money be better appropriated for the disadvantaged?), and self-serving (that he's more concerned with his legacy and baseball's legacy than with actually improving conditions for ballplayers and communities).

Winfield clearly loves baseball, but just as he wishes MLB could live up to its potential, so I wish this book would have lived up to the promise its dustjacket seems to suggest.

Lucy's shows have been analzyed in book form so often that you would think that one of the actual writers of the show would produce a book of incredible new insight into the comedian. But instead this is a dull, ego-centric going-through-the motions memoir that produces little new material.

The author brags a lot about her involvement with Lucy's various series but brings little depth to the standard stories that are told. For example, a chapter is "devoted" to "Lucy Isn't Pregnant, She's Expecting." You'd expect there to be a fascinating story of the battle over using the word pregnant but instead it's just nine paragraphs devoted to the entire second season which included the pregnancy. She does reprint the original script wording that was censored, but then admits that she doesn't remember when the "edict came down" to change the word pregnant and doesn't recall the details of when or why it was changed!

When it comes to the major flop "Life with Lucy" (which she wrote), she almost ignores the show. Near the very end of the book she spends FOUR WHOLE PARAGRAPHS on it and spends most of her time praising it! She obviously doesn't get that the series is considered one of the biggest sitcom flops of all time.

She also offers the small tidbit that she was married to Quinn Martin, one of the greatest TV producers of the 60s and 70s. Yet she onlys mentions him in FIVE SENTENCES. (She does spend more space on her second husband.)

This woman appears to have allowed success to go to her head and uses much of the book to brag (she claims to have broken down barriers for women in the business, when in truth there were previous TV female pioneers like Gertrude Berg and Irna Phillips), yet she provides no insight into why these series were successful. There are a few interesting stories but much of this is actually covered better in many of the other books about Lucy.

It's always great to read about the behind the scenes of the I Love Lucy show...I knew most of what I read already, but REALLY enjoyed the photos from the author's collection.

I was in my 20's when Lucy and Desi first aired. It is simply
the best comedy show ever and that includes the writing. I always
wondered just who these superb writers were. Now I have found out
due to this excellent book. The show was so very funny, you do
wonder what people wrote the lines but then you also know that
they had to have Lucy. Her timing was better than I ever seen in
any actor and actress. Thank you, Madelyn, it was indeed a joy
to read your rememberances.

A good biography of one of the brains behind the Lucy factory. Knowing the limitations and talents of Lucy helped make the Lucy icon what it is today. Giving Desi credit where it is long overdue, and busting a few myths that Lucy herself liked to perpetuate, this is a good read of behind the scenes and one of, if not the first, female comedy writers.
Her trials as one of the first female writers doesn't seem to stop her excellent comedic writing abilities and reminds all of us how hard it was for those first female TV writers. Perhaps this is one of the reasons Lucy was so funny - because she had Ms. Pugh there to bring the male writers up (not down) to reality.

Having read tons of other books on everything tied to Lucy, I was especially happy to come across this memoir of what I consider to be one of television's best writers. Ms. Davis writes succinctly but thoroughly and entertainingly about many of her memories associated with what many people consider to be television's all-time best sit-com. It is a great, fun read for anyone interested in "I Love Lucy."

This is VERY worthwhile. I have all three and they work well together, but this is a must have.

Obviously not as good as the full edition text, but also has a few shortcomings you might not expect. For example the Tanner scale for males includes the G scale photos but not the P scale. The female is fully included, and one could deduce the P from this, however, that requires an extra flip.

There are other similar shortcomings, but overall it beats carrying the 50 pound text around.

I received this item with no problems. It was exactly what I needed. Glad I made the purchase online, saved myself 10 dollars!

This extremely handy reference appears to follow the outline for Nursing Assessment presented in more detail in Jarvis' Physical Examination & Health Assessment book. You will not be able to find detailed information about every finding and its interpretation; instead, the editors very skillfully picked and chose what include and what not to include. The result is a hand book that will very quickly direct you to the very assessments and tests that can be performed for a particular system along with some basic information on expected and unexpected findings. I find myself using the resource most as a refresher, reminder, or guide to assessing a particular system that do not do all the time, or when presented with findings I don't recognize. Sample charting is provided as well, which is oftentimes very helpful. I did give it a 4 star instead of a 5 star because of the frequency with which I wish just a little bit more information were given about the expected and unexpected findings. More often than I would like I find myself moving past this book to a larger book to find those details. Nevertheless, when making a handbook that can fit in the pocket, some details must be left out, and overall this was done very skillfully to provide the nurse with a very useful and highly recommended tool.

Systems covered are:
-Mental Status
-Nutritional & Growth
-Skin, Hair, & Nails
-Lymphatic
-Head and Neck
-Eyes
-ENT
-Chest & Lungs
-Cardiovascular
-Breasts & Axillae
-Abdomen
-Female/Male Genetalia
-Anus, Rectum, & Prostate
-Musculoskeletal
-Neurologic
-Head-to-Toe

I found this book to be very useful. I am currently in nursing school and this book is a great tool to guide assessments. My professor said that this was even helpful when she was in Nurse Practitioner school.

Defines the truth about our relationship with Israel. A whole nation on America's welfare rolls. It is very obvious, that American Middle East policy is formulated and directed from Tel Aviv, where a ruthless ruler, wanted by the World Court for crimes against humanity, is challenged by a Nobel Peace Prize winner. You would never know that by reading the daily distortions, served by the American media. Magnificent book, equalled only by Liberty, ...

Ever wondered why US politicians like to so often proclaim the mantra "Israel is our ally, I will always stand by Israel, etc."? Ever wondered why the US continues to grant Israel billions of dollars each year despite Israel's behavior and despite international condemnation of its actions? Then you must read this book, for in here you will find the answers. "The Passionate Attachment" explores the intricate relationship between the US and Israel, on many levels, and the sources and roots of this special relationship and passionate attachment. The text is very well-written and reads with the suspense of a good detective story, except this describes history.

Also Recommended: The Samson Option by Seymour Hersh, and They Dare to Speak out by Paul Findley.

This excellent review of our relationship with Israel explains a great deal about how and why we find ourselves the enemy of so many people in the Middle East. Our unqualified backing of Israel has led to disaster.
Sadly, support for Israel is seen by many Jews as a litmus test for a person's views on Jews - and is the reason why so many Jews who oppose Israel's policies have been called "self-hating" Jews. There is little doubt that the organizations that Israel has set up to influence American policy has fostered this idea. All too many American Jews have bought into this propaganda.
The other reviewers have told you what this book is about so I won't repeat what they have said.
What fascinates me is that you cannot find this book - copies of it are more rare that first editions of "Light In August". Why is that? Why hasn't this book been read, reviewed and studied as should be? Written by one of the few heroes of the Vietnam era who were part of the State Dept, this book has been "suppressed" in the way that almost all books or writers who question our policy toward Israel have been. How can that happen, and why has it happened?

I deplore their pro-Arab/Israel propaganda, but this review will seek to accomplish only one objective: to examine as to what George Washington had said in his farewell address, and to give an analysis in order to determine as to whether or not the Balls' efforts to enlist George Washington in their pro-Arab/Israel causes are successful. At the risk of giving away the ending of my review--which the title of my review has already done--the answer is that their efforts have failed.

As the Balls explain in their book, the main title of their book is based upon a phrase that George Washington had used in his farewell address of 1796--the full text of which can be found online at www.ourdocuments.gov, document #15. George Washington begins with his announcment that he was not going to seek reelection for a third term. He then urged Americans to avoid excessive political party spirit and geographical distinctions. Finally, on foreign affairs, he warned against establishing long-term alliances with other nations. It is this last point that the Balls have emphasized and quoted from in their efforts to enlist Washington in their pro-Arab/anti-Israel cause. The Balls' on page 47 also quote the then Secretary of State John Foster Dulles as also referring to Washington's farewell address making the same point as does the Balls. (I am assuming that the Balls are quoting Dulles accurately.) Indeed, here is the foreign affairs part of the address that the Balls have emphasized:

"Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all. Religion and morality enjoin this conduct; and can it be, that good policy does not equally enjoin it? It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and at no distant period, a great nation, to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence. Who can doubt that, in the course of time and things, the fruits of such a plan would richly repay any temporary advantages which might be lost by a steady adherence to it? Can it be that Providence has not connected the permanent felicity of a nation with its virtue? The experiment, at least, is recommended by every sentiment which ennobles human nature. Alas! is it rendered impossible by its vices?

"In the execution of such a plan, nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. Antipathy in one nation against another disposes each more readily to offer insult and injury, to lay hold of slight causes of umbrage, and to be haughty and intractable, when accidental or trifling occasions of dispute occur. Hence, frequent collisions, obstinate, envenomed, and bloody contests. The nation, prompted by ill-will and resentment, sometimes impels to war the government, contrary to the best calculations of policy. The government sometimes participates in the national propensity, and adopts through passion what reason would reject; at other times it makes the animosity of the nation subservient to projects of hostility instigated by pride, ambition, and other sinister and pernicious motives. The peace often, sometimes perhaps the liberty, of nations, has been the victim.

"So likewise, a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification. It leads also to concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others which is apt doubly to injure the nation making the concessions; by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained, and by exciting jealousy, ill-will, and a disposition to retaliate, in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld. And it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation), facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country, without odium, sometimes even with popularity; gilding, with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion, or a laudable zeal for public good, the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation.

"As avenues to foreign influence in innumerable ways, such attachments are particularly alarming to the truly enlightened and independent patriot. How many opportunities do they afford to tamper with domestic factions, to practice the arts of seduction, to mislead public opinion, to influence or awe the public councils? Such an attachment of a small or weak towards a great and powerful nation dooms the former to be the satellite of the latter.

"Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow-citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government. But that jealousy to be useful must be impartial; else it becomes the instrument of the very influence to be avoided, instead of a defense against it. Excessive partiality for one foreign nation and excessive dislike of another cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots who may resist the intrigues of the favorite are liable to become suspected and odious, while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people, to surrender their interests.

"The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop. Europe has a set of primary interests which to us have none; or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves by artificial ties in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities.

"Our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. If we remain one people under an efficient government. the period is not far off when we may defy material injury from external annoyance; when we may take such an attitude as will cause the neutrality we may at any time resolve upon to be scrupulously respected; when belligerent nations, under the impossibility of making acquisitions upon us, will not lightly hazard the giving us provocation; when we may choose peace or war, as our interest, guided by justice, shall counsel.

"Why forego the advantages of so peculiar a situation? Why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground? Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor or caprice?

"It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world; so far, I mean, as we are now at liberty to do it; for let me not be understood as capable of patronizing infidelity to existing engagements. I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy. I repeat it, therefore, let those engagements be observed in their genuine sense. But, in my opinion, it is unnecessary and would be unwise to extend them.

"Taking care always to keep ourselves by suitable establishments on a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies.

"Harmony, liberal intercourse with all nations, are recommended by policy, humanity, and interest. But even our commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand; neither seeking nor granting exclusive favors or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying by gentle means the streams of commerce, but forcing nothing; establishing (with powers so disposed, in order to give trade a stable course, to define the rights of our merchants, and to enable the government to support them) conventional rules of intercourse, the best that present circumstances and mutual opinion will permit, but temporary, and liable to be from time to time abandoned or varied, as experience and circumstances shall dictate; constantly keeping in view that it is folly in one nation to look for disinterested favors from another; that it must pay with a portion of its independence for whatever it may accept under that character; that, by such acceptance, it may place itself in the condition of having given equivalents for nominal favors, and yet of being reproached with ingratitude for not giving more. There can be no greater error than to expect or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation. It is an illusion, which experience must cure, which a just pride ought to discard."

This part of the farewell address does indeed contains all of the parts that the Balls, as well as the readers here who have given this book favorable reviews, had quoted from--and more still that appears to make thir case appear to be very strong. Could it be that our founding father and first President of the United States, George Washington, would have supported the Balls' pro-Arab and anti-Israel cause? The answer is ... not quite. Seven paragraphs after the end of the passage of Washington's farewell address that I quoted above, Washington explained his motive in having advised the United States to take the aforementioned courses of action as follows:

"The inducements of interest for observing that conduct will best be referred to your own reflections and experience. With me a predominant motive has been to endeavor to gain time to our country to settle and mature its yet recent institutions, and to progress without interruption to that degree of strength and consistency which is necessary to give it, humanly speaking, the command of its own fortunes."

In other words, the reason why George Washington had advocated both that the United States avoid spilting along geographical and partisan lines, and that in international affairs that the United States avoid long-term alliances with other nations, was because the Uniited States was not in a position to take a lead in international affairs and to be establishing favorable relations with some nations and unfavorable relations with other nations because the United States was at that point a very young (twenty-years old), inexperienced country that consisited of only thirteen states, and that the United States needed time to gain both strength and experience. Therefore, the best way for the United States to use this time, the United States should seek peace with all nations and not play any favorites in any conflicts going on in the world. What neither George W. Ball nor John Foster Dulles realized (John Foster Dulles died in 1958, George W. Ball in 1994, two years after the publication of this book) nor Douglas B. Ball realizes, though Washington did as evidenced by the last part of his farewell address, was that after the United States had gained both the time and the strength to become a powerful nation, the United States might eventually be in a position to show favoritism toward some nations, and--if necessary--adverse relations toward others. From Washington's day to our own, the United States would undergo several more wars--including against Britian and Mexico, as well as a Civil War in the second half of the nineteenth century, and to expand our country from having thirteen states to fifty. Therefore, while George Washington's advice of the United States to avoid having long-term relations with other nations and to favor one or certain nations over another or others had made sense back in 1796, it no longer made sense in the twentieth century (nor makes sense here in the early twenty-first century). Indeed, another former President of the United States, Harry S Truman, agreed with this analysis. In his second volume of his Memoirs, Truman, in explaining the importance for the United States to give financial aid both Greece and Turkey in order for both of those nations to defend themselves against the Soviet Union in 1947, and of describing the opposition that Truman had encountered as well as another international situation that took place when Truman was a US Senator, wrote the following:

"A President has little enough time to meditate, but whenever such moments occurred I was more than likely to turn my thoughts toward this key problem that confronted our nation.

"We had fought a long and costly war to crush the totalitarianism of [Adolf] Hitler, the insolence of [Benito] Mussolini, and the arrogance of the warloads of Japan. Yet the new menace facing us seemed every bit as grave as Nazi Germany and her allies had been.

"I could never quite forget the strong hold which isolationism had gained over our country after World War I. Throughout my years in the Senate I listened each year as one of the senators would read [George] Washington's Farewell Address. It served little purpose to point out to the isolationists that Washington had advised a method suitable under the conditions of his day to achieve the great end of preserving the nation, and that although conditions and our international position has changed, the objectives of our policy--peace and security--were still the same. For the isoloationists this address was like a biblical text. The America First organization of 1940-1941, the Ku Klux Klan, [William D.] Pelley and his Silver Shirts--they all quoted the first President in support of their assorted aims.

"I had a very good picture of what a revival of American isolationism would mean for the world. After World War II it was clear that without American participation there was no power capable of meeting Russia as an equal. If we were to turn our back on the world, areas such as Greece, weakened and divided as a result of the world, areas such as Greece, weakened and divided as a result of the war, would fall into the Soviet orbit without much effort on the part of the Russians. The success of Russia in such areas and our avowed lack of interest would lead to the growth of domestic Communist parties in such European countries as France and Italy, where they were already significant threats. Inaction, withdrawal, 'Fortress America' notions could only result in handing to the Russians vast areas of the globe now denied to them.

"This was the time to align the United States of America clearly on the side, and the head, of the free world. I knew that George Washington's spirit would be invoked against me, and Henry Clay's, and all the other patron saints of the isolationists. But I was convinced that the policy I was about to proclaim was indeed as much required by the conditions of my day as was Washington's by the situation in his era and [James] Monroe's doctrine by the circumstances which he the faced." [Harry S Truman, Memoirs, Volume II: Years of Trial and Hope, 1946-1952. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1956), pgs. 101-2, emphasis in the original.]

"For the isoloationists this [Washington's farewell] address was like a biblical text. The America First organization of 1940-1941, the Ku Klux Klan, [William D.] Pelley and his Silver Shirts--they all quoted the first President in support of their assorted aims." We can now add George W. Ball and Douglas B. Ball, and apparently also our former Secretary of State John Foster Dulles--who also invoked Washington as well--to the list. The Balls did not include this information because apparently did not want their readers to know that neither they nor Dulles were the first ones to invoke Washington's farewell address, that prior to their invoking Washington to support a United States policy that would be pro-Arab and anti-Israel, the isolationists, including the Ku Klux Klan, various so-called "America First" organizations, etc. had also cited Washington in order to argue in 1939-1940 that the United States should not intervene on behalf of Great Britian against Hitler's Nazi Germany, or that after World War II was over, by other isolationists who argued that the United States should not help either Greece or Turkey defend themselves against Joseph Stalin's Communist Russia. Because if their readers were to find out this information, then this might cause their readers to conclude that the Balls' invoking Washington in order to argue that the United States should favor the nondemocratic--and in a lot of cases, dictorial/totalitarian--Arab States over tiny, democratic Israel to have less appeal and be less compelling than they would if they were not aware of that information. Therefore, the Balls attempt to enlist George Washington as part of their pro-Arab/anti-Israel cause is unsuccessful.

"The Passionate Attachment" is an in depth study of the relationship between the United States and Israel. The title is derived from George Washington's warning against "Passionate attachments" with foreign nations. Such attachments result in:

"Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists...It leads also to concession to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt...to injure the nation making the concessions...by exciting jealousy, ill will, and disposition to retaliate in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld...It gives to...citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation) facility...to tamper with domestic factions, to practice the arts of seduction, to mislead public opinion, to influence or awe the public councils."

The authors then proceed to explain how the relationship between the United States and Israel violates Washington's warning and proves all his predictions of the consequences of a "Passionate attachment."

The first section of the book covers the history of the relationship from the foundation of Israel in 1947 to the date of writing in 1992. The Balls explain how the inordinate influence of Israel began when a politically weak Harry S Truman capitulated to Israeli pressures to ensure Jewish support in the crucial 1948 election.

The only President who seems to have earned the respect of the authors is Dwight D. Eisenhower who, unlike Truman, owed no political debt to Jewish voters and who was sufficiently rich in political capital to permit an adherence to a principled policy.

Beginning with the Kennedy administration, the Balls indicate that American administrations have repeatedly sacrificed American interests on the altar of Israeli demands. Among the low points of the relationship was the 1967 attack by Israeli forces on the USS Liberty, a U. S. Navy intelligence ship whose existence threatened Israeli plans to occupy the Golan Heights before international pressure could force a cease-fire. Rather than responding to this attack on the U.S. Navy as it would if directed from any other quarter, the Johnson administration wrote it off as a case of mistaken identity. In subsequent administrations the retreat from principle has continued.

The authors illustrate how, as the relationship developed, supporters of Israel were able to create the illusion that Israel served as a valuable American asset the Cold War struggle against Soviet expansionism. The authors explain how the Coalition which won the Gulf War proved that Israel's days as a strategic American asset, if they ever existed, were over.

Much attention is devoted to the relationship between Israel and its Arab neighbors. It is refreshing to read an analysis of the recent history of the Middle East which is not filtered through Israeli apologists. The authors explain the background of developments in Israel and the Arab portions of Palestine. The Israeli policy of national expansion of military conquest, the expulsion of Arabs from conquered land and the colonization of those who have remained under the Israeli yoke are explained in detail. Acts of Israeli terrorism against Arabs are given due attention, despite the record of Israeli denials which are routinely accepted in American circles.

An eye-opening chapter is devoted to the strong influence of Jewish pressure on American politics and how it is reflected in American foreign policy toward Israel and the Arabs.

Particularly timely chapters are the ones on the neglected American-Arab relations and "Terror and Reprisal" against America and Israel. The moral and financial costs of the Passionate attachment are followed by recommendations directed to both the United States and Israel on ways to advance the interests of each in the Middle East.

This book is both edifying and shocking. It is edifying in that it presents a different views of the state of America's role in Middle eastern affairs that that to which we are normally exposed. This book is shocking in that it shows millions of Americans and several administrations as subordinating American interests to those of Israeli in the determination of American policy. This book is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the truth about American Middle Eastern policy.