Barry Books

If you enjoy politics mixed with humor,then this book by Ken Berwitz and Barry Sinrod is the one for you. It is done in a nice point-counterpoint style with Ken taking the conservative stance while Barry takes the hopelessly liberal point of view. This book is a very good read and definitely worth your time!

I read this book in ONE day, actually..I followed my husband around reading it aloud to him! Its funny, insightful and perfect for this campaign season. The odd part is, its not ABOUT political issues, its about those who vote D or R and the differences in their personal lives.
A refreshing read now when most of politics is negative and nasty. These guys did a great job, however, even though I voted Democratic for many many years, I found myself enjoying Kens point of view the most. I recommend it especially for households where husband and wifes votes cancel each other out. It will brighten your day!

This is one funny book, with a real twist... It takes questions that are actually not that related to politics, but more personal, such as how often you take a bath or if you like the lights out during sex - and then they argue over the poll results of respondents who were either registered Democrats or Republicans. What a hoot! It's not only interesting but actually rather revealing about the personal nature of these two cultures, and frankly, (sorry, my liberal compatriots!) the Republican (Ken) has a lot more "real knowledge" here to offer than the Democrat writer (Barry), it seems. But only because this particular liberal Democrat seems to take an awful lot of energy and wasted time calling the Republican a lot of names. Barry also complains a lot outright, which comes across with rather a whiny tone - all the while providing a ton of stereotypical images from the 1970s instead of now - which by itself is rather funny. However if you're looking for any solid political comments, beware that the reader is left of flat on the Democrat's side. Barry's writing is always last, too, which usually sticks with the reader more, providing a "recency effect". Because of that, too often in this text that results in a bitter feeling reminiscent of a "Michael Moore" type of nutty remark from the Democrat side, which even conservatives might feel is perhaps too much of a cartoonish image of the "left". But this is more of a humorous book than a serious one, of course, so that makes it all the better. That being said, the political wisdom offered by Ken (the Republican writer)is more real and useful, but BOTH of these men are very funny! Someday, I'd like to see another book done... My wish would be that perhaps next time around, Ken Berwitz might get himself a more skilled debater, and take it up another notch, for some real, true political debate, about issues that are truly on the voting table for 2008. Somehow Ken seems to be able to do this without killing his writing partner, and that's amazing. This was a fun book and I'd recommend it to anybody for a good laugh!

This is one of the most clever books written on politics. It deals with both sides of the political ideologies. Your heart will tickle with laughter. In this era of political partisanship you will enjoy the information. There is something in the book for every political junky. Take the time to enjoy politics for a change and massage your brain with fun and laughter!

down in the dc metro area, this book is exactly what we need to break away from the day to day droning political analyses. a hilarious, smart and finally a unique way to view the differences between the 2 parties, it combines my favorite things - politics, psychology and humor. i've recommended it to everyone around here who takes politics too seriously or has been waiting for someone to acknowledge the humor in it all......fabulous!

Organize Your Garage in No Time was everything I thought it would be and more....easy-to-implement ideas and great pictures that not only guide you to the garage of your dreams but also helps you see the finished product before it's done! Not only is it true to its claim that you really can organize your garage in no time--it's fun to read and the strategies in it will help you organize any room of your home.

I enjoyed reading this book because I felt it was the first organizing book in which the other thinks the way I do. It was a refreshing change from othe organizing books. The topics were clear and the suggestions were practical. It is also unique in the use of images showing products out on the market that are mentioned in the book. I was happy to see things covered that I hoped I would find in a book on garages and was intriqued by others I didn't know about.

I purchased this book as a gift for my husband. It is a good information book. I am very pleased with it.

Barry's book covers all the bases. He starts out by helping set a goal, create a plan, and envision the finished project. Then using small steps and understanding humor he guides the reader through the important basics of the organizing process as it applies to storage areas. From there Barry opens the world of storage options. Do you hang it, put it on a shelf, in a cabinet, or a drawer? He has pictures galore of different products and tricks you can devise yourself.

These suggestions are invaluable for someone who needs to know what he or she has to choose from. And he addresses how you can use what you already have for storage, the cost of what you will need, and having a garage sale.

Some of the best chapters are the extra ones about storage in sheds, attics, and basements. He even throws in a chapter on storage of seasonal and holiday items.

Barry has left no stone unturned. If you need to organize your garage, you have what you need here.

I have read a lot of books regarding garages and this so far is the best one on step-by-step how to do it. The author has experience and knowledge and ability to put it in an easy to read book.
The basis for organizing can also apply to closets and other things.
Book is in a format that allows you to read only what applies to you.
I highly recommend this book for someone starting on this seemingly overwhelming task

And this should be required reading. An aspiring writer/columnist will find the material useful, inspiring in very practical terms. For the same reasons a seasoned writer/columnist will regain the motivation that led her/him to start writing in the first place. Thank you Suzette!

I could not have learned as much as I did from this terrific book in a college journalism class. While sophisticated, entertaining and anecdotal, it's also amazingly funny.

Its scope is impressive, not to mention being well-indexed. It's a complete compendium, I believe, for the existing or aspiring columnist.

This book is a valuable resource for any aspiring columnist. It is concise and well organized and would help anyone aspiring to become a columnist anticipate and overcome hurdles. Ms Martinez is sensitive and yet humorous and entertaining. She addresses all potential issues including online rules for today's high tech world. Get those insider secrets!

The reviewing trade has a law that a critic doesn't write up works created by friends. Also, a critic cannot fairly consider a book in which he's quoted or has contributed to, even a tiny bit. Excellent rules, designed to provide objectivity to a deliberately subjective practice. An exception, to both counts, follows.

This is not the usual writing-instruction book, and few have been published on columns. Standring's focus is on teaching, not being The Authority: She knows that lots of examples and guests in the class are effective. Standring covers the main categories of columns, their construction and idea generation, as well as blogs and ethics 101. She reprints a number of columns, by others and herself -- even one to show where she messed up -- as well as quoting at length the best columnists explaining themselves. By her own experiences and learning from others, she has figured out not only how to create and market good work but to explain it to people already in newspapers and aspiring columnists.

Her from-scratch views on principles, research and structure refresh longtime journalists. The Art of Column Writing is valuable to budding columnists. Reader reviews in Amazon already demonstrate this. What journalists do, what the branch called columnists do, is by design transparent, but that can be confusing. Columns with facts have to be absolutely certain. Commentary must be bolstered by reporting and ethical uses of rhetoric. Humor must be grounded. It's tempting to drop a star in this review because this is a tough endeavor and Standring is so upbeat -- but when thumbing back through it, this book does not shirk from the realities of writing columns in the 21st century. At just 200 pages, it's a how-to that explains how-to.

I have a pet peeve. Well, I suppose truth be told, I have several pet peeves. But the one most relevant to this book review is the trend of "how-to" and "you-can-do" books, often written by people with dubious credentials, or occasionally - no credentials at all.

"The Art of Column Writing" is NOT one of those publications. Suzette Martinez Standring approaches her topic with ample credentials, and innumerable anecdotes on the craft of column writing, collected from her own first-hand experiences, and contributed to from an A-list assortment of the nation's best-read columnists.

Peppered throughout with her own rise throughout the ranks of a Boston newspaper, to national syndication of her own column, Standring has collected nuggets of wisdom from the likes of Dave Barry, Art Buchwald, and Arianna Huffington to name a mere handful of the book's contributors. Practical, honest, and in some instances outright spellbinding- "The Art Of Column Writing" is a blueprint for anyone hoping to either enter or improve their skills in the ever-changing landscape of the newspaper column.

Standring has also picked up tips and tricks from her many years of association with the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, The Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, and any newspaper columnist she met with, that was willing to give her a few moments of their time. Like picking an overflowing basket of fresh strawberries, Standring has gathered journalistic gems and anecdotes in abundance. The end result is a frank, comprehensive and entertaining overview of what it takes to be successful as a columnist, right from the source.

Or sources, in this case...

Dan St.Yves
Columnist/Author

I truly enjoyed this book. It was an excellent read. I highly recommend

this book.

This book was great reading. I bought the book after hearing his sermon at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove where he was a guest speaker a couple of years ago.
The author is not only a great speaker but an excellent writer also. I could not put the book down until I finished the entire book! It was very encouraging! The message I got was to not grow weary of doing the right things and to do it all of the time. Highly recommended.

Barry Black in this book show a man that practice what he preach. As I finished the book immediately I want to review the chapter on leadership for I could become a better leader. This is an excellent book for teens to read also.

Barry Black, the first African-American and Seventh-day Adventist chaplain of the U.S. Senate, has written a very inspirational work that's not only autobiographical, but just as much motivational. "From the Hood to the Hill" can sometimes even overwhelm the average reader with Chaplain Black's personna of almost near perfection. For myself, when I go to pickup a work that I expect to be strictly an autobiography, I'd rather have that than the many self-help tips along the way. Motivation has its place, but I would have liked to have read more of the man's real life experiences outside of his chaplain/military adventures. And at only a mere 223 pages, our appetites are left wanting more. The motivational book should have fellowed as a second release. Still very much worth reading though.

A very inspirational book!! Well written! I don't have words to give enough accolades to Dr. Black's writing. It is an easy read, written as though he is standing before you having a conversation. The reason i said this is a "must read for men" is that my son (who normally only reads books/article related to his career field) actually loaned me his copy. I found it so inspiring that I strongly recommend it for ALL but especially for young men who feel the pressures of "how to make a successful" life in America today.
I have never written a review before but I feel so strongly about the uplifting benefits of this book that I felt compelled to write this one.

It is a great book that is truly pertinent to the topic it relates to and doesn't go off on a tangent. If you are looking for a book that is related to crime scene techniques then this is a book for you.

This is a fine book which will help me in my studies of forensic analysis.

Once again, Mr. Fisher has kept us updated with the ever changing world of forensic science and the techniques of crime scene investigation, in this seventh edition. The book encompasses current information in an intelligent and organized manner with the methodology to address, not only the elements of the investigation but also the interaction of the personnel involved.
This in depth text should be on every forensic investigator's bookshelf.

For all of those who are interested in either becoming Crime Scene Investigators, or increasing their knowledge THIS is the ULTIMATE book to get. It's the leading textbook, handbook, bible, guide, whatever word you wish to use and the author "Barry Fisher" has a way with words that leaves you with no doubt about his knowledge and experience. It's one of those books that I couldn't put down and can learn from and remember what I'm reading. An EXCELLENT study guide.

Fisher provides the absolute, hands-down best text out there for basic crime scene work. This is the one that is in everyone's bookshelf - we even keep all our old editions! When I began working in crime scene investigations, this was my 'go-to' reference, and several years later, I still read through it every once in a while to keep fresh. I teach part time, and this was the book my co-instructor and I suggested that we use for our basic and advanced crime scene classes - thank goodness it's our new text! I can't wait to share Fisher with our students. Invaluable book.

This book was a supplemental text for my Graduate level Critical Theory class, and I thank my prof for that every time I open it up. Barry's writing is incredibly accessible -- even inviting, and,at times, humorous. He breaks down most of the major theorists' important and influential works into their key points (which are often buried under obtuse and circular language in the works themselves) and (briefly) applies them to well-known pieces of literature to show how theory is "done". Even for those of us who are "into" theory, writers like Derrida, Spivak, and Lacan can be intimidating; Barry helps the reader get beyond that and deep into the core of critical theory. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to broaden their understanding of literary theory, and I definitely recommend it new students who find themselves overwhelmed or intimidated by theory.

Peter Barry's BEGINNING THEORY introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory is lucid, engaging, and challenging, and would make an ideal classroom text; but it's also a good one for those individuals like me who have been out of school for some time and are a little curious about how the reading and study of literature has changed over the past few decades. The book's thirteen chapters cover traditional criticism (liberal humanism); structuralism; post-structuralism and deconstruction; postmodernism; psychoanalytic criticism; feminist criticism; lesbian/gay criticism; Marxist criticism; new historicism and cultural materialism; postcolonial criticism; stylistics; narratology; and ecocriticism (the latter being the new kid on the block and usually not included in comparable Theory Introductions). Barry may not be the last word on all these subjects, but I felt he's a good starting point for just about anyone. He advocates reading carefully a few of the most pivotal texts on the subjects covered (rather than reading as broadly as possible); he succinctly summarizes each theory's tenets and practices in easy-to-absorb lists; he encourages readers to apply the theories in some way in "Stop and Think" exercises; and he provides annotated select reading lists for each chapter. This is a book I expect I'll be returning to time and again as I try to read some of the primary texts Barry recommends.

As a literature professor, I have a professional responsibility to know about literary theory. And let's face it: it's a pretty scary and complex subject, feared by many and mastered by few. In fifteen years in the business, I have read many books about lit crit and literary theory, and Peter Barry's book is BY FAR the best. It is, indeed, "only" an introduction to the subject, rather than an advanced study, but it is brilliantly clear, and blessedly jargon-free.

Barry writes as though his readers are new to the subject, but bright and curious. And he delivers the goods! This is the book I refer to when in doubt, and the book I encourage my graduate students to purchase. I would recommend anyone who is pursuing graduate study in the humanities to own and carefully read this book. If you read this one carefully, you won't need any of the other intro-to-lit-crit books on the market, which simply don't measure up.

Whenever a college student takes that required first course in critical theory, that student ought to realize that this course is admittedly dense in both content and style, and as a consequence should have access to supplemental readings. Peter Barry with his BEGINNING THEORY is one of three such useful texts. Lois Tyson and Charles Bressler are the other two noteworthy introductory tomes. What is helpful in Barry is his initial chapter on "Theory before `theory'--liberal humanism." Most other critical texts scant the reader on the state of criticism as it existed before Jacques Derrida took the podium in 1966 and shook up the academic world by suggesting that the neat and tidy world of the liberal humanists was founded on a heavy-handed patriarchy that took for granted a spectrum of Western-based assumptions that had stood unchallenged since Plato. These liberal humanists have been on the run since then and Barry succinctly summarizes and analyzes who the major players were in this seismic eruption.

Barry structures his analyses of each school with a general historical overview of that school's paradigmatic assumptions. He includes what critics of that school generally think about as they ponder how to relate the intricacies of that school to specified literary texts. This listing is more useful than the uninitiated might think since when it comes time for the novice critic to make that transcendental leap from the abstruseness that is theory to the concrete reality that is text that neophyte must understand a plethora of assumptions that all too often get lost in the French translation but are clarified in Barry's capable hands. One example will do. Jacques Lacan is notorious for being dense and just plain hard to understand, but when Barry connects the denseness that is Lacan to the clarity that is Poe in his "The Purloined Letter," the various stages of self that seem muddled in the former now stand etched in clear relief by the latter.

One minor note: Barry closes his text with considerations of Stylistics, Narratology, and Ecocriticism, none of which have yet hit the mainstream as accepted modes of literary discourse. Still, for the eager undergraduate or the uneasy graduate student, Barry belongs on the same shelf that also houses Lois Tyson and Charles Bressler.

Wow. I bought this book when I was in college, but I never got around to reading it until this past week. I am absolutely amazed by how good it is, and I wish I had read it earlier.

If I had read this before going to college, I swear I would have aced all my English courses. Why am I so confident that this book would help me? Well, basically, this book gives you something like twenty different approaches to reading literature. After finishing the book, you will be more attuned to what you are reading. You should be able to say to yourself, "well, a stylistic critic would approach this book X way, while a postcolonial critic would approach this book Y way." Imagine your professor's astonishment when you hand in your first essay and the title of it is: "A Lacanian Approach to Jane Eyre." Provided you are able to follow Barry's model for what Lacanian critics do, and you make some decent Lacan-influenced points, you are almost guaranteed to receive an "A."

Of course, many potential readers of this book are out-of-college and, like me, will never get those college literature courses back. This book has utility for us also. It is great because it can give us new angles from which to explore books we have read before. I'm tempted to re-read Hamlet now that I understand the Freudian interpretaton of the play. I want to go back and decide for myself whether the Freudian interpretation is tenable.

Some posters have criticized this book for not probing deep enough. What rubbish! The title of the book is "Beginning Theory." Its intended audience is either people who are new to literary theory, or people who have not been able to make sense of the bombastic critical essays they have been assigned for class. The book serves its purpose extraordinarily well. It is clear, it is to the point, it provides excellent summaries of the major critical theories, and it even provides lists of suggested reading for people who want to read more about the various theories. In short, it is everything you need to get started learning about literary theory. It is a tremendous work, easily one of the best books I have ever read by an English professor. Thank you for writing such a cogent and lucid introductory work to this difficult subject, Professor Barry!

What a great story. I heard a portion of the audio at www.sportsbythenumbers.com with this book: UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports (Sports By the Numbers) Bootlegger's Boy is a great story told by Barry Switzer and well worth the money. If you love OU, this book is for you.

I never really had a Grandfather. One died the day I was born, and the other one died when I was about 7. I don't remember them, and I don't remember talking to my one Grandfather.

Listening to Barry Switzer has always felt like listening to what I imagine listening to a Grandfather is like. Does that make sense?

He has a very calm, matter of fact way of telling a story. Seeing him talk on TV or live in person is a delight. He seems to have such control of himself, and he has always appeared composed and respectful. One thing I have always liked about the King is his way of telling it like it is, he won't pull punches if there is something controversial to talk about. He attacks conspiracy and controversy with a straight face, and a cool head.

Bootlegger's Boy is a great autobiography in that it tells a very complete story. Barry does a good job of describing the important events in his life that shaped the man he became, and the man he continues to be. He knows that he is no saint, and I appreciate how he is a man about things. Barry's philosophy is one of taking responsibility for your words and actions, and also holding others to that standard as well.

Sooners will never get tired of the King, for he was a great coach, and he continues to be a great man. A very inspiring book in my opinion. If you want a book that will get the hairs all over your body to stand on end and light a fire under your tail, look no further.

As a rabid Oklahoma fan, I had this book for some time before I actually read it. Whether the reader loves Barry or hates him, after reading this book, admiration and respect will develop for this popular coach.

I chuckled as I read some of the stories, and cried when I read others. Barry holds nothing back and his personality comes through. This man is Hall of Fame anyday, in my book.

Love him or hate him, Barry Switzer is a college football icon. Published a year after his banishment from the University of Oklahoma (following a series of turbulent off-the-field incidents), Switzer tells all in his rousing autobigraphy, BOOTLEGGER'S BOY.

The title is not an exaggeration; Switzer's father was a womanizing, hard-drinking Arkansas bootlegger, while his quiet mother battled mental problems and an addiction of her own. Able to overcome such dysfunction (and some of his family tales are fascinating), Switzer was able to utilize his athletic ability to play football at the University of Arkansas under legendary coach Frank Broyles. When his college career was over, Switzer realized his calling was coaching; Broyles gave him the opportunity by letting the young lineman join his coaching staff. In the mid-60s firebrand coach Jim MacKenzie was hired to restore the football "monster" at OU, a monster that the great Wilkinson had created. MacKenzie offered Switzer a position on his coaching staff; Switzer became a Sooner, and the seeds of destiny were sewn.

Chuck Fairbanks, succeeding MacKenzie (who died tragically after just a year on the job), promoted Switzer to offensive coordinator. Switzer writes he was looking for an offense to revolutionize college football; an unorthodox, high-risk option offense, known as the "wishbone," captured his attention. Switzer installed the offense and the Sooners took off, figuratively and literally, as NCAA rushing records were shattered. When Fairbanks bolted in 1973 to go to the NFL, Switzer was handed the keys to the OU program, and the rest, as they say in the Sooner Nation, is history.

For sixteen seasons, Switzer commanded a college football powerhouse; during his tenure the Sooners captured twelve Big Eight championships and three national championships. Switzer attributes his success to his Arkansas upbringing; growing up, most of his friends and neighbors were African-Americans. As a result, Switzer was more than comfortable approaching black athletes--at a time when other major programs were tentatively recruiting minorities--while reassuring parents that he would take good care of their sons. His recruiting redefined collegiate athletics, opening the doors for black athletes nationwide to participate in Division One football.

Switzer's affection for his players is genuine. Page after page, account after account, the King (as he's known by Sooner diehards) fondly recalls his relationships with a plethora of All-Americans: the Selmon brothers; Joe Washington; Billy Sims; Tony Casillas; J.C. Watts; Keith Jackson; Brian Bosworth. Switzer was no stern disciplinarian, he readily admits it, and this "lack" of discipline created a perception of an outlaw program--a perception that came home to roost in 1989, when he was forced to resign by the OU administration during a series of troubling incidents that ultimately put the Sooners under NCAA probation.

Switzer defiantly addresses the NCAA allegations, refuting some and pleading "guilty" to others. To enhance his arguments, he points to antiquated NCAA regulations (and keep in mind, this book was written years ago), regulations that, Switzer maintains, permeate a double standard. As an example, Switzer argues, why is it permissible for a chemistry professor to dig into his pocket and buy an airplane ticket for a homesick student during Christmas break, but not an athletic coach? Switzer's defense, along with his account of the events leading up to his ouster, make for fascinating page turning.

Praise him or revile him, Barry Switzer's mark on college football is eternal, and BOOTLEGGER'S BOY is the King at his good ol' boy best. I only wish he would come back with a second edition describing his four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Three national championship rings and a Super Bowl ring. Not bad for a bootlegger's boy.
--D. Mikels

This book is something to be revered by Sooner fans. Barry's recounts of the great games and great people around OU's glorious runs in the 70s and 80s bears reading. I just re-read the book after keeping it down for a few years, and it just gets better with time. If any of you out there need ammo for those Barry bashers, you need this book. Barry Switzer is a great man, and every Sooner fan should remember that.

Barry covers his childhood, personal struggles, and his years at Arkansas. He then talks about those great 70s teams that we know get to see on ESPN Classic.

Probably the most interesting part is his line item by line item response to every NCAA violation that OU was found guilty of. Barry pulls no punches and is not afraid to admit guilt where he saw it. His candidness is something special.

You might find this book hard to find, but try your hardest and hit the auction sites, etc, you should be able to turn it up, and you won't be sorry.

Although I think he could have written more on the advance techniques, it's the best one I've seen out there so far. The section on advance turning covers segmented pens, closed end pens, single cross pens and laser kits. I wish he had gone into making wood caps and clips. If you like pen turning this book has some good tips that I haven't found anywhere else.

Can't beat the advice and instructions, step by step with a world of expert suggestions and photos. Shows how to make many pens I never thought I could, {not that I have yet}, but I've been at a few and can see the HOW at least now..! Thanks. G-G

I'm new to pen turning and this book was all I needed to get started. It also had some great ideas for more advanced pens. Well illustrated and clearly written.

I Have just bought a Rikon mini lathe and am very much a beginner. This book is perfect to help the beginner set up shop, select the correct tools, explains how to use them, and the basic steps to making pens. Several specific projects are also given at the end, some basic, and a few that are very advanced. Very good illustrations, and easy to read. This book was extremely helpful to me.

I recently bought this book. I has good examples that cover from the easiest pens to more complex ones (segmented for example). It's really good in showing step by step pictures on how to turn and finish pens. I covers all of the materials available in the market and it provides instructions for one finishing technique that seems to be reliable. It does not cover CA finishing, which is a common practice as well. It has a nice chapter about FAQ's and troubleshooting. It also has a few pages on how to market your products. It is not complete but it has more information than other books. If you are going to buy just one book, this is the one of choice!

Dear Rev. Lynn,

I just read Piety & Politics and wanted to say "thank you". I just said it by joining Americans United for Separation of Church and State, but wanted to say it personally and publicly.

As an atheist I all too often fall into the trap of lumping all Christians together as bible thumping religious fanatics who, in spite of my Vietnam service, Bronze Star, and Army Commendation medals, perceive me to be "non- patriotic, perhaps not even an American" as G Bush Snr. once said, simply because I reject their "beliefs". People who would happily force our children to recite prayers in school, control reproductive rights, intercede into family decisions of when the terminally ill should be allowed to die, impose their biblical interpretations upon our secular Constitution, indeed subjugate anyone who's sexual preference, personal philosophy, or religious views do not parallel theirs.

I know this isn't true. I know that the people of whom I speak aren't the majority of Christians, but I need to be reminded of that from time to time.

Thanks for reminding me, and thanks for helping preserve American's freedoms from those who would truncate them.

Yours truly,

B. Centre

I highly recommend this book. While it's pretty easy to make the argument that our country is better off continuing with a secular government, what is difficult is refuting all the false rhetoric, and there is a ton of it, from those that would prefer we mutate into a Christianist nation (as Andrew Sullivan would put it). Rev. Lynn puts forth a highly readable argument that our nation's future interest is best served following the legacy of our founding framers, an argument firmly grounded in the ideals that were ratified by the founding framers in our beloved Constitution.

Lynn is also no slouch in the history department, doing a far better job for example of refuting Christian Nation historical revisionism than Jon Meacham's American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation while requiring a lot less sentences to do so. In fact, Lynn sells himself short by using the back of the book cover to market his book to the choir; his respectful tone towards Christianity while defeating arguments we'd be better served with a Roy Moore fantasy could have garnered a more effective response from the public if he'd also marketed this book towards conservative Christians as well, many are whom are unaware of their sects' legacy of supporting separationism or how far their current day leaders really want to go in regards to increasing government power to endorse a particular version of faith (e.g., already working on attempting to re-supress birth control).

I'm knocking off a star for my standard reason: no footnotes, inexcusable in this day and age. As a member of the Americans United for the Separation of Church & State, I have complete trust in Rev. Lynn's integrity; but any author who wants to put forth an argument based on a set of premises should footnote those premises. I also thought his occassional references that he's pro-choice was uncalled for and reduce the odds of his changing minds of anti-abortionists. While the pro-choice platform stands a better chance of succeeding if we maintain our constitutional republic's disestablishment nature, the platform itself has little to do with the argument on whether we should continue to limit government power on religious matters. I can only assume that Rev. Lynn is out soliciting pro-choice interest groups to join AU, which I found distasteful.

As someone who has probably read too many of these separation argument books, here are some highlights I particularly enjoyed that are unique relative to other books I've read on this topic:

1. President's Grant's failed attempt to amend the constitution to remove mandatory Protestant instruction in public schools while refusing aid to religious schools to make Catholics more welcome in the public school systems; an effort that took place during one of the first times that Christianists were initially able to break down the wall somewhat (for a complete history, see Susan Jacoby's Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism).
2. The end-game objective of the Bush administration's efforts to fund religious organizations rather than government providing services directly as an end-run attempt around our civil rights.
3. The willingness of certain conservative Christian organizations to suppress speech on issues in staged debates (Rev. Lynn directly experienced this as one of the debaters), essentially stacking the deck on what questions could be posed to the forum and therefore censoring their events.

First let me say, the Rev. Barry Lynn writes very clearly and logically, so following his argument is easy. He explains what the First Amendment is, what it tries to accomplish and why we need it.

The simple truth is that most religions think they have the real truth, the whole truth and all of god's will, and hence everyone must believe in Jesus, Allah, the angel Moroni, Krishna or whoever. Even unbelieving atheists have a tendency to think they have "the real truth." The problem is, with everyone "knowing" the only and final truth, how do we live together without constantly arguing with one another. Obviously, we must be tolerant of the other fellows belief and agree to look for what we believe in common, and not constantly fight and argue.

In this situation all faiths must be treated equally, and especially the government must not prefer, or push, or support any one faith in preference to any other. It is especially important no government body, i.e. no public body, school, court, administration, etc. favor the Christian religion, because Christians are the majority, which might easily overwhelm a minority faith.

The First Amendment simply implements this concept. It informs the government to stay out of all religions, don't push any, don't even think of favoring any, don't even say a public prayer, for all prayers are sectarian supported by one but not another faith.

A few years back I was listening to a news report about how first time homeowners were struggling with the complexities involved in buying their initial home. The report stated that the Bush Administration was planning on using members of its faith-based initiative to help buyers navigate the confusing maze. HUH??? What does the church have to do with offering information on buying a home? I was already aware that Bush was attempting to allow faith-based groups to discriminate in hiring despite being government funded which made this kind of handoff of government responsibility even that much more offensive. As bad as I thought it was, it was far worse and far more cynical than I ever imagined.

Rev. Barry Lynn has long been vilified by the Religious Right but the truth is he may be about the best friend Christians have. The author writes, "church-state separation has been a great boon to religion". Among industrialized nations the United States has been rather unique in its continuing observance of expressed religious faith. The United States was also groundbreaking in its establishment of a secular government. Coincidence? Barry Lynn's argument is that it is America's secularism that has allowed religion to thrive. In most European countries the churches are subsidized by the state. As Rev. Lynn states, "They want for only one thing: congregants" So why is the Religious Right so eager to kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Lynn believes that the ultimate goal of the Religious Right is to create a theocratic state with themselves in charge. I have to respectfully disagree. As little respect as I have for Dobson, Robertson and the now deceased Falwell I really doubt they believe they are going to somehow take over the American government. A much more likely scenario is that the church would be consumed by the government.

George W. Bush has been characterized as perhaps the strongest ally that Christianity has ever had in the Oval Office. The truth is the Bush Administration has used religion more cynically than probably any administration ever. The faith-based initiative was nothing more than a sop to try and woo evangelicals and finally make some headway with black voters. Bush continually used religious issues and his own purported faith to try and shore up his base and push his agendas while religious leaders like Dobson and Robertson promoted policies important to Bush and the GOP. I can remember Dobson presenting a wish list to the GOP that included eliminating the capital gains tax because I guess that's what Jesus would want.

The author writes a much needed defense against claims by Rev. Jim Wallis that the ACLU and Rev. Lynn's Americans for the Separation of Church and State are nothing more than the flip side of the Religious Right. I wrote in a review of `God's Politics' that Rev. Wallis was way off base in his attack on secularism which was a real shame because he presents himself as a bridge between fundamentalists and moderates.

Rev. Lynn's point is that it is the struggle that makes the church strong. In fact struggle is an integral part of the Christian faith. As the author writes, "Why should they give more on Sunday if they already paid taxes to support religion?" Are churches going to work harder to attract members when they're supported by the government? It wasn't secularists or atheists who pushed for separating Church and State. It was Christians who hated having the government write prayers or give tax money to other denominations or ban certain beliefs. The people who dreamed of a wall of separation between church and state lived through the results of their union. Perhaps secularists and atheists should lobby for the wall to come down. It's likely to be the easiest and quickest way to render Christianity irrelevant.

I notice that Amazon is selling Piety and Politics paired with Letter to a Christian Nation in the Best Value section. I found Piety and Politics far more readable than Sam Harris's angry polemic. Between the two this is definitely the one to get.

`Piety & Politics' by The Reverend Barry W. Lynn is a catalogue of, as the subtitle states, `The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom', from his position as director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. For starters, let me say that I am in almost 100% agreement with everything Dr. Lynn says. He makes a far more reasoned and levelheaded case against the extremes of American fundamentalist Christians than the archly polemical `Letter to a Christian Nation' by Sam Harris. It is even superior, albeit far less broad in scope than Tony Campolo's `Speaking My Mind'. My agreement with the good Pastor Lynn may have something to do with our both having been raised in that most Christian oriented of blue state cities, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, home of, among other things, the Moravian church in America and neighbor, in Allentown, of the most important Lutheran-oriented college in the country, Muhleberg College.

If I have any argument with Pastor Lynn, it is in the fact that he does not look deep inside the psyche of the `Christian Conservative Right' and explain its workings. But, before getting further along with that thought, let me say that what Lynn has accomplished is utterly necessary and quite valuable. It reminds me of a cross between Al Franken's cleaning out the Conservative Augean stables of misrepresentations and the strategy of the first Bill Clinton presidential campaign, where his media staff examined opponents statements and news in general under a microscope, and immediately replied to any and every misstatement or refutable claim. It is that kind of vigilance which must be maintained if we are to maintain both religious and personal freedoms.

One thing which strikes me as really unfortunate about this struggle is that while Christian scriptures and the U.S. Constitution agree almost perfectly in letting the state do its thing and letting believers get on with their worship, or freedom from it, the Christian Right Wing persists in forcing their brand of belief on various venues of the country at large. One must even puzzle over how this agenda became connected with the Republican Party, since my most favorable depiction of Republican doctrine includes the principle of expanding, not limiting personal freedoms.

So, while Pastor Lynn's story is one of vigilance, it does little to help us understand the opposition.
Therefore, I offer this as a suggestion for Pastor Lynn's next book.

Please be clear that a large part of Christian doctrine involves vigorously spreading the faith, a doctrine that is amply stated in scriptures. While some denominations are more militant about it than others, bringing in new members to the Lutheran or Baptist or Anglican, or Catholic or Orthodox or Pentecostal or Presbyterian confession is on everyone's agenda. And, routine aspects of even the most mild-mannered denominations (my Lutheran denomination, for example) sound pretty militant in their native habitat. Just today we had a hymn which commanded us to be `...soldiers of the cross, Lift high his royal banner. It must not suffer loss...! Pretty strong stuff from a tame corner of Pennsylvania. Let me join this with the fact that I lived through exactly the same public school bible readings, prayers, and Christmas pageants in High School as did Pastor Lynn. For all I know, we attended Liberty High School together, albeit not in the same class. All this was quite taken for granted and pretty comfortable for an obedient Pennsylvania Lutheran teenager. One can even believe that prayers are genuinely effective in focusing our mind on the task at hand, so they would seem to be ideal as a mental ritual to get the day off right. (Of course, as Pastor. Lynn more than adequately demonstrates, things are not so rosy for the non-Protestants forced to either participate in or embarrassingly abstain from such rituals).

So if the Christian faith includes a belief in taking its message to all nations, how can a fellow Christian, the Reverend Lynn, oppose the efforts of the good Reverend doctors' Falwell, Robertson, et. al. This is surely why true Christian believers accost Dr. Lynn with such anger at Cleveland airports. One can go even further and cite the Christian doctrine that justice comes only from God (See Romans, especially), so how can courts dispense justice without Christian underpinning.

The problem with this belief is that Christians don't have a monopoly on the divine source for justice, as the Greeks had this idea at least 400 years before Christ (see The Orestean Trilogy by Aeschylus). Our legal theory does, in fact base itself on both traditions in maintaining the DISINTERESTED status of judges.

The problem with Falwell and Co, as Pastor Lynn adequately demonstrates, is that they have an almost total disregard for the truth, and consider the most transparently fallacious ad hominom arguments to be OK, as long as it's for THEIR Christian cause. The one saving grace is that they underestimate the intelligence of the American public, most of whom can sense the perversity of their arguments for what they are. The use of the worst kind of dishonest tactics coupled to an honorable doctrine leads me to the conclusion that Falwell, Robertson, et. al. are NOT interested in advancing Christianity, they are interested in personal political power. As such, they deserve no respect from honest Christians. I am all for encouraging prayer, Bible study, stirring hymns, and Christian liturgy, as long as my audience has signed on to the fait which recommends these practices.

I thank God for Pastor Lynn's vigilance and his sharing this information with us so that we can better understand this dishonesty.

This is a great book, especially if you are Irish-American. I couldn't put it down. After this, read All Souls, Easter Rising, Castle of the Fynns... Slices of life about growing up Irish in American in the 1960's and 1970's....

Anyone who reads Dan Barry's regular columns in the NYTimes will welcome his memoir first as if from a friend and buddy. Barry has given us, however, an extraordinary and, yes, radiant account of a man who would tell stories. He grew up in a haze of cigarette smoke, beer, and his father's howls of agony from migraine, but also with his mother's stories, his father's songs, and his siblings' affections. He traces his own journey to high school (casual boy torture on the school bus); St Bonaventure University (where he discovered you could make a job of tellling stories) to his early career in Rhode Island and then at the Times. He loves baseball, his mother dies, he and his beloved struggle first to conceive and then to adopt a child. He is diagnosed, and survives, a gaspingly terrible bout of cancer. Memoirs come by the handful, but Barry's is so vividly sketched, all the protagonists so fully present on the page, the prose so wickedly sure and sweet, that his sings close and real as a heartbeat. Wonderful.

When I finished reading Dan Barry's book, I was hungry for more, but not so much on the same topic. Instead I wanted to find another book with narrative so well-written it would inspire me to fill my leisure time with nothing but reading. Sadly, there aren't many books that do that.

This one did. Perhaps it's my own connection to growing up in the same era, though I'm a bit younger. Maybe it's because we're both journalists, though books by journalists don't always merit reading sprints.

For me I think what astounded me was Barry's ability to be honest, allowing us to see the weaknesses of the people in the book and see those people as human, rather than evil (with a couple exceptions). As a reporter Barry has seen some amazing things, but that's not the focus of his book. Those things are sidelights in a story about family and about growing up. That takes amazing skill. I'm glad Barry lived long enough to tell us about it. In another 40 years or so, I'll be excited to read the sequel.

As with all fine Irish writers, there's a poet's heart in Dan Barry.

Pull Me Up, A Memoir is Barry's masterful landscape of his life and family, wondrously painted with words poignant with pain and breathtaking in beauty. Never mind that the setting is the same Long Island I grew up in, nor the fact that this Irish-American love song calls to my own heritage, nor even the fact that there are personal connections I can trace to many of the people and places he writes about. The soul of Barry's story is its firm grip on universal human fears and foibles, how he captures the heart-piercing trials of childhood, youth, illness, addiction, and family.

Any reader who ever felt alone or insecure as a teenager, grew up with a sick parent, or whose family struggled with monthly bills will cherish the emotional depths to which Barry dives to harvest the treasures of his past. A truly rewarding read.

Kathy Carroll
http://www.oneclearcall.blogspot.com/

This is the best memoir I have ever read, beautifully written. While my Irish family is very different, I loved reading about his. I'm recommending the book to everyone.