Bowles Books

Can Seven-year-old Cammie and her little brother Cooper find a wave to save the rain forests? With the help of a parrot named Sunflower, these two children embark upon an informative and inspiring adventure that will engage the rapt attention and enthusiasm of children ages 2 to 7. Saving The Rain Forest With Cammie And Cooper is written by Toni Albert and illustrated by Carol Bowle specifically for the purpose of engaging the imagination of children who want to experience adventure while doing important good in a world that needs its rainforests with their myriad wildlife and plant growths. Also very highly recommended is Toni Albert's companion title The Remarkable Rainforest: An Active-Learning Book For Kids (1929432046, $10.95).

The book consists of a series of research papers written by some of the best known economists on development planning. The paper by Kendrick and Taylor is one of the first example of using optimal control method in planning development. The paper by Tendulkar is an extensive study of application of linear programming method on foreign trade sector planning. The papers by Weisskopf, Clark, Blitzer, Marglin are some of the classic examples of application of mathematical programming in development economics. There are several applications on agriculture, spatial and regional planning and on education and social sectors. The book is a treasure house for students interested in the techniques and applications of mathematical methods on the most crucial problems of developments.

Hibbard's book on the study of the short fiction of Paul Bowles is easily the best that is available on the subject, and Hibbard covers just about everything that the reader would want to know.

The book is split into 3 sections: 1) The Short Fiction 2) The Writer and 3) The Critics. There are also many interviews with Bowles in this book, as well as many critical essays.

The main books covered are: 'The Delicate Prey', 'A Hundred Camels in the Courtyard', 'The Time of Friendship', 'Things Gone and Things Still Here', 'Midnight Mass' and 'Unwelcome Words and other stories'.

I recommend this book to any serious student of the fiction of Paul Bowles, as well as the casual reader, because this book is written in a readily understandable format, which in itself is very useful.

Short-story gems. With perfectly suave urbanity, Bowles writes little Poe-ian tales of utter pathological insanity, from the point of view of the psychoprotagonist. And here's the thing; you are totally WITH this madperson, every step of the way--understanding the slipslide motives, even sympathizing. Only at the very end does the full horror of what's been told actually sink in--and then the effect is HAIR RAISING. Masterful, oh yes, but not for the faint of heart. Best put this one aside if you're feeling low, or it might give you nightmares.

The Timpani: A History In Pictures And Documents by expert musicologist and iconographer Edmund A. Bowles, is a fascinating, comprehensive, and informative compendium enhanced historical documents, more than 400 black-and-white photographs, years of meticulous research, making it an enduring legacy concerning the history of orchestral timpani musical instruments and instrumentation. Some narrative and informational text offers an overview of the history and evolution of the timpani, but The Timpani largely consists of musical scores, artworks, and the text of primary sources presented "as is" for the reader's judgement. A seminal contribution to academic Music History reference collections, The Timpani is strongly recommended as a core reference title.

With a very simple and "reader friendly" text by Dia L. Michels, Look What I See! Where Can I Be?: With My Animal Friends is an ideal picture book for young children just learning how to read. Simple sentences, enhanced with gorgeous color photographs of beautiful creatures by Michael J. N. Bowles, ending with a happy trip to the animal shelter to adopt a canine companion, form the heart of this upbeat and highly recommended story. Also very highly recommended for preschool, daycare center, elementary school, and community library collections is Dia Michels and Michael Bowles companion book, Look What I See! Where Can I Be?: At Home ...

Initially, Kit and Port, the preppy primary characters in THE SHELTERING SKY, seem more like attitudes than people. The character Kit, for example, observes: "Other people rule my life." Early in his narration, Bowles adds: "The terror was already there inside her ready to take command."

Meanwhile, Port, despite his charms, is a sadly isolated person. Bowles says: "Although it was the basis of his unhappiness, this glacial deadness, he would cling to it always, because it was also the core of his being; he had built the being around it."

Early in TSS, these concept-driven characters have experiences that seeem slightly bogus, with the insightful Bowles explaining the interaction between characters but not really bringing them to life. Kit and Port, in other words, just don't ring true as people.

But then Bowles takes his characters and puts them on a bus on a heedless journey into the Sahara. And, their adventure, a truly riveting tale, is the perfect vehicle to explore the wacko personalities that Bowles has defined. "Book Two, The Earth's Sharp Edge," starts in Bou Noura, a desolate outpost where the European influence is negligible. Thereafter, everything that happens to Kit and Port is frighteningly real. And the writing becomes first-rate.

"The sun poured down on the bare earth; there was not a square inch of shadow, save at their feet. Her mind went back to the many times when, as a child, she had held a reading glass over some hapless insect, following it along the ground in its frenzied attempts to escape the increasingly accurate focusing of the lens, until finally she touched it with the blinding pinpoint of light, when as if by magic it ceased running, and she watched it slowly wither and begin to smoke. She felt that if she looked up she would find the sun grown to monstrous proportions..."

My daughter told me this book was great and she was right. Highly recommended!

The book started out interesting to me, but the huge problem is that nothing ever happpens! You keep reading with the anticipation that something profound is going to happen and there really is no plot or resolution. It's definitely disappointing, and in the end the book is a complete waste of time! And it also makes me never ever want to visit the Sahara, where the characters definitely lost themselves; literally speaking. Don't read this book unless you are in for a big disappointment!

If you still have not visited the north of Africa or Maghreb, and cities like Tanger, Casablanca, seem attractive to you, then Paul Bowles will take you to a trip to this region of the world. The Sheltering Sky is a great novel not just because of the plot but also because of the capacity of the author to depict places, cities, experiences, in short the whole atmosphere, in a way that makes you feel you are there too. Highly recommended.

I just finished reading this book for a second time and was again struck by how effectively Bowles communicates his themes. We all have tensions and disappointments with our societies, countries, families and friends, but Bowles reveals the terror of complete alienation that happens when we leave it all behind. If you've ever wondered what it feels like when your protective bubble pops, you'll like this book. The plot, characters, and settings in this novel are merely vehicles for communicating this idea. Bowles is poetic: his impact grows within the reader as his words are absorbed.

In response to a previous review:

Bowles spent a great deal of time in North Africa and would have understood a typical American's perceptions at the time. Of course those perceptions are now outdated - would one expect otherwise? After all, the book was written only a few years after World War II ended. Good literature attempts to portray characters within their historical context, and to offer insights about the human condition - not to mold characters in accordance with someone's political views. I can't think of anything more boring and less literary than a novel portraying characters acting in ways that many university liberal arts faculty think they SHOULD act.

It's pointless to judge a novel written over 50 years ago by today's standards. It's as silly as a reviewer 50 years from now passing negative judgement on one of today's novels because a character kept a pet dog, a practice which was outlawed when animals were given full rights in 2030.

I just finished reading this book for the second time. The first was nearly thirty years ago when I was in my impressionable twenties. At that time I considered it extremely powerful and I, as an addictive maker of lists, thenceforth ranked it as my favorite book. Now, a thousand experiences later, including a ten-day venture to Morocco (I currently am an ex-pat living in Spain), I decided to get the book off the shelf and read it again. Would the book live up to my own rapturous opinion of it?

The answer, quite simply, is yes. Bowles creates a story as gripping as any I've known and had me hanging on every word. The bizarre relationship between Port and Kit, the depiction of the Arab world, the caravan crossing the desert, everything is painted in masterful strokes while leaving much food for thought. For instance: Why do some people, like myself, feel so alienated from American culture that we go to great lengths to distance ourselves from it? Bowles offers a clear answer while showing the consequences of fleeing that culture and pitching ourselves headlong into another more exotic one. A more emotional reading experience would be hard for me to imagine.

We are using this book as part of our overall management training. The concepts taught are valuable and useful in all areas of management and tie in effectively with other required reading in the program. The key is to go beyond just reading the book and apply the principles taught within its pages. We are beginning to see a change in our management culture as a result of applying these techniques.

I don't know what it was, but I fell in love with the book as soon as I started reading. The book inspired me. We choice the book as a book club book for administrative assistants, and found that it was just as aplicable to us as to management.

I did not think it could happen - but with our new intitatives and
company wide conference calls explaining them, people are begining to
take on the Gung Ho mentality. It's all in the approach. The book taught us that.

If there are any people who know more about the practical aspects of the management of people than the authors, I have yet to encounter any of their work. In this book, they once again demonstrate how simple the principles of good management are to state. The problem of course is that they require managers to give up control and let their workers have some power and receive praise. Since many managers are fundamentally insecure, this does not happen. Instead, when something goes wrong, they impose more controls, lowering morale even further and in the worse case situations start a negative feedback loop to catastrophe.
Peggy Sinclair is given the managerial responsibility at the Walton Works #2, a location that is notorious for under performing. Before she gets there, she is warned about Andy Longclaw, a Native American who is considered a problem. When Peggy arrives, she immediately encounters Andy and they strike up a conversation. Andy talks about the "Wicked Witch" who will be arriving shortly to take over. Fortunately, rather than be offended, Peggy is polite and takes Andy seriously. This begins an effective collaboration between them as Andy teaches her the principles of the "Gung Ho!" organization.
They are simple and are represented by the behavior of three species of animals:

*) The squirrel - do worthwhile work, the squirrel gathers food and stores it away to avoid starving later. However, the squirrels chatter at each other and do not work together.
*) The beaver - in control of achieving the goal, when their dam is breached, the beavers work together, while one is putting a stick in one location and of a certain orientation, another will be placing another that reinforces what the first has done. When danger appears, a slap of the tail on the water warns all other beavers.
*) The goose - when geese fly together, they are constantly honking at each other. This communication can be considered as encouragement of the others.

These three principles are the fundamentals to getting people to perform:

*) Give them meaningful work
*) Have the work of each employee reinforce that of others
*) Give regular and appropriate encouragement and congratulations for work done

The authors also use a different take on the famous Einstein equation E = m*c*c.

Enthusiasm equals mission times cash and congratulations

There is no question that these principles will work, they will turn work groups into high producers, and the problem is that so many managers lack the self-esteem to make the attempt. Which is one of the primary reasons why American business is weaker than it could be.

I was told to read this book, eventhough I am a squirrel. I thought it was very degrading that the author compares working people to animals-rodents in particular. Let me tell you it just don't work that way! The story was so bad that it has given all of us "squirrels'" quite a bit of laughter at managements expense. I have watched some of Ken Blanchard's seminars on his website and I see that he likes to compare working class (blue collar) employees to animals. Treat people fairly, pay them adequately, and give them your respect is what will get results. I don't want my coworkers to sing happy birthday to me, or charts on the wall. All of the things that my employer has done in the past two years since going "Gung Ho" have only increased Ken Blanchard's income. They have bought posters, books and t-shirts from his business. The man and my employer are clueless!!! If things have gotten that bad in your organization that you would resort to reading this book I would suggest that changes in management personnel are in order. I wonder if Ken knows that a leopard doesn't change it's spots.

When looking for books to get for our little one, my husband saw the title of this one and thought it sounded fun, so we got it. We were not disappointed!!! Very clever, very fun; a great book. We look forward to when our little one is old enough to enjoy it as much as we do.

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, written by Eugene Trivizas and illustrated by the noted artist Helen Oxenbury, is a version of The Three Little Pigs with reversed roles. You probably know the story. But Trivizas puts in some very cute spins, from the China teapot to the "He wasn't called a big, bad pig for nothing!" to the flower house.

I read this to a group of children and adults, ranging in age from 3 to 70. I could tell they enjoyed it, and the text is rich with opportunities to use vocal variety.

Avoid stereotypes! Read this book!

What a delightful twist on the old classic. Illustrations are outstanding and sweet and the ending is authentic large-heartedness!

My son had to have this book. Just from looking at the cover one time! And once we had it in the house, it has become the forever read book. It's illustrations by Helen Oxenbury are amazing and the story will delight children of all ages. It's not scary but it does make you think a bit. I highly recommend this book!

I bought this book as a gift for the younger daughter of a friend. Since I had ordered Harry Potter for her sister, I wanted her to have something too. It turned out to be one terrific gift in many ways. As a parent and teacher, I would never give a book to a child without checking it first for suitability. I found the story delightful -- warmhearted and humorous. "And the moral of the story is . . . " even better than the original.
The best part for me was that the wolves, those so unfairly maligned family animals, are the Good Guys.
And oh yes, she loved it.

This was a great book for my son and I to read together. We could take turn reading. Also it tought him about history whuch is always a good thing. I have a hard time getting him to read so this was a perfect way to spend time together and get some reading done. Can't wait for the next one!

I really hope that this review goes through. I would recommend this book to all the parents who need books to share with their children. I truly enjoyed the historical significance and I know that my son will also. A must read!

Thank you to David for bringing the Mitchell family to life! It is amazing to think of the struggles of our ancestors. I belong to the Daughters of the American Revolution and think Spring House is a must read for anyone in the organization or planning on joining. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next book. Can someone make this into a movie, please!

I was hooked at the first sentence. Usually I read to fall asleep, but two hours later I was still eager to know how it ended. I look forward to more in this series. It's not often I find such an engrosing historial novel.
I passed it on to my husband and he bumped it up to the top of the stack of books he wants to read when I told him I how much I enjoyed it.

Congrats on winning the National Indie award for 2007. I can see why and hope that the next one takes the prize as well. The combination of personal and American history makes David Bowles' novel both entertaining and informative. Teachers should put this on the summer reading list.

Can't wait to read Adam's Daughter, and hope the series continues to the present day.

This was an awesome book! It really makes you think.