Brooks Books

For anyone interested in the pre-1920 recording industry--and especially in the history of the earliest recording artists of color--Lost Sounds is the archaeological dig of your dreams. Immaculately researched, beautifully written, and illustrated with photos, advertisements, and lyrics, it's a big stately volume: the growth of the popular song, the emergence of the mass media and entertailment industries, the appalling state of period race relations, the existentially twisted story of the minstrel show, and the amazing evolution of recording technology are all on readable (and sometimes haunting) display. So are the riveting stories of legendary artists George Washington Johnson (the ex-slave whose "Laughing Song" was used briefly in a recent Xerox ad), Bert Williams (featured in PBS' Broadway documentary series), Charley Case (a vaudeville comic who was rumored to be "passing"), and dozens of others. You'll be moved to comb the local antique shops for cylinders, and to try building your own record-yourself-on-tinfoil kit.

What a delight this thick book is, and what a challenge to describe adequately in a few sentences.

"Lost Sounds" is a detailed look at an aspect of the American music industry that is not just forgotten; it seems never to have been fully appreciated -- the early years of recorded music, with an emphasis on the essential contribution made by African American artists. The book has been praised as a unique reference work, and it is that; but it is also a rich history of late 19th- and early 20th-century American popular culture, as well as a collection of poignant personal stories of the entertainers who created it. Along the way, the book offers a primer on recording technology. And, although these accounts of once-popular performers and their now-unfamiliar careers and music are not in the least preachy, they do constitute a carefully documented examination of a key -- and painful -- era in American race relations.

Author Tim Brooks is himself an unobtrusive character in these adventures, the modest yet sympathetic researcher who has come along a century after the fact to ferret out the information, breathe new life into it, and in many instances save it from oblivion.

All of which makes "Lost Sounds" not only an extraordinary good read, but also an exceptional good deed.

This is an excellent addition to the study of African American history, So many of the facts presented are those that not even the "seniors" knew. I have used this book to include information in lectures and class settings.

A few pages into this book, one realizes the title is a double entendre. The recorded sounds documented here - which include popular music, ragtime, jazz, cabaret, classical, spoken word, politics, poetry, and more - are not merely "lost" in the sense that their existence has been uncelebrated. They are also in danger of being lost to us forever if immediate steps are not taken to preserve the fragile materials upon which they live.

Additionally, U.S. copyright laws have made it nearly impossible for anyone to reissue them as CDs. According to the author, there were approximately 800 recordings made by African Americans prior to 1920, the majority of which are still intact but half of which are owned by successor corporations like Sony and BMG who will neither reissue them nor allow anyone else to do so. Which explains why the majority of this material ends up being released overseas.

The book documents more than 40 artists chronologically, assessing their work and skillfully placing their biographies within the context of a complex and tumultuous era. It covers the famous (Bert Williams, Eubie Blake, Fisk Jubilee Singers) and a host of lesser-knows. The Discography provides a listing of CD reissues (if available) for each chapter, plus web sites where you'll most likely find them.

While seemingly an exhaustive tome, the author himself reminds us it's intended to stimulate preservation and future research: the final chapter "Miscellaneous Recordings" examines unissued recordings, "custom" noncommercial recordings, rumored but unconfirmed recordings, records by artists sometimes misidentified as black and more, in the hopes that future research will turn up more information.

Though massive at 656 pages, the book is highly readable and entertaining, very well organized and indexed making it easy to zoom in on particular aspects of interest. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the era of early recording in general, or African American studies in particular, and feel no library shelf should be without it. It's a wonderful resource for interdisciplinary studies.

With everyone on up to then-Poet Laureate Robert Hass writing books about Basho, Buson, and the rest of those old GUYS writing "haiku" (a word they never heard), it's refreshing to come upon a book of haiku by a LIVING POET, one of the seven million or so who write haiku in Japan today. And a WOMAN, at that, as are the vast majority of Japanese haiku poets today.

But Masajo is not just one of seven million. She's a top poet, one who has given her life to love and poetry since her distant youth. (She's now in her 90s.) And it's not just her age that distinguishes her. She is one of the best known figures in Japan's haiku scene, with many books in every bookstore there. At last, we have a chance to view a decent sample of her work in English.

As Patricia Donegan and Yoshie Ishibashi say in their excellent introduction, "Masajo Suzuki followed her own path. She is not just a love poet in the sense of writing about her lover and love relationship, but a love poet in the larger sense of loving life and living it fully." And this love of love and of life shows up in every poem. Here's one:

winter mist--
memories of embracing
and being embraced

And another, perhaps more objective, but still tinged with Masajo's special sensuality:

the last drop
from the perfume bottle--
cherry blossom rain

In case one wonders, yes, these haiku are classical in their structure (form and cutting words) and content (season words are not just included, but function as a key to the depths of the emotion in each poem). But they are also strikingly modern in their inclusion of powerful human feelings fused with the natural world we all live in:

midwinter rouge--
my heart's darkness
cannot be discerned

Gurga and Miyashita have joined the Donegan/Ishibashi team (*Chiyoni: Woman Haiku Master*) as presenters of the heart of Japanese haiku in English. If you think you know haiku, and don't know these poems, you've got some learning, and some deep pleasure, ahead.

I was intrigued by Masajo Suzuki's life story and the haiku she composed for her lover(married to someone else) of 40 years was most fascinating. Her words pour out so much contained emotion that I could not just read the words and be satisfied. It seemed to speak of love of another delivered order. Excellent book.

Love, at its best, is a shared emotion and its expression remains a supreme challenge to all artists. Readers of haiku may share moments of pure oneness with a haijin [a writer of haiku]. So to read Masajo Suzuki's 150 love haiku opens the reader to relive the emotion anew, to experience love through her imagery. This diminutive Japanese lady [pictured on the back cover] writes with compelling honesty about her feelings - and these resonate through a sympathetic reader. Carefully chosen haiku from seven published volumes, from 1955 to 1998, span a lifetime, and are able to deepen our own response to relationships and our surroundings.

The translator's introduction begins with a quote from Masajo Suzuki herself, " I have been in love at all the times." This volume does indeed share her love with all ages. Her experiences are timeless, and offer a glimpse of this haijin within her world. Kigo, or the season word, provide the setting for a haiku moment, and each are handled with devotion. Each haiku sprouts from the traditional symbol that places the reader right beside her, hand in glove as Masajo fully lived her love of life.

Suzuki's life story is deeply rooted in these haiku. Her life is sympathetically revealed in the introductions, adding another layer to the story that unfolds when reading the carefully crafted haiku. They are beautifully presented in three forms: kanji [Japanese symbols], the traditional one line presentation in Japanese, and the three line english translation. The kireji, a division within the poem which provides the turning-point or contrast within the haiku, is most often marked by punctuation.

A Master at her craft, Masajo's work has a refined and delicate touch yet deals with the tough and stringy roots of life, she was no sheltered court lady. At a time of life when security might seem desirable, she abandoned safety and decorum to be with her lover. As a working woman, Masajo ran her own pub in Ginza, Tokyo, where she found inspiration to write and study haiku. These haiku are real moments from her life that readers are privileged to share through the work of the translators. I found inspiration in this book for my own life and haiku, and I am sure that others will also enjoy these wonderful moments with Masajo.

It never ceases to amaze me how these haiku with their objective images resonate so subjectively. How we have all felt the all-embracing satisfaction of:

love fulfilled...
fireflies leisurely await
the sunrise

or the pain of finding oneself alone:

winter surf
now it dashes against
me alone

or the intensity of frustration:

shall I betray him
or let him betray me?
the shrike's shrill cry

Each poem is a pulsing heart. Don't miss a beat.

The book was in perfect condition, but I was most impressed with the shipping time. I had tried to order this from two other bookstores, a neighborhood bookstore and another giant, and both of them had serious trouble getting the book from the publisher. With Amazon, the book was on my doorstep two days later. THANKS!

Oh, how I wish the wonderful Ms. Brooks would write more novels!

First of all, Maud Martha was written very economically which has caused me to gain a greater appreciation of poetry and concise speaking.

Secondly, Maud Martha is not only written to a female or adult audience, but it speaks to all people of different age groups, races, or walks of life.

I appreciate Gwendolyn Brooks for her nobility and classic style. Hope to see at least one more novel from her.

I have already passed on a few copies of Maud Martha. This has gone on to being my favorite book...EVER!

I first read Brooks's only novel in a graduate seminar--because I was forced to read it. I had never read anything quite like it. The artistry is amazing, and the story is one that had to be told. Of course, those familiar with Brooks's wonderful poetry, particularly the Pulitzer Prize winning ANNIE ALLEN (1949), will see the strong parallels between her poetry and MAUD MARTHA. I've taught the novel in my American literature and African American literature courses. Students love it! It's a classic tale about self-discovery that makes it an enjoyable read for anyone who enjoys well-crafted poetic prose.

"Maud Martha" is a wonderful novel and a definate must read, for it addresses issues of growing up, but it also tackles race issues in the US. I found the previous customer review passionate, but for those of you waiting for Brooks's next book, you should know that Gwendolyn Brooks, who is known more as a poet, passed away this year. She lives on in her poetry, however. I suggest the book "Selected Poems" by Gwendolyn Brooks.

Alexis Brooks De Vita's short story "Mzee and the Hedgehog" is beautifully crafted and poignant. From the moment I read the first sentence, I could not wait for the story to reveal itself; it is the kind of story that I could read over and over again. It is the kind of story that I will want my own children to read.
As an emerging writer, this is the kind of story that I aspire to write--one that is powerful and one that has cultural significance. I am touched with the way Brooks De Vita captures the relationship between power and language in the context of colonialism. Through the eyes of the protagonist, we come to understand the struggles and daily life of Ugandans after a history of British colonial rule. Furthermore, this story makes us aware of the need for human connection. In her own, genuine way, the protagonist takes risks and tries to reach out to the people around her, despite the chaos, confusion, and rejection. Brooks De Vita focuses on the impalpable ways colonial practices continue to influence the psyche of the formerly colonized. I admire the protagonist's attempts to make sense of the conflicted worlds that surround her--the world of her mother and the world of Bumali. This is a story about love, loss, family, and identity.
Brooks De Vita does not offer easy answers for the characters in this short story. Instead, she lets the voices of the characters speak through her words and the result is breath-taking. This is a story that lives on even after the last word is read.

What a beautiful, thought-provoking story! One of those stories that makes you really want to talk to the author about. I have so many questions. Has she written more about this girl and her mother? What becomes of Mzee? What happens to the girl? Does she help him after he was fired? Does she ever resolve the conflict with her mother? Does the mother ever resolve her own inner conflict? What happens to the Canadians? Do they ever change? Did Mzee really kill the hedgehog, or did the mother? That's my problem with short stories--they're just way too short. You want more! I hope she makes it into a book! I want to know the rest of the story. I'm convinced that if it were to be made into a book (hopefully a long one), it would rapidly reach the acclaim that books such as Beach Music, The Prince of Tides, The Invisible Man, Trinity, Exodus, Haj, and Their Eyes Were Watching God have done, each one attacking in their own ways (in my opinion) the very roots of ethnic, religious, and socio-economic prejudice.

This lovely story is a glimpse into the world of a Ugandan village where an American girl lives with her mother and her brother. The mother, a professor at the college, has her place, as does the younger brother who slipped easily into his surroundings. The girl, though, is caught between the world she remembers in California and this new, strange world where the customs are unfamiliar and exotic and where she doesn't fit in. Who cannot relate to that? Worse, she's caught in that net so many young girls are--of being in constant conflict with her mother. Each thread of this story is carefully laid out for the reader to follow, tying in intricate knots with other threads as the story progresses until the final, stunning moments of the story.

This story is one that you'll remember long after you put it down.

An excellent read. I plan on reading more of her work as it becomes available.

I'm a member of a Sherlock Holmes Club and we've often wondered about Dr. John Watson's first marriage to an American woman. This new book, No Ordinary Terror, answers that question. Or at least provides one viable answer.

Although this new book can't be called a Sherlockian pastiche, all fellow devotees will find this mystery a fine addition to their collection. Even the great detective makes a brief appearance at a critical juncture.

FYI-this first in the Watson Twins mystery series concerns a murder investigation conducted by the children of Dr. Watson. They learned their craft from Sherlock, their so-called uncle. Now an adult, the daughter, Emma, is a physician and suffragette. The son is a maverick artist of growing fame. The plot is very involving and will take you on a roller coaster ride from the beginning. Try as you may, you'll never discover the murderer until the end.

Kudos from a 50-year Sherlockian. I'm happily hooked on the Watson Twins.

No Ordinary Terror is a detectie story set during the time of political turmoil leading up to World War I. Meticulously researched and presented, with an almost classical knack for literary grace, No Ordinary Terror follows Richard and Emma Watson, twin children imbued with the heritage of the legendary Dr. John H. Watson who served as friend, confidant, and assistant to Sherlock Holmes. These amateur detectives must follow deadly leads from the heights of aristocracy into the depths of the dirtiest slums, in hope not only saving their friend, but England itself. A captivating period piece mystery.

No Ordinary Terror is set in 1910 London, but the plot takes you to northern Scotland and a mining area of Wales before it culminates in a surprising and unexpected climax in London. The main characters, the adult twin son and daughter of Dr. John H. Watson, are well developed and Van Dyke's understanding of the era is evident in every detail of this engaging and well researched mystery. But it was the plot and the author's ability to tell an exciting tale that kept me turning pages until midnihght. I eagerly await the second in the Watson Twins mystery series.

I picked up a copy the other day and to my surprise and delight, it's a thrilling suspenseful mystery full of great characters, unique settings and written in a style that lets the story unfold on its own without the typical contrivances and overbearing style of many authors today.

Sibling conflict, a touch of romance, physical confrontation, and a looming danger from anarchists are woven together by a new author who knows his craft and the era of which he writes.

This page-turner is a must for history and mystery readers alike. Don't be surprised if you discover things you never knew about Edwardian times.

This textbook is very well written. It is ubnderstandible to students and others of all ages and interests. It contains intersting color pictures and graphics about the subject material for each chapter. Each chapter also contains web links to a homepage that accompanies the book. The book is full of intersting personal stories, history, theory, and facts. Dr. Garrison and all who have contributed to this book have set the standard for textbooks and integrated learning for the next decade.

This book is very well laid out. I am a teacher and would absolutely recommend this as an intro textbook to marine science. It contains all that you would need to know. great as a first year colledge text or even an advanced high school textbook.

Purchase and delivery were right on key. Very pleased with whole process. Item arrived in excellent condition. My daughter received a B+ on her first Oceanography College Exam (just points away from an A). That makes all the difference in the world....................Thanks.

I took Tom Garrison's class at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA. Wonderful class! He taught along with the book and every session was both insightful and interesting. Dr. Garrison is without a match in instructional etiquette and eloquence. Indeed, this book showcases his best work on the subject. Read the book... Be educated by the diagrams and charts... Be taken back at the amazing realms of life under the ocean... And most of all, be in awe of a marvelous earth (or "Oceanus") that is in great need of our consideration right now. Otherwise we end up dead like the aliens... Oops.. I hope I did't give a way the ending! If you have few bucks, come and take the class at OCC. You will be so glad you did. Just don't come in late through one of the side doors, or leave your cell phone on. He can't STAND those things! It drives him CRAZY!

I received this book as a Graduation gift. Although the illustrations might appeal to a younger audience I feel that the subject matter appeals great to adults who are having a bad, bad day. :)

i got this book as a christmas present... it wasn't how i had imagined, but it was so cute and funny! it's something i would give to anyone who had a "bad bad day".

I got this book to snap myself out of bad work days. Follow our beloved Oopsy Daisy through all her misadventures....toothpaste attacking, ninjas, & swimming. Whenever I get angry and feel picked on I rely on this book. I began to giggle and laugh. Fairly soon I'm quite relieved that at least I'm not Oopsy!! Never too old, never too young, no one can do without this endearing and hysterical book.

For those with a dark sense of humor, this book is for you. With bright candy-colored graphics, the author recounts Oopsy's bad day. It's like a children's book for adults, with some minor drug references to a "bad trip" and other unfortunate incidents. I liked this book better than the author's previous "Emily the Strange." I also purchased the "Oops I said the f-word journal" and Oopsy Daisy's Fold and Mail stationery, two really cool artsy accessories. This book just made me laugh out loud.

Whether you agree, disagree or have no clue what it would be like to have to make " A Heartbreaking Choice," you can't help but be humanized by these stories.

A Heartbreaking choice is just that - nothing more or nothing less. Women that have been faced with poor diagnosis of a much wanted pregnancy feel as if their world has been shattered. There isn't enough spiritual or religious glue to help to put the pieces of ones entire life back together.

Termination is a ridiculous argument that will never be satisfied by either side. But in reality, termination is not black or white, it doesn't lend itself to the stereotypical judgements. When a child's diagnosis is grim while still in the womb, there are many, many more "what if's" that flash in front of your dazed eyes. Letting your unborn baby pass before birth, not knowing what devastation may happen after they are born, is an act of absolute bravery.

Again, right or wrong, it isn't the point and shouldn't be part of this discussion. What should be offered is surrendered support. So surrender your judgements and listen with your open heart to these womens' stories and realize that no matter how you look at this, it is and always will be, A HEART BREAKING CHOICE!

Bravi Raggazzi!!

This book speaks to a need that has been mostly unfulfilled in the publishing world. Real women tell real stories of what it means to terminate a much-wanted pregnancy and why the right to do so is necessary. It also contains several excellent resources that will help others walking in their shoes to navigate the difficult choices families have to make when they receive a poor prenatal diagnosis.

This book is an excellent resource for those of us who have suffered the loss of the child wanted so mnuch but never got to know. Knowing you are not alone and that others have been there before is of great comfort.

This book also includes many resources about prenatal testing and other web sites on the diagnosis each of the women were dealt. It also was reviewed by some of the most prominent people in the womens reproductive rights movement.

In today's politically charged atmosphere about abortion, the women who put themselves out there with their heart-felts stories need to be applauded! The subject of abortion is such a huge issue and these women tackle it head-on, and prove without a doubt that there are times when an abortion is not only necessary, but the most loving decision that a woman can make for her family, herself and most of all, for her child! This book contains the heart and soul of women who have wrestled with a decision that NO parent should ever be faced with. They have each realized that letting their precious children go was the kindest thing they could do. As parents, isn't it our responsibility to protect our children; what happens when no matter what decision you make will mean your child will either suffer and most likely die or be faced with a life time of disabilities and suffering? These women have shown us that there are many types of love, and their love is the most selfless and meaningful love I could imagine. My heart goes out to them and their families; and I highly recommend this book for anyone who has faced or may be facing making "A Heartbreaking Choice."

I highly recommend this book to offer support to women, and their families, when it comes to a termination of a pregnancy due to a poor prenatal diagnosis. The women in this book are REAL. Their stories are REAL. Their grief is REAL. Support for these women, and future women who experience a loss such as this, is NECESSARY but seems to be non-existent. It's FANTASTIC that these 46 women put their stories out there in order to help others by sharing their heartbreaking, life altering, personal stories of grief. KUDOS to them! I hope each and every one of the contributors to this book realizes how important their stories are, and that the children they lost, and the decision they faced, will be able to help future women. These women are offering Support, Empathy, Compassion, Understanding, Respect and Enlightenment, or to use one word that sums it up, "SECURE". Hugs to everyone that contributed!

because I had hoped for something to supplement the perspective from Lowry-Richardson's book. It is still a good book, though, especially for the undergraduate.

caroll's book is an excellent "advanced" organic textbook and reference. more of a teaching textbook than a strict reference guide, but all around great. it's without a doubt the best adv organic text i have come across (out of the 7 that i own and many others that i have glanced thru). highly recommended.

I read this text in my organic chemistry core course.I am certain that this is not one of the "run of the mill" texts in organic chemistry flooding market today.I must say it's really an advanced text that gives you less of statements and more of proposals.It stimulates reader's scientific temper and makes the reader challenge the simplistic and dogmatic perspectives prevailed in the contemporary organic chemistry.As mentioned by the author he could refrain himself from making it an encyclopedia of organic chemistry but he gives us the rationale behind the stabilities and reactivities of organic molecules by which one can enter into the "dreadful endless jungle"(in Friedrich Wohler's words,1835) with innumerous mind-boggling reactions with appreciable amount of confidence.It is not recommended for the beginner in the subject but is a real beacon for the graduate students in the feild.

Carroll's text does not attempt to teach organic chemistry per se. Rather, it tells the story of how many of our key ideas about organic chemistry have developed through the past 80 years. I certainly do not recommend it for introductory students, but it is an excellent read for anyone intending to pursue chemical research because it urges the reader to challenge yet not entirely disregard the simple, often incomplete ideas that are taught to introductory students.

As the various reviews point out this book is a blaze of color. Excellently photographed and excellently printed this volume gives a good impression of how beautiful petrified wood can be. This work is perfectly suited as a coffee table book.

As a wood anatomist I cannot help feeling that an even more beautiful book could be produced by shifting the focus to anatomy: when magnified these woods would look even better. I guess a palaeobotanist would agree with me that this would make for, from a scientific point of view, a more usable and valuable book.

Nevertheless this is a magnificent piece of work: there are some quite stunning pictures in here.

The best photographic presentation of petrified wood I have every seen. Frank Daniels' love of the subject can be seen in his work as laid out between the covers of this superb book. I totally enjoy showing non palaeontologically minded people this book when they visit. If a person is looking for a photographic presentation of petrified wood, then this would have to be the book. I heartily recommend it. Congratulations Frank on a terrific book.

This is a beautiful volume that is a visual treat for any enthusiast in the area of geology, paleontology, rocks and minerals. It's an attractive "coffee table" book replete with page after page of gorgeous color plates of the world's loveliest petrified wood specimens. There are also text portions that explain the geology and history of the fossilized wood. Some of the paleobiological terms are quite technical. It's not for everyone, but the book is beautiful for those with eyes that find fascination in ancient trees that have now turned to mineralized stone.

Iy you are a layman, you will certainly ask whether "rock like " items like these can be so pretty. When you read on and understand that nature is actually the artist behind them, then you will start to appreciate that their brilliant color, the pretty pattern as well as the variety of what used to be living trees in this planet millions of years ago are not any less beautiful than the common gems and precious stones which we are much more familiar with. The excellent photos will certainly tempt one to read the book again and again . The only regret is perhaps the lack of more publications on these gems, despite a second and equally attractive book by the same author.