Browning Books

Reading through this volume I find it difficult to become deeply engaged. Something in the archaic, quaint language of much of the poetry deters.
Yet there is a poem, the poem of all the anthologies that is a great and memorable one, one that justifies a life- work.
" How do I love thee , Let me count the ways" is one of the most beautiful and inspiring love- poems ever written.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poetry, especially the "Sonnets from the Portuguese," is beautiful, intelligent, and honest love poetry. Anyone who has experienced the doubts, fears, and transformation of love will recognize the truth of the poet's struggle to trust and to love.

I've just read some Amazon reviewers' responses to T. S. Eliot's poetry as testimony to his possibly being the greatest poet ever. Such an evaluation practically proves Eliot's insistent point about the cultural impoverishment of the present.

Indeed, Browning's masterwork may very well be the ultimate poetic epic in the English language, rivaled certainly not by Spenser, Wordsworth, and Pound but only by Chaucer and Milton. The fact that even the "trial of the century"--the O. J. Simpson case--did not produce widespread renewed interest in its literary predecessor and equivalent would produce surprise and disappointment were I not so aware that, outside of Shakespeare, the academic canon has been foreshortened (and engendered) to a tradition that begins with Virginia Woolf and ends with Sylvia Plath.

In "Ring and the Book" Browning takes the sordid event of an enraged husband murdering his helpless bride--the daughter of a prostitute and rescue project of a priest--to "explain the ways of God to man." The reader of the poem becomes, in effect, a "privileged" juror in the trial of the murderer, positioned through Browning's protean and powerful rhetoric within the consciousness of each of the principals before finally being enabled to glimpse the "truth" that affords meaning to human mutability and suffering.

The poem no doubt will remain in dust closets, largely unread even by literature Ph.D's. But there's little chance of its ever becoming lost. Like the priest-hero of the poem, a few priests of the imagination will ever so often make the poem's discovery and be lured into the quest of pursuing its singular meanings.

[A reader recently wrote asking me about this edition, which led to the discovery that Amazon often uses the same review for any and every edition! (Be careful about ordering used editions for the same reason.) I was referring to the Penguin edition, which is now out of print. Beware of the "Kessinger Edition," which is really no edition at all but a bootleg, an uncredited reprint. Moreover, it's the version that a search of the title is apt to take you to. You might try the Collins and Altick edition on Broadview.]

As an English major at the University of Pittsburgh, I was never exposed to this series of dramatic monologues. It's a pity, because when I finally stumbled across it, Browning went from being just another 19th-century poet to my favorite English language poet of them all, at one fell swoop. The Ring and the Book is based on a real-life murder trial in 17th century Rome. The story is told from multiple perspectives, changing with every new section of the book; we hear from the "Man on the Street", the murderer, the victim on her death-bed, and even the Pope. The details of the story are far too convoluted to explain in summary and do anything resembling justice to the book, but it can be safely said that once you've begun, you're in for a whirlwind ride through a carnival of a trial that makes the O.J. Simpson affair look like a parking-ticket dispute by comparison. The truly stand-out feature of The Ring and the Book is not in the story itself, however, but in the telling. Browning handles the English language like a virtuoso emulating angel's choruses on a Stradivarius. If the book suffers any single flaw, it is the simple fact that at times, Browning writes these lines almost TOO well, making it difficult for the reader to pay attention to the actually progression of the story, as said reader becomes entraced by the beauty of the poetry. (In particular, I consider Caponsacchi's description of the flight from Arezzo beginning at line 1152 of Book VI to be one of the best written passages in literature of all time.) Dramatic blank verse hasn't seen genius of this level since Milton wrote of the angelic Fall. It's a pity this book isn't more widely recognized and discussed, for it deserves recognition as one of the best-constructed poetic stories of history, and the pinnacle of 19th century authorship.

This is a great book chalk full of great ideas for day trips around the bay area!

Exploring the Back Roads: 28 Day Trips in the Greater Bay Area appears in its third updated edition to provide California Bay Area residents with discriminating guides selected for their scenic, pastoral and historic qualities. From old levee roads in the Delta area to the ruins of Jack London's Wolf House, chapters survey roads less traveled, and does an outstanding job with its clear, easy line maps and step-by-step surveys of routes, alternatives, and local history. Mention of facilities or lack thereof also lend to making a back roads exploration day trip an informed, easy one.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The term 'family values' has come into commonplace speech in various settings, spurred on by but not the exclusive province of political speech. Even in the officially church-and-state-separated domain of American culture, the idea of family values cannot be separated from religious and moral values - indeed, sometime the phrase is used as a code-word signal for certain types of religious and moral values.

This book, 'From Culture Wars to Common Ground', starts by addressing two particular questions - what is the situation of the family in current-day American culture, and what can the Judeo-Christian tradition have to offer? The authors draw on sociological, psychological, historical and theological sources to produce a wide-ranging discussion of the family. They examine in turn the issues, the traditions, the voices, and directions in which the family trends are going in the future. There are five highlighted families introduced in the beginning, who are seen as case studies for many of the ideas throughout the text. These families represent different religious backgrounds (Jewish and Christian of various types) as well as different socio-economic backgrounds.

In the category of issues, the authors look at the political designations often assigned in both conservative and liberal terms - they see a progression away from the idea that concerns for the family are the exclusive province of the right. There are crises in the family, but who has clarity for understanding them? Explanations from the social sciences are examined, as well as trends and changes over the past generation. The authors identify four factors - changing cultural values, changing psychological understandings, changing economic conditions, and patriarchal issues - as being important in this understanding. Finally, the ideals by which modern families are judged are examined, from puritan/colonial models to more modern ideas shows a diversity of ways in which families have been properly constituted and understood in the past.

This segues into the section on tradition. While every family seems to require love, just what is meant by this term? Love can mean different things to different families, and in different contexts. Love and the moral ecology of the highlighted families are explored, as are concepts of honour, shame and equality. How does a more traditional, male-headed family structure actually play out in the modern world? Can more general ideas of equality and mutuality be useful for family formation? One interesting example highlights a man named Phil Green, and compares his current-day family set-up as a Jehovah's Witness with the ideas of Aquinas - the similarities and the difficulties with this view.

The section on voices is perhaps the most interesting. It highlights modern theories and traditional sources. Ideas from feminism and psychotherapeutic methods are compared and contrasted with what might be called more typical 'family values' ideas in the Christian Right, Roman Catholic, and Black Church settings. The authors also draw in voices from beyond the church in the wider culture, particularly as they relate to civil and economic concerns. The authors look at the decline of civil society and the kinds of networks that support family stability through different social theorists, charging churches to take on the task of being 'the major carriers of countervailing narratives that balance the stories undergirding the imposed justice of states and the cost-benefit logic of markets.'

In the final section, the authors develop a practical theology of families which includes the idea of mutuality over self-sacrifice, looking for love that helps good things to grow in terms of identity and relationship. Sacrifice can be important, but should not be the goal, particularly in unequal measure (i.e., the woman is often the one who sacrifices her career, her goals, etc. for the sake of the family). They also develop the concept of 'critical familism', which looks at what churches can do both within and outside of their own congregation communities.

The authors acknowledge that there is no panacea or 'magic bullet' cure, but rather propose many different perspectives and strategies for engagement, the first step of which requires acknowledgement that there is a problem.

The book is well-organised, well-written, engaging, easy to follow, and well documented. There is a useful index. This makes a good text for any pastor or counselor who needs to deal with family issues, and would also make a good book for public leaders to pay attention to.

This is a wonderful book about changing patterns in U.S. family life. It includes thought provoking theological reflections, ethicial analysis, and practical suggestions.

I was lucky enough to study with one of Mme. Marcus former students (a graduate of Julliard and a Carniege Hall Almuni), and the book really helped to capture a side of her I had only heard about. Plus, the interviews are wonderful!! Very insightful!

I was lucky enough to study with one of Mme. Marcus former students (a graduate of Julliard and a Carniege Hall Almuni), and the book really helped to capture a side of her I had only heard about. Plus, the interviews are wonderful!! Very insightful!

A top exec troubled by the business highway looks for a simplier life. Add a mother-to-be and a woodland cabin and Harrison is off on a unique adventure. Romantic? Well, Cleo is not as bemused with Harrison's practiced lines, handsome looks for affection. In fact, she becomes the biggest challenge Harrison has ever faced--Wall Street included!
Great story!

Warm, witty and wonderful. Dixie at her best

This book is so good. The poet help's you see into his words, and allow's you to be touched by his insight.You will not forget how this book makes you feel, and you'll want to share it with others.

When I read this book the poems touched my heart in a way that no other book ever has. It is worth buying and reading over and over. Each time the poems will make you smile and make you cry, just like a touching love story. This is one book I'll surely keep on my nightstand.

This is a story about a humble man of God who has been given the gift of healing. True to form, he takes no credit for the very many people whose lives he has changed both physically and spiritually. Everything is credited to God. Father Rookey's love of God shines through in the interviews conducted by the author, Heather Parsons. This simple priest fasts and prays for long periods each day in preparation for the demands placed upon him by his ministry. My faith has been rejuvenated by this book. The wonderful stories of people whose lives have been touched by God are inspirational. Father Rookey's 'Miracle Prayer' is included in the book. Say this prayer every day and God will touch your life!

After attending a healing mass for someone I then read Ms. Parson's book about Fr. Peter. I want to attend another mass! Deeply moving, inspirational and up-lifting. I need a copy of my own! Help, it's out of print!

Innervation by Guy Browning is a very good book. The book made me rethink several points in my life. This book gave me several tools I can use in every day life.

Guy Browning is a straight shooter. He gets right to the point and says it like it is. If you are looking for a good quick read I would recommend Innervation.

I'll start by saying that I've read a fair amount of books in my day. This book, for its genre, is probably the best (second would probably be The Circle of Innovation by Tom Peters) that I've read.

I'm honestly AMAZED by how concisely he communicates points in a matter of paragraphs that would take other authors entire books.

There also haven't been all that many books where I've started to laugh out loud in the middle of. I really like this guy's way of getting straight to the point.

Photos are terrific. The directions are detailed and easy to follow. Wonderfully, fabulous jars to create!!

This is an excellent work for replicating decorative,
recycled, plastic and other types of jars. The author describes
how to utilize air-dry enamel paints, the surface preparation,
basecoats and lid decoration. In addition, the use of
acryllic paints is demonstrated for decorating lids.
A strength of this work is that it is easy to read. In addition,
the many diagrams depict the process of preparing jars in
accordance with various decorating techniques of preparation
and conditioning.