Buck Books

Due to time constraints and long drive to and from work/other places, I opted to listen to the audio instead of reading the book. This turned out to be a great decision! The audio was clear with deeply enriching array of voices for different characters that served to deepen entertainment and enrich vocabulary and pronunciation.

While the tracks are multiple [about 90 per CD]; they are short and easy to follow.

I would recommend this audio book for anyone who would benefit from auditory language stimulation, vocabulary enrichment and a good old entertainment. Bravo!

This CD collection is difficult to use. Book chapters are not identified on the lable or in individual CDs it is broken in to 30 second sound bites, which makes it easy to pause for a moment but difficult to find the begining of a chapter since the chapter may begin at 20 seconds in to the sound bite. Want to listen on your ipod good luck with hundreds of unnamed tracks. My students and I gave up and went back to the old audio tapes where we could find the chapter we wanted to listen to with out jugling 16 unlabled CDs

The book is a good story, not one I would choose if I were picking on my own. My son had to read it for school, however, the book on CD was a huge help.

I bought this book on CD for my son who is reading it in class. It really helps to comprehend the book when you have a really good reader like on these CDs. They had a good idea in cutting the chapters into 1 or 2 minute tracks, so you can easily skip ahead. Unfortunately, when you're trying to find the beginning of a chapter, it's almost impossible because they weren't careful to put the beginnings of chapters at the beginnings of tracks.

Being very interested in the abolitionist movement, and knowing how influential Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel was, I was really looking forward to reading it. However, it turned out to be something of a disappointment.

The story is rather engaging, following two sets of slaves: Uncle Tom, and Eliza and her son Harry, all three owned by Arthur Shelby (as well as Eliza's husband George, owned by a neighboring planter). Shelby is a rather benevolent slave-holder, but when he's forced to sell Tom and Harry to cancel his debts, Eliza decides to take Harry and run away rather than be separated from her son. Meanwhile, Eliza's husband George also resolves to escape north to Canada because of the malevolent cruelty of his own master. But Tom decides to allow himself to be sold south down the river rather than betray his beloved master Shelby.

Uncle Tom's Cabin is half anti-slavery propaganda and half Christian allegory. As propaganda, it is quite well-done, and in the service of a good cause, but artistically it is somewhat lacking. The author breaks the narrative to address the reader directly, a common practice through the nineteenth century as the novel was still a relatively new art form, but with a frequency I've never encountered in other novels of the period. This has the effect of destroying the continuity of the story. Her method is to write about something horrible that happens to the slave characters in her story, then put it to the reader directly how they'd feel if such a thing were done to them--an effective propaganda technique, but not exactly subtle. This is especially prevalant during the first half of the novel, which focuses on the story of Eliza, George, and Harry.

The second half of the novel turns into Christian allegory, as Uncle Tom, our trusty Jesus figure, allows himself to be flogged to death rather than revenge or even defend himself by killing his cruel new master and escaping, for the purpose of redeeming his fellow slaves by covering for two who *are* trying to escape and setting a Christian example of love and forgiveness for the rest.

So the message basically seems to be for slaves, if they're to be fully Christian and virtuous, to let themselves be treated as horribly as their master whims, and take it meekly. How is this abolitionist? It was certainly a shock after being used to reading the much more intellectual and more passionate writings of Frederick Douglass, who advised his fellow slaves not only to escape, but to kill their masters in self-defense first if possible.

The most interesting character, Eliza's husband George, at first sets out for Canada with a brilliant and daring scheme and the full intention of defending himself if anyone tries to capture him and take him back. Luckily, he's taken in by the Quakers before he has to seriously hurt anyone, but Stowe's emphasis on Christian submission makes for less dramatic material, since she won't allow the conflict to be expressed in terms of physical violence, or rather, she will, but only one-sidedly. But perhaps all this is precisely what one might have expected from a sister of the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher.

Buck Schirner, whom I had heard before reading Terry Goodkind's Blood of the Fold, is excellent here, bringing a lot of emotion to the characters through his rendering of their dialogue. If you want to read mid-nineteenth century abolitionist material, read Frederick Douglass, but if you do decide to read this too, this audiobook version narrated by Buck Schirner will help it go down easier.

Being a duck/goose hunting guide, I don't very often read guidebooks but a client gave me a this book for Christmas. I think ol' Buck has spent maybe a little too much time in the blind at times but his book is very funny, especially when he describes why its better to use a pig than a dog as a retriever.

I have bought this for all my hunting partners and we laugh about it every time we are out. It is a very funny look at a sport that if you step back and look at you might question your sanity. Here is guy that some how gets to the humor of the sport and reminds us not to take it to serious. Now my Yellow Lab is still miffed about the idea of a pig and would like to say a few words if he could type! Lets face it we have all hunted with dogs that were not to smart! I learned a few things form it as itJoe well research and has enough humor to make it a good read. The art work is great too! This is goofy look at a sort of goofy sport. This is the type of guy you would like to spend time in a blind with on slow day! What a laugh.

Amidst a sea of similar books I had to scan as part of some research, this one stood out like plant in bloom. I ended up buying it (along with just two others from the shelf) because I laughed out loud at the first page I saw. The idea of developing a pig as one's waterfowling hunting partner was a lovely (if irreverent) touch. It wouldn't know where to put it on a bookstore shelf. It's a legitimate guidebook to the sport. It's also funny enough to be in the humor section. I guess the author's "tongue-in-cheek" humor caused problems for amazon's listers too. He called it a "Compleat Guide to Waterfowling" but added a correction that lets one read "waterfowling" as "waterfouling" as well. There's a guy who's obviously been in more blinds than I ever will ...and who's not afraid to call his dog a pig! (Actually, the more I think about a pig for a gundog, the more I wonder if he's actually done that.) I have the impression that, because of my limited personal experience with waterbird hunting, I actually missed noticing some of the jokes that he has sprinkled throughout his text and illustrations. The indication here at amazon is "out-of-print"; but I found my copies on a bookstore shelf. (One was a "keeper"; the other two were gifts.) I ended up here looking for a similar piece he's apparently done on deer-hunting; but I'm having trouble finding it. (If Mr Peterson or his publisher read this, perhaps one of them will tell me how to get a copy.) Maybe there should be one like it for book-hunting as well!

This was boring and chaulk full of dumb jokes. Save yourself the grief of having to return it by avoiding it. If you must spend you money on this paperback then be prepared to read a humor book with little information about the sport of duck hunting.

Buck has knocked the stuffing out of the serious stuff about waterfowling. He prefers to hunt with a pig, wonders about the same goofy things all duck hunters do when the birds aren't flying and shows that good humor is key to any enjoyment of a field sport. Buy this book - there are spoofs in this book that will make a serious hunter laugh out loud. My dad did.

I remember my father reading this in the 70s, and it is well known. I am in Maine and I am new to deer hunting as an adult. The advice and information is not as good as Hal Blood's Hunting Big Woods Bucks if you are trying to learn about deer hunting. I would recommend it as an addition to a library or as an entertaing read.

I remember reading about the Benoit family and their deer hunting years ago in a sporting magazine. What I remember most is that green plaid wool, Remington pump rifles and big bucks hanging from the meat pole everywhere.
Well in 1975 Larry Benoit published a book compiling those articles and alot more information entitled: How to Bag the Biggest Buck of Your Life. Because of Larry's legendary status as a hunter and his folksy way of telling how he hunts deer it became quite popular with deer hunters. Long out of print, used copies were selling for more than the price of a good used rifle! Now, thankfully it is available again, so I could afford one and read it. I loved it!
Hunters sick of the commercialization in todays hunting press (i.e. you can't possibly kill a buck without my brand of real bush illusion camo, and this hot scent, Lazermonster Super magnum rifle and this kind of scent absorbing underwear. etc, etc.) will appreciate the Benoits simple secret....they are real woodsmen in the tradition of James Fenimore Cooper's Hawkeye of the Leatherstocking Tales. The writing is simple yet elegant and it is fun to follow along with a master woodsman as he tracks the wily whitetails of northern Vermont and Maine. Even though I live and hunt mule deer and elk in the west, I enjoyed reading about such a superb woodsman and found some helpful tips.

I am glad to see this classic back in print. It has been referred to as a deerhunters bible. I ordered it and it was an easy enjoyable read. However, I agree with a previous reviewer that Hal Bloods book it better. This is not a knock against the Benoit book, Hals is just better. Try them both!

If you want to be the best at something, then follow the best. The Benoits are clearly some of the best at what they do - deer hunting. This book, although written years ago, is a wise purchase for any deer hunter. I have other Benoit deer hunting books and they are all filled with info on how to hunt as well as just being plain fun to read.

The printing company is attempting to capitalize on this classic. Without a doubt, this book is a worthy read. However, I feel that Hal Blood's "Hunting Big Woods Bucks" is better and a lot cheaper. If you want to spend the money, this is a good book, but you get more out of Hal Blood's book.

After the death of my husband I searched for comfort everywhere. Although we are Christians and beleive in the promises of life eternal, finding strenghth to go on without him was so difficult. I found myself wondering if he was ok, wondering if I would see him again, serching for someone to give me hope in my sorrow. This book has not only been the vessel I serched for, but has helped me put those questions aside. The author spoke from the experience of loss and his words of poetry were truly a gift from God. I know death can not erase years of love and devotion, thank you for writing a book that speaks to the heart.

"I have read this book several times and find that it must be read much as the Scriptures. Each time I read it I discover more riches and plumb deeper depths. It has inspired me, and I would recommend it to anyone. I know what it is like to lose one, that special love, and to have to face life alone. Thank you for the blessings I continue to receive from this book."

I have never been touched by anything as I have by A Love Eternal. It was a Godsend to me. I recently lost my wife to cancer; such a gentle soul and so very young. She died in my arms. It was as though everything written in this book came from my own heart; as though the author knew just how I felt. You will never know just how much this book helped me to cope and to understand. My Mom, who was very close to my wife, reads it almost every night before bed. I pray that A Love Eternal reaches all who have lost a loved one, all who are suffering the heartache and grief that I now know, for it carries the greatest blessing that anyone could ever desire-hope. Thank you so much and God bless you.

A Love Eternal touched, and helped to heal, some very deep recesses of my soul. Many of the trials, experiences and feelings with which this book deals were particularly relevant to me. This work is truly inspirational and a very real comfort to those of us who have been parted from our loved ones.

A Love Eternal is one of those rare volumes of which one never tires. A hauntingly beautiful work, it bespeaks the power of love as it shines forth the light of hope into the darkest, deepest grave; transporting the reader to that place where peace and serenity reign supreme. A journey through the darkest despair to the brilliance and assurance of hope realized.

This is the text of the life and the histories of the princip Rama, 7th encarnation of the god Vishnu, who fight with the Rakshasas, freedom by the demon Ravana

"The Ramayana - Valmiki" is abridged and translated by Arshia Sattar. The author information does not appear with the book. The author as "Valmiki" is misleading.

This book is NOT by C. Rajagopalachari as mentioned by few reviewers.

This book by Dr.C.Rajagopalachari would certainly give a deep in sight in to this great indian epic.A great book and a must read for every one who wants to know Ramayana.

I read this book first when I was 15 years old on a train in southern India and I liked the book so much that I must have read it thirty times atleast. Though I live in Canada now and miss home very much, I still hope to bring these tales to cinema one day. I strongly encourage a reading who wants to be transported to a world of adventure, heroism and virtue which seem to lack so much with people these days.

S. Subramanian Saskatoon, Canada.

The book by Dr.C.Rajagopalachari , gives a glimpse of the life and times of Lord Rama , and it's refined and stylistic presentation has a wonderful relevance in the present day context of life at large and Spirituality in specific. A great book, enjoyable and cherishable by one and all.

Disappointing text for those of us who appear to have a base knowledge of how to go camping, what to pack, what type of gear we need, etc. Great book for those who have not a clue how to go camping. Unfortunately, this book hit my recycle bin too fast and was not helpful at all for me. Was seeking more car camping guide, and this was not really addressed in this book. Great for non-RV owners like myself for equipment needs.

I've been camping for forty plus years. Obviously a simple little book like this had nothing to teach me. Then I picked it up.

The first thing I saw when I picked up this book was a small sentence on the back cover. It said: 'Tip: You can set up a tarp as an extension of your vehicle in a heavy downpour.' At the time I was camping on the coast of Oregon. As I live in the desert, camping in the rain was new to me. But I had a tarp, I had a few bungie cords, and back at camp I soon had a 'porch' I guess you'd call it with a good sized space away from the rain. That alone was worth the price of the book.

Obviously there are some areas that I view somewhat differently than the writers. For instance they say you can use any pots and pans you have. Nonsense. They do say that cast iron cookware, especially a Dutch oven is the best. More than the best, in my opinion, cast iron is the only kind of cookware to use. Of course I think that cast iron is the only thing to use for cooking at home as well. They don't say that since cast iron lasts so long, you can get some really good buys at thrift shops and the like. Modern housewives seem to want teflon instead and donate them.

The big, important, single message is simply - 'Go Do It.' And I can't echo this any more strongly than what the book says. It's a pretty good little book that clearly shows the writers have a good bit of experience. As the book says, it's got 'Advice for Families & First-Timers' -- and still a few things for us old greybeards.

There have been several prior "first-timer" and "family" books, including an excellent one published by the Sierra Club. This one does an excellent job of helping families new to camping and provides a quality introduction to making the transition to extended walking away from car campgrounds.

The Handbook is divided into 11 chapters and 5-part Appendix with a good Index. Lots of illustrations, photographs, helpful sidebars and checklists. There are a wealth of ideas for keeping families and children busy, yet satisfied.

It is recommended that you keep a clean camp and store food in your vehicle - a major no no when it comes to bears. There is no mention of bear-proof canisters. Increasingly bears break into vehicles because they reconize ice chests are usually filled with food and are attracted to anything that has a scent (soap, toothpaste, food, insect repellent). There is no thought of recycling or taking home your refuse (and that of others) to recycle to reduce the burden on campgrounds and wildlands. They talk about staking a tent, when even the largest monster tents are now free-standing and self-supporting/

A strong thread of wisdom and experience runs throughout. After the Introduction, Ch. 2, "Getting Ready" covers tarps, tents, sleeping pads, and sleeping bags but omits discussion of sleeping bag liners for keeping clean and warm. Good overview of stoves, cookware, coolers and utensils but omits discussion of water filters for camp or day hikes. Good overview of layering, clothing, keeping warm and cool, and how to pack and unpack your vehicle. Ch 3 is a very generalized "where to go."

Ch 4 is Camp Setup - campsite selection, tents, kitchen cleanup, hygiene, campground etiquette and breaking camp. Ch 5 is Family Matters - expectations by age, heat, dehydration, sun protection, insects, safety, kids and food, elderly and dogs. Ch 6 is Campfires - but lacks any discussion about not having a campfire where it is not appropriate, impact of charcoal and ash buildup, wood smoke; and not using a campfire as a television substitute - thereby precluding campers from getting to know the night sky and sounds.

Ch 7 does a good job with Mealtime in Camp, but ignores the good work of others such a Latimer (1991) Wilderness Cuisine - how to prepare and enjoy fine food on the trail and in camp, and Prater and Mendenhall (1982) Gorp, Glop & Glue Stew - favorite foods from 165 outdoor experts. The authors make reference to charcoal briquettes. These are bad! A by-product of oil refinery cracking towers, they leave a residue that is hard to clean up and hard to properly deal with when finished and it contributes to poor air quality.

Ch 8 is First Aid is good, however, it makes reference to poison ivy "leaves of three, let it be." The phrase and botanical description of poison ivy and oak is "leaflets of three, . . ." - three parts of one leaf. Ch 9 Camp Activities includes hiking, bicycling, basic canoeing and PFDs, fishing and wildlife viewing.

Ch 10, On Your Own, is car camping where there are no campgrounds. There is no discussion about minimizing your impact. Discussion of water filters refers to "micron" (no such measuring unit), instead of "micrometers" (millionths of a meter). It is discussed that toilet paper does not easily decompose, but there is no mention of taking your toilet paper and other hygiene items home for recycling or proper refuse discarding. Ch 11 covers Coming Home, cleaning up and getting ready for the next trip.

Appendix A, Leave No Trace, makes no mention of carrying out all refuse to take home and recycle. It again makes reference to camp fires with no concept of not having a fire and enjoying the dark night sky. Appendix B, Best of the Best Campgrounds is very brief and generalized - state-by-state, with a few recommendations. Appendix C, Boredome Busters, represents an extremely tiny portion of the techniques of Yosemite Institute instructors. If this book is aimed at families with children, the counter-boredom factor can easily and greatly be improved. Appendix D, is Camping checklist, Appendix E, Resources, is a good introduction, but too generalized. Many outfitters are increasingly family-oriented such as REI and LL Bean.

This is a family-friendly, family-oriented book. However, car camping tends to be high impact camping. The book can be greatly improved by multiple examples of how to minimize your impact while car camping, including proper food storage, carrying out any and all refuse and "restoring" a site to near natural before you leave.

Whether you're camping via car, tent or a combination of both, the latest publication from the Backpacker magazine series TENT AND CAR CAMPER'S HANDBOOK is for you: it uses a visual design with black and white photos and sidebars of information to make it easy to access details, it covers all the basics from equipment to what to pack and it is packed with ideas on how to include the kids in a family camping trip. In fact, families and non-campers are the focus here, making it a delightful recommendation for those who have discovered competing books usually assume a foundation of camping knowledge.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

As an avid camper who enjoys any excuse to get out into the wilderness from the mountains of the Rockies to the Boundary Waters canoe area to the wilds of the Everglades. So, a book on camping needs to come up to a certain level of quality before I can recommend it. Recognizing that wilderness camping is not for everyone the authors of this book not only discuss the needs and techniques of primitive camping but cover the whole gamut up to the more modern camping with landscaped sites, running water and hot showers. They do an excellent job of providing detailed information on tents, sleeping gear, pads, clothing, cooking, and other camp gear. This is a great collection of a lot of the things that experience teaches after the fact but now you can have it to help plan beforehand. It's like having a very experienced guide to walk you through everything you need to know and do in order to have a great camping experience. Where do you go, what questions do you ask, what you should expect at National forests, state parks, or private campgrounds. There is a great section on setting up camp from pitching the tent, setting up your bedding, setting up your cooking area, hygiene issues, and dealing with animal visitors. There are even sections on camping with kids, various easy camp recipes, basic first aid, and suggested activities.

The book concludes with several excellent appendixes including one that covers the ultimate standard in primitive camping - leave no trace philosophy. Additional appendixes include a list of the top 100 campgrounds around the U.S., activities to deal with boredom and children, and a camping checklist. Backpacker: Tent and Car Camper's Handbook is an excellent resource and a highly recommended read.

This book is very informative, describing in detail how to do various types of beadwork, primarily loomwork. The color illustrations are beautiful, but the problem is that many of the designs in this book have been used by foreign near-slave-labor workers to produce cheap beadwork that is imported into the United States almost literally by the ton. Therefore a user should be very careful about chosing to use patterns directly from this book without any alterations in color or design.

Good Bead paterns alot of pictures of beadwork from 1800's (5 stars) for the detailed information in this book!

I have read and used this book many, many times. When I was just starting to bead, this book was a wealth of patterns and colors for me. And that was a long time ago. I believe it was written with children in mind, but if you want to see Native American beadwork designs, and the traditional colors that were used, this is the book.

Published during the 1950s, the author's stereotyped attitudes towards native peoples is all to readily apparent, including the names he gives some of the stitches. Some of the pictures are very painful, taken together with the narrative.

This is NOT a lost art here, people, & there are Native artists producing both traditional & contemporary beadwork that easily rivals the work of our grandparents.

There are much better, more contemporary sources available now. This is ok only as a curiosity from an earlier decade.

Back in the glory days before those living in them knew they were glorious, Buck "Buck" Peterson unleashed this heaving monster on blood sport readers. GUIDE TO DEER HUNTING is back in action, tarted up for this next decade with nifty type and a swell new cover. The insides are much what you'd expect from Mr. Peterson, an unabashed pleasure at satirizing people with guns. Chapters on deer, deer hunting, and deer hunters delve deep into the viscera of stalking Bambi's parents. What I want to know is, what happened to nasty comments about the thickness of Polish women's ankles? Is Buck maturing with age?

Buck is one funny guy. Other guidebooks are soooo serious about deerhunting and miss the humor involved with any kind of hunting.
Buck pokes everyone and everything with a deserved sharp stick.
The illustrations by "Sourdough" are hilarious too. Great gift idea.

There are a few jewels in this book, but not many, and you have to wade through way too much nonsense to get to them. I guess if you're out on a long long camping trip with the buddies & you over induldge in adult beverages you might enjoy it, but don't buy this one in hopes of learning anything.

My family has been deerhunting for years and I've listened to many funny stories about their hunts. This book is a funny guidebook and has lots of neat illustrations too. My mom gave the book to my Dad last Christmas and he's laughed out loud a number of times. The book is really fun for those who have hunted for awhile. Buck really knows deerhunting and deerhunters.

"The Dialectics of Seeing" is an absolutely *superb* book -- possibly the best book on philosophy I have ever read. Not yet having read the Harvard U Press edition of the Arcades Project, I don't really have any basis for comparing the two works, but it seems to me that Buck-Morss' astonishing (incandescent) use of self-deconstructive and poetic literary techniques in this tour de force of an "invention" of the Arcades Project entitles it to rank as at least as dazzling and eye-opening (deep assumption-challenging) as anything else Benjamin himself wrote. Sources aren't important; spelling isn't important; pedantry is misleading as a criterion of value. All that matters is that the experience of reading the book be a dialectical one -- and the experience of reading *this* book *is*. An absolutely incomparable work.

The deeper flaws in this synoptic summary are suggested by the profusion of factual errors: even names are misspelled, confirming the author's overreliance on the assertions of secondary literature without more than a superficial understanding of the discursive context in which Benjamin's unfinished magnum opus was prepared. Thus the flood of footnotes, over 100 pages of annotation documenting a disappointing hesitance to form opinions based upon original research. Fortunately, Benjamin's Paris "Arcades Project" will be appearing imminently in English translation; unfortunately all the serious scholarship or reflections on this work only exists in German or French.

I have to agree with the reader from Los Angeles, and the review of November 28, 1999. This book is a lot of fun! Yes, a peculiar judgement, I know.

I'm not usually a reader of literary scholarship and excavation. (Hey, I'm in the Army and very busy and I don't have much time to read). But there is something about this book which is fascinating and very intriguing.

Now that "The Arcades Project," Harvard Belknap Press: 1999, has just been published I have been trying to resist buying this rather expensive work. But I must say that because of this book I'm "reviewing" here by Susan Buck-Morss , I'm going to have to succumb and buy it soon.

Ok, this is not a fancy or insightful examination of the "why's" and "wherefore's" on my part. But I encourage any and all readers to trust their guts on this...what at first seem opaque and in-accessible, gradually unveils something crucial about Benjamin's project for ourselves and our cultural, our History.

I'm thinking now of what it would be like to find out that we have been missing something all along. I mean our Western Culture and its great wonders. Perhaps missing something crucial about ourselves.

Maybe this is one way to think of it, reader: and ask yourself this question perhaps. What if what has been shown to us as our history or culture, something we both admire and love, but are at times horrified by could be like a movie that holds us in its grip.

But imagine this movie has been worked on over many years, and various editors and directors have changed hands in the creation of the final, definitive print which will be shown to the rest of us.

Now, imagine that each director, based on his/her own sense of things, decided what part of the original film he might keep and which parts he'd destroy.

But some of the editors hated to let all the spliced out frames be destroyed. And put some of them away in a drawer let's say.

Its kind of like Benjamin was searching the arcades, the hidden passage-ways between buildings and looking in the drawers for the missing frames and was then trying to figure out where to splice the frames back into the original.

Now, would the reconstructed film of ourselves, our History and Culture make sense to us? If the original sequence is still inexplicable to us,or long forgotten, then what else is too late for us...amidst this century's human rubble? Maybe this is one thing to value about Susan Buck-Morss' book. Any reader, knowledgeable or not about this century's intellectual landscape, knows that there is something missing in this story about ourselves. Something more intolerable and heartbreaking than a few missing frames from a 2 hour movie. There has been a terrible human cost. We know that not all of the story has been shown. It will be terrible to forget that we have forgotten. Thus, Benjamin was trying to un-cover something we have all lost. This seems astounding in some way.

Buck-Morss is very likely the most insightful and best informed scholar writing on Benjamin (or Adorno) in English today. If there are typos, misspellings, etc., they are more a sign of the declining standards in editing, even at university presses, than any reflection on Buck-Morss' scholarship. She knows the primary and secondary literature and has clearly spent much time with Benjamin's papers and in various archives. Morevoer, having written the best book I know on the philosophical relationship between Adorno and Benjamin, she is clearly well placed to provide insightful analysis the latter's unfinished masterwork. Since the Passagen-Werk is recently available in English ("The Arcades Project," Harvard Belknap Press: 1999), one can judge for oneself the worth of Buck-Morss' reading.

I have not read the entire book, only parts as I sit in other doctors offices that are hawking this book for a "local" writer. Finding faith is one thing, but this person has, imho, become dangerous as he expands his personal faith into deciding (in his local articles) that faith not actual medical evaluations are the answer.

This book is the most beautiful thing I have ever read. The stories are touching and sometimes funny, and it shows that contrary to the image portrayed by actors on TV, real doctors live surprisingly ordinary lives. I've read Dr. Litrel's articles in the local paper for years, and I'm glad that this book is available so that more people than just those of us who live in Metro Atlanta can read it and be inspired by the beautiful stories.

Dr.Litrel is my doctor, and I have never met a kinder person. His writing reflects his personality, sweet, caring, funny, and with a good Christian soul.

This is easily my favorite book, and I encourage everyone to read it.

Litrel was a starry-eyed intern and resident in a gritty, inner-city hospital when he began to encounter the harsh facts of urban life-drugs, violence, unwanted pregnancies, hopelessness, and an exhausted and weary staff of doctors and nurses. Rather than become weary and jaded himself, Dr. Litrel paid attention to the little miracles that were happening around him, and began to write them up as essays which are collected in this book. I defy anyone to read them without occasionally laughing and sobbing out loud-not from grief but from joy and amazement at the human spirit and the power of faith to pull people through impossible situations. There is no sugar-coating on these stories, which include a raped drug addict who becomes a beaming, healthy mother, and a shackled prisoner who is caught in the act of human kindness. Throughout, Litrel presents himself as a flawed and initially disbelieving participant in these episodes, one who occasionally gets cranky and even careless. He uses self-deprecating humor in an artful way, as a counter-weight to the desperation around him, and always brings each story home to his core theme, that the best medicine is human caring and faith in God.

I have been reading Dr. Litrel's monthly columns in local magazines for years and am so glad to have them all in one place now. In this book he gives so many different viewpoints: husband, father, inexperienced intern, very experienced OB-GYN, co-worker, friend, brother, son. Every story gives insights into his feelings and experiences in each of these roles, and the people he interacts with.

Dr. Litrel is my own personal physician and has seen me through 6 pregnancies. He has cried with me, laughed with me, prayed with me, been exasperated with me and through it all has provided me with top notch medical care. I don't know how he juggles all his different roles, runs a busy practice and still has time to write, but I am glad he does, because he has touched many lives and his stories will touch your heart.