Burke Books

In my opinion this is a must read for anyone even remotely interested in the future of our country! The diagrams clearly explain the subject matter as well as make it easier to remember. Despite the seriousness and amount of information in "We the People: A Call to Take Back America", the book is a breeze to read so you'll have time to finish it before election day! We the People opened my eyes beyond just the candidates. I understand now the safety measures our founding fathers wrote into the Constitution, and how far America has strayed from why the Constitution was written in the first place - to protect us, the people.

Thom Hartman uses a serious comic-book style to show the danger of giving up our freedoms, mega-corporate power, and having a corporate-controlled liar like G.W. Bush as President. Hartman shows a keen understanding of danerous historical trends, particularly the Alien-and-Sedition acts of the late 1790's, and the harmful stranglehold of railroads in the late 1800's. Now we have large corporations counting our votes on non-verifiable electronic machines - can you imagine a more evil scenario? Not that the author is 100 percent. His anti-NAFTA view seems foolish, and he lays off the egotistical jerk (Ralph Nader) that put Bush in office - no matter how much Nader denies it. Still, the rest of this book makes perfect sense and is surprisingly educational.

I enjoyed reading Thom Hartmann's WE THE PEOPLE: A CALL TO TAKE BACK AMERICA. The comic book style made reading interesting and fun, as Hartmann takes the reader through a brief history of the USA and exposes how our government is being hijacked by big corporations.

Neo-Conservatives might find the book leaning too far to the left, but I think Hartmann takes a centrist stand. He does a good job explaining "corporate personhood," a corporation that claims to be a person therefore entitled to legal protections like a real person, and how corporations have slowly started taking more and more control over our government.

One thing I wish he did would've been to describe certain events like the "Alien and Sedition Acts," which comes up in the book. But Hartmann does provide website addresses to find out more info.

Even though the book was written in 2004 it's still very relevant to what is going on today. The illustrations by Neil Cohn are fun too.

Although this book is in cartoon form, and is perhaps written for young people, it very clearly lays out how our government works, step-by-step, and includes elaboration of significant developments and flaws. In spite of the simplistic and light format, it contains a substantive overview of American government, and it is worth the price of the book and the time. Get several copies and give them to your friends, and your friend's children. There is no excuse for ignorance when Thom Hartmann makes learning this easy and fun. It is by no means a place to end, but it can be a good place to start.

This is a simplified version of Thom's political and historical insight. It's done in cartoon style making it entertaining and a valuable learning aid for children or even adults who can gain knowledge about our nations democracy.

This book is truly an excellent resource for secondary English teachers. It's replete with great teaching strategies you can easily implement in your classroom. Great lesson ideas as well! I have been teaching for 9 years, and found the book refreshing. It's not that expensive, so what do you have to lose? Try it out!

This is the perfect book for anyone going to school to teach English or already teaching. I wish I had discovered this before I started. It has valuable information in it.

This book was recommended to me by many people--professors in my master's degree program and English teachers. I borrowed a copy and I knew right away I had to have my own. This book has it all--sound theory and excellent examples of practical techniques in action. It even discusses how to get a job. The portions on class room instruction were especially interesting to me because I see discussion as the most important thing that happens in an English class. This book is The Book to get if you're going to teach English (especially high school English). I have enjoyed all of Burke's books and I hope there are more to come.

This is a really good book with lots of great information and good ideas for teachers both new and experienced. However, you'll have to get by his "look at me" pompousness and the many errors. It looks like Mr. Burke decided to edit the book himself, as he's so good at what he does. While I'm sure he is a really great teacher, all writers need a really great editor. The deficiencies can be overlooked because of the variety of quality information. Putting his picture on both the front and back of the book was a bit overdone, though...

Full of Jim Burke's years of experience and his insightful ideas. The writing is very personal, entertaining, and truthful.

I could not put the book down. What a great writer. I don't fish for the Big bass but I really enjoyed reading about the men that do. A great read. I would recommend this book to any avid or even weekend bass fisherman (woman)!!!

I saw this book on the "Bargain" table at my local bookstore and, after reading the inside flap, decided to give it a read for the $5 cost. The book centers on the chase to break the 75-year-old largemouth bass world record and I had no idea that such a wonderful read awaited me!

Starting with the story of Bob Crupi, a black-or-white-with-no-shades-of-gray policeman who pretty much sacrificed his entire non-working life to chase the record, and ending with the story of Samuel Yera, the easy-going husband and father living in Havana who puts his family before fishing, Monte Burke weaves the tales of the "big players" in the chase for the record in a way that makes the book surprisingly easy to read.

Between Crupi and Yera, we meet the Long-Kerr duo, a pair of the most accomplished largemouth fishermen out there who work together to fight for the record. We also meet the trio of Jed, Mac, and Buddha who are a bit Johnny-Come-Lately and chase the record for the money. The details of the two groups' rivalry will make any casual fisherman or non-fisherman scratch their head in amazement.

And what would the book be without meeting the top lure makers who are helping make it all happen from the "other" side of the pole? Burke introduces us to Jerry Rago and Mickey Ellis. How the state-funded group in Texas, led by fisheries biologist David Campbell and director Allen Forshage, that is trying to grow the record bass in a fishery? Even better, how about Porter Hall, who has seemingly given up a wife and child in his pursuit to grow the record bass in lakes of his own?

Finally, Burke gives us a look at the "bassholes" who are doing their best to swindle their way into the record books. His look at some of the more notorious examples of "bassholes" is simultaneously hilarious and mind-blowing.

Over and over again, Burke finds a way to keep the reader interested in this colorful cast of characters, while interweaving the feel-good story of the current record holder, George Perry. But, and maybe more importantly, Burke manages to keep all the characters straight in the reader's mind by not complicating their relationships. He keeps it all simple, as it should be, and gives such a telling description of each that when you finally look at the pictures in the middle of the book, you feel like you've already viewed them.

This really is an "anybody" kind of book, but those who have had some fishing experience will truly get the most out of it. Those who have never fished may be scared to touch a rod and reel after reading this book for fear of catching the bug caught by the characters within.

Though the book is written in an easygoing style it contains a lot of fascinating and in-depth information on fishing and the American history of the sport.

Burke is both a capable writer and a fisherman and his intelligence, sense of humor and love of the sport come through in the stories he tells.

Wow and I thought I was an obsessed fisherman. The book is all the more relevant now that one of the anglers mentioned in the novel has garnered recent publicity for his unofficial world record. It covers all the aspects of the hunt for the world record: the guys trying for it, the lure makers, the scientists, and many others. The author even goes to Cuba for a fishing trip and talks to an eccentric angler in the U.S. who's trying to grow his own world record bass. It's an eye-opening read.

Mr. Burke....Excellent. From California, to Cuba, to Georgia, I loved this book. Very well researched, and written. I felt I got to know each character in the book. Being a fisherman myself, I knew the names, but not the stories.....again, BRAVO!!!

James Lee Burke is a master at descriptions be they of surroundings or feelings.

This book is a collection of short stories with a range of situations that people can be faced with and told by a master craftsman in describing how those people felt.

There are no easy answers in these stories and no fanciful scenarios, the stories have a realistic feel of hope combatting hopelessness. The strength of the human spirit is dominant in these stories and Burke is a writer who should be read.

James Lee Burke has us all under the microscope, focusing in our phobias, fears, loves, hates, joys, strengths, weaknesses, intelligence, and self inflicted stupidities- all on the slides of the human condition.
If there is a horse race for truely talented writers then this collection (like his novels)clearly demonstrates that Burke is a front runner.

It takes a slightly different set of skills to write a short story instead of a novel. The former is not just a miniature version of the latter; it has its own structure and style. James Lee Burke is a great novelist, but that does not mean necessarily that his short stories would be equally great. And the truth is, they're not, but they are still pretty good, at least based on the sampling provided in Jesus Out To Sea.

This book is a collection of eleven short stories published between 1992 and 2007. For the most part, the tales take place in the South and involve characters from the wrong side of the tracks. The major exceptions are "Winter Light" and "A Season of Regret", two similar stories about retired, middle class professors dealing with violent people. Most of the other stories are in Dave Robicheaux territory: people struggling to get by in a region filled with poverty, drugs and just plain viciousness.

These are not really crime stories, even though there is plenty of crime within. Instead, they are more slice-of-life stories that are more character than plot driven. Typically, the main characters are being crushed by the circumstances of their lives, usually only finding escape in drugs and alcohol. For example, in Mist, Lisa Guillory first suffers the death of her soldier husband in Iraq and then descends into an increasingly sordid life, one in which she will be forced into chemical addiction and crime.

Over the fifteen year span in which Burke wrote these stories, he also published over a dozen novels, so obviously short stories are not his principal form of writing. The Jesus Out To Sea stories do all have Burke's distinct voice with his powerfully descriptive imagery. What they don't have is quite the depth of his longer works. With the stories averaging just over twenty pages (and none over forty pages), this is a quick, well-written read that should satisfy Burke's fans.

very entertaining. Each story is well written, any of which could have been expanded into a full book.

Some short stories are mini-novels, expandable into something larger, like Boswell's 'portable' or (as we would say) condensed soup. Others are like poems--demarcated slices of life. The stories in Jesus Out to Sea are like the latter, though two of them have actually found their way into Burke's novels, A Stained White Radiance and Burning Angel. The title and cover art suggest that these are post-Katrina stories; several are, but others are set in Houston and Montana and several are set many decades ago. The overarching tone is somber and sad--winter stories of the spirit. One reviewer said that they are cut from Dave Robicheaux's world but without Dave there to bring justice or, at least, resolution. That is a fair description, though there are glimmers of hope. All are beautifully wrought and the collection is highly recommended.

i bought this book based on the reviews for my daughter. they were right on. her work is already improving. she loves this book and is constantly referring to it now. she is excited that it shows body movement, proportions, how to put together a portfolio, the right tools to buy, etc. the price is so reasonable too, especially compared to some of the $50 to $100 books!

I haven't really had a chance to play a lot with this book since I got it a month ago, but so far, I like it. There are very colorful designs, croquis', and many illustrations. It seems like it gives a lot of information in a short amount of time.

This book is a great start for beginners who want to work in the fashion industry or for those who consider fashion designing a hobby and want to improve on their illustration skills, like myself. Burke starts with the basics, like learning how to draw the female figure in different poses and drawing some examples of clothes, but she also touches upon fabric rendering and ideas on how to make a presentation. There's even a section on designing for men, childeren, and costumes. Overall a very informative, clear and consise book to get started and to encourage and inspire amateurs to want to learn more.

I'm wanting to become a fashion designer and i bought this book and i was amazed. it really teaches you how to draw fashion models (and people in general) in all different poses. it shows you so many different poses both with an actual person modeling the pose and then a block figure showing you how to draw it. after the structure is learned, it teaches you in a really easy way how to flesh it out, and then how to draw the clothes and how the clothes are supposed to look at folds and creases. if you like this book, i recommend Draw Fashion Models! by Lee Hammond, a great book that goes in depth into more poses and how you should draw the clothes and how they look when the arms are raised, when you're leaning on one hip, etc.

i really recommend buying this amazing book, it's straightforward and very helpful!

I wore holes in piles of paper trying to work up to the basic points so magnificently outlined in this book! It's like having an art teacher with you (without the snide remarks) to bring your abilities to the top.

If you are planning on studying fashion, or just doing it for fun, you need this book.

Highly recommended!

After the Bible, this is the best book written for the church today. Bar None. If this book (the ideas in it) would be taken seriously, it will change the church in America - maybe save it from being like the church in Europe. I've recommended it to every single pastor I know.
Rev. Karen Walters

This is one of those books that you could read at any pace, but to really nudge out the details of the pages you really have to do alot of reflection. What i really like about the book was it opened up avenues for fresh questions and perspective. I found that by preasenting their concepts of ministry tried with real stories makes the book authentic. I love this. It gave a realistic vibe to it.

Great book. I got the book from the library and have been using it for a college class. The book is very good and has actually casued me to rethink some of my ideas about non-christians. There are excellent stories in the book. It reminds me of how Jesus taught; in parables. I have never written a review here, but this book impressed me quite a bit.

I was interested in this book because my church is launching a daughter church. The insights that Burke has are so dead on. My husband's Bible study decided to go through the book a chapter at a time, using the discussion questions at the end of each one. The questions are good - really make you think about how the church should look in this culture. I work in a non-profit organization. The entire staff bought the book and we've been using it during staff meetings. This book is accessible, but not "dumbed down" at all.

Starting a church based on the principle that people should feel safe to express themselves exactly as they are without any semblance of pretense, Burke wrote No Perfect People Allowed to chronicle how he dealt with the messiness that inevitably follows. The book is at its best when Burke simply relates stories of his interactions with authentic people and talks about how he approached each situation and why, but it stumbles when he starts talking about broader principles and the bigger picture. At the end of the book, Burke laments that the church has historically emphasized pastors as instruments of instruction while neglecting to enlist people with leadership gifts into the role, and one certainly gets the impression that Burke himself is more gifted as a leader than a teacher. His examples of practice are greatly superior to his contextualization of them. For example, while he has a reasonable grasp on interacting with people of the postmodern generation, Burke's short theoretical explanation of postmodernism is atrociously awful and carries the potential to mislead ministry leaders who may not have the academic background to discern how far offbase he is.

I am a perpetual beginner but I have enjoyed the benefits of yoga for years. Most of my yoga books and manuals show postures and sequences but they don't give me enough context to quickly or easily understand which asanas or sequences I should focus on. Since I am have little time...I don't like to work to hard figuring out what to do. This is the first guide that makes it quick and easy to decide what I want to do. It is smartly organized with its anatomical/chakra color-coding, anatomy reference and super easy fan format for scanning postures and stuffing into a briefcase or pocket.

I am keeping my other books for reading, but this is the guide I always take with me for my active practice...

I absolutely love my yoga fan. As a teacher and student, this book is an excellent guide for sequencing and for referencing any pose. I love how the fan is grouped and broken down into seven sections, which offers an easy and flexible sequence to follow. The sections are even color coded to match the postures with the chakras! I never leave home without this book. At any time, I can flip it open for a quick reference. It's also a great companion when traveling - it's small and easy to pack as a guide for my personal practice!

This is a great little tool for teachers as well as students (like me!).
It's well put together and covers a wide range of poses for all levels
in a very handy format!
Love it!

I've found the Yoga Fan to be a great tool for my individual practice. Developing my home practice is an integral part of my yoga practice, however left to my own devices it's easy enough for me to reinvent poses and confuse or lose sequences; having the Yogi Fan is like having a Yogi in my pocket to guide me.
It's organized in a usable way -- pose for pose; and it's wonderful for creating flow sequences. I'm particularly fond of the Yogi's tips -- I always find something useful there.
Great design, excellent construction, perfect packing size for when I'm out of town. Definitely recommend it.

Convenient, concise and informative. The pictures are great and the format makes it easy to follow and learn at one's own pace. For anyone looking for a good introduction to yoga, I highly recommend this portable and invigorating book.

This book is very helpful in figuring out when to buy organic, non-organic and/or local.

The author seems to have done her research! I recommend this book. It has a shopping guide at the end, which helps to see which things you should buy organic, which things don't matter as much, and why. It helps seeing that buying organic can be pricier than regular items.

I bought this book because I was trying to learn more about organics. This was very informative. It was written by a mother, so it was very helpful in my search about the benefits of organic eating for my children. It was easy to read and packed with great tips and useful information.

This is an awesome book and answered just what I wanted answered. I was wanting to buy organic not just for my health, but also for the environment. But I know organic doesn't always equal environmentally friendly. And when do I buy local? If local foods aren't organic, should I get imported organic? This book talks about the environmental as well as health interplay in a really easy to read way. Its a quick read and has a very useful shopper's guide in the back. By far the best "organic buying" guide I've seen so far. Love it!

Because I haven't been able to grow a garden of late, I'm forced to shop for most of my groceries. What I wanted to know is what I should buy or not buy. The author answers this perfectly and efficiently with a list in the latter part of the book, stating the produce in question, buy organic or not, and the reasons why.

What surprised me was that she also talks about how FAR food frequently travels and the carbon cost as a result. Is it worth buying organic if it's traveled across the ocean? While I understood this before, her book has made scrutinize this aspect of my food purchases even harder than before.

The book was an easy read but I admit to glossing over some of the talk about why you should eat organic or buy locally. What I wanted was precise information to help make my shopping more effective. I got exactly that.

This book has some really great info that you can't find other places. A real must for anyone dx with or close to someone dx with "iron overload".

This book was recommended by a friend when my 26 year old son was diagnosed with hemachromatosis, before I even knew my husband and I are both carriers. I ended up getting two of my sons (2 of my 3 have hemachromatosis)a copy. It relieved a lot of fears and answered a lot of questions, questions that my family doctor didn't know the answer to. It also gave us direction as to what to do and what to expect. Very easy to read, very easy to understand.

This book should be much easier to find.The information is badly needed.If it were more accessable more people would see the symtoms and perhaps get better diagnosis. All doctors need this in their offices. My gastrointerologist said he'd have to do some research on this!!! He's suppose to be the "specialist"!This has helped me understand that with proper diagnosis and treatment this disease need not be a serious problem. Well written. A must read. Many thanks to Dr. Phatak for writing this.

Finally, there is definitive information out there, instead of just people passing word of mouth warnings. This books is worth gold for people of Celtic ancestry. I was diagnosed with HHC, laughingly called the Celtic Curse because it can strike people of Scottish and Irish ancestry, there was not a lot of information out there about it. One in four people can carry the gene that causes the body to store too much iron in the deep muscle tissue, kidneys, liver and heart. It can be fatal if not caught. This book helps those find a way to live with this problem.

When I learnt I suffered from this, I had not heard of it, no one I knew had it. However, within in the last five years, many people I know are aware of a friend or family member that now has it. It often mimics many other health problems, so it's good to get early treatment and have books such as this one that help you manage your lifestyle.

This book addresses all the issues and give people a sound understanding of the problem, how to face it and how to live with it.

At long last, a single source of invaluable information about diagnosis and treatment of Hemochromatosis along with many personal trials and tribulations of those who have experienced the frustrations of obtaining an appropriate diagnosis. "The Iron Disorders Institute's Guide to Hemochromatosis" is a tremendously welcome resource. I was so impressed I purchased 7 additional copies for my 5 adult children and 2 of the RNs who conduct my frequent phlebotomies.

I'm also relieved that newly diagnosed "Rusties" do not have to go through the agony of research as I did back in 1979 when I was diagnosed as a result of my younger sister's autopsy results. There was scant information available in the medical journals of the period. I recall one occasion spending more than 4 hours in a medical library only to locate a single 2 year old article about Hemochromatosis, which was replete with statements that have since been proved mythical. No one will have to endure that again with the advent of IDI's "Guide".

The "Web" has certainly provided considerably more accessibility to Hemochromatosis information, yet much of what is available still has to be validated. The "Guide to Hemochromatosis" overcomes this problem by providing in a single-source forthright testimony, easy-to-understand charts and time-tested data contributed by highly recognized scientists in their fields.

The "Guide" can reduce, even eliminate, the frustration often experienced when trying to convince a family member of how crucial it is for having the appropriate blood tests conducted to determine stored iron levels. The feedback I've received from those whom I have given this book to has been overwhelmingly positive. There is little doubt as to the value of this book in one's arsenal for educating loved ones about the insidiousness of excess iron and the damage iron can do to the human body.

I found that one can simply read individual chapters in no particular order and assimilate a plethora of knowledge without being bogged down in technical jargon. This book relates well on a very personal level. I can not emphasize enough the value of this book. It commands a highly visible location in my reading library, replacing the "Reader's Digest".

I also highly recommend this book as being very germane to every individual, worldwide, who has Irish, Scottish, or English ancestry.

This is an excellent vegetarian cookbook. It includes great recipes for dairy substitutes, beef substitute, chicken substitute, etc.

However, many of the recipes (especially the substitutes) call for gluten and/or yeast -- two ingredients that we cannot have due to health issues.

Just wanted to let that be known to others who cannot use those ingredients.

Still, lots of great vegan recipes.

Edited to add: For those to whom it might matter, this monastery is not in communion with the Orthodox Church. It is a "Gnostic Orthodox" monastery.

This book is simply heavenly! lol Seriously! It's absolutely amazing. The book is filled with vegan recipes, has faux meat recipes, "nice cream" recipes, even has a dog/cat food recipe that's vegan! Some of the recipes aren't very specific.. Like there was one for a Thai dish that didn't specify which vegetables to use, but I guess the author wanted to allow some flexibility & imagination. Overall, I love this book. I've purchased 2 of them from amazon. I gave one of them to my rabbi & he & his wife use it all the time. The recipes have helped with their blood pressure & diabetes & stuff. It's got a wonderful variety of recipes, with 1400+ to choose from. You've got Cajun foods, Asian foods, Southern style foods, desserts, faux meats, soups, salads, breads, various recipes for vegan 'eggs', and like I mentioned before, even a recipe for pet food! Even if you had to pay 70+ dollars for the book, I'd recommend buying it.

Just keep an eye out for it on Amazon. I bought my second copy from here for like 25.00. :)

I cannot say enough good things about this cookbook. I bought it ten years ago after deciding to prepare more vegetarian meals for my family. We loved almost every recipe I tried, especially Shepherd's Pie, Unbeef Gravy, Unchicken Pot Pie, Swiss Unsteak, Oat Burgers, and Indonesian-Style Tofu. When my grandson was born three years ago with allergies to eggs and dairy products, this cookbook became a life-saver. It is difficult to get enough protein in the diet of a small child without using milk and eggs, but not with this cookbook. With these recipes you can make the dishes all children love, like Cheez Pizza and Macaroni and Yeast Cheez Casserole. I adapted Abbot Burke's recipe for Anadama Bread into a high-protein bread my family loves. You can find the recipe for "Jack's Bread" at [...]. Finally, here is something I have wanted to say for ten years: "Thank you, Abbot Burke and the Holy Protection Orthodox Monastery, for providing us with healthful, tasty, satisfying, and earth-friendly recipes. We love you."

This book is the end all of it all. It has made my life incredibly richer and easier in terms of my vegan diet. The recipes are straightforward and the sections on gluten and dairy substitutes are unparalleled. The recipes themselves are very very good, though they are not as 'exotic' or 'haute-cuisine' as some out there will like. However, this book is THE book for the main stuff you need to do on a day by day basis. Even when using other books that I have in my cuisine library, I ALWAYS use this one.

The point being that this book is the key for preparing the basic stuff that you will use in all recipes (including recipes from other books). This book gives you the building blocks of everything else. Usually books present -say- a specific dressing cause they are recommending it for a salad that they are also giving to you. This book doesn't work like that. It is the pure building blocks. And so even when I am cooking Indian or Thai food, I come back to this book constantly.

...breads...glutens (3 methods of preparation and flavors include ham, sausage, chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, among others)...un-cheese...dressings, unmilk, kreem cheese, yogurt, sauces, etc. it is all here. There is even a very good parmesan chiz recipe. It has A LOT of recipes PLUS potential variations in many of them.

The section on beans and grains is very good as well.

This book is well-researched, the author is extremely knowledgeable AND experienced, and it shows a LOT. He offers alternatives constantly and sometimes even gives you two or three ways of preparing -say- a parmesan cheez.

This is the only book I take when traveling abroad or on vacation trips. I carry it with me on the NYC subway everyday and read from it. I've been doing this for almost a year now. Everything is here, everything is easy to do, and everything is superb.

The main idea is...Given than vegan food is better for you than animal-based food, it should also taste better. Here is how.

This book should be reprinted over and over, my second favorite book...Veganomicon...is on a distant, very distant second place. Sorry Chandra and Terry!!

This is a great book, and if it were on sale for a normal price, I would buy it. It does rely on wheat gluten in a LOT of recipes, and since half of my family cannot eat wheat, that means it won't be tops on my list. However, there are a lot of other great recipes, just not 30.00 or whatever dollars worth. Amazon needs to reprint it.