Burns Books

This book has 75 tunes, arranged in Jethro Burns' special style, a jazzy and upbeat bluegrass. Not only does the CD play about 35 of the tunes, but there is always an interesting commentary/dialog between Jethro and Ken explaining the nuances of the tune, some special technique, or just a bit about themselves. They also demonstrate techniques, licks, chord exercises, and all sorts of interesting tricks, for example "Split-String Technique", "Flying Fingers Exercise", "Around the Horn Exercise", "Special Pull-String Technique". The book has 233 pages, but the CD and dialogue end on page 87. Listening to the CD is a must because there are so many nuances in the style that cannot be described by writing. For example, Jethro does a triplet grace note pull-off, and also adds a swing to most songs, with jazzy pickup strums on longer notes. I wish the CD could have covered more of the book, but I suspect it was limited to the original cassette tape length that was included in the first editions. In any case, the 75 tunes and 46 exercises can last you a lifetime.

Some hope for the pinkie challenged is that Jethro believes that you only need to use 3 finger chords, which leaves the pinkie free to do some special trick or just rest. He said he got some flack for it, but then it doesn't bother him. And listening to his music, you would not miss them. He does teach 4 finger standard chords in the advanced section of the book. But the chord charts at the end are all 3 finger, and you can pretty much cover the repretoire with those. It steps you from easier beginner/intermediate tunes and techniques to high positions, 4 note chord progressions, and all of the jazzy blues rhythm that you can handle.

There is so much packed in this book that you'll be using it for a very long time. The photos of Jethro, Homer, Ken and funny comics interspersed throughout the book add to its charm. I love it!

I should have looked more closely. Great book but now I have to order the CDs from somewhere else. Don't let it happen to you.

Great content, but if you are slightly vision impaired as I am you may find the TTT (Teensy Tiny Tablature) very hard to read.

For the uninformed Jethro Burns was half of the country comedy team Homer & Jethro. More importantly he was the most inovative mandolin player of our times.

It is often difficult to write a critical reveiw of a biography of a man that you deeply admire. However, I must be honest in my assessment of this book. It is informative and paints an excellent picture of Father Damian. The misfortune is that John Farrow needed an editor to edit his work before it was published.

Farrow spends far too much time describing the scenary of Hawaii, which takes away from the story of Father Damian. In a book that was over 220 pages, it seemed that less than 80% was directly related to Father Damian. The author also wastes time exploring alleged "unclean acts" by Father Damian. To quote page 220, "... if the story were a thousand times true, can't you see you are a million times lower for daring to repeat it." This reflect my feeling on this discussion. If even the author does not believe it, why include it in the book?

I only became aware of the story of Father Damian by chance within the last year and have taken great interest in it. Farrow's biography puts in perspective a life which had chosen to be martyred for the suffering lepers. Not only did he choose to be with the lepers, but he built their secluded island to a more respectable state and lobbied politicians to better the way of life for them.

As the author worked in Hollywood, it amazes me that such a story could not inspire a movie. This is certainly a touching and important tale for a wider audience to know, without a focus on the scenary.

I have read this book five times and I fully expect to do so once again. It is the true story of a Priest from Belgium who, in the late 1800`s, cheerfully accepted, even demanded an assignment which would cause people of lesser intestinal fortitude to run away: Molokai, a leper colony in Hawaii. His description of the sorry state of the people is enough to make one ill. Yet, through his own unconditional love for his fellow man, took it upon himself, to feed them, cleanse their disgusting wounds, bury the dead with his own hands, cousel them, hear their confessions and prepare them to meet their maker after death. It is a moving tale of a man who totally abandoned himself in favour of his God and his bretheren. This healthy, athletic man knew that by associating with these human outcasts, he would likely fall victim to this dreaded disease and, in fact he did. It would be extremely difficult to imagine any person giving more of himself for the benefit of others. By anyone`s definition, Damien DeVeuster, `Damien The Leper` was a true saint. His story should be required reading for all because it would be sinful to allow the lessons to fade into obscurity. Bless his lily-white soul.

This book tells the story/history of Father Damien of Molokai, a most remarkable man whose indefatigable work in a notorious Hawaiian leper colony gave him the international status of the Mother Theresa of his time. It is well-written, lively, and most readable; but it is also terribly romanticized, Damien IS saintly. Perhaps he was. Readers should take minor note that the main text was published originally in 1937 (according to an older edition of this book that I own).

I have always considered Father Damien one of my heroes. This book details him as a flawed human being but a crusader for his fellow lepers. The Holy Father has bestowed on Father Damien the title of Blessed and will be made a Saint when miracles occur in his name. He was the miracle for his people and for us all. Candace Serviss

First off, this is NOT a novel. It ia a series of vignettes or "Promenades" as the author styles them, related only by the fact that they occur in Allied-occupied Naples during WWII. Most of the vignettes involve alter egos of Burns himself. From the onset of the first vignette, where the GI has the shakes so bad that he drops the first three glasses of vermouth before he can manage to gulp the fourth down and start to control his tremulousness, there is no mistaking the fact that Burns himself is the basis for most of the main characters.

No problem with this. Autobiographical fiction can be wonderful stuff. But this book just doesn't cut it, because the vignettes are so blasted BORING. Prime example,"The Leaf", where the reader plods on through over 50 pages and nothing happens save for the recounting of the petty tribulations of the mail censorship office. The one exception is a story where something tragic does occcur between two American clergy, one a Baptist one a Catholic. If all the stories were as psychologically acute as this one and as masterfully told, I would be giving this book 5 blazing stars. But they're not.

Essentially, Burns mines the old Henry James theme of Americans losing their sense of exceptionalism in Europe. I kept being reminded of James's The Ambassadors in slapdash form.

I think the only type of person who can probably fully appreciate this book are those, like William Zinsser, who wrote the intro to my copy of the book, who were there at the same place, same time and for whom it is "their" WWII.

Otherwise, it makes for crashing dull reading.

The definitive appraisal of Horne Burns must be that written by the magnificent and irreplaceable Brigid Brophy, herself taken from this life (in her case by MS) long before her time - the Recording Angel sometimes makes some strange decisions about mortality. Brophy's essay on Horne Burns is available in the volume "Reads", most recently re-published as a (UK) parperback in 1989. Brophy's volume also will remind you of the greatness of Jean Genet and Ronald Firbank, in whose company Horne Burns emphatically belongs. "The Gallery" is brilliant. As Brophy puts it, " The ultimate irony at the end of all the perspectives of Horne Burns's imaginative world is a kind of bisexuality not between homo- and hetero-sexuality but between sexuality at large and death". It cannot be emphasized too strongly - Horne Burns is essential reading...

The Galleria Umberto is an arcade of shops and cafés at the center of Naples, Italy. In 1944, after the Allies had taken control of the country, everyone managed to make his or her way to this galleria: the Neapolitans to watch and to take advantage of the Americans; the Americans to get drunk, to find a trick or to think.

In "The Gallery," the narrator takes us on a tour of the galleria, showing us the sights, sounds and people who frequent the area. Each of the 9 stories gives the reader a glimpse in to the social and sexual practices of the American GI in 1944: from a censorship office run by an egomaniac to an Italian girl finding love in an America officer's club to a gay bar. These portraits are linked by the narrator's own experiences from Casablanca to Naples and his realization of what love and the war mean to him.

This novel might be considered semi-autobiographical as John Horne Burns served during World War II and undoubtedly drew inspiration from his surroudings. For example, the portrait titled "The Leaf" takes place in a censorship office; Burns also served in a censorship office while in Italy. It is a wonderful book to read. My only gripe is that many of the characters speak Italian or French, and what they say is not translated. Perhaps this works to show what it may have been like for the American soldiers, most of whom went to Italy and the rest of Europe not knowing the languages. I would like to have known what was being said, though. (This last part may only reflect the copy I was reading. There may be translations in other copies.)

Burn's "The Gallery" was highly acclaimed when it appeared in 1946; reviewers thought they had found a superb new talent and "war novelist" to praise. "The Gallery" is set amidst ravaged, end-of-the-war Naples, and involves an average American Joe from North America coming into contact for the first time with the softer, older southern culture of the Mediterranean, and the influence it has on him. The action centers around the Gallery Umberto I in downtown Naples, a great,, glass-topped Victorian arcade where in the various run-down bars and darkened trattorias everything is for sale, from cigarettes to liquor and women. Though the setting is squalid, the transformation worked upon the main character by his location and his relationship with a local woman forced to sell her body because of the collapsed economy is both absorbing and moving. This book is much more than a "war novel," it is a great piece of lyrical literature well-worth searching out. If you like Joseph Heller's "Catch-22" or Gore Vidal's World War II novel, "Williwaw," or Kurt Vonnegutt's "Farehneheit 451," try "The Gallery," it is more lyrical (something in the style of Tennessee Williams) than any of those (good as they are).

Unfortunately Burns' next book, "Lucifer with a Book," was one of the most talked about novels of 1947 - because it dealt with the naughty goings-on at an all boys' prep school - not something America could handle in 1947. Burns was savagely attacked by the same critics who had praised him as a war novelist. Burns left for Europe and quickly drank himself to death, never taking his place along the Mailers, Vidals, Bellows and Capotes of his generation as he deserved. The detached, independant reader will find "The Gallery" a wonderful, surprise read.

This book is the first true crime I've read in ages that took a different approach to story-telling. It's unusual, told almost colloquially as if someone were verbally recounting it. I noticed the repetition that someone else in a review below complained about, and I was intially taken aback by it, but now I believe it was purposeful and effective, adding to the impression that someone's telling the story to you. If a person recounts a long complicated story, it's inevitable that portions will be repeated - that's the impression I got.

I love the way it familiarizes the reader in detail with the lives of others in the Wests' orbit - it makes the whole story three dimensional, and thus far more moving.

Though I found this book full of facts and a great look into their lives, the Author is very repetitive in his writing. He repeats himself to the point of annoyance. There are paragraphs that are rewritten two to three times in a few chapters. If you can get past this, check it out. If it irritates you like it does me, find another title about them!

This is one of the most grotesquely fascinating books I have ever read in my life. It is about a grotesque man, Fred West and his equally grotesque wife Rosemary West, two serial killers born and bred in the UK.

Fred and Rosemary West will long be remembered for their systematic abuse (and murder) of their own children (and others) and how, for many years they evaded being discovered because of the indifferent society they lived in.

Gordon Burn takes his readers into a modern day Heart of Darkness in which there is no happy ending, only survivors who will never be the same again.

This is not an easy book to read, it starts in a peculiar way, far removed from the West family themselves, in a way it is quite detached from Fred and Rosemary, and I think the author did this on purpose.

Instead the book looks at the lives of people who at first seem to have nothing to do with the storyline, but then the threads are carefully drawn in, showing the connections to Fred and Rosemary West and how evil can spread its tentacles in and too the most unlikely of places.

This is a horror story that turns your stomach because it is a true horror story, of how a man and a woman could get away with cold blooded and totally calculated murder for years.

This book is not for the faint hearted or squeamish; it is brutal, and explicit in its search for truth and understanding. It is well written, savagely analytical and totally mesmerising from beginning to end. It is a book that I can recommend but only if you have the stomach to read it.

If you are at all interested in the appalling crimes of Fred and Rosemary West, this is a must have for your library. Books about Fred and Rose are rare (I have only counted 6 titles). Others include: "Fred and Rose", "She Must Have Known", "The Corpse Garden", and "Out of the Shadows". "Happy Like Murderers" gives a rich look into the lives of these sick individuals.

A thoroughly engaging and briskly written portrait of the world's greatest comedian by the man who was his producer, business manager, and close friend for 28 years. It's chock full of humorous anecdotes about Jack's many famous friends. It also details the stories behind some of his most famous sketches and how they were written. In short, a must for any Benny fan!

great read for entertainment value, but the author goes all over the place and it's hard to keep track of his thoughts... also many of his dates and other factual info were off. full of great ancidotes, but for Jack Benny/radio age term paper reserch (as it was used), it wasn't very helpful. a good read for someone who's read everything elese... a much better, excellent book is 'sunday nights at seven' by jack and joan benny, instead.

Jack Benny, An Intimate Biography, was a well written book. The author, Irving A. Fein, did an excellent job of portraying Benny's life and expressing his unique sense of humor. The biography was enjoyable to read and was very entertaining. I would reccomend this book for anyone who wants to learn about one of the greatest comedians of all time and of his hysterical jokes which he played on his fellow actors.

this book, which was issued in 1976, is still a wonderful look at the beloved comedian Jack Benny who entertained generations of comedy fans from radio in the '30s to TV from the '50s through the early '70s...and he's still entertaining us by way of repeats of his TV programs or through countless cassette and CD releases of his radio programs thanks to Old-Time radio dealers. The book was written by Irving Fein, Jack's manager. The thing you'll learn is that Jack was "real". He went through all the things that any one of us face: anger, happiness, insecurity, longing for friendship, etc. after reading parts of the book, i was surprised that Jack, in real life, was prone to bouts of lonliness. he felt awful or useless if someone wasn't around him {according to the author, who sort of resembles Jack himself; Fein's picture is on the back flap}. i also learned that Jack was "married" to show business {in truth, what successful entertainer isn't?}. The book turns sad near the last chapters recalling Jack's pancreatic cancer and how everyone around him assumed Jack's stomach pains were coming from anxiety (Jack was nervous about doing "The Sunshine Boys" movie with Walter Matthau because throughout his TV career he used cue cards or in radio, simply read the script literally but this movie required he had to learn his lines). It wasn't until after the doctor out of the blue wanted to examine Jack's pancreas that his cancer was discovered! a truly sad segment of the book. The book, i think, paints a picture of a comedian who was an optimist to a fault...which means that even though the business around him had changed and the comedy became more and more anti-establishment thanks or no-thanks to the late '60s Vietnam culture revolution, he still carried on and carried himself in his later years like it was the '30s or '40s. such optimism i think keeps an entertainer 'young' in the eyes of fans and peers. If Jack had become an angry "i hate my youthful competition" type in his later years like Milton Berle at times appeared to be; such devotion, respect, and love for Jack wouldn't be as abundant as it's been nearly 30 years AFTER his death {he died in December 1974}. Aside from the book from 1990 that Jack's daughter wrote { "Sunday Nights at Seven" }, this is the best biography of Jack Benny i've seen so far! i also recommend fans of Jack seeking out the book Robert Taylor wrote about Fred Allen in 1989 called "Fred Allen: His Life and Wit". That book and this Jack Benny book from Irving Fein are must-have collections for any classic comedy fan.

This book is exactly what it says - it is written in a kid friendly way, with great examples and how-tos, and interesting information.

This book is perfect for kids and not bad for adults either. It is very clearly written and has outstanding illustrations. The health strategies and tips provided are done in the context of prevention... But things happen, accidents occur, kids get hurt. This book helps you and your children learn/know what to do in these situations. A fun, interesting, read.

I have 2 young children (ages 5 and 9 yrs old) myself and helping them understand what happens to their bodies when they hurt themselves is tough to do. Not to mention what to do when they are injured. Sometimes it is more "scared about the unknown" than anything. This book really helps the child research and learn how their bodies tell them when they are hurt and how to take care of the simpler injuries themselves. Plus,the format of the book draws them into learning about their bodies before an injury occurs. The illustrations are funny and help drive the points home in a kids kind of way. Great book and my daughter is already trying out the different first aid techniques in advance. Teach the child and you have taught the adult forever!

This was a pretty good book - I almost gave it 4 stars. The book has some useful info and the advice is sound (based on other 1st aid books I've read), so I don't think it would be a waste of anyone's money. The stated reading level is 9-12 but I felt it was a little too ambitious for most kids under 12 and too simple for kids over 12. I read this book to my 7 year old and most of it was over her head and had too many "steps". MY 12 year old also read it and she too thought there were too many "steps" in the instructions on what to do in an emergency. The sections in each chapter called "GET HELP!" were confusing to both kids. If you're looking for a Safety/1st Aid book for someone under 12 I would highly recommend "The Safety Book for Active Kids" (also sold by Amazon). If the reader is someone over 12 then a Red Cross First Aid Course and an adult first aid manual might be a better use of your money.

an extremely original story, funny, sick at times, but ultimately enjoyable...its not great, but definitely worth reading

Without a doubt, John Edward Lawson is what Friedrich Nietzsche would have called an "Ubermensch" (overman, or superman) of the written word. Last Burn in Hell is a nonstop romp in a bizarre world of a man who has one of the best, and at the same time, worst jobs possible. His landscape is fresh, his strokes are perfect, and the final product is a wonderfully mastered piece of bizarro fiction that will leave you enthralled. You will be left to crave the works of Lawson.

"John Edward Lawson plays a persona of a chemical=anthropoid's death." - Kenji Siratori, author Blood Electric

4.5/5 Stars

Perhaps the greatest layer of Last Burn is its portrayal of modern pop culture, which is both hilarious and startling in its utterly absurd yet honest nature. And yes, this book does have layers.

To break things down more easily:

Plot: Takes so many twists and turns, yet through it all, Last Burn stays focused.

Characters: Definitely different than those in nearly every book I've read, shows that books of such a style can succeed with characters more often seen...in prison...or on the covers of the latest gossip magazines.

Writing: If only all modern writers had styles as fresh...unfortunately, very few do.

All in all, Last Burn in Hell is a must read for fans of bizarro, horror, science fiction, or even beat writers such as Ginsberg and Kerouac. Strangely, it seems to bring all of these together to form a bizarre adventure that also functions, perhaps even more poignantly, as a social satire.

Biggest Complaint: I'm not a fan of the overall cover design, but that's as negative as I can get about this book.

This was a college text book I used a couple years ago. It was a great resource to learn about various marketing research methodology.

Suffice it to say, it was an assigned text in an upper division college course. Suffice it to say also: I started a market research firm after graduating. The content of the book and lessons set a great foundation for my work.
There are two areas I would like to see improved upon in future versions however:
1) Have closer editing and copy proofing. There were far too may grammatical errors.
2) At times the author(s) used terms or names/labels that weren't already defined or described, so it left me having to stop reading and go back for a precise definition so that I could understand the intent being covered at the point in the text.
Other than that, well worth the read and investment. I still have it on my shelf and refer back to it when needed.

I found the authors put in a lot of extra wording where it really wasn't needed. Really great examples throughout the text though, and a must have for anyone doing marketing research.

I used this book along with a Marketing Research class at Drake University. The text clearly explained the principles of marketing research and provided real-life examples. I highly recommend this book to anyone involved with Marketing.

As an amateur art conoisseur, and art student currently in study, I find this book to be a marvel. The photos of the artwork are fantastic. Nowhere have I been able to find photos and information on many of the permanent collection pieces that are captured in this book. Small captions are descriptive and informative, but the photos are the focus. It's the best one could possibly get without being there.

Okay, not everybody's favorite artwork from the Metropolitan Museum of Art is in here, but they have plenty of other books that cater to more specific tastes. This book includes an excellent sampling of one of the world's best art museums. You get images from artists like David, Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, Vermeer, Eakins, Velasquez, Picasso, Rodin, and more. My personal favorite in the book is "Madame X" by John Singer Sargent.

I picked up this book at the Met's gift shop as a souvenier, and I'm very pleased with it. If you've been to the Metropolitan Museum, this book provides a good reminder of what you've seen. If you've never been, this book will show you what you're missing.

It is a very good book for those who do not have the opportunity to visit the museums abroad. I liked it very much. It is also useful for Art classes. I used it in my art homework and I have received a high mark.
Aysegul (12 years)

I found this book (the 1993 edition) very disappointing. At least half the book, and perhaps two thirds, is devoted to bronze, sculpture, pottery, and assorted other works rather than paintings. Since I was hoping for a book devoted to paintings, and could care less for these other works, I don't find it worth the $7 I spent on a very good used copy.

The illustations presented in it are of good quality though so if your interest extends beyond paintings then you may find it worth considerably more than I.

I bought this book while preparing for a trip to Syria, as the Lonely Planet had mentioned it in high esteem. While it is a great source of info, and does have some suggested itineraries, it is more of an index than a guide.

Not that this is any kind of fault, but I would have liked to know this while planning my book purchases. Until the Blue Guides add Syria to their line, this is a usable substitute. That is to say plan on using another guide (e.g. Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Footprints, etc) for info on getting around and where to eat and sleep. The latter applies to the Blue Guides series as well, and is not meant as a criticism.

One thing offsetting this book's usefulness, was it's poor print quality. We found the text blurry enough to cause headaches even for those who don't wear glasses, and the photos in the color section are only a bit better. On the chance I'd simply gotten a bad copy, I'd later checked a copy in a local bookstore, and it was similar. Not the kind of thing for reading while bouncing around on a bus on your way to a site, but has some through background on Syria's rich archaeological treasures.

The only other real fault this book has is the complete lack of Arabic script. Having your destination in the local script at which to point is always a plus when trying to get around anywhere, even if you can't read a syllable yourself. If you don't think that this is important, ask yourself "How many times have I had language difficulties with cab Drivers (et al) in my own country?"

If you are traveling light, and looking for only one book to take as both travel guide and through history background, I would recommend Footprints' Syria Guide. If you like your history in briefer doses, look to the Lonely Planet or Rough Guides.

For many years I led many tours in many countries, amongst them, Syria. Years later, at a party here in Swaziland, I was talking to this guy who mentioned that he had been in Syria, too; in fact, he was writing a guide book on the subject. One of the many magic, even if almost unknown, places in Syria is the early Christian pilgramage city of Al Rosafa. Ross was kind enough to fax me an excerpt from his book, covering that walled desert city. Quite simply, I haven't read anything as good before or since, and don't expect to. If the rest turns out to be as good - serious or armchair travellers alike - get this book: it will be an Alladin's cave!

This is a well written and meticulously researched guide. The author is obviously very knowledgeable and has done his homework thoroughly. You can't go wrong!

I have used Ross Burns' "Monuments of Syria" guide while visiting Syria and found it excellent. It gives detailed information and expert maps - making the whole discovery of the sites as easy as possible. I would recommend it to anyone visiting Syria.