Butler Books

Having reread it a third time, notwithstanding anything, this is the greatest book of poetry ever written. Some of these poems, perhaps, need time to work their full effect on the psyche, but one such as "We Children" (below) can be loved, even by a child:

We played checkers
on the banisters
while our sun was bright
and petunias wound their way
upward on a string

By evening we gathered together
on the doorsteps
listening to ghost tales
or watching how stars blinked
and planets stood still

At night we put our board and me away
while flowers closed their blooms
and with phantoms raging in our heads
We shut our eyes
and slept as quiet moons.

Indian Summer Poems by Butler Brewton appeared several years (in 1997). I read it then and loved it and recently, I rediscovered it, read it again, and I find it to be a truly great work. These poems are extremely special. They strike me as classic. My impression upon reacquainting myself with them is that there is something timeless in their beauty. This book is truly a must for every lover of black literature. Mr. Brewton's poems seem drenched with the very essence of life. Here is a writer, who seems to have savored rich experiences, who has known many
facets of life, sadness, love and death. He is familiar with the seasons, with nature, the South, the requirements of survival and the relations between men, women and children. It was with apprehension of something truly brilliant being lost, that I read the comment that this book is almost out of print. I was eager to reread a stanza from a poem ("Cutting Down My First Tree") of his I have always remembered:

It was something like a scream,
The sound that ax made
Striking through the bark
To slice the raw wood beneath;

And when I was able
To wiggle the small blade out,
It was wet with living sap
That let me know that tree was growing,
Would have given fruit to keep the woods
alive;

But once you fell a tree
The next is easier than the first;
And I needed more than one
To quench my youth thirst;

I had not helped the woods
By cutting down that tree;
And I asked for forgiveness
On my guilty knees;

But that tree that took the fury
Of my first and thirsty blade
Left me preoccupied with the sound
That wet flesh made.

Wodehouse's famous Jeeves and Wooster series comes to life wonderfully in this reading of Jeeves Takes Charge. The reader gives character and adds humour to Bertie and Jeeves that makes an outstanding addition to this fabulous collection of stories. Wodehouse's parody is constantly hilarious and the hijinks and faux pas Bertie find himself in get funnier all the time. Highly recommended for both the J&W expert and novice.

If you do not know the Jeeves stories, you are in for a wonderful treat. If you do, your appreciation will grow with the witty reading in this unabridged audio cassette version.

This is a series of short stories that make for nice listening and are just the right length for short car trips. I found myself sitting in front of the store or in my garage several times laughing and smiling as a story wound to a close. I think you will, too.

Bertie Wooster is the narrator, and he is longer on connections and money than brains. Seldom out of bed before late morning, his idea of a busy afternoon is watching the cars go up and down Fifth Avenue from a window in his club. He is English, but is residing in the United States for many of these stories. These stories take place in the early part of the 20th century.

But the hero of every story is Jeeves, his man (valet and butler). Jeeves is one of those brainy chaps who can always find a way. He tries to save Bertie from himself (especially when it comes to unsuitable fiancees and clothes), and always succeeds. Sometimes Bertie feels rebellious and indulges himself anyway in his taste for "far out" clothes or even a mustache. That can put a dent in their relationship, but Bertie always repents and does it Jeeves' way in the end.

Bertie has two redeeming qualities. He loves to help his cronies, who are usually subsisting off some distant aunt or uncle or other. Disaster is always pending should such distant relative stop sending money or write the pal out of the will. In a flap, they come to Bertie for help. He summons Jeeves.

The resulting schemes are always full of hilarious plot complications. Bertie may be off pretending to be someone else while the crony is in jail. Or Bertie may be loaning Jeeves, his apartment, and his clothes to someone else while Bertie unhappily skulks in a hotel room. He does his best to entertain a lot of very conservative people, whom he mostly alienates.

Bertie's other redeeming quality is that he sincerely appreciates Jeeves. To which Jeeves replies, "Thank you, Sir."

This reading beautifully captures the flightiness of Bertie and the subtle nuances in Jeeves. You'll feel like you are in the room as unexpected events intervene, and you can't think of what to do any more than Bertie can. Thank God for Jeeves! The reading also makes wonderful use of the dated language and customs to give the listener a sense of a distance time. They become very charming in this context.

After you finish enjoying these droll tales of witty satire, I suggest you think about all of the places where working together can achieve more. You may not be able to find Jeeves, but you may be able to accomplish more by allying with others whose strengths complement yours and fill in for some of your weaknesses.

Top hole, old chap!

P.S. I was also glad that the recording included a little about P.G. Wodehouse's espousal of the Nazi regime around the time of World War II, for which he became quite unpopular in England. Wodehouse eventually became a naturalized American citizen. The stories do not allude to facist causes or ideas, but even when reading popular fiction it is good to know all about the author's background. Some may wish to boycott the stories on principle, and I can't say I blame anyone who does.

Little Elephant Thunderfoot is born to a loving Mother in the wilds of Africa, where he soon realizes that his grandmother, Wise Old One, is the leader of the herd, as well as the eyes and ears for every elephant who happens to be a part of the pack. Little Elephant Thunderfoot adores to be near Wise Old One, as she teaches him a great many things, and even plays games with him and the other baby elephants from time to time. However, one day Wise Old One sounds the trumpet alarm, then falls to the ground, and stops moving. Little Elephant Thunderfoot and the rest of his herd are now forced to leave their beloved leader, and set out on a journey to find a new herd that they will be safe with.

Sally Grindley has a lovely talent for writing wonderful children's book featuring baby animals, as well as an important message. The message contained in LITTLE ELEPHANT THUNDERFOOT is that of death. Her prose is well written, and will appeal to young children, while John Butler's illustrations are breath-taking and will capture their attention from the first page to the very last. Overall this is a gorgeous new book that is perfect for all, especially families trying to teach their children about death.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Thunderfoot is a baby elephant who is nurtured by his mother and grandmother, the latter being the matriarch of the herd. He soon learns that his grandmother makes sure the elephants are aware of danger and helps them find food and water. When his grandmother is shot by a poacher the herd runs to safety and he finds that all of them must adapt to losses and carry on. To quote the authors: 'Elephants, the largest land animals, are strong, intelligent, peaceful and fun-loving. The oldest female leads the herd, normally made up of daughters, granddaughters, sisters and their offspring. They all help to look after the youngest elephants. The males grow up within the herd, but leave to live on their own when they are about sixteen years old.' I have noticed that the most tireless workers in any group are the women. They are the ones who nurture, educate and guide the 'elephants' under their care. We males like to trumpet and make a lot of noise, but we do very little compared to our female counterparts. Buy a dozen of this wonderful book and give them to people you appreciate, who work, sometimes without credit given to them, for your comfort and welfare.

I have to agree with the other reviewer. This is indeed a true classic and worth keeping in your library. The tone of these Lectures which he gave at the Ibis Fraternity in Devon England just 6 months before he left this world, is unasuming and self deprecating. There is so much wisdom in his words that it is precious worth reading and reading again.This is definitely a must buy

I think this is one of my all time favorite books on the Western Mystery Tradition. Mr. Butler's unassuming tone and incredible wealth of knowledge make this an important stepping stone in understanding the mysterious. As a person you will fall in love with his demeanor; as a teacher you will be in awe of his skills. This is one you won't be disappointed with.

This is a great abc book for learning to write letters. Each letter is indented, so that a child can trace it with his or her finger. It also shows an item that starts with that letter. My only complaint is that it is for learning to write lowercase letters. I wish that there was also an uppercase version. But overall, very neat book!

I'm a teacher, and this gives kids a tactile experience about lower case letters. Not only does my baby enjoy touching the book while I read it to him, but I cannot resist feeling the letters myself!

My daughter was expected to start writing in lower case letters from the get-go in kindergarten, so this is a fun way to introduce them. There are plenty of puzzles, toys and games that already teach upper case letters, so I was excited to find something fun with lower case letters. This is a great find!

David Butler does a great job of describing the neurophysiology of neural tension, how to evaluate it, and how to treat it. I highly recommend all of his books!

The text "Mobilisation of the Nervous System" is an excellent text for both the novice and experienced Physical Therapist. I bought this book to review for the Orthopedic Clinical Specialist exam, and have found it very helpful. The text does an excellent job of describing general anatomical and physiological reasoning behind commonly used evaluation and treatment techniques, as well as describing these techniques in detail. The illustrations and descriptions are good, so that if you are not practiced at these techniques you will be able to clearly see the proper postioning that is required. I would recommend this text for anyone who wants to update their clincal skills or for new Physical Therapists that want to learn more about this aspect of Physical Therapy.

The Musician's Guide Through the Legal Jungle is head and shoulders above most of the other books on the industry. It cuts right to the chase without getting bogged down in legalese. Not only is the interview format easy for the layman to understand, but the audiobook gives him action items that he can use immediately. I also commend Joy Butler on the accompanying booklet. While other books contain page after page after page of dense text that can be at times hard to follow, the booklet summarizes the most important parts of music law in just 62 pages. It also has one of the easiest to understand breakdowns of how to calculate your record royalties I've ever seen.

Joy has really put something special together here. Not only is the information explained in easily understood terms using specific (if manufactured) examples, but the readers on the tapes speak well, slowly enough to be clearly understood, and made me feel comfortable listening to them. (I swear that James' voice reminds me of the narrator from that really popular Civil War documentary...) Confused about Copyrights? Don't understand why a Poor Man's Copyright won't hold up in a court of law? Want to know the difference between a mechanical license and a performing rights license? Interested in the legal differences between major record labels and independent labels? Want to know how best to go about retaining a music lawyer, should you need one? There are a whole host of other answers to frequently asked questions on the subject of music law - each one answered succinctly (and without talking down to the audience that would be listening to it, which I feel is very important), then cross-referenced in the small booklet that's included. It's a portable guide that will give you the basics without requiring you to read a huge tome on the subject. This is one of the best references I've seen on this very confusing topic in YEARS. For ...... - less than most printed publications on the subject, I'd say this is a *very* worthy investment.

There's only one reason for purchasing this book. And that is to assist African-Americans in facing the truth about who and what we are. Unlike similar publications that tend to focus on the positive aspect and downplay opposing views, MY HEAD IS BLOODY, BUT UNBOWED (a collection of 40 commentaries) explores all aspects of the Afrocentric experience. No topic is too sacred or too controversial.Subjects run the gamut from religion to color consciousness to our puzzling dislike of each other.

In "facing" the truth, we must come to the realization that success can only be attained if we unite in action and aspiration. Unfortunately, we undermine our desires. This observation is based on surveys which show that Blacks have conflicting beliefs when it comes to overcoming obstacles. For example, 25% of African-Americans feel that success is impossible, and cling to the notion that based on our history, we are destined for failure. On the other hand, you have a large percentage of Blacks who feel that education is the key to success, and strongly emphasize this position at every waking moment. Lastly we have the doomsday squadron, that segment which has given up all hope and just doesn't care. So, what do we have? Three factions of African-Americans with opposing viewpoints. Clearly, there is no unity in our actions or aspirations. So how can we expect to triumph, when we can't even agree on whether success is possible? Is this really what we want?

The Future Is Now!

In our attempt to determine our future, we must bring into focus all our assets and liabilities. Not only must we concentrate on our strengths, but our weaknesses as well. And that means coming to terms with the way we interact with each other, which is generally unpleasant. Although this is a bitter pill to swallow, we must take off the rose colored glasses and face the truth, only then can we experience true freedom.

Furthermore, we have a duty not only to ourselves, but to future generations. And that duty is to re-invent ourselves by capitalizing on our strengths and alleviating those traits which in the past has caused pain and destruction. And as the book indicates, although our heads are bludgeoned with slings and arrows, we REFUSE to hang our heads. Instead, we stand tall, determined to take our rightful place in the hierarchy of mankind.

Normally, I don't write book reviews unless I am familiar with the work in question. However, before this book was published, I read excerpts from the author's website, which convinced me that, this book serves a very noble and sincere purpose.

For readers unfamilar with the antsy and powerful decorum of African-Americans, I advise you to read this book. Perhaps, in reading it, it will enable you to identify those emotions which epitome the Black community.

In addition to the controversial content, the book is filled with humor and all plasma of the Black culture. It's all there, since the author purposely sought to leave no stones unturned.

Although this is Butler's first book, I think that in the future you will see more of her work.

Funny,sensitive, courageous and enough literary funk to conk the universe. Buy it now, I did.

In this volume you get The Celtic Twilight (1893), 34 Irish stories about the supernatural, where little people, faeries, ghosts (some of them headless) abound; most of them have been collected from the people who remember this old lore, but a few of them, like A Voice, and The Old Town, are from Yeats' own experience.
The second part is The Secret Rose (1897), 9 legends that are perhaps my favorite section of this book, with stories like The Wisdom of the King, of a lonely hero who as a baby was given a "grey as the mist" drop of hawk crone blood, and whose hair was mixed with feathers.
Stories of Red Hanrahan (1897 and rewritten in 1907), is the life and death of a wandering poet, "the learned man and the great songmaker", which includes a number of poems.

Rosa Alchemica, Tables of the Law, and The Adoration of the Magi (1897) are on esoteric mysticism; glimpses into heaven and hell.
The final part is Per Amica Silentia Lunae (1917), essays on spiritualism, Christianity, poetry and its writers, and more.
Written with much beauty by the man many consider to be Ireland's greatest poet (and Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923), this unique collection of tales will enchant anyone interested in Irish history and its legends; legends which will, like the little creatures, last "until God shall burn up the world with a kiss".

_Mythologies_ by Irish national poet, William Butler Yeats, is a fascinating collection from the writings of Yeats featuring various stories and legends which reveal Ireland's mythical and spiritual tradition. W. B. Yeats was regarded as Ireland's greatest poet and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923. But, Yeats was also an occultist who belonged to the secret society, the Golden Dawn, as well as an Irish nationalist and promoter of the Celtic renaissance. This book is a very interesting collection from his writings featuring tales of Gaelic magic, fairies, demons, curses, banshees, ghosts, and mysticism. It represents an excellent introduction to the writings of Yeats and to his mystical thought.

The first section of this book contains extracts from _The Celtic Twilight_, first published in 1893. There are in total forty separate tales presented from _The Celtic Twilight_. These include stories featuring fairies and ghosts and various elements of Irish folklore. Yeats states that most of the tales in this book were told to him by Paddy Flynn, an old Irishman. In particular, Yeats is influenced by the poetry of Dante, as he traces out the role of the afterlife in heaven, hell, and purgatory for souls trapped between the two. Yeats also emphasizes the roles of the Sidhe, fairies, and banshees.

The second section of this book contains extracts from _The Secret Rose_ published in 1897 along with _The Stories of Red Hanrahan_ and _Rosa Alchemica_. _The Secret Rose_ contains nine separate chapters, many of them featuring bizarre tales including a tale of crucifixion. _The Stories of Red Hanrahan_, emphasizing a schoolmaster and a mysterious game of cards, rewritten with the help of Lady Gregory in 1907, contains six tales.

The next section of the book contains the following parts: _Rosa Alchemica_, _The Tables of the Law_, and _The Adoration of the Magi_, published in 1897. These include discussions of alchemy and the occult as well as Yeats' discussion of Christianity. Finally, the book ends with extracts from _Per Amica Silentia Lunae_, published in 1917. This section includes five chapters. Mention is made of various alchemical and occult traditions including mention of the medieval mystic Joachim of Fiore who proposed three world ages, an Age of the Father, an Age of the Son, and an Age of the Holy Ghost. Throughout these sections the occult development of Yeats can be seen as he deals with various occult figures who further his spiritual understanding.

This book provides an excellent introduction to the writings of W. B. Yeats, Irish national poet and occultist. The book contains important extracts from his beautiful writings which serve to illuminate various components of the Irish/Celtic tradition.

If you are going to have one paper resource on your desk it has to be the Nature Yearbook! Whether you are looking for the name of the CEO or the annual company R&D spend this reference book has it all. For speed it even beats the net - rather than spending ages trawling company websites for the right contact, the Yearbook has it all in one place. It also has great essays on this year's biggest stories, an analysis of big international players (Japan v USA v EU) and even favourite Nature columnist 'Daedalus'.

If you need Science info at your finger tips, I highly recommend you buy this!

If you are going to have one paper resource on your desk it has to be the Nature Yearbook! Whether you are looking for the name of the CEO or the annual company R&D spend this reference book has it all. For speed it even beats the net - rather than spending ages trawling company websites for the right contact, the Yearbook has it all in one place. It also has great essays on this year's biggest stories, an analysis of big international players (Japan v USA v EU) and even favourite Nature columnist 'Daedalus'.

If you need Science info at your finger tips, I highly recommend you buy this!