Caldwell Books

Webb Wilder, Last of the Full Grown Men. This limited edition Pop Noir Detective series of books, Webb Wilder, Last of the Full Grown Men "Mole Men" & "The Doll" is two great stories of Webb Wilder's private-eye world of compassion and crime rolled into one book.

It's "Murder She Wrote" sold down the river to the "Twilight Zone".

It's "Matlock" for post MTVer's as seen through Humphrey Bogart's eyes.

It's "Perry Mason" wearing heavy sunglasses while coming down after three hits of acid.

It's Raymond Chandler meets Mayberry's Andy Griffith in Twin Peaks.

It's a Pop Culture Film Noir Semi- Hard Boiled Detective Series of two books, TWO STORIES, published as one edition!

It's Webb Wilder, Last of the Full Grown Men -- THE BOOK.

Mole Men indeed. Unfinished business here
for the Idol of Idle youth! Alopated and
Swampadelic Detective Tales. Pick Up On
It!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RBES2DOLKBZM9 Enjoy!!!

This is the first book in a series that has never been completed. This first issue offers some fantastic promise, so maybe there will be more some day.

Webb Wilder, Last of the Full Grown Men is faithful to the hard-boiled detective / film noir visions of the 1940's and 1950's, but set in the pop culture world of today. Webb Wilder, as a detective, is a semi-urban hero dealing with characters that are bigger than life and twice as impossible. Webb gets dragged, suckered, or voluntarily dives into situations that seem incredible at first, but logic and luck win out in the end. With all of this intrigue, dark images and odd casting, "Webb Wilder, Last of the Full Grown Men" is also very funny. Consider if Raymond Chandler had written Philip Marlowe for a hybrid of Andy Griffith, Denise Miller and Humphrey Bogart.

Two stories plus a tease to the third story, are published in one edition. Published as a standard paperback, "Mole Men" and "The Doll" are printed together, with each book's cover on reverse sides of the book. Thereby if you flipped the book over, end-over-end, you would find the second book. This style of publishing was very popular in the 1950's with Western's and Science Fiction paperbacks, but never Detective novels. The Prologue to the third story, "Psychotronic Serenade," is offered as a tease for the second book, which has yet to be published. Here's a synopsis of all three stories.

MOLE MEN
Just another case of money, murder and madness, featuring a cropduster, Mole Men, a worm ranch and a blonde named Ruby Falls. As Webb tries to solve two cases with the same nightmare, he investigates St. Vegas county's largest fire ant hill, has to keep calm under a sultry beauty's "helping hands" and tries to figure out how to eat a worm burger and still be polite.

THE DOLL
This tawdry tale of attempted assassinations, psychotic moms and a little doll torn in two, shows that no matter how full grown Webb might be, he's still only a man. Barbie's are not Webb's kind of plaything, as a fractured doll drives two mothers to the brink of killing each other's kids -- while the kids try to get married to each other. The final twists turn to the ultimate in greed during the last chapter.

PSYCHOTRONIC SERENADE
A mind is a terrible thing to control as Webb unearths revenge from Louie LeCoat, a stung Canadian ex-professional baseball player. Psychotronic engineering reins havoc in St. Vegas, and if Webb doesn't stop it soon, pandemonium is in store for the seventh inning stretch.

Dr. Lee Cheek is a fabulous author, he takes advantage of every sentence. Every thought is loaded with political genius from a true student of politics. Dr. Cheek has a love and energy for politics that is pure and refreshing. He brings a new perspective to a often misunderstood historical politician. Cheek brings Calhoun back to life and shows that his thoughts and political theories are still relevent in the modern America. It is fabulous and I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants a good read in American Political Thought.

There is no doubt that Dr. Lee Cheek is a brilliant author whose command of the English language is indeed impressive as displayed throughout this discourse. As a new student to understanding the political thought motivating early Americana, this book serves as a highly evolved analytical treatise to the Calhounian theories between the role of State v. 'general' government, majoritarianism, constitutionality, popular rule of society and much more. Many of Calhoun's cognitive exploits are excerpted from his original Papers and his two major works, i.e., the Disquisition and the Discourse. Although this work clearly stipulates many views of substantive Calhoun detractors, the author tends to discount the majority of their missives by stating that those detractors have often misunderstood Calhoun's more contemplative meanings on many issues. It would seem that given the numerous footnotes referencing other authors on Calhoun throughout this work, there is much more to the Man than is portrayed in this volume; certainly, it must be entertained that those discussions may fall well outside the scope of this volume. Calhoun's experiences and writings have given rise to a great deal of debate about the Man and his objectives. Even today, 152 years after his death, he remains an enigma of political discourse. To more fully appreciate this work by Dr. Cheek, it would behoove a student interested in pursuing a more indepth look into Calhounian thought to digest the unabridged texts of his Disquisition and his Discourse, and perhaps, many of his Papers.

~Calhoun and Popular Rule: The Political Theory of the Disquisition and Discourse~ outlines the political theory of the esteemed southern statesmen John Caldwell Calhoun who is often lauded as the last American Founding Father. H. Lee. Cheek, Jr., the author, presents an astute exposition of Calhoun's political thought. Cheek does so by coupling objectivity, cogent reasoning with an enthusiastic appreciation for the contributions of Calhoun to political science. He presents Calhoun as a versatile, bold, and original thinker, but not aloof from the American political tradition wrought out in the formative years of the Republic. Calhoun is a complex figure in his own right, though somewhat influenced by the liberal and Enlightenment tradition, he stil rejected the liberal philosophy of natural rights and the Enlightenment's positive view of human nature. Cheek explicates Calhoun's concurrent majority with remarkable clarity and insight. Calhoun's statesmanship is neglected these days, and shoddy partisan scholarship glibly dismisses him as a firebrand voice for sectional interests. Calhoun attached a fervent willingness to defend the American republic, to stave off dissolution of the federal regime, and eschew consolidation as a means of strengthening the republic.

This book is a well thought-out exposition of Calhoun's political theory. Even some of Calhoun's thorough biographers such as John Nevin among others have obfuscated Calhoun's political theory at times, and muddied the waters by incorrectly elaborating upon it or simply explaining it in reductionist terms. As result of their neglect at more careful study, Calhoun's contribution to political science is oft neglected and apt to be misunderstood. Cheek's effort is a poignant, well-written, and cogent elucidation on the Disquisition, the Discourse, and the principle of the concurrent majority. He clears up many matters, and soundly expounds Calhoun's political thought, chiefly that of the Disquisition and Discourse.

Calhoun was a member of that Democrat Party, yet he was opposed to the nascent demagoguery of Andrew Jackson and he rightly recognized the "limitations of the emerging plebiscitarian spirit within American democracy." He insisted only delineating himself as a "Republican" throughout his career. Calhoun was a most sober democrat, precisely because he recognized the limitations of democracy. For Calhoun, democracy works best by being dispersed (or localized) and is most tyrannical when it is centralized. Calhoun was focused on the search for a proper understanding of popular rule.

The first chapter, `Calhoun and the American Political Tradition,' sketches a background of the American political tradition from its inception. Cheek presents Calhoun as a heir and expositor of the South Atlantic republican worldview. This view, succinctly stated, was shaded by "moral and philosophical overtones," it affirmed the principle of subsidiarity, it saw the necessity of virtue amongst the citizenry of the States (inculcated by religion and fear of God), and it recognized the need to protect a "decentralized, group-oriented society." Following in the footsteps of his father Patrick Calhoun (who like Patrick Henry) was skeptical of the work wrought out in the 1787 Convention, John in turn was not doctrinaire to the dogmas espoused by Madison and Hamilton in the Federalist. Calhoun nonetheless admired the federal polity, but sought to solidify popular rule through concurrent majorities. "Calhoun's political theory should be understood as a reflective journey," notes Cheek, "towards recovering genuine popular rule amidst the national crises that occurred during his career as a statesmen and political philosopher."

The second chapter, `Calhoun's Early Republicanism,' elaborates upon his mode of political reflection and the In this chapter, Cheek weaves together history interspersed with Calhoun's reflections, political views, and defense of the principles of 1798 in the interposition statements in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. In précis, Cheek paints a background to Calhoun's mode of political thought through the lens of the "South Atlantic republican experience." Calhoun's embrace of interposition as a counterweight to federal usurpation encapsulated and shaped Calhoun's political thought. Calhoun like many other statesmen from Robert Hayne to Thomas Jefferson found the notion that federal government would be the exclusive interpreter of whether it was operating within the scope of its powers to be anathema. Giving the States, no recourse against federal usurpation was the very embodiment of tyranny. Calhoun's republicanism compelled him to affirm dual sovereignty, and more resoundingly affirm the reserved rights of the states which he perceived were being encroached upon in his time. Calhoun saw the Constitution as a compact between the States and the general Government. Embracing the idea of corporate liberty, Calhoun recognized that not only the institutions within the general government, but also the States acted as a check against usurpations by the central authority.

The third and fourth chapters, `The Political Theory of the Disquisition' and `The Political Theory of the Discourse' are trenchant analyses of Calhoun's Disquisition and Discourse respectively. Calhoun rejects natural rights, and scoffs at the self-evident egalitarian proposition in the Declaration, and embraced the doctrine of original sin in shaping his political thought. Yet Calhoun recognized authority existed to preserve liberty and he made a careful effort at structuring the interrelationship between the two in his writings. He was an organic political thinker weaving together communal, societal and government interests in his thought. Because of the sinful impulse of man, government was needed, and because of that same sinful impulse, government was to be restrained. "Intended to protect and preserve society," government has "a strong tendency to disorder and abuse of its power, as all experiences and almost every page of history will testify," argued Calhoun. Mere adherence to popular rule did not suffice to restrain government, and popular rule could give a locus of legitimacy to the most tyrannical oppression. Calhoun recognized this and affirmed his belief in constitutionalism. Calhoun takes issue with Madison and his notions of an "extended republic" acting to alleviate the intensity of factional strife merely because of the geographic scope of the nation. The idea that the extended republic would stifle majoritarian tyranny was absurd on its face. For Calhoun this was tripe and wishful thinking to think that friction amongst groups would be alleviated merely by enlarging the body politic. "Calhoun confronted a political situation in which the twin attributes of expansion and independence from group interests had failed in practice," notes Cheek. "If extending the regime had proved fruitless at reducing conflict and preventing the coalescing of forces, Calhoun envisioned the solution for America as a return to the original instrumentation of diffused authority." Calhoun recognized that without a continuous conscious effort at affirming a vision of federalism (with states' rights and the concurrent majority as its fulcrum) would in the end prove futile in staving off factional friction, and the undesirable road of either consolidation or disunion.

The final chapter, `Restoring the Concurrent Republic,' is an astute capsule of Calhoun's political theory and his labors to recover the concurrent majority within the American political tradition. Calhoun's contributions have been ignored, and reductionists who demean his reform efforts as nothing more than a proposal allowing for a dual presidency. The concurrent majority allows for genuine popular rule within a constitutional framework. The search for the concurrent majority in popular rule represents an endeavor of restoration and preservation since it embraces mutual negatives and institutional checks and balances while guarding against the tyranny of King Numbers or majoritarian tyranny. "Instead of yearning to dicatate all decision making by controlling government," notes Cheek, "the concurrent majority recognizes and incorporates the natural divisions of authority into a coherent whole through a mode of deliberation premised upon compromise. With the numerical majority (and more absolutist forms governing), the only path to power is found in the domination of the government... [T]he concurrent majority relies upon compromise among the constitutive parts of the republic to ameliorate tension and promote cooperation." The concurrent majority protects the minority interests, thwarts the all-or-nothing game at the national level and stifles coalescing of factions to the detriment of another faction. The concurrent majority represents a constraint against majoritarian tyranny, and acts to produce a peaceful consensus making a polity more workable with less friction amongst competiting interests. Cheek presents Calhoun's affirmation of "a South Atlantic republican inheritance" in a positive light, as well as his efforts to "return to the original diffusion of political authority and authentic popular rule."

With much bravado and clarity, H. Lee Cheek, Jr. has made a most remarkable contribution to political science; he very soundly elucidates Calhoun's political theory with an incisive analysis and insight.

* * * * * * * * * * *
Quotations from the late Senator John C. Calhoun:
"To talk of liberty, without a Constitution, or, which is the same thing, an organic or fundamental system of legislation, by which the will of the Government may be effectually coerced or restrained, is to utter ideas without meaning; and to suppose an ultimate power, on the part of Government, to interpret the Constitution as it pleases, and to resort to force, to execute its interpretation, against the authority which created the Constitution itself, is to be guilty of the greatest political absurdity that can be imagined."

"[I]n governments of the concurrent majority... mere numbers have not the absolute control; and the wealthy and intelligent being identified in interest with the poor and ignorant of their respective portions or interests of the community, become their leaders and protectors. And hence, as the latter would have neither hope nor inducement to rally the former in order to obtain the control, the right of suffrage, under such a government, may be safely enlarged to the extent stated without incurring the hazard to which enlargement would expose governments of the numerical majority."

"But, as there can be no constitution without the negative power, and no negative power without the concurrent majority - it follows, necessarily, that where the numerical majority has the sole control of the government, there can be no constitution; as constitution implies limitation or restriction - and, of course, is inconsistent with the idea of sole or exclusive power. And hence, the numerical, unmixed with the concurrent majority, necessarily forms, in all cases, absolute government."

"On the contrary, the government of the concurrent majority, where the organism is perfect, excludes the possibility of oppression, by giving to each interest, or portion, or order - where there are established classes - the means of protecting itself, by its negative, against all measures calculated to advance the peculiar interests of others at its expense. Its effect, then, is, to cause the different interests, portions, or orders - as the case lay be - to desist from attempting to adopt any measure calculated to promote the prosperity of one, or more, by sacrificing that of others; and thus to force them to unite in such measures only as would promote the prosperity of all, as the only means to prevent the suspension of the action of the government - and, thereby, to avoid anarchy, the greatest of all evils. It is by means of such authorized and effectual resistance, that oppression is prevented, and the necessity of resorting to force superseded, in governments of the concurrent majority - and, hence, compromise, instead of force, becomes their conservative principle."

"The concurrent majority, on the other hand, tends to unite the most opposite and conflicting interests, and to blend the whole in one common attachment to the country. By giving to each interest, or portion, the power of self-protection, all strife and struggle between them for ascendency, is prevented; and, thereby, not only every feeling calculated to weaken the attachment to the whole is suppressed, but the individual and the social feelings are made to unite in one common devotion to country. Each sees and feels that it can best promote its own prosperity by conciliating the goodwill, and promoting the prosperity of the others. And hence, there will be diffused throughout the whole community kind feelings between its different portions; and, instead of antipathy, a rivalry amongst them to promote the interests of each other... Under the combined influence of these causes, the interests of each would be merged in the common interests of the whole; and thus, the community would become a unit, by becoming the common centre of attachment of all its parts. And hence, instead of faction, strife, and struggle for party ascendency, there would be patriotism, nationality, harmony, and a struggle only for supremacy in promoting the common good of the whole."

"The concurrent majority, then, is better suited to enlarge and secure the bounds of liberty, because it is better suited to prevent government from passing beyond its proper limits, and to restrict it to its primary end - the protection of the community."

Of course religion is subjective but at least he tries to make his points with a minimal number of personal opinions.

Hope Amazon can get it soon as it is available through bookstores.

Most of the information in this book is easily found elsewhere. The author spends more time debunking orthodox Christianity than discussing agnostic belief, which is what I was looking for. Maybe that means that agnosticism is only a reaction to orthodoxy, rather than an independent system of belief. In which case I would have been better off spending my $20 on the latest "Garfield" collection and a cup of Starbucks coffee. Still, if you're looking for some basic information on the flaws of Christianity in a readable format, this makes for a good reference work.

For me personally, it was the first book I've read that made sense of theology, though from a more liberal perspective.

The perspective of this book is more like that of most agnostics. Most agnostics I'm aware of anyway, believe in God but just dispute that centrally organized and managed religious groups know what such a powerful and ambiguous force as God perspectively is, knows for sure what, if anything, God requires.

This book takes the perspective that if you don't believe in God, you're atheist, not agnostic.

Despite the fact that, through some oversight, the editors neglected to include any of my own writing in the collection, it is the state-of-the-art in the cultural anthropology of food. I will definitely be using it as a basic text in my food and culture class. The chapters include contributions by many of the best people working in this growing subfield, and they really show how much the field has changed in a relatively short period. It has a good balance of cultural analysis, political-economy and culture history. I plan to supplement it with Lien and Nerlich's "The Politics of Food" collection from Berg, which is more issues-oriented and has more on food safety, the politics of localism, and fast/slow conflicts.

This book is a collection of essays that were previously published in journals such as "Foreign Affairs" and "journal of consumer culture." The authors are anthropologists, political scientists, and historians among others. Most essays focus on one piece of food item, brand or food related issue (such as McDonalds, green beans, or Mad Cow disease) and examines this issue within the context of a country (such as China, Burkina Faso, or the U.K.) The essays are academically written, but highly readable and they give interesting and unique information about the country as well as the food issue in question within the context of the country. The overall theme of many of the essays seemed to be that food influences culture, and culture interprets food so that the influence is two-way. Some of the articles were fascinating to read. For example, I enjoyed learning about how McDonalds in China was accepted into the local culture, and how its meaning in China is significantly different from that in the USA. I liked learning about the functions served by Indo-Pak grocery stores in Indian communities, of how sushi became a well known product across the world, and how and why French chocolatiers opposed Belgian ones. The most interesting article to me was one about the reactions to genetically manipulated crop in the USA and Europe, and how these reactions affect those in developing countries in adverse ways. Even if I did not know anything about the country in question, the book gave sufficient background information about the country and the issue to make it interesting and exciting. While reading about one product or issue, I found that I learned a lot about the country and its people.

The essays differed in their approaches to the issues. I guess this reflected the backgrounds of authors (whether they were anthropologists or political scientists). For example, there were two articles about McDonalds in China where the writings mainly focused on how McDonalds was accepted and interpreted in China, without a discussion of any health implications of these changes. As someone who read Fast Food Nation, I was saddened by the seemingly unquestioned acceptance of junk food into foreign countries and was curious to know the most recent developments if any. This issue was more prominently discussed in essays written by political scientists. One author discussed the implications of fast food for Mexican diet, and rising health concerns traced to changes in diet, which I found interesting and important.

All in all, this is one very good book. I highly recommend it if you are interested in food, culture, or both.

The book makes an interesting case using good evidence for most of it's text.

Susanne Friedberg argues that in spite of egalitarian origins to transform the world, the organic/natural foods revolution begun in the 1960's has done little to eradicate the conditions in other countries--where tainted food is a defacto way of life for people. The most careful washing cannot fully eliminate everything every time.

However, ongoing disparities in America where people on public assistance cannot presently afford to eat healthy--regardless of how much they want to also needed to be addressed in Warren Belasco's essay on how the hippies introduced organic food. Low-income people do not necessarily have to contend with the same degree of food impurity as overseas, but are also subject to economic disparities in their access to healthy food. They ironically remain stuck with the brands the hippies and their present day counterparts shun because it IS the cheapest to purchase with the resources they do have and the organic companies have not found a way to make the American dollar stretch further. Why should only certain groups of people be able to eat safe and healthy food?

The editor and her contributors are empathetic to the subject matter--which I have not previously seen in other anthologies. Yet, they mostly present it with a critical perspective, demanding that the reader examine previous assumptions about the relationship between food and politics--and our own personal relationship.

This book gives excellent advice to any believer wanting to start a business whether if be faith based or not. The three pastors in this book all speak from experience and have healthy churches and businesses to back them. If you get the chance to read this book you'll highlight your life away and want to read it more than once. it has helped me dramatically and I highly recommend it.

Kirbyjon Caldwell and Walt Kallestad have written one of the best books on the subject of expanding the Kingdom of God. Every pastor/leader should read this one.

Bits and pieces of the stories of the successes of Caldwell and Kallestad are sprinkled sparingly between aphorisms and simplistic, well-worn advice such as "persuade; don't badger," and "turn failure forward."

The authors also simplify both theology and history to fit their premise. They assert that Jesus was an entrepreneur. They claim in chapter nine that entrepreneurial spirit brought about the fall of the Soviet Union and rebuilt East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Their statement that entrepreneurs drive the U.S. economy holds more water, but even that is a simplistic view of another complex situation, and hardly what I was expecting from someone as well educated as Caldwell, who holds an MBA from Wharton in addition to his ministerial credentials.

But business books tend to over simplify things, too. And this book seemed intent on finding a spot in between other business bestsellers that offer pithy advice.

It also offers sample strategic plans and funding proposals as tools for would-be entrepreneurs. But that's it.

This book contains no earth-shattering revelations about entrepreneurs or faith. Neither are there great spiritual insights about ministry. The most memorable checklist was a test of godly vision in chapter 12, which provides six tests to determine if a vision is "a dream or a scheme." It wasn't necessarily scriptural, but seemed solid.

Other suggestions didn't even make sense. A section in chapter seven told entrepreneurs that while their schedule may consume all 168 hours a week, it is important to maintain equilibrium. That ill-conceived paragraph is tempered by other sections that explain in detail how to discern God's will by spending consistent time with God. And Callestad did offer a testimony of his lengthy prayer time in a subsequent chapter. That was encouraging.

Even so, I was expecting more about reliance on God, prayer and miracles. Without that "Entrepreneurial Faith" is really saying that the church needs more entrepreneurs, rather than more faith.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see"(Heb. 11:1). Entrepreneurialism is the subject of bestselling books.

For some time, I wondered why such an important chronicler of the uderprivileged people of the South ,who was recognized and read as comparable to Steinbeck,should be pushed aside to the point he is almost forgotten today.By the early 1960,s,between anthologies,novels,travelogues,and other nonfiction monographs,he had published thirty-eight books,and his domestic sales had reached 55 million copies.His works were translated into dozens of languages.He was among the world,s best selling authors.So,what happened?
Miller,s book shows how he was really not part of the "system" .It was the millions of readers who liked his work;thc critics couldn't stand him.
The critics and literary establishment won out and have pushed his work into obscurity...for now,anyway.
I am surprised that the author Miller, is so young. One day with the help of people like him,Caldwell may well become known again.
An excellent book if you want to know the whole story.

In the thirties critics acclaimed Erskine Caldwell as one of the most influential writers of his time. His books sold in the millions and his play, Tobacco Road (based on the novel), had an unprecedented record run across the nation. By the time the sixties emerged, Caldwell falls into obscurity, disdained by the critics and forgotten in the canon of southern literature.

Caldwell's Icarus-like rise to fame and descent into obscurity is the catalyst which inspired Dan Miller to explore one of the south's most prolific writers. What was behind the man who was so passionate in his work yet ended up destroying his professional career, his marriages and his relationships with his children.

The Journey from Tobacco Road takes a microscopic look at the forces which shaped and made Caldwell the writer that he is. Born of educated parents who were members of a fundamentalist presbyterian sect, we find a man full of contradictions. His parents had formal education. Their son never graduated from high school (or any school for that matter) and was a poor writer and reader. Their denomination, The Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church, was highly fundamental yet Caldwell's father had a great passion to confront the injustice of poor and Black people. His passion was transferred over to his son who became the extentsion of his cause for justice.

You will come across layers of complexities of Erskine who was controlling in all of his relationships with his wives and daughters. His obsessive need for control extended itself into the lives of his children to the point of abuse. Yet despite these tendancies Caldwell reached the hearts and minds of his readers in his depiction of the southern poor.

Miller has given the reader a revealing portrait of a man who was at the top of his literary popularity only to fall in obscurity. We are shown the elements of why this happened and can see that the same trap is set for writers who become popular but are spurned by the academic literary community. Caldwell's journey is an interesting one as he goes through the school of hard knocks only to rise a winner. Miller's biography is clear and concise. He doesn't put Caldwell on a pedestle but he reminds us this is an author who shouldn't be ignored. You will enjoy this biography.

Miller's concern about Caldwell's obscurity is not to be ignored. Recently I sat on a class in southern literature. When I read the syllabus, I saw the conspicuous absence of Caldwell's name. On approaching the teacher, I asked why and she immediately became embarassed and said she that Caldwell's name had mistakenly been dropped while editing the syllabus. Miller's book is certainly one we need to remind us of the life and contributions of this man of southern literature.

Dr. Miller tells the interesting truth behind one of the best selling authors of all time. Caldwell's life growing up poor in the deep south set the tone for what his work will become in the upcoming years. Miller, a student of David Donald (2 time pulitzer prize winner, "Look Homeward Angel:Bio of Thomas Wolfe", and official Lincoln biographer) at Harvard University, gives the reader a complete picture of an author who has been forgotten in time. Caldwell's gritty, often pornographic style has been belittled by todays critics, but Miller shows Caldwell was more than a pulp writer, he was a complex man, with a simple style. A must read.

I found this book a delight. The illustrations are truly splendid. I disagree with one of the previous reviewers: The text is not so much "lite" as simply light-hearted. Most of the persons mentioned are sufficiently familiar to be of considerable interest.

When I first looked at this book I thought it reminded me of the "Impossible Interviews" feature in the book "Vanity Fair: A Cavalcade of the 1920s and 1930s" (An anthology of that magazine when it was the wittiest, smartest, most entertaining thing ever.) Sure enough, when I read the introduction to "First Encounters", it turns out the authors were inspired by the "Impossible Interviews".

(The "First Encounters" are people who really did meet and talk; among them are such interesting combinations as Oscar Wilde and Walt Whitman, Sarah Bernhardt and Thomas Edison, Isak Denison and Marilyn Monroe). The "Impossible Interviews" were people who couldn't possibly have anything to say to each other; the funniest one was Greta "I vant to be alone" Garbo vs. Calvin "Cool Cal" Coolidge.)

Anybody who loves the Vanity Fair collection will love First Encounters, and vice versa.

The design team on this book did a wonderful job on packaging the project. Indeed Mr. Sorel is a very talented artist. The book, however, does not reach the level of being a good gift book due to it's lack of content and it is not a good coffee table book either due to the relative obscurity of some people of subject. The collaborative project is notable, and fans of the author and illustrator will surely appreciate it, but it is not a recommended purchase for anyone else.

edward sorel has one of the best drawings on the newpapers, and nancy caldwell, text is wonderfully wit! A high level humour.

Transcends the school and the children within. Holt gives a voice to the bonds of common condition of man. Whatever the bonds, velvet or metallic, freedom is prevented. ...(In time, this reader will do this book justice.)

For now, just know that John Holt is one in a million as a writer. His thoughts and his words are magnificent. He's able to hit the high notes of thought several octaves above and beyond logic. For example, he points out the flaws of using certain words, i.e., STRUCTURED/UNSTRUCTURED.

This is a book which has helped me develop an attitude for perceiving children. It and "The Continuum Concept" by Jean Leidloff, have both helped convince me how little of our unsolicited instructions children really need.

John Holt is one who takes 'freedom' to its limits, at least as far as children are concerned.

The change it brought in me: When I have the baby sitter's role with my kids, I try to do that which is of mutual interest to us (myself and the kids), or do something which I like while they're doing their stuff. However, I have an open door policy, and allow them to come up to me for any of their queries. Doing something which just interests my kid is defeating, as my frustration and resentment gets transferred through my tone or through my way of looking at them.

It would enable a person who always finds children to be messy, annoying, revolting and disobedient to see them as friendly, interesting, and transparent.

John Holt's book "Freedom and Beyond" throws light on the contradictions, brutality, racism, inequality, and unfairness that are present in most standard schools today. Though this book was published in the early 70's and all of the statistics in this book would have changed since then, it's depressing to read that so little has changed regarding the teacher/student dynamic. This book is genuinely revolutionary, and realistic in it's approach. The author writes with great understanding and insight, and presents several anecdotes and observations about the cross-section of school's he has visited. All of the suggestions here are logical and positive. The only flaw I found in the book was that it presented such an unrelentingly bleak and cynical overview of school-life, and yet it provided no direct advice for what the average reader could do to mend these problems. John Holt certainly presents the issues very clearly, and harbours great contempt for what children are made to endure throughout their school years, but unless you're a teacher, principal, or are about to erect a school from scratch anytime soon, the book does tend to frustrate you and leave you feeling rather helpless. The book does cover a wide range of social issues, from poverty to employment, all of which, as John illustrates, are relevant to the getting of a good education. It helped me gain a greater understanding of the nature of children and their needs. I urge parents to read this book (particularly if their children are struggling within the conventional school system), and I'd also recommend it to teachers, as this book promotes learning that is inspired and varied, and suggests new ways to teach the young that prevent boredom.

Jim Caldwell has done a great job creating his characters and developing a very realistic story of human experiences. He skillfully weaves the storyline and subplots into a very interesting and moving tale of lives becoming intertwined culminating in unexpected twists.

This book is superb. Once I started reading, I could not put the book down. I look forward to reading more books by Mr. Caldwell. He is truly gifted.

The author skillfully braids 3 major stories and 3 minor stories into a climax that will stun you. His characters are real and well developed. The story is one you won't soon forget. Buy this book and plan to read it in no more than three sittings, once you get half way you won't put it down!
Mr Caldwell has created a great story!

I read this book while joining my students on a two week-long kayaking expedition along the coast of Maine. After our guide recommended the book and I couldn't put it down. A great read for a novice to the Maine coast who wants to get a good feel for the history and culture of the islands. Best when read while traveling from island to island! The author is a bit biased towards the state of Maine, as the reader will note is the opening chapter. However, after spending some time there, I can understand why! Enjoy!!!

Although less comprehensive than the McLane's definitive series, and less ecological than Phil Conkling's Islands In Time, Caldwell's book fills in a gap for the lay reader in introducing us to the early English settlements and exploration of coastal Maine. Written by someone with a clear love for cruising the Archipelago, one gets some nice vignettes of particular islands that leave one hungry for more. There are also many good stories here that are worth repeating, and some lovely pictures drawn from a variety of sources that capture different aspects of the coast. Caldwell is to be complemented on his cheerful breezy style that keeps one interested from start to finish, and makes on reach for the chart to see how one can follow his wake in summers to come. I find that I have accumulated several editions of Caldwell & make sure to keep them close to hand, at the college, at home, and on the boat.

What was one day to become the United States of America began with the first European explorers arriving on the islands off the Maine coast in their search for a passage to Cathay and East Indian wealth, and continuing with small European fishing boats arriving to ply the waters off the coast of Maine. In Islands Of Maine: Where America Really Began, the late newspaper columnist Bill Caldwell examines the original Mainers, the Native Americans. Then surveys the first European settlements, founded long before the colony at Jamestown or the arrival of the Mayflower Pilgrims. Rich in lively anecdotes, and ranging from Casco Bay to Penobscot Bay, Caldwell reveals the islands as the first settlers saw them and how these islands transformed into flourishing trade hubs, fishing harbors, and tourist destinations. From the Vikings of a thousand years ago down to life in the 1980s, Islands Of Maine is a fascinating, informative, enthusiastically recommended regional American history.