Cassidy Books

Author Harry Rinker does a great job in bringing back the images of a forgotten hero, Hopalong Cassidy as portrayed by actor William Boyd. His book recaptures, vividly, the massive Hoppy merchandise of the 1950's when Boyd-a marketing genius- was a superstar to children the world over, including this Australian who, as a six year old during Boyd's Australian tour of 1954, was absolutely devastated that Hoppy didn't come west to WA. We got the Queen instead! This book, complete with lavish colour plates of the thousands of Hoppy items is not just a book for collectors of Cassidy memorabilia.Rinker's early chapters include the effect of Hoppy on him as a child, the evolution of Cassidy in novels films and television, the history of Boyd's visionary marketing skills and an interview with his widow, Grace, who is still alive some 28 years after her husband's death. The durability of the film and TV Hoppy (vastly different from novelist Clarence E Mulford's original character) lasted for 20 years thanks to Boyd fusing his own persona with that of the character. Boyd commenced in the Cassidy role in 1935, as a middle aged actor of 40( making 66 films as Cassidy over the next 13 years) and retired in 1954 as a TV and radio hero, internationally renowned. The transformation of Boyd into a hero of children is well captured by Rinker- albeit briefly- although a more detailed biography of William Boyd is long overdue. Boyd's morals,responsiblity,concern and many acts of kindness towards his youthful supporters, as Hoppy, was an example of the very best America had to offer-and America's best is very good indeed. That is why people who grew up in the middle of the 20th century will always recall with affection the black-garbed knight gallant of their childhood - Bill Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy.

This book contains numerous lengthy excerpts from John Paul II's writings and speeches about non-Christian religions. It also contains essays about John Paul's view of non-Christian religions by Catholic and non-Catholic writers.

The most surprising thing about JP II's theology of non-Christian religions is how favorable he is. Particularly in his addresses to non-believers, his praise seems to know no bounds. He refers to Moslems as "brothers in God" and tells Buddhists and Shintoist that "On this earth we are pilgrims to the Absolute and Eternal." This last statement is particularly strange in light of JP II's belief that "Buddhism is in large measure an 'atheistic' system." (p. 53.) At times one gets the impression that JP II thinks the problem with the world is not a lack of Christianity, but a lack of "religion." For those who think that JP II is a reactionary who is opposed to all things non-Catholic, this book comes as quite an eye-opener.

This leads to the major fault I have with the essays. While they are for the most part informative, the authors never ask the question of how someone like JP II, who is supposed to be such a conservative, orthodox Catholic, can be so favorable to non-Christian religions. Could it be that JP II is not the traditionally minded Catholic that the media and his conservative followers portray him? This question is never asked. Not surprisingly, then, the essayists fail to interact with the one book I am aware of that raises this question: Pope John Paul II's Theological Journey to the Prayer Meeting of Religions at Assisi by Fr. J. Dormann. The Dormann book (actually a series of three thus far) has some flaws. He is intent upon taking much of what JP II says in the least orthodox light, and in the context of JP II's alleged universalism. Nonetheless, the book highlights important facets of JP II's theology.

All things considered, this is an important and timely collection.

When Dashiell Hammett's show The Adventures of Sam Spade made its debut over CBS in August of 1946, personable Howard Duff, a comparative unknown in Hollwyood circles, was assigned the title role. The selection of young Duff for the hard-hitting detective was perfect casting, his success was immediate, and Hollywood began predicting important things to come for this new personality.

The enormous success of the Sam Spade radio program, spawned a series of comic strips, magazine articles and radio cross-overs, not to mention numerous radio programs attempting to become just as popular with their own detectives. Broadcast from 1946 to 1951, the Sam Spade program ruled the airwaves, and fought both network censorship and the threat of Communism to remain on the air. I recommend you listen to a few episodes of this series, avoid the last season's worth of episodes with Steve Dunne in the role, and to REALLY get into the program, get a copy of the book "The Radio Adventures of Sam Spade", also available on Amazon.com.

This is the book stereotypical western characters are based upon. The confident, dry witted, two-gun slinging hero, the old barkeep, the occasionally incompetent rustlers, and their no-nonsense leader; it's all there. A perfect western, and a quick read. The dialog had me rolling.

If you have read all the other books in the series than you know that Princess Isabel is one stubborn, strong-willed, pigheaded individual. Isabel wants her father back and has decided that it is time that she took matters into her own hands. Isabel tells her once commanding officer Adam Sinclair that she needs his help. Isabel wants Adam to pretend to be her husband and try to find the men who are responsible for kidnapping her father, King Michael.

Adam knows he has no choice because if he does not help Isabel he knows she will just go off and do this herself no matter what the danger may be. Adam knows that this will be one of the toughest assignments he has ever had. He must pretend to be Isabel's loving husband in public and keep his hands to himself in the privacy of their room. Adam has to keep reminging himself that he is doing this for his country and his King.

The series is concluded with this book. Although the story is interesting and the ending is what everyone wants to have happen. There is no real mystery. If you have read the rest of the series than I am sure that you know who the bad guy is before you ever picked up this book. The ending was very fitting not just for the country of Edenbourg, but for the Stanbury family.

This book is not a Hopalong Cassidy novel. However, Clarence Mulford first attracted me with his wit and humor. The way he writes about the western cowboy invariably makes me smile as my mind wraps around his stories. All Mulford western books are a must, Hopalong or no.

Patsy Kelly really gets you into this complicated murder-story.This book has a somewhat strange and suprising ending which only makes it better. It's a book to read only if you want to be apart of the story.

"If you're normal, then you probably aren't too excited about taking Organic Chemistry. ... the way that you should learn chemistry, the way that it makes sense, not the way that many chemistry classes are being taught at many universities." Orgo student, U. of Virginia


Language of Chemistry:
Chemistry is unique in the sense that it has its own language. Chemists communicate in a highly systematized alphabetic symbolic language, and numerical chemical equations. This molecular science, is concerned with molecular structure, molecular synthesis, and the mechanisms of chemical transformations of atoms, molecules, ions and radicals. Problems that require the use of lines and graphics to represent bonds and molecular structure, reasoning by fuzzy logic for transfer of functional groups, for example, may well use different problem solving tools. than those that use models based on the laws of physics and the language of mathematics. Problem solving methods in chemistry may be classified according as they are encountered in one of the common sub-disciplines of chemistry; namely, analytical, physical, inorganic, and organic.

Practical Organic Chemistry:
One of the best books that is out there teaching practical organic chemistry was the one written by Arthur Vogel, "A Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry," updated with new preparations, procedures and techniques, added to the book by contributing editors. It seems that I shared my fascination with Vogel's identifying techniques with my professor of Petroleum Refinery Engineering, who taught me one of my first courses in Organic chemistry. He was an Egyptian gentleman, with a Ph.D. from A&M U of Texas, and looked very much like President Johnson. Being then one of his first experiments in teaching an Orgo class, he selected English and Cassidy, as the Textbook, to the delight of most of our Chemical Engineering class of 1960.

Solve Chemistry Problems?
Prior to NMR, Spectrometric Identification of Organic Compounds, any problem solving method would normally contain four traditional elements:
1. Understanding the problem, a holistic process that requires right-brain thinking.
2. Developing a plan to understand how various parts of the problem may be connected and how the answer to the problem is linked to the information provided by the problem? Tthe development of which may require significant left-brain analytical thinking.
3. Carrying out the plan, in a step-by-step process that is very left-brain oriented.
4. Reviewing and discussing the deductions to arrive at a sound solution. Consider other alternatives while checking each step. Reviewing the problem and the validity of the solution as a final overall check.
Perry's (1981) model of intellectual growth offers a framework for understanding our own thinking as well as charting a way through difficult issues, problems and uncertain solutions. In essence, you will move from dichotomous thinking toward an increasing ability to handle complexity and ambiguity, opening up to the opinions and experiences of others while simultaneously learning better how to read and listen critically, and independently.

Orgo problem Solving:
Over the past fifty years nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, commonly referred to as NMR, has become the preeminent technique for determining the structure of organic compounds. Of all the spectroscopic methods, it is the only one for which a complete analysis and interpretation of the entire spectrum is normally expected. Some of the earliest work with critical thinking and learning strategies, including problem-solving, was reported in the 1940's and 1950's. It was more broadly researched in the 1970's and 1980's. The Journal of Chemical Education has reported articles on problem solving since about that same time. Furthermore, it is likely that sophomore organic students are at Perry's 'dualistic' level, they expect their instructor to tell them what to do, believing the textbook to be the correct source of all knowledge. Moreover every problem has a right answer!
Programmed Study Aids for Solving Problems in Organic Chemistry describe a rationale for using those aids and include examples of these multi-step aids which provide leading questions, factual information, in some cases, the logical thinking required to arrive at correct though short answers.

Principles of Organic Chemistry:
English and Cassidy summarized their strategy, of including only selected reactions, implying a more detailed study of the underlying principles involved. They attempted to accomplish this by introducing (then) modern ideas on reaction mechanisms, attempting to describe, in terms of electronic theory, the progress of principle reaction discussed on a molecular scale. For me, and my colleagues who shared with Jones, his 'understand--rather than memorize--the fundamental concepts of organic chemistry, it paid, working some of the problems, to better apply the discussed reaction, though some basic memorized facts and theories were still mandatory for the appreciation of Organic Chemistry.

The alkaloid Piperine:
Problem *23, is one of 41 exercises on Amines & Diazo compounds, its first part, quoted below, will give you a taste of the book's procedural teaching through problem solving:
The alkaloid Piperine , C17H19NO3, is the substance chiefly responsible for the sharp taste of pepper. Hydrolysis of piperine by acids gives piperic acid and a nitrogenous compound, C5H11N. Exhaustive methylation of this compound gives an unsaturated amine, which on repetitive exhaustive methylation gives a diolifin containing 5 carbon atoms and oxidizable to malonic acid. Derive the structure of the nitrogenous compound.

A fruit of their book:
Maitland Jones's (Yale `59), years of classroom experience at Princeton University, Organic Chemistry remains committed to helping students understand--rather than memorize--the fundamental concepts of organic chemistry. Retaining the authoritative coverage, informal style, and abundance of carefully annotated figures of its predecessors, ...

A Belated Review:
"The book for my first Organic Chemistry course (57/58) was English and Cassidy, 2nd edition, `56. Despite the dryness, formality, lack of graphics etc. etc. not much harm was done. I liked the book back then as did most of us. This includes (Maitland) Jones himself (Yale `59), who almost certainly used the book, as English and Cassidy were Yale professors and the first edition came out in `49." One of English/Cassidy students

Organic Chemistry, Third Edition
Organic Chemistry: Supplementary Problems Set for Jones's Organic Chemistry, Third Edition, Student's Version


I present this review in memory of my perfect teacher, professor Dr. A. M. Abul-Nasr.

You will have a new awareness of the golden days of radio theater,if you have never heard it before. All others will take an amazing trip down memory lane,a trip that will remind you that images don't always have to flash on a screen,and can flash just as vividly in your mind's eyes, as in the two in the front of you head. The Cisco Kid episodes rank as the most childish of the bunch.the best are the Six Shooter,Jimmy Stewart could do any acting job credibly. Followed by Gunsmoke,and the lone Ranger Hopalong Cassidy with Andy Clyde repriseing his movie roll as sidekick California Carlson,and Fort Laramie.Gunsmoke is the most unusual as Bill Conrad was a wide as Arness was tall as Matt Dillon but Conrad's voice and acting ability were amazing.Also The Mayor of Mayberry Parley Bear plays Chester Proudfoot.and Floyd the Barber Howard MacNear playsDoc,and Georgia Ellis long time Jack Webb cast alum plays Kitty. You will be absorbed in all this stuff no matter where you listen these. Good Luck and Enjoy.

I really enjoyed the characters: Samantha Dark and Tyler Sinclair. The author provides you with a message to be learned in all our lives.