Crosby Books

"Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion Of Europe, 900-1900"
by Alfred W. Crosby. Cambridge University Press, 1986.
The implication of this book's theory is that the Europeans succeeded in the "New" World due to the imperialistic strength of European flora and fauna. European cattle and European horses conquered the plains of both North America and Argentina, making them "neo-Europes". When Columbus introduced the pig, (either inadvertently or consciously), he knew that that the porcine animal species would "conquer" their local environment. The author's excellent writing follows this theme throughout his book, but, in my opinion, he spends too much time on New Zealand ... pages 217 to 268.

Yet, if the author's thesis is correct, the book becomes a disparaging comment on human efforts. For example, compare the Pilgrims' landing in 1620 with the landing of Hernando De Cortez (1485-1547) at Vera Cruz in 1519. The Pilgrims snuck ashore, onto that Rock in Plymouth, on a cold winter's day. There was no one to meet them, as the locals (or "indigenes" as Crosby likes to call them) had all been killed off by strange and new diseases. The diseases were probably brought over by Englishmen; otherwise where did Squanto, the Indian chief, learn his rudimentary English? (Just as my aside, if the Scots, who first settled in Ulster, Ireland and then came to North America, are known as Scots-Irish, why weren't the Pilgrims known as "Anglo-Dutch"?)

In February 1519, more than a century before the Pilgrims, Hernando De Cortez landed at the Rich Villa of the Holy Cross, Vera Cruz, with some 500-600 men, to face not thousands, but hundreds of thousands. To instill courage in his men, Cortez burnt his boats. The Spanish had to go forward and they conquered an empire. On the other hand the Pilgrims occupied a dead village. In both cases, European diseases were the deciding factor, but the achievement of either group was entirely different. Crosby's book treats them as if they were equal.

I believe that Alfred W. Crosby has hit on something that bears further investigation. In the late summer of 2004, I attended a wedding in Slovenia. As we drove through Germany, I noticed goldenrod by the sides of the corn fields. I asked and I was told that goldenrod was introduced as a flowering plant but was not doing so well in Europe. I wonder if Crosby's thesis was borne out by the lack of success of goldenrod ...and other American plants? Don't get me wrong: since I am allergic to goldenrod, I am happy it was NOT successful in German farm fields, but why?

Crosby brought up an argument that I've never heard before - and argued it quite well. This book has a wealth of well-researched information that documents the ecological dominance of nations that underwent neolithic developments over those that did not. He also is very careful to demonstrate his technical knowledge while at the same time making the book accessible to all students of history. Loved it.

The most impressive and pleasant aspect of this new approach to world history is the non-anthropocentric perspective Crosby adopts. He tells the story of the expansion of a tightly connected group of European organisms, which includes humans alongside with other domesticated animals, crops, weeds, viruses and bacteria.

The book shows that humans were the leading elements in this great expansion beyond Europe and across the oceans - but they would not have managed to successfully invade, occupy and dominate vast areas of the planet such as America, Australia and New Zealand if they had not been supported by a powerful combination of fauna, flora and germs. In fact, often enough these supporting organisms even took the lead in making the "new-found" territories hospitable for Europeans. Once they had arrived to faraway lands with similar climatic conditions as Europe - but with much less people, germs, domesticated animals and plants - the horses, pigs, cows, sheep, bees, rats, weeds and endemic diseases carried by European vessels began spreading quickly in these totally unexposed areas, and thrived mainly by destroying the native organisms.

Another important point developed by Crosby is that this apparently aggressive invasion and occupation of other continents was actually the consequence of a long process started many thousands of generations before, and of which Europeans were totally unaware. They were simply the ones most prepared and willing to cross unknown oceans (in fact, for centuries they had to painfully learn all about winds and currents - for which many a vessel with all its human and non-human crew had to be sacrificed) and settle down many 1000 of kilometres away from their original home, because the "old continent" had become overpopulated, deforested and overgrazed. Their "ecological imperialism" was in the end part of their struggle to survive and reproduce (to the disadvantage of other human and non-human organisms).

Thus, Crosby urges his readers to think of this propagation of certain humans and their accompanying flora, fauna and germs in detriment of others as a natural phenomenon. In fact, he often compares the European ecological expansion with an "avalanche" or a "bursting dam", i.e., something that had to inevitably happen given the circumstances. In this scenario, it becomes clear that these organisms were vehicles for a great "biological revolution" (in the words of the author), where humans were the spearhead of the movement - but hardly the all-knowing, dominant, free agents they mostly imagine(d) themselves to be.

Book Review: "Ecological Imperialism"
In his book, Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900, Alfred W. Crosby investigates the roots of European domination over the western world. He calls the places where early Europeans settled "Neo-Europes" with special emphasis on North and South America , Australia , and New Zealand . In his prologue he ponders whether Europeans dominated their environment and other cultures because of their technology, or whether the consistent "success of European imperialism has a biological, [and] an ecological, component.". Crosby 's thesis is that Europeans were successful imperialists because wherever they went their agriculture and animals thrived; and the indigenous populations and local ecosystems collapsed under their biological advance.
Crosby begins at the beginning, discussing the one big continent, Pangaea, supposed to have existed in pre-history and the slow development of life forms other than reptilian, in particular Homo sapiens. The break up of Pangaea (this hypothetical super-continent) caused the "the decentralization of the process of evolution," that is, when the land cracked apart flora and fauna were spilt between the newly created continents. That continental split is the reason similar species are found in Europe and North America.
Eventually Crosby brings the reader up to the end of the Ice Age. Ten thousand years ago humans were exploring the islands of the Eastern Atlantic including Australia . Once on these islands humans domesticated plants, piled up mounds of garbage, spread disease, and hunted animals into extinction. Normally the despoilment of indigenous flora and fauna occurs over tens of thousands of years. In locations where humans arrived with mature hunting skills a sudden extinction of local plant and animal life occurred. These sudden prehistoric, or Pleistocene, overkills were the first concentrated impact humans had on virgin ecosystems.
The virgin ecosystem of Porto Santo Island was the destination of Portuguese settlers during the 1400s. Porto Santo Island was completely uninhabited and filled with untouched flora and fauna. One Portuguese ship captain brought a mother rabbit and her babies to the island. The rabbits loved Porto Santo and thrived in the island environment. So much so that soon the settlers were blasting away at the rabbits in an attempt to exterminate the entire local rabbit population. It seems the rabbits could not determine the difference between the crops meant for human consumption and the crops meant for bunny consumption. The rabbits won in this instance and for a time the settlers moved elsewhere, "defeated by their own ecological ignorance."
The experience of Spanish invaders in the Canaries showed them that no matter where they went, even if they could not out-fight their opponents, Europeans could dominate their enemies anyway. "In all these [new] places, the newcomers would conquer the human populations and Europeanize entire ecosystems." The Spanish learned from their experiences in the Canaries that their livestock and crops would succeed in these new environments; they also learned they could easily defeat the local natives without traditional warfare. The various "plagues" and "sleeping sicknesses," which the Spanish called peste and modorra, killed off and weakened natives who had no natural immunity to ailments common to the Spanish. In essence, sore throats and colds were the winning weapons of the conquerors; it was the flu that subjugated the Canaries.
The unfortunate natives of the Canary Islands , the Guanches, did not survive their meeting with the Spanish sailors. These previously isolated people died rapidly from dysentery, pneumonia, and venereal disease. According to Crosby "few experiences are as dangerous to a people's survival as the passage from isolation to membership in the worldwide community that included European sailors, soldiers, and settlers." When the Spanish conquered the Canaries the Guanches lost their land and therefore their livelihood. Some Guanches joined the Spanish army and went to fight in the Americas ; the Spanish sold others into slavery. The majority of Guanches however died of disease and the entire population became extinct.
Unlike the Guanches of the Canaries, the Maoris of New Zealand did survive despite great odds. When invaded by Europeans the Maoris assumed they would become extinct. European rats annihilated the Maori rat, an animal that was a food staple for the natives. The Maori fly might have help ward off the incursion of sheep that quickly destroyed the local flora, but invading European houseflies wiped out the local flies. Clover took over where ferns had been, and the Maori waited for their own extinction. The Maori population hit bottom in 1890 but then began a mysterious recovery and 280,000 people claim to be Maori by 1981.
In the 1500s Europeans arrived in the Americas with horses, technology (weapons), domesticated plants (crops), farm animals, germs, insects, diseases, weeds, and varmints. The garbage piled up by farmers encouraged varmint populations (mainly mice and rats) which spread disease and attacked human food supplies. Crosby devoted an entire chapter to the spread of weeds around the world. Weeds are not specific plants. "Weed" is a general term applied to a plant that spreads rapidly and encroaches on other plants. The study of where specific weeds appeared and when, aids in tracking population movements. The weeds brought by Europeans were actually another unintentional imperial victory. Weeds repaired damaged top soils and provided feed for livestock. " Rye and oats were once weeds." "Weeds are the Red Cross of the plant world; they deal with ecological emergencies." "Weeds thrive on radical change, not stability. That, in the abstract, is the reason for the triumph of European weeds in the Neo-Europes..." Weeds were resilient and thrived in soils laid bare by European plows, and damaged by drastically altered ecosystems.
European populations exploded in the Americas and Australia . What distinguished these Neo-Europes were the large food surpluses they generated. Neo-Europes led the world in food production "relative to the amount locally consumed." Other cultures actually produced more food per capita and per hectare, but the Neo-Europes exported more food than any other society. Especially successful exports from Neo-Europes were wheat, soybeans, pig products, and beef. Europeans consistently chose to settle in temperate climates where their animals and crops thrived. This was prudent and logical, it would have made no sense for Europeans to settle in torrid climates where their livestock would have suffered, and their favorite crops could not be grown.
The wind also aided European imperialists. When faced with strong winds the Portuguese marinheiros, true sailors, did not turn around and go home or sit sail-less in the water until the winds changed. Marinheiros would "sail around the wind." Sailors would tack close enough to the contrary wind to keep moving and then find a wind that they could use to continue their course. The Portuguese who perfected this "crabwise slide" called it the volta do mar, literally "going back to the sea." This understanding of winds allowed marinheiros to sail out on trade winds and back home on the westerlies.
Smallpox was the big killer of the Aztecs and the Incas in Peru ; the Huron and Iroquois in Mexico ; and the Amerindians of the United States . Crosby claims the victories of the Conquistadors over the Amerindians were "in large part the triumphs of the virus of smallpox." Besides smallpox Europeans brought dysentery and influenza; those epidemics killed almost the whole indigenous population of North America . In effect, the domination over ecology and culture by European invaders was more of a biological accident, than a well-executed military takeover.
Virgin soil epidemics spread through populations who had no prior contact with European diseases. These populations had no immunity to protect them. Virgin soil epidemics had many dramatic consequences. First, the epidemics effectively committed genocide, killing entire populations of native people around the world. Second, certain diseases (measles, influenza, tuberculosis) effected people fifteen to forty years of age more than others. These young adults were responsible for most of the labor involved in supplying food, procreation, raising children, and defending the society. The third and fourth effects of virgin soil epidemics were cultural optimism on the part of the conquerors, and cultural fatalism on the part of the conquered. When Europeans arrived and slew their rivals without raising a sword they believed that God must be on their side and this belief affirmed the rightness of their imperialistic actions. When the indigenous people died by the hoard from mysterious ailments they developed a fatalistic view of their own destiny and supposed the white man's Gods were the more powerful.
Ecological Imperialism is interesting, occasionally humorous, and easy to read. Crosby accomplishes his goal of writing a big book. This author presents a convincing and encompassing explanation for the incredible success of European imperialists. The book leaves the reader with more questions. How aggressively imperialistic were the original conquerors if all they had to do was show up and their opponents fell to the wayside? Crosby argues convincingly that Europeans were triumphant because the places they chose to conquer had ecosystems and indigenous populations that surrendered to the biology of the invaders.

Alfred Crosby is widely credited for popularising the ecological dimension of the history of imperial expansion. For this reason, and perhaps this reason alone, his book is worth a read.

The book, first published in 1986, revolutionised the way we think about European imperial expansion into the New World. How a few hundred disoriented Europeans armed with spears and misfiring guns managed to overwhelm entire Inca and Aztec civilisations in the early sixteenth century, for example. Crosby convincingly casts aside traditional political or military explanations by attributing the astonishing Portuguese and Spanish victories to bacteriology: how diseases such as smallpox and measles that the Europeans unwittingly carried with them wiped out thousands of New World inhabitants, severely crippling their defences.

The larger point that Crosby drives across is a profound one. Historical events - in this case, European expansion and imperialism - can be explained predominantly by ecological factors. In the clash of `biotas' between the Old and the New World, the Old World won. Convincingly. Hence the presence not just of Europeans in the Americas, but also of pigs and dandelions. According to this thesis, ecology shaped European expansion; creating `Neo-Europes' in the New World that facilitated European migration, precipitating the `Caucasian wave' from the 1820s to the 1930s. Unlike in most other histories, in Crosby's ecological history, humans form the backdrop and inexorable ecological forces take centre-stage.

Refreshing as this perspective is, the way that Crosby has rendered it is problematic in on a number of accounts. By excluding humans from the picture; or at best relegating human developments to the sidelines, Crosby emerges with a dangerously reductive picture of historical development. Deterministic ecological explanations cannot alone account for European expansion - after all, we must not forget that the first European transoceanic voyages were motivated by curiosity rather than necessity. More problematic is the book's implicit assumption that ecological influence was unidirectional. In concentrating on explicating the Old World's ecological victory over the New, Crosby neglects to examine the influence that New World ecology had on the Old.

Nonetheless, Crosby's work remains a landmark study that deserves a read. Moreover, it packs a punch as a piece of writing - its lucid narratives and provocative assertions laid out with the bold and elegant strokes of a master-artist. Yet Crosby's work is also increasingly a dated study that has been qualified over and over by new works in the field, or in the related field of environmental history. Those interested in the subject should by no means stop at Crosby's book.

"Dr. Gail's" Insightful how-to guide brings order and understanding to why we dress and groom the way we do. It helps women to feel comfortable in their own skin by illuminating the reason behind what sometimes seems like madness. In today's cookie-cutter, judgemental time when so-called fashion gurus with flash-in-a-pan book deals and cable television shows, it's refreshing to know that there is a voice crying out in the wilderness saying, it's ok to be who GOD made you; and to reflect your individuality through your style. Kudos to Dr. Gail!

Daughters of the King : Finding Victory Through Your God-Given Personal Style by Gail M. Hayes
Walk Worthy Press -May 2005
Full of inspiration and self-reflections.

Have you ever wondered why you like the things you like or even what career would best be suited for you? Have you ever daydreamed about Mr. Right or what makes you really you? Well, look no futher! DAUGHTERS OF THE KING suggests the ideal types of careers, spouses, clothing and loads of other things! We've all seen or heard about personality analysis before, whether it was Meyers-Briggs or some other method. Yet, Dr. Gail M. Hayes provides a whole new perspective in her book DAUGHTERS OF THE KING, which opens by providing an analytical quiz to the reader to help determine which of the six types they may fall into, from Jaunty Espirit to Sensual Exotic. For instance, if you fall in the "Harmonic Refined" category, you may see yourself as some type of diplomat affecting world peace or how about an accountant keeping the numbers in order? With your distinctive traits, you like to plan your work and work your plan. You have a great eye for detail. Just like the prophetess Anna, people have great respect for you and how you get things done but their feathers may get ruffled by your directness. Whereas your "Elegant Flamboyant" sister is a woman in charge and she has no problem letting others know it. She is the free-spirit entrepreneur who loves marching to the beat of her own drummer, just like her Biblical counterpart Lydia. She could also be that talk show host who likes to be the center of everyone's spot. Although these are just two of the personality traits highlighted in the book, Dr. Hayes relates each of the six traits back to a Biblical female and thoroughly provides insight ranging from clothing and jewelry preferences to career choices and family relations.

All in all, I enjoyed the approach DAUGHTERS OF THE KING provided. It was an interesting glimpse into a subject matter that I've studied in the past. While I enjoyed the biblical references, I thought some of the generalizations about the various image types may have been just that, too general. Yet, I found myself studying the text in the book and at times, laughing out loud or shaking my head in agreement. If you're curious to see how your personality style matches up to your biblical counterpart, do not pass up DAUGHTERS OF THE KING.

Reviewed by Nedine
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Authors Gail M. Hayes, PHD, has written an awesome non fiction guide for women of all ages, all races, to help them to first understand that they are unique and one of a kind. A woman of God called before the foundation of the Earth to be who they are according to how God made them.

Daughters of the King helps us to recognize our personal God given style so that we will not try to fit into someone else's mold or perception of who we are. We can be ourselves proudly knowing who we are in God regardless of our personality styles, which includes our dress, what kind of jobs we enjoy, our ministries, our family lives, and who we are as a whole.

What I enjoyed the most was utilizing the Image Indicator in the beginning of the book and finding out what personality style I am and then reading further in the book to see how very accurate it was. Being called "Jaunty Esprit" was very unexpected, but after reading through the book, I found that I had a little in each personality style.

I would recommend this book to all women regardless of their race, religion, or dress size. What Dr. Hayes shares in her book will cause you to take self-inventory to find all of the amazing things about yourself that is personally and uniquely yours created by God.

Reviewed by Sharel E. Gordon-Love
APOOO Book Blub

An incredibly interesting and wildly fun - and I must admit truly accurate book - found me recently. It is Gail M. Hayes' book, Daughters of the King.

Hayes believes that every woman has her own unique sense of style that is not only how she dresses but also how she does things (like holding an eating utensil or how she thinks). It is her very essence. It is simply who women are in the world and as children of God.

Hayes presents a simple twelve-question image indicator, and from the answers can tell women what type they are; Jaunty Esprit, Harmonic Refined, Elegant Flamboyant, Creative Poetic, Chantilly Graceful or Sensual Exotic. Now you might scoff or even laugh at the thought that a short questionnaire can pinpoint style, but I must confess that when I took the test, it was so accurate it shocked me. And no, I'm not going to share my style. I'd like to quietly savor it for awhile before proclaiming it to everyone.

Once you have determined your style, Hayes discusses in depth the beauty of your unique style, the inner you, tells a biblical story, discuses your style and family life, your strengths in the body of Christ, working style, good career choices, color and clothing and jewelry choices, as well as make up and hair styles.

I absolutely love this book because it's fun, it explains my style personally and as a child of God. And because it is, as I said before, so accurate! Women, buy this book, share it with your daughter, friends and anyone who will listen. I see style parties cropping up all over the country. "What fun!"

I did things a little backward and read Crosby's second book first, and when I read Long Time Gone it ended up being an irresistible forensic study of Crosby's life. It was a fabulous read. It made you wonder how any person could do that to himself and live to right about it. Make sure you buy both of Crosby's books. If you are a child of the 60's or 70's, it will transport you back to Woodstock and all of those confused feelings of your youth.

Whenever I may be asked to recount books I have enjoyed / lives I've enjoyed reading about - THIS book and THIS life will forever be upon that list.

David Crosby - the genuine article.

Long time gone provides an insight into one of the great survivors, nay legends, of the 65-75 era as well as entertaining observations on the culture of the times. fascinating reading for anyone of a certain age.

I am reading a first edition used hard-cover of this book and it sure brings back some memories! Like the one reviewer said,if you lived in those times,came of age in those times,this book will flood your mind with a-hankering for the good old days of mellow music,mellow weed and mellow and friendly girls. what an age of innocence!
i miss it very bad...gottlieb i think got it right,the "60's" were actually the decade of 1965-1975...a fantastic time that will never be back.i think the times we're in now could use some of the attitudes of the 65-75 era.good golden and red marijuana included. too bad human nature took it all and trashed it.thanks,david crosby for making me think about my youth as it developed into adulthood.
god bless you.
i was on the edge of the CSN and CSNY,Byrds,Springfield music...i was into the British groups and was gone on the Beatles and Who especially.
alot of my amigos were heavy into CSNY,much more than i was and i should've been myself-just never got around to them...(except for the Deja Vu LP- a top 10 classic.)i was also involved w/ the grateful dead and jazz and pink floyd.i liked the electric attitude of hendrix,too.
CSNY,CSN were too acoustic for my tastes at that time.it was a stroke of genius to get neil young-he made all the difference for me.
anyway,i am ranging...the book is great.read it and be prepared to go down Memory Lane.

This book is an amazing document about an amazing performer, born at the right time, in the right place, with the right set of talents needed to succeed (and fail, spectacularly).

If you are interested at all in American culture from the sixties to now, this is essential reading. Basically, David was born in Santa Barbara, grew up in the 50s loving sailing, cars, and women, later to be joined by music. He fell into the folk scenes then emerging in the early 60s, and by dint of personality and talent, worked his way into the Byrds, then CSN, then a sybaritic lifestyle that broke the mold.

Holy cow -- this is a highly entertaining, engrossing story of the American Dream gone good, gone bad, then gone good again. You will not put it down.

Hooray for the survivors, the dreamers, the lovers, the music-makers.

This is not what you are going to hear in the pulpit. This teaching was truly divinely inspired to set the captives free. Now I know that I can never be good enough through works to earn the Love of God, acceptance and grace of God. They are a gift that He has given me in the person of Jesus Christ and all I have to do is receive His Son. This book truly has changed how I view my relationship with Christ and has set a bubbling brook of worship and adoration for the Lord. As you can see I highly recommend this book for those that truly want to be set free!!!

One of the stones that many Christians stumble over is the idea that Jesus wants us to keep a set of rules. This misperception is a subtle but deadly trap by which we are so easily snared. In this book Steve Crosby does a very articulate and biblically solid job of showing that performing to make the Lord Jesus happy is not a New Testament reality. As a Christian, we can have a living relationship with Jesus, and this changes everything. Read this book to see how the New Testament clearly spells out this profound difference, and that our relationship with Jesus provides us with the keys to release from this deadly trap of striving - and the defeat that always follows (Romans 7:15).

Anyone who really wants to be freed from the deceptive power of leaglism and a spiritual life motivated by performance will benefit from this book. The author has researched it thoroughly by diligent study of the Scriptures, theological works, and contemporary authors. Application of the truth presented in this book can change your whole life. It has mine.

In Silent Killers, Dr. Crosby hits home on the central issue of modern christianity - legalism. In it, he does an outstanding job of explaining the real truth of the gospel of Christ.

This book brings alive the truth of Paul's teaching; which focuses on living life in harmony with the Holy Spirit, and has nothing to do with following any set of religious rules. The leading of the Holy Spirit, and the life of Christ in you is the fulfillment of the law; and we are no longer bound to live under the weight of perfect adherence to a legal code.

We are freed from the burden of the law; and so are freed to walk joyfully in Christ - and fulfill the law from the inside - not from the outside.

A definite must read!!!

In a day and age when church is becoming more and more organized and professional, a book like this one helps bring a clear, refreshing and liberating perspective. I agree with this author wholeheartedly that Jesus has come to release us from the tyranny of trying and set us free to the liberating secret of trusting. My hope is that all the folks that genuinely love the Lord but are contemplating never darkening thte doors of a local church again out of complete and utter exhaustion will some how find a copy of this book before they give up all hope. How true it is that Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden light. Thank you Dr. Crosby for reminding us all that He's already carried our burdens up to calvary and we don't need to dance to impress Him any longer. I highly recommend this book.

Bob Grimm
Walla Walla, Washington

This book is real, deep and insightful. I find myself in awe of the personal courage of the men who ventured over Festung Europa during the darkest days of 1943 and early 1944. I read and reread this book whenever I need inspiration to face daunting and/or painful circumstances. I really wish that it was back in print.

Harry captures it all. Being a navigator in one of the most colorful bomber groups of the 8th Air Force in WWII, (if not the most colorful.) Harry is there as an original crewmember of the Bloody Hundredth. In a time where your life expectancy was 8 missions and you had to fly 25... Harry's a one off, what a story, what a history. Should be mandatory reading for anyone who claims to be American.. Well done.
Mark

Find a copy of this book somewhere, it is well worth the extra effort. Only the new WWII airwar novel, The Triumph and the Glory, moved me as much as Crosby's epic tale of the 100th Bomb Group

Harry Crosby's account of the 100th Bomb Group and the air war against Naze Germany from mid-1943 till the end is one of the most informative and thoughtful memoirs of those dark days. Crosby relates many stories in his accounts, of his own experiences as a navigator, of the impact that Curtis LeMay and other group commanders had on combat techniques, of the sometimes touchy relationships between AAF personnel and their British hosts, and some thoughtful observations of the nature of war and the overall bombing campaign.

Crosby with a degree in English and considerable writing experience writes lucid, stripped-down prose, and his accounts of navigating under difficult circumstances brought a reality than few other accounts--written mainly by former pilots--have done. His story of an early mission to Trondheim, in Norway, is a gem of the navigator's problems--of unexpected cloud cover, of flying over Norway where, as Hobler put it, one fjiord from the air looks like another, and the element of luck and chance in any mission. As a WWII navigator in the Pacific, these types of details were welcome, as was his understanding of the "place" of navigator's in the AAF pecking order. When I was informed in December 1945 that I was on a preferred list of those to man the postwar Air Force, I politely declined knowing that navigators would be highly unlikely to advance at the rate of pilots. (I did, however, remain the reserves for 20 years}.

What comes through most clearly, however, was the terrible losses that the 8th suffered in its campaign against Germany's manufacturing capacity and infrastructure, and of the courage and perseverence of those who served. The 100th BG, for example, arrived in midyear, 1943, with 35 crews; only one intact crew completed 25 missions, though a few other crew members from crews broken up because of casualities and other reasons also survived. Was it worth it? Did the damage done justify the loss in life, not only of the air crews but also those of German civilians and others killed by the raids. Crosby is a bit ambilavent--he joined the anti-war movement in the 1960s. Nonetheless, no one can take away from the aircrews, and those who did not return, their courage and belief that they were part of a grand but terrible endeavor to bring the war to an end and of the demented policies of Hitler and his Nazi cohorts . May they rest in peace.

Harry Crosby was a navigator in the 100th Bomb Group in World War II. He was one of the original members of the 100th, a bomb group that, because it ventured into battle with less training than groups preceding it, and because of its unenviable position flying in the lower part of the formation on many missions, suffered heavy losses and became known as "The Bloody Hundredth". Crosby uses his obvious skill as a student of the English language to recreate the drama, the humor, and the terror of flying B-17's out of East Anglia in the war. He describes many of the historic missions flown by the 8th Air Force as an eyewitness. I have read the book several times and it is good history as well as a good study of human beings and the stresses they face daily in war. I highly recommend this book.

A few years ago, as a college student, I had the opportunity of hearing a speaker who got his start as a copywriter at Ogilvy & Mather. While speaking, and in private group sessions, he disclosed that before going into advertising, he had just gotten his degree in Political Science, a subject totally unrelated to the fast-paced, crazy-creative, lucrative world of advertising. He bought this book, followed it to a T, built his portfolio, and was able to bluff his way into his first job in NYC. He impressed me so much, that I've been looking for this book ever since. I'm so glad that I was able to find it, (still in print, thank goodness) and am anxiously waiting for its delivery. As of December 2000, I have my degree in advertising, but I wasn't prepared for the angst of breaking into the business, and I was given so little guidance in preparing a 'book'. I think this book is really going to help.

I bought this book in the mid-80s when I was a fledgling copywriter in New York City.

It was helpful in focusing on what was important in putting my book together. But not everything in this book is a hard-and-fast fact. For example, in the author's opinion, it is okay to simply have stick figures for your visuals. But every ad person I talked with said this thinking was completely wrong. The truth is, you need to have as professional-looking a book as possible, which means you need to hire, at the very least, a professional art director to draw your visual for you. Better yet, get some photos for your ad if that is what is meant to be there.

Competition for jobs is just so fierce, you need to do whatever you can to package yourself ahead of the next guy. Great ideas are not enough anymore; they need to look great, too.

In the end, I was always given the "great book, no jobs" refrain. After three years of pounding the streets of NYC, I never got a job. There was even an ringing endorsement from a New York creative director on the back cover which read "I will give anyone who follows this book's advice an automatic interview!" I never even got a return phone call from the guy.

I would recommend this book to a beginner, but with the caveat that the ideas inside are just one person's opinion, and should not be considered gospel.

Many people ask me which book they should read to help them get a job as a copywriter. My usual answer? Get Maxine's book. It is absolutely "must" reading and the first and last word on the subject!

This is one of those books that even the laziest of readers will finish in one sitting. Alright, maybe two, but I'm pioneering a higher kind of lazy.

Many people ask me which book they should read to help them get a job as a copywriter. My usual answer? Get Maxine's book. It is absolutely "must" reading and the first and last word on the subject!

this was a favorite of mine as a kid; fun and easy to read for kids.

My first grader loves reading this book! Easy words and repetitive phrases make learning to read more fun and quickly builds self esteem!
--Vicki Landes, author of "Europe For The Senses - A Photographic Journal"

This children's book is wickedly funny, and a pleasure to read aloud. The intracacies of "I never said you said I was..." make the book as interesting for adults as it is for children. I read this one aloud to all my friends, because it is simply too good a book to keep on a shelf collecting dust!

I actually still have my 1962 Hardcover edition and wouldn't part with it for the world! My children even love it. It is 64 pages, but is very easy to read. (My 5 year old can read it too!)

I loved this book as a kid and was thrilled that my six-year-old niece enjoyed it enough for repetitive reading (I still don't mind reading it over and over). The main character is endearing and the text is funny and fast-paced. I keep it on my bookshelf with my childhood classics and keepsakes.

I bought this for my four-year-old daughter, and this has become a favorite bedtime story book for her. It is perfectly gear for the younger ages with many colorful examples of coats of arms along with some elementary explanations of why they existed. The stencil is great and allows the youngest artist to make their very own arms. (I recommend make copies fo the blank shield and letting the wee ones mark up the copies.)

This book is great! It has lots of color, very kid-friendly. It has explanations of the colors and many designs or pictures you may find on a coat of arms. Very helpful for coat of arms lessons and as a tool to help a child create their own coat of arms. My homeschool group used this for children aged 4-11 and they all loved looking at it!

Catherine Daly-Weir has done an excellent job of presenting a general and yet fairly complete introduction to Heraldry. The illustrations are beautiful and attractive. Obviusly written for the younger reader, adults will enjoy just as well. If you are working on a club/class project and need to creat a Coat of Arms, this book and Rosemary Chorzempa's "Design Your Own Coat of Arms" are all you need! You will have no trouble creating your own Coat of Arms expecially with the plastic stencil which is included in the book. A must have!

This book is great. It covers several aspects of heraldry (history, battlefield, heralds, tournaments, rules, positioning, meaning of designs etc.) without being overwhelming for children. I have used this book with my art therapy students, and my sister has used it with her students with art class...all the students loved it. Even those who can't read can get alot from the book as illustrations are excellent. I highly recommend. Ages 6-adult...I have even used this book to design a shield for myself. For those interested in other sources...Heraldic Design by Hubert Allcock is also a great sourcebook.

I think this is excellent for younger children. It is a good basic introduction.

I enjoyed every moment of this nostalgic ride back down memory lane. Dr. Crosby is telling it like it is, without pretense or exaggeration. Well done my sister and keep em coming.

Antoine C.

This is the best biography that I have ever read. Dr. Crosby pens sheer passion and political poetry as she describes her awesome life. This hynpotic book defined, validated, and soothed all of the pain and isolation that I have ever felt as an African-American womanist. It also expertly exposed rabid colorism, sexism, and elitism in Egypt. This book is a masterful gift to womanist word singers and wounded African-American female souls...

[...].

Dr Crosby: Thank you for penning this masterpiece!

Alicia Banks

Dr. Crosby's self-examination of feminism, class divides, and sexual power struggles in "If My Soul Be Lost", was an amazing and raw journey to read. I find it very inspiring for someone to bare all, while keeping the context intact. No melodrama here. For me, it was a chance to think even more critically where I fit, as a feminist, as a gay, white male, and as a professional who is looking for more. Excellent national debut, what a beautiful portrait.

If My Soul Be Lost encapsulated everything that I think, breath, and feel as an educated, young, feminist, black woman. Thank you for writing an inspiring self-portrait that provides a place for me as well. Few contemporary works are able to accurately and poignantly depict the realities that many young black women face as this text has. So intensely profound I read it in one sitting . I cannot say much more but that I loved every letter of it....

A well-written piece, that will/does capture a portrait of many lives. She reminds you over and over again, that she is still becoming a whole person, which is something most forget. Dr. Crosby speaks to every women/man struggling to create themselves from the inside out. This book kept my attention, with humor and a well-captured, well-executed sadness. She uncovers feminist concepts and ideas we all question, but "no one ever says so outloud." I recommend this book to anyone who has ever questioned their journey as a women, but most of all as a women.

Explains the learning crisis we have in America today. It all really boils down to not having enough high quality, professional teachers to go around. This results, among other things, in some kids, from the best school districts, being exposed frequently to highly capable teachers , and others having very little exposure to excellent teachers--year after year. Now that I understand this, I can see that this is where the entire achievement gap comes from.

Why do we not have enough top quality teachers? Because we fritter away money on educational bandaid programs instead of devoting the bulk of the dollars to creating a career ladder for teachers. Outstanding teachers ought to be able to aspire to earn $100,000 once they reach a certain point in their careers; poor teachers ought to be ushered out the door before they do too much damage to young minds.

We need a professional teaching corps in this country, and this book shows us how to get there. Buy it and give it to your favorite teacher for teacher appreciation day.

Finally, a teacher not an outside consultant writes a book about the teaching profession. Brian Crosby accurately examines the long-standing problems with the antiquated public school system. His proposals, from paying teachers based on performance to a career ladder for teachers, could help revolutionize the teaching profession for the better, thus attracting higher talented people into it. Let's hope people read this to see how it really is like to teach in the public schools. Politicians could take a lesson from this book on how to improve our schools.

Mr. Crosby's well-written book is a must-read for anyone interested in the state of our educational system today. I do not agree with every single thing he has to say, but he does come up with some good ideas and well-thought out solutions to our current public school problems. He states his case clearly and concisely. This is a book that should be read by every teacher in the country. Bravo to Mr. Crosby for a job well done!

Brian Crosby understands what is happening in our public schools. Our public schools really are facing a crisis of unprecedented proportions, especially in Crosby's (and my) home state, California. He understands that a society that pays its prison guards more than its teachers has its values distorted. His solution is a noble one, one that will work, and he outlines in considerable detail the steps necessary for its implementation in this easy to read, well thought out presentation. However, I am sorry to say that I don't think the $100,000 teacher is going to happen any time soon.

Why? Mainly because there is a perception on a significant part of the public that teachers have it easy because they only work 180 days a year and therefore shouldn't be paid more. As a former teacher myself, one who retired young from the profession because of the inequities experienced, I can tell you that this perception is grossly mistaken for any number of reasons, but is true in at least one sense. To put it bluntly, it is true for the teacher who doesn't care, for the teacher who just wants to get a paycheck, for the teacher who has tenure and sees his or her responsibility as not extending beyond that of a glorified babysitter. And this goes for administrators who only want glorified babysitters. Crosby understands this and that is why his program is designed to weed out the teacher who doesn't care and reward the teacher who takes pride in teaching and wants to help his or her students succeed. That teacher IS a $100,000 teacher, if only we knew.

The salient point of this book then is a realization that the problem of adequate public financial support for education and for upgrading the teaching profession will not be solved until the present tenure system is abolished. As Crosby expresses it, "...no matter the lousy job one performs, once tenured (after a two or three years of teaching), one is in it for life." (p. 106)

The immediate effect of this system is to tie the hands of administrators. They cannot easily influence poor teachers, nor can they get rid of them. Conversely those teachers who really care and give their best to their students are not rewarded and so they leave the profession in frustration. As Crosby points out on the very first page of the book, "One-fifth of all new teachers quit within three years" and "Half of all new teachers quit within five years."

An unintended consequence of the present system is to make teachers and administrators adversaries. Administrators want teachers to do more, but teachers are not rewarded for doing more, so they (the ones that stay) resist. In addition, typically the school principal leads the negotiating committee for the school district against the teacher's union. So instead of working together for student achievement, teachers and administrators become adversaries. This dissipates their ability as educators.

In the long run the effect of the tenure system is synergistic in a negative sense in that it tends to attract and keep only mediocre teachers poorly supervised by mediocre administrators who are at odds with one another. Although this truth is well-known to everybody in the profession, suggestions for abolishing the system will not sit well with the various teacher's organizations since they are addicted to tenure and cannot kick the habit. An enlightened and energized public is necessary to help them. This in essence is what Crosby is calling for.

His solution must be taken seriously because there are standing in the wings other "solutions" to the problem including the privatization of education through something like a voucher system. Vouchers will lead to the end of public education in America, that is, to the dismantling of a system that was largely responsible for the fabulous economic growth of this country. Privatization will then lead to a further economic polarization of society. Those who have the wherewithal will be able to afford a good education for their children; those who do not, will not.

In any case, teachers and their professional organizations should be aware, that the time of the mediocre teacher and the adversarial system between mediocre teachers and mediocre administrators is coming to an end. I hope that the public sees the light in time and the reforms outlined by Crosby become a reality.

In his thoughtful, well-written book, Mr. Crosby cuts through the emotion, politics and misinformation that prevents improvement in our schools. He carefully and articulately lays out a logical, common sense solutuion---namely, if you want high quality sevices, provided by high quality people in a difficult profession, then you must pay commensurate salaries. Unions would automatically become less powerful and less important as market forces work demanding competitive high quality results. His case is intelligently presented using statistical data as well as personal experiences from his years "on the front line" as a L.A. County high school teacher. The book is highly informational as well as conversational---a must read for anyone interested in public education.