Curtis Books

I really enjoyed how Liz Curtis Higgs wrote this book in two separate parts; the first being a fictional story and the second being the study. It helped to develop the relationship between Jesus and Mary M. The Study was super informative as well, however I did feel that she was distracted by tangents that we not completely relevent to Mary's story. Overall it was very informative and enjoyable.

If the Bible labels Mary Magdelene a prostitute, need we speculate about her race? The same goes for Rohab, Jezebel, etc. It's the sick side of the Old and New Testaments.
Donald Redford calls them the most maligned race in history.

I bought this book because I love Liz's sense of humor and thought that was what I was buying. I took it on vacation with me and read the novel portion of the book and was pleasantly surprised that it was a well written novel with a very serious side (it made me cry on the airplane). I enjoyed it so much that I am going to suggest it as a book/bible study at church. Liz is a multi-talented sister and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase anything that she wrote.

Karen Lancto

This is a very unique way to study the Bible and its interesting characters. Higgs is extremely witty and creative!

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com, 3/08
Unveiling Mary Magdalene was previously published as Mad Mary. I am glad Ms. Higgs changed the name. This wonderful Biblical character deserved a superior title. Liz Curtis Higgs is the expert (in my opinion) when it comes to insight into women of the Bible. Unveiling Mary Magdalene begins with a fictional account of Mary Delaney. Mary is mentally ill; she was drawn to a church where she finds grace, forgiveness, love, and acceptance. Her church family assists her in cleaning up her home and finding homes for her numerous cats. Farris C. (a great play on words) was the epitome of a modern day Pharisee. The second section of this book begins at chapter nine. This is the non-fiction section. I find it gratifying that someone is willing to tell the true story of Mary Magdalene. There are many myths circulating about this wonderful woman; she was not a prostitute, nor was she the lover or wife of Jesus Christ. Mary was most likely a middle-aged woman, possibly a widow with an income. She was a woman that had demons cast out of her. She was respected, and she is mentioned by name in the Bible as one of the followers of Christ.
Liz Curtis Higgs has a gift for writing with wit and drama. Her style is over the top; however, that does not detract from her research and knowledge. Each chapter has discussion questions, and there is an in-depth study guide that can be purchased separately. Currently I am leading a co-ed study of this book. The members of this group are enjoying it. They have found the study both informative and entertaining. Even more importantly, they have found it spiritually moving. Kudos to Ms. Higgs. She has done it again. Unveiling Mary Magdalene is a must read!

I have waited so long for this book after reading "Baggage Check"by Curtis Bunn in 2001. That book was wonderful. So, I knew "Book Club" would be great, and it was.
There are five very different stories in this book and all of them entertain you and make you think it one way or another. Without giving up the plots, it was hard for me to figure out which story I liked the best. The most emotional one was the Houston story of a book club with all men. It actually brought tears down my face. The Atlanta story was a trip and taught a valuable lesson. The D.C. story reminded me of a situation I had with a friend, so that one about trust really hit home with me. And the New York story, there's no one who cannot relate to that, no one who can read it and not feel moved and learn the ultimate lesson. The online story in California, that was very funny. Too many of us are fake about who we really are, so that story taught another great lesson. I'm not in a book club, but after reading "Book Club," I want to be in one. And the "Book Club Starter Kit" in the back of the book is helping me in starting one. Overall, each story could have been a full book, which means I didn't want any of them to end. Another wonderful job, Mr. Bunn. You have me as your No. 1 fan.
LANA RICKETT, New York

Cydney Rax, an author promoter

Wonderful
Book Club is one of the best books I've read this year. Curtis Bunn writes from a female perspective as if he's in touch with women's feelings, thoughts, and attitudes. The short stories are compelling, realistic, they make you laugh, think, and nod your head in agreement regarding the issues he covers. It's an engaging book that's highly recommended. If you enjoyed Baggage Check, you'll enjoy Book Club times two.

Curtis Bunn returns as the leading literary voice in his sophomore project "BookClub." The long awaited follow-up to his Essence Bestseller "Baggage Check" features five novellas surrounding the tumultuous lives of bookclub members. Each story is about a different bookclub in a different city. The Atlanta bookclub features a pretentious group of sophisticates; the Houston-based bookclub has the homeboys; the D.C. bookclub is thinly disguised alumni association; the NYC bookclub is an ethnic hodgepodge set during the disastrous 9/11 tragedy; and the on-line bookclub resides in San Fran.

The stories touch every strain of human emotion imaginable. As a reader, you go from uncontrollable, knee-slapping laughter to run-in-the-corner-and-hide sobbbing. Bunn is merciless in his writing as he takes you high and low, and side-to-side. His wit is unceasing and his unpredictability delectably disturbing.

A must-read book by the must-read author. The Gander--Curtis Bunn.

Sometimes reading is just about being entertained. Sometimes it's more than that and Book Club by Curtis Bunn was more than just entertainment. It really is a smart book with very interesting characters with a lot on their minds. It's kind of amazing a man can write so realistically about a woman's thoughts and motivations. I'm really impressed.

This book gives you a message -- five of them actually. And they all are like life lessons to hold on to after you finish the book. And when you finish you'll be tempted to start over and read the stories again.

For me, someone who reads every single day and every single genre, that's the tale-tell sign of a good, intelligent book.
Cynthia Martin, Chicago

Curtis Bunn provides a peek into the makings of five vastly different book clubs in his novel, Book Club; books are their life and their life is a book. If you belong to a book club you know it can become a very intricate part of your life. Some clubs are social events, some are very structured, some are gender specific and some are just informal gatherings. However, the members all have one thing in common and that's their love for books.

In the Atlanta based book club B.E.L.L.E.S, the members thrived on being pretentious, and each meeting was more extravagant than the next. When men are allowed to join the club a not so secret romance is formed between two of the members. In the Bay Area Online Readers, a few of the members meet at a book signing at Marcus Bookstore. While easy to recognize based on their physical descriptions, the perceptions are some times way off base. In the all male book club Ballers, Shotcallers and Book Worms, athletic and savvy businessmen are invited to have their meeting at the home of a woman they met at the gym. She delves into the psyche of the men as she pursues her dream of writing a book about book clubs. The New York based Everybody's Book Club members worked at the World Trade Center and are very effected by September 11th. The Washington DC, based Women of the Knight is a club were the women all claim to be friends and come together in crises, but trust is a major issue.

I anticipated reading this book for quite a while. I had a different idea of what to expect. I was more looking forward to reading about the accounts of what went on at book club meetings and their actual discussion of books. However, what I got was stories narrated by one member of the club and how the relationship of the members developed over time. I was also very disappointed in the editing of this book. There were obvious spelling and grammatical errors that should have been picked up by a good editor. I think book club members for all types of book clubs will enjoy taking a peek at what other book clubs are experiencing.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub

this book is a fine summary and practical look at the virtues. i highly recommend it for either reading or as a bible study. we are using it as a men's study.

This books is a good introduction to the four cardinal virtues and the theological virtues. It uses the Catechism of the Catholic Church and personal experience to show how important developing virtues (habits for doing what is good with ease, promptness, and joy) to live a happy and successful life. The section on the theological virtues is good (supernatural habits which bring us into union with God). I highly recommend this book.

This is great on audiotape too. The most down to earth, sensible, practical book on the subject. A vital necessity to growing in common sense and wisdom. How does one exercise prudence? justice? charity? While every father needs this book or tape, every mom will benefit from reading and listening over dad's shoulders. It is a treasure chest that you will refer to often so don't hide it from yourself and consider this as a simple, yet significant way to improve your corner of the world: give copies to those you love and know. We've received abundant praises for this and when lending it out, found that it was lent out to another family and another. We ended up buying 2 copies due to the late return.

This is the must have book for coaching boys sports. You can take the virtues described in Tim's book and transform into team talks. There is a group that advocates this book and has done wonders with sporting teams. [...] and see how they use virtue talks to spark the faith.

As a book for our Men's Group the book is very helpful to teach us what virtues are to be about. The implemenation of the scripture and catechesis are powerful and I can't say enough good things about this small study book. Thank you and God Bless.

Edward S. Curtis' work is absolutely beautiful, his work shows his in dept knowledge, respect and affection to his subjects. This edition featured Mr. Curtis' significant works, the reproductions of the photos were outstanding in every detail. I highly recommend this book and is a must for evry photographer's and anthropologist's library

Regardless of your personal feelings about Edward Curtis as a photographer of native Americans, the quality of his photography is superb and the reproductions in this compilation are outstanding. Instead of using the conventional halftone printing technique, the publisher used the digital Agfa CristalRaster(TM) technology which produces reproductions of exceptional clarity and sharpness. This volume is far superior, technically, to the recently released compilation entitled "Sacred Legacy" by the same authors and if you only want one book for your library "Native Nations" is the one.

What a beautiful book this is! Everyone that looks at it has trouble putting it down. Sure, some of the politically correct will say that Curtis exploited the Native American and that scenes at times appear posed-I hate to tell you this but that was the ways things were at the time-period. Just the fact that Curtis traveled to these places at that point in history is a marvel. His images are magical at times and I thank him for his artistry. I am sure that the people in his portraits were willing participants and have gained an immortality of sorts with the beauty of his work. Enjoy this book for what it is-not what you think it should have been.

Edward S. Curtis' work is absolutely beautiful, his work shows his in dept knowledge, respect and affection to his subjects. This edition featured Mr. Curtis' significant works, the reproductions of the photos were outstanding in every detail. I highly recommend this book and is a must for evry photographer's and anthropologist's library

I had an opportunity to learn of this book through a documentary film which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Director Anne Makepeace tells the incredible story of how Edward Curtis devoted his life's work to writing and producing photographs for 20 volumes on 88 American Indian tribes. I expect that few anthropological studies of this scope and depth exist. His respect and deep knowledge of the Indian culture comes through clearly. He went largely unrecognized during his life time-a Van Gogh-like figure. His work is a must for any serious student of anthropology or history.

The author has some distinctive insights concerning judgment and judging. This book not only encourages the way I look at others, it challenges the way I look at myself as well.

I work at the same location with Curtis so we get to cross paths once in awhile. To look in his eyes, then read his wonderful book, then look in his eyes again is a miracle that God has given me. While you might not get to look in Curtis's eyes, read his book and know it is inspired by Providence. David Hall (Yachats, Oregon)

I received this book as a gift. The book makes you think. I am an agnostic, but some of my friends are christians, and we have had good discussion based on Mr. Hahn's writings. Its a quick read, and interesting enough to keep even a non-believer reading to the end.

Awesome book. One you will read over again. Writen well with the right scriptures to guide you. I recommend this to believers and non-believers both. It will open your eyes

Excellent read! Using good judgement is beautiful, being judgemental is ugly. This book is exactly what a super enthusiastic believer in Christ should read.

This book was given to me by a friend, when I was laid up for three months due to a riding accident. Most people don't know it - but hearty women like the ones referenced in these stories are still alive and well and working today. My hats off to you ladies - because the computer and cell phone era don't change a thing when it comes to getting up cattle, riding herd and fixing fence, feeding stock, even when you are not well. The work still has to be done. Livestock know no sick days!

Very well written. The stories were short, sweet, touching, informative. They tugged on your heart. They made your imagination kick in. They made you appreciate (or should have made you appreciate) what you live with today. I think women truly bear the soul of the earth. It made me laugh, and cry.

If you are interested in life in the western United States during the first half of the twentieth century, you will want this book. The same is true if you enjoy stories of how women coped and mastered the challenges of life in rural America. The memoirs and poems contributed by over 200 women are also of sufficient literary value to warrant attention. There are tales of fun, loss, adventure, sadness, achievement, and the fullness of life. It is a great book to keep on your end table, reading a few pages at a time and masticating on them before nibbling off another morsel. A capsule biography for each contributor is a tremendous addition. Reading this book is enormous fun. Be aware that the editors of "Leaning into the Wind" followed it with "Woven on the Wind" and you will want both of them

Real women are all around us, but we are so used to seeing through the spectacles of our stereotypes that we don't always recognize them. The editors of this grand and courageous anthology, three ranchwomen who got fed up with the way Western women are imagined ("slim blonds in tight jeans on prancing palominos, or musclebound heifers who look and smell like old leather"), have given us the Real Thing--and we all ought to be enduringly grateful.

Leaning Into the Wind is an amazing collection of writing by women of the High Plains, a chorus of distinctive voices, each speaking her own strong language. In it you will read about milking, lame horses, cowmoms, and sleeping with the pigs. You'll hear chilling descriptions of wind and winter, the poetry of coyotes, a recipe for bug spray--and throughout, the voices of extraordinary women working, loving, mothering, living.

The editors sifted manuscripts from 550 women in six Western states--"a tower of submissions twelve feet high" that included photo albums, letters, handwritten pages, diaries, and more--to give us this collection. And a marvelous collection it is, with sections such as "Growing into the Land," "Pay a Holy Kind of Attention," and "The River of Stories."

But the only way to tell you about this rare book is to give you a taste of it. Here are a few bits and pieces to whet your appetite for more:

"I could have used a warm breeze instead of the icy wind. Or grass underfoot--that would have been easier to walk over than powdery snow and frozen manure. But most of all, I could have used a glimpse into the future the day we decided to double our beef herd."--Audrey A. Keith

"My Aunt Mary told me that she never saw my mother sit down unless she was breast-feeding one of us. She did not have the time or energy to care for so many children. After five years on the North Dakota homestead my mother was committed to an asylum in Jamestown, where she died three years later...In the asylum, my mother gave birth to her seventh child, a daughter. Friends of the family adopted her."--Ann Vontz

"I carry the ranch inside me. I can close my eyes and see every sticky weed around our house, the gopher holes, the path to the coal house and the privy. And I can feel my feet on the path as I run barefoot from our house to the ranch house where the corrals wedge against the cottonwoods that line the river."--Phyllis Luman Metal

"I've loved good men and rode good horses."--Karen Obrigewitch

"Just give me a vaccine gun in each hand and stand back!"--Jody Strand

These stories ring with authority, truth, anger, fear, sadness, longing, strength. They are the authentic stories of women whose lives are living testimony to the way the roots grow in the sweet soil of the High Plains, under the shadow of the mountain, "between God and the ground." They show us that Earth can be enough, and teach us how to live our lives in the spaces between necessity and hope.

Susan Wittig Albert
for Story Circle Book Reviews
www.storycirclebookreviews.org

To start this book is to start a trip into one's own past. Whether we now live in the country or in a city, many of the stories told here are within our own familys' histories; I can feel my own German immigrant grandparents, farming on the plains of Eastern Colorado, within these pages.

The sheer eloquence of these plains women - their poetry and tales - tells much of the strength of the human spirit. I wept with them as they tell of the rigors of drought and the Depression; laughed with them as they tell of childish pranks; and prayed with them as they lived through weather we can only imagine today, snugged, cocooned, and protected as we are from the elements.

I would wish every high school American history teacher would include this in their curriculum. To have history not only educate, but entertain, is a rare treat. It is our roots that make us strong - just as the wheat that grows upon these same high plains.

The format is outstanding for its message: short essays and poems. One can chew off just as much as is right at any one time, without feeling that the tale has been interrupted. The eloquence of these prairie women, the beauty of their imagery, was a constant delight - even when their eloquence was manifested purely by sheer simplicity.

It got a bit repetitive though - I mean, ALL those stories of calving were a bit excessive. I bought this book during my first visit to the High Plains last week on my spring break in South Dakota. I enjoyed most of the stories - I didn't think they were all particularly and equally wonderful, but with so many writings you will have likes and dislikes. I did wish, however, that I could talk to some of these women and let them know that not all vegetarians and animal-rights activists hate ranchers. We're not all hippy-dippy airheads who don't know the real story of animal farming - the hard work and even love that goes into the raising of animals. It's just a difference of opinion regarding the sanctity of _all_ life. I felt attacked, quite a few times, while reading this book. Overall though, there were very inspiring stories and quotable quotes - "Pay a holy kind of attention" !!! Loved that one.

This book is good for the High School Graduate because the simple metaphors and stories make this book clear in a world full of obscur rules and references. I liked this book because it did speak in straight forward terms. An older audience may see this as a dribble of old advice, but to a younger man this is new wisdom.

I read the editorial review from "Publisher's Weekely" and had to respond to their narrow minded critique. I found this to be a very informative and entertaining book, and I found the advice as relative today as it was over 100 years ago. Just because more than a century has passed since the publication of this book, it doesn't mean that principles of right and wrong have changed as well. The examples are obviously dated, but the principles surely are not. I will pass this book on for my son to read in the next few years in the hopes he may learn from it.

The PW reviewer got it wrong. This is a little-known gem, in its way as valuable as that never-outdated masterpiece, Edwin Lefevre's "Reminiscences of a Stock Operator". There are many people who've gone broke working for themselves or having given credit to others because they felt they had to, or who spent the fortune that they hadn't earned yet and never would, who could have used the advice in "Letters from...". It is very much not "the advice that young men always hear", especially now when Daddy can again buy them into the best schools, term papers are bought, credit is something to get as much of as possible and sloughing debt and emerging clean and bright in a new venture is just business. There is an attitude here that is quite foreign to the modern business-school-educated mind (but not to many successful in business), and a form of telling that has its own charm. If only for the swearing done then, and the realistic activities of the son who the letters are addressed to in the story that unfolds as it goes along, it's a fun read. But because the homilies are thickly spread throughout, it's the kind of read to not hog out on in one sitting.

My grandfather gave me a 1905 printing of this book and told me that, in his opinion, this was the second best collection of wisdom he'd ever read, next to the Bible. After a reluctant reading, I agree wholeheartedly.

I have been reading this book (an OLD copy!) once a year since I was a senior in high school, at the behest of my father who was one of the wisest persons I've ever known. The old man exhibits a rare understanding of human nature, and is able to pack more common sense into every square inch than too many of us gain in a lifetime. I have found it to be a great gift for high school or college graduates, for young people trying to find themselves, for some older folks still grappling with some basic issues. A great book for your personal library, and to share!

Buy it. Read it. Savor it.

Hilarious, irreverant, highly original, and deeply resonant, but finally a sad lament about the relationship of a father and son via the TV. Memories of My Father Watching TV has as its protagonists television shows of the 1950s and '60s, around which the personalities of family members are shaped. The shows have a life of their own and become the arena of shared experience, veering off into whacky "memories" where what really happened is often confused with vaguely remembered television plot lines, and become a son's projections of what he wants for himself and his father through characters in shows like "Combat," "Highway Patrol," and "Bonanza." In the background, as children try to fit themselves into the family mythology of good and bad TV, their budding imaginations record every hurt, near hurt, or imagined hurt inflicted upon them by silent, depressed, nearly catatonic fathers. Comic in many ways, Memories of My Father Watching TV pricks at the pain lurking beneath the blue-light glow of one of our most universal experiences -- staring at the tube.

Whether he's talking about the Kitchen Debates or about the Third Man, Curtis White's prose is absolutely stunning. A challenging and difficult read, Memories of My Father Watching T.V. is both a devestating social critique and an honest and heartfelt personal journey. Grappling with complex themes which focus on identity formation and masculinity, White masterfully constructs his novel around the ways in which a father and son are constructed by 50's and 60's television shows. While some of his subtle allusions to Freudian psychoanalysis may be jarring and grotesque, his narrative is seamless and eloquent. Particularly interesting is reading Memories while also reading Montrous Possibility, essays in which he talks about himself as a writer, and more specifically as a postmodern writer. Edgy and daring; I loved the book and highly recommend it. Who couldn't love flowers spontaneously errupting from a underneath a general's helmet?!

I've been kicking around for a familiar author to compare Curtis White's writing to, and the best I've come up with is Paul Auster. Which is weird, because at first glance they don't look much alike. Auster writes in a more traditional (although similarly amazing) narrative style, whereas White's book is what you might call postmodern--which in this case means, among other things, that he includes everything from movie stills to gameshow scripts to prose poems shaped like coniferous trees. The similarity I'm seeing is that White and Auster are the only contemporary authors I can think of who've turned the influences of Samuel Beckett and Franz Kafka into something brand new and incredibly interesting and uniquely their own. So if you like Beckett and Kafka you might want to check this book out. Also: that unbelievable ease and clarity of Auster's prose meets its bad-ass postmodern brother (that's blurb-speak) in White's book.

I have been reading this book for a while, because I am in school and I have other books that I'm forced to read. When I pick up _Memories of my Father_, it's like finding a forgotten half-carton of Ben and Jerry's ice cream in the fridge. I find this book EXCRUTIATINGLY funny, STAGGERINGLY smart, and as thick as a scoop of Chocolate Fudge Brownie. It's not very often that you can pick up a book by a critically acclaimed author and laugh out loud. It's not very often that you can laugh out loud while reading a book, and feel absolutely justified because the humor is smart, sharp, and challenging.

I am 26 years old and have no memory of ANY of the TV shows White is spoofing. I also have no memory whatsoever of my father. However, this book's critique of American values and the complex and worldview of the Velveeta-eating, armchair-inhabiting American male is relevant beyond the scope of its irreverent title. It's the funniest book I've read this year.

Read this book - comes with an enveloped-cd inside. It approaches to the sound from the scientific and really interesting angles.

Firstly I would like to disagree with the reviewer who said granular synthesis was not musical. I use it a musical way quite often. It can make very interesting sounds if you give it a go. I was hoping for a guide to granular syntheis, its implementation in some kind of program like Max or SynthEdit or Reaktor but this is not the book for that. Basically it covers a wide range of slightly different types of Granular Synthesis. Approx 2-5 pages are spent on each type. But as the tpyes are so similar bar the size of the windows or perhaps how the windows are selected it makes the book feel very same throughout. The intro chapter covers the history which is informative and interesting. Although the book covers a lot of ground nothing is covered in terms of practical application. No real reference to use is covered, no real description of how to create granular synth modules and no real description of musically useful approaches. He does let you hear some of his composition that he used for public performances but he doesn't really explain why he thought that particular type f synthesis worked well for that performance. I learned a little more about GS from Microsound but to be honest his Computer Music Tutorial is much better and the description of GS in the CMT is almost a good. Save your sheckles and buy the big brother Computer Music Tutorial.

Many people today seem to be obsessed with recreating 'classic' sounds, whether it's Minimoogs, TB303s or even traditional orchestral instruments. So it's refreshing to find that there are still people out there intent on pushing the boundaries of synthesis further and creating new sounds. Curtis Roads has done more than most in this field, and this book on granular synthesis that he has authored is a fairly comprehensive guide to the subject.
Roads' involvement with granular synthesis began in 1972, and his research in the field has resulted in him eventually developing his own software. Granular synthesis deals with sound at a 'quantum' level: the sonic atom being the individual sample (any one of the 44100 taken in a second at the standard sampling rate). To be audible as anything other than a click, samples need to be grouped together to form grains of sound. These grains are typically anywhere between three and one hundred milliseconds in length. Granular synthesis is concerned with the organization and processing of both samples and grains to create sounds that are often far beyond the range of more traditional methods of synthesis.
The technology and software required to manipulate sound at this level is now commonly available. Popular programs like Chaosynth and Max/MSP offer in-depth granular facilities, and Roads' own programs, Pulsar Generator and Cloud Generator, are, as you might expect, specifically designed for this sort of application. Although this technology has made it possible, granular synthesis remains a complex process. Microsound is perhaps the best theoretical and practical guide to date, its 409 pages concisely and fluently written throughout. The first chapters outline basic time scales in musical structure and the history and theory of microsound. Chapters three to six deal with the theory and practice of granular synthesis, examining everything from the organisation and processing of grains to the implementation of micro-scale transformations. The later chapters explore the implications and aesthetics of composing with microsound. The book concludes with a brief chapter about the future of granular synthesis. If there is any fault with this book, it is that it may be rather academic in tone for some readers - it is not a 'how to' book. However, if you are seriously interested in exploring granular synthesis, and understanding the principles behind it, then this book is ideal.
For those readers who would like to get their hands dirty themselves and try programming granular synthesis compositions, you might want to look up Jass and jMusic on the web. Jass is a unit generator based audio synthesis programming environment written in pure Java. Jass requires Java 1.5. jMusic is a freeware API that supports both real-time and non-real-time granular synthesis. jMusic has extensive tutorials and example programs available online.
I notice that Amazon does not show the table of contents for this book, so I do that here:
Introduction **
Acknowledgments ix
Overview **
1. Time Scales of Music **
2. The History of Microsound from Antiquity to the Analog Era 43
3. Granular Synthesis 85
4. Varieties of Particle Synthesis 119
5. Transformation of Microsound 179
6. Windowed Analysis and Transformation 235
7. Microsound in Composition 301
8. Aesthetics of Composing with Microsound 325
9. Conclusion 349
References 353
Appendix A: The Cloud Generator Program 383
Appendix B: Sound Examples on the CD 389
NOTE: Sections marked by "**" have sample chapters available at the book's website at MIT Press.

This book will change how you make music and listen to music. There is no turning back.

A really excellent book. It is highly scholarly, yet easy to understand. He articulates concepts I have thought about for years, but was never able to express adequately. Roads has a talent for organizing very complex material within a perspective-oriented framework making the macro concept very easy to grasp.

It would be extremely helpful to all serious composers of electronic/computer music.

As a mother of a toddler and a brandnew baby, you know it's important when I've squeezed out a few minutes to review this book. This is my new favorite gift for baby showers. Not only did Barbara help me regain my sanity, she has also affirmed my motherhood, inspired me to be the best mother I can be, and given me a set of tools and a direction to go in. I also highly suggest the other books of hers I've read...Mommy Manual and Lord, Please Meet Me in the Laundry Room. I've been telling all my friends about these books. They are written by a very wise woman!

Lately, I've read a lot of mommy-type manuals, but this is by far my favorite.

I'd call this a "girlfriend's guide" to being a mommy, except that other "girlfriend guides" tend to be catty and bitchy...and Curtis' guide definitely is not. But if you've ever wanted friendly advice from a mom who's been there and done that, then The Mommy Survival Guide is for you.

I giggled, cried, and dog-eared my way through this book. (In fact, so many pages are dog-eared, I've made the book twice as thick as it was originally!) I found truly practical tips for raising happy children, and lots and lots of advice for hanging in there when the going gets tough.

I disagree that The Mommy Survival Guide is just for Christians. Yes, Curtis is a Christian and she speaks freely about Christianity. But she's also lived on the other end of the spectrum, as an addict and as a New Age seeker. This is just one more area where readers can benefit from Curtis' experience. So unless you feel true hatred toward Christians, I think you'll enjoy this book.

I highly recommend The Mommy Survival Guide; it has become my new favorite to give away at baby showers!

"This book by self-proclaimed megamommy of 12 children is a breath of fresh air for those used to reading parenting books based on guilt. So many times, I read the most well-meaning "how-to" book on parenting and feels so overwhelmed, I never get around to implementing any of it.

The chapters are short, and easily read. Interspersed with the chapters dealing with the practical, humorous and philosophical sides of raising children are witty or profound quotes and suggestions to other books and resources.

This book reads like a collection of magazine editorials or blog entries. It isn't so much a system of parenting as it is an inspiration to parents, particularly moms. While the tone of the book is encouraging and inspirational, it is spared the treacly sweetness of say a Chicken Soup book by the author's reality, humor, and guidance.

The book manages to explore topics not often found in Christian parenting books: post partum depression; not controlling, but guiding your children; and letting go of the need to be perfect, or your children to be perfect. And then it hits on a few topics you don't see discussed in too many secular parenting books either: the clear and easily seen differences between boys and girls; the need for a healthy competition; and ways to point your child to Christ .

The last part of the book alone is probably worth the purchase price if you struggle with being a parent. There are several chapters on what to do after you realize your inadequacy as a parent; how not to beat yourself up; how to acquire new skills (the author used to watch other mothers at a playground, and try to emulate them); and the permission to start over, every day if you have to.

This is a nice book to read as part of a devotional; while waiting in the school pick-up lane; or anywhere else you want to read a few brisk and helpful words about your job as a mother."

This book is a delight to read and would make an excellent gift for mothers in all stages, from mothers of babies to mothers of slightly older kids, and it is one that mothers will want to keep and reread as their kids grow older and the mothering quandaries change, since Barbara talks about struggles and experiences with her adult children, too.

Barbara includes tips for handling toddlers and helping them reach their full potential, tips for mothers who feel lost or like they aren't living up to their own potential as mothers, and Barbara shares her philosophies and personal stories about gender roles, prodigal children, instilling moral values, and above all, she encourages mothers to place themselves and their children in God's hands.

This is very definitely a Christian book, and while I think non-Christians would enjoy a lot of the essays ands information in this book - it isn't the first book of Barbara's I'd recommend for a non-Christian. Try The Mommy Manual instead of you are not a Christian. Chapters such as "What They Really Need Is Jesus" will probably not be helpful to non-Christians.

Overall, this is a great introduction to Barbara's philosophies and her personable writing style - when I read her books I really feel as though I am sitting down for a nice cup of tea with her, and I think mothers will really enjoy her warmth and her frank style of writing.

My only complaint about this book is that because I have read her other published books, and enjoy reading her blog regularly [], I have already seen nearly all of this material in some form or another. So as a regular reader, this was like a compilation book in which I got to enjoy some of Barbara's best essays, revamped a bit. For that reason, I'd say this would be the best of all of her books to give as a gift, but for fans of her writing that have been reading for a while, I might instead wait for Mommy, Teach Me!, out later in 2007, which promises a wealth of practical information about raising little ones.

Motherhood is full of difficulties. We mommies have good days and not-so-good days. On the good days, I praise God and give myself a little pat on the back. However, it is on those not-so-good days that I need a friend to come along side to encourage me, help me find a solution, and/or offer some much-needed perspective on a situation. Barbara Curtis does just that in her latest "mommy" book, The Mommy Survival Guide: Making the Most of the Mommy Years (MSG).

Curtis writes as only a real mommy can. I connected with her from the opening page:
"Once upon a time I was a pretty normal mom. But that was before I ended up with 12 kids. When did I begin to change? Was it with Number 3? Number 4? Maybe Number 5? I don't know. For a while, with babies arriving every 15 to 20 months, it all became a blur. And yet at the same time it all became clear, as though I could finally see what was the important part of being a mommy. So many things I thought really mattered turned out not to matter at all. And so many things I hadn't thought of turned out to be the most important things of all."

MSG is divided into six sections:
* The sooner you surrender, the better.
* Kids will be kids--let them.
* A little bit of Mommy goes a long way.
* Less is more--really.
* When the going gets tough, just keep going.
* Anything can happen, but God will be there too.

One of my favorite aspects of Curtis' writing is her honesty regarding motherhood. Curtis understands its demands. She has struggled through relinquishing her rights in order to be a better mother. This makes MSG stand apart from other popular mommy books. Curtis never advocates taking a "mommy vacation." Rather, she is honest about the sacrifice and selflessness it takes to become a great mother with great kids. She shares a bit of her own journey in surrendering to motherhood. For example, she writes of how her frustrations diminished after she changed her attitudes regarding sleep. She explains, "So, yes, motherhood will change you--if you let it. And believe me, you do want to let it change you, because when you've refined the art of not thinking of yourself, you will very much like the person you become."

MSG is also incredibly practical. Curtis writes about those topics that weigh heavily on most mommies' minds: sibling rivalry, teaching self-control, television use, simplifying life, and much more. Each chapter has some nugget of wisdom or advice or a simple tip that a mommy can use. In addition to sharing her family's stories and experiences, the end of each chapter includes a list of ideas, fun stuff, things you need to know, or a helpful resource to check out. Not only is she a mother to 12, Curtis also homeschooled her children and is a trained Montessori instructor. She has years of experience from which she shares her thoughts on child training and teaching. She offers advice for saving time, having fun with the whole family, and helping kids through tough times, to name a few.

Ms. Curtis is also a born-again Christian who is not ashamed of the gospel. About midway through the book, Curtis shares her testimony and how she came to know Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. She shares how she gently guides her children to know Jesus. Scripture is sprinkled throughout the book. It is the last portion of the book, however, that Curtis shares how a Christian mommy can use the gospel every day. Curtis does not gloss over sin, but she offers hope to the mother who sins against her children. She encourages moms to apologize, ask God for forgiveness, and receive a fresh start. She writes, "Parenthood is really a matter between you and God anyway, because it's part of our stewardship. Our children are not our children but God's children given to us for a brief span to prepare them for the rest of their lives." On those days that we feel like failures or "bad" mommies, it is good to be reminded of the truths we already know and encouraged to go to Jesus.

I enjoyed reading this book. The chapters are relatively short--good for mommies who do not have tons of time for reading. MSG is interesting, encouraging, and helpful. I am happy to recommend this book to my mommy friends.
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