Edward Books

I have just received this book but have noticed that Pericles, Prince of Tyre has been left out - I wonder why? Haven't read the book yet; when I do, I'll add my opinion on it here.

This book does an excellent job of describing the plots, settings, and characters of the stories of all Shakespeare's plays. The author also provides good background detail of the time, relevant facts from Shakespeare's life, and some not-excessively-detailed analysis where appropriate. My one small complaint with the book is that the author is so deeply in love with the works and the very idea of Shakespeare that she rarely lets an opportunity pass to tell us how wonderful he is. (The level of fawning and gushing is sometimes reminiscent of listening to a fourteen year old girl talk about Justin Timberlake.) But apart from this minor complaint, I heartily recommend the book -- it's quite readable and the overall scholarship is outstanding.

I used this book successfully to help negotiate top grades in an Ivy League Shakespeare class more than 30 years ago, and I still use a copy to reorient myself and my family to Shakespeare's works. An invaluable guide to the essence of each play, including all significant aesthetic themes. Indispensable as a quick read before seeing a Shakespeare play that hasn't been read or seen for some time. I've come across no other book that is so helpful yet concise.

Margaret Chute's Stories of Shakespeare uses an novel technique. She writes treatments for 36 of the plays (those in the First Folio), a present tense chronology of the plot in simple, eloquent language. This book is useful for actors, students or the casual fan. The book also appreciates the beauty of Shakespeare's language by offering selected excerpts. Further, it recognises the humor, the history and the tragedy of the story and gives concise summaries so the reader can always follow the action. This is an excellent book.

Chute's book provides a basic summary for each of Shakespeare's plays. Her writing is as lyrical as it is complete for such a book, which makes it a handy, enjoyable reference. Her main goal is to make the stories digestible, and to that end, the essence of Shakespeare's plays emerges brilliantly, freeing the average reader of dusty Elizabethan language. Unlike other books that give choppy scene-by-scene summaries (though helpful in their own way) or brief plot highlights, Chute's summaries seamlessly tie the play's entire action, principle and otherwise.

The plays are grouped by comedies, tragedies, and histories, with comedies and tragedies in the likely order they were written and the histories arranged chronologically by reign. She includes an illuminating introduction that sheds light on Shakespeare's genius and innovation as well as how best to approach his work. An index of characters is also included. One of the many things I appreciated about this book is Chute's resistance to overemphasizing popular texts. With the exception of "Titus Andronicus," she devotes a fair amount of text to each play, though some do receive added attention.

Those looking for a more detailed or critical reading of Shakespeare's work would not benefit from Chute's book. There are numerous (non-academic) guides for those desiring more than a casual read and study of the Bard. ("Shakespeare for Dummies," "The Pocket Companion to Shakespeare," and "The Age of Shakespeare" are all books I've consulted for more background and a better understanding of the author and era.) In her introduction, however, she points out that the purpose of her book "is to give the reader a preliminary idea of each of the thirty-six plays by telling the stories and explaining in a general way the intentions and points of view of the characters." On occasion she gives critical analyses of characters and plays but in an informative and unobtrusive manner. This book is not Cliff's Notes or a substitute for the actual play, but it does make Shakespeare understandable.

I bought this book on the advice of a former friend, and I still can't get over the colossal waste of time I invested in it. I shudder to think that if I had died in a horrible accident while reading this book, it would have been the last thing I ever read.

Each piece stands as its own monument to drivel, but taken as a whole, this collection is a masterpiece of unbearable whimpers obliterating unwritten truths. You could learn more about love in a whorehouse. Or a crackhouse, for that matter. My god, whose idea was this wretched tome? And aren't there laws against this kind of tripe?

O.K., the piece by Michael Burke is a gem, but its luster is lost in this tar-black bucket of muck. And who invited that Edward Underhill guy to throw in his two cents' worth? That floundering piece is a miasma of asinine cliches unparalleled in the history of western literature. It would have made more sense to me if the writer (hah!) had presented it in Esperanto. If he is the same Underhill who works as a waiter at that little bistro on Lunt Avenue, he should focus on his tables and leave writing to those whose literary background goes beyond Bazooka Joe bubble gum wrappers.

That's the best and the worst, and the rest aren't worth mentioning, so I won't.

Anyway, buy this book. The Michael Burke piece is worth the few dollars. When you are done with that, maybe you can test my theory and translate Underhill into Esperanto. Just imagine - quantum literature in a universal language. The possibilities abound.

It's rare to find a collection of stories, poems and plays that keeps a reader as thoroughly involved as this one. Good writers that they are, the contributors to this anthology succeed in reminding us that love is a complex emotion, and that those who are touched by it can just as easily be redeemed as they can be destroyed. As with any anthology, some pieces remain in memory longer than others, yet all are worthy of one's attention. What's more, the journey from first page to last enriches both heart and mind. So much so that this reader awaits the Press's next release with happy anticipation.

It's difficult to find an anthology that has as much stopping power as this one. Reading it, I was impressed not only by the diversity of the authorial voices, but also by their veracity. Each story, poem and play seems to have come straight from the gut. What's more, the contributing writers help to remove our blinders; particularly when it comes to matters of the heart. Love, they argue, is nothing less than a battlefield on which each of us daily chances victory or defeat.Those seeking to enter the contest fully armed would do well to buy this book.

Anthologies are not my usual choice of reading material, but as this was recommended to me, I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. While I could not relate to some of the pieces here, I enjoyed the underlying topic immensely. The poetry, drama, and short stories were a good blend. The Thing About Love Is... an enjoyable and fast read, but has a peculiar lingering effect that required that I return to it for further exploration. It's a perfect book to read from the relative comfort and safety of your best chair, where you know that you can dip into the joy and angst of love and for once, walk away unscathed.

If your idea of love is limited to visions of puppies and balloons, The Thing About Love Is... probably not for you. In Polyphony Press' first effort, the heavy topic of love is tackled in gritty, gutsy pieces that cut to core of this complex emotion. Sometimes it's bliss, sometimes it's bizarre, and quite often it hurts, but regardless of its form, love is always intriguing. This anthology is in keeping with that notion. With a variety of styles and voices, the works featured here are unanimous in their ability to draw the reader in and keep him hooked. It is truly a great read that may challenge one's personal definition of love. Call it an enjoyable experiment in mind expansion!

this is the best dictionary i ever got .its easy to read and understand .lots of maps and pictures id buy it again .and the print is great .these guys did a great job on this book

Just perfect! I bought another one at first coz this one was not available at Amazon. Then Amazon has it, so I asked if I may exchange to this one. They allowed me to return the other one and bought this one. Amazon's customer service is superb. That is why it is the ONLY on-line store I shop! I don't shop at any other on-line store at all!! I think customer service is the key for on-line store. Back to this dictionary--easy explanations, big bold words, and some colorful pages. Just perfect.

Thanks very much to those of you who wrote detailed reviews about this dictionary. It made my decision easy, and I have been very pleased.

I bought this for my 9 year old daughter. She actually enjoys using it. It has a few pictures, but also has a lot of entries in it. I like using it myself. The definitions are easy to understand. I have two younger children so I think this dictionary will get a lot of use.

I bought this based on a recommendation by another reader, and I am so glad I did! My 10 year old is actually reading it for enjoyment, and doesn't hesitate to look up words anymore. The fact that there are pictures for some of the entries makes it enjoyable for her too. It's a nice, hardcover book that will be passed on to my 8 year old as well.

Personally, I don't understand it when people say that Albee's writing is cold. "Three Tall Women" is a very emotional play, heartfelt and autobiographical. The writing is luminous. The characters are rich and dynamic. There is humor, and wit, and pain, and pathos. Perhaps Albee is just too smart for the average theatre goer. However, I love that he doesn't pander. I love that he writes smart. I love that he challenges the audience to think. "Three Tall Women" keeps you thinking long after reading it. Thank you, Mr. Albee.

A very remarkable life experience shared through the self. I love Albee. Such a fluid writer. Willing to expose s--t and anguish and self-loathing and nostaglia and laugh about it. This play is very direct, interesting, full of mortal longing presented though an amazingly simple concept. The three tall women, A, B and C are one woman. But at three different times in their own life. What comes is a moving sweep of life, as thought through in the future by C, the past and future by B and the past by A. What would you ask yourself if you met you twenty-five or sixty years from now? What would you say to yourself knowing what you know now to you thirty years ago? Etc., etc. There is no denying, the concept and idea of such a dialogue is ancient, and here Albee contemparizes it in the bittersweet way that life is. Read this if you love Albee, if your into philosophy, time travel, theoretical physics, feminism....There is no denying.

Once I figured out what the play was about I really enjoyed it, before I just thought it was very good and quite amusing. The fact of figuring it out actually makes the play more interesting is a sign of a genius playwrite and incredible / timeless story.

It's unusual for a playwright to produce his or her best work in late-career, but that's what Albee has done in *Three Tall Women.* The essence of Albee's genius has long been his ability to get language to do what he wants, rather than being constrained by what language wants to do. But in *Three Tall Women*, unlike in *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf*, there's something urgent and concrete at stake: what, exactly, was the meaning of a dying woman's ninety-two year life? It's this question that fuels the gripping conflict between the play's three characters, "A", "B", and "C", who represent a single woman at ages 26, 52, and 92.

There is so much in *Three Tall Woman* for brilliant actresses to exploit that the play seems virtually certain to be a hot ticket for as long as live theater exists. It's the kind of play that, if properly cast, could sell out the National Theater of Mars, or a similarly remote venue.

I have been studying the plays of Edward Albee, for three months. This play and the Zoo Story have me think about life and self, more then anything I have read in years. Albee is able to portray in an unsual way his true feelings about his background as well as his atitude towards the characters that he portrays. I want his plays to go on and on! The characters are very real, and for the most part very sad.Life goes on in the real world even with people that he portrays being a part of it.

Look Away was my first book on Civil War. I continued with Until the End. Well, Mr. Coyle did a great job. Excellent books!!! I would highly recommend these books to anyone who loves history.

I give Until the End 5 out of 5 stars. It is an excellent novel about all the aspects of life in the civil war. It does not try to glorify war at all; in fact it describes the horrors of war very well. The author has obviously done a lot of research, and though the main characters are fiction, the actual events they are in are not, as can be seen by his explanation in the back of the book. Not only does he show life in the army for both the Union and Confederate soldiers, he describes a field hospital and the conditions they were in. He shows how the protective shield that is the myth of the glory of war breaks down from stress on the battlefield, exposing the soldiers to his previously hidden internal conflicts between sacrificing his individuality and honoring his sense of duty. The book also really engages the reader, and they feel a loss with the people in the book, like with the loss of their friends to enemy muskets. It also has a very engaging sub-plot dealing with the brother's lives and their eventual reunion. This is an excellent book.

Look Away and Until the End were my first 2 Civil War novels. I was not dissappointed. The battles are described in vivid detail. Coyle makes the 1860's come alive with wonderful plot AND character development. The only bad thing that could possibly be said about this book is that it is not "to be continued".

Until the End kept me at the edge of my seat. It is a gripping story that brings home the torment that families had during the Civil War. It brings together the Bannon family, again. Mr. Colye also leaves the door open for more about the newly expanded family after the war. It's one story that I will not forget in a long time. I recomend it to readers of all interests.

Until The End is the second and final instalment of Harold Coyle's Civil War series. As with the first in the series - Look Away - the novel chronicles the lives of the Bannon brothers as they continue to fight on opposite sides of the conflict. Although Until The End is the second instalment of a series it can be read as a stand-alone novel. However, I would encourage you to initially read Look Away.

As with Look Away, Until The End is a splendid read if you're interested in the battles of the Civil War. This novel takes us to the end of the war and includes amongst others, battles scenes from the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, a particularly realistic account of The Bloody Angle, Jubal Early's aborted raid on Washington, the mud of the trenches at Petersburg and the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Court House. Although there are chapter notes at the end of the book I certainly benefited from a little previous knowledge of these battles. If you're able to get a copy you would find it useful to have The Conservation Fund's `The Civil War Battlefield Guide' as a reference source

I feel that the author has fine-tuned his skills in writing about this subject matter, as a result Until The End is the better of the two novels. It still has the realism of the War but has lost some of the need to over elaborate on the nature of social relationships that was to be found within Look Away. I enjoyed the focus on the Bannon's personal lives in the shape of Harriet Shields and Mary Beth McPherson and found that Coyle had developed this element of the plot in a more believable manner than the previous novel.

Until The End, as with Look Away, can not be described as high literature, it does not have any hidden agendas and it does not try to convert the reader to any particular Civil War bias. It is, however, fast paced, realistic, gritty and enjoyable. If these are qualities that you enjoy in your Civil War fiction then whether read on it's own or as a conclusion to the story of the Bannon brothers I do recommend this book to you.

I'm not a professor or a philosopher. I'm a wife and a mom. This book had a positive impact on my life because the author was courageous enough to tell us the truth...the truth about our culture and the dangers of a subtle overdose of celebrity worship, visual images, and watered-down worship. Thankfully, the book was written with concern rather than harsh judgment. The concepts in this book will be with us for a long time. Hopefully, we'll be able to successfully pass them on to our children.

In our technologically advanced age the value of the written word is being lost. The Author shows by fiving a historical account how this is leading our society into Idolatry and Paganism. The devaluation of the written word is leaving people defenseless against counterfeits and leaves them open for whatever trend comes along. This book takes a close examination of our media saturated culture.

Arthur Hunt's "The Vanishing Word" is a helpful and insightful salvo in the battle to preserve the written word in an age enamored with images. Hunt is currently a professor of speech and communications at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Although he teaches speech and communications, his real expertise is in the fledgling discipline of Media Ecology. Media Ecology was a field pioneered by men like Neil Postman and Marshall McLuhan. "The Vanishing Word" is essentially a work of Media Ecology and in it Hunt examines our cultural environment and finds it polluted with pagan image idolatry.
Hunt's work is particularly helpful because it begins with an historical analysis of the rise of the written word. Hunt condenses the important events of Western history into readable and accessible chapters. He presents this historical information in a lively fashion by including helpful illustrations and examples. Hunt's Christian presuppositions are certainly not hidden in this book. His history of the word begins with God and Moses and not with Aristotle or Gutenburg.
Following the linear unfolding of history, Hunt notes that a major shift occurred in our culture with the rise of electronic mass media. He contends that this "new" development is bringing our culture back to "old" ideas, particularly pagan idolatry. He writes:
"The old system just keeps coming back. Not that long after the Flood's waters had receded, Nimrod stretched forth his hands to receive the astrological charts from atop Babel's tower. The sands of Egypt were still between the toes of Moses when he proceeded down the mountain of thunderings and lightnings, tablets in hand, only to find the Hebrews dancing around a golden calf. The people of God multiplied under the Roman knife, but then the pantheon strangely reappeared over the church altar. The fire of the Reformation pushed the gods back until the icon-making machines of the twentieth century ushered them back again in living color (155-156)."
Hunt's book also provides a helpful analysis of the shift from modernism to post-modernism. He also makes some penetrating comments about the impact of the image culture on the church, particularly in the area of worship.
I highly recommend this book to pastors, Christian educators and anyone interested in understanding and stemming the tide of the image culture.

As a fan of Gene Veith, Neil Postman and Allan Bloom, I noted this book as inspired by the dialogue between Postman and Camille Paglia. It is an excellent book and well worth the read but following the natural urge to find something to disagree with while we walk the same road in the same direction, I would like to engage a few issues that I find especially intriguing even though they are small potatoes in the whole stew.
When AWH critiques or contrasts the Egyptians with the Hebrews by referring to the Egyptians as image based and the Hebrews based, we certainly should agree, but the images of the Egyptians were their alphabet at least at some point. Hieroglyphs apparently came to represent sounds (didn't they?). The feather in a sense becomes a letter? The shift to a phonetic aleph bet was certainly significant but they are still images - images of the letters. Perhaps images of the shape of the mouth (at least symbolically) while making the sounds - think of Greek Theta or just the letter "o". So the contrast between the Egyptians and the Hebrews is certainly there but how sharp a contrast should we think it is? I wonder.... In any case, AWH even remarks that the "Egyptians thought Toth invented writing" (p. 37) so this is certainly a matter of degree. We might also wonder why "advanced civilizations cannot exist without writing" (as AWH quotes Gelb) if this might be because they need a recording system. Would video do? (I imagine reading a book presented as a DVD, for example.) Is video text as the postmodernists might say? In which case, the vanishing word is not vanished at all but more powerful than ever in digital form.

An interesting contrast to this book is Steven Johnson's "Everything Bad is Good for You."

The author sees the current cultural tendency to exalt visual imagery at the expense of language as a direct assault on Christianity. He warns Christians that the church is being cut off from its word-based heritage, to its great detriment. Superb socio-cultural analysis by a keen-minded Christian scholar, along with a much-needed affirmation that "the Word is everything." Although Professor Hunt builds upon the previous studies of Marshall McLuhan, Neil Postman, Camille Paglia, and others, his radically different spiritual perspective as a conservative evangelical makes this a highly original work with many entirely fresh insights. Required reading for all thoughtful Christians who would equip themselves better for the "spirit wars" of our time and halt the church's slippage into a mindless paganism.

Good book but again the binding gave out right away. It's really a bummer because it looks bad in my collection.

In recent years, a growing community of active duty military historians has enriched the discipline through the type of scholarship gained at our nation's post graduate service schools. Names like Edward G. Miller, Mark J. Reardon, and Peter R. Mansoor, just to name a few, have contributed greatly to the World War II canon. Douglas E. Nash has certainly earned his rightful place among this distinguished group. His latest contribution, _Victory Was Beyond Their Grasp: . . . _ will predictably be stamped into the bibliographies of future works on the Huertgen Forest for decades to come.

Like archeologists digging up ancient artifacts of lost civilizations, historians sometimes happen upon lost documents that change and enrich our perspectives on an historical event. Nash, fluent in the German language, discovered one such treasure trove in the form of a company clerk's long hidden and meticulously organized "company orderly room files and documents" of Fusilier Company 272 of the 272d Volks Grenadier Division. This unit fought in the Huertgen Forest battles; the northern shoulder of the "Bulge," and eventually capitulated in the Ruhr Pocket. Utilizing these newly discovered documents as a skeletal frame, and microscopic view at the company level, Nash has sculpted a masterful work culling equally from German and Allied sources. Likewise, the view from army or corps headquarters to the lowly Grenadier defending a mud filled foxhole flows evenly and balanced.

Several popular German Order of Battle books hint at the fact that late in the war, many standard German infantry divisions were reconstructed as Volks Grenadier divisions (VGD). Nash offers a thorough comprehensive analysis on the origins and implementation of this entire process, including VGD clothing, equipment, weapons, and tactics. Several books tell the story of the bitter Huertgen Forest battles during the fall and winter of 1944/45, its causes, effects, and the German units the American forces faced during that deadly campaign. Nash, in an engaging writing style that never bogs down, places the reader within the ranks of the 272 VGD as it arrived by rail and deployed in the forest, always short of heavy weapons support. Of particular interest to this reviewer was the raids conducted by my father's unit, the 13th Infantry Regiment of the 8th Infantry Division against the 272 VGD near Vossenack. Scores of books tell of the US 2d Ranger Battalion's heroic scaling of the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc on D-Day, but few tell of its worst day in combat: a futile frontal assault up Hill 400 (Castle Hill) at Bergstein, Germany. Nash shows us how on December 6, 1944, elements of the 272 VGD made the Rangers pay dearly for this chunk of German real estate. Several Huertgen Forest accounts mentions the green US 78th Infantry Division's unkind baptism of fire in the Huertgen during January 1945. In a battle narrative that constitutes one of the high points of the book, Nash recounts the head-on collision between the 272 VGD and the 78th Division at the village of Kesternich.

The Aberjona Press, with several books emphasizing the German perspective of World War II to their credit, has put together a nice package here. Easy to read battle maps accompany every action mentioned in the book. It would have been nice to have a map placed where that particular action was taking place, rather than all grouped together at the front of the book, but this method is not too distracting. Dozens of photographs, most never before seen reproduced a bit dark, but again, not a big annoyance. Though well deserving of a hard cover edition, this paperback is well bound and made of heavy gauge paper that should withstand years of turning. Copious notes and numerous appendices containing: Order of battle, organizational charts, equipment, and tables of organization (ET&O), casualty and replacements tables round out this monumental project.

Nash's book is arguably the best view of the other side of the hill to emerge in years. For students of the Huertgen Forest Campaign, and the last battles of the Third Reich in the west, this book is a must read.

Doug Nash hits another home run for military history in this well-researched and easy to read study of a lesser known topic from WW2. Buy this book and support real scholarship on the war, it's not just another coffee table rehash.

Very well researched and written book. Rare to find small unit action books during World War II from Whermacht perspective in English ! A must
read.

The story behind the story - why the author became interested of the 272nd Volks-Grenadier Division, is fascinating in itself. It shows how militaria collecting can lead to ground-breaking historical discoveries.

I was stunned by the author's research and learnt a great deal from it about what it was like being a German soldier in the last months of WWII.

It is clear to me that utterly few authors do as much research as Douglas Nash does. Not only does the author describe the performance of individual weapons convincingly, but also the food, discipline and political outlook among the Third Reich's last soldiers.

If you are into German Army unit histories and have a special interest in the very last months of WWII this book is a real must for you.

In the appendix section of the book there is a treasure trove of statistics and information about other Volks-Grenadier divisions.

The maps are of the highest quality.

My only negative feedback is that the photo on the cover is not that strong and the subtitle too long. With a more hard-hitting front this book would be more attractive.

The contents are of great value to both historians, wargamers and reenactors. I look forward to reading more from Douglas Nash.

This is a biography about a blues singer named Honeyboy Edwards who was a contemporary of blues legend the late Robert Johnson. I became interested in his history when I saw a documentary on Robert Johnson's life containing interview footage of Honeyboy Edwards. The lives of musicians in the 20's, 30's and 40's tend to be fascinating and this is no exception. It is a great read.

AS A BLUES HISTORIAN AND GUITAR COLLECTOR I HAVE MANY BLUES RELATED BOOKS IN MY COLLECTION. THIS BOOK HOWEVER MUST RATE AT THE TOP OF THE PILE. WHAT FANTASTIC FLOWING STORY LINES, MAKING IT HARD TO PUT DOWN. IT GIVES A GREAT INSIGHT INTO THE WAY OF LIFE IN THOSE EARLY DAYS OF THE BLUES. THE PLACES HE HAS SEEN AND THE PEOPLE WHO HE GOT TO KNOW & MEET IS JUST MIND BLOWING. ANYONE WHO IS NOT BLUES MINDED SHOULD READ THIS BOOK JUST TO UNDERSTAND HOW HARD IT WAS IN THOSE DAYS JUST TO LIVE AND PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.(I BET HE THOUGHT EVERONE IN THE MODEN WORLD WAS SOFT)TRULY ENJOYABLE.

Fans of blues music and musicians will relish this autobiography of Delta bluesman Edwards, which charts his rise to fame and his survival in a critical musical world. His first-person observations of the changing blues style and field are especially meaningful given that so many blues titles are not written by participants in the field.

Honey and his astute collaborators have given us the genuine article: a poignant, detailed, uproarous chronicle of what Robert Palmer called the"Deep Blues," the Delta tradition from which all other blues styles emanate. If you've heard Honey sing either in person or on his fine recordings, you will hear the voice you read. He offers dozens of unforgettable moments, from the first sounds he ushers from a broken-necked guitar to his mother's death to the death of Robert Johnson, that are alive and chilling. My only criticism is that the photographs featured in the book are spartan, contemporary views of critical sites in this artist's life. More historical photography would have enhanced the text. The publisher of this well-designed softcover has made the text relaxingly readable. After my first 50 pages, I wanted to purchase all of Honey's recordings and read more about him. He is an articulate, funny, precise chronicler of his own life. If only I could do the same with my own life! First rate.

This autobiography succeeds memorably on several levels. Told in spare, moving words, it provides a vivid picture of life in the Mississippi Delta long before the civil rights movements of the '50s. In addition, it's a kind of African-American "On the Road," told from the perspective of one who crisscrossed the Southern United States, scuffling to make a living playing the blues. And finally, it's a terrific history of the blues, told by a man who made a significant musical contribution himself and who played with nearly all the essential artists of the '30s and on.

Edwards, born in the Delta around 1915, worked the fields as a kid before he learned to play the guitar and began hoboing around the South. He rode the rails, played in innumerable small towns, and polished his craft. Along the way, he hung out and played with the likes of Sunnyland Slim, Big Walter Horton, Little Walter Jacobs, Robert Junior Lockwood, Muddy Waters, B.B. King and yes, Robert Johnson. The book describes how these architects of the modern blues passed songs, licks, and stories back and forth, keeping a form that relies so heavily on tradition dynamic and vital.

A major strength of the book is Edwards' distinctive voice, transcribed by his collaborators to retain its distinctive rhythms and dialect. The book's title sums up his attitude. His memories include violent death, physical and emotional loss, and great material want. Still, you sense strongly that he wouldn't have had his life any other way. His narrative is devoid of self-pity, but it never glosses over the difficulty of the times he endured, which included stints in prison.

The book concludes with useful appendices that define key terms and offer capsule biographies and discographies of musicians Edwards encountered. A good bibliography is also included. Highly recommended for those interested in the blues and in American social history. Great read.

This Woman's insight to the human condition put into words feeling I've had for many years. For example; I've never could understand how other wise rational people could tell me in all honesty that Bill Clinton was a good man. Ayn Rand says in Atlas Shrugged, " People do not beleive in the irrational, but they do believe in the unjust." Even if you can't read the book, try this CD for the next long trip in your car.

This was a great addition to the known great works of Ayn Rand! A must have for all Rand fans.

In today's political clime Rand's writing is must reading. We are currently experiencing a resurgence in the war on the individual, with Hillary Clinton dropping quotes right and left that sound remarkably similar to statements made by Stalin and Lenin. Enough is a enough. Those who preach collectivism are trying to subjugate you. Those who preach altruism typically have their hand in someone else's pocket. As Rand says in Atlas Shrugged, "public welfare" is the banner that looters hide behind. Here Rand argues that capitalism is the ONLY just political system. The problem with many conservatives, as Rand saw them, is that though they defend capitalism they usually ground their defense in some vague notion of "God-given rights." Since religious beliefs are not rationally defensible this move greatly risks placing reason on the side of the anti-capitalists. No, Rand said, we must do what's right because it's right and not because we are told to or want to get into heaven. We must defend capitalism not because of some bizarre notion of being mandated by a supreme being but rather because it is the only political system that allows man to rise to his potential, to choose for himself, to bargain with others freely and to exercise his volition. Liberals who defend "minorities" (all the while ignoring that in one out of three of the most populated counties in America today whites are actually the minority) while engaging in collectivist attacks on "the cult of the individual" and "egoism" must contend with Rand's statement that one cannot claim to defend minorities while attacking individualism, for the smallest minority is ALWAYS the individual. People always act with selfish reasons. In order for charity to even be of any help the recipient must selfishly accept the charity. Bad competition, which levels the playing field by inhibiting the performance of rivals, drags achievers down to the mean. All the good such achievers can do for society as a whole is then eliminated, as in the "Anti-dog-eat-dog" agreement in this book. Good competition, in which people compete by perfecting their own skill and knowledge, improves everyone. Even if you are beat by someone else you are left more knowledgeable and able. I only have one question: Where is Galt's Gulch? I would like to move. This novel, originally entitled The Strike, is brilliant. The Fountainhead was about the individual vs. the collective, and this is about the producers vs. the parasites. What if the reviled "rich," those who produce the amenities others take for granted or expect the "government" to pay for, all went on strike? What then? By the way, if you like this book you will probably also like a book called Camp of the Saints. Check it out.

I love the party scene in this book. Rand perfectly points out the ultimate irony of parties: A party is supposed to be a celebration, but those who have done things worthy of celebration typically are not the kind of people who find any enjoyment in parties, whereas those who love partying are not the kind of people there is anything worth celebrating about!

The point of this book was ably made by Jon Hanson, author of a nifty little book called Good Debt, Bad Debt. The point is this: NEVER in history has there been a society that was socialist BEFORE it went capitalist. This has never happened because it would be impossible. It can only be the other way around. FIRST capitalists must BUILD and MAINTAIN a society BEFORE socialists can come and leech off of it parasitically. Socialists don't build or produce anything. They only appropriate. This is why socialism can only follow capitalism. Further, if the last remnant of the capitalist elements of society completely disintegrate, the entire structure collapses. It's not the socialists that keep things going, they just feed off of open sores.

Although this CD is not a substitute for the book, it serves as an excellent reminder of Rand's principles - in particular her ethics.

This CD would be useful for the Objectivist that can not reread Rand's book but wants to be able to discuss it in detail again.

I bought this to supplement the novel which I was rereading after 30 years for my book club. This is a good way to tie together what at times is a heavy text--although as I say in my review of the book itself the plot is a real potboiler. I found the tape helpful in understanding Rand's literary technique--in setting up larger than life heroes and impossibly obnoxious villians---a good refresher too if your recollection of the book is hazy. But for a critical analysis of the novel as a work of literature or philosophy, look elsewhere.

I am an idiot when it comeS to this type of math. I used to hate it and would have panic attackS in class when asked to go to the fronT of the class. Now, I'm the first one to rasing my hand! This book has changed my life lol. Its sounds cheesy but it's true. GET IT!

I got this book to help my 5th grader who is weak at math. This book has been very helpful in getting her to understand and it also gives her extra practice. I like the test that go along with each section. I would recommend this book to anyone needing help in basic math.

This is the book that my daughter's tutor recommended. My daughter has a hard time remembering the steps to solve math problems. My tutor recommended this book vs. math worksheets because no matter how many worksheets my daughter does to practice, she will have a hard time remembering the steps. This book, on the other hand, gives examples that she can follow and refer back to. It makes her more independent because she can pull the book out and find the concept she's working on and see the steps outlined. I've reviewed and purchased dozens of math books and practice books, and this one is the best.

I work for a major corporation that requires employees who apply for other jobs within the company, to take and pass the "Universal Test Battery". A part of this exam is arithmetic, including addition, subtraction, division, multiplication and percentages. I am a 54 year old who has been using a calulator for 30+ years! This book is indeed a 'workbook' that reviews all arithmetic and clearly explains the problems and how to do them all the way to sucess!

I bought the second edition of this book several years ago when our company (USWest) was closing departments and we knew we would have to start testing for job title changes. It was one of the most helpful purchases I have ever made! I retired, and now I'm going into real estate. Naturally the real estate classes (and the state test) have lots of math and math problems. As they say...what you don't use you lose!!! There were several of us in the classes who were having a difficult time with the math problems and formulas. This book was once again a life saver. At first glance one would think it's too simple...more for children than adults, but it isn't. Mr. Williams makes math super simple for any age!!!

The first few chapters are basic math...addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Roman numerals, etc.

Chapters 6-8 are fractions...changing improper to mixed numbers...subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions...unlike denominators, etc.

Chapters 10-13 cover decimals...comparing, rounding off, adding, subtracting, multiplying mixed decimals.

Chapter 14 covers percents...changing percents to decimals, to fractions, and finding the percent of a number.

Chapter 15 covers measurement.

There are pre-tests to see if you need to study the chapter, word problems, practice examples, and practice tests after every section.

I recommend this book for everyone...young people who find math difficult, as an invaluable aid for parents of school age children, for anyone who is making a career change and is faced with job testing, and for those...like myself...who have been out of school for years and need a brush up on math skills. The price is minimal!!!

Thank you, Edward Williams, for writing this book. Thank you for the difference it has made it my life!!!