Freeman Books

I found this book to be very informative, up to date, and could be understood by the layman

This book sets out the evidence for missing matter in the universe in an entertaining yet thorough way. There is virtually no math in the entire book, and yet each subject area is treated fully. I had thought the first evidence for dark matter was star rotation rates in galaxies as set out by Vera Rubin and others. However this book traces the roots of the "something is wrong with our picture of the universe" back to the 1930s and Fritz Zwicky and Jan Oort--two astronomers who could not be more different from each other. And that is another strength of this book--we learn something about Zwicky and Oort without being seriously sidetracked.

"In Search of Dark Matter" strikes a perfect balance between moving the story along (and it does read like a story) and stopping here and there for brief asides about the personalities and milieu involved at the various stages of dark matter research. Finally, alternatives such as MOND theory are discussed. This book is not a deep tome--it is only roughly 150 pages. But it certainly piqued my interest and made me want to find out more. The authors succeed in bringing up most topics assuming little or no background in astronomy, yet don't get mired explaining the basics. A great read!

The book is very well organized and enjoyable to read. Well done!

"The Isherwood Century". What a great choice of title for this invaluable (and well edited) collections of essays, interviews, ruminations on the life and influence of Christopher Isherwood. While his is a household name, primarily beacuse of the worldwide success and endurance of "Cabaret" the musical based on his Berlin Stories (I am a Camera, Goodbye to Berlin, etc), this informed and endlessly interesting survey provides a fine documentation for Isherwood's position of importance on 20th Century literature, his positive role model for gay writers and all gay people who care about significant relationships, his courage as an early pacifist, his impact on those students fortunate enough to have studied in his unique classes. Reading first hand encounters from such a broad spectrum of friends and reporters always give a more fine tuned view than a straight out biography. And for a man whose literary skills polished the concept of autobigraphy that is matched by few others, this is quite an achievement.

Reading "The Isherwood Century" is discovering an involved panorama of life in the past century - politically, artistically, internationally, psychologically, and spiritually. More than a memoir, this book remains intimate despite its scope. At last we have a reference (outside of his own wondrous diaries) that validates the greatness of this significant human being.

As a long-time reader of Isherwood's novels, autobiographies and diaries, I thought I knew everything there was to know about him. I was wrong, and I'm happy to say that I learned a great deal about the intimate Isherwood (as opposed to the person he chose to reveal in his work) from this collection. The informal Isherwood is here in memoirs and reminiscences, first and foremost by his partner Don Bachardy. As you would expect, Bachardy's portrait of Isherwood is precise, detailed, affectionate and harrowing (his series of drawings of Isherwood's last days are included), but the memories of former students of Isherwood as teacher, mentor and friend are equally revealing. The professional Isherwood appears in previously unpublished interviews and memoirs by such colleagues as Carolyn Heilbrun, whose piece about her few intersections with Isherwood as a literary subject takes an interesting turn into recalling his profound kindness to her in a time of spiritual crisis. And the lively and accessible essays by literary scholars served first to remind me of what an original and vivid writer Isherwood was and second to send me back to the novels that so inspired me when I first encountered them. Isherwood achieved thrilling literary effects by combining witheringly accurate observation of his characters with a sensual evocation of time and place as if by magic. It seems only fitting that when the many writers here take very different beads on this complex man and artist what emerges from the collage of viewpoints is a surprisingly emotional and coherent portrait of the man himself.

The Isherwood Century is an impressive collection of essays and interviews on the life and work of Christopher Isherwood, including a fresh, in-depth view of his literary legacy and continuing influence. Included are Katherine Bucknell (Who is Christopher Isherwood?); Dan Luckenbill (Isherwood in Los Angeles); Stathis Orphanos (In the Blink of an Eye: Evolving with Christopher Isherwood); Michael S. Harper (Ish circa 1959-1963); Michael S. Harper (Reading from Isherwood's Letter circa 1959-1963); Robert Peters (Gay Isherwood Visits Straight Riverside); Carolyn G. Heilbrun (My Isherwood, My Bachardy); James P. White (Write It Down or It's Lost: Isherwood as Mentor), and sixteen other informative and insightful contributors. The Isherwood Century is a "must" for all students and fans of Isherwood's accomplishments and thoughts.

I've long been interested in the Japanese approach to design of all sorts, but especially architecture. Coming from a much different tradition, the solutions to problems and needs for shelter are often very different than those arrived at by architects with Euro-American tastes and training. Some of the examples depicted so beautifully and discussed so shrewdly in this volume are rooted strongly in Japan's history, such as an old farmhouse relocated to Tokyo and fitted into an urban neighborhood. Others are playful, like the house with a lawn on the peaked roof, watered by a sprinkler system on the ridgepole, and with the courtyard floored in clay roof tiles. There's a two-story "miniature" house with a footprint not much larger than two parking spaces, but which still manages to be a very comfortable environment for actually living in. And, naturally, there are structures *so* experimental, you might not realize they were houses if you weren't told. There are homes in this collection I would love to live in, and others that would probably give me nightmares, but all of them are fascinating.

This book is filled with page after page of stunning rooms and living spaces in Japan. A must for anyone who believes all Japanese live in cramped, dark, unattractive homes. An excellent conversation starter and coffee table book.

This book provides total eye candy for design enthusiasts. Not your typical formulaic shoji screen stuff. Very original solutions to design problems from a Japanese perspective. I find it very inspiring and look at it all the time.

When I wrote this swinging nursery rhyme, I set out to write a jazz pat-a-cake. And I hear the diaper and toddler find the rhythm infectious. Some parents tell me their children ask to read the book every day and even sleep with the it. Happy dancing and pleasant dreams!

I bought this book for our now-22 month old daughter over a year ago because music was always an important part of my life and I our daughter to appreciate music as well. The moment we opened to the first page, it became one of her favorite books. As I would read it to her in the beginning I would do motions with the book -- to "Pound your drum" I would pat her tummy, to "Bounce and Boogie" I would bounce her up and down, etc. Soon she was doing the motions for the following page before I could even get the page turned. She LOVES this book, and I have always had fun reading it to her as well. The rhythms of the book are wonderful; you'll feel like you're singing a song with your child every time you read it. I highly recommend it!

"Jazz baby, jazz baby,/join the band./You've got music/in your hands." So begins Carole Boston Weatherford's engaging and entertaining romp, and little ones will be tapping feet, snapping fingers, playing real or imagined instruments, and dancing, bouncing, shimmying and jiggling to the jive of jazz. Ms Weatherford's rhyming text is filled with energy, rhythm, and motion, and complemented by Laura Freeman's bold and bright illustrations. Each two page spread dazzles with color and sheer joy as children are pictured on a rainbow, note-filled background blowing horns, plinking keys, plunking strings, beating drums and moving to the music. Perfect for preschoolers, Jazz Baby is a fun-filled, interactive celebration that is sure to become an instant family favorite. "Jazz baby, jazz baby,/hum a song./Let it rock you/all night long."

On the first page of his book, "Jesus, the Teacher Within," Father Freeman recounts the gospel's account of the last days of Jesus. Faced with the apostles' narrative of his accusers'depictions of him, Jesus asks, "And, who is it you say I am?" Freeman's belief is that in order to answer this question, the apostles and today's Christians must look into their hearts and first determine who they are and how their identities relate to Jesus as savior, messiah, man and god.

Father Freeman is a follower of the teaching of John Main. John Main was a Benedictine monk who taught the path to true spirituality and compassion should include meditiation, contemplative prayer. John Main and Father Freeman's view of Christianity is very receptive to Eastern thought, particularly, Buddhism. In fact, the Dalai Lama writes the Introduction to this book.

This is an exceptionally well reasoned, important and artistic book.

Freeman is a Benedictine monk and the successor of John Main as the spiritual guide of The World Community for Christian Meditation. The question of Jesus, Who do you say that I am, can be answered, Freeman suggests, only as we grow in self-awareness, and the answer to that question will in turn lead us to greater self-knowledge. A friendship of mutual recognition and self-revelation between Jesus and us grows step by step as we see Jesus in the gospels, in a new way of looking at God and God's forgiveness, in the sometimes unlikely guise of the church, in the realm of the Spirit, in the labyrinthine ways of meditation. That is the briefest outline; but there is much more in this book than can be summarized here. It is a treasure almost too densely packed with ideas to be fully grasped at a single reading. Freeman is a writer of very broad knowledge, deep insight, and spiritual wisdom; and he knows well and draws upon eastern religions to very good effect. Definitely worth a read.

Spiritual seekers looking for a comprehensive and in-depth study of Jesus, one that leads to an expansion of consciousness, will want to read this book. It inspires, informs and addreses the human heart at the depth of its longing. By exploring the question posed by Jesus: "And you, who do you say I am?" (MT 16:15) Freeman takes the reader on a psychological and spiritual journey into their own true nature. Like one sitting at the loom of experience Freeman weaves together insights from other spiritual traditions, as well as references from literature and his own life, that give the reader a fresh and new understanding of the person of Jesus. The book is grounded in solid Christian theology yet anticipates the reader of the 21st century. It is a book for those who are spiriually hungry and for those who want to move beyond spiritual and intellectual patterns of belief that no longer fit or limit a deeper experience of faith.

I was trying to encourage my ten year old nephew to read so I got this book for him. He doesn't like to read, especially anything long. He read this book in one week, and he kept talking about how much he liked the illustrations! A beautiful book.

My son and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing allowed me, the reader, to appear well-accomplished in the art of storytelling. The beautiful illustrations looked like something you'd expect to see in the Cistine Chapel. They piqued my son's interest and seemed to tell a story, even wthout the words.

I can't really put into words how much this book has meant to me as an African American Christian parent. Simultaneously, I'm educating my six year old son about great Bible stories and the plight of our ancestors. Further, we tend to get lost in both worlds while reading this astonishing book. All I can say to the authors is: Please give us more! This book is a work of art, history and faith.

My days of mothering the ages that Stephenie Freeman writes about are far behind me but reading her book brought them back in a thoroughly delightful way. She hits on so many universal themes and experiences of parenting, and does so with a voice that is very much her own, and yet eerily and reassuringly familiar. I laughed and I cried (but mostly I laughed), remembering those more often sweet but occasionally stinky days with two toddlers. Living With Cheese Easters and Bald-Headed Monkeys is a book any mother would treasure!

I've always heard that parents need two things to raise children...first, a stong marriage and second, a sense of humor. Stephenie Freeman has both of these requirements plus a little extra...the ability to be human, make mistakes and still be able to laugh at herself while providing a warm and loving home for her family.
This is a wonderful book for all young mothers and would make a great holiday gift.

This is a cute and funny book about motherhood. I read it, laughed and ordered 2 more for gifts!

Maynard Smith is one of the world's leading evolutionary biologists (for instance, he was largely responsible for the application of ideas from game theory to biological contests), and here he gives an excellent account of what he considers the most important transitions in evolutionary biology, including the origin of the genetic code, cellularisation, sociality and language. It's an astonishingly wide-ranging book, and highly recommended for anyone with any interest in any of these subjects in particular or in evolution as a whole. The writing is lucid and entertaining, and although some chapters probably require a familiarity with at least basic biology, Maynard Smith, like Richard Dawkins, can be understood by anyone who's prepared to make an effort.

John Maynard Smith gets an automatic thumbs-up from me for anything he writes. He is clear, pleasant, creative, unpretentious, authoritative and thoughtful. For this book he has teamed up with what seems to be an up-and-coming molecular biologist cum evolutionist and the team is impressively powerful. The writing is all in Maynard-Smith's style as far as I can tell, so I don't know whether Szathmary is an exceptionally competent anglophone who shares the same style, or whether they split the writing duties to exploit their respective skills. All I can say is that if you want a really rewarding read and you have a sound, not necessarily advanced, understanding of the basics of biochemistry, evolution and cellular physiology, then you cannot do better than this book. It makes no pretence to being comprehensive and gives only the minimum of introductory material to support their views on evolutionary transitions. Even if you are familiar with the field, the book does not lend itself to skimming; it is the distillation of a lot of non-trivial thinking.

An excellent book. Recommended to any professional in the field, to any student of the subject and to laymen with a good background in the subject and who are not intimidated by a challenge and are willing to skip some of the biochemistry. The later chapters are more accessible in that they deal with more difficult subjects, such as speech and culture.

Instead of watering down the content for educated laymen, the authors have published a less technical sequel: "The Origins of Life". This is also available from Amazon and, although it is intended for a wider audience, it is thoroughly rewarding for the professional.

This is arguably John-Maynard Smith's most challenging project in popular science writing. Written along with Eros Szathmary, a chemist, " The Major Transitions in Evolution" is written primarily for biology students, but can be understood by anybody with a solid background in evolutionary theory. How have the ways in which information is transmitted between generations changed through time and what were the crucial transitions that made these changes possible? One early example that illustrates the effect of these transitions is the origin of chromosomes. Nucleic acid strands (genes) capable of independent replication, at some point became linked and thereafter could replicate only as a set of lined genes (chromosomes). A new way of storing information,a new information system had evolved. How was this transition maintained through time? Would'nt unlinked genes which replicate faster be favoured by natural selection over linked genes? In effect, would'nt selection at a lower level disrupt higher level organizatins? This is a common feature of many of the major transitions and forms the fundamental theme of this marvellous book. In a series of chapters the authors discuss the evolutions of various level of complexity. The chapters are arrange in a logical sequence begining with the origin of life and moving on to successive transitions including the origin of the genetic code, the origin of the eucaryotes, the origin of sex, multicellularity, societies and language. The list here is not complete. I read the book from start to finish in a sequence, but readers with a good background in the subject could probably start anywhere depending on their interest. For non-biologist this is not easy reading at all, and I would imagine that even biology students will find portions challenging. An impressive quality of this book is the constant attempt to incorporate the pecularities of a particular system in developing an explanation to explain its origin. A discussion on the origin of the genetic code includes the possibilty that there could be a stero-chemical basis for specific amino acid-codon assigments, rather than it being a 'frozen accident'. Another example is whether there is a causal connection between haplodiploidy and evolution of sociality in eusocial insects. The author warn against making this apparently intuitive connection, and instead seek an explanation in split sex ratios and in some cases the particular features of insect ecology. The highlight of the book for me was the last chapter on the origin of language. From Noam Chomsky's work on the structure of grammer , syntax and language and representation, to an evolutionary explanation for its origin, this was really an informative essay. The ever recurring argument against the evolution of complex adapatations, in this case language, by a series of adaptive intermediate stages, has been dealt with using examples from animal speech, the genetics of language disorders and a section on the transitions from pigdin to creole. The book strikes a good balance between explaining theory and then discussing the experimental evidence available. Wherever possible, new experimental approaches are suggested. Finally, like any really good book on science the authors not only bring you up to date with what has been done, but also stress just how much more needs to be done. It is this feature about the book that leaves a lasting impression.

The Barash team has done an outstanding job of expanding on the basic theme put forth by Desmond Morris in his book, "The Naked Ape" which is a serious anatomical, biological, anthropological and sociological, yet humorous examination of us quirky human beings.

With a sizeable quantity of shared insight, humor and wit, the Barash team has gone way beyond the traditional norms of the study of biology. This book is part biology, ecology, health and nutrition, and sociobiology and yet is an easy, flowing read.

The book format was intentionally crafted for general audience appeal and does not overwhelm with too much technical jargon and yet, does not skimp on important details of biological importance. Indeed, the Barash's have met their desire to help the reader become "bioliterate" and it starts with advice on human biology education with such lines as: "...if you want to see a perfectly good mammal, look in the mirror" and, "Like Immanuel Kant, we can all dare to know". Hence, the title of this educational and entertaining book: "Mammal in the Mirror". So look in this "mirror" and know thyself!

Previous reviews have done a fine job of covering the contents chapter by chapter, so I will just point out some of the many gems I found in this fine book:

The Barash's proffer for our consideration, the importance of knowing something about our biology in: "Anyone inclined to look further, into evolutionary biology--or indeed any area of biology--cannot help being overwhelmed by the truth and beauty of the human interconnectedness to the rest of life". (p 280)

On our continuing human dilemma of creating problems for ourselves, yet showing how unique we are as a species in our abilities to expand our awareness of biology and life itself by finding causation and answers to problems--such as the discovery of and vaccine for the smallpox disease, there is: "In an age of misery--much of it human-caused--the triumph over smallpox is a matter for rejoicing." (p 47).

["Descartes is also the author of what is probably the most famous sentence in Western thought--"Cognito ergo sum": "I think, therefore I am"--which he proposed as the cornerstone of a philosophy to be founded on incontrovertible truth. (Ambrose Bierce modified this to "Cognito cognito ergo cognito sum": "I think I think, therefore I think I am"--adding that this was as close to certainty as philosophy seems likely to get.)]. (p 141-2).

On human sexuality: "Fortunately, abstinence is not the only way of preventing reproduction. We have already discussed abortion, albeit briefly. Most people--whether pro-life or pro-choice--agree that recourse to abortion is, in a sense, an indication of failure. Far better to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first place." (p 187-8) Indeed!

On matters of ecology, I found this to be a good one: ["If you are a poet," writes Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, "you will see that there is a cloud in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain the trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper."...] and [If you too, can see the cloud in this sheet of paper, then maybe you are also a poet, a Zen master--or an ecologist. The cornerstone ecological concept is easy to grasp although often difficult to act upon. It is also remarkably similar to the fundamental insight of Eastern mysticism: the interconnectedness of all things."]
(p 239)

The last chapter, "Evolution: The Road Stretches Out", was the most intriguing to me in that it hits upon such matters such as biological and/or evolutionary ethics. References to such luminaries of biology as E. O. Wilson, who has expanded on and promoted sociobiology as a guideline for human relationships with all other life forms, is well covered. Indeed, ethics derived from the biological processes of life itself, seems to be a logical basis on which to found human conduct codes. In consideration of how we humans are environmentally and therefore, biologically, trashing the life-sustaining attributes of our shared ecology, a call for biologically based ethics seems to be in order.

I thank and commend the Barash father/daughter team for this outstanding book!

In the authors' words. "We aren't speaking here of existential angst, metaphysical speculation, or religious doctrine, but rather, of the nuts and bolts of everyone's shared biology...What we propose is to offer enough information, keeping it accurate and yet accessible, to enable every reader, regardless of background, to become bioliterate." In this, I think they succeed with the following caveat: Those who are not already bioliterate might find some of the reading a bit tedious.

About Small Things:

Chapter 1: "Humans share about 90% of their DNA with the rest of the living world." This is an excellent 37 page essay summarizing the subject of DNA.

Chapter 2: Virology and more with emphasis on those diseases so much in the news - HIV, ebola, influenza, herpes, prions (mad cow disease), etc.

Chapter 3: All about cells, their organelles, their reproduction, their biochemistry, their immunology, cell-signalling, and a large section on cancer. "It appears that many debilitating diseases whose courses had long been unknown are actually examples of pathological friendly fire." This is from an immune system with no parasites to combat.

About Larger Things:

Chapter 4: The Brain and Behavior..."You, your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules." - Francis Crick..."The human mind, in short, is the result of nerve cells doing their thing, oozing miniscule droplets of chemicals and flashing tiny sparklets of electricity, prodding and tickling other nerve cells into similar action and in the process somehow generating thought and consciousness. We agree with this astonishing hypothesis, and we think that by the time you've finished this chapter, you will, too."

Chapter 5: All about sex from relevant evolutionary psychology findings to textbook explanations about the menstrual cycle.

Chapter 6: The best essay on nutrition you'll ever read - short on elaborate dietary schemes, long on facts, leptins, and concrete science.

About perspectives:

Chapter 7: You're in Sunday school for a well-done overview on ecology.

Chapter 8: "The theory of evolution is not in doubt; it is the bedrock upon which all of modern biology is based; the grand unifying theory of life, confirmed again and again by nearly every biological fact that is uncovered...Evolution by natural selection is an elegantly simple solution to the question of why life is as it is, with the added advantage of being right. But please don't look to it for ethical guidance."

Chapter 9: Sociobiology (more often called evolutionary psychology)..."even the Catholic Church has made its peace with evolution, including human evolution." Barash includes occasional entertaining scientific anecdotes such as this one about the "Coolidge Effect." The story goes that President Calvin Coolidge and his wife were separately touring a model farm. When Coolidge was shown the chickens, the guide mentioned, "Mrs. Coolidge wants you to be told that this rooster mates many times each day."
"Always with the same hen?" asked Cal.
"No, sir!" replied the guide.
"Please tell Mrs. Coolidge THAT," said the president.
The Coolidge effect then, refers to the fact that even the most jaded male sexual appetite tends to perk up at the prospect of a new sexual partner. This has been confirmed for nearly all mammals, including humans. Nothing comparable applies to female mammals, including women. More ludicrously said, "hogomous higgamous, men are polygamous, higgamous hogomous, girls are monogamous."

As Gilbert and Sullivan put it, "Darwinian man, though well-behaved, at best is only a monkey shaved." A number of respected, well-recognized authors are listed in "recommended readings." Without a doubt, the reader of this book will achieve greater bioliteracy. Highly recommended!

The Barash team builds bodies. They aren't on an exercise regime. Instead, they reveal the ancient and simple roots upon which our bodies and personalities rest. Their aim is to make you "bioliterate" - to gain the ability to understand why there is unity in all life, including ourselves. Their technique examines the mechanisms of DNA, the ubiquitous molecule that extends across the living community. The authors show how DNA's working portions, the genes, act to build organisms, from the minuscule not-quite-alive viruses to complex creatures like us. They structure their presentation into three views "close up, at midrange and from a distance". Each view is dependent on understanding the earlier picture as complexity of the organisms described increases. The Barash father-daughter pair present a highly descriptive and readable account of life's processes and why it's important to us to understand them. They stress that many of the topics reviewed here remain obscure, needing readers to continue the quest they've charted.

Opening their account with a detailed examination of DNA's mechanism for making proteins, the basic process of an organism's structure and life operations. They show how understanding genes provides information on a wide variety of subjects. They examine such diverse topics as DNA "fingerprinting", growth and development and how errant patterns can result in various afflictions - such as "mad cow" disease. They move to the world of viruses, how they are built and propagate - and how the same molecule that allows virus replication to also mount defenses against them. In their discussion, they raise questions about the body's reaction to viral infection - is sneezing or coughing a mechanism these tiny organisms imparted to us in order to help them spread?

From the "recipe for life" molecule of DNA, the Barashes reveal the world of the cell. Where did it come from? Why are there parts of the cell that seem to lead an almost independent existence, while operating within the cell? The authors show how cells have programmed life cycles of their own. They remind us that the cell is "born", goes through a series of steps at varying paces, then "dies". How are cells chosen to build particular parts of the body, giving us individuality while following a basic "standard pattern".? All members of a species look generally alike, yet each is an individual. These minor differences reflect how evolution has tailored life to adapt to change. They remind us that only one type of cell in the body never replicates itself. Muscle cells can shrink or enlarge, but new ones aren't made.

Without doubt, the most informative chapter in the book is on the brain and nervous system. This section emphasises how many of our emotions and other behaviour traits are rooted in the mass of nerve cells within the brain and connecting to the remainder of the body. Unlike the lumpy body cell, the neurons are lengthy whip-like structures designed for rapid interaction with other neurons. Almost like the muscle cell, brain cells rarely replicate. What you attain during the first years of living and developing the brain will remain with you for life. Unlike muscle cells, the brain's neuronal net don't enlarge or contract. Instead, new information may displace or divert older data stored in the neurons. And the brain, of course, is constantly acquiring new information.

Still in the "middle view", the authors examine that great mystery - sex. They explain how the mechanism of reproducing ourselves reaches back to that DNA of the early chapters. "Gene shuffling" has numerous long-term advantages to any species utilising it. This process of mixing genes from two parents provides unique individual offspring - just what natural selection needs to select from. It also contributes to the body's mechanisms for combating infection. In effect, when an egg is fertilised, part of the on-going process is to reprogramme the immune system almost from scratch. The high speed adaptability of infective agents such as viruses is countered by our individuality. It's more than just brown eyes or blue! Finally, the authors look at how the body acquires and utilises energy to keep these processes functioning. Successful energy conversion provides the framework for successful reproduction.

In the final segment, the authors place the human species firmly within the panorama of all Nature. They stress the interconnectedness of all living things. The sharing of DNA is the signal that our role cannot be separated from the remainder of life. The planet runs on an "energy budget" of which we are a significant part. They describe how "food webs" are composed of "trophic levels" - in plain, but undescriptive language - the "food chain". There is, they remind us, much more to food webs than who consumes what. Energy material must be processed through cyclical steps. Interrupting those processes, such as by modifying gas content of the atmosphere or raising ambient temperatures, is dangerous to our species and others. "Everything Touches Everything Else", they remind us. The lesson is that if we don't start to understand life, we won't have it to enjoy. "Dare to know" where you fit in the natural world and understand what roles you may enjoy and which may need to avoid. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

When I started reading books about Elvis, I began to take notes on where he'd lived, played, recorded, etc., knowing one day I'd travel there. Then I discovered this book! Mike and Cindy had done the work for me. The book is not only well written, but there are informative stories AND they tell you if a place has been demolished, or moved -- information that saved me a lot of time. After reading the book I decided that I HAD to take Mike's tour of Memphis -- it was well worth it. I had a glorious time -- Mike is a walking Elvis-encyclopedia (and fun too!). After the tour, my niece, who was traveling with me said, "well, I think we've done it all and seen it all"! And yes, thanks to Mike and Cindy, we had.

This is the ultimate read for any Elvis fan. Especially if they are going to spend any time in Memphis. It's eerie, even chilling, to walk the grounds where Elvis walked as a teenager, and even during stardom. This is a step-by-step narrative of how to find nearly every address related to Elvis in Memphis, and every one of them with a used-to-be secret. It's really cool!

I had this book on my bedstand for months as a gift from my wife. Once I picked it up and read the first page, I couldn't put it down. Every page is loaded with "Man, If I would've only
known."

But you better hurry! These sites are rapidly falling by the wayside. As we saw in a store window in Memphis, you can contact the authors for a personalized tour. Although we haven't taken it, this would be a way-cool afternoon.

Thank you Cindy Hazen and Mike Freeman,
Dave-n-Tina Campbell
Mt. Vernon, Texas

Memphis Elvis Style Cindy Hazen and Mike Freeman A phenomenal number of books have been written about Elvis. Recently it would seem that ever more such books are being published. Some are just rehashes of the same old story; others are the recollections of a five-minute fling, being as much a flight of phantasy as a worthwhile document; a few, a very few, are really worth buying and can be returned to again and again. "Memphis Elvis Style" by Memphis residents Cindy Hazen and Mike Freeman is most definitely one of the latter. It has not been launched under a blaze of publicity, but it is nevertheless an almost indispensable addition to the Elvis library. "Memphis Elvis Style" is, in fact, a guide book of Elvis related sites in and around Memphis. The no less than 129 sites have been cleverly organised firstly by their chronological relationship with Elvis and then further grouped by type. In addition, maps and an index help searching both in the book and in Memphis itself as simple as possible. And if this wasn't already enough, each entry contains detailed instructions on how to find its site and exactly what to expect, many buildings having been flattened or modified in the course of the years. But the book is also for those who have never been or never will go to Memphis. Cindy and Mike have achieved this by expanding each entry with some background information and an anecdote directly relating it to Elvis. This additional information provides some excellent reading and is sometimes quite amusing - I particularly liked the story of Elvis's visit to his local McDonald's with girlfriend Linda Thompson., but there are lots more stories and Elvis lore to satisfy all readers, even those looking for information about Hi Records, car dealerships, and just about everything else associated with Elvis in Memphis. Definitely a book to get! David Neale September 199