George Reviews

The Contented Achiever : How to Get What You Want and Love What You Get

Published in Hardcover by Black Pants Pub (2001-03-01)

Authors: Don Hutson, Chris Crouch, and George Lucas

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Excelent book, will read it many times over

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-12

I found this book to be a good guide to turn your life situation around. I'm employeing instructions presented in it and I see it working. I found that Think and Grow Rich expands on some of the concepts presented in this book. Although Think and Grow Rich has faults of its own. Bottom line, if your at a point in your life where you've always felt that your dreams are just not happening but you're unwilling to give up on them and are looking for a guide or a way to make them into reality the this book will help you. It was written by 3 different authors, which is unique and presents different points of view. I strongly recommend it.

Are you living the life you want?

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-26

The Contented Achiever is an excellent book that helps us on our journey as to whether we are living the life we truly want! In the back of the book, there is a Self Assessment entitled "Are You a Contented Achiever?" My score told me that this book would absolutely be read next!

The lessons learned about being centered and living in the "now" have greatly impacted my life. The chapter on "Clutter" has created even more satisfaction and peace in my daily life. I ask myself the following question: Are there things that tie me to my past that prevent me from enjoying the present? Try it, you'll experience a wonderful sense of letting go and enjoying life more!

great reading for organizations

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-15

This book is a quick and easy read suitable for individuals or groups. For the "puzzle of life" the book provides, in outline form, key factors to build success and a belief system to allow one to enjoy the ride. I recommend it highly and recently purchased copies for my entire organization.

Never Throw Away a Big Box Until You Have Thought It Through

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-13

I enjoyed this book so much that I got several copies to give away to friends. It was humorous, nostalgic, thought-provoking, cathartic and inspiring.

Not since I read Co-Dependent No More have I had a more graphic awakening to my own reality. This book provided me with a plethora of labels to apply to many dysfunctional life-situations and thereby provided many clues to personal problem-solving answers.

Even though I already know I am an extremely organized individual, still, I learned many new ideas to experiment with in my constant quest for even better methods for pursuit of a productive life both physically and emotionally. No one could read this book without coming away with something new to think about.

Big Boxes can hold many miracles...don't miss Chapter 6.

Thought Provoking, Inspiring

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-11

Rush, rush, rush. Push, push, push. Gotta achieve. Gotta make it! Life is complicated, but that's the fun. Go go go!

So is this what achievement is all about? Not really, say these authors. There's a system for success, and it's simple. In fact, simplicity in life is part of the magic. But it all starts inside. As the book explains, "what's in the well comes up in the bucket."

This is an interesting book because it's written by three authors-three people who have "been there, done that, and taught others." But the book is written in the singular. The authors realized that their ideas were bouncing all over the place, so they engaged a writer to "harmonize them into one voice." Clever idea, but a little unnerving at times, knowing that there are three people behind the message.

Readers will begin the journey through this book by Defining Success. Chapter 2 talks about Creating Desired Results, with the obligatory four-quadrant model. The dimensions of this one are Failure and Success, Frustration and Fulfillment. The Impact of Thoughts, Words, and Actions is explored in the third chapter. Values are addressed in a chapter entitled "Reflecting on Your Belief System" before an advisory chapter on getting clutter out of your life. The balance of the book focuses on creating an environment for success. It's a "typical" self-help book, but well put together.

Extra features include the inspirational quotes you might expect, sprinkled through the pages. A 19-question assessment at the back of the book serves as a summary, but could also be taken before reading the book as a sort of benchmark. The Points to Ponder at the end of each chapter add value to this book, moving the reader from absorption of good advice to a pensive and self-reflection mode to stimulate progress.

Control of Canine Genetic Diseases (Howell Reference Books)

Published in Hardcover by Howell Book House (1998-10-26)

Author: George A. Padgett

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Control of Canine Genetic Diseases (Howell Reference Books)

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07

I was advised by a breeder to get this book if I was interesting in breeding in the future.

As there is such a small gene pool here in Australia, I felt that I needed to get as much information as possible about possible genetic diseases and if they can be bred out.

Whilest I have not really started to read this book as yet, will start soon, I have been told that it is fantastic for new people who are looking to enter the breeding ring.

Every breeder should read this book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-13

This is the kind of book tha every breeder should have! Not only by clear way he puts how to track and understand genetic diseases, but by his proposes about Open Registries.

Canine Genetics

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-12

A useful source of information on hereditary diseases of dogs, obviously slanted towards the USA scene. Just waiting for a UK author to produce a similar volume with less sweeping allegations of widespread canine defects amongst pedigree dogs.

GENETICS ARE NOT THAT DIFFICULT

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-30

Being a vet student I've always heard about how difficult genetics are and how it bores us to death. This book is written so well that there aren't too many technicalities or hard words to understand. It is extremely clear and well written and its a must for everyone intending to breed dogs.

This book should be on every dog breeder's bookshelf!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-13

This book should be on every dog breeder's bookshelf!
In the introduction Dr Padgett candidly writes:

` My goal is to help prevent serious genetic diseases in dogs, both in breeds and in kennels. If you learn the material presented here, follow the guidelines, and apply this information to your breed or your kennel, you will reduce the frequency of disease, and it will not take you twenty-five years to do it.
You need three things to accomplish this task: knowledge, information, and honesty. All three are within your control '

A professor of Pathology, one of the world's most celebrated researchers, writers and lecturers on the entire subject of canine genetic diseases, George A Padgett DVM has published numerous papers and has appeared before almost 100 breed clubs speaking on his specialty.

In his book ` Control of Canine Genetic Diseases' Dr Padgett addresses breed clubs and challenges them to encourage and reward members with honest information regarding the diseases within their lines.

He starts off by explaining the background, and then goes on to explain how to trace disease in your own dogs with a chapter that is titled ` The development of pedigrees'. In this chapter Dr Padgett teaches the reader to keep records and gives a number of scenarios of which the readers can test themselves to see if they are on the right track with this lesson.

Other topics he addresses are; modes of inheritance; the interpretation and use of pedigrees to determine the genetic status of given dogs and, the probable mode of inheritance of a trait; test mating; registries and prioritizing genetic disease; tables and probabilities; breed clubs and control of genetic disease; and the last chapter is aptly titled ` For the breeder '.

Dr Padgett is not a geneticist and doesn't claim to be one. He even admits that some of his data finding procedures would have geneticists screaming.
He is not suggesting breeders' refrain from ever breeding with an affected or carrying dog. He's realistic about breeding from the best dog from an overall perspective, but instead he explains about breeding out or diluting disease in order to lower the chances of producing affected animals, whilst maintaining honesty.
He clearly states that he acknowledges a breeder shouldn't ever breed their dog to an animal of lesser quality than what they want to represent them, their line and breed, just because they're making a test-mating.

George A. Padgett writes fluidly and convincingly and at times is quite amusing. I found his advice on prioritizing disease very reasonable. He explains the necessity to develop a hierarchy of disagreeability for various diseases by evaluating the severity of the disease, and its impact on the dog itself, and the people that own it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to every breed club, member and breeder whose goal it is to produce healthy, functional and beautiful dogs.

The Design and Implementation of the FreeBSD Operating System

Published in Hardcover by Addison-Wesley Professional (2004-08-12)

Authors: Marshall Kirk McKusick and George V. Neville-Neil

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Best Linux book for advanced learners

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-29

A very good book for those who want to learn advanced concepts in OS. Since it is a open source the book is very useful in understanding how they look like. The paper quality is too good, which makes u read non stop. i luv reading this book. Price worth it. A good buy.

The OTHER freeOS explained

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 22 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-15

A BSD Bible. I never could read the Bible. I do Believe ...

650+ pages of truth and gore. I (as a sysadmin and BSD boomer) related most to the History (Ch.1) and Startup/Shutdown (final Ch.14). Memory management and other gore escapes me. GOOD JOB!

Highly recommended for learning how a kernel works in practice

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-14

First of all you should be warned that this is not an introduction to get started with UNIX kernel programming. The Design of the UNIX Operating System by M.J. Bach provides a good general introduction to UNIX kernel programming. The design and implementation of the FreeBSD operating system is an excellent book to deepen knowledge of the UNIX kernel by looking how a current UNIX is implemented in practice. Even if you plan to write code for another kernel, working through the FreeBSD kernel with this book as a guide is a good excercise to become consious of the fundamental problems and solutions in kernel design. FreeBSD (or any of the other BSDs) is a good starting point, because the BSDs have relatively stable kernel subsystems and APIs due to the long cycles in BSD development.

The writing style of the authors is to the point (don't expect a novel) and clear. The troff typesetting of the book gives it a consistent style and simple, but clear diagrams (though I heard that some diagrams were hand-drawn). The book doesn't just drop the reader in a kernel subsystem. The second chapter gives a detailed explanation of the various kernel subsystems, and the relation between the subsystems. The third chapter gives a summary of what is expected from a kernel from the user level. Combined these two chapters give the reader the necessary conception of the FreeBSD kernel to start looking at individual parts of the kernel in detail. Most remaining chapters are logically ordered, in that subsystems are ordered from parts with less dependencies to parts with more dependencies (e.g. memory management and I/O are covered before filesystems).

If you are interested in UNIX programming, you should have this book on your bookshelf (as well as a CVS checkout of the FreeBSD kernel tree to read the implementation).

Very nice and complete introduction book

Helpful Votes: 19 out of 24 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-23

Before I encountered this book it was quite a bit of frustration in attempt to learn BSD and UNIX to the point I can really use it. For some reason there so many good books in a subject with one of two inclinations: or the book is too theoretical and very little of the real workflow provided or it is too down to earth and it is difficult to understand what is behind the sophisticated command line zingers.
I found this book to be well balanced, well written and generally providing good, accessible way to get into BSD. I have followed advise in someone's review here and coupled this book with Linux and UNIX for a beginner training suite, 4DVDs + 2CDs includes 4 Unix Academy Certifications ed.2008. To my great surprise I have to say they really have made an outstanding training outfit!
If you really ready for a training and do not expect that UNIX will come to you overnight it is worthy book and deserves your attention.

Very good work

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 33 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-05

For the other side of the story, you may wish to check out the most recent "Inside Microsoft Windows" or "Microsoft Windows Internals" by Mark Russinovich.

Exploits and Adventures of Brigadier Gerard (New York Review Books Classics)

Published in Paperback by NYRB Classics (2001-05-10)

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

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A hero to laugh at an love at the same time

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-21

Etienne Gerrard is a delight, cocky, self important, vain as a peacock, he is also brave to a fault, resourceful, energetic and the best swordsman in all of Napoleon's cavalry. He is also a bit thick in the head. He struts through the most hair raising adventures, and almost always comes out in one piece. You will be convinced in each story that he could not possible carry out his mission successfully, but he almost always does. At a time in Great Britain when the human costs of the Napoleanic Wars were still felt and France and England had only recently mended fences, Conan Doyles "typical" Frenchman was a delight to the British reader. This is not Sherlock's cold intellect. It is the passion of a very decent, courageous man who is devoted to his sovreign, and who will take on any task from wooing a beautiful woman to a Russian Regiment of cavalry. If you enjoy the Flashman books you will love this one just as much.

Flashman Fans: Read This!!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-05

These gems of action storytelling will make you laugh out loud-- they have the best of Doyle's plotting and some very witty characterization. Etienne Gerard is first-cousin to GM Fraser's Flashman: he finds himself in the thick of every battle, often playing a pivotal role that only now can be told...

Of course, Flashy is cowardly where Gerard is brave, but they both think themselves irresistable to women and are master horsemen. Bright, fast, and funny, these short stories belong on the shelf next to all the Flashman novels. Fraser himself calls Doyle a "genius" in the introduction, and they belong in the same league of inspired storytelling. Too bad Gerard and Flashy never met-- Flash would have called him a bloody crapaud and Gerard would have said Flashy was a British beef....

A wonderful story of a Napoleonic hero

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-28

I knew Arthur Conan Doyle from his Sherlock Holmes series although I have not read any title from that. The "Exploits and Adventures of Birgadier Gerard" is surely one of the finest novels about the Napoleonic era and I highly recommend it to any fan of the Grand Armee and its battle hardened soldiers. The story begins with the long retired Brigadier starting to recall his war memories for the shake of his audience, over a glass of wine. And what a fascinating carreer did he have! He was a romantic lover, a proud Frenchman, an honest man, a terrific swordsman, a dashing cavalryman, and a soldier absolutely faithful to his duty: the real epitome of the French hussar who according to Colonel Lassale "should not live beyond the age of 30"! The old Brigadier explains with graphic detail and an amusing dose of egotism and pride how he lost his ear for the love of a girl in Venice, how he helped French troops to storm the spanish fortress of Saragossa, how he saved a whole army in the Peninsula, how he extricated himself from a grevious tactical mistake in Russia, how he beat the Englishmen in their national sport of fox-hunting and how Destiny prevented him from taking part in the climactic battle of Waterloo, a fact that Gerard honestly believes that doomed Napoleon! To build his story Doyle took many interesting facts and legends from real biographies of the period, like that of Baron de Marbot, but he made his story so enjoyable and colourful that is incomperable in terms of advenures and amusement.

Classic entertainment for Napoleonic war enthusiasts

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2002-08-26

Brigadier Gerard is everything that a Briton of Conan Doyle's time thought was an exemplar of the Napoleonic officer - and to a certain extent a caricature of the French themselves. Hopelessly and ridiculously brave, completely lacking in appreciation of the fine British virtues of sportsmanship, a devotion to L'Empereur, rather dim, obsessed with his honor and the honor of La France, and yet rather admirable too in his prickly way.

In this fine book the Brigadier regales us with stories of his youth, when most of Europe was part of the French Empire and opportunities abounded for young men who looked good in cavalry uniform. Gerard tells the story with no irony, but the reader laughs a good deal at the absurdities of the hero. When attempting to shoot the ash off a cigar he destroys the whole cigar instead, to the dismay of its smoker who is smoking it at the time. Clearly, Gerard maintains, the pistol is at fault. On a few occasions he succeeds when all expect him to fail and as a result his success is actually a failure. The stories encompass many of the great events of the Napoleonic wars: the horrors of partisan fighting in Spain, the invasion of Russia, war in the German states and Prussia, even capture by the British. Always the stories are superbly told with a very fine eye for realistic detail and they are often quite gripping. Again this is one of those books I am amazed has never been made into a film or a TV series.

George MacDonald Fraser has taken a good deal of the Gerard style for his Flashman series, although of course the two characters are poles apart in morality.

I recommend this book to all lovers of history novels and also to anyone who just likes to read superb stories in the grand old manner, where manly men are engaged in "honest" combat, and where evil enemies, treacherous peasants, and duplicitous politicos usually meet their doom under Gerard's cavalry saber.

What Would Harry Flashman Make of Etienne Gerard?

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-07

The success of the Sherlock Holmes stories has overshadowed the fact that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote many other stories of entirely different character. The New York Review of Books Classics has brought the `Exploits and Adventures of Brigadier Gerard' back to life. The Gerard character is said to be Conan Doyle's second best fictional invention.

The eight `Exploits' stories were published between 1894 and 1895 while the ten `Adventures' were published after a five year hiatus between 1900 and 1903. Like the Holmes tales, these pieces were published as serials in The Strand Magazine. Once again we owe a debt of happy gratitude to the NYRB for reviving this quirky, funny, heroic series of adventure tales.

The eponymous Gerard is one Etienne Gerard, a Hussar (a light cavalryman) in the French Army during the Napoleonic Wars. In other words, a character about as far removed from the dyspeptic intellectual detective of Baker Street as one can imagine. In the excellent introduction (one of the hallmarks of the NYRB Classics series), George Macdonald Fraser remarks on the courage Conan Doyle showed in showcasing a French hero fighting against the British less than 80 years after Napoleon was finally defeated (As Fraser notes "even today [the French ] are not notably popular north of the Channel"). Quite a feat of imagination.

Like Harry Flashman (Flashman: A Novel (Flashman)) and the lesser known Otto Prohaska (A Sailor of Austria: In Which, Without Really Intending to, Otto Prohaska Becomes Official War Hero No. 27 of the Habsburg Empire (The Otto Prohaska Novels)), Gerard is in his old age when he spins his stories to the reader. Gerard boasts that he is the greatest swordsman, horseman, and lover as well as the most loyal servant of Napoleon in the entire French army. And Conan Doyle permits Gerard to excel in all these measures and yet his excessive pride makes him obtuse. As Fraser put it Gerard is "vain, touchy, obstinate, reckless, boastful, and none too bright." He is entirely ingenuous, which repeatedly leads him to trouble and then he must slash his sword and dash away on his horse to escape. Gerard is charmingly unaware that he is a strutting French peacock; he assumes that others should and do recognize his exceptional qualities. Coming from a more self-aware man such cocksureness would be intolerable conceit.

I titled this review "What Would Harry Flashman Make of Etienne Gerard?" That's a fun question to speculate about. It would take a new Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Sir George MacDonald Fraser to do it justice. My guess is Harry would laugh up his sleeve at Gerard until he saw Etienne's sword swinging dangerously toward his head. For his part, I expect Gerard would be blissfully unaware of Flashman's disdain, but might he also detect Harry's certain 'shyness'?

The `Exploits and Adventures of Brigadier Gerard' are wonderful entertainments. Like the Sherlock Holmes stories, the pity is there are so few of them. Highest recommendation.

Five Star First Edition Westerns - Custer, Terry, and Me (Five Star First Edition Westerns)

Published in Board book by Five Star (2004-01-02)

Author: G. G. Boyer

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A rich and exciting work!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-27

Mr. Boyer has woven a wonderful and exciting tale through time to tell the "true" story of what really happened at the Little Big Horn. Even readers nor particularly knowledgeable of this topic, or sympathetic toward Custer for that matter, will find great interest in this novel. While a work of fiction, Boyer, who painstakingly researches his subjects, has introduced plausible facts based on solid historical research and has turned devotees of the Custer Myth on their heads. Custer and other true-life characters are revealed as the human beings they were: their strengths, their weaknesses, their excesses, and their loves. Custer, Terry, and Me, is the result of a master storyteller thinking through the questions which history had left unresolved. Readers will be instantly taken by the richness of this story, matched against the frontier and the peoples who populated it.

A Must Read For All Custer Fans

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-25

With Custer and his fate the topic of a couple of hundred books currently in print, one might fairly ask, "Why another book on Custer?" The answer becomes evident within a very few pages of this book.

Young Tom Ballard is drawn into the midst of the Custer circle, and, through his eyes and experiences, Custer and his crowd (Terry, the Custer brothers, Reno, Benteen, and the rest) jump off the pages as genuine, if not always appealing, personalities. Moreover, even though the reader knows the inevitable outcome from the start, Ballard (i.e. Boyer) presents the reader with a new and plausible explanation of Custer's activities at the Little Big Horn on that that fateful June day.

In Custer, Terry and Me, G. G. Boyer unfolds an absorbing tale founded upon sound historical research. A one sit read, it would make a wonderful movie-highly recommended!!

A Truly Different Slant

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-15

Worthy of considering about this book from the catalog of the leading Custer Bookseller and Publsher in the world, Richard Upton, who is himself a leading Custer authority and author:

"This is a historical novel by a master storyteller. A truly different slant which reveals a deep knowledge of the intricacies of the epic event. Even you Custer experts will be impressed by this one."

A great story!

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-15

G.G. Boyer has managed what might seem impossible: putting a thought-provoking new spin to the story of Custer and the Little Big Horn. And what a spin! Boyer is a noted historian as well as a widely published author of western fiction, and those two elements come together here to bring these people and their time to life. A classic of Americana that I'd highly recommend to the Custer buff and the general reader alike.

A new twist to Custer's last stand

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-06

I thoroughly and completely enjoyed reading this book for two reasons. One: It was just plain fun, extremely readable and impossible to put down. Secondly, it was very thought provoking, providing a new and very logical twist to the Custer disaster. Boyer's use of of a first person "I was there" story teller is wonderful and believable, without being high handed or silly. And his use of "ghosts" to tie up loose ends is magnificent and a joy to watch unfold. A great read for both the history buff or the simple western fan. A classc. Jim Lockwood, Jr., Prescott, AZ

The Messiah: An Oratorio Complete Vocal Score (G. Schirmer's Editions of Oratorios and Cantatas)

Published in Paperback by Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation (1986-11)

Author: George Frideric Handel

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Excellent

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-31

It got me through Christmas and Easter without having to use the choir's musty copies.

Review of Handel's Messiah

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-09

I developed an appreciation for Handel's Messiah over 60 years ago, and to this day I listen to recordings of it frequently. While in college I became a participant, singing in the chorus, and have done so many times since. A while back I gave my vocal score to my daughter for her use, not realizing how much I missed having it at hand. Since I recently purchased a replacement I feel complete again as I refresh my readings of this great work, truly an all time classical composition.
Donald A Carlson

Handel's Messiah

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-16

My copy of Handel's Messiah arrived when stated and in in perfect condition. Thank you

The Messiah: An Oratorio Complete Vocal Music Score

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-12

The Messiah is, by far, my favorite piece of classical music. It has been a Christmas tradition for me to attend singalong Messiah concerts for many years. This score has been the choice of the choral conductors and organizers of the concerts of which I have been a part. I bought this book to give to my son-in-law for Christmas, as part of a package that also included a recording of a radio program about the Messiah and Handel, and a CD of the music. He is an musician, so I knew he would enjoy it, and I wanted to provide him with material to share with my granddaughters, so they could also become acquainted with this great piece of music. He was very pleased to receive the gift.

Messiah Vocal Score Arrives

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07

The book arrived in a very timely manner. It was in excellent shape. I am extremely happy to have it. Now I can mark it all up for the soprano lines.

Fundamentalism and American Culture

Published in Hardcover by Oxford University Press, USA (2006-02-09)

Author: George M. Marsden

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Average review score:

Informative

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-05

Fundamentalism is the movement arising among Christians in the early 20th century who fervently defended the fundamental doctrines of Christianity while opposing modernist liberalism. In his Fundamentalism and American Culture, George M. Marsden investigates the historical context and ideological roots of what came to be American fundamentalist Christianity, recognizing complex influences from nineteenth-century traditions like revivalism, holiness, and patriotism. Marsden says, "Fundamentalists were evangelical Christians, close to the traditions of the dominant American revivalist establishment of the nineteenth century, who in the twentieth century militantly opposed both modernism in theology and the cultural changes that modernism endorsed" (4). His interpretation of the phenomenon of fundamentalism treads a middle ground between those who reduce it to a purely social reaction to the emerging trend of modernist thought, and someone like Ernest Sandeen who views fundamentalism as essentially theological (201). Some evaluations from observers of the height of the fundamentalist frenzy saw it as hollow and brief; the Christian Century said in 1926, "it is henceforth to be a disappearing quanitity in American religious life, while our churches go on to larger issues..." (192). Marsden does not relegate fundamentalism to the position of a short-lived radical sect, but sees it as a significant movement with deep roots and continued relevance to today's American evangelicalism. As a result, he devotes about half of his book to in depth account of late 19th and early 20th century currents of Christian thought.

Marsden focuses on three major themes. First, he highlights a tension within fundamentalism--the tendency at times to preserve the perceived identity of American culture (viewing America as Israel), and at other times to take on the identity of a separatist minority sect (viewing America as Babylon). Second, he studies the prominent movements of Christian thought in American evangelicalism before the emergence of fundamentalism. He sees deep roots in America's revivalism, pietism, the popularity of holiness, and middle-class Victorian values. Third, Marsden observes a wavering stance among fundamentalists regarding science and the intellect. On one hand, the scientific "common sense" type of principles of 17th century philosopher Francis Bacon allowed the average person clearly to see the plain facts of God evident in Scripture. On the other hand, this same scientific approach allowed proponents of Darwinian evolution to discard the unrealistic, supernatural, miraculous accounts found in the Bible. Naturalism and evolution were powerful enemies of Christians who wanted to maintain the fundamental supernatural tenets of the faith. Increasingly over the years, anti-evolution became a more unifying passion than even adherence to Christian orthodoxy. Marsden comments, "Many people with little or no interest in fundamentalism's doctrinal concerns were drawn into the campaign to keep Darwinism out of America's schools... The more clearly [fundamentalists] realized that there was a mass audience for the message of the social danger of evolution, the more central this social message became" (170).

After chronologically recounting the origins of fundamentalism, its peak in 1920-1925, as well as the subsequent gradual growth of fundamentalist ideology through denominations and universities, Marsden shares his interpretation of the movement. Fundamentalism was initially a religious assertion against the threat of modernism, but the event of World War I gave fundamentalism crucial characteristics. War-related crisis provided an occasion for paranoia and militant defense of religious views. Marsden compares evangelicals experience of encroaching modernism to the "traumatic cultural upheaval" of cross-cultural immigration (204).

I find quite helpful Marsden's reluctance to paint the fundamentalist movement as either purely theological or purely social. By resisting extremes, Marsden's eyes are open to the great and sometimes even contradictory complex issues informing fundamentalism. He says it is "a mistake to reduce religious behavior to its social dimensions" and admirably acknoweledges the power of spiritual forces and deep-seated convictions (203). I wish he had made some value judgments, even if tentative and qualified, and used a biblical standard to grant the reader practical ideas for how to move forth with knowledge of historical fundamentalism. What traps and misconceptions did fundamentalists fall into that contemporary evangelical may be vigilant to avoid? For what elements of fundamentalism can we be grateful and which can we even strive to emulate? This desire of mine, though, is just because I'm more interested in ideas than events. I prefer philosophy to history. People who love history may have more fun reading this than I did. Marsden's objectivity seems appropriate to a scholarly book in the genre of history.

Fundamentalism and American Culture

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-03

Good reading. It presents a good review of the culture and the strengths and weaknesses that religion can play in forming it.

Engrossing, Engaging and Well Researched

Helpful Votes: 15 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-01

George Marsden's biography of Jonathan Edwards was so well written that I decided to read more of his stuff. This book on fundamentalism is a classic. Many scholars of Christian fundamentalism paint with too broad a brush, often lumping evangelicals into the fundy camp. Marsden avoids this mistake. He also acknowledges what many do not, that the fundamentalism of the post WWI era took on a much harsher and more separatistic tone.

Marsden does a nice of discussing some of the towering figures of the movement: D.L Moody, R.A Torrey, Arno Gaebelein, J, Gresham Machen, Jonathan Blanchard and Charles Blanchard (the President of Wheaton College). He shows how early fundamentalists like R.A Torrey and W.H Griffith Thomas thought that evangelical zeal should be coupled with social concern. Marsden also highlights the fundamentalist disdain over the more liberal Social Gospel, which jettisoned evangelism completely.

We also get to see the fundamentalists like Billy Sunday and William Jennings Bryan, who were concerned about people coming to know Christ, but not quite as concerned about people coming to know more about the doctrinal content of Christianity. This was a major concern of the evangelical Princeton theologians (BB Warfield, Charles Hodge, and J. Gresham Machen).

There is also a newer chapter in this edition that traces the development of fundamentalism from 1980 to the present day. In this chaoter, Marsden also takes himself to task for not discussing how the relaxed mores of the "Roaring Twenties" alarmed the fundamentalist community, nor did her mention the role of women in the fundamentalist movement of 1871-1925.

But these criticisms duly noted, I still like the book very much and commend it to those interested in religious movements.

Rev. Marc Axelrod

1980 Edition Read

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-17

I have read the 1980 edition of this book.

How to use the word miracle in one's vocabulary, but not accept the signs and wonders of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Birth, the ressurection, any event recorded in the Old Testament that goes against the laws of Nature. To accept the premise that God on rare occasions does something beyound the laws of Nature or the existence of God entirely, A modernist may use may use the word miracle to describe the unexpexted or an event happening despite the mathematical odds- but not an act by a supernatural being overruling the laws of Nature.

To not believe in such a Being, means to deny the facts described in the bible. These scholars do not accept the Lord God as described in the Bible. This type of Theologian albeit University instructor or Pastor of a church was quite prominant in Europe before 1870, but not in the United States until later. This book is a debate among those who accept the bible as true as it is and those who deny the word of God as valid.

The date of the book is not arbitrary. Since the author cites the end of the Civil war and Darwins theory of evolution as major cataylist to bringing the debate to the forefront in the United States. This includes the University, the pulpit and in the American Culture. This book is a narrative about social change in American society, theological thought, and the major players in Christian Revivals and Theology. Not just the scholars in the Universities. The book touches on changes in the Universities(1980 edition), but its main focus is on society. Is the Bible sufficient to show how God interacts with the created.

I found the reading interesting and easy to understand.

.

Interesting background literature

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-23

I used this book to get insight in background of R.A. Torrey, and it helped wonderfully. Espescially for me as a European theologian, it helped to get insight in history and society of the States, especially concerning the relation between pre-millenianism and cultural atmosphere and impact on theology, especially on the question of the personhood of the Holy Spirit!

For European theology it gives an insight in the background of the more and more popular evangelical and pentecostal churches and their theology, that has its roots there, where this book is al about!

Stefan R Timmerman

General Danced at Dawn

Published in Paperback by Macmillan (1972)

Author: George MacDonald Fraser

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Average review score:

A great writer on top form

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-10

This collection of fictionalised wartime reminiscences shows a truly great writer firing on all cylinders. With a draining six-year war just finished, the regiment is winding down in North Africa, and such is the way of the military that the men must be kept busy on a variety of more-or-less useless tasks. These they tackle in a hilariously bumbling way, aided to no small extent by the inexperience of their officer, who serves as the book's narrator.

They play football well, but let the side down with off-field brawls and gambling, cause havoc on a night exercise and have trouble with their kilts when presenting to royalty. The title story is a tour-de-force, when a crusty, whisky-mellowed General thinks he can redefine the Scottish dancing tradition by turning an eightsome into a hundred and twenty-eightsome, with the assistance of Arab cooks and drivers.

Fraser proves enormously clever in melding fiction with reminiscence and delivers a book that is essential reading matter for anyone with a sense of humour.

Defending King and Empire for 9 quid a week

Helpful Votes: 16 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-04

George MacDonald Fraser served in the "other ranks" of the British Army in Burma late in WWII. Commissioned as a subaltern (2nd lieutenant) following the Japanese surrender, he served as a platoon leader in a Gordon Highlander battalion posted to the Middle East before being "demobbed", i.e. released from active duty. His experiences serve as the basis for THE GENERAL DANCED AT DAWN, initially published in 1970, a first person account by the fictional Dand MacNeill, subaltern of a platoon in an unspecified Highland battalion posted first to Libya, then to Edinburgh, during the period 1945-1947.

THE GENERAL DANCED AT DAWN is a work of wry humor, inasmuch as Lt. MacNeill describes the unintentionally comic situations encountered with his Jocks (men) during garrison life both in Scotland and abroad, mostly the latter. The book is actually a series of short stories, in which a common thread tying all together, besides Dand himself, is Pvt. McAuslan, the dirtiest, most slovenly soldier in His Majesty's service. As described by MacNeill:

" ... he lurched into my office (even in his best tunic and tartan he looked like a fugitive from Culloden who had been hiding in a peat bog) ..."

McAuslan may be the focus of a particular chapter, as when he is court-martialed for refusing an order to enter a pillow fight contest to be held during a gathering of the various Highland regiments. Or, he may make nothing more than a brief cameo appearance, as when he is upbraided by MacNeill for fighting one of the crewman aboard the coastal steamer ferrying the battalion's soccer team on a road-trip against the teams of neighboring British commands - a fight brought on by the sailor's comments regarding McAuslan's unsanitary appearance.

The squalid presence of McAuslan notwithstanding, the central character of the book is Dand MacNeill, whether he's coping with the unfathomable questions of the officer selection board, pressed into command of an overnight troop train from Cairo to Jerusalem through unruly Palestine, mounting the ceremonial guard at Edinburgh Castle, or taking lessons in regimental piping history from the god-like Regimental Sergeant Major. Dand's narrative of military service is of such good humor and wit that it's evident his alter ego, Fraser, remembers his own time in uniform as an enriching life experience, despite the hardships of WWII combat. This positive slant on the book's theme, and Fraser's/MacNeill's fine sense of the ludicrous, make the volume one that I couldn't put down. (I've encountered so-called "thrillers" that were less absorbing.)

Note: THE GENERAL DANCED AT DAWN is currently out of print in the US. However, it and Fraser's two sequels in the McAuslan series, MCAUSLAN IN THE ROUGH and THE SHEIKH AND THE DUSTBIN, are all contained in THE COMPLETE MCAUSLAN, available from Amazon.co.uk. This is a superb volume, worth to an Anglophile every pence spent in postage to deliver it across The Pond to The Colonies.

Chaos in a grungy kilt

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-13

It is time that you hear "the sub-muckin', the whole cheese, the hail clanjamfry, the lot' about the Scottish Highland Regiment that served in Africa after World War II.

George MacDonald Fraser has written the stories of this regiment and its most infamous soldier, Private McAuslan, in three collections: "The General Danced at Dawn", "McAuslan in the Rough", and "The Sheikh and the Dustbin".

Through the narration by platoon commander Dand McNeil, McAuslan comes alive as the dirtiest soldier in the world, "wan o' nature's blunders; he cannae help bein' horrible. It's a gift."

Yet McAuslan is one of the most loveable creatures in all of literature. He may be grungy, filthy, clumsy, and disreputable, but he tries to do his best. Through his many misadventures, McAuslan marches into the heart of the reader, right leg and right arm swinging in unison, of course.

McAuslan, outcast that he is, experiences some infamous moments in his career: court martial defendant, ghost-catcher, star-crossed lover, golf caddie, expert map reader, and champion of the regimental quiz game (!). His tales, and the tales of his comrades-in-arms, are poignant at times, hilarious at others. These tales are so memorable because they are based on true stories.

The reader basks in all things Scottish in the stories. The language of the soldiers is written in Scottish brogue, although Fraser says in his introduction, "Incidentally, most of this volume is, I hope, written in English." Don't fret - a glossary is provided. (Reading the glossary alone causes some serious belly laughs.

If you read only one book this year, read this one. And if you know any veterans, give them a copy. It's a volume that the reader will not soon forget.

Guided Serendipity

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-29

After reading the fine reviews already posted by others, one doubts whether another review will add much, but out of habit - near compulsion by now - here goes another - with an emphasis on reading connections.

As did many, perhaps most readers of the McAuslan stories, I came to them by way of The Flashman series (My favorites so far: Flashman: A Novel (Flashman) and Flashman in the Great Game: A Novel (Flashman). I enjoyed the Flashman enough to give McAuslan a try. Both series are funny, relate to historical events, and display an ear for language and an eye for detail, but could otherwise be written by different authors. The McAuslan stories are told by the reasonable, sensible, compassionate voice of Lieut. Dand MacNeill and relate the trials of life in a Highland regiment immediately after WW II. In other words, MacNeill could hardly be more different from Harry Flashman. The stakes are lower than in Flashman. The McAuslan tales deal with the mundane life of a soldier waiting for demobe and not imperial crises. These stories read just like tales that actually happened - and something pretty close to them probably did.

McAuslan plays less of a role in the The General Danced at Dawn than McAuslan in the Rough, but the stories are still a delight to read.

The McAuslan stories lie at the outreaches of contemporary humor; pretty obscure stuff and the more fun because of it. A great kick in finding works like these is stumbling upon other works of equal merit and obscurity. It's sort of guided serendipity, if you will. Flashman led not only to McAuslan, but also to John Biggins'A Sailor of Austria: In Which, Without Really Intending to, Otto Prohaska Becomes Official War Hero No. 27 of the Habsburg Empire (The Otto Prohaska Novels) and to Artemus Ward, his book. With many comic illustrations. (not sure how the Ward connection occurred. Mark Twain called Ward the greatest American humorist of his day.).

Highest recommendation and climb out on these other branches.

A Farewell to the Gordons

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-20

These wonderful stories, written by Fraser when he was an officer in the Gordon Highlanders at the end of the Second World War are priceless. There is much sardonic humor and wit here. The characters come and go throughout the book. Each chapter is a self contained story in itself almost. By far the one character who appears most often is the unhygenic pvt. McAuslan. He seems to do for the Scots what some of the WW2 comic characters like Sad Sack did for the GI's. The author, who speaks through the voice of his nom-de-guerre relates many amusing episodes. Some are a little silly at times, and the constant unwashed antics of "Peking Man" McAuslan gets a bit tiring, but this does not take away from the quality or humor of the work.

I like best when Fraser talks about the regimental history and lore of the Gordons when he's taking a break from McAuslan. There are some truly wonderful characters and events related here, all factual enough and displaying the honors and traditions which existed in old Highland regiments like the Gordons. Fraser is at his best when he talks of these traditions and one can see that he relished his hectic years with this famous Highland regiment.

The downsizing of the British Empire and the changes this would wrought in the army as well as the world are the backdrop against which these stories are told. This is not a book about war, but about a time when national service was apart of nearly everyone's life. Some of Fraser's opinions may not be considered PC for today, but this in my opinion adds to the charm of these stories. The war and its aftermath left lasting impressions on those who took part. The Gordon Highlanders are sadly no more, having been downsized in 1994. In this book you will find many funny and amusing tales which made them the fine regiment they once were. Those who have followed Fraser in his Flashman series will find a different style here, but equally entertaining in its own right. The McAuslan stories form part of a number of works that were written about the post war years in Britain. "Tunes of Glory" is another more serious example by Kenneth Kennaway.

The McAuslan stories have been recently gathered together into a triology which is not available from Amazon.com in the States. The book can be ordered from Amazon.com.co.uk and is well worth the extra pennies to do so.
Here's to the Gordons! Long may their memory live!

Genius!: Nurturing the Spirit of the Wild, Odd, And Oppositional Child

Published in Paperback by Jessica Kingsley Publishers (2005-11-15)

Authors: George T. Lynn and Joanne Barrie Lynn

List price: $18.95

New price: $11.29
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Average review score:

A Healing Oasis

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-01

As the mother of a challenging teenager with a long list of `disorders', I cried while reading GENIUS! George and Joanne Lynn write with a raw honesty that cut straight to my core.

In the Editor's Preface, Joanne writes "Families such as ours live in a crucible, that chemistry lab vessel made of a material, steel or platinum or porcelain, that doesn't burn away in a furnace...George and I live in the furnace of our son's wild neurology, and our job is to contain him so that he can grow, without burning up in his own heat. And we must not burn out in the nurturing of him."

This beautiful book, is written from the intimate perspective of parents who have lived in the furnace with their own son, as well as their perspectives as therapist and poet. George Lynn writes with professional authority about attention differences - in particular AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, bipolar disorder and Tourette Syndrome. Yet this is not just a book about coping with syndromes and disorders. It is about seeing the brilliance within our child. It is also about how we parents need to focus inward, nurturing our own genius, and giving it expression. Taking care of our own health, mind and spirit strengthens us to meet the challenges of living amidst the daily chaos. This book is like finding an oasis in the lonely desert of cultural misunderstanding and judgement. Thank you George and Joanne for this gift.

blessings of neurological difference

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-14

While acknowledging that ADHD and other "neurologically different" children can be disruptive and have problems affecting both others and themselves, the authors - whose teen son has been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome and Asperger's Syndrome - acclaim these exceptional people as also having a "genius" or "guiding spirit" that can help them make important, even vital, contributions to society.

As a counselor of children and adults, George Lynn says many of his AD/HD adolescent clients "are sports champions or team captains at the high school level. As performers or musicians they tend to be creative and innovative composers, and charismatic on stage." And there are many examples throughout history of prominent achievers who are neurologically different.

A must have for any parent who had a child with a neurological disability

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-18

This book is fantastic as well as all of his books. George Lynn is not only a therapist, but also a parent who has raised a child with many neurological challenges. I would highly recommend this to anyone!

Powerfully personal

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-11

This book will be high on the short list of titles I recommend to parents of challenging children who ask "which books are worth reading?" This title is clearly worth the investment of time, not only because George Lynn is a skilled therapist who has seen and helped scores of neurologically challenged kids, but because he has lived it as a parent. In addition to wise advice, this book records a very personal journey in which we can see what he and his wife experienced from the inside out.

I was particularly struck by his reminder that every human being needs a "Great Story" with which to frame their talents and strengths, something to serve as a beacon in darker times, a reminder that we each are much more than the sum of our liabilities. Kids with multiple difficulties need such a beacon especially, but while dealing with the stresses of daily living, it is all too easy to forget.

In the process of reminding parents and kids to seek the Great Stories they all have to tell, George Lynn has given the gift of a Great Story for himself.

AMAZING INSIGHT!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-16

George and Joanne Lynn know first hand that the process of taking care of a neurologically eccentric child is emotionally taxing and all consuming; so much so that the child's deficits tend to take center stage at the expense of an appreciation for their gifts. Many of these gifts, they explain, are the results of the very eccentricities that brought on the diagnoses. With empathy and amazing insight, Lynn helps us to appreciate and learn to cultivate these gifts in our children so that our children may develop the positive self image necessary to reach their potential. This potential may exceed our wildest imaginings. Their disabilities are an undeniable part of their genius and the tapestry of their lives telling a story of where they have been and where they are going. With care, their genius can be cultivated and become a powerful and positive force in their lives. The Lynn's emphasize strengthening the positive without denying the challenges of these children, as both contribute to the child's sense of self and their path thru life. In-as-much as every virtue when examined from a different perspective can be seen as a flaw, so the struggles and "symptoms" of these remarkable children can influence them in very positive ways. A very encouraging read for the parent who is lost in the sea of doctors, diagnoses, frustration, and hopelessness and may have lost touch with their child , their family, and even themselves in the process.

The George W. Bush Quiz Book

Published in Kindle Edition by Broadway (2004-05-04)

Author: Paul Slansky

List price: $9.95

New price: $7.96

Average review score:

hilarious!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-17

I didn't even buy this for myself--I got it for a friend as a gift. But I couldn't help but thumb through a few pages before wrapping it up and it's hilarious! It's full of truthful information concerning that wonderful president of ours and Dick Cheney. It also has questions about what reporters and journalists have said about George Dub-ya. I highly recommend this book, it's very funny and factual!!!

shocking, hysterical, truth stranger than fiction

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-08

This book, with humor and wit, has a way of ripping the lid off a man who has lead the country into great despair. I wish this were published before he took office and handed to every church group, every republican gathering, maybe he wouldn't have been elected. Oh yeah, I forgot.. HE WASN'T. It's also great to read in jolts, like morning coffee. I bought ten copies and am giving them to all my friends.

Haw haw haw

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-22

This book is as funny as it is terrifying. Can you believe this man is running America? Can you believe this man declares war? Can you believe this man considers himself a torch of hope for the world's oppressed? For those who think that the end of the world has come fear not. The Book of Revelation in the BIble clearly states that the anti-Christ will be a 'handsome and well spoken man'. At least we're somewhat safe for now.

Though this book can be a bit cumbersome, (you have to turn the book upside-down after each question to read the correct answer) the answers will ASTOUND you. Read what came from Bush's own lips as he answered questions about Vietnam, his military service, and his many failed business ventures. But the one question that is truly sad and heartbreaking is as follows. It was asked by a grade school girl...

Q. Mr. Bush, what was your favorite book when you were a child?

A. I don't remember any books in particular.

Sleep well America.

Hysterical and Terrifying

Helpful Votes: 15 out of 19 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-19

A sample question from the book:

5) What did George W. Bush say was the difference between Americans and terrorists?

A) "They're evil, we're good."

B) "They're ugly, we're pretty."

C) "You can't really simplify it like that.There are just too many factors to be considered, too many different things that happen in people's lives for me to be so presumptuous as to make some sweeping generalization."

D) "They hate things, we love things."

ANSWER: D. To put it in context: "See, we love - we love freedom. That's what they didn't understand. They hate things; we love things. They act out of hatred; we don't seek revenge, we seek justice out of love."

It's embarrassing that this man is our President. BTW, the author has a web site called stampoutbush.com.

Buy this book

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-04

The George W Bush Quiz Book is a savagely funny biography of the man some people recognize as the president. The quiz format makes it palatable and participatory, while the unpleasant truths that are revealed drive home the message that we each need to do everything we can to get this smug ignoramus out of office. If a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, this book is a Weapon of Mass Destruction against bully-boy Bush and his gang. Buy many copies of this book and give to everyone -- it's as good as donating to Kerry, but there's no legal limit.

George Books