George Books

My wife and I recently returned from Rome, and one of our many fine moments in that glorious city was sitting on top of Michelangelo's Campodiglio, with Mr. Sullivan's book in hand and understanding for the first time exactly what Michelangelo did and why -- and thus helping us understand more deeply the greatness of his accomplishment. So it went with magnificent works such as Borromini's San Carlino or Bramante's Tempietto. Similarly, we came to understand the failures -- what the architect wanted to do and didn't quite get there. Mr. Sullivan's goal, was to help us move beyond admiration or puzzlement at what we are looking at, and understand what was done, and how well it did or did not work. Very well written, tough in its judgments, and infused throughout by a love for the city. Don't go to Rome without it.

A good read for those who love history, it is an excellent companion for travel to Rome

George Sullivan's "Not Built in a Day" is a unique and wonderful combination of scholarly knowledge, art, passion, and wit. The author recently gave a series of slide lectures at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. based upon the material in the book, which I attended. His lectures were exceptional -- insightful and enjoyable, a college-level crash course on the history of European architecture that was set entirely in Rome! He really made the buildings come alive through his enthusiasm and humor; I especially liked that he not only had definite opinions on buildings, but also explained clearly what architectural qualities those opinions were based on. This same in-depth but accessible approach can be found in the book, which is unlike any other guide to Rome that I have seen. I would enthusiastically recommend it if you are going to Rome, and if the lectures show up at a museum near you in the future, I would enthusiastically recommend them as well.

This remarkable book is a must read if you are planning your own itinerary in Rome. The author's love of Rome and its Architecture are apparent from the first page. He organizes the overwhelming amount of information into compact and readable units. Pick a time period or Architectural style of interest and follow the detailed path laid out by the author. The added information of the art to see inside each structure makes this the only "guide" book to Art & Architecture that you will need on your visit to Rome.

Not Build in a Day blends astute architectural observation with basic guidebook practicality. The descriptions combine detail and relevant explanation to make the most lay-person feel expert as they dissect the infinite elements in a church, piazza, or palazzo. For anyone who's been to Rome, the inexorable shuttling between sites makes you numb to the city's splendor, but Not Built in a Day constantly re-orients and reminds the reader that every site contains an element of architectural, historical, or civic wonder that makes the non-stop walking completely worthwhile.

The book's walking tours can be strictly followed (I completed tours 1,2, and 7 without any diversions), but once I had a better feel for the city, I picked specific places that I wanted to see and then read the appropriate entry.

Every guidebook should aspire to be Not Built in a Day

When one sees the title The Scouting Way: A Daily Guide to Living With Scout Values, they might assume that it is a book about the life of a boy scout. This book is so much more. It is an inspirational guide to living a life full of the values and ideals similar to those of scouts.

The accounts from various professionals give it a well-rounded feel - a remarkable insight into every day life. Whether speaking of happiness, teamwork, honesty, or reverence, there is a viewpoint and a story that will literally lift you from your chair. Sporadic lists and activities, including lists of things to make you happy, give it a particular uniqueness.

Tom Jones, a space shuttle astronaut, demonstrates how to turn disappointment into happiness. He was successful in "dealing with adversity and overcoming it mentally." What a great concept, right?

Letitia Baldridge tells of her childhood struggle when moving to a new town and dealing with the sadness associated with feeling left out. Even the story of her 7th birthday party could force any adult to see the importance of friendliness.

This book is a true inspiration. It's an emotional and intellectual effort to demonstrate the ways in which the values of scouting can be applied to the life of every reader. Although the style is simple, you will be overwhelmed (in a good way) with sentiment. It is a must-read and it will be sure to get your priorities and perspectives in order.

This Book is a great gift for a highschool or college graduate. This should be a mandatory read for the 21st century that may need a re-adjustment in their moral compass.
I would highly recommend this book.

Dan Marrazzo

It is really, and I mean this, together with Scouting For Boys, the best book I have ever read about Scouting. I can 't express how this book is changing the way I look upon my own life. Every day, right after breakfast, I read the daily story, its introduction, and the hints for that day. Every single day without exception.

On one hand, I'm glad that I may say honestly that many of the given hints and things to do are already common to me in my everyday life. But on the other hand, I also realise I have a long way to go before I can proudly say that I live The Scouting Way in every aspect of that daily life. And the book will most certainly help me to get closer to it, day after day.

Until now the book inspired me on two things. First I wrote an own story on my Scouting life. But the second is far more important. As everyone makes some kind of a New Year's promise, by example giving up smoking or something like that, I've promised myself what I've written in my story: to do my best to follow the rules and guidelines of Scouting in every aspect of my life, to spread out the words about Scouting to everyone who wants to hear them, to bring happiness to everyone as it was brought to me in all those years and to remain Scout for ever.

So, the only thing I can do here in this review is thank the authors for sharing those great stories with me. Please keep on doing this and I'll keep on using these stories to improve my own life and the life of everyone surrounding me.

I am the Proffessional Staff member for Scouting New Zealand with the responsibility for Resource Development, Youth Programme Delivery and Adult Leader Resources and Training

I have subscribed to the Scouting Way Newsletter and as a result of that I purchased a copy of the Scouting Way Book in November 2001

This book embodies the true Ethic and Values which form the basis for Scouting anywhere in the world, it supports the Promise and Law which are at the very core of our purpose

I find the examples in the Scouting Way to be fresh, thoughtful and above all else examples of very good practice expressed by work face adult Scout Masters, messages are simple to understand and show the values that young people and adults adopt as members of Scouting

If this book were available and being used by all Youth Workers both volunteers and proffessionals eg teachers the communities from which they worked in would be immeasurably improved

Acceptance of a values based programme by more young people would enhance their lives and that of their future families, this book gives them this opportunity

Scouting Worldwide will make use of this resource as it is a very valuable tool for youth development

I congratulate Sanfra and Jeff Schwartz on their publication of the Scouting Way Book and I look forward to further issues

Stephen Lock
Programme and Training Manager
Scouting New Zealand
....

The Scouting Way: A Daily Guide To Living With Scout Values is an inspirational guide to living one's life by the principles, virtues, and values of Scouting. From Cheerfulness and Patriotism to Honesty, Continual Learning and Reverence of God, thirty different positive values are examined in depth with informative and compelling essays, thoughts, examples, and encouragements to live one's life in better terms than ever. Evocative of fond memories from one's scouting days, The Scouting Way is an upbeat, first-class highly recommended guide to physical and spiritual self-improvement.

This is an amazing book. This should be a required read for all criminologists who intend to teach about police and their subculture. I also recommend it to anyone who thinks that cops, in general, have bad attitudes or those who question a person's reasons for becoming a cop. Law enforcement is a difficult, misunderstood, low-paying and high stress occupation. This book would help the relationship between civilians and law officers immensely if it were widely read. I wish it would be brought back into print. Highly recommended.

I read this book 24 years ago when I was a rookie policeman, after 25 years on the job I can tell you it accuratly describes how a regular person becomes a "cop". Any person who thinks they know how cops think, especially those so called experts in academia who wouldn,t know a crook until one hit them over the head and stoled their money, should read this book. The author sucks you into the side of society most people don,t want to see or hear about, but once u start readin you won,t put it down. And when your done you will never look at a "cop" the same way again.

I read this book in 1977 and have never forgotten how I could not put it down. It is a look at police work from both sides of the table. It makes you think and re-think your ideas about police officers. My question when I finished reading this work was ... Do people develop a certain mind set and personality because of the occupation or are they drawn into this job because they are of that mind set and personality. This book provokes much thought.

In my 20-years as a law enforcement officer, and 18 years of (simultaneous) college studies, I found Dr. George L. Kirkham's story to be one of the most intriguing, interesting, and accurate police stories. It is now a classic in police and criminal justice literature. This is a true story in which Dr. Kirkham, a college professor, becomes a street cop in a tough South Florida city (on a sabbatical from teaching). The reader will learn firsthand the changes - the metamorphosis - that Dr. Kirkham goes through. Would this happen to most any person who becomes a police officer? He describes a tough job, that sees American society often at it's worst. Kirkham learns that police theory and actual police practices are often far apart. (A short vignette of the story appeared as an article entitled "Street Lessons" by George L. Kirkham PhD, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, March 1974, pp. 14-22). This story is required reading in all my Introduction to Criminal Justice classes.

Professor John Hill - Criminal Justice (retired street cop)

I am a Police Officer from the same department that the author worked for. Though this book was written some time ago, it still holds true today. If you ever wonder why police officers are how they are, read this book.

Today the legacy of George C. Marshall is seen everywhere in Europe thanks to his tireless preparation for WWII, running the US war and then heading the after war efforts to rebuild Europe. He believed that one could never over prepare for war and the peace that ensues after. Too bad GW Bush and Chenay never read his work! The book illustrates Marshall's Nine Core Values with examples from his career as well as with present day efforts by current CEOs. Trumen's "doomed to repeat " quote about the perils of ignoring history resound out of this book as you see how the US and Canada are responding to the current wars. Marshal was a man with a mission, to get any war over as quickly as possible, to spare as many lives as possible, and to do everything he could to show the troops that the military and the country was 100% behind them at all times. History used Marshall well and then he seems to have been forgotten. Easy. organized read that I recommend for those looking for leadership lessons. Get it from Amazon.com or Amacom.

One of the greatest men of the Twentieth Century - and I know nothing about him? I ran across references to General George C. Marshall on numerous occasions and I wondered why I knew so little about him - so, I found this book that coupled the biography of this great man with his leadership principles and ordered it - wow, was I glad I did! I was completely surprised by the character of this incredible man who has unfortunately fallen thru the cracks of history. Uldrich does an incredible job of giving you a great feel not only for the accomplishments of this mountain of a man, but also for his personality and character - which, in the case of Marshall, are what made the man. Uldrich also does a great job ending each chapter by summarizing the leadership principle demonstrated by Marshall and then giving modern examples from the world of business and industry so that this book is an easy cross-over for business and industry leaders and not merely relegated to history buffs.

Marshall seems to embody all the great character qualities that I associate with that generation we've dubbed the "greatest generation" and Uldrich has brought those qualities to the forefront in this book - selflessness, a sense of duty, integrity, candor, preparation, a love for learning and teaching others, fairness, vision and caring for others. This is an amazing read for almost everyone - from the student who needs to know more about great men and women who sacrificed for the greater good, to the leader in almost any capacity who wants to know how to inspire others and get them to perform at a higher level - all will learn something from this book. While the names of his contemporaries are more familiar to many of us - Eisenhower, Truman, Roosevelt, Bradley, and Patton - after reading this book you'll appreciate the fact that much more is owed to Marshall than to maybe the rest of that list combined!

As a retired US Army Infantry officer, I valued this book highly for two unique achievements by the author.

First, Jack Uldrich taught me here what a great part of the values and aspirations that shaped my military career and continue to make me proud of it, arose from the work of this single great American. The nine principles fostered and exemplified by Marshall, and so well identified and expounded by Uldrich, continued to shape the Infantry School and the US Army long after Marshall's departure. The entire book could have been written to a different plan using current military examples from the second half of the twentieth century, and George Marshall's unique contribution might have been highlighted just as clearly.

But Uldrich chose to apply Marshall's principles to the whole of our public life; this is his second unique achievement. If we seem to be living in a time of leadership failure everywhere we turn, this book is a ray of hope. Uldrich provides the diagnosis and points out where solutions can be found. In business, politics, government, academia, and non-profits, we do still find leaders who apply these principles. We may expect to find them succeeding, and we should honor them.

Like most of the other reviewers, I hold General Marshall in high regard, and as a result, I wanted this to be a defining book. It was not. It was however, a short little interesting look about Marshall.

I also realize my opinion contradicts what others here have written, but what I read was a somewhat disjointed biography (meaning it was not chronological) themed around General Marshall's leadership style. Generally speaking it is difficult to actually teach leadership or impart lessons learned, from a third person perspective, even when it is based on very thorough research. This book has research and some hearsay. What carries weight, is leadership taught in the 1st person. A good example of this--although in a very different setting--is John Wooden's book, Wooden on Leadership.

While this book is insightful, it is not nearly as inspirational as I would have hoped, or as it could have been. Assuming that in large measure the readership of this book are people having a personal relationship with the military or an affinity for its history, I believe the author missed an important opportunity to tie Marshall's leadership into the development of current leadership doctrine as defined in Army Field Manuals (FM 22-100, being primary). If anything, Marshall epitomized the current Army "Be, Know, Do" philosophy of leadership.

I would have preferred the author spend a little time explaining the difference between the "authority" Marshall gave his subordinates and the authority he and his subordinates earned from the men in their command. Over the years I have seen many people mistake the two. In the first instance Marshall, or any leader, authorizes a subordinate to make certain decisions without having to check back for permission. The implication being that the leader will support the subordinate's decision. In the second instance it is a case of leaders earning the authority to lead from those they lead. By virtue of rank or position, leaders are given power and responsibility for those things in/under their command. The use of power can certainly get things done, but power alone will almost never create the type of organization that is recognized for its excellence. Sooner or later, folks are going to resent being "powered" around. Conversely, authority to lead that is earned by positive influence and is based in part on trust, is something real leaders receive FROM their subordinates. On the part of the led, it is a willingness to follow. And that was the sort of leadership that Marshall practiced and Army doctrine teaches.

A few other recommended first person leadership books (instructional): by John C. Maxwell, The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, and Developing the Leaders Around You. By Jon M. Huntsman, Winners Never Cheat, by Dale Dauten, The Gifted Boss, and James C. Hunter, The Servant.

This review was written by F. Gorham Brigham, Jr. Mr. Brigham served in General Marshall's Office from September 1940 until November 1945, the critical Word War II period.

"I am an avid reader of books written about General Marshall. Mr. Uldrich did a remarkable job in bringing out the key incidents of this remarkable leader. What makes the book exciting are the examples. The author relates how Marshall's skills can relate to today's managers. Most of us like to believe we live in dynamic times and perhaps we do. Few of have been critical leaders in the most dynamic period in America's history. This book is well worth managers' time as General George C. Marshall continues to be a role model for leaders of today."


www.boardoptions.com
[...]

As with the first edition, the reader is given and idea of the life and times of George Reeves. This is the project that his fans all over the globe had hoped to see on film -- not the end result of "Hollywoodland". It shows the reader a more balanced view of Reeves' life. There is more to ponder about George Reeves. We see his personal side, the professional actor, and the humanitarian. The second edition delves more deeply into whether or not George Reeves' death was a result of suicide, murder, or possibly accidental by using the forensic evidence and testimonies of people at the time.

Using the testimonies of people who knew him, we get a clearer picture of George Reeves. This version of "Speeding Bullet" shows us a man who, while not perfect by any means, was a giving man who loved life, good times, and enjoyed his friends.

The Photo Gallery is a Reeves' fan's delight! In one photo, Keith Thibodeaux (Little Ricky) has a typical Superman stance with the hands on the hips. There are photos of the tours with Noel Neill and Nati Vacio, along with stills from "The Adventures of Superman", and candids of George at his home.

His death and the circumstances surrounding it remain one of Hollywood's great mysteries. Jan Henderson's book allows the reader to make up his/her own mind regarding Reeves' death being the result of suicide, murder, or an accident. The book is well-written and will not disappoint.

Colete Morlock

I agree with others that this book is the book to read about the controversial death of actor George Reeves. I found this book to be very well-written, even-handed, and the author wanted to present facts, not sensationalism. As a child I watched the Superman TV show in re-runs in the 1960s after Reeves had died. I never knew much about George Reeves as a person, and I enjoyed getting to know the man through this book.

The section about Reeve's Benedict Canyon home being haunted spooked me because I made the mistake of reading it late at night in bed. By that point in the book I trusted the author to tell the truth, so that made it even more spooky.

I highly recommend this book if you are interested in the life and death of actor George Reeves.

My congratulations to author, Jan Alan Henderson.

His book, Speeding Bullet: The Life and Bizarre Death of George Reeves presents us with a very real and compassionate picture of the Man-of-Flesh. Thanks to Henderson's carefully researched and well documented first person interviews by the end of the book one feels a shared and personal closeness to George Reeves -the man.

What I found particularly refreshing is how Jan Alan Henderson has been able to separate the man from the myth. He presents us with the known facts of the police investigation without feeling a need to express or interject a personal agenda.. He respects the readers ability to follow the evidence and make their own independent judgment of the facts.

To my mind, this is what makes Henderson's book-- a standout.
Speeding Bullet is more powerful than the loco motives. The author presents all the known facts without any personal bias. Mr. Henderson accurately points out that the search for the truth as to what happened in Reeve's Benedict Canyon home on that summer night in 1959, "is a modern day Roshoman."

Near the end, the author turns us away from the bright klieg lights of George Reeve's Hollywood, to refocus on a simple truth. On page 131 Henderson writes:

"In all this freak show atmosphere, George's good deeds, benevolence, and warm personality, seem to get lost. It's a shame, because as George's
friend, Gene LeBell said in 1988, "It's what you leave behind that counts." Indeed it is.

INDEED IT IS!

Thank you Mr. Henderson for what you have left behind. Thank you for presenting your readers with a warm and heartfelt epitaph to the super man behind the super myth.


Steve Hodel
Author, Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder
Los Angeles, California

The demand for this book spiked when word was released regarding the "Hollywoodland" feature film starring Ben Affleck. The first edition of Speeding Bullet sold out completely. Now the author has written a new prologue, an additional chapter and epilogue as well as provided an additional 70 illustrations for a revised SECOND EDITION due to be released in January 2007. Watch this listing for order information.

'Speeding Bullet' by author Jan Alan Henderson is a first-rate, page-turning book on the mysterious death of televison star George Reeves, who played the title role on 'The Adventures Of Superman' television series (1951 - 1957).

This is a true, non-fictional account of what happened one summer night in 1959 when television's beloved Superman was killed with a gunshot wound to the head. Offically ruled a suicide, Jan Henderson's exhaustively researched narrative will take the reader down a trail that is often atsonishing and even chilling. Unlike other books on this famous incident, author Henderson does not indulge in unproven speculation, but relies instead on facts with eye-witness accounts that he verifies and documents.

This book also highlights the life of George Reeves, his extensive work on behalf of charity, and the undying friendship that he earned from his many friends and co-workers, which has not diminished over the decades.

'Speeding Bullet' is nothing less than an incredible book, and should be sought out by fans of both George Reeves, and of true crime mystery books. This is the one to read.

The comments above were written for the original published book edition of 'Speeding Bullet' of 1999. They still hold true for the 'Second Edition' (2007), even more so. In the aftermath of the feature film 'Hollywoodland', author Jan Henderson re-wrote the original manuscript of 'Speeding Bullet' to include revisions and additions to the original text. He also added a second 'Prologue', and two completely new chapters after the first book ends. By waiting 8 years after the publication of the first edition, the author has an even sharper perspective of the events in question. The new chapters contain not only information on the recent motion picture based on Reeves' death, but also some new twists and turns in the case that will startle the readers. Some of it is even emotionally moving. Jan Henderson has revised and expanded the case file of this unsolved Hollywood mystery, showing that he still had an ace or two up his sleeve. It also contains an additional photo gallery with 81 new and mostly rare photographs.

This book is helpful to understand how suicide happens to people and understanding that there is nothing you can do to catch it, you realize its not your fault.

This is still considered the first book on sociological theory. Not only does Durkheim provide us with a working model to use social statistics to draw very strong inference but if one reads carefully between the lines, he provides us with theoretical rhetoric as well as the afore-mentioned practical design. Durkheim was overall pessimistic; he saw the forces of society as overwhelming to the individual and makes little or no provision for escape (unlike Marx). Suicide, in Durkheim's view, was merely a symptom of a greater sociological ill. But unlike those who had come before him, Durkheim based his sociological assertions on solid empirical evidence and helped create an entire new science, which like the "hard" sciences, was based on the collection of data and research. Next time you read a report which links household income to education attainment, or prison rates among African Americans to a never-ending drug war, remember Emile Durkheim. He was first.

Durkheim sometimes gets a bad rap for his politics, but this is a good book that laid the foundations for much of the sociological work that has followed it. Using the case study example of suicide rates, Durkheim undertakes to show that social structure has a profound and powerful influence on almost everything that individuals do. While the translation is sometimes awkward, Durkheim's work is impressive in its methods, ambitions, and execution. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the hstory of sociology or just the power of social structure.

Durkheim says at the beginning; the sociology is the current science, but nobody knows what it is. Even now, his words sound contemporary. This study aims at introducing the necessity and importance of the sociology to the public, but not at sophisticatedly professional people.
It matches the orientation of the primary students to study the sociology, because the preliminary knowledge isnft necessary. Actually, I could read this book at the first year of the university without any sociological knowledge. After finishing to read the first part, which proves that the suicide isnft the psychological phenomenon, but the sociological, you can investigate the present situation as he did in the 19th century by using the statistics of the international organization like WHO. You will find the manipulation of the statistics not only easy, but also important with Durkheimfs tutorial. It may be your first experience of the scientific study at the society.
I can recommend it to the youth.

This is the work considered the pioneer of modern sociology, with its author hailed the father of sociology. The innovative nature of the work lies in putting together all the methods of social analysis available at his time and providing a comprehensive view of the nature of suicide in society.

Mixing quantitative and qualitative methods, Durkheim provides the basis for the future development of sociology. He brings science to the study of society, by developing a hypothesis, gathering data and testing the hypothesis. He proves the powerful influence of society on the behavior of individuals, which, though obvious today, was not a clear conclusion at the time.

This is a basic reading for anyone interested in sociology. However, anyone interested in the application of scientific methods to society and other non-traditional fields for science would also find it very useful.

This review pertains to the 2004 hardcover "Phoenix Edition" reprint. I must also confess that at this moment I have only made my way through half of volume 1. I feel it necessary to give potential buyers a "heads up" about this set: it is, as described, a massive work of mid-1800s scholarship. It was assumed at that time that anyone who would be reading such a work would be able to read Latin as well as Old High German, Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon, and a smattering of other medeival languages.
The author spends most of his time NOT telling mythical stories as the curious dabbler might expect, but instead chasing down obscure linguistic clues imbedded in medeival texts, place names, and quaint figures of speech in an attempt to reconstruct some sort of Germanic mythology (for which documentation is lacking) from its hypothetical parallels in Norse mythology (for which documentation is abundant) and the mythologies / religious beliefs / superstitions of surrounding races such as the Saxons, the Gauls, even the Greeks and Romans. This process is dull, dry, tedious, and to someone not fluent in Classical and Germanic languages, incomprehensible. If you love philology you will love these books, but if you want to be thrilled by tales of the Old Gods, stay away!! Herr Grimm does not tell many stories; all the cool stuff is quoted from his sources, and whatever of that isn't in Old High German is in Latin. _Untranslated_ Latin. BEWARE!!
Don't get me wrong; I do not regret owning this set, and I have every intention of finishing it - I'm just saying it's going to be unexpectedly difficult for me, and I can only recommend it for those with a Serious Interest in the subject. The information Grimm presents here is dense and staggeringly thorough - and it is, in a way, a very enjoyable read: the book has its own soporific charm which provides an almost physical pleasure from reading it. An entire mysterious world of unknown language and dimly-comprehended episodes from Latin chroniclers yawns before me. Should be a fun trip.
Nevertheless, my review must bear a mere 3 stars as a warning to those who only want to be thrilled by the mighty adventures of Thor: look elsewhere. This is not the right book for you to start.

This is thoroughful and extremely good edition of the phenomenal book. Naturally, several scolars later made some corrections on some subjects. Nevertheless Jacob Grimm's work inspired H.Heine, R.Wagner and many other men of genius. One cannot overestimate the 'Teutonic Mythology' even now. In a way it's a monument of human imagination, of both oral and written creations made during the centuries by the individuals as well as by the folks. And it still be and will be an inexhaustible source for our both knowledge and imagination as well.
Only one thing I would dare to suggest. Many fragments J.Grimm quotes in Latin, Greek etc... For the future editions I would translate all of them even it could take much space - up to an additional small volume. So, this unique book would be understood by much wider circle of the readers.

Yes, a few years ago I plunked down the over a $100 cost for this recently put back in print four volume set. I don't regret spending the money. Criticisms I have you have to wade through a lot of linguistics/philology stuff and for whatever reason, even though this is supposed to be the English translation, there is still a fair amount of material in German and Latin. But there is all kinds of great stuff in this. Not for the beginner or someone with just a casual interest in the subject matter but this is a must have for any serious student of northern European culture, folklore or Odinsim. What is it about so many books written in the 1800's being superior to 99% of whats been published in the past 50 years?

This is required reading for the true student! Can be a difficult read at times, but the knowledge and world view contained therein make it a treasure!

So Dover Publications has now (2004) reprinted "Teutonic Mythology" under the "Phoenix" imprint, apparently in two formats (bindings). I look at my copies of the previous (1966) Dover paperback edition of James Stallybrass's 1883-1888 translation of Jakob Grimm's "Deutsche Mythologie," with the four volumes bound in different colors, and I feel terribly old.

They were purchased at less than a tenth of the publisher's current asking price (well, one volume was a gift, but I'm looking at the cover prices), and I feel grateful that I bought (three of) them in the early 1970s. At the time, that still seemed a lot of money for paperbacks, even trade paperbacks, but I have had decades of use out of the set, which is still holding up well. (Dover then still used signature-stitched bindings and high-quality paper; their claim that their paperback books would last as well as hardcover editions was well founded. If Dover does reissue them in paperback, they will probably be less durable and, inevitably, more expensive.)

Read with care, and with frequent reference to modern text editions, translations, and studies, the "Teutonic Mythology" is still a mine of information on the religious ideas, customs, and common metaphors and figures of speech (supposed to be fossilized beliefs) of the ancient and early medieval Germanic peoples (the continental Germans, the Dutch and Flemings, the Scandinavians, and the Anglo-Saxons), and much else in medieval literature. Everyone knows the Grimms from the fairy-tale collection, but individually and together they wrote and edited much more. (For some reason, Jakob Grimm [1785-1863] almost always appears in English as Jacob, but his brother Wilhelm [1786-1859] never seems to become William.)

The "Mythology" in particular is constantly cited in the older secondary literature, so it is nice to be able to find such references. On many occasion it has clarified for me an obscure argument carried out by long-dead scholars with page-references to Grimm's then-definitive treatment of the issue (although sometimes I have had to work out the relation of the pagination of an unseen German edition to the English text -- not fun).

More important, for my purposes, it was a handy reference for what would have been readily available knowledge in the latter part of the nineteenth century, and the early twentieth. They are very useful indeed, if you are interested in Richard Wagner's versions of Germanic myth and legend, or those of William Morris. Or, particularly since this is a translation, if you want to see what was available to the young E.R. Eddison, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, among many others.

(For that specific purpose, the only thing really comparable in scope they might have read was Benjamin Thorpe's three-volume "Northern Mythology" of 1851, which was briefly available in a one-volume omnibus paperback from Wordsworth a few years ago. In terms of information available to its learned author, Thorpe's book, which I have reviewed, was largely a less systematic English Grimm, with more extensive summaries of Norse sources, and some excellent additional evidence from folktales. It is not quite so dated, but mainly because it was not so ambitious; whole topics aren't even mentioned, so Thorpe couldn't have made any mistakes about them. For the intellectual and cultural background, Andew Wawn's recent (2000) "The Vikings and the Victorians: Inventing the Old North in 19th-Century Britain" may become the standard reference.)

Thomas Shippey in particular has pointed out several places where Tolkien invented Middle-earth "solutions" to passages where Grimm expressed confusion over contradictory data. Tolkien would eventually have gone directly to the German text; Lewis mentions reading Grimm in German, but seems to mean the Fairy Tales ("Kinder- und Hausmaerchen").

In addition, Grimm's appendices (in the fourth volume of the translation) assemble an extraordinary number of important non-literary medieval (and later) texts in one place; genealogies, spells, penitential guides, lists of superstitions, dialect terms. Although as editions they are antiquated, having them in one place proved convenient on a great many occasions. (For example, Valerie Flint's 1991 "The Rise of Magic in Early Medieval Europe" cites later editions of several of them, none readily accessible to me.)

Given the present price, although I'm delighted that Dover has brought the whole set back into print simultaneously for the first time in years, I'm not urging everyone interested in Germanic myth and folklore to rush to buy it. (Even with the current -- November 2004 -- Amazon discount.)

And not just because of the price. This is a monument of scholarship from the first half of the nineteenth century (1835; second edition 1844); almost everything in it has to be viewed with at least a little suspicion. Grimm already recognized that there were problems. A good part of volume four consists of additions and corrections to the text, which he had hoped to incorporate in a third, and fully revised, edition. (His publisher instead reprinted the three-volume second edition text in 1854, and called it the "Third Edition." A posthumous editor arranged the notes in order, to be printed as a supplement in a "Fourth Ediiton," and Stallybrass followed this practice, instead of tampering with the original.)

Throw in the expense, and there is reason for suggesting other places to start. I mention this age factor because the amount of antique misinformation I have seen gleaned from it, and presented as current, sometimes explicitly dated 1966, is a little frightening. And I expect to see more examples, with the 2004 date of the Dover Phoenix edition in the citation.

Stallybrass called his translation "Teutonic Mythology" to reflect that Grimm was using "Deutsche" in the widest possible sense, instead of a nationalistic one; the more recent term would be "Germanic." But for almost a century, beginning not long after after Jacob Grimm completed his work treating *all* the Germanic-speaking peoples as a continuum, the best surveys and handbooks, and almost all serious scholarship, carefully distinguished Northern (Scandinavian) from Southern (continental German) evidence. Surveys in particular were generally restricted to one or the other; usually "Norse Mythology," with a few citations from the continent. While some of Grimm's comparisons -- or the conclusions drawn from them -- were of dubious legitimacy, denying the validity of such comparisons *in advance* pre-determined the nature of the argument. Apparent exceptions generally quickly reveal themselves as second-hand Grimm. Those scholars who did survey the whole field were often concerned to prove that the medieval Scandinavian texts were late and unreliable compared to nineteenth-century German folklore. (If it looks "primitive" [crude], it must *be* primitive [early].)

The closest thing to a scholarly modern successor, the two-volume "Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte" by Jan de Vries, was severely criticized when it appeared in the mid-twentieth-century for returning to Grimm's comprehensive approach. (The author was under the influence of Dumezil's then-recent work on the original unity of Indo-European mythic and religious concepts, and the controversy has moderated with time and familiarity.) Unhappily, de Vries's "History of Old-Germanic Religion" is still not available in English. But there are substitutes in English which, taken together, are almost as comprehensive, as well as much more reliable than Grimm alone.

For the serious-minded beginner, John Lindow's "Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs" or Andy Orchard's "Cassell's Dictionary of Norse Myth & Legend" (and variant titles) are far better and more reliable guides to the Scandinavian evidence, with Rudolf Simek's "Dictionary of Northern Mythology" filling in some of the continental material, along with copious linguistic information reflecting an additional century and a half of research. I would strongly urge anyone new to the field to have at least one or two of these at hand whenever Grimm is being consulted; definitely Simek on matters linguistic, if possible (the book is currently out of print, although a reprinting of the paperback is scheduled for Spring 2006). All three (which I have reviewed separately; I call attention to some of Simek's shortcomings, but his book is mostly first-rate) have extensive bibliographies. Some of Lindow's extended articles come closest to Grimm's chapter-length treatises.

However, when all is said and done, there is something to be said for these four antiquated volumes. Like Aristotle, Jakob Grimm produced a "premature synthesis" of knowledge, and, as with Aristotle, even the errors of a first-class mind are worth pondering. And a lot of it *is* dead on right.

At some point "Teutonic Mythology" should be consulted by anyone interested in Germanic studies, or medieval literature, or folklore studies, or comparative mythology -- if only as an act of piety. Having hardcover and library-bound editions available may make this effort more likely than it has been in recent years. And maybe it will, sooner or later, be back in paperback form.

After I finally convinced my 9 y/o son to read The Cricket in Times Square, he was hooked on Harry, Tucker and Chester. He read this book and was sad it was over. Get the whole series, plus Oscar Lobster's Fair Exchange if you have a boy who doesn't like to read too much because these characters are all interesting to boys. Girls love them too, but it is hard to find books that appeal to boys, besides Captain Underpants that is.

This was the best book I ever read! The book was about were Tucker (a mouse) and Harry (a cat) to go to help their friend Chester (a cricket) save his home and the home of other animals on the countryside. My farviote character was Tucker a very nice and smart This is a great book it got me to read all the other books in this series and I never read. You won't be disapointed!!!!!!!!!!

This was the best book I ever read! The book was about were Tucker (a mouse) and Harry (a cat) to go to help their friend Chester (a cricket) save his home and the home of other animals on the countryside. My farviote character was Tucker a very nice and smart This is a great book it got me to read all the other books in this series and I never read. You won't be disapointed!!![.]

Except for Charlotte's Web, this is perhaps the best young person's book in existence. The narrative makes you visualize so thoroughly you will be left with the feeling that you have seen a movie. Don't miss this book!

I wanted to read this book because the book I read before Tucker's Countryside was the Cricket in Time Square. This book is the sequel to the Cricket in Time Square. When I read that there was a sequel to the Cricket in Time Square I looked for it in my bookcase to see if I had it. When I found it I began to read the back of the book and it seemed interesting to me.

The book was about a bird named Robin took Tucker mouse and Harry cat to Connecticut where their old friend Chester cricket lived. They found each other and Chester showed them around the countryside. They found out that his home was going to be destroyed by the bulldosers to make room for the new homes. The towns people won't have a place to play either. Now it is up to Tucker mouse and Harry cat to save the land.

My favorite part of the book was when Harry cat found this girl that would take care of him. This part is my favorite because the girl reminds me of myself because I have five cats and three of them are strays. Harry cat was going to stay at the little girl's house, but he decided to go back to Time Square with Tucker mouse towards the end of the book.

It is what I ordered I guess. The book does have some intersting statements. Buy it if you know this is the book your looking for.

HPB is a pioneer in illuminating the spiritual and mystical themes behind the everyday sacred and profane. A stunning accomplishment for it's time and for today!

Publisher's note:

"The Voice of the Silence was the last major work to come from the pen of H.P. Blavatsky before her death in 1891. It is also one of her most important writings, being a guidebook for those dedicated to achieving enlightenment through atruistic service to humanity."

It may well take years to comprehend the profound wisdom contained in this sacred book. The Voice of the Silence was and is intended for daily use in meditation by disciples and students of the spirit, not for intellectual study!

It would be a good idea to be well versed in Buddhism and esoterism before venturing with this book (try reading Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine & Isis Unveiled first, and the works of Rudolf Steiner and Samael Aun Weor etc).
It might also help to be well versed in self-knowledge as well.

It is divided into three sections:
1) The Voice of the Silence
2) The Two Paths
3) The Seven Portals

This hand-sized Centenary Edition contains a three-part glossary, an index and an introduction including excerpts from mysterious letters by Blavatsky and others from the time when The Voice of the Silence was written.

"I believe that this book has strongly influenced many sincere seekers and aspirants to the wisdom and compassion of the Bodhisattva Path."
-His Holiness, The Dalai Lama

After Madam Blavatsky reintroduced the esoteric, perennial, spiritual wisdom back into mainstream western consciousness, she realized that there were two very different types of seekers who would make use of such knowledge. There were those who would seek it for personal power and selfish benefit, and those who would seek it to attempt to educate and liberate all of humanity. The difference between these paths was transcendence of the personal ego to reach the realm of the Higher Self. This book was an attempt to see that her gift of esoteric knowledge would not be passed unquestioned and unchallenged to those who were not fit to receive it.

The first thing that strikes the reader familiar with _Isis Unveiled_ and _The Secret Doctrine_ is the Buddhist emphasis of this volume. While it is based on the same archaic sources as the other works (some of which are pre-Buddhist in origin) it is the true Buddhist path of the heart that clearly shines through again and again. In fact, you have the admonishment: "But even ignorance is better than Head-learning, with no Soul-wisdom to illuminate and guide it." The Soul-wisdom is clearly present here on every page. This depth of understanding of the highest form of Buddhist thought is indeed remarkable for a book written in the 1880's by a westerner. In writing this book the Madam ensured that the spirit of true enlightenment would forever be welded to the Theosophical movement.

This particular edition is a verbatim copy of the original of 1889. As carefully as Madam Blavatsky chose her words, it would be unthinkable to edit them to be more "accessible" to a modern audience. If the reader has difficulty with the technical Sanskrit terms there are detailed glossaries included for all three sections.

This book is an authentic treatise about the many stages upon the ancient, universal initiatic path into the mysteries.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama recommends this arcane book on the back cover of the book itself.
This book can be easily misunderstood or not understood at all. What one needs is the keys of the path, the factors of the revolution of the consciousness. Otherwise, how can we listen to the "VOICE OF THE SILENCE". It is the Voice, the Verb, the LOGOS, the supra-Monad... We need the steps in order to do the "Will of the Father", here, as it is in heaven.
We must read and re-read and meditate on this book. It is profound, exact and terribly magical!
gnosticinstitute.org

This book "The Waiting Room" humbles me, it's not all about the "woe is me" factor. We all go through "difficult" times; each in our own way; feeling it can't get any worse, but we forget other people could be going through something much worse. The great thing about this book is that it tells us God is always with us in our own "waiting room". Not to look at the difficulty but look towards Christ and in doing that we become sensitive to God's heart; which is giving "HOPE" to others in hopeless situations.

This book is an awesome display of faith. It makes my trials seem trivial in comparison. Reading this book will increase anyone's faith and minister to the spirit. Several members of my family and church have purchased and read "The Waiting Room" and all have been blessed by the experience. Thanks Carrie for a labor of love!!

Once I began to read this wonderful book about faith and trust in God, I literally could not put it down until I had read every word. It was gripping and compelling from the first page to the last. The author's absolutely fascinating story is told in an extremely personal and highly readable style. This is a very special inspirational work which I highly recommend!

I had never thought before about the "waiting rooms" that we all eventually encounter in life, those situations where we must rest and wait. After reading "The Waiting Room" however, I have become more aware of how God indeed is working in these circumstances and how it is in the waiting room where we are changed and molded into his likeness. Carrie George bravely shares her very personal experiences in waiting rooms, both literally (hospital settings) and figuratively (those waiting places we experience). It is very encouraging to actually see how God worked in situations which on the surface would appear quite bleak, but which in reality were filled with his presence. "The Waiting Room" is inspiring and increased my faith tremendously as Ms. George, with honesty and openness, told of God's wonderous works in her family's waiting rooms. I highly recommend it.

The Waiting Room is a guidebook for every wife and mother. An inspirational look at dealing with, and overcoming hardship. I was personally really blessed in my relationship with my kids and husband after reading this.