Green Books

This is the greatest book. It has answered all my questions and the ones I didn't know to ask. Highly recommended to anyone starting a business in flowers.

This book is a great resource if you want to grow flowers for a living. I have to warn you, if you love flowers as much as I do, you may have a problem cutting and selling them. Oh, well. I still do sell tomatoes.

When they think of farming, most folk conjure up images of grains, vegetables, and livestock. One very active and lucrative area of specialized farming is the growing and harvesting of flowers -- mostly for the ubiquitous flower shops that are to be found in very town and village. Now in a newly revised and significantly expanded edition, "The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide To Raising And Selling Cut Flowers" by Lynn Byczynski (who draws upon her considerable experience and expertise as the publisher and editor of the monthly industry newsletter 'Growing for Market' and her operation of the Wild Onion Farm in Lawrence Kansas) is the ideal instruction manual and guide for novice and experienced gardeners and farmers alike who wish to take full advantage of new techniques for prolonging their harvests, utilizing greenhouses, selecting flower cultivars, and post-harvest handling for growers throughout North American supplying commercial markets with their flowers. Enhanced with a resource directory, complete with sources for seeds, plants, supplies, and expert information on organic production under the guidelines and standards of the National Organic Program, "The Flower Farmer" will prove to be as valuable as it is indispensable whether growing flowers for fun, family and friends in the back garden, or for commercial profit on the acres of a farm.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Lynn Byczynski's book is terrific! It has all the information that you need to pursue a career as a flower farmer. It has given me the information that I was seeking to make a career change and become a farmer's market flower grower. Especially appreciated the "Source and references" section.

The author spends a great deal of time telling you how to plant, transplant, fertilize, etc. She spends way too much space on basics of horticulture. Surely, anyone interested in selling flowers already knows how to grow them! The Ball RedBook would be a better reference for plant-specific growing advice. This book has extensive information about marketing and field yields, but I would take her advice with a grain of salt. I do not agree with some of her calculations and her other information is so far off the mark that I do not trust her opinions in this regard either.

The best info in this book is from her "case studies". The farmers she interviews give good information about their methods and mistakes, but very few specifics about the most important topic: preservation. Just as top chefs will alter recipes so that no one can duplicate their materpieces exactly, most flower growers are very tight-lipped about their secrets and will write pages and pages without giving specifics. This book is true to form. "Proper contitioning" tips go no farther than adding sugar or asprin, or buying commercial (and expensive!) potions.

My greatest complaint has to do with her guide to cut flowers at the end of the book. Some flowers that keep beautifully (after conditioning) are dismissed as having "no vase life". For example: Poppies and Cleome are dismissed as lasting a day or two, but using certain methods my Cleome lasted 2 WEEKS in the vase and won a blue ribbon at the county fair, and poppies can fetch $5 a stem and last 7-10 days if you do it right. "Flowers for Sale" by Lee Sturdivant has much better conditioning and plant selection information.

I read this book after visiting Arcata this summer. While there, I went on a BLM ranger-guided hike into the Headwaters, the "lush, mysterious, ancient, holy" (p. 82) subject of Dunning's book. I wanted to see for myself what all of the protesting was about. Enjoy this book, then experience the Headwaters' redwoods.

Dunning's book is about many things. Trees. Community. Redwood politics. Bearing witness. The destruction of "one of the most magnificent ecosystems on Earth" (p. 3). Saying "enough!" Non-violent civil disobedience. Protecting America the beautiful. It is also about Dunning's personal journey, or "metamorphosis" as she calls it (p. 239), from naturalist to activist. "What is an 'environmentalist'," she reflects, "but simply a citizen who has shed denial, who has opened his or her eyes and said, 'it does matter nature does not have an infinite capacity to heal herself, himself, itself . . . I am responsible'" (p.228).

Dunning's book reads like an insightful journal, in which she sets out to tell it like it is. "This book is not about happiness," she warns her reader on the first page. Rather, it is about "yielding to conscience. It is about a forest, and it is about us" (p. 1). She reveals that the destruction of old-growth forests like the Headwaters isn't someone else's problem, but our own. Dunning reports that in 500 years, we have destroyed more than ninety percent of our country's ancient forests, leaving only 3.5 percent to protect (p. 263). By saving the redwoods, we save ourselves. Dunning writes, "I want nothing more than to dissolve the polarity that plagues this county and this country, to bring us all back to center--the owls and the pussycats, the loggers and the environmentalists, the business community, everyone--to put us all in the same life raft, which is our Earth" (p. 61).

Dunning also reports that redwood civil disobedience is nothing new. We learn, for instance, on November 19, 1929, Laura Perrott Mahan (1867-1937) lay down in the area now known as Founder's Grove in California's Avenue of the Giants to halt redwood logging. Dunning also writes, and her collaborator, Doug Thron's photographs show that clear-cutting "is an act of violence that affects trees, rivers, air, water, earth, and every person, owl, toad, or human who lives there" (p. 88). "Our whole earth is suffering from the cumulative effects of a million minute daily actions" (p. 240).

Although much of Dunning's book is downright depressing, her real message is this: "Find a corner of the world and fix it" (p. 240). Turn your driveway into a garden. "For each of us," Dunning says, "regardless of where we live, there is a valley, a mountain range, a beach, a whale, a peregrine, a gnatcatcher, that if we merely give our time as a witness to the loss, will gradually unite the being of its existence with our own, will ground us by putting us in touch with what is wild and speechless, will empower us when we speak out in defense of the powerless" (pp. 14-15). (Those interested in how each of us can make a difference might also enjoy Thomas Berry's, THE GREAT WORK (2000), which I also recommend as one of my favorite books.)

In addition to Thron's amazing color photographs (note the cover photo), Dunning's book is also illustrated with her own drawings of redwoods (p. 17), salamanders (pp. 25, 174, 179, 260), a banana slug (p. 41), flying squirrels (p. 56), frogs (pp. 67, 187) and an owl (p. 103), among other subjects.

In our world of "Cars. Cars. Cars." (p. 124), Dunning's book triumphs in showing the value of silent, "dark, dripping, ancient" (p. 37) redwood forests, that tell us to "Be still." For its insights, photographs, and drawings, this book about the wonders of tall trees should not be missed.

G. Merritt

I learned so much by reading this book. Joan Dunning has a way of tackling difficult, cumbersome and emotionally charged subject matter and making it easily digestible. It's a compelling read and the photography by Doug Thron is extraordinary.

No book has ever moved me the way this one has, I have tears in my eyes as I write this. I've just read many of the other reviews, and I don't have the way with words that some do, but they tell it like it is. Joan tells it like it is. Books don't get any better, and this one will change your life, like someone said it isn't all about happiness, and I have become informed and aware of too much to not so something about what is being done to our Redwood Forests, and what is being allowed to be done to our envirnment and watersheds. It's a true story, happening right now, this book documents it succinctly with amazing one of a kind pictures. It will open your eyes. Something needs to be done about Charles Hurwitz from Houston, Texas and his company MAXXAM. He is savaging The last of the Virgin Redwood Rainforest in California. I cannot beleive the CDF and the department of Forestry are "letting him get away with it." Not to mention the way he "aquired" the land, which is explained in the book. Please read this book. This book will light a fire in you, and like me you will have to do something. There are several websites listed in the back to point you in the right direction. I beleive this book is THE BEST one on the subject and if you plan on reading only one this should definitely be it. It has the most facts, information, and insight and is so well written, I couldn't say enough. And 57 pages of priceless color pictures! I am buying used copies for people, I would give one to EVERYONE if I could, and I have only said that about 2 books, and I read alot. The book is priceless. Thank You Joan

I had the opportunity to listen to Joan read from this book. It touched my soul, and I have started to give it to some of my friends to read.

This book explains in simple terms the descruction that P.L unloads on our earth. We are all suffering from the greed of hurwitz. When they "take" a tree alongside a stream, the sun hits the water. Then the water becomes silted, and the water heats up. Then the salmon do not come anymore. Then the eagles have nothing to eat, so they leave. With no trees, no air is cleansed, and with bad air we die. Somone else needs to leave.

Even though I have read a number of books about ancient Mesopotamia, many of which are focussed on political and economic history rather than on beliefs and religious practices, I am was still very confused about who were the principal gods and goddesses, during what period of time and where they became prominent, and why they were worshipped. The uniformly positive customer reviews of this 192 page book were what persuaded me to buy it , and I was not disappointed.

When I buy a book, however, I do prefer to read it from start to finish, so reading a dictionary in this way is somewhat difficult and it is probably not the best way to read this one. The "gods and goddesses " entry in this dictionary indicate that more than 3000 names have been recovered, and while the book doesn't attempt to describe all of these, it does provide a significant amount of interesting reference material about the beliefs and religious practices of the peoples of Ancient Mesopotamia. Perhaps it would be better to use the term "ruler" or "the elite" rather than the term "peoples" since it is clear that nearly all the available information about the gods, demons, and symbols comes from inscriptions which were either from the rulers or from the priests of the religious institutions.

At the beginning of the book there is a useful author's note on the variant spellings of ancient names which explains the scholarly consensus on the probable pronunciation of the Akkadian and Sumerian languages. This is followed, by a concise introduction which provides summaries on the places and peoples of Mesopotamia, their mythology and legends, their art and iconography and the periods of the various dynasties and a helpful one page chronological table. At the end of the book there is also a short bibliography listing books recommended for further reading.

The bulk of the book consists of about a thousand entries (I didn't count them) on the different deities, religious objects, icons, symbols, and practices, of the peoples of ancient Mesopotamia. Most of these are quite short, although there are a few which run to three or four pages. At least half of them refer to one or more illustrations which are liberally sprinkled throughout the book, and this approach definitely enhanced my understanding of what I was reading. I did get the impression, though, that much of the information about the earlier period comes from the Assyrian kings of the 1st millennium, and while they were heirs to the Sumerian and Akkadian traditions, it is still not clear to me how much of a bias they brought into their inscriptions in order to better serve their own interests

There are 159 illustrations in all, which are a mixture of drawings and very clear black and white photographs. The drawings by Tessa Rickards, the illustrator, are beautifully done, elegantly simple, and in my opinion, bring out the essence of the object of the illustration. While most illustrations are embedded in the text close to the most relevant entry, there are a number which are referred to by several different entries. I found it was quite time consuming to flip around the book to find the references of those which were not close by, so I ended up by using book markers to speed up my search for the most important, which were the groups of illustrations on demons, monsters, and symbols for the gods, and the genealogical table of gods and goddesses. Perhaps there is no way around this, but I think it would have been helpful if there had been an index of the illustrations referenced by time period and page number. It may also have been easier to refer to them if they were included one place, perhaps at the back of the book.

Notwithstanding these minor quibbles about the organization and content of the book, I found that reading it the way I did, was an effective and time efficient way of increasing my depth of knowledge about this aspect of ancient Mesopotamia. It will serve as a useful reference tool for my other books on the civilizations and dynasties of Mesopotamia, and I certainly recommend it to other students who are focussing their studies on this particular subject.

This illustrated dictionary is excellant, and informative. The authors have a knack for noting out of the ordinary tidbits, which enhance their profiles. Unfortunately, they do not recognize that Mythology is 95%
Propaganda. Thus, Ea, called "favorable to man", is in fact the Ultimate
Architect of Evil, who along with his "two-faced" minister Usmu, and the
scribe Nabu, propagated a Revisionist Mythology, that has subjugated and
subverted the 5% Truth, ever since.

"Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia" (An Illustrated Dictionary) is the best resource on the Gods of the different cultures from that region that exists. Though they call it a dictionary, Jeremy Black and Anthony Green (editors) have put together an encyclopedia of knowledge on the subject. They cover Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Hurrian mythologies, and touch on several more as well. This review is based off of the fifth edition of the book, which was published in 2003 by the University of Texas Press.

There is a lot of material here, and it would be easy to give this book five stars based on what it does provide. However, as I use this resource I often think about what more they could have done to make it more useful. One big thing would have been more visual resources. I would have liked to see a map section where it shows the various eras and empires and the extent of their control. There is one map near the front of the book, but it provides only a limited view.

A big area of improvement would have been to provide sections instead of including all the material together from A to Z. For example the maps mentioned above could have gone into a geography section which could have also shown the evolution of the city names as they spanned eras, including the modern names for those which still exist. Another section could have covered the kings, queens, and heroes for each of the empires. The section on deities could have covered the evolution of deities as they were adopted by the later empires, as well as the new deities which arose during the passage of time. You will find that some of this material is scattered throughout the resource, but it is not complete, and it is difficult to find unless you already know where to look.

Despite all the things I would have liked to have, I still think this is a very good reference, and one which anyone who studies the ancient history of that region will want to have in their library. It is easy to come up with ideas of ways to improve things, but the work that was done in putting together this reference was exceptional, and as with most things which whet one's appetite, it leaves the reader wanting more.

Excellent resource listing much more than the title would suggest. Black really knows his stuff and generously shares his knowledge. Much better than I thought it would be. Includes all kinds of definitions in great detail. Well written. Highly recommend.

I am saddened to see that this is no longer available. If you are interested in ancient Mesopotamian religion, then this book is needed. It is a perfect resource to get quick information, and provides enough information to conduct further research in the areas. If you are a student taking a class on Mesopotamia, a religious historian, or a Reconstructionist, then this will give you the facts you need at your fingertips.

Just thought I would redo my previous review. The main reason I got this book was because I got interested in Tom Green after watching Freddy got fingered. I think that film is possibly one of the funniest movies ever made, although I know quite a lot of people disagree with me on that one.

In my previous review I kind of referenced Howard Stern's private parts. In a sense they are somewhat similar. Both books deal with the theme of a somewhat ordinary guy rising to fame in a funny and lighthearted style. Green's book is a bit more personal though, dealing with both his illness, marriage and fall from grace.

There are some insider tidbits about other celebrities, although it is mostly nice stuff. The celebrities being painted the worst are probably Martin Short and Courtney Love. There is a segment about Courtney heckling Green's father during his speech at the Barrymore-Green wedding. I guess no-one would really contest the validity of that happening.

I don't think the parts pertaining Drew Barrymore are at all negative nor ill intended. Green's namedropping seem to not really be trying to capitalize off certain people's fame.

I think even people, even the ones that detested Green's other works, will find the book interesting. Especially if they would like to get an inside look at the Hollywood-elite's society. And the fans get an inside look at how some of the classic moments like i.e the moose humping and the bum bum song got created.

I couldn't be more pleased with the book, there's so much more depth to this man then most people realize. If you're even a casual fan of Tom Green's, this book is well worth picking up.

If you like Tom Green, read this book. If you hate Tom Green, read this book. Tom is a genuine talent. Amazing. I was riveted by Tom's story. I read this in one day.

Wow, this is now my favorite book, (Although that isn't saying much, I rarely read) It is a funny, but also serious book about Tom Green's life. I read this book in 1 day (I got home from a friend's house a 12 AM and read until 5 AM, went to sleep, then woke up and finished it) I just couldn't stop reading it. This is a great book whether you are a fan of Tom Green or not.

I was never a huge Tom Green fan, as I was a few years too old to appreciate his MTV show. I was intrigued by his story, which as I'd heard was that he was a small town Canadian boy who struck it big with gross-out humor and MTV.
After reading his biography, I have definitely changed any and all assumptions about him and his work. The insane rollercoaster of the best and worst luck in the world he experienced within a few years would be unbelievable were it not true. The decade of persistence that preceeded those huge years is in itself impressive. The anecdotes about giving a speech, a night with a rather wild woman, having and making use of a cell phone before cell phones were everywhere, plus so much more all adds up to one of the most interesting and captivating books I've ever read. Another point to mention is that in a world of gossip and salacious tales, Green gives more information and personal feelings than I expected, but never, not even once, uses the book to criticize anyone else or to try to make himself look like a hero. He shows a lot of appreciation and humility, and reveals an immense depth of character. I had intended to read this book over a period of time and started reading it on a four hour flight. As the plane landed I was only 30 pages away from the end. I exited the plane only to sit in the boarding gate and reopen it because I couldn't wait to finish the final little bit. It was that good. I highly recommend this book to fans, non-fans, and everyone else.

This book had so much great information I could not believe it. It is easy to find virtually any subject matter that is related. While, during and after reading this book I went through my house and eliminated many bad things that I never knew could be harmful to my family. I has really helped us change our lives in a very positive way. If you have anyone you love in your home including yourself read this book and get educated for your own safety! I leave it on the kitchen counter and refer to it often. Some times I even shock a friend or two that visits with some of the information in there and they have gone on to change the way they live as well after having some very important facts given to them. Awesome and worthy of a read and the cost. This ones a keeper :)

This book covers a wide range of topics, from building/remodeling materials to cleaners and personal products. Mine is already earmarked, underlined and highlighted, and I've purchased more as gifts for family and friends. Debra Lynn Dadd is an expert and her work is also very readable; succinct and not dry.

This book is a great read for someone who wants to learn about environmental issues in the home without the fear factor. It's factual and articulate, without being overwhelming or emotional in a way that makes you doubt the information.

This book had a lot of info in it. Worth the read.

This book was a real eye opener for me during my first read--EYE OPENER!. I went through every chapter with a fine tooth comb and to tell you the truth I was shocked. Shocked because I have been assuming, up to this point, that the products I was using, in my household, in my hair, on my skin (the stuff I grew up on, the stuff Grandma always used--oh ya during WWII maybe...) were safe. Now I know this is USUALLY NOT the case. I learned later on that most of the crap I was used to using belonged right in the trash can. That is where everything eventually ended up. The next day I decided to start from scratch. I have used this book as a continuous reference, a Bible if you will. I have also purchased a cosmetic dictionary to help me understand all of the chemical yahoo they put in body products as well. The best thing I learned to do is read labels--READ THE LABELS! Now I know that I am doing the best for myself and my family. If the FDA cannot protect me--by George I am doing something to protect myself and those around me! This book changed my life and gave me an excellent education about how toxic our homes and body products REALLY are. Now...I rather dislike the companies who make toxic cleaning products, makeup, body produts and food. My hope is that someday this world will stop supporting the bad stuff and move on to the good.

I've read Darryl's book twice and refer to it often. The entire goalsetting approach is particularly useful. The book is very well-written, quite easy to follow, and applicable to most any person. It is truly a gift from above.

I am a hair salon owner and author.My husband and I have been married for twenty-five years.We have two happy, productive children in college and one in high school. We thought we knew all there was to parenting. This book has helped us tremendously. Instead of running around in circles,we are now managing our time more wisely. This book is a guide for all families to follow. It is well written and very easy to understand. I find myself referring to it again and again.I thank God for allowing Daryl Green the opportunity to write this wonderful book!

If you are a single parent, a fresh young couple venturing out to start a family, or a family that continues to struggle with life's ups and downs...BUY THIS TAPE! I assure you that when this tape comes to an end, you will begin to feel better about yourself, your family, and life. Hats off to the Greens!...Ree

this audio tape is spectacular. I feel it is well written and very helpful for working families. this book really reaches the problems of working families and families in general. I would recommend this book/tape to anyone.

Anyone with a family needs to take a look at Darryl's work. We all need to set priorities and survive life, and Darryl offers families an approachable and successful method of family management, that is not overwhelming. If you are a parent - working,single, or just trying to get through the day, Darryl really gets you feeling positive and honestly makes you feel capable of achieving anything with your family. I take this time to thank you Darryl, your book/cassette has really changed my life.

In Patience and the Porsch Patience and the PorscheVal Sgro shows the world what organizing really looks like. And she pulls it off with humor and tact. The benefits of reading this book,for clients and organizers, are numerous. Val clearly lays out the organzing process in a way that will appeal to all. Motivating and captivating throughout.

Patience and the Porsche is a fast read that combines intrigue, romance, fun and a whole new perspective on the organizing profession. It offers something that is missing from many of the organizing television shows and articles about organizing: insight into the mind of both the professional organizer and the client. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the process of organizing. You'll find it inspiring and motivating.

The Professional Organizing industry has finally arrived--we now have a novel written about us! And better still, it's written by a Professional Organizer. Val Sgro has provided readers with a "behind the scenes" view into the organizing world. I loaned my book to my Mom who enjoyed it and gained a better understanding of what POs do. I highly recommend this book to all POs (both new and veteran) as well as anyone interested in the organizing process. Val has created a fun, easy, and worthwhile read.

This is a great little read -- totally entertaining and nicely paced without a single dull passage. Informative, too ... If you're not careful, you'll find yourself doing a little organizing on your own ... if Patience, the professional organizer, can reform her "hopeless client", the reader will surely find ways for self-improvement as well.

As a writer and professional organizer myself, I was highly entertained by this humorous, yet motivational story. If you are looking for entertainment, and organizing tips rolled into one, this is the book for you.
Val offers insight into the mind and thoughts of the client and the organizer, as they progress, all the while telling an original story that entertains and touches the heart.
It's easy reading, you won't want to miss.

Before moving overseas, I practically lived outdoors with my two young children. We had easy access to nature parks and there were plenty of places to connect with nature on a regular basis. Now we live in a rural farming village and I homeschool. (So we are in the house the majority of the day.) Recently, my 2 1/2 year old screamed and was absolutely terrified of an ant that crawled on him. What a wake-up call! Walking down the country lane is NOT really a nature experience, for he appears to be afraid of insects. (I grew up with a continual collection, much to my parents' dismay. "You're a GIRL, for heaven's sake"...) My oldest two children LOVE to explore wildflowers, insects, and anything they find... so long as I deem it safe. I think this is because when they were younger we took the time to immerse ourselves in nature. I regret not doing this for my youngest, but have decided it is time to get out and get in touch with mother earth once again... this time for good. I grew up loving nature just because I spent most of my spare time IN nature exploring and observing the woods all on my own, or reading natural history books from the library. No one taught me, encouraged me, or took the time to do activities with me. Wow, that would have been a treat. Encourage kids who love nature and inspire others to get involved! Buy this book! Get outdoors! Wish others by this author were back in print.

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This book is fabulous. My friend and I had our combined 4 kids up in a cabin for a week and I brought this book for activities we could do. I knew I didn't need to pack any "supplies" because of the wonderfully simple nature of the activities. I was amazed that in doing "meet a tree" where each child is blindfolded, is led to a tree, explores that tree, and then tries to find it again with the blindfold off, that the kids were overwhelmingly successful at locating their special tree amongst many others, touching and exploring each tree thoughtfully along the way.
Another favorite was the un-nature trail in which you hide man made objects along a trail to see how many the kids can locate. Even the kids who only found 1 out of 15 items(yes it's true) were thrilled to go back over the trail with me as I pointed out the glasses, the wooden spoon etc.
I would prepare more carefully for the "blind trail" than I did - setting out rules and perimeters before hand. I had two blindfolded, crying children who had accidentally been walked into a tree or led off of a fallen log by their inexperienced partner.
This book is one of my all time favorites despite any mishaps. I can't think of a better book to help you get children excited about being outside with the birds and the trees.

This is one of the best books that I ever bought when I was at college. The best part of this book is that it is simple and easy to use as a teaching tool. You can pull out one activity from this book and use it as a fun nature activity for children which is also educational.It gives children the chance to rediscocer the joy of playing in nature and it also encourges them to respect nature. It is truly amazing. It can be easily adapted to the climate that you are in. This book is truly a masterpiece.

This book is filled wth great ideas on giving children memorable experiences in Nature. I myself am a nature docent and I know from experience that if you try to lecture to children out in nature you just have a lot of kids not listening. If you give them an experience you will give them something that they will always refer back to for the rest of their life. I highly recommend the methods used in this book.

This book is THE original tool for connecting kids with nature.

Whether you are a parent or a teacher, you will find that this simple, small but comprehensive book will be the dog-eared book on the shelf or the coffee table...or the one that gets loaned out to friends the most. In every place I have taught environmental ed, I have seen activities from this book being used. In fact, so many enviro ed books have borrowed and adapted activities from this book that they have become classics.

The best part of this book is that it is a comprehensive teaching tool called "Flow Learning" that works like a cookbook. What I mean by this is that you can pull out just one 'recipe' for an activity, or combine several into the educational equivalent of a full four-course meal. Cornell's book is more than just a nature book, it is a system of four stages called 'Flow Learning', which very simply and effectively models how to facilitate connecting children (yes- even inner city children) with nature.

If you don't find this book extremely invaluable, I would probably offer to buy it back from you. After all, I can't seem to get back that last copy I loaned out...

this is one of the most beautiful love stories ever written. we all fall in love at a young age, but not too many of us continue to remain faithfully in love with one person throughout our lives.

Hamsun's writing is simple, but yet the words are powerful, but however, sad.

This is probably Knut Hamsun's' masterpiece when it comes to love stories, and possibly one of Europe's most beautiful love stories. The book is about the son of the old miller, and the daughter of the local "nobleman", the owner of the "Castle". From they are very small and all the way up until the very end he loves her. The parts where they are in the cave and on the island are so beautiful and melancholic. But he being the miller's son, and her being part of the "upper-class", the love is an impossible one. Various circumstances increase the distance between them, and the impossibility of their love, but I won't reveal much. The story is just so beautiful and sad, that it should be required reading for all.

Then comes the fun part, the author; Knut Hamsun, probably Norway's greatest author of all time, was a die-hard "right-wing" anti-modern conservative. This is quite amusing, because all the liberal and anti-European readers just can't wrap their mind around the fact that a person that wrote such beautiful prose was so "abhorrent" in their twisted view. One of his 5 best books and one whose story you'll carry with you forever. Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition)

I will agree with what has been said so far. This is a beautifully written novel by an extraordinary writer. I don't know if a movie was made from this novel, but I certainly hope there won't be. I don't know how the thoughts Hamsun puts down on paper can be conveyed through film. It would take a director greater than any living today.

I would have a hard time saying whether this or Hunger represents Hamsun's greatest work of fiction. No matter, get them both. And thanks to Oliver Stallybrass for a magnificent translation.

Knut Hamsun at his finest.A brillant observer of people, with a keen eye for human emotions. This is about love,intense love.And excepting the options,with a wavering reluctance.The genius of Hamsun is that he implies so much in the most simple and humblest of styles.Excellent read.Class distiction? Love? What is one to do.Enjoy. Good Health!
Happy New Year
BDf


Excerpts

"...It was a heart's naive,fervent confession,eruptions that couldn't be held back but leaped up from the lines like stars coming out of the sky..."


"...Work will force me to be calm,and in a few hours I may be cheerful again..."

Knut Hamsun has sometimes been described as the Thomas Hardy of Scandinavian literature, and the theme of Victoria- love between two people of different social classes- is one which Hardy treated several times. Here the protagonists are Johannes, the son of a miller, and Victoria, the daughter of the local squire, who meet and fall in love as children. Although they continue to love one another throughout their lives, they are separated by circumstances and the story ends tragically.

The forces that conspire to thwart their love are more complex than simple snobbery or class-distinction. During the period in which the book is set (the 1890s), the marriage of an internationally successful author (which Johannes becomes in adult life) to the daughter of a minor nobleman would not have raised too many eyebrows in society. Although Victoria's family are aristocratic, however, they are not wealthy; indeed, they are in desperate financial straits and need to secure a financially advantageous marriage for their daughter to re-establish their fortunes and to restore the Castle, as their crumbling manor-house is called. She is therefore pressurised, much against her will, to become engaged to Otto, the son of a wealthy official at the Royal Court, even though she does not love him. Johannes also enters into an unsuccessful engagement with another woman; only at the end of the novel, when it is too late, do Victoria and Johannes discover how much they mean to each other.

This could easily be the plot of a Hardy novel, but Hamsun tells this story in a style which is very different to Hardy's. Hardy's novels are generally complex, discursive and with a large cast of characters both major and minor. Victoria is a very short novel (at 170 pages much shorter than any of Hardy's), told in a simple and direct manner and concentrating very much on the two lovers. The other characters are not developed in any detail, with the partial exception of Otto, who is presented as an arrogant and unpleasant lout.

Although the story is told in a straightforward manner, this does not mean that the prose is plain or unadorned. Although this is a third-person narrative, the action is mostly seen from the viewpoint of the poet Johannes and narrated in an appropriately poetic style. (This, at least, is the effect of Oliver Stallybrass's translation; I do not speak Norwegian so I cannot compare it with the original). The lyricism of the writing complements the pathos of the loves' plight; the result is a book that can be compared to a jewel, small, but beautiful and highly polished.

Personal experiences mixed with arguments about transgender issues provide the reader with insight about what it really means to be a transsexual.

Definately an excellent read, and one to keep in the library of any FTM.

This is an easy, fun, and interesting read. The book rekindled my sensitivity and respect for humanity.

It's a very good book, because it's one of the very best books I've ever read on trans issues. It's good if you need it for a positive outlook on transitioning. It's a book that has helped me as a person and I know that this book can help other guys out there see that they're not alone and there is a good way to transition.

Green, explores his own experiences and tells them in great detail. He's very educational and has helped me get through some tough times. It's a book I couldn't help not buying. It's in my library when I need to go back and see that I don't need to apoligize for who I am.

Jamison Green's book Becoming a Visible Man is easily among my current top choices of trans-related texts. Not only does Green give readers pieces of his own personal experiences (following the trend of many other trans texts), but he also offers accessible, educational, and nuanced arguments around trans issues. In this way, Becoming a Visible Man is not only the story of Green's own personal becoming, but also, and perhaps more importantly, the story of the structures, institutions, and other forces that circumscribe, shape, and color all our becomings. In this vein, I'm confident that this book would appeal to transpeople and non-transpeople alike, both those with none or very little knowledge of trans issues, as well as those with much experience in this area.

While I haven't had the fortune (yet) to be familiar with Green's writings in the FTM Newsletter, I have no doubt that he provided much help and wisdom to its breadth of readers. His writing is balanced and aware of its biases, always mindful of questioning the existing structures of power, and responsible to those with whom he seems himself in community and alliance. By no means does this mean that Green attempts to speak for or about all transpeople or all transmen, or that he understands all transpeople or their experiences to be the same. Rather, Green is quite adamant about the differences between and among transpeople, at the same time that he is clear that we must come together in all our differences to effect true social change. And to his credit, through this all, his author's voice is calm and poetic; a great combination indeed of form and context!

I really could go on at length about the merits of this text...there isn't one thing I didn't like or find useful in its 231 pages. But, I'll settle for highlighting some of my most favorite passages:

(68) "I realized that if I could live in a way that declared my own self-acceptance--that is, not to broadcast my history every minute of the day, but to speak up honestly when it was appropriate, not necessarily with anger or even impatience, but with the compassion that I was finding within myself, to dispel myths and stereotypes that people cling to about us--that it would show others they could do it, too. Together we could change the conditions that generated our fears."

(78) "Politics is the art of negotiation among divergent goals, and cooperation is difficult when people are unaware of their motives or goals, or unable or unwilling to reveal them."

(89) "Being a transsexual is not something we do in the privacy of our own bedrooms; it affects every aspect of our lives, from our driver's licenses to our work histories, from our birth certificates to our school transcripts to our parents' wills, and every relationship represented by those paper trails."

(127) "For some people, the consequences of a transperson's assertion of his or her identity are simply too frightening because it threatens their own position within a particular community of ideology or faith."

(128) "My brother was not exactly disapproving of my sexual orientation, nor was he resentful of my ability to pitch in with his friends on construction projects or to manage home electrical problems, but he was much more comfortable when he didn't have to explain me anymore. This is not a reason to transition, as far as I'm concerned, but is a fact that an appearance of conformity with normative gender behavior does cause less social friction, a fact that every child has had drummed into her or him from earliest consciousness.

(177) "The extent to which we convey the truth of our experience is the extent to which any audience will receive us, yet so long as other people control the forum, or so long as the analyzing or commenting voices are not informed by direct experience of us, we are still vulnerable to being treated with nothing more enlightened than prejudice."

(180) "Social conventions and institutions support individual prejudice against the rights of transsexual people, adding to the burden of secrecy. These conventions persist because no one has tried, until very recently, to correct them."

(191) "Gender is a private matter that we share with others; and when we share it, it becomes a social construction, thus it requires, like language, a `speaker' and a `listener.' It is between the two of these actors that gender is defined, negotiated, corroborated, or challenged...But if we don't speak a language that others understand, then it can be a source of difficulty, even conflict, if we find ourselves in an intolerant environment."

(210) "If we are concerned that others will perceive our physical differences as laughable deficiencies, the answer is not to dehumanize and desensitize ourselves so we can manage rejection, but to sensitize others to appreciate us, and to learn to manage our own self-doubts so that others will be able to see worthy partners in us."