Hunter Books

This is a great book for anyone interested in collecting books, or who likes books, or even anyone just interested in what makes a book collectable. Different people adopt very different approaches and strategies to book collecting and Basbanes documents a number of them. The eccentric madness of it all is what makes it entertaining and I found that this quickly became a hard book to put down. After reading this I suspect that I will never look at books the same way again. The fundamentals of book collection are not unlike other forms of collection, so people who are self confessed "collectors" (You know who you are!) are likely to find this an exciting read. In among all the entertaining yarns is a pretty good starters guide to book collection, and this book contains a number of practical pointers to web sites and book sellers to get the novice started. Overall it was really enjoyable to read and very much a page turner.

Reading Basbanes is like engaging in a long, relaxed conversation over coffee in your living room with a very knowledgeable friend. In this third volume of his slightly rambling but always fascinating and well-informed discussions of books, book collectors, booksellers and dealers, and all the periperal subjects they engender, he combines advice on bibliophily in the age of the Internet with reminiscence on how collecting used to be done, and what the old and the new still have in common. As a small-time collector of limited resources myself, I enjoy reading abut the fabulous collections built up by those who not only have money to spend but also the intelligence and passion to add value to what they hunt down and acquire by adding to the accretion of knowledge. In fact, as Basbanes makes clear, becoming personally involved with books and other "stuff" is what separates collectors from mere accumulators. In fact, I find I have also become a collector of Nick Basbanes. . . .

In "Among the Gently Mad," Basbanes declares, "the more you read or read about reading, the more you will uncover about other books." And, the more, it seems, you will get to know an ever-expanding circle of people who collect and/or sell books. All their stories are here...what they collect, how they collect them, how much they spend and on and on until the value of this book is almost hidden under their weight.

However, if you are serious about book collecting, "Among the Gently Mad" is a tremendous resource. Reading between the lines of other book collectors' stories, you will find out which web sites, bookstores, dealers, book fairs, organizations and other sources can help you fill out your collection. By the way, this is not just a book for those who collect rare books. An antiquarian book is simply described as any book that is worth more now than when first published. Basbanes's first rule of collecting books is to focus on subjects that hold your interest and, in fact, your collection should contain books you actually want to read. If you are gently mad, that is "taking delight in the pleasant touching of books long coveted," this book is an indispensable tool to fulfilling your own madness.

In rapturous, elegant prose, the author envelops the reader in his consuming passion for books and the people who love to collect them; as the hours flew by while I curled up with Basbanes, I assuaged my guilt at forsaking mundane tasks with the right-on lines that end the book's first chapter: "... a sentiment that I confess I savor on a daily basis: Books are not Life, But then what is?"

A wonderful read about the world of books by one of the preeminent writers on the subject of book collecting.Using the word 'subject' to describe the passion of books is akin to using 'subject' to describe love or any other passion.Blame that on me,if you will,not Nicholas.
It seems I never get enough of these books about books and this is one of the best.Here we are given a look in on the wonderful life the author has in the world of the High End Collectors.Those like me,and that means all but a very miniscule number,who can only dream of attending and partaking in those auctions,where single rare books sell for tens of thousands,and lots or even complete personal libraries sell for sums equalling the national treasury of small countries.That doesn't mean reading about that sort of thing isn't very interesting;and the author has the ability to make one feel they are part of that activity.What one gets from this book is that anyone can have the same desires,same enjoyment,and all the rest of what comes along with having a passsion for reading,collecting,owning,sharing,arranging,their personal collection whether it is a small number of favorite volumes or some huge ammassment--it's their collecion and is what they have the ability,desire and resources to call their own.I suppose many who work with books like booksellers or library staff can even imagine the books around them are their own.I remember once reading somewhere, something to the effect that nobody ever really owns a book,but only has the privilege of being its caretaker for a while until it eventually passes on as its "owner" is sure to do--it's only a matter of time.This idea comes through very clearly as the author shows how collectors spend lifetimes searching for books that eventually end up in university,library and other collections.
The author describes the personalities he encounters and we can identify with all of them as we pursue our passion with books.
In a nutshell you'll get from this book that the only real difference between your collection and the world he writes about is a matter of scale
A great read and highly recommended to anyone who loves books and reading.

This is a really effective authoritative publication of Hunter's lyrics. Robert Hunter had a big impact on the lyrical imagination of 60's rock, and this book bears witness to that fact. It presents the lyrics with minimal distractions, which causes my only complaint with this book. Hunter's notes/comments are sparse and usually very brief. Some additional explanations and background information, while perhaps being somewhat distracting from the lyrics, would make this more interesting.

Hunter's words, the inspiration, soul, and backbone of the Grateful's Dead's songs, are here collected in all their subtle grace. His songs read like poems, and his poems burst like songs. Vital reading for dead-heads and poetry lovers alike.

Driving around a curve on a mountain backroad, I saw what looked to be a book lying in the middle of the road ahead. I stopped, opened the door and reached down to pick it up. Must have fallen out of someone's car and then been run over: the cover pockmarked by gravel, the pages loose.

The title instantly grabbed my awareness: A Box of Rain - Almost 40 years of a prodigious poetic output, the sculpting of over 250 songs.

This collection of lyrics represents most of what the Grateful Dead performed - along with many songs either done by other groups or sung by Hunter himself. This book is a superb fusion of the mystical and the mundane - If Garcia's music was the skeleton of the Dead, these lyrics surely must be the flesh.

Would the Dead have acheived anything near their anointed state without these lyrics? I truly doubt it. Robert Hunter and Bob Dylan are in a class by themselves; these writings bear witness to that fact.





Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

... one of the greatest poets ever. in my opinion. reading his poems as oposed to listning to them on a album is a vastly differnet experiences. his words touch me like no other. this book is absolutly amazing, especially reading the things the dead never played. "jack o roses" the seventh section of "terrapin station" is the most beautiful thing iever read ( you can hear hunter sing it by going to the hunter archive at dead.net". everyone should read this, and for the few that really get it, it will be a transcendant experinece.

...and my tunes were played on the harp unstrung would you hear my voice come through the music would you hold it near as it were your own?' Part of the experience of a Grateful Dead concert (and now The Other Ones, Ratdog, Phil Lesh and friends, and Mickey Hart's band) was listening to the words of Robert Hunter dance and twirl in your head. Hunter probably isn't the greatest American poet of the second half of the 20th Century, but he does know how to turn a phrase, borrow a line, and mix a metaphor. And his strange mix of phrases went well with the strange mix of American music written by the late Jerry Garcia. Box Of Rain is a must reference for anyone interested in the lyrical end of rock and roll. The book will clear up many an on going debate on just what Jerry was singing all those nights so long ago. And for all those people who can't understand why the Grateful Dead was so successful, this book will let you in on part of the secret. 'If you get confused, just listen to the music play....'

This was a great book. Simple and straight forward. His writing style was quite engaging as well. I am new to grouse hunting and this book helped point me in the right direction in terms of where to hunt and how to hunt.

I have a library with every book I can get my hands on related to grouse hunting. There are resources specifically on Ruffed Grouse, guns, gunfit, shooting techniques, and every other aspect of the sport. The grouse hunting guides tend to get a read once or twice and then stay on the shelf. Not so with Walrod's book. It is the one hunting guide I have found myself referencing repeatedly. He has great comparative statistics and charts for locating birds depending on the conditions. It is a very enjoyable read and an excellent resource for the dedicated grouse hunter

From habitat and food to identification he tells it all. Having never hunted grouse before, I found it to have very good information. However I did not find it to be as humorous as a prior reader states. I actually found it to be a bit dry. All in all it is a keeper book to add to my library.

This book is loaded with information that will make you a better grouse hunter. The author truly understands this game bird and is able to take his insightful observations and perfectly convey them in this book. This book is sure to make you a better grouse hunter. The information on the grouse alone is worth the money and throw on top of that the information about guns, loads, dogs, and success rates of other hunters just makes this a must buy. I highly reccommend this book. I bought a few other books on grouse and this one is head and shoulders above the rest.

Being (apparently) the state advocate and completely tired of all the hunting books which cover only the eastern part of the United States, I found this guide to be a great book no matter where you live and hunt.

A great picture of a Ruffed Grouse taken from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington state shows that the authors detail of habitat and other tidbits of hunting information apply in each and every covey around the country. What weapons to use. The appropriate ammo. The right choke. Statistics, opinions, and hard facts. Did I mention the book covers habitat? Oh! I can't forget to mention the recipes! Think of "Fried Grouse with (Wild) Mushrooms" and if that doesn't make your mouth water then check your pulse (or just read all the other recipes - there's some good ones).

If you have grouse near you, this book will help you find them and hunt them successfully - no matter where you hunt.

The Hunter's Moon by Jo C. Johnston is a great summer read. It is suspenseful throughout and a terrific blend of historical fiction and horror. Jo Johnston's descriptive talents are second to none and the scary portions are truly frightening. I can't wait to read the next book from this author!

This is an excellent novel which captivates your attention from the first chapter to the last. It is very suspensful and keeps you guessing until the very end. The plot unfolds superbly and is very well written. There is a lot of attention to detail and all of the characters are very real. You really love some of the characters and hate others. It sends shivers up your spine. There are a lots of twists and turns in the novel and I enjoyed the whole story, especially the ending. It is a very different love story.

This book has it all. Exciting, suspenseful, great love story. Once you started reading it was very difficult to set down. I really enjoyed the characters and the intriging storyline. I can't wait for another one of Jo C. Johnston's books! Keep writing. Your fans are anxiously awaiting.

I couldn't seem to stop reading even though it was very late. When my eyes wouldn't cooperate, I grabbed a few hours of sleep, but first thing in the morning I picked up the book and read until I finished it. The story was fast-paced, and the characters believable. I enjoyed the format, and would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good read.

I knew the premise of this book before I read it. I loved it from the first page. What else can you say? It is just plain old good writing. It has some good original twists on an old familar story. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good book.

In the rough and tumble world of today's fickle consumer and customer, being creative is not enough. It's the science of marketing; knowing your customer and delivering on that knowledge with well measured insights that drives business today. In Improve Your Marketing To Grow Your Business, Hunter Hastings and Jeff Saperstein show us that organic growth is the backbone of business success. In order to deliver consistent and profitable growth a fact based marketing driven organization is best able understand how to generate this growth.

This book covers a lot of ground; marketing process, automation, accountability, and evolution of the marketing organization among other topics.

However, in my view it does a particularly good job of breaking down the steps companies need to take to become more customer / consumer centric in their innovation efforts. You can't just show up at a conference room for an ideation session and expect to deliver high quality results when it comes to innovation. Great innovation starts with insights about your customers, which can be methodically and consistently converted to market leading innovation when you have the right processes and tools at your disposal.

In addition to providing an overview of the processes and tools you need to drive business growth through innovation, the book provides a number of real world examples sourced from the innovators themselves. They make for an interesting read and really brought the concepts presented in the book to life for me.

I found the book to be essential reading. If you don't want the marketing dept. to lumber along being an under-funded after thought in the enterprise, Hunter's new book can help. I think The New Marketing Mission was perhaps somewhat better but this new book is also very useful

Although written for marketing experts, I, as a more general communication educator, found this book invaluable for someone wishing to gain added understanding of the inner workings of the global economy. This book presents a compelling case for how the Information Age generates a flood of data that can drown an organization and how classic and purely intuitive methods of markeeting have become antiquated.

To meet the challenge of our evolving business age, this book offers credible and comprehensible templates for interpreting and strategically utilizing the streams of marketing data produced by our wired world.

I also found the narrative style of this book appealing, featuring stories told from the inside by leaders of some of America's best performing companies.

Dr. Rick Isaacson, Professor
Department of Communication Studies
San Francisco State University

When I was employed by a company that developed mapping software, the marketing strategy was to create a flyer or card and mail it out to every name on a large list. The list was purchased from another company and supposedly contained the names of people who had expressed some interest in products similar to ours. At times, more than one person at my company received a copy of that same material advertising our products. I coined the term "mini-mind marketing" to describe this strategy. In other words, buy a list of names that was probably padded and send out the same item to all of them and hope something sticks. Needless to say, all of the mailings were a complete flop; the response rate was for all practical purposes zero.
Using that same analogy, the material in this book could be described as "mega-brain marketing." The information is a detailed description of how to engage in intelligent and user focused marketing strategies, the kind that leads to success in the modern world. In fact, the kind that is necessary in the modern world.
The chapter titles provide a brief description of the steps to follow in order to make marketing your internal/external killer app.

*) Open your mind to new marketing
*) Four principles supporting the marketing capability
*) Building blocks of the new marketing capability
*) Translating insights into innovation for brand financial growth
*) Measuring consumer engagement
*) Dispatches from the leading edge of the new marketing
*) Integration of technology and marketing
*) Open innovation and new product development through communities of practice
*) Brand building through global brand growth
*) Growth through brand portfolio and risk management
*) Insights-led brand building in technology
*) Marketing knowledge centers
*) The New CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)
*) Managing Information
*) Metrics and building the culture of accountability
*) Communities of practice for consumer connection and open innovation
*) Empowering change from the top down

If the marketing people where I used to work had read and applied the information in this book, I would have led the applause rather than curse them.

Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883) is one of Russia's greatest authors. Turgenev was a pro-Western author who portrays a vanished Russia of serfdom and
rural landowners. Tsar Alexander II liberated the serfs in 1861. It is reputed that the tsar took this action based on his reading of these sketches.
The book is divided into twenty-five sketches portraying peasant life. Along the way we meet such characters as:
Chertopkhanov who loves his beautiful, spirited horse Malek Adel. When the horse is stolen the old landowner journeys across the steppes seeking to find the majestic creature. This tale will break your heart. Turgenev is good at describing animals and the joy of awaiting a day of hunting.
We meet the Hamlet of the Shchigrovsky who falls in love with a beautiful gypsy serf. Turgenev believed the statoc social structure in Russia needed to be changed for the better. He did not live to see the Russian Revolution living most of his life as an exile in France.
Death is a story of how several Russians met their deaths. Stoicism is a characteristic we see in this harrowing and sad tale.
Singers takes us to a village drinking den where we witness a raucous singing contest among serfs.
Someone who does not hunt may believe that this classic will be boring. How wrong! The book is written with lyrical descriptions of nature in all seasons of the rural year. We almost wish we could join the unnamed narrator as he journeys from his estate meeting the men and women of Russia. Turgenev is a poetic author who wells deserves a revival of popularity.

It's taken me until now to get to Sketches From A Hunter's Album. Now I have finished it and now I am grieving. It will stay in my nonlending collection so I can savor it even after the surprise has gone. It's like losing a friend.

Turgenev calls these 'sketches' rather than stories. It's a good distinction. More story writers should concentrate on their sketch pads. The sketches are of places and people in the rural south of Russia in the 1840s. Each is strung thematically on Turgenev's wandrings through the countryside while hunting for game birds. Each begins with a mention that he was hunting in a certain place. He goes into lovely thoughtful and surprising descriptions of the woods or marsh, the sky, the smells, the sounds, the light. Even in translation, these are exquisite. He speaks of shifting light shining through the leaves onto the forest floor, or unbreatheable noonday heat, or changing skies at the advent of a storm, a dawn, or a sunset; he calls up moments from your own life that you thought could not be shared with anyone who wasn't there and he makes you relive those moments as if he had been there with you.

For anyone who has spent time out of doors, these little Aldo Leopold nature essays standing alone would be reason enough to read the 'Sketches', but these are just hors d'œuvre to his descriptions of the persons he meets while hunting. When sketching people, Turgenev does gracefully what Dickens tried to do and did clumsily; that is, he describes the physical characteristics of a person and gives you a fully formed description of their character as well, and he does this without sounding forced and without showing himself. (And you will burst out laughing at the sudden recognition that, indeed, someone does look 'like a root vegetable'.)

"Sketches" was published twice in Turgenev's lifetime and in the second edition he added to it. In the earlier sketches, Turgenev brings a character to life in a description; the character may speak a few words, and disappear from the scene, as people do in real life, leaving the reader to speculate what became of him. Yet, Turgenev has given us enough insight into the character that we think we know what probably happened next, and so the story is complete. These are elegant Aristotelian constructs with the action taking place offstage, and, oh elegance! with the final action taking place in the reader's imagination after the story has ended. If my description leaves you wondering, read them! (Would that I could spur you to act as Turgenev spurs his readers to think. Ah, but it's too much... .) This is what Turgenev does. He starts you thinking, but requires you to complete the story. In the later sketches Turgenev is just as deft in his descriptions, but perhaps to satisfy the market or his editors he adopts a more plot driven model. These later contributions can more truly be called stories rather than sketches. They are equally well-crafted, but they demand less of the reader. Curiously, they give us less as well.

The hunter's travels theme gives the collection an interrelatedness, almost like a picaresque novel. As in Huckleberry Finn or Don Quixote, neither the author nor the protagonist directly express opinions, but as stories accumulate the reader acquires the author's strong politicized view. We meet the aristocrats and peasants of rural Russia. The serf-holding system had been 'liberalized' in the early 19th century, but it is revealed as the unnamed slavery it was. Landlords control peasants' rights to marry; they name the persons to fill regional conscription quotas; they assign agricultural and residential alotments; and thoughtless and uncaring aristocrats use these powers carelessly or maliciously to destroy lives. Liberal aristocrats fare no better than traditional feudalists, as Turgenev details social reformers' well-meaning disasters which beggar both for the peasants and the bumbling aristocrats who direct them.

America often forgets that its civil war was part of a European pandemic of peasant revolts driven by the extended logic of the Enlightenment. As masters and slaves in the United States were struggling with the immorality of a divine order handed down from a prior age, the masters and servants in Europe did the same. The 1840s, 50s, and 60s were tumultuous times in central and eastern Europe. Turgenev, arrested and exiled in 1852 because of the 'Sketches', has an historical place akin to the American abolitionists of the same day, however, unlike Harriet Beecher Stowe, Turgenev draws his characters in three dimensions with humanity, with love and understanding even when he does not forgive them their moral failings. The 'Sketches' would be an interesting book to teach alongside Huckleberry Finn.

Turgenev effectively invents a new form -- the literary sketch -- to impart a new kind of content. What is brilliant about these sketches which are in part nature meditation and in part biographical sketch is how Turgenev allows each character to speak for themselves. As a result we feel like we are hearing something we have never heard before -- the natural voice of the people. By allowing people to speak for themselves Turgenev gives us a truer and more genuine idea of how people -- serf and gentry -- really think and relate. Each sketch begins with a detailed description of the natural surroundings he is walking through and these descriptions give us insight into Turgenev's cast of mind which is infintely receptive, and discerning, even romantic and delicate at times as when he describes staring up through the forest canopy and imagining he is staring up at the world from beneath a vast body of water. These magnficent introductions set the mood for the character sketch to come. When he meets a serf it is as if he is merely continuing his communion with nature for the serfs live at one with the land. When he meets one of the gentry, however, and passes time in their company he feels removed from the natural settings and people he so values. It is a fascinating and very subtle technique but Turgenev makes the landowners seem like unnatural creatures who are disturbing the natural order. Though he is one of the gentry himself Turgenev hunts with the serfs , he values their company and conversation, and he values what they know. He knows them as individuals not just as serfs and so we too come to know them as individuals, each with their own personality and ideas about life and story to tell. Since we know these sketches are from real life we listen more carefully to them than we would if they were mere inventions; real life has a resonance that fiction does not. Given the choice of spending the day with a either serf or a landowner Turgenev would choose the serf. The serfs have not received an education and their opinions are often shaped by superstition, and yet it is these very superstitions that make them such colorful characters, the gentry may be educated but they are full of self-importance and affectations and see everything through the limited scope of their own self-interest which is merely another form of ignorance. Turgenev's most effective weapon is not bitter invective but irony. He never comes out and says serfdom is bad because the landowners are in some cases such vile creatures that there is no need to. By simply quoting them and describing their manners and actions Turgenev allows the landowners to do a fine job at condemning themselves.

The most profound sketch to my mind is "Yermolay and the Millers Wife" which relates the harsh treatment doled out to a beautiful serf woman merely because she wants to get married, and a close second is "Bezhin Lea" about a group of boys telling ghost stories around a fire as they tend a herd of horses grazing at night. The former sketch pefectly conveys what absolute power the landowners have over every aspect of the serfs life and the latter sketch perfectly conveys how the serfs pass down their own particular brand of wisdom from one generation to the next. Perhaps the most famous sketch however is "Khor and Kalinych" which juxtaposes two kinds of serfs--one resigned to his lot and the other who despite his status as serf finds his own kind of freedom by wandering the countryside. "Kasyan and the Beautiful Lands" is perhaps the most unusual story as it presents a sage-like man who speaks as though he were a living oracle. Deprived of education the serfs remain in thrall not only to the landowners but to ignorance as well; nonetheless there is a beauty and tragic grace in the voices of these serfs that remains in memory long after you have read these sketches. The sketches are complex and layered enough to invite you back to them again and again.

The biggest joy of the sketches is their casualness. Nothing is ever overly stated or stated in black and white but everything nonetheless appears clear as day. It seems at times as if Turgenev is the only enlightened soul in Russia and yet he is absolutely civil even when with a pernicious landowner because he innately knows what is right and he trusts that we know as well. Turgenev reminds me of Thoreau in his devotions which are equally divided between nature and the forwarding of liberal ideas. Though Pushkin and Lermontov both came before him Turgenev was the first Russian writer to achieve fame outside of Russia. Fathers and Sons is considered his masterpiece but these sketches stand as something unique in all of literature.

There was a moment, long back, when you lay in the dry, brown grass on Blueberry Hill, listening to the whispering wind on a bright September day. A catbird mewed off in the little green woods down by the tracks. A rabbit thumped once or twice; a white sea gull soared over your head in the brilliant blue sky that held promise of a crisp New England fall to come. The gull headed out to sea, that dark blue Atlantic lying just beyond the old seaside mansions of Boston executives, already boarded up for the season. Your thoughts flew off with the gull, to life beyond that little town on a rocky peninsula, but the clear light, the smell of the sea, the tiny mewing of a catbird--these stayed with you forever. Fifty years later, it's all gone except the sea. A writer tries to catch the world around him (her). The best create word-portraits that preserve the past into the future.

Turgenev caught the Russian countryside south of Moscow as it was in the 1840s, when serfdom still ruled, and hunters could roam properties at will. His lyrical descriptions of nature, in my opinion, have never been surpassed; on every page, you feel as if you were there. Your head fills with the beauties he saw, you cannot remain untouched. Turgenev wrote of the enduring peasantry warts and all, no simplistic pictures for him, and he lambasted the vanity or predatory nature of the landlord class. SKETCHES FROM A HUNTER'S ALBUM is just that, only a series of separate pictures composed around the author's trips through the countryside to hunt. Religion and poetry suffuse the pages along with insightful portraits of many individuals. "Bezhin Lea", "Kasyan from the Beautiful Lands" and "Bailiff" will impress you with their psychological excellence along with the beauty of their descriptions. "Singers" has to be one of the most powerful stories of music ever told. "The Living Relic" reminded me of India in its acceptance of human fate, though it is certainly a Russian tale of those times. Almost every story is a masterpiece by itself. In short, in all my readings throughout my life, I can scarcely recall a more beautiful book than this. I recently re-read it. It is ridiculous to give it five stars. If Russian literature contained only this book, it would already be world-renowned. Read some of my other reviews---you'll see I don't say this lightly.

Simply, one of the greatest book ever written. Turgenev's style is wonderfully evocative, and yet it has not an ounce of sentimentalism: its depictions of natural landscapes are incredibly lucid, almost detached, in a sense; today, we could say his writing has a "zen-like" clarity. His human character are little parts of this whole, but Turgenev's panteism has nothing of the desperate, ferociously ironic pessimism of, say, Thomas Hardy; his vision is perfectly impartial, and yet sympathetic: each of his characters appears in his fundamental, intact dignity of human being. I'm not myself a starry-eyed dreamer: but reading this book, with its wonderfully easy and aimless wanderings, is like psychoterapy; you can't get out of it but feeling calmly hyper-oxygenated, as it were; you can't read this book but thinking that this man, Turgenev, mysteriously understood what it is like to be fellow sharers of this strange place, Earth, and of this strange thing, life. If something like "occidental buddhism" does exist, this book is a lesson in it.

Stories We Need to Know: Reading Your Life Path in Literature

By Allan G. Hunter

ISBN 1-84409-123-6 (Findhorn Press, 2008)

By exploring 3,000 years of literature, Dr. Allan Hunter has brought to life six archetypes that traditionally have transmitted sacred meanings to generation after generation. Western society, by taking our stories literally, has disabled the transformative power of myth; this book reinstates that power by revisiting some of the classics using archetypes as your guide. Joseph Campbell would be in bliss if he read Dr. Hunter's work.

Rahasya Poe, Lotus Guide magazine

This book is a must read for all people who want to understand the links between literature, culture and how we feel and think today. The book wonderfully guides us through various literary and psychological archetypes that have become a part of our Western culture. We feel as we read this book that the connections writers made in the past /present to the cosmos still resound with relevance today. This book is highly readable and so accessible that you want to keep reading about the various centuries that the author guides us through. This text is a fine introduction to all adults and students who are interested in archetypes and their relationship to writings from the Greeks until this day. A wonderful combination of modern psychology and its enduring connections to literature and thought.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Stories We Need to Know." Allan Hunter's writing makes it easy to get sucked back into the classic stories of our lives. From ancient Greece to modern-day Hogwarts, Hunter reminds us why these epics resonate so deeply. I was surprised to see myself in tales that I had studied years ago. Perhaps I didn't see the relevance back then, but Hunter clarifies it perfectly for me now.

Beyond just the valuable lessons and personal revelations, Dr. Hunter's writing is wonderfully accessible. Given the subject matter: archetypes and the classics of literature, "Stories" could have turned out rather dry. Instead, Hunter deftly weaves the lessons of life into characters we've grown to love.

"Stories" isn't just for the student or academic, it's for any of us on our own hero's journeys.

This eclectic book and highly enjoyable book is about how to reflect on your life and by doing so live a better and happier life. It's divided into three sections: The first is on a new set of psychological archetypes developed by the author (a therapist and literature professor), and the next on where the archetypes come from. Lastly, the author presents stories from literature (including Harry Potter!) that illustrate the archetypes.

Throughout the three sections, the author sprinkles gems about "life" that left me dog-earring my copy again and again.

One warning: The first chapter (really an introduction) is fairly long and starts with a discussion "soul starvation" that may not ring with you if you are a relatively happy person. Don't be put off. Keep reading. You'll be glad you did.

Allan Hunter's Stories We Need to Know is a bold, thoughtful and highly original book. Hunter challenges many of the conventional assumptions we hold about our normal lives, exploring the stages that we need to go through in order to live in more centred, spiritually satisfying and fully realised ways. The stories of the past, he suggests, provide a repository of wisdom and knowledge that are directly relevant to us and that we can learn from. He offers a fascinating theory of archetypes that give dramatic shape, he claims, to the great literature that is our common heritage and also structure the phases of our own development. He shows how these archetypes work in detail - often in quite ordinary contexts - and shows how understanding their significance can make us think about the shape of our own lives in insightful and illuminating new ways.
Stories We Need to Know is written in an admirably lucid style and bears the hallmark of a writer who has spent many years teaching in a range of contexts. Ideas are explained with care and precision as well as subtlety. Each idea is grounded in clearly worked through examples that show how the central principles operate in practice. This is never reductive or oversimplifying though - the examples test the theory thoroughly and Hunter is subtly persuasive in demonstrating how ideas may work in real life, as well as literary, contexts. The intellectual range of the book is equally impressive, covering narratives from classical times to the present (including biblical texts), and offering incisive, penetrating interpretations that explore their relevance for readers. Hunter writes with assurance, showing intellectual boldness and arguing cogently. But he also shows wisdom, tact and sometimes humour in handling his materials, demonstrating many of the qualities that his book suggests we might learn. This is an important, stimulating and immensely readable book, that carries its learning lightly - I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

Denise Hunter amazed me in this story. I enjoy allegories, and she skillfully created a love story which reflects on the love of God and His heart. I have a shelf in my office of favorites and Denise's books are there consistently. She won a new fan with her book Surrender Bay and I still tell people about it, though I read it last year. Her follow up "The Convenient Groom" was very well done, too.

This is the first Denise Hunter book I have read and I couldn't stop reading. After reading all the books of some of my favorite authors like Karen Kingsbury, Dee Henderson and Lori Wick, I searched on amazon.com for a good book to read. I thought Surrender Bay sounded like a good book, but I was blown away at how much I enjoyed this book. I picked it up one evening, after putting my children to bed, to read a few chapters and to check out if I liked Denise Hunter's writing syle. I read the entire book in five hours. Denise Hunter is an amazing author. I was never bored and my mind never wandered throughout the entire story. Great job. I can't wait to read her other books, especially her next book to be released The Convenient Groom.

Not a review as of yet -haven't finished the book but I am enjoying it thus far. Just want to let the author know (page 111) that there are no traffic lights on Nantucket. Part of the charm. Looking forward to the rest of the book.

I love a romance with deep emotion, a bit of angst, and plenty of romantic tension. Well this story packs a powerful punch in all three areas. It's an allegory and one of the coolest examples I've ever read. There are many, many women in this world who are just like Samantha, and there are many people in this world who are running from Christ as well. If He only knew what my heart was really like, they think, then there is no way He could love me. Wrong. And this story so beautifully illustrates that point. Samantha wanted Landon so badly, yet she was terrified of his intense love. And the scenes where he showed his love to her were so beautiful and powerful! Oy, I loved that. It literally swept me away.

Though God is never mentioned in this story you still see His love on every page. In Samantha's thoughts you hear the same doubts that Satan often puts in people's heads. Don't trust him. Don't let anyone love you. It hurts too much when they leave you. Poor Sam was abandoned by so many people, and that affected every stupid decision she made. And she made plenty of them. Quite a few you experience right along with her. The sense of desperation and self-loathing is multiplied with every wrong choice until she thinks there is no way that he could really love her. Not if he knew. And just like she hurt Landon in so many ways, we hurt God by rejecting His unconditional love.

When Sam returns to Natucket with her daughter Caden to fix up the childhood home she inherited upon her stepfather's death, she finds more waiting for her than she bargained.

I loved Hunter's skillful weaving in of back story and her often brilliant way with words. While Sam struggles at times to be forthcoming with our hero, Landon, about certain situations, Hunter shows us in this well-painted story that fear and doubt often bind us in ways we can't easily undo.

I highly recommend Surrender Bay. Like authors would be Sue Monk Kidd for pacing and literary beauty.

I am just beginning my hobby with a metal detector. I purchased several books on treasure hunting and this is by far the best. It has a broad range of extremely useful information. By all means start with this book if you too are a beginner. Most of the other books I bought had a lot of fluff. This book has a ton of useful information and guidance.

No matter what your treasure, be it coins, bottles, or somethisg else, this book has great tips on where and how to find it. I originally bought a copy for my son and was so impressed that I bought another copy for myself.

This book has a lot of information about treasures all over the country. Tells you where to look, how to go about hunting and what equipment you need and what to do when you find your treasures.

I was looking for a book on using a metal detector. This was not it.

This book is an invaluable resource for the beginner and even the intermediate detectorist. It has filled me with new ideas of where and how to search for lost valuables and coins. The tidbits on history and archeology were most interesting.

David Spero wrote a helpful and positive book for anyone facing life with illness. It was well written and covered all the key issues for living successfully with chronic illness. He offers a wide range of solutions to help others improve their quality of life as well as shift their attitudes about illness in general. I could see my own journey in the book and thought it captured the essence of illness as a powerful spiritual teacher.

The Art of Getting Well, by David Spero, is a very informative, enjoyable, and inspiring book for those of us with chronic illnesses. David has included many helpful examples, from his own and other's lives, of what works and what doesn't. He describes standard and alternative treatment options for the reader to consider. He also gives many valuable ideas to help the chronically ill have better lives whether or not their condition improves. I highly recommend this book.

One reviewer mentioned that the authors writes in a chatty, conversational tone--that's an accurate description. I found this book an easy read and very insightful and useful for helping me get on track to recovering and caring for myself, as well as preventing future relapses.

The author recommends useful tips for recovering from an illness: put your life before your illness, listen to your body, conserve your energy for healing, change the things that harm you, and get the help you need. His recommendations come from what's worked for patients, friends, family members, and a lit review of what other authors have written.

Thanks to the tips in The Art of Getting Well, I feel better equipped to recognize when I feel stressed, to calm myself down in a soothing way, to recognize the signs and ask for help when I need it, and visualize healing and becoming the healthy person I want to be, to honoring myself by putting myself first without negatively impacting others.

This is a book I will keep on my shelves to reflect upon for years to come.

Genre: Health/Self Healing

Title: The Art of Getting Well

Author: David Spero, R.N.

"Illness is the best teacher, awareness is the best medicine, self care is the best care." David Spero's health-coaching motto.

They say timing is everything, very true of the arrival of this book for my review. After lying awake most of the night with my throbbing limbs, hands and feet, I opened my package and thought "Oh no, not another self help book." Ultimately I quickly changed my mind as I started to read this practical and informative guide to a 5 step program for recovery. The aim of this book is to provide a key to improving our quality of life and even possibly improve our overall condition.

The book is based on science and medicine and readers will find references in the back of the book. David Spero's own professional and personal experience provides the background and basis. It has been written for the millions of people suffering from a "chronic" or "progressive" condition and all caregivers. I believe anyone that reads it would benefit.

Included are true stories, easy to identify with, where to get help, how to ask for it but most importantly, the book encourages readers to take responsibility for themselves. Educate yourself about your condition, identify your body's signals and be proactive in the course of treatment. Perhaps the first step is to understand that we DESERVE to be able to take the time to help ourselves, slow down and enjoy our lives. Pain is a personal experience and to each individual it is `very real.'

The author, David Spero R.N. has devoted over 30 years as an R.N./Health Coach, specializing in chronic illnesses. His goal is to maximize the quality of life of his patients. He was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis approximately 20 years ago. He has personally experienced illness and has learned how to help himself and improve his situation. His book is well written in a warm and caring way, inspiring readers to live their lives as successfully as possible. In this reviewer's opinion, he has achieved his goal. He shares his depth of knowledge and confirms his motto. After reading Chapter 1 your will want to finish it quickly, then reread it in detail as you set up your own program for wellness.

I Thank you David, for setting me on a realistic course and highly recommend this book. Reviewer: Cheryl Ellis, Allbooks Reviews

You don't have to have a chronic illness to get a lot out of Spero's "The Art of Getting Well." Maybe that's because living in our fast paced and relatively crazed culture qualifies all of us as chronically ill. Whatever the case, the accessible style and reassuring tone of this book give you the confidence and motivation to make real changes in your life. I'm especially pleased that Spero does not fall into the "blame the victim" camp. Getting sick is not our fault, although we can have a say in how or whether we get well, up to a point. Sometimes our luck runs out, but our spirit can still remain strong, furthered along by the compassion of bonafide healers and primo storytellers like Spero. Get two: one for yourself and one for a friend.