John Books

Well maybe not, but it is over 450 pages of Blackadder! "This book, sir, contains every word in our beloved language." Just kidding, I just had to say that. What this book does contain is the complete scripts for all 24 episodes of the entire Blackadder series written by Richard Curtis & Ben Elton, who are both "as clever as a stick in a bucket of pig swill." and starring the "quite brilliant" comedic talents of Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Hugh Laurie, and Stephen Fry, among others. If you have not seen Blackadder, you have no idea what you're missing. However, if you have seen it and don't like it, then I hope you get an extremely itchy rash on "the soft dangly collection of objects in your trousers." There are plenty of other things besides the scripts but I'll leave it as a surprise (or you can just read one of the other reviews). Keep in mind that these are the original scripts, not word for word what you hear on the show. For the most part it is exactly the same, but every once and a while there are different words used in the book. Don't worry, it doesent take away from any humor and the only person that will notice it will be someone, like myself, who has watched Blackadder over and over. Seriously, I put Blackadder III in my DVD player before I go to sleep and sometimes the last thing I hear is "Once upon a time there was a lovely sausage called Baldrick and it lived happily ever after." Anyway the book is essential for the Blackadder fan who can't get enough of the hilarious and original writing. Here are some lines you can read continuously for the rest of your life once you buy this book:

"Population: three rather mangy cows, a dachshund named Colin, and a small hen, in its late forties."

"I took over for the original electorate after he very sadly accidentally brutally cut his head off while combing his hair."

"I am delighted to have been instrumental in keeping your bosom free of arses."

"...eternity in the company of Beelzebub and all his hellish instruments of death will be a picnic compared to five minutes with me and this pencil..."

By the way, all royalties from the sale of this book go to Comic Relief UK. So you're actually doing two good things: Donating to a worthwhile charity and owning a book "so cunning, you could stick a tail on it and call it a weasel."

"Blackadder" is one of the most brilliant television shows ever. The star, Rowan Atkinson, along with other series regulars such as Tony Robinson (as the perpetual dogsbody with a cunning plan,) Tim McInnerny, Stephen Fry, and Hugh Laurie carry this show through four distinct historical periods, with more laughs than could possibly be expected. Series one starts in the fifteenth century, with Atkinson as Prince Edmund, the illegitimate and despised son of the lunatic king, Richard IV. During this season Edmund adopted the moniker "The Black Adder" only after Baldrick advised him it was much more awe inspiring than his original choice "The Black Vegetable." (Note that while his name is spelled "Blackadder" in the scripts, when it is used as a title in season one, it is spelled "Black Adder.") This season sets the stage for Blackadder as a conniving and scheming con man, a reputation he and his Blackadder descendants live up to through the rest of the series.

Seasons two and three see a progression though history with Edmund first becoming Lord Edmund Blackadder, in the court of Elizabeth I (who is delightfully played by Miranda Richardson,) and later becoming the butler to Prince George, the Prince Regent, who is the idiot offspring of crazy King George III. These seasons provide the most laughs of the series for me, and I am particularly enthralled with the episode "Ink and Incapability" in which Baldrick burns Doctor Johnson's new dictionary. This episode is the ultimate in Blackadder humor, witty and urbane, yet full of madcap comedic moments as well, especially when Blackadder introduces new and confounding words for Dr. Johnson's considerations: "Contrafibularities, sir. It is a common word down our way....I am anaspeptic, phrasmotic, even compunctious to have caused you such pericombubulations." (Of course in true Blackadder fashion this only gets him in trouble, as Coleridge, the poet and Johnson ally threatens to thrust an Oriental disemboweling cutlass up his "ignoble behind.")

The forth season of Blackadder sees Atkinson as Captain Edmund Blackadder in the British army during the trench warfare of World War One France. This series also had a lot of laughs, with my favorite episode being "Private Plane," in which Blackadder and Baldrick join the Royal Air Force and are forced down behind enemy lines. They are subsequently interrogated and insulted by the Red Baron ("How lucky you English are to find the toilet so amusing, for us it is a mundane and functional item, for you it is the basis of an entire culture.") and sentenced to teach home economics to a convent of nuns for the duration of the war. One thing about this season (and two of the others) is that in the last episode of the season the entire cast dies, which elevates the series into a peculiar blend of black comedy and social commentary which I have still not grown fully accustomed to.

The book is a collection of scripts and has several extras germane to the time period being satirized which are also well done. I like the excerpt from "Dr. Johnson's Dictionary" provided on page 106, with definitions such as "left behind - part of the sitting apparatus of a personage," and "leek - a long, thin Welsh tomato." There are also helpful lists of the "Duties of the Prince Regent," "Duties of a Butler of a Royal Household" which includes "Commissioning moleskins (as and when necessary)," and "Duties of an Underscrogman." Baldrick, being the Underscrogman serving under Edmund is responsible for (among other things): "Removing and making good all squoles, whiffen-plugs, and blunters," "Cleaning the wulger-hole," "Quilping," "Cliving," "Groving," "Arranging the sheep droppings into neat little pyramids," "Frossiking the hounds," "Folding the glut-pile," and of course, "Making sandwiches."

This is a wonderful book, though if you are unfamiliar with the series, I recommend buying the DVD set and watching the shows first; a subsequent reading of this book will ensure many more laughs. As a side note, profits from this book go to the charity Comic Relief, a brief history of which appears in the last three pages of the book.

I recommend this book very highly for intelligent wit, and I likewise recommend the television series on DVD interphrastically.

The Blackadder series, begun in the 1980s, was a comedic masterpiece set forth by Rowan Atkinson and his comrades. From start to finish, the first series was a masterstroke of wit, irony and comedic styling that fits both the contemporary and medieval situations perfectly. The combination of slapstick and intellectual humour blended well, and the literary types will not miss the occasional credit of William Shakespeare as a collaborating writer on some episodes -- this might well be the kind of comedy Shakespeare would have produced today.

The first series was set in the pre-Tudor royal family, projecting that Richard III won at Bosworth Field, and Richard IV succeeded him, until after many adventures, the entire royal family was done in, and Henry Tudor reworte history thereafter. The first series starred Brian Blessed and Elspet Gray as the King and Queen, and Robert East as their eldest son, the Prince of Wales. Rowan Atkinson played the second son, who with companions Percy and Baldrick (Tim McInnerny and Tony Robinson) create most of the comic scenes. BlackAdder variously becomes the Archbishop of Canterbury, the betrothed of the Spanish Infanta, a witch on trial, and finally, however briefly, King of England.

The second series sees Percy and Baldrick following a descendent of Blackadder in Elizabethan times; as befits the period, the characters are more vibrant and saucy, particularly Blackadder, who still seeks his fortune as one of the Queen's suitors. Here he variously becomes the royal executioner, a sea-faring discoverer, a bankrupt noble, and finally a traitor to the crown, albeit not without a sense of humour. Miranda Richardson puts in a spectacular performance as Queen Elizabeth, with Stephen Fry and Patsy Byrne in attendance. Stephen Fry will recur throughout the series.

In the third series, Blackadder is still close to the crown, as the butler of the Prince Regent, a despised position to a despised person. Baldrick is still around, and the Prince is played by Hugh Laurie, who will recur in the final series. Done almost as a period comedy, the very titles and situations pay hommage to the day of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Dr. Johnson's dictionary, and the conflict with France. Through an interesting set of circumstances, butler and prince trade places, and the Blackadder finally becomes his intended goal, albeit in the name of someone else.

In the fourth and final series, Blackadder has fallen from a great height, and is an officer in the trenches of World War I. Baldrick is still there, and Percy and the Prince have transformed into fellow field officers, with Stephen Fry playing a bellicose general here as he did Wellington in the third series. The main device of this series is the effort by Blackadder to escape the trenches, by variously becoming an artist, a theatre producer, a chef, but to no avail finally, producing a sombre end to the dynasty.

The book is a fabulous companion piece to the series, as the BBC is known to do with television series of success. The six episodes of each of the four seasons is laid out in script-narrative form, with a generous collection of side offerings, such as the Blackadder family tree, the menu of Mrs. Miggins' pie shoppe, and other pieces of interest related to but not found in the actual series. The cast is included at the beginning of each series section. The book concludes with a partial collection of some of Blackadder's best insults.

This book was printed in aid of Comic Relief, who give a brief outline of their history of funding good causes in the last few pages.

This is a must-have for any Blackadder fan. Regretably, it does not contain the addition special features (such as the Victorian Christmas of Blackadder), but for any devotee of the series, this is a requirement.

1983 saw the airing of a hilariously funny new British television show, Blackadder. This show had four separate seasons that chronicled the lives of four members of the Blackadder family: Edmund Blackadder in 1484, son of Richard, Duke of York; Edmund Blackadder, favorite of Queen Elizabeth I; Edmund Blackadder, butler to Prince George, son of King George III; and, finally, Edmund Blackadder, Army captain during World War I. This book is a companion to that wonderful series, filling in the holes left in English history, giving all sort of useful information drawn from the Blackadder family archives, and the full scripts of each of the shows!

This is a great book, and a must-have for any fan of the Black Adder. The scripts are great to have, and the other information demonstrates the same great humor as the show. Having been created in 1998, the book does not contain any information on the Y2K special, Blackadder Back & Forth, which makes sense. What doesn't make sense is that it completely ignores the 1988 Christmas Special! But, that said, this is a nice book, one that I highly recommend to every Blackadder fan!

I stumbled upon the Black Adder comedy series one night in the 1980s while channel surfing. Something was weird, I thought--there's this sniveling coward, and this even more sniveling sycophant, and then the dogsbody who has dung all over him. Looks interesting. And as I watched, I found it extremely funny, as well. It required a knowledge of history (or Shakespeare, as you see fit), yet wasn't afraid to do the occasional fart joke. Puerile, yet intelligent. That described me at the time as well.

The successive series (Blackadder II, Blackadder the Third, and Blackadder Goes Forth) shifted over into the more intelligent realm (with the third series being the most so), although the running jokes about Baldrick (the dogsbody) being little better than the dung he came from remained. Blackadder II, set in the court of the virgin queen, starred Miranda Richardson, who was perfect in her cruelty towards the hapless Blackadder. The third series had Hugh Laurie as the Prince Regent, a befuddled German idiot who is being taken advantage of by Blackadder, the butler (think of a dark Wooster/Jeeves match, where the Jeeves character retains his aplomb but becomes extra greedy). I never got to see the fourth series on television, so my experience with it is through this book alone.

And what a great book it is. Published to benefit Comic Relief, the organization trying to aid the poor and destitute in England and Africa, it contains the scripts to each episode of the four series with faux historical documents and a running summary of the line of Blackadder. For an American, the scripts are almost a necessity to catch some of the more obscure language used in the series--especially the curses. The endpapers have color pictures of the main characters in each series, and there are some black and white stills with humorous captions included within the pages.

To say that Black Adder is my favorite TV show is true. I liked the 1970s American sitcom, SOAP, as well, but from its hilarious beginnings, it tapered off into pure silliness (as most American shows tend to do). The nice thing about the Blackadder series is the way that the British limit themselves to sets of shows, rather than endlessly milking the cash cow. Yes, I would like to see a fifth Black Adder (I've seen the Christmas Carol, which was wonderful), but only if it can be of the same quality as these. If not, let's not ruin a good thing, shall we?

ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS I KEEP BUYING COPIES AND GIVING THEM AWAY THIS TIME WHEN I BUY ANOTHER COPY FOR MYSELF I WILL BUY AT LEAST TWO.I THANK GOD FOR JOHN BEVERE . I AM SO GRATEFULL TO HAVE DISCOVERED THE BOOKS HE HAS WRITTEN.

[[ASIN:159185881X Breaking Intimidation]
As I read this book, it addressed exactly what I've experienced in so many relationships. My favorite quote, "Unless you use your God-given authority, someone else will take it from you and use it against you."

Absolutely true what the other reviewers are saying! This is a life-giving and changing book that is difficult to put down. I was a bit surprised on what the one negative review stated. No where does John Bevere suggest one stays in authority (hid in Christ) by striving or being unkind. And actually he does give many Biblical precidents where one can lose authority by giving into intimidation. Bevere is speaking about losing authority and the ability to excercise gifts for the benefit of the body of Christ--not about losing one's salvation and certainly not about relying on ourselves for power or answers. Depression,broken families, split churches, lack of joy--most of us have seen it, experienced it. This book shows the roots of it. And the basic root, Bevere explains, is NOT doing what we are told to do--which is lay down our self life. This book isn't an easy read by any means. Thank God. I've recently read most of Bevere's books. Balance. Root causes and the truth in all of them. I'm also recommending several other books and authors that I feel all work together. Different messages--but all in unity, that have helped me immensely see clearer the word of God. The True Nature of God by Andrew Wommack. Why I Left the Prophetic Movement by Andrew Strom. I have found all books by Wommack, Bevere, Strom and also Ray Comfort to be balanced and working the same good things I believe God wants us to know to come into unity, power and godly authority.

My husband and I read this book and also watched John's teaching on it several times. This book will set you free from intimidation!

Bethany K. Scanlon
Author of Where's my mate? and Born of the Spirit

Rising With The Son: A Diary Of A Growing Soul

At the core John addresses many issues we all share that keep us from living a full and complete life in Christ. We do fear! Rejection, Judgment, Death, Loss and Failure...all just part of what could hold us back. Yet, how many of us think about fearing the same from our God. This book doesn't intimidate but does tell us like it is. We CAN fall forward and truly live in the power and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This book is LIFE GIVING.

I have to say that I find this book to be one oriented to men. And there are not many books on the marriage subject to be aimed at men. That alone sets it aside as a landmark in the firld.

Dr. Curtis has a background in both marriage and business counsulting. What he has produced here is a book that bridges the two. It's a book on marriage, but it is written in a style and using words that will be familiar to any MBA student. He uses words like Funding the Partnership, Branding and Marketing Your Relationship, Job Descriptions for Couples, Compensation and Benefits, Meetings and Retreats, Mergers and Acquisitions.

I'm not so sure that women, who approach life differently than men, will appreciate what this book is saying. But men will. It plays on the way men think, talk and understand.

I perhaps should re-word this comment. I like and understand the approach given in this book. It makes me think differently about the whole marriage situation. I don't think my ex-wife would have read it at all.

Until I read this book I would never have equated business with love. They appeared miles apart to me but now I see the connection. I am almost 80 years old and was married at the age of 18 in a different time with different concepts. I always felt that my marriage was better than most of my friends but realize it could have been improved by using some of the ideas brought out in this book. I hope others will read this enlightening book and benefit from it.

Reviewed by Stephanie Rollins for Reader Views (11/06)

Dr. John Curtis has a background in both business consulting and marriage therapy. I suppose it is inevitable that he would combine the two into a recipe for marital success. Dr. John Curtis penned "The Business of Love" to save the most important business venture anyone will ever delve into--marriage. If you do not think that marriage is a business, try getting divorced. I believe that you will see things differently.

Why does Dr. Curtis believe that marriage is a business venture? Dr. Curtis views each individual as a sole proprietorship. They have functioned on their own for many years. When they marry, they merge into a couple or a consolidated company. Dr. Curtis points to the unity candle that is used in weddings symbolizing the joining of the couple. Anyone who has studied business knows that mergers create complications in cultures.

Sometimes it is the small things that grate on a spouse's nerves. Does one person let the laundry pile up on the bathroom floor while the other loathes that horrible habit? Maybe one spouse expects all the canned goods to be faced the same direction. The other spouse may consider that to be over-the-top.

Dr. Curtis teaches his readers to discover what their expectations as a couple are before they become a couple; however, this book will help couples who did not do so. He teaches that everything needs to be laid out. Couples must discuss topics from religion to bill-paying. He also encourages couple and couples-to-be to discuss sex. Even if you have refrained from sex until marriage, it must be discussed.

Dr. Curtis approaches the start-up of marriage as a start-up of a small business. The first question you are supposed to ask yourself when starting a small business is, "What business are we in?" This leads to the formation of the vision statement, mission statement and objectives. For those who have not studied business, "The Business of Love" details each step. For those who have studied business, the application of business planning to marriage will seem like a no-brainer, but how many of us really have utilized this brilliant plan?

"The Business of Love" has many lists of topics to discuss with your significant other. Some of the items may not be relevant now. For instance, maybe you do not have children yet, so you may not think that those questions are relevant. Think about them anyway. Even those of us who do not plan for parenthood are surprised by it sometimes.

Vision statements, mission statements, and objectives are subject to change. Look over them from time to time. Alter them accordingly. From time to time look over the checklists in "The Business of Love." This is not a book to read and give away. Keep it and expect to reread it throughout your dynamic relationship. Dr. John Curtis brilliantly wrote "The Business of Love" to help all couples--married or not, male or female. Read "The Business of Love" and may your relationship grow splendidly.

A business trainer I worked with guaranteed that he could improve your company's bottom line. His main thrust was to improve employee performance one step. Employees at A level were given more responsibility. B level employees would become A's; most C employees moved up to B level. BUT he fired all D and E level employees. Working only with A, B and C level employees, annual personnel turnover dropped to single digits, and the most reliable employees were promoted to supervisory and administrative positions.

"The Business of Love" appears to me to follow the same strategy. Magic words do not exist that can transform slackers, beaters and cheaters into successful partners. Wasted years cannot be brought back. A major problem necessitates evaluating the person who is, or might become, your spouse. This does not mean remaking the partner, as much as developing yourself to the fullest to attract the best partner.

Curtis states in his dedication: "the key to a happy healthy intimate relationship is not to find the right person, but to be the right person."

All nine steps of business practices require hard work, and the spouse who is willing to invest time, energy and money into building or saving the marriage can learn those steps and apply them. The best place to find a person who will help build a successful marriage is not at the singles bar, not at the ball game, nor even at church. Look first in your mirror. Then read and apply the principles from "The Business of Love."

"The Business of Love: 9 Best Practices for Improving the Bottom Line of Your Relationship" is a self help book that applies successful business practices to marriage relationships. To approach marriage as a business joint venture may be radical, but due to the percentage of marriages that fail, perhaps this revolutionary new outlook is justified. Appealing to the success-driven members of generations X and Y, "The Business of Love" is reassuring in its practicality and specificity. The nine best practices include creating a vision of your relationship, developing your relationship's objectives, funding the partnership, branding and marketing your relationship, growing the relationship: mergers, job descriptions for couples, relationship feedback for partners, compensation and benefits, and meetings and retreats. A plethora of tables and graphs and illustrations are used to demonstrate the sound business principles that are applied in "The Business of Love." In all, Dr. Curtis' background as an organizational development consultant, business trainer and researcher has been put to innovative use. Billed as a practical book to help normal men and women with normal challenges, "The Business of Love" promises to decrease the failure rate of marriages (50% of all first marriages fail), based on sound business concepts proven to work.

Whether you like President Bush or not, you should read this book. It paints a disturbing picture of the realities of his administration. And it educates the reader how our political process has gone astray. This is another example of the fact that the best non-fiction books rarely make the top seller's lists because mainstream publishers are politically motivated.

This book contains enough history about each candidate to make anyone feel confident with their vote. And, unlike almost any other political book I've read, it is suprisingly non-partisan. Furthermore, it really opens you eyes on the political fund raising system and what the candidates actually have to do before the become president.

After reading this book, it will become much easier to see through the candidates rhetoric, and this book or one like it should be a pre-requisite before voting.

A disturbing book.

It is a terrible thing to contemplate what money has done to prostitute the American political process. People don't support candidates to do better for the country. They're buying influence and -- if you don't pay, you can't play.

The saddest thing is to look at these obscene expenditures on campaigns and consider what some of that money could do in a good way. And then to consider what more all the money that will be stolen as a result could do on top of that.

This book is THE benchmark for investigative journalism done by the people at www.publicintegrity.org. An honest, fair and balanced presentation of the facts surrounding the Democratic candidates for President 2004 (which has since been whitled down to Kerry) and President Gearge W. Bush. You simply cannot say you are an informed voter until you read this book.

Let me start by saying I do not want George W. Bush re-elected, and I don't have any interest in John Kerry running the White House for the next four years either. I left myself open to have my opinions on American government influenced by this book, but I could never have imagined the magnitude in which this book changed my beliefs of our political process. It's no secret to anyone that money rules each and every major player in our political system. But what this book does is demonstrate just how out of control it's gotten. Author Charles Lewis uses indisputable facts and figures to show the shortcomings each of this year's presidential candidates, especially each candidate's willingness to let money and particular groups dictate the policy he feels is best suited to run the country. He hammers Bush in a bad way, but nothing he says can be considered untrue. Lewis uses the Freedom of Information Act to compile a body of evidence that implicates Bush in a dozen shady financial undertakings and also describes the way in which many of Bush's closest advisers landed high-level positions in government. You simply cannot fathom the number of Bush's advisers who were once employees or board members in companies (pharmaceutical, energy, law firms, etc.) that make up Bush's chief campaign donors. That is, at least until you read this book and Lewis starts listing them one after another. Lewis and the Center of Public Integrity maintained their own integrity by taking a completely non-partisan approach to this book, unafraid to tackle Bush and Democratic challengers alike. I cannot wait until 2008 to see what Lewis uncovers next. Hopefully, Bush and his cronies (or Kerry, for that matter) won't further gut our rights as Americans and refuse us the right to read it -- and Lewis' right to write it.

first edition half this size by same author for $6.50
'beyond the dictionary in spanish'

I'm an intermediate Spanish learner, and when I get sick of grinding memorization, etc, I pick up this book. It's enjoyable, and you really can read it straight through.

Here's a representative entry that shows how many examples the author gives from various countries --

carpeta: A Friend of unusual Falsity since not only does it not mean "carpet" but has very diverse meanings within the Hispanic world. In Spain and Mexico it means a "file," of the sort used in offices. In Peru it means a "desk" of the sort used in schools (elsewhere usually pupitre) and in Colombia it means a "table-cloth" (ornamental; not for meals). I have also heard it used for a "brief-case."

A carpet, as you know, is una alfombra. Wall-to-wall carpet is hecha a medida, "made to measure," but is often referred to as moqueta, "moquette" (carpet-material).

In an earlier commentary about this book, a reviewer wondered how a $7 paperback could be going for upwards of $140. Well, the answer is: scarcity. This is where you have to be careful. The book listed under the title "Cassell's Colloquial Spanish" is said to be the third revised edition, published in 1981. That edition is indeed quite rare, which accounts for its fetching big bucks. However, that's not the end of the story. A couple of other reviewers lamented that there isn't an updated version of this book. It turns out there is, but with a different subtitle.

Which leads me to my story. After seeing the book offered from one of the online sellers at a "bargain basement" (compared to all the others, that is) price, I ordered what I thought to be the 1981 edition. When the book arrived, though, I noticed some differences from the picture and publication info I'd seen at Amazon. So I went back and compared ISBN numbers. The book I'd ordered was not the 1981 edition; the ISBN number for that one is 0020794304. The ISBN number on the one I received is 030407943X. Confused, I typed in that number and was startled by the result. The title of the book with that ISBN number was listed as "Spanish Colloquial", and no author's name was listed anywhere (BTW, Amazon has corrected the title and added the author's name). What's more, the publisher was listed as Orion Publishing Company, not Cassell's. The particularly strange thing about that is the name Orion appears nowhere in the book I have, while the name Cassell's appears several times (I found out later that Orion owned the printing rights to the Cassell's line for several years, but no longer). In addition, the book's cataloging info indicates that the 1981 edition was reprinted three times: 1985, 1988 and 1993. The copy I have is the 1993 reprint, even though the concluding words of the introduction are "Abingdon, 1980, A. Bryson Gerrard." My guess is the 1993 reprint is far less rare than the 1981 third edition. To top it all off, several sellers were offering the 1993 printing at prices lower than what I paid.

So was I duped? It appears that way. But I'm not going to send the book back, because it does contain everything I was hoping to find in the first place. And I concur wholeheartedly with all of the other reviewers. Gerrard has done a tremendous service to English speakers who are passionate about learning Spanish. Some of the information in Gerrard's book is a bit dated, though, which obviously can't be blamed on him. Just try to recall the state of the Internet in 1980 and you'll understand. I don't know if Mr. Gerrard is dead now, but don't let the passage of two and a half decades dissuade you from enjoying his fine work. However, taking into account the need for a more contemporary reference, I would also recommend "Streetwise Spanish" -- both volumes, the dialogue book and the dictionary/thesaurus.

This book is a gem for the student of Spanish, providing the various colloquial meanings of a good many useful Spanish words. The author's various first-hand anecdotes about the situations in which he heard the words used in a particular way will amuse even the casual monolingual reader. Some of his warnings about linguistic etiquette might be a little out of date in the more modern, and Americanized, parts of the Spanish-speaking world, but it's always better to err on the side of propriety. Your command of colloquial Spanish will break down barriers that mere conversational proficiency cannot overcome , and this book has proven to be an excellent teacher for me.

As a speaker of fluent Spanish, this book was invaluable in getting subtle nuances, learning false cognates and distinguishing between meanings from one country to another. It's a fun read as well. I have about 5 copies for my own references and to give away given how valuable and well-written it is.
What I don't understand is how a $7 paperback is going for $40 to $140 on the Internet!

'Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul' was well received by our volunteers, and it has also touch many people's hearts.
Marion Jones
The Connecticut Institute for the Blind/Oak Hill

I am a volunteer my self at the my cities animal shelter. And I am going to let the president of the volunteers borrow it after I am done. I hope they make more about volunteering.

I just finished "Chicken Soup for the Volunteer Soul," which is an excellent and inspirational book. Also, a few weeks ago, I went on a Social and Service Justice Retreat. Since reading this book, making the retreat, and other inevitable signs, I feel inspired to find a place to volunteer.

Sarah

Gurnee, Illinois

I would recommend reading "Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul" to anyone who has a sincere interest in his fellowmen and possesses the capacity to relate to the needs, sorrows, and joys of others. I was impressed by the work's intent, format, and content. The selections are comprehensive and meaningful, offering a wide range of volunteer experiences for the information, delight, compassion, and consideration to the book's readers. Hopefully, this publication will encourage countless individuals to find the necessary reason and desire to give of their own time, talents, and hearts to those in need in our society. For others, it will provide an understanding of the wonderful gifts of volunteering for the volunteer.

I contributed a story to this book about my daughter's tender heart for others. I have always been proud of her desire to help others and Chicken Soup gave me the opportunity to share it with the world. This book made me proud to be an American and to be allowed to live in this wonderful country that cares about it's neighbors. This collection of stories will enlighten anyone to give unselfishly to the needy or to those who have less. What a great feeling inside to be a part of it all!

Denise Peebles

This is a book I have had in my possession way too long unread. Time should be taken out in your busy life to read this book as I have finally done with no regrets!! You will experience so many emotions when reading this book as I have.

`N-Word' educated me so very much, looking through his eyes gave me a much deeper understanding of so many situations that I would not have given a second thought to. As a Caucasian woman, it really stirred a lot of emotions within me reading Black History that I was unaware of.

'Bridge of Life' - he did a splendid job of breathing life into Miss Ruby with his words, brought her into my home with her stern but loving nature and enlightened me with her wisdom and values.

`Five Days' put a smile on my face knowing it is so true in so many lives - how utterly ridiculous some people can be finding it so much easier in life to distrust something good in their lives and taking the other side as their fate because for them it is more realistic.

A huge eye opener for me! There were several insights that I could relate to personally but could not put my thumb on it like he did with his words. A lot of time and thought went into his work. I really enjoyed this book, highly recommend it and now am going to pass this book onto my mother who when visiting me could not put it down! I applaud you Mr. Wooden, you are a very talented author!! I look forward to reading your next novel. You definitely have made Mr. Ousley very proud!!

John Wooden's novel 'A Collection of Thoughts' is a must read for any one who has ever wondered about the experience of growing up Black in the USA. Yet the novel is equally attractive to anyone who has ever pondered about their past, their purpose and the learnings along the way.

John takes the reader on an adventurous and thought-provoking journey of events and information that have helped shaped his life. Starting with "Self' and his musings on his humble beginnings and his heart-wrenching and inspirational tale of the deep admiration he developed for his father '...as a man who had lived through being Colored or a Negro during some of the most tumultuous and challenging times in history.' The passionate 'Collections' captivates the reader quickly.

Readers are challenged by a stirring discussion in the 'N-Word' and it's impact within the African-American community, full with references from the civil rights movement to the Million Man match, to life on a Black College Campus. From the intense commentaries 'Collections' also serves up the romantic twists with the "Ode to the Black Woman." A classic perennial piece and a wonderful celebration of black womanhood sincerely expressed by a brother. "Five Days" evokes questions about trust in relationships that appear 'to good to be true.' While "Bridge of Life" is a romantic tale that echoes the power and salvation of love across the boundaries of time.

As with life, 'A Collection of My Thoughts' has something that each of us can relate to...So what are you waiting for...go buy the book...Enjoy

I had to read this book that was making my wife cry one minute and laugh the next. I absolutely loved this book. The author's collection of thoughts fills you with emotions and makes you think throughout every story. His thoughts is everybody's thoughts but he so eloquently transformed them to paper and he delivers a knockout punch. Mr. Wooden, your dad, Mr. Ousley, who he does a great job of telling his story, would be very proud of you for a great book. Like other reviewers, I hope Mr. Wooden continues writing. This book should be read by all men and teenagers. We need more books like this.

This book is by far one of the best books I've read that has something for everyone. It is a fiction, non-fiction, biography, history, self-help and spiritual book. What a novel idea! I can recommend this book to a variety of friends and colleagues and not limit it to one group. As a Human Resource professional and Diversity Practitioner, I highly recommend this book. There are few books that can immediately bring understanding of race relations based on the generational differences. Reading about Mr. Ousley, the author's father, gives a lesson in one chapter that many organizations spend days attempting to teach. This is a must read for everyone who genuinely consider themselves a Diversity Practitioner or involved in any area of organizational equal opportunity. I have been pleasantly surprised by reading this book because there were many unexpected parts to the book which proved personally helpful to me. If you are looking for a great book that fits into the category of fiction, non-fiction, history, self-help or more, you will not be disappointed. Mr. Wooden has put it all together with a flow where one category compliments the other. As a reader of solely business and self-help books, this book has been added to my collection of "must read".

"A Collection of Thoughts" truly is an excellent example of traversed thoughts. In John Wooden's short stories, I was complled by every word. His discriptions of the characters were written so well that you could easily identify and relate to within your family life. Every chapter allowed me the ability to see that I could learn about myself, from myself, and grow with myself. I most appreciated the chapter speaking on the "N" word. Thank you John Wooden for writing those thoughs in such an elegant forum. They are so on the point.
I would be remised if I did not say how proud I am that a Black Man has shown such a public honor for the Black Woman in a warm beautiful heartfelt poem, Ode to the Black Woman. This poem will touch every Black Woman's heart.

I just bought this book the other day and it is amazing. It gives you the facts you need for survival. If I get caught in a situation from the book and I don't know what to do, I will be suprized.

This great book teaches you how to survive. It has so many detailed descriptions with graphs. It is so compact that I even carry it everyday in my backpack. It might be really useful when the war starts or an earthquake takes place.

One of my friends bought the big version that had a little more information in it. I read it and when I saw that you could buy a pocket version I was thrilled! Wisemen gives an informative description of everything you need to survive almost anywhere. I'm confident that if I were in a survival situation I would be able to survive.

I've had this book for a few years now and have read it over and over again. The information is amazing. There's not a topic that Wiseman doesn't cover or at least touch on.
Not only is it small, it's tough too. It's been on every camping trip, hike, deployment and just about every other trip with me for the past three years and it's still in great shape.
Friends of mine that could have cared less about a suvival book have read mine on airplane rides and afterwards went and bought thier own.
You can't go wrong

With store shelves overloaded by "SAS" books it's unfortunate that this little, uh, Gem can be lost in that crowd. The original format was more like a coffee table book, but for practical purposes this chunky, compact edition is not only the most convenient of those available, it is also arguably the best on the market.
The manual itself is comprehensive, clearly written and with clear (if sometimes limited) illustrations, including a useful colour section; and here the colour is used for more than mere decoration as it provides essential additional information in identifying plants and animals. There is no philosophical description here, little room for the romance of the wild or the ethics of surviving. Instead, "Lofty" Wiseman's guide is a direct parcel of solid information aimed solely at keeping you alive in the worst of situations. Campers and outdoorsmen will find some interesting and useful sections here, but it requires a degree of knowledge and experience to sift them from those which simply must not be used outside of an emergency. This is a fascinating book to dip into, and doubtless most purchasers treat it as such, but it is also an exceptionally effective, reliable and well-crafted source of possibly vital information.

A document of great vision and execution in a positive direction. A fine example of collaborative and cooperative thinking thich enhances the resulting effort. Everyone wants to work in a nurturing environment.

This is an excellent business book!

I recommend it to any CEO wondering how to maintain a profitable and healthy organization beyond next quarter's bonus.

John Abrams shows us how real business success can be achieved for the corporation and the community in this documentary of South Mountain Company. It is well written and packed with the tested principals and concepts that have built this successful, community centered business on Martha's Vineyard.

Imagine that true workplace democracy combined with commitments to ethical business dealings and social responsibility can lead to a high quality, sustainable, and profitable business! Corporate America should sit up and take notice!

I vote that we make this book required reading as part of the rehabilitation process of all incarcerated former corporate executives.

In an era in which corporations are measured on quarterly, single bottom-line returns, John Abrams presents a compelling case that a multiple bottom-line, values oriented, long term focus can be a successful business strategy in The Company We Keep.

In this well-written and compelling book, Abrams artfully examines the long-accepted American business concept of growth;and determines that growth for growth's sake is a short-term strategy leading to failure. He weaves over twenty years of experience in construction, design and sustainable building practices into a philosophical look at the meaning of work and success; the result provides the reader with fabric from which to examine his/her own company, work life, natural environment and style of doing business. Perhaps most importantly, the book is written in a warm, reflective style which makes it hard to put down and leaves the reader yearning for more insights and information from this writer, who provides substantial research and details to support his work and ideas. Just as a good movie creates long-lasting recollections of scenes, The Company We Keep brings daily reminders of wonderful stories and the confidence that strong personal and company values can indeed be the means to a successful and growing business.

Can a company built and grown on Abrams's hippie values of kindness, love, respect, honesty, and freedom of the individual actually be successful in this era rife with competition?

A friend recommended this book, as am a business owner, MBA, Gen X/ Y, who embraces these values to the extent that I'll never compromise, and have built a small, successful business with similar emphasis on treating people involved extraordinarily well. Profit, like in Abrams's story, was simply a bi-product. And the joy of knowing I'm doing good for so many interested parties is priceless.

So many lessons to be learned in this wonderful book! I couldn't put it down once I started reading. Abrams's completely open, honest approach is heart-warming and inspiring.

One can hold true to one's values, and still build a fabulously successful company, one in which the coworkers are also owners with a vested interest. And customers, too, are treated like partners. Emphasis on quality of work, versus growth simply for the sake of growth, is often illustrated.

This is one of those rare books one remembers long after reading. Each day since reading the book, I hear ordinary words like 'cooperation', which bring me back to the wonderful stories in this book and to the many studies well-noted in the book suggesting further evidence of people's natural urge to cooperate (and success in doing so).

A beautiful story and a must-read for anyone in business who wants to keep his/ her soul! Thank you for sharing your heartfelt, model example of developing a very successful business with values, Mr. Abrams!! The book is a classic. Will revisit it often, and already sent several copies to friends.

In an age of every type of self-help tale imaginable, this is the best business book I have read period; it makes perfect sense. The Openness the author is willing to share and the research behind it is tremendously thought provoking. I have purchased numerous copies to share with my friends.

Like any avid reader I picked this book in the summer and put it in the pile of about 200 "to read immediately." To be candid, I very likely would not have picked it up as soon as I did, but with my business in transition I felt I would give it a try.

The substantive issues summarized on p. 238 really cause the book to stand out; the author takes the building of South Mountain and allow its principles to transcend the story itself. At my bedside I keep a copy of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "The Gift from the Sea" and often read passages. In it she writes: "Island living has been a lens through which to examine my own life in the North. I must keep my lens when I go back. Little by little one's holiday vision tends to fade. I must remember to see with island eyes. The shells will remind me; they must be my island eyes."

Later she queries, "Can one solve world problems when one is unable to solve one's own? Where have we arrived in this process? Have we been successful, working at the periphery of the circle and not at the center?" Her question is similar to a familiar passage of Tolstoy's a deceased client of mine, a hero himself, often quoted: "Everybody wants to change the world, but they don't want to change themselves."

The leap of faith John Abrams took in changing the culture of South Mountain is a great example of starting from the center. He has worked hard and with creative aforethought in solving one's own corporate problems with a view to the outside world. This is not an idyllic story of a community business developed on the the Island of Martha's Vineyard. It is a practical guide, but how fortunate the author has been that view is with "island eyes."

Back to p. 238, you wonder: "I don't know yet, nor do I know whether I will ever know, to what degree we can build on the foundations we have created and to what degree we can improve our skills. Neither do I know to what extent our experience can help others go down the path toward economic democracy and community entrepreneurship. I don't know whether, in time, many more people will share ownership and control of the companies they work in."

I think John Abrams has the model right here to make great changes in our corporate world. One can only imagine if many small and large businesses utilized this modus operandi. One only needs to pick up the business page of any major newspaper to think the world(`s problems) would be better off.

I have been a part of the company for 21 years and took sole ownership a little over 4 years ago. Similarly to South Mountain, we are an established enterprise which, for a variety of reasons, are at crossroads in our growth and development. I would like to consider tailoring the South Mountain model to my company and go down the same path. Nonetheless, this read is for any business manager/owner with a company big or small as its applications ring true.

The story of Bobby and Jo is a psychologist's dream. Bobby is 22 and while blonde, buxon Jo is only 14, the minute they are thrown together by chance, invovled in a deadly auto wreck, it's a one-way ride with no turning back.

Alcohol-fued, the characters in this desolate, desert-hole of a town at foot of the High Sierras, pummel each other psychologically and physically. Death appears on a 24/7 call as our two untamed lovers whip themselves into a frenzy of fast, crazy rides supercharged by newly-discovered, extreme passion. Add a frustrated Madonna-looking mother who seduces her son whose wretched father appears as an immobile shadow of the wretched town pastor, a homosexual pedophile. Author John Gilmore gives us a short novel that nonetheless explodes in vibrant, bold flashes of ingenuity and sheer story-telling brilliance.

A blistering book that could make a blistering movie if Hollywood would only dare!

John Gilmore has been recognized for decades for his unsettling exposes and noir prose. One critic dubbed him "the literary Hannibal Lecter." For certain, Gilmore sets his scenes masterfully while zeroing in on human lusts and frailties. His work is often shocking but always well written. Characters are so sharply drawn we walk in their skins.

Bobby McGee is fresh out of the Army, hoping for a new start away from his dreary hometown in the California desert. The father who terrorized him in his boyhood is now an incontinent vegetable, cared for at home by Bobby's mother. His mother is
still young and attractive, plotting her escape from suffocating circumstances. Bobby's brother, Woody, strung out on drugs and alcohol, is often unpredictable and dangerous. The woman who loves Bobby is now fat, hooked up unofficially with his best friend, Clyde, the Mayor's son. His first day back, a car wreck throws Bobby together with Jo, a seductive 13-year-old nymphet.

Bobby's friends all know he's always had a crazy streak, but his obsession for Jo is out of character for him. After the accident one friend is dead and another nearly so, but Bobby's life revolves around his insatiable lust for Jo. And Jo may
not be the innocent child she seems to be at first. Law enforcement officers investigating the accident are determined to protect Clyde. Bribery escalates to incest, and then murder. And as a backdrop Gilmore drags readers into the heat, dust, and misery of small town life. As one character tells Bobby, "People are all s. o. b's. when you peel the hide off."

John Gilmore is a VERY good writer. His characters and subjects may be dark, but his prose is exceptional.

review by Laurel Johnson

John Gilmore nearly killed me with this boiling cauldron of California desolation and despair. This is the 'Lolita' for the 21st century, and the misery,desperation and sexual obsession mingle and kick into high gear from the opening page onward. I thought Gilmore's L.A. Despair was the ultimate in disected human trials and reckless abandon, and although Crazy Streak is a work of fiction, it becomes so vivid and real one would swear they are spying on the real lives of some truly agonized and desperate characters from real life! The story of these isolated, searching and damaged souls kept me from putting this thing down but just a few times. Cinderella-from-hell, Jo Pollinger turns several lives upside down within hours of showing up bursting with volatile hormones at the windswept Gas & Eats, but her smoldering ripeness is only a fraction of what is about to rip apart this festering, decomposing cluster of shacks on the California map. Angst-ridden rednecks, car wrecks, child rape, incest and an entire spectrum of suffering and intrigue carry the reader along on a rollercoaster that rarely allows one to catch their breath. I could not anticipate ANY of the twists and turns of this white-hot story; Gilmore's brilliant originality caught me off guard every time, all the way to the shocking revelation of Bobby McGee's wounded Madonna-like mother, and the subtle but powerful ending, which I don't believe anyone will see coming. The good people and the bad all became REAL to me instantly; I felt I could reach out and touch them and imagined what they all looked like, how they moved, how they sounded and on and on. Rarely has a work of fiction pulled me into its reality, for lack of better word, and gripped my mind the way Crazy Streak did. One helluva great read. Paul Waters

Just finished this novel. One of the best books I have read in years. Totally engaging, locks the reader right down into this crazy wild ride through the desolate California desert and the High Sierra country. Each page draws the reader in and the shocks and surprises keep coming nonstop. I have read two other books by John Gilmore (Severed: The Story of the Black Dahlia, and his book, L.A. Despair), and my vote is in for one of the best and most engaging writers today. Certainly not your average cup of tea! CRAZY STREAK is destined to be an in-your-face classic!

A remarkable book; highly readable, the story is completely engaging and doesn't let you stop for a moment. I highly recommend CRAZY STREAK as one of the best literary offering of the year. A terrific read, hard-hitting yet poetic; very sexy and graphic but always with emotional intensity and passion. Even the incest scene! John Gilmore is one of our strong writers.