Johnson Books

This sturdy cookbook is a geography-and-cooking compendium that most kid cooks will find challenging, to say the least. After an introductory Basics: Getting Started chapter in which kids learn how to perform cooking steps, understand specialized words, respect sharp tools and power tools, and perform clean up, the text is divided into six geographic sections with recipes: Asia (Salmon teriyaki, Miso soup, Bok choy stir fry, Vegetable fried rice, Shrimp pad Thai, Vietnamese lettuce rolls) ; India-Indonesia-Australasia (Lemony lamb skewers, ANZAC biscuits, Pavlova, Tandoori chicken legs, Cauliflower and pea curry); Middle East-Africa-Mediterranean (Flourless chocolate cakes, Tabbouleh, Greek pork kebabs, Marinara sauce, Caprese salad, Vanilla panna cotta, Leb Lebi, Bobotie, Gazpacho, Ratatouille, Croque monsieur); Russia-Northern Europe (Apple nut Brussels sprouts, Warm German potato salad, Pfeffernusse, Instant Swiss hot chocolate, Chicken paprikash, Roasted beets, Swedish meatballs, Mashed potatoes, Shepherd's pie, Yorkshire pudding, Scones) ; South America-Mexico-Caribbean (Burgers with chimichurri, Roasted sweet potato fries, Fresh tomato salsa, Classic cheese quesadillas, Jicama slaw, Mexican chocolate pudding, Jamaican jerk chicken, Tostones, Cuban black bean soup) ; United States and Canada (Jambalaya, Southern-style cornbread, Apple oatmeal crumble, Crispy parmesan baked cod, Summer succotash, Canadian butter tarts). Three additional sections include: Pocket Food Around the World; Cheese Around the World; Flatbreads Around the World. An index and acknowledgements wrap things up. Most recipes are a handsome double-page spread with a photo of the finished food; every recipe lists ingredients, equipment, directions (including a cautionary symbol for "hot" or "electric" or "sharp"); some recipes include variations and others include tips on cooking. This is a stunningly visual cookbook, and the introductory geography pages are concise but chock full of information. While there are other similar titles (Kids' Cookbook: Recipes from Around the World by Rosalba Gioffre, Frances Lee and Karen Ward; The Kids Multicultural Cookbook by Deanna Cook, for example) this one is most comparable to Emeril's There's A Chef in my World: Recipes That Take You Places with good old Mr. Bam on every page. The only criticism that could be lowered at this lovely volume is that shopping might be a challenge; even after half a century of shopping, I'd be mystified where to find some of the ingredients for some of these recipes, quite frankly. This cookbook would well serve elementary through high school, but special needs kids will find the print lists of ingredients challenging because of small print. Interior spiral wire-binding with hardcovers and heavy duty pages will stand up to lots of use. Abigail Johnson Dodge is a contributing editor at Fine Cooking Magazine and the author of five cookbooks including The Kid's Cookbook, Kids Baking and Weekend Baker. She makes frequent TV and radio appearances and teaches at cooking schools around the country.

My family has been a BIG fan of Abigail Dodge's Childrens' cookbooks and we were not dissapointed with her new book. My 7 year old and I have been working through the book and we have enjoyed every recipe and my husband has REALLY enjoyed the fruits of our labor. The recipes are very easy, but are very tasty. My 7 year old definitely needs my help, but for an older child it would be smooth sailing. What I like about the recipes is that altho they are Kid Friendly, you certainly would not be shy to serve these recipes to adults.Some of our favorite recipes are the Tandori Chicken Legs, The Shrimp Pad Thai, and the TO-Die-For Flourless Chocolate Cake.
Also, besides the great recipes, it has been fun for my daughter to read about the different countries that the recipes are based on. All in all it is a fun, beautifully illustrated, and yummy cookbook. I would reccomend it to any aspiring young chef!!!! or an old seasoned cook like me!!!!!

Perfect not only for kids wanting to make something to eat that's interesting, not too difficult, and delicious, but we have found it just right for those nights when we want to eat well but don't want to work too hard to do so. My three kids from 16-20 have made this their Go-To book when they need to cook for themselves as well.

This is a cook book for everyone - busy adults as well as children can learn simple receipes along with a geography refresher. Some receipes do offer more challenges, a great starter to learn terms and techniques. Easy and fun to read and cook. Inspires culinary and cultural exploration. A great book to share in the kitchen.

The first word that comes to my mind is 'fun'. It was fun not only for the kids to make, but unlike the recipes in a lot of kid's cook books, we found the results to be completely delicious. It is refreshing to see a cook book that introduces youngsters to dishes from other countries and cultures.

I've read a lot of instructional books over the years, and this ranks as one of the best. My greatest concern was that it be worth the price, and it certainly is. Explanations are clear, photos and diagrams are excellent and the first chapters on historic and contemporary makers make good reading. The book is ever so slightly thin in the area of plate tuning and violin varnish -- but one might argue that both of these topics are so broad as to justify a separate investment in instructional material. I am confidant, however, that one can make a very good instrument using this book alone as a guide -- with the exception of plans and patterns for a specific model, which are not included. The English generally do a very good job at books addressing traditional arts/crafts, and this publication is no exception. I consider my copy an excellent investment.

I found this to be a fantastic book. It is very well written and beautifully illustrated. The text covers every detail of the art of making a violin. It does lack in a few areas however. I would have been thrilled with the addition of some information on original design and or mechanical drawing of a violin. Also, the book is a bit thin in the areas of plate graduation, tap toning, wood selection, tools and varnish. Overall though, I highly recommend this book; it is more than enough to get anyone started on building their first violin. I'm sure it is the best text currently being published.

This book has the best drawings and photographs of the process of violin making that I have ever seen. Large format, good camera angle, good shadowing and lighting. I have been an amateur violin maker for a long time and I learned about a half a dozen new procedures or tool modifications right away. I highly recommend this book for aspiring violin makers.

I have purchased a few books on Violin making and this is by the far the most impressive of all. This book is full of clever techniques and lead you through the complete process from beginning to end, including the delicate area of varishing. Alternative methods are also give for some key areas, such as hollowing out the back and front of the voilin. The thing that makes this book stand out from the others is the artwork and the photographs that accompany each step of the process and the superb presentation. The tip I liked the best, was how to solve the problem of forming the rib joint at the bottom of the voilin. Being a novice, I struggled with this initially.

If there had to be a criticism it would be that it does not have typical template for the main mould, however this is only minor as templates are available from a various other sources.

This book is worth every penny..

This is not a type of beautifully decorated book usually found on coffee table to amuse guests even though it is of superb quality. It belongs in the workshop. It is written for both inspired and motivated beginners as well as serious luthiers. The chapter on tuning plates is revealing but can confuse a beginner. Since I am a beginner myself, I wished for complete measurements of the violin. I overcame the shortcomings by contacting a supplier of woods, tools and plans. Rest assured, the author included the list of suppliers at the end of the book.

I LOVED THE INSIGHT THAT CHAD'S BOOK OFFERS SPORT FANS. IT'S ALWAYS A PRIVILEDGE TO GET A GLIMPSE INSIDE A CELEBRITY'S LIFE AND CHAD DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. AS FOR CHAD'S BRAND OF TRASH TALK, I'D ADVISE ANY PRO SPORTS FAN TO READ A BOOK CALLED 'TRASH TALK' BY ROBERT GUSSIN. IT'S A SPORTS COMEDY BONANZA. CHAD, HAVE YOU READ IT?

Written by "Cincinnati Enquirer" sports columnist Paul Daugherty, Chad: I Can't Be Stopped is the true-life story of National Football League superstar Chad Johnson - well known for his professional prowess, and perhaps also known for his touchdown celebrations that prompted the NFL to tighten their rules on what is considered a permissible expression of victory. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this candid story of Chad the person as well as Chad the expert football player. "Says Hue Jackson, Bengals receiver coach and one of Johnson's few confidantes, 'Chad doesn't drink or smoke. He's not a guy that has to be out among the celebrities. I don't lose sleep on Saturday nights, worrying about Chad Johnson.'" Highly recommended as an upbeat, in-depth portrait of an athlete who happens to be a positive role model.

This book is great. It offers a behind the scene look at the life of one of the most successful wide recievers in NFL history. Excellent!

Chad I can't be stopped, is and incredible book. I give this peice of work 5 stars. The way the author goes into complete depth and detail is amazing. Also the authors tell many stories which are told in Chad's his prospective about how he plays and performs in the football games. Many of my favorite parts are when Bessie Mae talks about her grandson Chad and how she straitened him up and made him go to school. Apparently Chad did not like school at all. Chad says he made school harder than it needed to be. I also liked how the author included where Bessie grew up and how she wanted a better life for her children and that happened according to her family and Chad. Chad is a hero on and off the field and this book really highlights that. It also tells about Chad's journey to get where he is now which a successful star is. Chad is a hero but most importantly he mine and the Greater Cincinnati's too. GO BENGALS!!!!

Chads biggest Fan

Chad I can't be stopped, is and incredible book. I give this peice of work 5 stars. The way the author goes into complete depth and detail is amazing. Also the authors tell many stories which are told in Chad's his prospective about how he plays and performs in the football games. Also how he thinks he played in the steelers game in 2005 and his locker room breakdown in his point of veiw. Many of my favorite parts are when Bessie Mae talks about her grandson Chad and how she straitened him up and made him go to school. Apparently Chad did not like school at all. Chad says he made school harder than it needed to be but thanks to Bessie he made it through. Chad says Bessie Mae is the most important women in his life without her he wouldn't have made it. I also liked how the author included where Bessie grew up and how she wanted a better life for her children and that happened according to her family and Chad. I have to say though my favorite part is when he talks about his tuesdays and how when everyone eles is off work he's trying so hard to get better. Chad is a hero on and off the field and this book really highlights that. It also tells about Chad's journey to get where he is now which a successful star is. Chad is a hero but most importantly he mine and the Greater Cincinnati's too. GO BENGALS!!!!

Chads biggest Fan

After having participated in Bible Study Fellowship for the last 10 years, I'm glad I finally took the opportunity to "know" A. Wetherell Johnson personally. To God be the Glory!

Reads like a novel but is full of examples of what it means to follow the guide of the Holy Spirit in carrying out His will for our lives.

This book is a great read. I found the life experiences of Miss Johnson fascinating. Her life was truly dedicated to God and the experiences she shares show how God weaves all the facets of our lives to work ALL things (good and bad) for the good of those who love Him. This book made me think BIG! I think we all focus too much on matters which don't have eternal importance. It also made me consider what I am doing for God. The main change it brought to my life is my desire to rekindle the Holy Spirit which I had snuffed out many times by not being responsive. Miss Johnson's autobiography caused me to want what she had....the Holy Spirit actively working in her heart.

This story has inspired me to seek God more fervently. I read the book because I attend a BSF class and wanted to know more about it's founder. What I didn't expect was what I received from the example of her life.....her book has been a life-changing inspiration!

I read this one twice when we were overseas. Both times it reminded me Whom I was serving. (No, we're not missionaries.)

This book humbled me. I enjoyed it so, so very much.

I can't read theology. I enjoy getting my messages from God through the lives of those who loved Him. Thank God for Wetherell's story.

Wonderful!

I actually didn't start this book with extremely high hopes, I thought it would be sort of 'high school drama meets Artemis Fowl'. Luckily, I was completely wrong.

Devilish is the first book I've read by Maureen Johnson, but I'll certainly be reading more. The plot is truley unique, very well crafted, and you are still guessing even when you get to the last page. I laughed out loud at many of the main character's (Jane's) comments. I read the whole thing in one sitting. The characters were well developed, and to top it all off, there is a touch of romance too.

The plot summary Amazon gives is actually fairly accurate, but it's also so much more than that. (Don't be turned off by the "Poodle Prom" part. It's a lot more inconsequential than the summary might lead you to believe.) Along with the fact that it's funny, unique, and well written, you'll also keep thnking about it long afterward. It will certainly make you wonder just what might be going on with Heaven and Hell, and exactly what that intense connection might be.

I'd definitely recommend this book, even to someone who might no long consider themselves a "young adult". My only complaint was that the end came too quickly, I really would have liked to know what happens after Jane recovers... What happens with her and Allison, Owen, and everyone else for that matter? And her schooling?

Hopefully, there will be a sequel.

I must say that I was very impressed while reading this. Now why can't all books be like this? Or should I say, "written like this"? Even though I shouldn't do this, and I know it's wrong, I judge a book by its cover. I know, the worst thing you can do to a book. When stumbling upon this book, the cover really interested me. A Hot Girl holding a Cup Cake. So I read the back of it, and gave it a chance, thining it was some girl chick flick novel. Before I knew it, I finished it in one day. And gave it to a friend and she read it in one day. Very good book if I must say so myself.
I love how the author writes. Her unique way of writing is what makes her a great author! She really makes the characters thoughts and feelings come alive and you just keep reading and turning the page because she has developed this "suspense" that makes you want to keep on reading and reading until you're finished with the book.
So basically this story is about a girl, after a horrible accident, sells her soul to the devil or should I say, a demon. I would highly recommend this book to others and I see that the other reviewers are just like me; loved the book. But, I warn you. Once you pick up this book, you will not be able to put it back down until you're finished. It's not your typical teen novel about some girl getting into conflicts with herself and boys and sex.
Highly Recommended
Overall Grade* A
Jordan

i am not normally a person who likes books with demons and devels. however i picked the book out without reading what it was about and i found out that it was an amazing book. i think that everyone should read this.

Maureen Johnson is a fantastic writer. This book was excellent. It was suspenseful and interesting and throughout the whole book there was never a point where I didn't want to know what would happen next. Cleverly written and interesting, this is definitely one of the most interesting and unique YA novels that I've read.

Jane Jarvis has always looked after her best friend, Ally. So Jane is determined to help Ally through Big-Little day at Saint Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls. Big-Little day is a day when seniors each choose a freshman to take under their wing and mentor as their "little." Ally, unpopular and totally lacking in self-confidence, is sure that no freshman will want her for a "big." And sure enough, Big-Little day ends disastrously for Ally when she humiliates herself in front of the whole school.

But the next day, something strange starts happening. Ally shows up at school with a new haircut and new clothes. Not only is her appearance changed, but Ally also seems to have developed a new-found confidence. Jane begins to suspect that something is wrong, and eventually she discovers that Ally has sold her soul to a demon. Jane is determined to save Ally at all costs, but more than that, Jane soon finds herself caught up in cosmic battle against the forces of evil.

I'm not a big fan of high school stories; high school wasn't all that great when I was actually there, and I certainly have no desire to relive it in books. But devilish caught my attention from the first page and held it to the end. Jane is a fascinating character, a brilliant student but a rebel, and it's a lot of fun to watch her try to outwit the demon. devilish is a funny, fast-paced story with many interesting twists, but mostly it's just a really good read.

My 11 year old son loves this book. He has taken it out of his school library for weeks at a time, so I gave him one for Christmas. He creates "battle cards" based on the dinosaurs and "battles" them like they are Pokemon or Yugiho.

My kids loved it and they can't let go.

This is a very different way to present information on dinosaurs for young people. Kind of a "versus" story on dinosaur predators and prey. The picture of T-Rex (on the cover) with three fingers on its hands is inaccurate and distracting.

Excellent book. My 10 year old had requested this book for his recent birthday. I was hesitant because the price at the local bookstore was so high. Amazon came through though and I purchased it for less than half of what it was selling for locally. My son was thrilled with the book. He picked it up and read it for hours on his birthday.

IN A NUTSHELL: GETS KIDS INTERESTED IN LEARNING - READING & RESEARCH

This wonderfully illustrated hard-cover scouting report is our ticket to the dinosaur fantasy league of the mind. This 2005 publication is now only 7.18, and it looks like a $30. book. Dino Wars takes the intrinsic interest we seem to be born with, in dinosaurs, and literally strikes while the iron is hot by mating this interesting topic with a terrific theme that is inventively executed, and totally fascinating to children of all ages -- even baby boomers like me.

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT:

Take Dinosaurs, and the plethera of annual pro sports scouting reports that entertain, and provide insight to sports fans from year to year, add a gladiator/ pro-wrestling lilt, and you've got "DINO WARS".

Traditionally, this most exciting topic, within the study of paleontology, has been incidentally and accidentally ruined from the get-go for kids. Simply putting the topic in a very dry setting [like the reference department in the small print section], and ignoring the intellectual curiousity that children bring to the educational table, is how adults have successfully hidden the awesome subject of dinosaurs, and natural history from our curious young. Occasionally, a Steven Spielberg will bring us a "Jurassic Park" or the BBC will allow us to actually experience the "Walking With Dinosaurs" series. In essence, those films illustrated literally, how dinosaurs could be a compelling subject for children of all ages. Now, with Dino Wars, that compulsion is being turned into a magical learning and reading tool, by inserting that same brand of excitment into an educational book that previously has only been experienced through epic films.

THE RESULT IS ---- THE CGI OF THE IMAGINATION [how is the book organized]

1]- First, Sets-up "RULES FOR ENGAGEMENT"; 6 criteria, that when averaged, equal every dinosaurs: "DANGER LEVEL"!

----- These criteria are called "BATTLE TACTICS" and include;
STENGTH, ARMOR, SPEED, AGILITY, SCARINESS & SPECIAL SKILLS - all equally weighted and explained in producing the "DANGER LEVEL."

2]- Defines "THE COMBAT ZONES"; Paleozoic, Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Eras.

3]- Organized by Era, dinosaur match-ups fill the rest of the text, all completely color illustrated, and also include illusrated detailed text before each Eras' combatants. The match-ups are chronological, organized by Era, but also include the "Ruling Reptiles" that pre-dated the dinosaurs by about 100 million years.

Logic, and predictable reason permeates this text throughout. Consistent organization which also utilizes systematic illustrations, and comparisons lends a critical structural integrity to the entire work, making it both highly coherent, and subtly simple to use as either a guide or text. In essence, the same format, and kind of information is available in the same level of detail for each, and every dinosaur, and each and every Era, from cover-to-cover.


BOTTOM LINE:

Anyone, but children especially will be drawn to, excited by, and will benefit from, Dino Wars. First, Dino Wars takes full advantage of a child's fundamental preference for combining cool illustrations with reading material. Second, it truly promes and kindles the imagination. Third, it instills the interest and rudimentary techniques for sorting information, and investigating it in a manner that may lead a child to develop interests in academic pursuits and research of all kind.

CLOSING THOUGHTS:
THE CREATION OF EXCITEMENT & INTEREST IN DINOSAURS HAS FINALLY EVOLVED INTO BOOKS!

I was so impressed by this volume, which I have read alongside other non-fiction dinosaur material, that frankly I can't figure out why this book isn't on everybody's shelf. Simply stated, "Dino Wars : The Dinosaurs' Biggest, Baddest Battles" by Jinny Johnson, is essentially the "Chased By Dinosaurs" of children's books. I hope, and look forward to more from this very promising author.

After nearly 30 years in the marketing business, I am delighted to find two dynamic thinkers who have written compelling, concise and creative content on the needs of this country's most powerful and influencial market. Too long overlooked, women have different priorities, values, communication styles and preferences than men consumers. Learned and Johnson aptly address key differences, important nuances and critical factors that drive decision making, the customer experience and brand loyalty by giving actionable strategies for gaining women's trust and turning them into true brand advocates. Don't Think Pink is an easy read business book, dotted with personality and fun. If you want to train your brain to think differently about the women's market (not to mention grow your bottomline), but hate to be weighted down by the business-speak in a typicial business book, Don't Think Pink is for you.

Women are the most powerful consumer force in the U.S., but they do not approach buying decisions the way men do. That's intriguing, but it doesn't mean that exhaustive demographic and sales statistics make interesting reading. Authors and marketing consultants Lisa Johnson and Andrea Learned explain how to direct your marketing efforts to women. Each chapter deals with a different subset of women - old, young, black, white, Hispanic, married, single - but the groups are compared along similar lines and the information is sliced the same way in most chapters. The authors liven up their exposition with short illustrative case studies, but the cases often feature products for which marketers have made no concerted, specific effort to attract female buyers. For instance, the decision to sell single servings of food occurred because of other demographics (more people living alone) and was not intended just to attract women buyers. Still, the thesis here is important enough to carry the authors' occasional tendency to twist product features to fit the theme, as well as their branding jargon. Acknowledging the significance of marketing to women, we recommend this information-packed book.

It is an honor to review this book from a male's perspective. In my opinion it's more important for men to read, hear and understand these distinctions. The marketplace as explained in Don't Think Pink is what most marketers need to consider. I found it helpful in relating our products to women and men after the first read.

What "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" did for the conversations in personal relationships "Don't Think Pink" does for business language. I highly recommend this book for anyone in sales, marketing, product development, advertising and management in any organization that is attempting to connect with the primary buyers.

PS. I first read the book about 18 months ago and had my fair share of revelations and just read it again and it surprised me how much more I took away. I'll let you know what I think of their next book guys.

This book provides a thorough analysis of women shoppers, including those of all ethnic, age, geographic, educational, and socio-economic groups and marital statuses. It gives solid, workable advice on how to attract today's saavy, busy, informed, educated, female customers. It also tells how to help others in the company to overcome outdated, stereotypical thinking about female consumers. I may use this book along with Why We Buy as a text in my visual merchandising course.

Don't Think Pink is indeed insightful as well as approachable in style. I myself gained a deeper appreciation for corporate lingo, a small selection of words which many people will say has been drained of real meaning. Leverage, actionable, synergies, proactive, relatable, networking, and resonate are all words deserving of more attention, especially from people like me who are not primarily interested in marketing. I did note that it took until page 199 for the authors to actually use "paradigm shift," and I was titillated thoroughly when I read it. "Empower" and its variants were used almost once every page, and this book will indeed empower not only you as a marketer, but the women you will inveigle, in whatever roles they fill.
This book was packed with useful information, and well-formatted. With examples drawn from many industries, it is sure to strike a chord with a good portion of its readers.
The references at the back were largely web sites, which should facilitate your filling out your own background in this topic.
In fact, if you don't give a hoot about marketing strategies, you should still read it. If you're looking at this page, it must interest you in some manner, and I say the book is well worth the price. Go for it, ladies!

This is the best collection/selection of Emily Dickinson's poems I have ever found. They're selected from a complete collection. What's special about this book is that none of the poems are edited, as is done in many other collections of her works - and excellent choices are made for which poems to include. Emily often used simple dashes at the ends of her lines, and this selection is true to her originals - and she never put titles on her poems, or indented lines - as many other collections of her poems have the audacity to do - as if the editors of those works knew better than this greatest poet the English language has ever known.

Everyone who aims for the ultimate, the elusive, and the exquisite, ought to pack. The edition is affordable, durable, well-organized, comprehensive . . . and produced with care NOT to alter the form or format of the poems . . . which for some dreadful reason a lot of folks seem to feel compelled to do . . .

more importantly . . . all that white witchcraft still dazzles

For those whose aquiantance with the Belle of Amherst is limited to the classroom edition - i.e., There is no Frigate Like a Book, et al., look again. Dickenson really is the epitome of the rugged individualist - a free spirit - in ways surprisingly opposed to her contemporary, Whitman, she arrives at similar conclusions going no further than her garden. She is the inward sojourner - at home in the harshest tensions and conflicts of the psyche - where her distinctly feminine sensitivity speaks truth in "slant" - as she qualifies her enormous insight.

Most haunting: 'Success is counted sweetest', 'To learn the Transport by the Pain', 'My life closed twice before its close', and, "My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun -". Dickenson laments our sovereign anguish, our exile from the immediate truth or the comprehensive immediacy of truth, the quest for which her poems articulate an urgent hunger enveloped in alternately the most naturistically ambient references or stonily direct terms.

There are Emily Dickinson's greatest poems, most of which my guess is , have in one way or another been anthologized. There is her complete oeuvre of 1775 poems, a large volume indeed. I am not a Dickinson scholar and I found myself a bit lost with such a large number of poems to search through for new gems.
This present volume edited by the dean of Dickinson scholars purports to choose of the total oeuvre the very best of her work.
I truly appreciate this as a volume of this kind can extend my knowledge and appreciation of her poetry in a way which is most economical and helpful to me.

I was never actually a fan of poetry until I encountered Emily Dickinson's poems. It seems as if she has written a poem for everyone. I strongly recomend this book, as my English teacher did to me, not only because of my love for Emily Dickinson, but for the quality of the book. It is obvious that Thomas H. Johnson, the editor, put many long hours of hard work into gathering this collection. Many of her poems were simply scribbled on little pieces of paper, which makes me wonder what kind of literary genius she must have been. With the help of this book, she has become my favorite poet, and I have learned that poetry can be strong medicine for the hurting soul. Final Harvest never leaves my side.

Don't get me wrong, I truly love a large selection of the poems in this volume. However, that is a measure of Emily Dickenson and me, not T. Johnson's collection. What makes this book better than many that are around and about, as has been mentioned, is the lack of editing to her poems--something that has always bothered me. In this regard, the content of the poems is better than many others, however there are other issues of note.

This is, of course, an abridged collection. As such, we are forced to rely on the opinion of another. Granted this is common enough with poetry collections, but that doesn't change the very nature of each person having differing interests. There is no way to know if the ones he leaves out are just as good or even better, from each individuals perspective, without going to more comprehensive texts.

Regardless, I do have one gripe with this book that is unrelated to the above pettiness. The method of dating each poem seems silly to me. The reason is that they are all claimed to be from one of several (if memory serves 3) years separated out over several decades. That and there are two listings of dates for each poem, which I don't recall off hand why they did that, and it may serve some purpose, but it's not useful information if when these poems were written can only be pinned down to plus or minus five-ten years. I can't blame Johnson for this as I imagine that is as close as is known, but, by the same token, the dates could have been left out so that it doesn't detract from the actual poetry.

All in all I would recomend this book, but I might suggest getting a more complete version instead (so long as it is unedited--Emily hated it when people wanted to edit her poems, and I think that we should respect that).

I have used this book as a reference work as part of the research into a presentation I was giving on "The Role of the Glider in WW II". The book is well written and covers the descripotion of the Fort itself and its defences, as well as the context of the disposition of the Belgian defenders and the German airborne tactical assault, and besides being well written, provides a large amount of historical material. In addition to these values, it is an excellent read for anyone interested in the details of WW II, that is better than fiction.

This book is interesting to students of military history and does not fulfil the novel reader. It does certainly show how the once wonderful defensive building fell victim to the fresh thoughts of its attackers.

The author does a fine job covering the Eben Emael and its design and the German operation that took it. Some other books in this series, like American World War II defenses, the Maginot Line, and the Western Front in World War I do not do just as good a job because their topics cover a greater subject. The book is well illustrated and the commentary is excellent.

This book was a pleasant surprise. The German assault on Eben Emael tends to be covered very briefly in general histories of the Second World War, because it was over in a flash, and was quickly followed by even more dramatic events. On the other hand, it is not exactly forgotten, because it was very novel. Even though the wrong side won, it was still an impressive feat of cleverness. The Germans realised that the fort would be a difficult target for their tanks and infantry, so they landed gliders on the roof. It shouldn't have worked, because the fort had plenty of weapons that could beat off gliders and close-range attacks, but it did work, because it was carried out with skill and daring.

This book does a super job of describing the battle, in such a way that it would be entertaining even if you didn't care about the topic. I have flicked through Osprey books that have made major battles seem dull, and it's ironic that this book makes such a small action seem intensely epic. I imagine the German paratroopers must have felt they were participating in the most incredible Boy's Own adventure, and afterwards I bet they walked tall, and got free drinks in pubs, or bierkellers, or any place in Germany in 1939 that sold drinks.

The book starts off by covering the strategic reasons for the fort, which had been under construction since the 19th Century. The fort was was supposed to be a kind of self-sufficient underground town, a contemporary nuclear submarine, except that it was a static nuclear submarine that could not attack. The book covers the political situation leading up to the Second World War, and the German preparations for the attack. It explains why the Germans didn't simply go past the fort. The glider assault plan was complex, and might not have worked if Eben Emael had been running at peak efficiency, staffed with crack troops led by top officers, but the book makes clear that the fort was going through a bad patch. The officers in charge come across particularly poorly. The book is so finely-detailed that the individual Belgian casualties are named, and I hope the men who led them so poorly feel humble.

The assault took only a few minutes, and the book does a lot of cross-cutting, but it still makes sense. In theory the fort could have peppered the German gliders with anti-aircraft machineguns, and blasted the German paratroopers with canister rounds shot from its howitzers, but it was embroiled in administrative chaos. The Germans had their fair share of technical problems - a couple of the gliders fell short, several of the anti-bunker explosives had no effect, the troops attacked dummy bunkers - but overall the Germans made very few mistakes, and successfully improvised solutions to the problems they faced. The Belgians made lots of mistakes, big and small mistakes, institutional mistakes, and they did not deal with them, and they lost.

Overall this is a great read. The assault feels like an action film, a very short action film, one in which the Germans win. The level of detail is sufficient for picky people, and it does a good job of explaining that the victory wasn't a simple matter of flying some planes onto the fort and then jumping out, throwing grenades. By the end you'll find yourself cheering on the brave Germans, and then having to wash yourself to get rid of the nasty guity feeling.

A wrestling coach of old was said to tell his wrestlers that there was no escape-proof lock, hold, or other technique in his sport. The same is true of military operations. Eban Emael was said to be impregnable--I forgot; was it politicians or newspapermen who made that claim? Germany exploited new techniques of war to conquer this Belgian fortress, and the Belgian Army appears to have provided less than adequate means to shore up this keystone of the Belgian defenses.

Most modern armchair generals claim that fortifications are holes in the ground that armies pour men and material into for no gain. Permanent fortifications are universally condemned, and even field fortifications are said to sap the offensive strength and morale of the defending armies. It was for this reason that the World War One French Army instituted the spirit of the assault--and suffered massive losses against German barb wire and German Spandau machine guns in 1914 and 1915. Simon Dustan establishes the rational for putting this hole in the ground in the first part of his book. Attempting to understand World War Two in isolation, without considering the bloodbath of 20 years prior, is to ignore reality. The first pages of Fort Eban Emael lay this out quite well, placing the concrete-lined hole-in-the-ground in context of the political and economic climate in Belgium. Note that Dunstan doesn't explore the alternatives to Fort Eben Emael--this is a book about what was, not what could have been.

Hugh Johnson's illustrations clarify how the fort was laid out. Battle is "organized chaos," with the emphasis on "chaos;" the neat diagram of the glider assault on page 50 clarifies how the Germans took the fort, and the text hints at the confusion among the Belgian defenders. Germany developed several new weapons that were first used in this attack: shaped charge demolitions, gliders capable of carrying the heavy equipment needed for reducing gun positions, glider infantry teams task-organized for this mission, and most importantly, the operation was integrated into the campaign. Simply completing a brilliant mission is not enough when that single mission does nothing else. On pages 42 and 43, Johnson's artwork shows how the Luftwaffe circumvented the Belgian wartime blackout (an air raid precaution) to land the glider troops under cover of darkness, and Dunstan's text explains the coordination so that maximum surprise was achieved by the glider assault and the necessary follow-up actions by the ground forces.

Just because the Germans found a countermeasure didn't invalidate the defensive capabilities of Eben Emael. Could the same number of half-trained troops, WITHOUT Eben Emael's powerful fixed artillery batteries, have withstood a German combined arms assault? Resources include men and material--the aircraft and tanks and field artillery used by the allies in 1940 were inferior to the German equipment, and the leadership and common soldier was less experienced and skilled than the German counterparts. I think Belgium was doomed from the moment that Hitler decided to use that small nation as a highway because Belgium couldn't muster resources enough to fight the entire German war machine, and the nation is small! Modern manuever warfare must have manuever room. Belgium tried to remain neutral--couldn't. It takes only one side to start a war. The only chance that Belgium had to remain uninvaded would have been to invade Germany during September of 1939, while most of the German war machine was mobilized for the Polish Campaign--a political impossibility. Besides, Belgium didn't have the mobile, "offensive army" this operation would have required--even if France and Britain would have had the political will and military might to seize the western parts of Germany.

I enjoyed this book because of the details of the fort's layout and construction. The text covered the German countermeasures to the fort's defensive strengths. Eben Emael's communications failed on May 10, 1940, and so the German Luftwaffe glider troops seemed to have had a cakewalk--but Dunstan's text shows that wasn't the case. The issue was in doubt until motorized pioneers arrived to help "mop up" the defenses. It wasn't an easy victory for the Germans.

The Gay Place is a winner in so many ways: an absorbing, deep novel, a historical novel about a key time in our history, an accurate an perceptive regional novel (about my home town, Austin!) and, the best novel on American, or maybe any, politics ever written. Billy Lee Brammer was a speech writer for Lyndon Johnson who was fascinated by the world where a sentence could start with high minded political goals and end in crude bullying. A world where bribery, humiliation and blackmail were tools of the trade, often for worthy purposes. A must-read American classic that grows in reputation as time passes.

Despite its age and it's fictional nature, The Gay Place is still the definitive book on Texas politics and Austin, and one of the top ten books on Texas overall. The charachiture of Lyndon Johnson is priceless.

This is a wonderful trilogy of novels on state politics. Though they seem disjointed, they are unified around the shadowy figure of the governor, who lurks in the background manipulating people and events down to the minutest detail. Thus, the immediate action taking place is a kind of epiphenomenon, all players that are living chess pieces in the governor's grand game, which is never fully explained: that is the real art of this novel, that it leaves far more unsaid than explicitely stated. The reader has to connect the dots.

In the first novel, the governor has chosen a young legislator for an unaccustomed role in the spotlight: his life, like those of his cohorts, is a mess of alcohol and libertinism, but he is also struggling with his conscience to do the right thing. There are so many layers to what was really happening that it is impossible to explain, because the reader can only suspect what the governor is doing. The governor mixes the most intimate personal machinations, it appeared to me, with a legislative purpose and to depose (even destroy) a potential rival. It reminds me, of course, of LBJ, a politician without equal. One of the really interesting aspects is that the author describes many people just like GW Bush: priviledged, brash, debauched, and inadvertantly wondering what they should be doing. If you read this, you will understand GW Bush and his milieu much better - that is a sign of the timelessness of Bramer's achievement, truly a masterpiece.

The second novel is similar: the governor's enemies are defeated, while he stages and manipulates events to suit whatever his purposes are. It is at times brutal and sad, yet funny and even uplifting, particularly in the scenes of introspection, when the characters have flashes of insight and empathy. The plot, which is only a vehicle to expose cryptic motvations, is the governor attempting to get an appointed young senator to run for a true popular mandate - he is a complex and flawed character, whom the governor sponsors out of respect but also to keep him in his pocket. It is splendidly ambiguous, as is all politics. The third involves similar personal struggles and an ineviablle passing of power, again, very realistic and down to earth. Marriages are destroyed, while politics plays in, and the characters wallow in existential angst while working very hard and yet hardly understanding why. It is a unique combination of themes, a genuine work of literature.

One thing that really fascinated me was how similar this is to a Gore Vidal novel, a kind of comedy of the priviledged who inadvertently do politics while living their complicated lives. The political action is entirely off stage, but solved in their everyday actions and affairs and drunken parties. I have no doubt that Vidal carefullly studied the literary method that Bramer pioneered here, which resulted in his truly fine series of novels on American politics. Finally, tt really is where Bush came from, a reflection on the depth of Bramer's art, almost prescient in its intelligence and lack of facile scrutiny.

Warmly recommended as great art and a unique view into politics.

Not just LBJ, this book is about politics and the ways of power. Very well written, insightful and lyric, it might be the best kept secret in political fiction. On a side note--man did people drink a lot then. Its amazing.

Anyone who loves writing and politics will enjoy this book.

In the 500 plus pages of this remarkable trilogy, Billy Lee Brammer does more to explicate and evaluate American politics, especially Texas politics and even more especially, populist politics as practiced by Lyndon B.Johnson, than all the ponderous Caro-type analyses that weigh us down blur the color and cloy the flavor. More than a portrait of LBJ, the book is an artful depiction of the lure of politics and its terrible cost on those who pursue it. All this is conveyed with humor, sympathy and a clear-eyed vision of the American scene of the 60's.