Johnson Books

This has to be one of my favorite books. I have read it several times and each time it still captivates my interest!

What a story!

And talk about memories . . . No, I've never been on Mt. Everest - Popocatepetl, 17,887 ft is the highest I've been (on foot) - but I did spend untold hours back in the stacks of the Main Library at the University of Texas in Austin, in the early 1950s, poring over accounts of the English expeditions to Everest (and elsewhere in the Himalaya and Karakoram) in the 1920s and 1930's. Those old thick books with their thick knife-cut pages and stilted or candid photographs made you want to go to Tibet, and something about their musty smell made you want to take a bathroom break. And then get back to what Younghusband and Smythe and Odell and Noel and Norton and Somervell - those subsidiary phantoms within the Everest saga - had to tell.

Those books, and accounts of other climbs (in Europe or Africa or closer to home in the Americas) forced me onto steep rock. I climbed semi-seriously from 1952 until 1958 and desultorily for about fifteen years thereafter. But nothing along the lines of the climbers in Ghosts of Everest: Anker, Hahn, Norton, Politz, Richards. Among others.

The three co-authors - Hemmleb, Johnson, and Simonson - made a wise decision to enhance their story's narrative thrust and coherence by choosing William Nothdurft to put it all together. He did a wonderful job; he's a hell of a writer. The maps and photographs are illuminating, though some of the photos are too strongly backlighted.

A human-interest side-story in the book concerns BBC producer Peter Firstbrook and associate producer Graham Hoyland. Hoyland had championed BBC's support of the Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition of 1999 for more than a year. Hoyland was a former Everest climber and grandnephew of T.H. Somervell of the 1924 Everest expedition. Not until October 1998 (the main party of the expedition ended up arriving in Kathmandu on 18 March 1999) did Hoyland's boss Firstbrook get into the mix with his various bureaucratic ploys and games. Things went along, largely downhill, in fits and starts. In the end the expedition was mounted, but Hoyland was sent home by Firstbrook on a flimsy medical excuse. Firstbrook's insincerity was made manifest when he, Firstbrook, came down with a much more serious medical condition but refused, in spite of the expedition doctor's advice, to go back down to lower altitude. There's also the story of the midstream much-changed legal contract Firstbrook tried to get expedition leader Simonson to sign.

Aargh! But then again, anyone who has tried to negotiate a contract between a private party and an institution, bureaucracy, government, or politician probably knows how downright duplicitous any of the latter can be. Their saving grace is that they are usually pretty dumb. I Googled `Peter Firstbrook' today and see, with some satisfaction and a somewhat patched image of the BBC, that Peter is no longer with them. He evidently shuffled off (or was shuffled off) to another film production outfit, Mosaic, in 2002.

Hey, there are lots of ambitious guys out there. I well remember one day (actually it was 29 July 1957) that Yvon Chouinard grabbed me with "I think I've rediscovered Baxter's Lost Pinnacle! Let's go climb it before someone else does!" And we did, alternating leads. (By luck, since Yvon was a much better climber, he got to lead the final overhang pitch.) For years I had in my collection of climbing hardware a horizontal piton marked `URE' for `Ulf Ram-Erickson,' Baxter's climbing partner - they were often described as "two solo climbers, roped together" - we took off that Pinnacle that day. Sure, Yvon was ambitious, but he wouldn't scheme to crawl up over someone's back.

Typically, in the mountains, it's a world of clear air, hard dark rock, white snow, tiny flowers in moss, and wonderful straightforward people. People like Mallory and Irvine. And like the members of the 1999 Expedition who went up to Everest to find and commemorate them. Ghosts of Everest is their very well told story.

I was only vaguely familiar with the story of Mallory and Irvine before reading this. Hemmelb does a nice job of interweaving the story of Mallory's 1924 attempt at Everest with that of the 1999 expedition that went in search of his body. For anyone interested in Everest and the history of attempts to climb it, I can recommend this book highly.

I had never heard of Mallory or Irvine until the day the news mentioned Mallory was found. All these years later I decided to read this book to answer the curiosity I had over them.

I am intrigued with the question of did they reach the summit before they died back in 1924. Many have argued they failed and the authors decided to see if they could answer the debate.

This is a good read as the authors gave accounts of both the climbs of Mallory and Irvine and the Simonson group that went to find them. The book has great details and good photographs throughout. I actually looked at the photos of Mallory several times. Kind of awed for some reason.

The authors are most assuredly in awe of both Mallory and Irvine and it shows in the book. Especially when they found Mallory.

You get the feeling they really want them to have made the summit and they offer some convincing arguments. Such as some of Mallory's notes suggest they took more oxygen bottles then thought. The location of an Oxygen bottle showed they were further along then thought and the possibility that Odell who commented on seeing them at the second step might have actually seen them on the third.

Does the book prove they made it? Not really. There is no serious proof. The fabled camera might answer it but it is thought to be with Irvine who was never found. There is also the claim of leaving a photograph of Mallory's wife on the summit and it was not found on Mallory's body. One thing the authors mention however, is that they didn't find proof to suggest the failed in their attempt so the question remains.

Overall you might find yourself hoping they did made it as it's a classic tale of man against the elements.

I found myself hoping they did.

This is a wonderfully written and well-illustrated, textually rich book. Its pages demand the reader's undivided attention and are sure to enthrall all mystery lovers, Everest aficionados, nostalgia junkies, history buffs, and climbing enthusiasts. This book is sure to provide the reader with many hours of enjoyment.

The book chronicles the search for George Mallory and Andrew Irvine by the 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition. It juxtaposes the dramatic turn of events during their expedition with those of the 1924 British Everest Expedition which saw Mallory and Irvine attempt a summit climb, only to disappear into the mists of Everest, never to be seen again. It makes for a spell binding narrative, as past events are woven through present day ones.

The 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition was a meticulously well-prepared and well-organized venture. With its discovery of George Leigh Mallory's body, it enjoyed much success. The research and analysis that went into its ultimate, well thought out conclusions were comprehensive and fascinating, with its strong reliance upon forensics and deductive reasoning. Their reconstruction of Mallory's and Irvine's last climb is riveting. Unfortunately, the ultimate question still remains unanswered. Did they or did they not reach the summit of Mount Everest back in 1924?

The photographs of the personal effects found upon Mallory's person underscore a certain poignancy about the discovery of Mallory's well preserved body. The photographs, which memorialize this discovery, are amazingly lovely and tasteful, considering its subject matter, and hauntingly illustrate the finality with which Everest may deal with mountaineers, no matter how accomplished.

The photographs also highlight how ill equipped for the harsh climatic conditions were the early Everest expeditions. It is amazing, and a credit to those early expeditioners' courage and fortitude, in braving such an inhospitable and harsh terrain with the inadequate clothing and equipment available to them at the time. Mallory and Irvine were certainly intrepid explorers!

This book is a fitting tribute to two men who sought to make a historic summit and, in their attempt, would forever be a part of Everest.

Johnson has done it again! What an intense moment in history brought to life with the skill of research and respect for human strength. Thanks to the author, I only wish my high school history teacher had this amazing book to share with my class.

Johnson has done it again with his third book! Another page turner! As with Warrior Priest & Fate of the Warriors, he fills the pages with richly, wonderfully drawn characters (some we already know!) from America & around the world in conflict, individuals & families whose stories touch us on so many levels! And with his continuing penchant for detailed historical accuracy involving events that many of us have never heard of, he makes learning history enjoyable! Said events include escapes from Auschwitz, goings-on in Stalin's Kremlin, north/south machinations in Korea, etc. I am excited & pleased to give this a five-star rating!

Just finished God's Perfect Scar and was highly moved by it! My favorite stories are 'character-driven' and Johnson has mastered the technique of the character-driven novel. His tenacity for authenticity is probably equal to Michener's. His ability to create a scene in my mind is second to none. McMurtry's Berrybender tetralogy was an excellent read, but Warrior Priest, Fate of the Warriors and God's Perfect Scar were every bit as good if not better! Nemitz was right, 'There are no heroes in this world; there are only ordinary people who do what they have to do under the circumstances.' There can be no better illustration of this statement than Johnson's presentation of Jack Brecker and friends! Johnson has a great gift; I hope he continues to share it with us mere mortals. We are all better for it!

I'm delighted to recommend Mike's 3rd novel....it touched so many chords in my life. The accuracy and vibrancy of the story's historical groundings just made the characters and their ventures so rich and so engaging. It takes all of us who grew up when the Korean War was a key part of our fathers, uncles and older brothers lives and gives us the insights and lets us see inside the joys and hurdles through characters we grow to love more with each volume. Keep it up Mr Johnson....Great Work!

I loved "God's Perfect Scar." I learned a lot about history from Johnson's book. Putting history in the context of personal stories, of characters I cared about, made history come alive. I was saddened at the deaths of some of them; proud of the courage of some of them; angry at the callousness of some of them. The writing is beautiful. The chapters with short paragraphs, on to another story line, back to the original, and back again, kept me wanting to read faster. I could picture in my mind what was going on, and wanted every character to get out OK. When they didn't, I'd find myself saying, out loud, "Oh, no!"
I think "God's Perfect Scar" (both the Grand Canyon and the scarred face) is a very apropriate title. I liked the elder in Arizona, and his interaction with the characters there. The scene of flying over the Canyon was uplifting. I really liked "Warrior Priest", but I liked "God's Perfect Scar" even better. I think it is the best of the three.
Marie Kime Nelson
Moses Lake, WA

Attentive readers have been keeping an eye on Erin Keane for some time now. While her earlier collections showed the promise of a remarkable talent, resting dormant like the proverbial butterfly in the proverbial chrysalis, the Gravity Soundtrack shows her talent blossoming in full, like the proverbial beautiful butterfly coming out of the chrysalis and realizing that is also a beautiful flower of mixed metaphor.

No, really, these are cool poems. If you like poetry; or if you had your love of poetry beaten out of you by reading musty old chestnuts in high school but are willing to accept the idea that they might still be relevant; or if you are indifferent to poetry but like bars, rock music or people; or if you like reading well-observed details about bars, about music, or about people who like them, you should read this book.

It's lowbrow poetry with a sense of humor. Feels like digging around in a junk store and finding that Rohl Dahl book you loved as a kid, half a conversation on the back of a postcard no one thought you'd ever see, and a serviceable copy of one of those albums that makes the critic's lists but you haven't ever heard. It's a good find.

Read the stunning images from a poem entitled "The Tao of Big Daddy" -- "wall panels peel like tears" and "carved space/between yes and no" -- and you can see for yourself why this book amazes, delights and impresses.

Erin Keane's first book is a triumph, a guidepost. Here is a voice that values the young and honors the time-tested. Keane's poems are honest and insightful, easy like breathing, seamless as pulling a trigger. It's like smoking a cigarette with the priest after taking confession. A definite must-read for alienated young readers and seasoned veterans.

In her first full-length collection, Keane imagines the interior lives of record clerks and air guitar geeks, as well as a probable encounter of Shane McGowan meeting her father at an after life dive bar. She approaches her subjects slyly and with love, but never with nostalgia or syrupy sweetness.

Long legs, a sharp tongue and a graceful pen, Keane composed a soundtrack all readers will want to hear.

I was looking for a book to go through all aspects of nature sketching and journaling. This is the book! I have lended the book out to other sketch artists and they found it very useful as well. Lots of pointers on different types of sketching and FANTASTIC illustrations. It it worth purchasing just for the illustrations alone. I would recommend this book to ANYONE who is interested in sketching nature.

This book provides a tremendous amount of information on sketching in nature but don't let the title fool you- this is a terrific general sketching and drawing book. Johnson covers topics that are rarely covered in other books. The use of pens, watercolors, pencils and colored pencils (both water soluble and not) are covered. This is an invaluable book and is an asset to both the beginner and more advanced student. I'm on Amazon right now trying to find other books by Cathy Johnson- I'm that impressed.

This is a very refreshing book. Cathy Johnson not only makes it look easy to draw and paint loose, yet accurate, watercolor sketches outdoors, but she tells you everything you need to know. This book will actually teach you how to draw and paint what you see, without making things overly complicated. Best of all, her supply list is well within the means of most people. I really enjoyed this book, and learned a great deal from it. This summer, I caught Lyme disease. It's nasty. For months, I could hardly walk, let alone hike and garden and do stuff I used to love. But Cathy's book has helped draw me back outside, and I'm learning to love nature all over again, one leaf, flower, and bug at a time. This book would make a great gift.

I loved this book. I am a beginner and it was an excellent resource.

I am a novice artist and need all the tips and help I can get. This book is a big help and I refer to it frequently.

This book should be passed down as an heirloom. I am so proud of all the talent in this book. It would make excellent gifts and it's for such a worthy cause. SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE!!

Best Anthology of the Year

Everyone loves a good pot of gumbo for its unique blend of different ingredients filled with a spicy great taste and satisfying indulgence. The Gumbo for the Soul Anthology is the best recipe for success and encouragement in support of literacy in The African American Community. The roux for this gumbo is the intelligence and insight of several authors in a collection of poetry, short stories, essays and other forms of creative expression. Don't forget to pick your copy today you are guaranteed to be filled with motivation and self determination after reading this anthology.


Peace and Love

Gumbo, A Potpourri of Literary Treats

As any good cook will tell you, when you combine a cup of this, a pinch of that to a recipe, it will enhance the flavor of whatever you're cooking. Well, the same holds true for the ingredients included in Gumbo For The Soul, The Recipe For Literacy In The Black Community. Beverly Black Johnson has taken a pinch of poetry, a cup of essays a handful of testimonies and a drop of gumbo recipes to complete a literary gumbo fit to feed an entire community. We have a saying down south that when asked what's in our gumbo, we respond by saying, "Everything, but the kitchen sink!" You can see evidence of this by checking out my family's gumbo recipe listed on page 219 and see that there are as many variations of gumbo as there are ingredients to put in them. In Gumbo For The Soul, with its assortment of poems, essays, testimonies and recipes, there's surely something in there to whet your literary appetite, as you savor the flavor of your own gumbo recipe, or experiment with one of the recipes included in the book.

African Americans have a unique heritage and distinct culture which supports the saying - "it takes a village to raise a child". This collection of stories, poems, essays and testimonies offer direction, comfort and flavor for the village. As you read and reflect on the recipe for literacy presented you will be filled with pride, encouragement and drive to do more for those in your family and neighborhood.

Who did you look up to when you were young? Who took interest in you and provided motivation for you to reach for the stars? How did you get through that terrible college algebra class? Most of those from the old school, will say it was a parent, auntie, uncle, school teacher or church member. Surely, there was someone that provided insight on the difficult times and praises during those celebratory moments. What happened to the love freely given in the "hood"? Let's take it back by sharing the stories of warmth and devotion from those folks in the village.

GUMBO FOR THE SOUL should be standard reading in every household. The vast knowledge on education along with the promise that proceeds will support literacy definitely benefits our community. Invest in yourself today, purchase GUMBO FOR THE SOUL and support the village in which we all belong.


Deltareviewer
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

This was a wonderful book that I recommend to everyone, especially those in the Bay Area of California! Proceeds will fund the Gumbo For The Soul Literacy Program & Scholarship Fund based in San Jose, California. Comprised of stories and essays that celebrate our commitment to the education of our children, this anthology is a must have for anyone looking for inspiration. Great for teachers seeking to enlighten students or for parents looking for alternatives. Do your family and community and purchase this book ASAP!

This book is great for every child. It really gets them to using their imagination. 4 books in one makes for a great value.

This book is filled with such imagination. It is a great book, if your a teacher or a daycare assistant, to read to the kids and have a fun project.

You have to love Harold and his purple crayon! You never know where they are going to take you. In this adventure, he and his crayon meet a king who is sad because there are no flowers in his enchanted garden. Well, Harold finds the reason for this crime and takes care of it.
Well written and in such a nice rhythm. Your child will ask questions, think up scenarios, and wonder aloud at what will happen next.

"One evening Harold got out of bed, took his purple crayon and the moon along, and went for a walk in an enchanted garden".

So begins this classic tale, which expands on numerous original elements first introduced in its also excellent predecessor, Harold and the Purple Crayon.

Harold exists in a world entirely defined by his imagination and the lines he draws with his purple crayon. These include a horizontal line - the horizon, the presence of which puts Harold on the ground, and the moon, placed in the sky, to differentiate what is up from down.

But there is a problem with the enchanted garden; "Nothing grew in it. If he hadn't known it was an enchanted garden, Harold would scarcely have called it a garden at all". To deal with the issue, the protagonist of the story decides to have a conversation with the king.

The action that subsequently unfolds has all the elements of a true heroic quest.

Harold draws a castle (because he knows that kings live in castles) but finds his entrance barred by a gate that has been shut. Ever resourceful, he draws a mouse that is larger than he is. As a result, Harold has been downsized and can freely enter via an adjacent mouse hole. And now comes one of my favorite lines, "He invited the mouse in too, but the mouse preferred to stay outside".

Realizing that as a pint sized person his audience with the king may be compromised, Harold sizes the stairs leading up to the throne room so that he is four and a half steps high - his usual height.

Our hero is called upon to utilize all his resourcefulness to deal with the witch that turns out to have caused the enchantment in the garden. And even after this has been accomplished, more adventure accompanies Harold on his journey back home.

But in the end all is well. Swept away on an out of control flying carpet that climbs even higher than the moon, Harold draws the fireplace and the high backed chair from his living room at home around it. The flying carpet is now a familiar rug. Harold asks his mother (who is seated in the chair) to read him a story before he goes back to bed.

This book is a true delight. I suspect you will enjoy reading it to your children almost as much as they enjoy hearing it read.

Impossible to beat the original "Harold and the Purple Crayon", this is certainly the next best thing. This story is appealing to a somewhat older child than the original story, as it is a bit more complex. It is better than "Trip to the Sky", which has an odd story line that children do not follow as well. The new books that go with the television series are weak in comparison to the books written by Crockett Johnson.

Well-researched and written. A Bataan death march survivor and prisoner of the Japanese for several years, Johnson rose to the top of his profession, Chief of Staff of the Army. Truly a great man but largely unknown. An exciting story.

I had the honor to know General Harold K. Johnson while he was a Commanding General, and then to serve two years as his personal aide while he was Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. Sorley has done a magnificient job of research and reporting on the life of the most dedicated American military leader in recent history. General Johnson was a unique man, humbled by his roots, molded by his experience as a POW, and a man whose personal moral standards never waivered. I think the author has portrayed General Johnson as the man I knew. My only difference with the portrayal is the implication of "resignation in protest" on a number of occasions. General Johnson held the view that his function was to advise the President, and that the President had no obligation to accept that advice. I would accept the "resignation" theory only if it portrayed General Johnson as considering resignation because he felt his advice was inadequate or that his articulation ! of that advice was inadequate. The idea of resignation would have been because he felt someone else could perhaps do it better. He was such a private man that I also doubt he would have shared that thought with others, particularly junior to him. But, a really excellent biography and Sorley has done himself proud.

Harold K. Johnson was a soldier's soldier who had the misfortune to have his career bookended by a pair of tragedies. As a young officer at the beginning of World War II, he was captured by the Japanese on Bataan and his sense of duty forced him to abandon thoughts of escape in order to look after his men. Then, as Chief of Staff of the Army, he was forced to watch the civilian leadership ignore his advice and make a hash of a winnable war. Again, his sense of duty to his men forced him to swallow his anger and abandon plans of resigning and going public with his criticisms.

Lest one think that something other than duty led him to these painful decisions, the core of his career reveals a brilliant, courageous soldier for whom duty was his watchword. Sorley writes with objectivity and sensitivity about Johnson's career and this book becomes a virtual primer on duty. Selflessness marked all of Johnson's actions and while one would have preferred seeing a happier conclusion to the career of this fine man, Honorable Warrior shows you why the best people in America are sometimes forced to live with the consequences of someone else's muddled decisions.

Sorley's book succeeds as top notch military history, a thoughtful biography of a good man and a philosophical meditation on the nature of duty.

Sorley had become the preeminent biographer of military leaders. His first book, Thunderbolt, was a joy to read. Honorable Warrior is the story of man who fought, the Japanese, survived the Battan Death march and many years of unspeakable horror in Japanese prison camps. He also fought with great bravery in Korea. However, I t was his time as Chief of Staff when General Johnson faced his most difficult professional agonies. Anyone interested in leadership, the military or American history should read this book.

I'm four-fifths done with "Honorable Warrior", and about the same amount done with "A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam" by Neil Sheehan, and I'm terribly afraid, in fact, I'm pretty sure (I looked at the ending) that Mr. Sorley will duck the question that his subject could not duck..quite. That question was whether the military effort was going to work. General Johnson was averse to Phoenix-style assassination programs and to unrestrained bombardment. He thought local policing and interdiction of infiltration would answer things. This assumes (on his part) that the South Vietnamese regime would use this breathing space to flourish in democracy, rectitude, and mercy. Why did he assume this? His cherished analytical principle, Mr. Sorley informs us, was "challenge the assertion". For instance, the General tore to shreds, anaylytically, one of McNamara's "Systems Anaylysis" monster-reports on Vietnam by pointing out that it had been cobbled together out of twenty-eight other analyses, each of which had different assumptions. As my history professor would say, "scissors and paste" or "daisy-chaining" does not good history make. My question is whether the General was rigorous enough in evaluating his own thought, his own assertions. The question is directed to Mr. Sorley, who says in his conclusion that the war was actually against mere "surrogates" of China and the Soviet Union. By that logic, we would have been morally authorized to kill every Vietnamese, since they were only inert instruments of the source of the belligerency. Trying to look through Mr. Sorley's somewhat blood-misted eyes, I take seriously his suggestion that the General was often tempted to quit and that he had paralyzing doubts about the war, which he justified to himself as bringing freedom to the people of Vietnam. Did the General end up believing, in the words of the U.S. officer so often quoted, that in order to save the nation of Vietnam it was necessary to destroy it? No, I hear his fans shouting, he was too moral! But was he moral enough to realize that it was immoral to police and interdict a viable political regime (sponsored by Ho) to death in the hope that another regime would spring up from the morally toxic swamps of Saigon? (This concept of viability of regime is the standard upheld by so-called international law in determining which of competing regimes deserves recognition). Could he make that leap of faith in good conscience? Or did he in fact drape his moral doubt in words like "anti-communism" and "security", and leave it to someone else to decide if the whole thing was going to work? My suggestion for a moral lesson is that if you're called on to do something by someone who is farther from the action than you are to the extent that you're confident that you know more about the moral questions raised than your "superior" does, so much so that your sense of obligation to this superior evaporates, you cannot dress up your feeling of emptiness with some slogans, much less with the claim that you're only following orders, but must do something to rectify the malfeasance of your own superiors. In the words of Matthew Ridgeway, words that the Army put on a leadership poster ten years ago, "If you are confident that your orders are mistaken, you are obliged to attempt to fix things." Not his exact words. I don't think he just said to bring it to the attention of your superiors. I suppose that leaves disobedience, resignation, and forceful advocacy. It is the lack of forceful advocacy by the General, and lack of concern by Mr. Sorley over the General's lack of forceful advocacy, that makes the life of the General, as Mr. Sorley tells it, only worth four stars out of five. I mean, you can't just blame everything on General Westmoreland, especially when he worked for General Johnson, traditions of lattitude for field commanders notwithstanding. Alright, how do I know the General wasn't forceful enough since I haven't finished the book? He could have ordered Westmoreland to fix things: whatever, invade Laos, install U.S. commanders in all ARVN units, take over the administration of the South Vietnamese civil population, which is the same as taking over the Saigon regime, whatever it would have taken in his mind to win ("the freedom of the South Vietnamese people", remember) and then suffered the consequences. The President could have fired him. The fact that the President didn't fire him is proof to me that he didn't advocate forcefully enough. That is crude of me. Romantic. Duel at Diablo. End of story. Soul intact. It is so easy in a bureaucracy to adopt the attitude of "garbage in, garbage out", but they pay you and respect you for doing hard things. In the words of the New Testament parable, we are worthless servants when we only do what we are told. If the General had no doubt that his conduct of the war -- he was plumb in the middle of the road of the chain of command, it was on his watch -- was ethical, we cannot second-guess God's judgment of him. To quote the previous reviewer, however, it seems that he thought that his job was to follow orders. That is not ethical. That is, in the final analysis, stupid. We don't creates lines of authority to multiply our stupidity, but to diminish it. If, when you give somebody an order, there is no implicit "or am I being stupid" which they feel free to confirm or deny, you are not getting the best out of that subordinate and the people are not getting its best out of you. This applies the more so, the higher up you go. Hey?

I first ordered this book for my son-in-law, because he is such a Charlie Daniels fan. I then ordered a copy for a friend of mine who is going through a rough time in her life right now. Before giving it away, I flipped through the pages, and read the story by Jonny Lang. I am a 61 yr. old grandmother, but I have albums by him. I was just blown away, and had to order a copy for myself.

In the book, How Do You Know He's Real, you'll get an inside look into the spiritual lives of 34 celebrities. Hagberg has compiled testimonies ranging from Kirk Cameron to Rudy Sarzo (former bass player for Ozzy Osbourne). Each story is remarkably different and it's amazing to read how God has worked in the lives of each of these well-known people.

The author has collected very readable stories telling how celebrities have become Christians, and they share their low points and their joys here. This is a welcome peek into the lives of well known people who typically are more secretive.
Ricky Skaggs, Kirk Cameron, Gloria Gaynor, Bethel Johnson (34 people in all) tell about their struggles and their early days as new Christians.
Billy Ray Cyrus tells of singing in his grandpa's Pentecostal church when he was 4, and includes the touching lyrics to the song he wrote "The other side."
Jackie (Jacklyn) Zeman, star of General Hospital, advises that when you are at a crossroads "cry out to God and ask for His guidance."
Al Kasha's story resonated with me; this Academy Award winning songwriter overcame agoraphobia, and talks about how Hollywood is a tough place for a Jew who came to Christ, and how he started a Hollywood Bible study group.
There are stories here for anyone to enjoy and find spirit lifting.

(Hagberg has written a companion book with the same title, subtitled God Unplugged)

How Do You Know He's Real? is a collection of celebrity essays about God acting in their lives. The contributors include athletes, musicians, and actors. Their stories often follow a familiar pattern of fame leading to drugs and alcohol before hitting bottom and being turned around by an encounter with God. That's not to say the accounts are all stock and cliched, but rather that God meets each person in their need--and for celebrities that need will be similar. And many of the tales include growing up in stable Christian homes, but still needing to make personal decisions about God and Christ and how that decision impacted their careers.

The stories are collected alphabetically but Hagberg has provided a topic finder so a reader battling discouragement or frustration can find offerings from Billy Ray Cyrus, Nancy Stafford, Zorro, Gary Burghoff or John Schneider.

Each essay begins with a picture and short biography of the contributor, listing their accomplishments. Following the selection is God's Road Map, a few sentences about the issues raised by the author, with Bible verses for teaching and encouragement.

The essays themselves are as varied as the contributors. Some of them read as if they were written to be given as speeches. Several sound like the writer could be sitting at your kitchen table, chatting over the coffee pot. All of them are honest and share from their heart how God has acted in their life and how they know He's real.

Reading the accounts of God acting in both miraculous and mundane ways reminds us that no matter what a person does for a living, each of us are created beings who need a loving Savior and merciful God.

Armchair Interviews says: Up close and personal stories from celebrities.

I received this book as a gift and once I started, I couldn't put it down. Ms Hagberg has captured the beliefs of these well known and respected celebrities, sports figures, and musicians. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book in the series and can't wait to give copies of this one to all my friends. Order 2!

Hugh Johnson is my kind of wine writer - he obviously possesses a great deal of knowledge about wine, how it is made, where it comes from, etc. But he also understands that the great majority of people who might drink a bottle of wine, or who might pick up his book, are not quite as knowledgable and familiar with various viticultural terms. Accordingly, he has written a comprehensive, true "encyclopedia" of wine that has something for everyone.

If you are like me, you keep a book like this, and periodically pick it up after buying a few bottles at your local shop to read his tasting notes, or some information about the winery. The book is perfect for that, he included small profiles and/or tasting notes for thousands of wineries in virtually all major wine-producing countries. The list of California wineries alone, and Johnson's personal observations about their varietals, is staggering. He doesn't simply profile the big, million case producers but has notes about small, "boutique" wineries like Groth, etc. And aside from tasting notes, the book has a whole lot more to offer.

Johnson explains how various types of wine are made (port and champagne, for example), includes maps as well as biographical profiles of some leading personalities in the wine world (like Robert Mondavi), and explains in layman's terms which glasses to use, when some "experts" like to decant, etc. This is a book to have lingering around, not for a sit down, cover to cover reading but as a source of information, that can be supplemented every couple of years by purchasing Johnson's excellent annual pocket encyclopedias (with more up to date tasting and winery info). I find myself picking up the book to look up something specific, and unable to put it down for a half hour or more while I browse. Pick it up, for the price of a single bottle of Montrachet, you will enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of wine considerably.

This book is many books in one. It is a history of wine making throughout the world. It is a guide to selecting and using wine for it's many occasions. It is also a technical book that describes the making of the wine, and how and why certain soils, with their various compositions produce certain kinds of wine. It also explains how and why the climate in certain areas affects the production of the different types of wine. Every vintage and type of wine is slightly different from any other wine, even if it was grown and produced on the very same farm. The production of the wine is not even the same from year to year. The difference of the weather from year to year is not exactly the same. Despite this, the same farms, with the better soil, and climate consistently produce the better wines when compared with the type of wine. If you enjoy wine you must have this book, and keep it where you can read it when needed. Roger Dowiat.

Hugh Johnson is my kind of wine writer - he obviously possesses a great deal of knowledge about wine, how it is made, where it comes from, etc. But he also understands that the great majority of people who might drink a bottle of wine, or who might pick up his book, are not quite as knowledgable and familiar with various vinicultural terms. Accordingly, he has written a comprehensive, true "encyclopedia" of wine that has something for everyone.

If you are like me, you keep a book like this, and periodically pick it up after buying a few bottles at your local shop to read his tasting notes, or some information about the winery. The book is perfect for that, he included small profiles and/or tasting notes for thousands of wineries in virtually all major wine-producing countries. The list of California wineries alone, and Johnson's personal observations about their varietals, is staggering. He doesn't simply profile the big, million case producers but has notes about small, "boutique" wineries like Groth, etc. And aside from tasting notes, the book has a whole lot more to offer.

Johnson explains how various types of wine are made (port and champagne, for example), includes maps as well as biographical profiles of some leading personalities in the wine world (like Robert Mondavi), and explains in layman's terms which glasses to use, when some "experts" like to decant, etc. This is a book to have lingering around, not for a sit down, cover to cover reading but as a source of information, that can be supplemented every couple of years by purchasing Johnson's excellent annual pocket encyclopedias (with more up to date tasting and winery info). I find myself picking up the book to look up something specific, and unable to put it down for a half hour or more while I browse. Pick it up, for the price of a single bottle of Montrachet, you will enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of wine considerably.

It contains lots of helpful information about wine in genera

The genius of Johnson's book is that it is not at all modern.There's no way in which any encyclopedia of wine can be considered 'modern' in the usual sense. Wine is a fussy, cluttered topic whose structure is inherently baroque.
Johnson is an elegant writer in that old-fashioned way: one who can't resist an amusing digression, a man who wants to endear as much as inform, a polymath who will stack a drop of military history on top of a reference to the church which is buried in a bit of chemistry.
Still, the listings are exhaustive and this book is both an excellent emergency reference and an entertaining and edifying nightstand browse.

Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine

This is a great way to get younger children involved and interested in U.S. history. It is especially good teaching African American children about part of the culture. While the subject material is sensitive it is written in a fashion which will hold a childs interest and spark questions.

This surprisingly comprehensive little book addresses over 40 questions children would dream up about a slave's life...and a few they wouldn't. What did slaves wear? What did they eat? Would you live with your father and mother? What if your father belonged to another slave owner? Did the children have to work? What games did they play? Were any black people free? While the answers are by necessity simplified for the targeted age group (9-12) the content is honest and relatively thorough. I think this provides an excellent foundation for helping children understand this sad time in American history. Includes web and physical addresses of seven historic/interpretive sites.

I'm teaching Early American History to Japanese adults who have an "elementary" level of English and virtually no experience in studying American history. The "If You Lived in ....." books targeted for US elementary school children is ideal for college students in Japan. Just the title causes discussion. eg. Why do you spell Willimasburg with ..burg but then spell Pittsburgh with "h"?

This book is simply incredible! My daughter read this book and was fascinated by the details that helped her understand how people really lived during slavery times. This book sparked such an interest in understanding her history until she is constantly reading and requesting more information about the struggles of African Americans. The book also makes for good conversations and an understanding of how obstacles and the struggles are life should be used to motivate us to seek better things in life. As an African American mother, it is absolutely necessary that our children be given all the tools to survive. This book helps them understand the importance of making the best of any kind of situation that you are placed in and always striving for something better!

Young readers will come away from If you Lived When There Was Slavery in America with an I-was-there knowledge of the history and lives of slaves in America. Some of the information is especially interesting, since it comes directly from slave narratives or diaries. The story of Robert Glen's secret education from an owner's son and Emma Knight's report of sobbing in pain because of having no shoes in the freezing cold will stimulate genuine understanding, classroom discussion and a desire for further study.

I highly recommend this wonderful book.