Lee Books

I don't know what the people at Marvel did exactly, I guess they went and found a different source from where to film and print, but most of the issues included here look INCREDIBLY better than their poor, xerox-like badly restored Masterworks counterpart.

If you already own the Masterworks for this part of the 4F run, you'll feel cheated and will want to throw them away, believe me, reproduction quality improvement is THAT big.

On the other hand, binding is poor for such a mammoth of a book, and, contrary to popular opinion, I wish size was the same as the original books when they were published for the first time, as it should be for an archival edition.

These are not just the best Fantastic Four stories they are among the best stories ever in the Marvel History. All stories are drawn from Jack Kirby and mostly inked by Joe Sinnott. However, quit possible you already know that. Just the comments of various authors are unnecessary. I am very critical about the printing quality but I can assure you this time the printing is perfect. The book is oversized and the binding is strong and considering the large amount of 840 pages this book can be read easily. It is well worth the money.

Marvel has done an outstanding job in the reproduction of this volume. Kirby's artwork looks terrific, and the slightly-larger-than-Masterworks size really enhances everything. In fact, if you already have the Masterworks editions of these stories, you'll want to sell them because they look so much better here. If you're an FF fan, this volume is a must have. If you're newer to the FF, these are the stories that truly defined this group, epic and operatic, showcasing Stan Lee and Jack Kirby at their very best. And it's a lot of fun to have the letters pages reproduced along with the stories. Some nice essays finish out the package. Highly recommended!

Well, even though I think this summer FF blockbuster is a nice thing to see (well, not high art but I have a good time (despite Jessica Alba's "hairdress" and make-up), the best thing to come from it, it's Marvel publishing this huge and high quality book, containing several of the best stories not just from the Fantastic Four career but the superheroe genre. Mr. Lee and Mr. Kirby were getting warmed up in the first twenty issues of this series and, once the time come, their creativity and imagination explode bringing characters and concepts that push the genre to higher grounds of pure delightfull and subtextual entertainment. From the exotic jungle of Wakanda to the cosmic horizons where the Watcher takes the Human Torch to look for something against Galactus, I think I'm not exaggerating here when I say every story from this hardcover is the very best from Marvel's old times and maybe, ever.

Sorry for my poor english.

This is my second Marvel Omnibus that I bought from Amazon. My first was the Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. The first thing I noticed with this book while flipping through the pages is that it seems to be printed on heavier paper stock than the X-Men Omnibus. This definitely adds to the Quality of the book. Also, the colors are very bright and vivid and look great. Overall, it's very nice to have, especially with the awesome variant cover.

This is a brilliantly written and highly readable book. The events of the four days are documented virtually minute-by-minute in an excellent narrative. This work flows so well it I would like to suggest it reads like a thriller - but only in the most complimentary sense. That comment is not intended to demean a work of research and clarity that is worthy of very wide readership.

When Vincent Bugliosi wrote Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, published in May, 2007, the predecessor of the book being reviewed here, it was widely regarded as his magnum opus, a towering masterpiece which took twenty years and 1648 pages to write. In this new edition about the assassination, drawn from Reclaiming History, Bugliosi has now winnowed the original manuscript to approximately 500 pages, concentrating on the facts of the assassination and eliminating nearly all the material used by the conspiracy theorists because he has essentially disproved the conspiracy idea.

Four Days in November reconstructs the assassination, giving dates and times, sometimes second by second, to make these real events come to life, and he includes seventy-nine photographs and drawings. The resulting achievement is stunning, an intensely readable and compelling work of scholarship which should eliminate, once and for all, the idea that there was more than one gunman. Photographs of the shooting, broken down into tiny fractions of a second, anatomical drawings of the wounds of President Kennedy and Governor Connolly, fingerprint evidence in the "sniper's nest" at the Book Depository, extensive photographs of the grassy knoll at the time of the shooting, and accounts from many eye-witnesses provide weighty, seemingly incontrovertible, evidence that Oswald was the lone shooter.

Bugliosi, who prosecuted Charles Manson in the Tate-LaBianca trial and then went on to write Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders about that trial, is an accomplished writer who shares with the reader the kinds of details that he, as a prosecutor, counts as compelling evidence. At the same time, he is a painstaking recreator of scenes and observer of human nature. His intuitive sense of how people behave gives him an understanding of their psychology and, at times, motivations, all of which humanize this account of seemingly inhuman actions. Focusing on Lee Harvey Oswald and his dysfunctional family, the Dallas police and press, Jack Ruby and the underworld which he represents in Dallas, and the Kennedy family as it comes to grips not only with the loss of the President but with the loss of a loved one, Bugliosi provides an intimate and unforgettable look at a national tragedy which, in his hands, is also transformed into a moving series of personal tragedies.

Readers who begin this book will be as compelled to keep reading, as details unfold, as were all of us who lived through these events during that terrible long weekend in November, 1963, when we remained glued to our TV sets around the clock, and the entire country shut down. Bugliosi's total dedication to providing every relevant detail, his ability to convey the atmosphere and the understandable confusion following the shooting, his sensitivity to the feelings of the innocent people and families who were permanently scarred by these events, and his honesty in recreating events without trying to make the facts "fit" an agenda, make this book a milestone of historical research. Certain to be honored with awards in the coming months, Four Days in November endows terrible events with the respect--and finality--they deserve. n Mary Whipple

Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery
The Death of a President November 20-November 25 1963
The Warren Commission Report: Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Given that this book is essentially covered by the reviews of its primary source "Reclaiming History" from which it is extracted, I can only reiterate the majority view here that this book is well worth reading - especially if you have not the time for the 1700 pages plus of the aforementioned RH. That said Four Days in November is still in itself a comprehensive study of the events of the weekend of November 1963 and stands alone as fine and thoroughly researched counter view to the hundreds of pro conspiracy books written on this subject.

What struck me most about this book are the many (some 25 or so) reviews of Reclaiming History in the opening pages. Why is this relevant and important you may ask ? It is probably fair to say that a good many of the reviewers represent established and scholarly if not at least dependable organizations - and that these reviewers were open minded or perhaps even reflected the majority of the American public on this subject - that Kennedy was killed as a result of a conspiracy.

But what do they now say....well words to the effect that Reclaiming History (and therefore Four Days in November) establishes beyond a reasonable doubt and in truth beyond a doubt that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone - that the majority have been duped by pro conspiracy wishful thinking for some 40 plus years. To convince so overwhelmingly is a genuine achievement and one must reflect that if so many people - who's job it is to evaluate subject matter such as this - are convinced by Bugliosi after all this time, then he must be worth reading.

So after all this time Oswald "did it after all". Is that true one may well ask ? There is no reason for the many dozens of reviewers to praise the book and still not disagree with its conclusion, but the fact is they do agree with the conclusion. Why ? Because one, they have actually read the book and two they have thought about what they have read. The fact is, if you do actually read the book you will almost certainly agree with its conclusions. Even the chances that a small conspiracy with the tiniest "c" occurred, is dismissed with ease leaving the thoughtful reader in no doubt that Lee Harvey Oswald alone killed John F. Kennedy.

I really wasn't interested in reading anymore about the Kennedy assassination by the time RECLAIMING HISTORY was released...but then I found out Vincent Bugliosi wrote it. And he spent 20 years writing it. After reading HELTER SKELTER and then his take on the O.J. Simpson trial in OUTRAGE (both incredible reads, btw), I was suddenly very interested in whatever he had to say.

By the time I'd finished reading the first section of RECLAIMING HISTORY (which is what has been released as FOUR DAYS IN NOVEMBER), I realized that Lee Harvey Oswald did it. And he did it alone.

After spending my entire life believing that some dark and sinister conspiracy was at work that day in Dallas, I was ready to let all of that crazy paranoia go. I had a suspicion that Oswald did the shooting since I work with rifles for my job. I had to qualify at targets at 100 yards with a iron sight for years. While watching a show about the assassination, I found out the distance from the book depository window to the limo was about 88 yards. "That's it?" I thought. And Oswald had a scope. Almost all of the shows on the History Channel and Discovery have also found dismissed a lot of conspiracy details as well.

But reading Bugliosi has convinced me. While the conspiracy nutjobs (and their devotion to their delusions is crazy) continue their death grip on shadows and theories and unproven, undocumented fantasies, Bugliosi deals in facts and records.

And so much of FOUR DAYS IN NOVEMBER was news to me. I'm sure it will be with you as well. Open your mind and take a look. Honestly, it won't hurt.

Vince Bugliosi's masterful work is a devastating knock-out blow to those who, like me, once believed there was a conspiracy in the death of JFK. Bugliosi finishes and completes, in exhaustive and impressive detail, the work of the Warren Commission, the House Select Committee on Assassinations, and, quite frankly, all the other writers who have ever delved into the crime of the twentieth century. It is time to get a life, America: Oswald did indeed kill Kennedy, acting alone. Vince Bugliosi has done what I once thought was the impossible: he has convinced me of this notion. The conspiracy community was able to survive the Warren Commission Report, as well as the Report of the House Select Committee on Assassinations. The question is whether it will be able to survive Bugliosi's seminal work on this subject.
Vince Bugliosi letter to Vince Palamara dated 7/14/07:"I want you to know that I am very impressed with your research abilities and the enormous amount of work you put into your investigation of the Secret Service regarding the assassination. You are, unquestionably, the main authority on the Secret Service with regard to the assassination. I agree with you that they did not do a good job protecting the president (e.g. see p. 1443 of my book)..."

This book is a perfect mechanism for catching up on the early years of Frasier or to relive those wonderful moments. I started watching Frasier in season 6 and this book has been a constant companion to fill the gaps and relive the moments I loved from the episodes I have caught up on. Having this book WILL lift your IQ!!

This book is great because it is an original! You have the original storylines and no additions from other authors. You learn how such a series is made and how important the actors are to bring the action to live.

Frasier was long one of my favorite television shows, and purely from a writing standpoint, I enjoy reading screenplays and scripts to see just how different writers structure their stories. This book collects 15 scripts from the show's first six seasons, and having seen most of the episodes, I can concur that they have chosen 15 of the best episodes.

From a storytelling standpoint, these are just great tales. The pilot episode, in which Frasier and his father try to adjust to living together, is touching and funny in all the right proportions. Stories like The Matchmaker and Ham Radio lose almost nothing in their pure script form, and The Ski Lodge is just as funny as it was on television. Even moments of pure slapstick, like the classic "silent movie" opening scene from Three Valentines, is delivered very well here.

From a writer's standpoint, the book is also entertaining. We can see how the many wonderful writers crafted their stories. Those segments that don't work as well in the script fall a little flat only because the performances on the program were so wonderful. For that, the actors and writers both deserve credit -- the actors for having that talent and the writers for knowing how to use it. There are a lot of things that don't quite work if you don't know how it was delivered, and the fact that it made it into the show proves that the the writers knew what they had and how to use it. If you aren't familiar with the episodes presented here, some of the scripts may not read as well, but if you're a fan of the show, this really is a wonderful collection.

This book was a lot of fun reading. The Fraiser Scripts is a great book. A must have for the die hard Fraiser fan.

Since losing David Angell in the September 11th tragedy, I am so happy to have a copy of this book. Dave was a great guy, and I miss him.

The kids sound "real" and I love the fun names for the lunch ladies. A family actually eating breakfast together is a little hard to believe (LOL!) but I would really like to read the rest of this one.

Frog Burger's is a must read for all ages written by Lee Mandel.
Review written by Donna Barnes


Zach Meyers and his groups of friends have charmed the hell out of me. I don't read many young adult books or short stories, but I love this story.

It charms me from right out of the gate and has me rooting for Zach. Chase Winters, the school bully, taunts Junior, Zach's friends the year before, and now he has moved onto Zach.

At first, Zach has no idea how to handle Chas, but as the story continues, he learns how to defeat the bully. Plus, Zack changes his view of Mean Madge, the lunch room lady, and dates a young girl named Marcy, in the process.

On many levels this story succeeds. It conquers the reoccurring theme of bullying that truly exists in middle schools across America, but it also addresses the concept of innocent, until proven guilty, like in Mean Madge's case.

Download Frog Burger now and read it, while enjoying your favorite beverage.

Lee Mandel has clearly demonstrated her gift in the telling of this middle school tale. She has captured the voice of a difficult age group. I've heard it said that there are no new stories only new ways to tell them, well this author has done it.

When reading a story, I like to "feel" like I am actually in the story. Description and language do that for me. If there are inconsistencies and I have to stop and question what I just read, I won't bother with the story anymore. As an adult reading this story, I could feel myself being pulled into the story, feeling the feelings and deciding I'm glad I'm not back at that time in life. There was always a Mean Madge and a bully and a frog thing, of course. I like that the frog issue in this story was only the trigger for the larger issues and not the main focus of the story.

Middle school reading is a hard place to be. This book is simply another version of all the old issues and, it rocks! I have a middle school girl and I like to know what she's reading. I don't allow books that I feel won't offer anything to my daughter. The characters presented in this story can be attractive to a boy or a girl, both can identify because it's what they're dealing with that stands out most. And if that's not enough for any parent this author delivers a powerful piece of wisdom, in a non-chalant way, when she has the bully reveal his reasons for his bully type behavior. Not everything is as it seems and this message is so subtle that it may even take root in our youngsters.

I can't wait to buy a copy of this book and a few extra too, for gifts.

If that first line doesn't grab you, well, you're probably not a science nerd. It may be time to move on, but for the rest of us...

"It's still school, just with taller kids and more homework."

That's what Zack thinks when he's getting ready to board the bus for the first day of middle school. On that bus is the obligatory bully, Chas Winters, a kid who's so bad his 'killer wedgies' raise a boy's voice an octave for the rest of their lives.

The excerpt takes readers through Zach's first day. We follow him through class, a gym encounter with Chas the Thug, and lunch. (Meatloaf, again?)

We also have a hilarious news story about protesters at a chicken restaurant in the morning paper. Zach's father from behind the paper at breakfast was a great way to start the morning.

Extra points to Lee Mandel for giving us a snappy ending. That's not easy to do.

This is another excerpt that I'd have finished by the end of the day and be recommending to my friends in school library programs. I laughed several times through the story. I also couldn't find anything that would hold this book back from submission to a publisher. If the rest of "Frog Burgers" is as good as the excerpt, I think even the most reluctant reader is going to love the book.

Congrats to Lee Mandel for a wonderful read. I'd recommend "Frog Burgers" for the next round.

Zach Meyers is starting the sixth grade today, his first day of middle school. He expects to have a lot more homework than last year, and he does. He shares some classes and lunch period with his best buds, Junior and Lauren, but his favorite class is science which not only has a great-looking lady teacher, but a pretty girl in pink glasses who keeps staring at him. The only bad thing is Chas Winters, the bully who rules the school.

I assume this book was written for boys and girls from 9-11. They love to read stories about kids their age who go through amusing trials and tribulations at school. The author's note indicates there will be a romantic triangle with Zach, the bully, and the cute girl in science class; girl readers will like that. Boys will get a kick out of the mean lunch lady - does she really put frog meat in the burgers?

Narrator Zach sounds like a real sixth grader. I think kids his age will enjoy reading this book. Catchy title!

A fun fraction workbook. I have used it with my youngest and with my niece, (they both have their own copy, of course) with pretty positive results. Give it a try, and you will probably find it helpful.

I'm a homeschool mom whose fifth grader was having great difficulty with word fraction problems. He loves this book! The questions are presented in fun easy-to-understand stories that make the subject of fractions a lot less intimidating. Thank you for making this book available! I highly recommend it!

This book is amazingly helpful for teachers in the middle grades who are reviewing the operations of fractions.

This book is amazing. I used it to teach my entire unit on fractions and it went over really well!

This is a workbook! I own 3 of Dan Greenberg workbooks and this is the best one. The students reads the story. There are 10 - 20 problems in the story that the student solves at the end of the story.

This is a book I ordered to send to my grandson for his birthday. It was sent directly, so I haven't really read it. It got good reviews and he likes the story. It was shipped well ahead of his birthday. All was well. Thanks

This is a wonderful, well illustrated book about a young boy who has an idea and finds what he needs to create it. What he needs is just a small amount of wire. It is not clear until the end what a "galimoto" is but by then we are all cheering for him to make one. I read this book to students who are studying to be elementary teachers. I think it would be an excellent book to use in the elementary classroom...it is set in Africa and has many lessons for young readers. I would love to see a whol classroom of "galimotos"!

This book is set in the small Southern African country of Malawi, the country in which I spent the first 19 years of my life. This book is very dear to me because of its connection to my home. However, it is a good book in its own right. I can say that the language used in the book is authentic (galimoto is, in fact, Chichewa for car). The illustrations are also accurate. The book also has several plot elements which are great discussion points for parents or teachers. For instance, the main character has to make several deals with people to get the things he needs for his project. This provides a good lesson in compromise. The main character also shows planning by setting a goal and then following through the motions to reach his goal. Although the book is intended for smaller children, I think that it is a helpful book for older kids as well. I have read this story to my 7th graders, and it has prompted many discussions on other cultures.

As I prepared to visit Zambia to learn how communities are coping with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, I tried to help the children of our church understand what life is like in Africa. "You mean they are so poor nobody buys them toys?" Galimoto not only gives a realistic picture of life in a small African village, it celebrates the resourceful spirit of African children. Our young people were filled with wonder when I brought home a galimoto that I bought on a roadside in Zambia. They were eager to try their hand at creating their own galimotos.

I just attended a talk by a Peace Corps volunteer who spoke about how children in Ghana were resourceful about creating toys to play with. This book illlustrates that point. I hope that my students from Africa will enjoy this book.

I saw the play on PBS and was amazed at the production. It was one of the best plays that I have ever seen. I have been in search of the video version of the play for years and have yet to find it. I have the cd version of the Philadelphia cast of The Gospel at Colonus, but I would be ecstatic if I can own the video/dvd version of the play. If anyone knows where I can get a video version of the play, please share the information with the rest of us.

This play has been one that will not be easily forgotten. A really good play for all to see. I am searching really hard to find the video/disc. The soundtrack to it is great but seeing would put me there with the orginial cast especially the narrator and performers. Please email me and tell me how to acquire one. Great and wonderful play.

The Gospel of Colonus "Greatest Performances" on video IS the BEST performances I have ever seen. I have searched HI and LOW for the video and still no luck. It has to be away to get this video!!! All I have is the PBS version (shown in 1985)and you can imagine how it is now. (sad face) But I recommend that EVERYONE see this performance. The story of Oedipus transformed into a gospel play that will send shivers up your spine! As you look at the video, you will forget where you are at the moment and think that you are there. I am sure the book is great, but the PLAY is AWESOME!!! I believe the play is MUCH better than the book because you can live it an feel what each character is feeling. THEY NEED TO PRINT THE MOVIE!!! WE NEED BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!!

I want the tape as well! Saw it on PBS and like the rest of the reviewers can't find it any where. HELP!

Yes, this video performance must be re-released! How important is this production to me: 1987 -saw this live seven times! 1997- took 15 people to see the 10th Anniversary show! Have the soundtrack on vinyl, cassette and DVD. A good friend GAVE me a copy of the PBS performance (still in excellent condition).

Here's a production that is more than just creative staging. It's a life lesson about forgiveness and redemption.

Great book, very funny and whitty. It feels like you know "Number Three" halfway through the book and, despite his politically incorrect views and simplicity (or maybe because of it), he endears himself to the reader in double quick time!

I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys the sport of flyfishing and the characters that go with it - Robert Lee penned a little gem!

If after reading this book, you don't find yourself playing mental gymnastics with the rye-humored-memories imprinted on your brain - YOU'RE DEAD!

This is one of the funniest and more intriguing books I've ever read. You can't help wanting to deck a number of characters in this book - but just as surely, you'd deck anyone who would try! It's that kind of dichotemy that makes for one memorable book!

I've developed an entire list of "Elliott Notions" and "Donnyisms". Nearly every day since reading this book (which BTW I've done 4 times in as many months!).. I find myself laughing - many times fully out-loud - at situations which in my daily life mirror conditions from this book: not even related to fishing, guiding or the West. They are just the human condition - full, raw and life-on-the-limb.

Read the book. Experience the uncanny humor Robert Lee has brought to life in this whimsical tale. And answer this: "How many times did you say you'd like to 'see the movie'?"

Enjoy ...

Finished this book in one night. Actually got it for my husband, but got hooked after the first 2 pages of "browsing". "Number Three" is a funny, yet realistic representation of some of our most interesting characters here in Montana. I laughed out loud while digesting Number Three's philosophies on fishing, women, hobbies and life here in God's "last best place". I also am hoping for a sequel to follow Number Three's continued growing pains. Thank you Mr. Lee!!

I loved every minute of this book. I read it while I was fly fishing in Montana for rainbow. It was the perfect book to settle into every night before getting up early to fish again the next day. The characters are wonderful. I felt like I knew them personally. The author has a great sense of humor. Even though this book was very funny, it has a moral to the story. I hope Lee writes another one.

This novel at times places you in a beautiful Montana river delicately presenting your fly, then again in the dimly lit Muddler tavern with a cold Pabst Blue Ribbon in hand. All with the hilarity of the "Three Stooges". The Characters are all real people, with a truly believable story line. My only disappointment was finding the final page. The ending is wide open for a sequel and I urge Mr. Lee to do so. Perhaps even a series.

If you want to know "how a haiku means" in English (as the poet John Ciardi might have said), buy this book.

Haiku, A Poet's Guide is a concise introduction to the art, craft, and aesthetics of haiku in English. The example haiku alone, selected by Gurga from poems that were suggested by many poets, are worth the price of the book. Gurga's illuminating comments on individual poems and on haiku in general are even more valuable.

An excellent book for the advanced writer of haiku as well as the beginner. You will find yourself referring to it over and over and re-reading it for the sheer pleasure of it. The only error is in the title - I have recommended this wonderful book to many non-poet friends and discovered to my delight that they enjoyed it as much as I. Truly, a treat!

You might like to know the contents of this book:

Forward v

An invitation to Haiku vii
A Note On The Text ix
Acknowledgements x

Contents xii

Haiku -- The Poetry of the Seasons 1
Haiku's seasonal Awareness 3
Japanese Haiku 4
The Development of American Haiku 9

The Art of Haiku 13
Form 14
Season 24
Haiku Moment, Context, and Order of Perception 33
Juxtaposition and Working with Images 38
Senses in Haiku 45
Suggestion and Reverberation 51
Significance and Effect 53

Not Exactly Haiku: Senryu and Zappai 55
Haiku with a Snap: Nature and Human Nature 55
Haiku with a Zap: Wit and Syllable Counting 57

The Craft of Haiku 59
Language 60
Haiku on the Page 67
Other Techniques of Japanese Haiku 77
Haiku Grammar 79
Poetic Devices 84
Objectivity, Subjectivity, and Subjective Realism 92
The Secret to Writing Haiku 104
Getting in the Mood 104

Writing and Revising Haiku 106
Beginners' Haiku 106
A Haiku Typology 108
Why Edit? 112
Guidelines for Editing 112
Publishing Haiku 116

Haiku Arts: Renku, Haibun, and Haiga 119
Linked Verse Forms 119
Haibun 121
Haiga 122

From Basho to Barthes 125
The Aesthetics of Classical Haiku 125
Shiki: Three Stages in the Development of the Haiku Poet 133
Barthes: Finding the Pleats in the Silk of Life 138

From Nature Sketch to Wordless Poem 140
Haiku's Universal Appeal 140
A Look Ahead 143

Works Cited 146

Resources 147

Books 147
Print Journals 152
Online Journals 154
Other Online Resources 154
Haiku Organizations 155

Credits 156

Index 163

***

This is a very informative book about haiku -- what it is and what it is not.

The author's writing is unambiguous and insightful.

He places examples of failed haiku beside successful ones to illustrate the difficulties and subtleties of technique.

***

I was very pleased to find a point addressed that I had always wondered about concerning whether it is better to use the present-tense or participle form for verbs in haiku -- or whether it matters at all.

A haiku almost always will present a moment in the present. That means that the verbs used are likely to be in the form of either the simple present-tense (e.g. runs, paints, fishes, etc.) or participle (e.g. running, painting, fishing, etc).

Well, apparently there is no set rule about which to use, but here is an example of what the use of the participle will allow:

One of my own haiku used as an example:

a garden pond
drawing the moon out
from behind a cloud

The use of drawing allows that it can be read as any of these: "a garden pond [is] drawing" or "...[was] drawing," or even "...[will be] drawing."
Using the participial form provides the haiku with a versatility or flexibility with regard to the dimension of time.

Here's what it would be using the simple present tense form:

a garden pond
draws the moon out
from behind a cloud

The versatility that the participle provided is gone, but it also may be true that this version rings more pleasurably to the ear.

Well, anyway he speaks about that in his book and I just appreciated that he addressed that point; no other haiku book that I have ever read had ever done so.

(By the way, if you are interested in reading about this particular point for yourself it is to be found starting on page 79 in the "Haiku Grammar" section.)

***
In conclusion:

The author thoroughly fills you in about haiku's origins, evolution and its future.

There are many examples of successful haiku from many of today's practicing haiku poets included with valuable analysis for each.

This is a very worthwhile book for becoming acquainted with the haiku verse form and I could find no fault with it.

I heartily recommend it to you.

. . . but anyone serious about writing haiku in English (or any language, if they read English) will find *Haiku: A Poet's Guide* invaluable. Unlike other books on haiku which make your head spin with lists and rules for beginners, this one helps beginners get off the ground and soon reach the point where they can evaluate their own work. Coming as it does from the editor of the premiere English-language haiku magazine and a fine poet (get his *Fresh Scent*, while you're at it), this book goes into more depth, yields more insight, than anything else available in the field so far. This is the one to keep on your desk or in your backpack.

So, you may be hesitating over the price. Don't! Lee Gurga's, Haiku a Poet's Guide, is a MUST have. (Yes, Jane Reichhold's, Writing and Enjoying Haiku, and William J Higginson's, The Haiku Handbook ARE necessary) But this book completes the triumvirate. Gurga's clear, engaging writing style, explanation and example illuminate the path to haiku. If you want to try to write your own or have lingering unanswered questions, this book will dispel any doubts. It's exactly what it says it is, "Haiku: a Poet's Guide", and worth every penny.

I could relate to the book front to back! I still am going through it after reading it twice!

This is an extremely well-written, accessible book--it will be a welcomed friend to trauma survivors and those who love them. Cori's work offers many useful insights and tools for managing the sometimes overwhelming symptoms of trauma. The author masterfully blends her expertise with compassion, encouragement, hope, and honesty. It is a truly empowering resource to be visited again and again.

Since my trauma-related dreams surfaced three years ago, I've been to three counselors who welcomed trauma patients. After reading this book, I realize they knew little of the territory. And of the several books on trauma I've read, none came close to this thorough one in its scope and supportiveness. I hadn't realized my easily triggered nervous system, allergies, extreme sensitivity, and difficulty in planning, organizing and moving ahead with my life were trauma-related. In fact, I was about to embark on expensive allergy desensitization work, but after reading this, decided to get at the deeper causes instead. I'm already noticing an improvement in symptoms, just having worked through the book. And I wouldn't have made it through the book - it's been such an emotionally charged mirror for me - if Cori were not so encouraging. A golden strength seemed to be transmitted through her words, almost like a healing voice in my head as I read.

Cori writes as a fellow traveler. She presents up-to-date information on physiology, psychology, and spirituality. Then skillfully and gently guides you through the landscape, asking you questions about you, including exercises to help you identity your symptoms and your needs. Like a good friend, she shares what has worked well for her. Many books make you feel like a statistic or one of a herd of patients. Not this one.

This book has been pivotal, transforming the way I sense my inertia, vulnerability, and frustration. It's given me a glimpse that it's possible to fully heal, and what that might look like.

Start here. The focus is on you, not on a theory or technique, although you'll get an insightful, comprehensive overview of the best therapies for trauma, both professional and self-help.

You can experience HEALING FROM TRAUMA! I'm in therapy with a trauma therapist. I've been in therapy before but never with a therapist who specializes in treating people dealing with trauma. There is a difference! Recently, I started reading this book. My therapist and the author are on the same page when it comes to helping me learn to thrive and not just survive.
Chapters It's a Body Thing and The Footprints of Trauma explain in an easy to read manner how and why your thinking and feelings got so distorted. Now I know why I get so confused in certain stressful situations.
The author writes, "I believe the ideal therapist for working with trauma is one who has personal experience with trauma, has been in trauma therapy of his or her own, has trained in one or more of the trauma therapies, is in peer or clinical supervision (which helps with blind spots), and can describe to you in simple language the methods and goals of therapy." I totally agree. Please, do not get a regular therapist! Get only a trauma specialist. Mine knows me better than I know me.
The chapter on Tools For Living discusses objectivity and looking at evidence and consequences. Byron Katie's The Work is an excellent example of a process that will help keep you from "a victim stance, a self-protective armoring, an attitude of defeat." I included that last sentence because I held on to my victim story for a long time. You don't have to do that.
Jasmin Lee Cori is a very insightful writer. In the chapter on Spiritual Issues she writes, "It is a trap when we get so intoxicated by transcendent states that we want to stay there and not deal with our real problems in the world." I think "intoxicated" is the right word for all the different things I did to try to feel okay.
I can't recommend enough: Read this book! Get sober if you've been self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, food, shopping, religion, etc. Get a trauma specialist therapist and talk to them if the urge to run comes up. These are my recommendations because they are working for me.
Begin the journey. It will be painful at times but it's worth it. By the way, the trauma I experienced was sexual abuse. There is HEALING FROM TRAUMA!!!!

If you are a trauma survivor -- especially if you are just beginning to deal with your trauma and symptoms -- please read this book.

This is, finally, the book I've been looking for and really needed a year or two ago when I first started dealing directly with my trauma history and its affects on my life! I recommend this whole heartedly as a great resource for survivors and their loved ones. It is the best general guide to the subject that I have read.

I have read most of the other books folks typically recommend, and usually found them interesting and helpful. At the same time, I felt like they were either to detailed and technical (Levine, Herman, Rothschild, etc.) to really be practical. Or, they had too many exercises, reflections, and inspirational quotes for me (The Courage to Heal and its kindred) and I found them a bit too sappy and off-putting for where I was in my process.

In this book, Cori strikes just the right balance of information, suggestions, and tone. She also does a wonderful job of summarizing what trauma is, how it affects the body and mind, what therapeutic methods can be helpful, and how to generally care for oneself through the healing process. She also provides tools for self-reflection, and intersperses stories from other survivors that make the data relevant and come to life.

If this book had been available when I started dealing with my trauma, I think I would have understood the situation better and would have been more equipped to make good choices and deal with things in a caring and effective way.

While this is clearly a sort of overview or handbook, Cori provides plenty of additional references and resources so you can do further investigating on your own.

My one small quibble (and it's is very small), is that she only mentions meditation and mindfulness practices in passing. I have found these practices to be essential to my healing. But I recognize that they are a bit outside the mainstream, and certainly aren't for everyone.

Overall, a wonderful resource!