Mitchell Books

Jewell Kutzer wrote from experience and combined southern culture with southern cooking. This is more than a cookbook. It brings spice into the life of anyone who understands combining food and philosophy.

Read it and learn how to bring health and enjoyment to the mind and the body.

Karen Harvey
St. Augustine, FL

[...]

Conjuring up memories of childhood and good home cooking, Jewell Kutzer brings wit and wisdom to the dinner table in her second book, Mayberry Momma's Food for the Soul and Body. Jewell's delightful vignettes peppered with conscientious attitude and the prize-winning recipes are ingredients for creating one's own fond memories centered on family, food, and the kitchen table. My favorite recipe section is "marvelous meatloaf" with its list of diverse and delicious sounding entries. I'm planning a series of happy family gatherings to prepare, create, and taste each one; and, as Mayberry Momma says, "enjoy lickin' good eatin!'"

If you like good old-fashioned cooking served up with humour,zest,and more than a little wisdom thrown in, don't miss this one. I could hardly wait to get the book home and try out some of the dishes I remembered from my Grandmother's kitchen. Easy to prepare comfort food is the best way I can describe it. This is one cookbook I'll use again and again. And if you haven't read her first book, Memories of Mayberry, you're missing a treat.

Jeannine Auth

Jewell Kutzner has compiled a simply wonderful collection of 'kitchen friendly' recipes for down-home cooking that will enable even the most novice family cook to set a table that will please even the most gourmet palate and satisfy even the most robust appetite. Enhanced with her personal memories of growing up in a small town, the recipes range from Miss Georgia's Buttermilk Cheese Biscuits; to Chicken Cordon Bleu Saucy Mini-Meat Loaves; to Creamy Potato Soup with Okra Dumplings; to PaPa's Favorite Custard Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce. "Mayberry Momma's Food For The Soul And Body" truly lives up to its title and is an enthusiastically recommended addition to any family and all community library cookbook collections.

The recent winner of an international piano competition is featured on several Youtube videos. The user comments are overwhelmingly spectacular... "better than Horowitz", "perfect", "a dream", "extraordinary", etc, etc. In a way, we can understand these favorable comments, as the laureate has a magnificent technique, and does, for the most part, observe the composer's indications. Given that, it is not easy to ruin a great composition. But is that enough? One measure of the greatness of a musical composition is the opportunities it affords players, its breadth of interpretive possibilities, the invitation to explore.

The pianist in question lacks one quality that used to be, and should still be demanded of a great artist. In a word... "penetration". There is no sense that this pianist's performances reflect the fruits of a searching musical intellect. They are musical, but homogenously so. Yes, he is still young, but as they say, "show me the child and I'll show you the man". Josef Hofmann's early recordings are often criticized for their "coldness", but even in those early recordings we can hear the same qualities that led admirers of his mature recordings to call his style "patrician".

Many pianists of the past, who may be heard in early recordings, show this penetration in the unique personality of their conceptions. These conceptions are made possible by the close connection the artists have enjoyed with the leading exponents of 19th century tradition, and the musical sensibilities and subtle technical resources, involving dynamic range and variety of touch, that have been passed along to them. This is not a question of overused rubato, or a generally outmoded style that has seen its day. It is a question of approach. No pianist typifies this approach more than Moriz Rosenthal, one of the great Liszt pupils, previously having studied with Rafael Joseffy and the Chopin pupil Karol Mikuli (Joseffy and Mikuli are familiar to all pianists as editors of Chopin's works).

Most young pianists are simply not exposed to artists like Rosenthal. We cannot be expected to know the juicy goodness of a great tomato when we have never been to a farmer's market, but have only been shown the supermarket! Mark Mitchell and Allan Evans' "Moriz Rosenthal in Word and Music" will go a long way towards correcting this. It should be required reading for all who love music (pianist, instrumentalist, vocalist or serious listener) and want an intimate and multi-faceted view, foibles and all, of one great artist who could plumb the musical depths.

My enthusiasm for this book is based on one crucial aspect... its reliance on primary sources, and the breadth of the man these sources reveal. The editors include Rosenthal's unpublished autobiographical fragment, various other short writings by Rosenthal, many published for the first time here, and a generous helping of perceptive concert reviews. One negative review resulted in an amusing (and revealing) back and forth between the protesting Rosenthal and a critic for the London Times, who had the last word, in spades. These reviews show that Rosenthal was not for everybody (who is??), but all praised his omega level of virtuosity and pianistic range... and not least, his abundance of interpretive input.

The book offers unparalleled personal reminiscences of such musical greats as Joseffy, Mikuli, Liszt, Busoni, Tausig, Korngold (pere et fils), Mahler, and exceptional memories of meetings with a prickly, if not mean-spirited, Johannes Brahms. Rosenthal even writes of his audience, at age 13, with the highly regarded Chopin pupil Princess Marcelina Czartoryska (then 58 years old. Chopin would have been only 65!), and his disappointment when she left off playing Chopin's e minor Concerto for him just when the knotty passagework was about to begin, with the comment (in Polish), "et cetera"... Rosenthal at his catty best!

But the riches of this book go far beyond Rosenthal's personal memories of his contemporaries. Rosenthal's own deep views of piano music and its interpretation are fascinating and rewarding. We also meet up with numerous examples of the most biting, sarcastic tongue of any musician ever, mainly directed against his colleagues! My personal favorite: While attending an obviously less than riveting concert, Rosenthal could not help but notice the loud snoring of a nearby audience member. He turned to him and said, "For pity's sake, don't snore so loudly or you'll wake up the whole audience!"

The subject matter in the book is far too wide-ranging to summarize here, but it all makes for absorbing reading... and not just for specialists. This book is a page turner, moving through a series of colorful articles by Rosenthal, as well as by writers who, like Rosenthal, wrote with style, to be read with enjoyment. Rosenthal pupil Charles Rosen provided a valuable and informative preface, while the editors wrote the engaging introduction. To top it all off, Mr. Evans has supplied a CD of Rosenthal performances, processed with the same care and attention to clarity he lavishes on his wonderful historical offerings on the Arbiter label. These recordings by Rosenthal underpin and potentiate everything written in the book, and indeed speak a thousand words... what playing! We may not all agree with everything we hear in Rosenthal's performances, but we will definitely all pay attention. Many will have their ears opened, and learn what it means to be truly great.

Apart from the delightful shorter Chopin, Schubert, and Liszt works, and his famously suave and fleet-fingered rendition of his own "Blue Danube" transcription, a standout performance on the CD is one which has been much maligned. This is Rosenthal's recording of Chopin's b minor Sonata, made when the pianist was 77 years old. Critics have made much of the aging pianist's ebbing technical mastery. Such criticism misses the point, and is symptomatic of the superficial perception of art, generally, in our time. In fact, the advanced age of the pianist contributes to the heroic dimensions of the performance... an epic display of the Spirit at once disregarding and conquering the Flesh. Furthermore, this is Moriz Rosenthal performing one of the finest pieces of music in the piano repertoire. It is therefore, prima facie, a precious document of inestimable musical value. And Rosenthal certainly has more control at 77 than Francis Plante at 89 (and Plante's recordings are a delight!).

The Largo is searching and lyrical, reflecting a lifetime of growing intimacy with this music. Rosenthal was never content to play simply "musically". He gives us his vision of the musical landscape set before him, diverse and ever-changing. Rosenthal exhibits a characteristic common to the best "Golden Age" pianists - he never releases his intellectual grip on the musical flow, never hands off his command to a sort of generally musical "cruise control", as engaged by many lesser pianists such as the aforementioned competition winner. Rosenthal penetrates, and comes up with more.

In the Finale - one of Chopin's most torrential and physically demanding movements - we can only listen in astonishment as the old warrior carries us along from start to finish in one grand, unrelenting sweep, putting today's young competition-gypsies to shame. We are aware that Rosenthal is past his physical prime, but, wonderfully, no accommodations are made, no tempi slackened, no clarity sacrificed to advanced age. If ever a performance demonstrated that the irreplaceable essence of a musical performance is Spirit, this is it!

A Rosenthal discography is included in the book, along with photos and concert programs, as well as a list of his performance repertoire.

Mark Mitchell and Allan Evans have, in short, put together a compendium of original sources that give a rare portrait of one of the greatest performers in history. A must have for all music lovers who want to dig deeper.... and wider.

As co-editor of the book, I am surprised to read a review by Otten in which he wonders who the author might have been. As it is a collection of autobiographical writing, the author is Moriz Rosenthal. Oppen cites an early biography of the pianist: none exists. Alas, this is the down side of the internet: angry amateurs trumpet mis-information and clumsily err in doing so. Mitchell and myself annotated Rosenthal's splendid texts and selected supplementary material.

Previously well-reviewed by Rick, the following excerpts should whet one's appetite for a work I could not put down, history alive, sprinkled with anecdotes of the famous and legendary, Rosenthal's thoughts on life,art,pianism,humanity, insights into an age gone but retrievable if its lessons are learned, hearts are so inclined:

Mikuli,Chopin's student,teaches Rosenthal the master's legatissimo playing in which the sound glows and grows even after the key is released,to which Rosenthal soon adds the heroic utterances of Rubinstein, the spiritualism/vision of Liszt.


Joseffy presents Rosenthal's first Vienna recital:

Chopin F-Minor Concerto (Joseffy 2nd piano)
Beethoven 32 Variations in C Minor
Mendelssohn Prelude and Fugue in F Minor
Chopin Op.10,#5
Chopin Waltz E MInor,Op.Post.
Liszt Au bord d'une source
Liszt La Campanella

Rosenthal remembers:

"Tausig died in July of 1871 of typhoid.His female friends sat by his deathbed in Leipzig.Liszt or Wagner might have transfigured his earthly farewell,but neither of the great masters appeared.Tausig's death shattered a pillar of the pianistic world at that time.The greatest technician of his age had departed,but not wihtout inspiring Brahms in his Paganini Variations.These remained: Liszt,the most universal,spiritual,and still the innovative piano poet;Rubinstein,the most tempermentally glowing,melodically richest,the piano hero mightiest with tone; finally Bulow,the quick-witted,but often technically deficient,and more amusing than spiritual piano analyst;and, from the younger generation,Joseffy,of fairy-like elegance,and Grunfeld,who set himself apart as a virtuoso through his rhythm and his magnificant right-hand octaves." All of whom Rosenthal knew well and heard often.And you can hear Rosenthal.

Hanslick on reviewing a Rosenthal Vienna recital in 1884:"Through many years of acquaintance with modern piano virtuosity I have almost forgotten what it is to be astonished,but I found young Rosenthal's achievements indeed astonishing.His technique scorns the most incredible difficulties,his strength and endurance the most inordinate demands."

A 1900 review of his Don Juan Fanatsie in England: " He hurled forth a Dionysian declaration of war...with that technical power in which he is surpassed by no living performer.After many recalls he was constrained to play once more;and by way of the sharpest possible contrast,he gave Chopin's Berceuse,bringing out all the delicate moonshibe filigree of the right-hand part with infinite subtlety."

Rosenthal: "Whoever breathes in the heady,fiery air of Mozart's or Liszt's enthusiasm will see Don Juan as being as inseperable from his unbridled affirmation of life and audacious glorification of death as,say,Napolean is from his battle roar." No wonder these Golden Agers were,sound,different.

James Huneker,1911: "He is both musical and intellectual.He is a doctor of philosophy,a bachelor of arts.He has read everything,is a linguist,has traveled the globe over,and in conversation his unerring memory and brilliant wit set him as a man apart.To top all these gifts,he plays his instrument magnificantly,overwhelmingly.He is the Napoloean,the conqueror among virtuosi." The Golden Age lesson: to be a pianist apart,first be a man apart.

Rosenthal: "No,the grand manner did not "come in" at one special date, and "go out"at another.The grand manner is, very simply--a grand manner.A manner of playing which forms itself upon grand concepts,makes such concepts personal by grand enthusiasms...a matter of personal convictions,personal inspirations,personal thought... (Any age could produce musicians in the grand manner if only) the representatives of that age will take the trouble to cultivate those habits of thought...The more typical representatives of this modern day seem less concerned with a free outpouring of generous enthusiaisms,than with the practical means of achieving some goal.It is not considered "smart" to give unfettered expressions to one's deepest emotions.The modern school of interpretation has left stark,cragged heroism behind..It strikes, at best,into a sweet,well-regulated field-vale-and -woodland order of feelings..."

Rosenthal: "...There is little heroism in this post-war life;people have grown cynical and dulled.They call heroism a gesture and wonder what is the good of it....the tank mechnism that has crept into today's playing.It has come unconsciously,of course,but,nonetheless, there it is."

Time (Jan.4.1943):"Concert artists, like dogs,always grow to resemble their patrons.Most of today's examples (Gieseking,Casadesus,Serkin,Heifetz) resemble bank presidents or New Deal intellectuals.Most of yesterday's ( Paderewski, dePachmann) resembled haughty princes of noble blood. One lordly,athletic survivor of the time when artists wore royal purple is the orange-whiskered Rosenthal."

Rosenthal: "There is no such thing as a new school of piano playing.The mere fact that one has not studied with Liszt, that one has not heard the Chopin school,and that one has never been priviledged to hear Rubinstein is a colossal drawback and can never constitute in its helpless negativity any claim to distinction or greatness.Having missed the great triumvirate,the pianists of the younger generation are bound to learn from those of us who had the great privilege to study directly or indirectly with these musical and pianistic giants.If they choose to turn away from us they will not harm us, but themselves."

Edward Stevenson,1927: " ...the one man alive who seems to find nothing so hard to play that he cannot make us think it trivial of his effort...But there is no trckery in Rosenthal.Within the hour or so of his pianism,we believe the impossible because of what we ourselves have seen and heard..Rosenthal is today,as ever he was, a superior intellect in his art;often a delightful poet,even a simple pianist.He is a great music-interpreter as well as great executant...in technique, he can occaisionally (at 65) be even closely approached;but he is still unequalled,supreme ,unique,as a sort of changeless phenomenon of virtuosity..."

Rosenthal on Schumann's Carnaval: "It seems amazing that this most popular piece, played by thousands of amatuers and performed publically by hundreds of pianists,should remain for almost all of them a riddle,a literary enigma.The names of Eusebius,Florestan,Chiarina,Estrella,are for them empty sounds.But Schumann is never to conquer by fleet fingers or loose wrist alone.For him your worship and love and the flights of your soul! (If you have them.) In his highest moments Schumann is as deep,as solitary,as ecstatic,as exalted and exalting as Beethoven in his last works..."

Stories of going with Leschetizky, Liszt,Bosendorfer,Bulow to hear Rubinstein play. Long walks with Busoni. Playing Op.111 for,coffees with, Mahler. Meals,drink,some bawdiness with Brahms. Per Joseph Hoffman, Rubinstein said he never knew what technique was until he heard Rosenthal. Brahms permission to play not all, but a selection of, the Paganini Variations in recital (Books I and II have enormous finales so should not play both, per Rosenthal).

The Times,London,1936, after seven recitals in 3 weeks surveying piano music: " To this wide field of the last century's music Mr.Rosenthal's life as been devoted and he has made it his own.The 20th century has developed other types owning different ideals.He can afford to leave them to other interpreters."

You cannot afford to be without this book, and its accompanying cd with his incomparable Schubert, and Blue Danube parphrase, or without the Pearl cd, Rosenthal-Vol.II,also produced by Mr.Evans.

Rosenthal: " Liszt was not a man like others.One always felt that his suggestions came from mystical thought. He saw further than we did, and when he spoke,his thoughts were so well-considered that he gave the impression of seeing with the eye of a creator..."

Rosenthal: " It is not enough to be a true servant of the arts;its masters are what we long for and need."

Amen. But in an age of forced, numbing,egalitarianism, where electronic communication is preferred over conversation and contemplation, where one's success is measured in competiton against others rather than in heroic,lonely pursuit of personal vision, is master an endangered species, rare as the man apart,rare as a creator?

Allow me to start by saying that this is not a "biography" per se. Although the basis of book consists of the previously unpublished memoirs of Moriz Rosenthal (1862-1946), they are quite brief (only 22 pages here) and rather sketchy, ranging from his childhood to the early years of his career.

The book concerns itself with these memoirs, and with filling in the areas not discussed with contemporary magazine or newspaper articles, letters, and other writings by musicians close to Rosenthal.

I would encourage the reader to "begin from the beginning" - to start not with Chapter 1, but before - with the excellently written Preface by pianist and musicologist Charles Rosen. Rosen knew both Rosenthal and his wife very well, having studied with both in childhood.

Rosenthal's importance as a pianist needs no defense among members of the various Internet groups that may be reading this review. To the uninitiated, let me say that his childhood study with Karol Mikuli (one of the more important pupils of Chopin) and his adult study with Franz Liszt gave him many insights into nineteenth-century performance practice. He is considered one of the closest links we have to Chopin to have recorded. His recording career began in his sixties, and although it may not show him "at his best", there is enough evidence there to support his reputation as one of the greats. Some of his technical feats are impressive - at any age.

I do not feel qualified to discuss the "literary merits" of the book itself - the translations appear to be very well done and enjoyable. As the book is a collection of essays, it does not follow a long pattern of narrative. It is an enjoyable read, with many short, self-contained sections. The editors have taken great care to avoid redundancy - Rosenthal evidently used material from previously written articles in other, later articles, without considering that his writings would one day be collected.

The reader looking for Rosenthal's renowned one-liners need not fear. Many are mentioned and the circumstances explained. Some of the more "famous" one-liners that received repeated coverage are tactfully edited out of various articles, to spare us from reading yet again "He plays well, but he's no Paderewski."

Among the writers represented are Eduard Hanslick, James Gibbons Huneker, Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, and a handful of critics who covered Rosenthal's concerts - as well as Rosenthal's "letters to the editor" in response to a few reviews.

There are some interesting revelations here. For example, Rosenthal made the claim that it was Chopin, not Paganini, that drove Liszt back into a period of intense study, and that he did not want the public to know that another pianist had caused this period of soul-searching. True or not, Rosenthal evidently enjoyed sharing this story.

For the curious, I list the tracks on the accompanying CD:

Nocturne in D flat, op. 27/2 (Chopin)
Sonata no. 3 in B minor, op. 58 (Chopin)
Mazurka in C sharp minor, op. 63/3 (Chopin)
Etude in G flat, op. 10 no. 5 (Chopin)
Etude in C, op. 10 no. 1 (Chopin)
Mazurka in G, op. 67 no. 1 (Chopin)
Triana (Albeniz)
Blue Danube Waltz (Strauss-Rosenthal)
Moment musical, op. 94 no. 3 (Schubert)
Soiree de Vienne no. 6 (Schubert-Liszt)
Waltz in C sharp minor, op. 63 no. 1 (Chopin)

The previously unpublished tracks are:
Sonata in B minor, op. 58: Finale (Chopin)
Sonata in B minor, op. 58: Largo (Chopin) from a 1935 BBC broadcast - incomplete
My Joys (Chopin-Liszt)

My major caveat with the CD is that the Chopin B minor, a test pressing from 1939 and previously issued on an RCA Camden LP, does little to enrich Rosenthal's reputation, as has been repeatedly discussed. But the buyer of this book will likely know the story of this recording.

If I give away too many details, one may be tempted not to buy the book. So I won't. I did find interesting one little "psychological" angle - the editors theorize that Rosenthal was obsessed with "the idea of a lesser talent usurping or diminishing the aura of a greater one". He often discussed the Kalkbrenner-Chopin story and the Salieri-Mozart rivalry, and the editors believe that this is shown in his responses to newspaper critics, as well as in his treatment of how Julian Fontana edited Chopin's posthumous works for publication.

Mitchell and Evans have done an excellent job of editing and organizing the articles, eliminating redundancies, and providing generous editorial notes to the text.

An annotated "concertography" (listing of works performed in concert) by Mark Mitchell is included, as well as a discography by Allan Evans - listed alphabetically by composer, and including 78 rpm matrix information where applicable. In the case of the Odeon-Parlophone issues, which appeared stateside on Decca and Columbia, he includes these numbers where possible also.

As a record collector and self-ordained "piano historian" I found the book overall to be a very informative - as well as entertaining - read, and a book to which I will refer often. Very highly recommended.

Weaving the history of the Black Mtns with the author's personal diary made this book exceptional. I particularly enjoyed the theory on how mountain balds were formed and how native americans survived and made most of the land. I recommend this book to anyone who hikes or camps and appreciates the mountains.

What an excellent book! Timothy Silver has given us a two fold view of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains of North Carolina. A combination of the natural history of the area, and man's exploration/exploitation of these lofty peaks. I think what I enjoyed most about the book, were the short "interludes" where the writer inserts his many experiences of car camping, hiking/backpacking, trout fishing, or just marveling at nature while sitting at some well known spot, or some "hidey-hole" known only to people who frequent the area. These personal thoughts heightened my reading pleasure, because like the writer, I have spent a great deal of time in the Blacks and know of what he speaks.

The battle between the Mountain's namesake, the Rev. Elisha Mitchell and his former student, future Confederate general Thomas Clingman about who measured the mountain first, is fleshed out completely, and is probably the definitive account of this famous row.

The end chapters deal with mankind's interventions on the mountain, and the consequences of these acts. This is followed up with concise information about the acid rain/woolly adelgid issues affecting the Fir and Red Spruce trees on the mountain tops, along with some discussion about the growth cycles about the above mentioned trees, which in my opinion, clears up some of the misinformation out there. For years, the problem was blamed on woolly adelgids, then on acid rain. I personally feel like these two scourges work together hand in hand to decimate the once proud Fraser Firs.

This is truly a groundbreaking book. I'd like to see more works that follow this vein. Nicely illustrated.

Timothy Silver has given us an excellent history of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains.
The work is titled as an environmental history, and it is supported by a wealth of factual information, but the whole presentation is a wonderful flowing story of these peaks in western North Carolina, and their history as they were shaped by nature and by man.
Of special interest is the account of the feud between Elisha Mitchell and Thomas Clingman. The story encompasses misunderstandings, fragile egos, and desperate politics. When Mitchell fell to his death in 1857, the public mind established Mitchell as a hero and martyr who died to establish these peaks as the state's best known landmark. His body was later moved to the higest peak, which is forever known as Mount Mitchell.
We are also able to see the history of man's interaction with nature. In the case of the Blacks, it is often with tragic results, and even when the intentions are good, the outcome is often marginal.
Dr. Silver leaves us with a compelling book that provides much information and asks many questions that we should consider not only for this mountain range, but for our environment as well.
I highly recommend this book. The author has done us a great favor.

What a terrific book Timothy Silver has crafted! Anyone interested in mountains, hiking, fishing, environmental issues, natural history, or the local history of North Carolina's mountains will enjoy this wonderful account. Professor Silver, a historian in western North Carolina, has written a book in which Mount Mitchell stars at the center of his narrative--and both general readers and professional historians can find meaning and pleasure in his tale.

Like many environmental historians, Silver sees in the reciprocal interaction between nature and culture a larger story of a region. And he brings us this compelling story from a variety of intriguing angles. He offers his own assessments, ones generated on his extensive hiking and fishing trips in the Black Mountains of western North Carolina. He provides insight into the steamy 19th century historical controversy between rivals each seeking to determine which was the highest peak in the region--and to see who could do it first and most authoritatively. (And as a New Englander, I found the tale inviting even if our White Mountains fall short in elevation to North Carolina's peaks!) Professor Silver also examines logging practices and regional boosterism, the antecedent of eco-tourism.

The book has something that will be compelling for a wide audience of readers interested in the natural world and local history--and the style is accessible and enjoyable. Whether you've hiked a lot, love North Carolina, want to investigate stormy political and personal feuds, or wish to know more about regional environmental history, "Mount Mitchell" is a fine read. I commend it to you!

Written by an MD Nurture Nature Nurture Health is what I hoped: A book that outlines the toxins contributing to all sorts of health problems and practical tips on how to minimize them, how to detoxify, and how to boost the immune system.The section on what you can do and the resources are amazing.I will use this book forever!

This book is a true blessing for the planet and those of us who live on it. A guide on the link between our lifestyle and diseases of the earth and ourselves.1 in 3 Americans will develop cancer, 17% of US children have either a learning, emotional, or developmental disorder, and 1 in 7 womwen develop breast cancer today when in 1969 it was 1 in 22. If you want to know the TRUTH and what you can do--read this book!

I purchased this book after seeing the author on Fox and Friends. It definitely opened my eyes to the types of chemicals and toxins that are in our environment that ultimately end up in our bodies. As a nursing mother of a 5 month old I was pleased to learn steps I can take to keep our home and myself less toxic with the ultimate goal of keeping my baby healthy for years to come.

The book does seem to be repetitive at times and can be a bit daunting only due to the large chemical words constantly used- but how can you get around that. I was hoping there would be more info on how to detoxify our bodies besides eating vegetables and fruits washed down with some green tea. It does have a great reference section. With this book and a website - the green guide- I learned about in the book, I have already started making changes around our house. Just today I was looking at the ingredients in my son's sunscreen and found that it has chemicals that has shown to affect the development of the brain and reproductive organs in laboratory rats! Needless to say I found a much safer sunscreen. I also found that my shampoo and conditioner has one of the "7 Ugly Ingredients to Avoid in Personal Care Products"

Overall it is very educational, eye opening, and if you are looking to improve your health I highly recommend this book.

Dr. Gaynor's newest book takes up where Dr. Gaynor's Cancer Prevention Program left off. I was amazed at the science showing not only how toxins are found in places I'd never have guessed(eg.some lipsticks have lead) but that safe alternatives exist for all of them.The roster of famous MDs who endorsed the book reads like a Whose Who--Dr Mehmet Oz(You- The Owner's Manuel), Dr Michael Osborne(President of Strang Cancer Prevention Center),Dr Mimi Guarnieri(Scripps Institute),Dr William Rhea( environmental medicine specialist).That's good enough for me.

I ordered "Any Day". You sent me "One Man's Garden" which I already own. So, I sent it back and you charged me for the shipping as you claimed I had ordered it. "One Man's Garden" is a wonderful book and would really have liked to have added "Any Day" by Henry Mitchell to my Collection.

This collection of Henry Mitchell's essays, mostly from his Washington Post gardening column, should stand as an example of how to write. Mr. Mitchell wrote as he spoke; simply, but eloquently and with a wink. His wry sense of humor and disdain for posturing are evident throughout his work. I believe his essay on sunflowers to be the most enjoyable piece of garden writing in existence.

Okay, it's the middle of winter, Christmas is past, and now is the time to break out the gardening catalogs and begin plotting the new growing year. According to Henry Mitchell, we can enjoy the garden year-round if we plan strategically and the middle of winter is a good time to begin.

Mr. Mitchell wrote two weekly columns for the Washington Post for a number of years--one of them a garden column I never missed reading. His garden columns have been preserved in several books. ONE MAN'S GARDEN follows his first book THE ESSENTIAL EARTHMAN which spread his well-earned reputation as a garden guru far beyond the Post market area. These two books were published while he was alive so one must assume they were collections of his favorite essays. The essays are arranged by season and correspond to the months he wrote them.

Mitchell can be read by gardeners living anywhere. Although his essays contain information helpful to those working in Zone 7, the reader can glean sage advice applicable anywhere. He shares anecdotes about his experiences in his own backyard, and while that might seem far from novel as every other Tom, Dick, and Henrietta is writing a garden book these days, his essays are the best. His writing is funny, philosophical, useful, and a joy to read, especially on a cold winter day when you need to be reminded of irridescent dragonflies hovering over lily ponds (former horse troughs).

In his essay on dragonfiles (July) he informs us they require lily pads for landing, they can't just plop on the water like a pelican. This little item helped me understand I needed to do more to make my back yard friendly to butterflies, dragon flies, and their insect kin. I now have shallow spots in my birdbaths where they can dip their tiny feet.

Mr. Mitchell shares all sorts of interesting insights from his adventures with clinging vines--planting them where they will not grow, growing native variants such as the American Wisteria. The American Wisteria is often overlooked by those who grow the "Oriental" kind from China which Mitchell says if left untended can form a 20-foot clump in the middle of your yard. The Chinese Wisteria is very ornate, and the U.S. Park Service has planted it all over the National Gallery of Art on the Mall, but the American Wisteria is a pretty little thing better suited for the back yard. Mitchell says you can see this Wisteria in bloom at the Henry Botanical Foundation in Philadelphia.

Mitchell's essays range far and near, from Jefferson at Monticello to flower shows in faraway places. He writes in December of bananas, not a local plant in Zone 7 by any means, but one Mitchell considered a "great good plant" nevertheless and he grows one in his back yard in a pot. Although MItchell died several years ago, his essays are every bit as timely useful and funny as ever, and not to be missed.

This book is a delight and a pleasure to read aloud. The author has helped us focus on spring planting even though the wind chill factor has been -35 degrees most of the weekend. One Man's Garden helps "cure" the cabin fever that rages at this time of year in the northeast. Well worth the money it's a refreshing window into the love of gardening.

Public employee pensions are in deep trouble in many countries, undermining economic policy and threatening retiree well-being. What can be done to help them perform more efficiently and enhance old-age security? This volume takes stock of public pension developments in the US and Canada, highlighting challenges these financial institutions face in coming decades. The first Pension Research Council study of public pensions in a quarter-century tackles these topics with an impressive team of international actuarial, legal, and economic experts.

This book explores the diversity of governmental pension plans and investigates how these financial institutions must change in years to come. Public employee pensions are in deep trouble in many countries, undermining economic policy and threatening retiree well-being. What can be done to help these programs perform more efficiently and enhance old-age security? This volume takes stock of public pension developments in the U.S. and Canada, highlighting challenges these financial institutions will face in coming decades. The first Pension Research Council study of public pensions in a quarter of a century tackles these topics with an impressive team of international actuarial, legal, and economic experts.

This is a sine qua non treatise for anybody having to deal with the subject of pensions. Edited admirably by actuarial scholars Mitchell, representing academia, and Hustead, representing private industry, the book covers all aspects of pensions in the private, public and academic sectors. The editors also write several individual chapters on their areas of super - expertise. Actually the most useful and comprehensive chapter, the one on governmental and military pensions, is written by the team Mr. and Mrs. Hustead. Mrs. Hustead is an expert attached to the White Houses' office of the budget. The most interesting chapter, this by Mr. Hustead alone, is the one with his lucubration on the pensions system, sometimes debacle, of the District of Columbia, Washington DC, the capital city of the USA. Although it was not the obvious intention of the author, it shows in a very peculiar and amazing way the vicissitudes of such a political entity that fully justifies the usage of vehicular license plates with the proclamation of "Taxation Without Representation" kindly exemplified by firmer President Clinton in the First Limousine, and, of course, immediately rejected by the Bush's administration. Finally, the selection of the goddess Minerva for the cover, is a master, and artistic, stroke.

What can be done to help public sector pension plans perform more efficiently, and thereby enhance old-age security? In much of the world, public sector pensions are in deep trouble, undermining economic policy and threatening retiree well being. By and large, North American public pension systems have performed better, boasting tremendous assets and offering reasonable retiree benefits. Even here, however, military and civil service systems are not doing as well. This volume takes stock of public pensions in the US and Canada, offering lessons and highlighting challenges these financial institutions will face in the coming decades.

The first Pension Research Council study of public pensions in a quarter-century tackles these topics with an impressive group of international experts from the actuarial, legal, and economic fields. Contributors illustrate how reform options vary across uniformed employees, teachers, legislators and the judiciary, municipal and state employees, and military personnel. This study will be invaluable to taxpayers and their representatives, and those responsible for both public and private sector pensions.

Olivia S. Mitchell is the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Professor of Insurance and Risk Management, and Executive Director of the Pension Research Council at the Wharton School. Edwin Hustead is Senior Vice President in charge of governmental actuarial and benefits consulting at the HayHuggins Washington, D.C. office.

This is a book full of the breath of life. Like the great gardens described, it can be appreciated in many ways. At once a collection and a pilgrimage, combining East and West, always with a touch of humor, it makes you feel the joy of being alive!

This book impressed me with the amount of information on garden design, styles and history it has. No, it is not a coffee table book with pretty pictures, but a serious study on the history of garden design. The pictures in it are black-and-white, as well as all diagrams and plans. It is an excellent reference book for students of landscape design and garden lovers alike!!!

Good examples of different aspects of the landscape. Explains different types of gardens well. It was an assigned book for a class, which made me not want to read it, but I'm glad that I did. Well written with good diagrams.

It's really about experiencing and analyzing the spacial environment. Well written & illustrated. I've used it as a supplemental text in a history of L.A. course, & students have found it really valuable. I've just plain enjoyed it.

"Right when I thought I had pretty much read everything there was to be read about the Vietnam War from the soldier's/veteran's perspective, a small manila envelope found it's way to my door. As it turns out, there were some things I had failed to learn.

This isn't an easy book to read. It is painfully easy to follow, but it sure isn't easy to look at. What I mean to say is that, is there anyone who likes to look at their own skeletons in the closet? Not me. But it is something we all have to do if we ever plan to get anywhere in this world.

I shall ask Mr. Mitchell's forgiveness in advance if I speak incorrectly of his past. It is not my intent to do anything but shed light on the plight of the Native American Vietnam veteran. They are rarely spoken of, written about or honored. These men are all bigger people than I. If my grandfathers had their hair cut off, land and language stolen from them, I am not sure if I would be so eager to serve a government that had done this. I sometimes hear people ask, "Why don't the Indians just get over it? That was a long time ago." My answer would be, they have. They have fought and died for this country since before this country even had its own name. It seems odd to me that despite a man's heritage, he can be expected to lay his life down in a foreign land, maybe even for a foreign cause, but in his very own homeland, he is not honored for that sacrifice. That is so disrespectful and sad. Those are some of the reasons this book is so difficult to read. And that, like it or not, it isn't so easy to "move on" or to "get over it."

There are many scars a man can possess. A bullet wound will heal, ask a soldier with a Purple Heart. It may even be worth a good story or two. Scars on the forearm from jungle rot will make people gasp, but it doesn't hurt the veteran anymore. But there are some scars on the inside that, try as you might, you can't get to them, you can't bandage them or suture them. You can't blow them up, you can't ignore them, you can't outflank them and you can't run from them. They become part of you: in a way, they are you.

Then the question becomes "How do you live your life with the person you have been made to be?" The author speaks with great eloquence of this. He seems to have few regrets about serving his country, and yet one can barely hesitate when asking why? He has been ignored, taunted, refused and mistreated. What would you do if the tables were reversed? That is your big question. Would you be able to rise above it? Would you sink beneath that burden? I was halfway through the book when I thought I could not continue, I did not want to find out what happened to the author on the breakneck pace of self-destruction he was on. I figured someone else must have finished writing the book for him, for surely he was in prison or dead. He is neither. Please read on if you hit the middle ground, as I did. The ending will touch your heart.

The author looks you square in the eyes, as is the way of any honorable man, and he never lets his eyes blink through the entire book. It made me want to look away, to cry in shame, anger and want to have met this man back then to prove not all people are like many that he had met. I wanted to tell him that people don't treat veterans that way in Oregon. That he would have had it better here. But I don't really know that, do I? Maybe I see things from the eyes of a person who has always had the door opened for me, always had options, never been afraid to sleep for fear of what my mind would do while I tried to escape into slumber. I am safe because of the sacrifices men like Mr. Mitchell have made.

I have always been safe. Maybe that is why I felt so helpless reading this book. It just didn't feel right. I was left unsettled. But maybe that is the purpose of some things in life. Shake people up now and then. Challenge some of their notions, shake their ivory towers, maybe some of us will fall out and jog some sense back into our heads. It should not matter to me or you if the Vietnam War ended 30 years ago or 30 minutes ago. The fact is that millions served, thousands sacrificed all that they had, their lives, souls, minds, arms and legs. I have given them nothing in return. What have you given them? A parade? A job when they needed one? A swift kick in the teeth? A hand? I don't know what you are going to do, but I can make a suggestion. Read this book. Then think about it for a while. Then decide if there isn't some little something you owe a veteran you know. I know what I am going to do. I shall start off by writing Larry Mitchell a letter of appreciation. I think I shall also make him a batch of cookies - every soldier needs a box of cookies in the mail."

-Joni Bour

Potawatomi poet and Vietnam veteran Larry Mitchell takes us on a harrowing journey fraught with danger and drug addiction during his tour of duty in Vietnam and afterwards. The cover photo of Mitchell and his fellow GIs reveals the strong bonds that formed as they endured life under fire, endless days of tedium in the mud and jungles, and tension broken by sudden attacks from an unseen enemy. Some survived, but damaged. Others never came home. "Potawatomi Tracks" is one man's personal record, yet it rings with universal truths.

In strong cadences and vivid images, Mr. Mitchell tells of his struggles with PTSD, drug addiction, and aimlessness as well as poverty as he returned to civilian life on the reservation and later spent time stationed in Germany. Now married with two grown sons, he teaches writing, secure in his tribal community and visions for the future. Ultimately, his story becomes a testament of spiritual survival and the healing power of the drum.

"Potatawomi Tracks" does more than educate us and touch the heart. These poems bridge a cultural gap and issue yet another challenge to our government to pay heed to voices from Indian country. This book belongs in homes and libraries everywhere.

It's ironic that Native Americans have always loyally served our country overseas, only to be treated as second-class citizens back home. From the code talkers of World War II to soldiers who've died in Iraq such as Navajo mother Lori Piestawa, Indians have fought and died for America. Surely they deserve the recognition that other veterans receive.

"Potawatomi Tracks", Larry Mitchell's poetic chronicle relating the events of his year-long tour of duty in Vietnam and the path back to his home in the Northeast corner of Kansas on the Potawatomi Reservation is followed by years of drug abuse, alcoholism, homelessness and racial discrimination before he is able to overcome his feelings of despair to regain his dignity, self respect and take back control of his life.

From a Native Unity Review

I read Larry's personal account of his tour of duty several years ago. I was moved then by how unique and profoundly different his prose chronicled his own actual personal experiences. This is so much different than other veteran accounts. It reflects a cultural and spiritual dimension not seen in so many other memoirs.

If you think you understand all that happened to us Vietnam veterans--this will open up new portals to understanding that have not been touched on by any one else. It is truly a personalized but universal life experience that will take the reader on a journey of the heart.

This should be on your list of books to read about the Vietnam War. A truly riveting read!

You can't see it here, more's the pity, but the cover for this book is absolutely breathtaking... lovely, magical, it changed my life.

Oh yes, and the book's pretty good too.

Kenn Mitchell's mesmerizing new book of poems Proverbs for the Initiated gives the reader a deep look into the author's life, his work, and the place in which he lives. His poems grab you by the hand, the throat, squeezing tight while you take the journey to a world you have never been, or perhaps forgot you had once been before. Kenn Mitchell's poetry is very straight forward, no extra words written to soothe the sometimes harshness of his thoughts. You won't find politically correct phrases or words in this book, but the true writing of a human being who sees things as they truly are, as beautiful or grotesque as that may be. Here is a poem I selected from Proverbs for the Initiated:

Clergy To A Different God

on sixth avenue whores are gathering beneath the lighted Lotto America billboard they light expensive cigarettes & laugh as they adjust bras and scratch itches- delicate scent of perfumes

they are no longer young -lines covered with make-up & cocaine

they are clergy to a different god praying their rosary of cigarette butts & cash

~ Kenn Mitchell

I found this poem to be very pleasing in it's dark and humourous tones. I like the way it makes you want to laugh, but at the same time you are disgusted with yourself for doing so. This poem is very visual. You can see the women standing there, and by Kenn's descriptive writing, you see more than you really wanted to. It wakes you up to the reality of someone else's world, someone else's life.

Many of Kenn Mitchell's poetry has that same darkness, that same odd humor. Kenn Mitchell's poetry makes you think and see, beyond our little lives of picket fences, manicured lawns, and membership to the PTA. Here's a taste of reality for you, so grab a glass of Naya to wash it down.

I personally recommend Proverbs of the Initiated by Kenn Mitchell. You will devour every poem, greedily turning the page for more. Kenn Mitchell is a superior poet.

The Editor

YOURWURD Magazine

Moving from late autumn, the poetic journey travels into the dark of winter. Stark, sharp-edged, mincing no thoughts.. poems that shake a fist at the sun and invite the gray frigid landscape of winter in for a tall glass of ice water and a duel to the end. i can feel the frozen fog licking at the back of my neck, and hear it laughing madly at the mere hint of warmer, sunnier days! most notable: "notes from the frontier","maniac riders", "the magician picks up a broom", "standing in a field" "rain in my fingers", "another nw mill closure", "paper makers", "paper mill blues", "what difference does it make", "indistrial meeting", "a poem for my co-workers", "paper break on 32 machine", "union dues", "for my father", "my father's workshirt". it appears that the muse came looking for a fight, and found one! a good read, when nothing less than reality will do. excellent cover art! thanks.

Kenn Mitchell has his personal way to look at life and the world, and expresses it in powerful lines. The "miracles" his poems work are to make the readers see the facets of a reality, at times disturbing or bitter, yet, necessary to live on in this " Domicile of Rain" - the opening poem of the collection. He is able to give sound and shape to the uneasiness so may share, but dare not say. A strong poetic voice speaking to all those who want to listen.

This book offers a key to opening your mind and heart to the infinite possibilities of who you are and who you can be. It's not about searching for God, it's all about experiencing God. The author artfully designs a five-step treasure map for living, which, if followed, will empower the astute reader to live in true happiness, regardless of the ups and downs of daily life.

Spanning from energy psychology to ultimate mystical insight, this treatise is a scientific exposé of the meaning and purpose of human life on earth. The sub-title, How to Return to the One, will give you some indication of the lofty aspirations of this work, but the author skillfully addresses the huge challenge of such a task, showing the reader how to transcend the illusion of separation and gradually re-integrate with All-That-Is. If these claims sound too amazing, read this book, take up its challenges, listen to your heart and follow the treasure map all the way, if you dare. If you are a serious and joyful seeker of ultimate spiritual freedom and love, this book is for you.

Since I started knowing Psycanics, after a few days I started to know that magic is possible, just like anything else can be possible, and this is a very liberating thought to hold in mind.
I tryed many other things for personal uplifting, with a lot of enthusiasm at the beginning, but with poor or insignificant, or even worst results. Some are The Law of Attraction, Positive Thinking, Toltecs Path, Energetic medicine, all of them have something that is missing. They are telling only one part of the truth...and what about the rest? If something doesn't work, why insisting.
Psycanics W O R K S.
Works like Magic!
Have you ever been in love? What else is important when you are deeply in love? Wouldn't you die for it?
The problem is that love is crazy, it doesn't have any rule! But we are living in a world full of rules...
So Psycanics is here to teach you how to fall in love, with Wisdom!
And most importantly with someone who cannot leave you, and that is yourself?

The concept explained in this book are very simple, and very simply and completely explained, that is an essential basic for a Real World practise, which is really what you want...not just ideas, but provable truth, that you have to prove in your experience, everyday.

I am still learning a lot about it, because it is actually very vast because it can cover and can be applied in many areas. I have known it for nearly 2 years now and it is the first thing I would suggest to someone who needs something. Anyway each soul has to find its own path...
Bye

I have read hundereds of book on spirituality and mysticism but no book gives as good technical details as given in Psycanics for CWG. This book explains construction of mind systematically or sceintifically. This is a marvellous book especialy for scientific minded persons. As the current generation is scientific minded, so this book will help them turn to God by adapting Internal Quest(Internal Quest is explained in the book). In my knowledge, this is the best book on spirituality on earth.

This book is a wonderful, and I might add, necessary complement to the Conversations With God Series by Neale Donald Walsch. While the CWG books describe "What Would Love Do Now", this book will give you the tools that will allow you to do it. The spiritual technology that you will be introduced to here will ensure your 'Return to the ONE'. Anyone who resonates with the CWG books will find that the information in this book will propel their own communion with God and your ability to create a spirit-filled life. A great book to consider with this one is: You Are The Creator of Your Life