Mitchell Books

This is a truly fascinating and at times startling account of one man's
desperate search for wisdom and knowledge.
Few books have held my attention as this one did,and any serious seeker
for Truth will recognise in the author and the main character a fellow
seeker.
To follow his journey through deception and delusion to his final encounter with destiny was a delight indeed.
Recommended to all who likewise seek for wisdom and understanding.

En esta obra, Gustav Meyrink logra una de sus mejores novelas junto con "El golem". Este es un libro profundo, lleno de misterio, que sabe lo que dice... Una obra que refleja la busqueda de la identidad y nos habla de las herencias malditas.

Huy

A man inherits the collected papers of his deceased cousin and is suddenly plagued with nightmares and flashbacks of the past and of the life of his ancestor, John Dee. Strange people start visiting him: the mysterious Lipotin, the seductive Assia Chotokalungin, both demanding of him his most valuable heirloom, the legendary spear head of Hoel Dhat, of which he has no knowledge of possession. Full of alchemistic symbols, the plot spans the time from the reign of Elizabeth I. to early 20th century. The atmosphere is one of increasing angst, the images heavily tinted with the shadiest of grays. Highly recommended!

Meyrink's final work, though flawed, is a brilliant and heartfelt exploration of the individual's search for mystical individuation. It is evident throughout that the spiritual quest of the main character mirror's Meyrink's own struggles in his final hours. Because of its profundity, The Angel of the West Window is of more than occult interest; it has a universal application.

The people that Joseph Mitchell introduces the reader to in these character sketches are representative of a New York that no longer exists and their stories are nostalgic and sentimental. But there is more here than that. Mitchell writes with a respect for his subjects regardless of their circumstances that reveals a true observer of life at work. Without a hint of judgementalism he takes the time to understand and the reader is rewarded and enriched as a result.
This collection is particulary good and Up In The Old Hotel contains more of the same style. The latter book is more readily available although I found a copy of this at the Strand bookstore off Union Square.

Joseph Mitchell--The New Yorker fact writer, whose birth, in North Carolina, 100 years ago is being celebrated by the reissue of this 1959 collection--was deeply versed in classical literature and in the fiction of James Joyce, and he loved the populist death art of Posada. He didn't let any of them get in the way of his journalism, though: they fueled his imagination, but he didn't require that they fuel ours, too. Anyone who reads for the first time the six New York waterfront and river stories in "The Bottom of the Harbor" is given everything needed to absorb what Mitchell has to say on every level in the prose, itself. And such beautiful prose it is--full of rhythmic texture and patience, of lists as melodious as scat singing, and of knowledge worn so lightly it can only be felt. Sometimes, Mitchell's writing is so seamless that it doesn't even seem human: it is both very modern and evocatively biblical in that way.
Mitchell was unquenchably curious about everything and everyone connected with the harbor, beginning with the hard-working fishermen and other workers, whom he presents with sympathy and matchless skill. And, yet, the human interest here is only one layer of his marvelous literary constructions. A strong recurring theme is the wasteful degradation of the environment in search of commercial gain. Another is the frailty of any individual life. Yet another is the poetry produced by the artless arrangement of names for fish or for wildflowers. And still another is the magic of stories, and of stories within stories, and of stories within stories within stories--the magic of suspended time. Although some of what Mitchell mourns has actually since improved, such as the ability of the Gowanus Canal to support underwater life, for the most part the New York harbor of 2008 has lost much of what he chronicled elegically 50 or 60 years ago. Even so, Mitchell's world--personal, individual, reflective, informed, invested with considerations of mortality shot through with graveyard wit--remains vital and real and so accessible that it would be dangerous to let high school, much less college students get their hands on the book. It might prompt a tragic optimism in them that it's possible to make a living as journalists by trying to write this way, a possibility as long gone as the once-thriving oyster beds around the shores of Manhattan.
A note about years: the pieces in "The Bottom of the Harbor" are arranged according to their tones and subject matter to make the book a good reading experience, rather than according to the chronology of their first magazine publications. If you look at them from the earliest to the latest, though, you find that the early ones are written in the omniscent third person and then, as the years go on, the voice goes into the first person, increasingly confiding on the page. "Mr. Hunter's Grave," first published in The New Yorker in September 1956, and described on the jacket flap as "widely considered to be the finest single piece of nonfiction to have ever appeared in the pages of The new Yorker," also ends on the darkest note. However, the book concludes with the youngest of the pieces, "The Rivermen," from 1959, whose ending, an apology from one man to another (also, as it happens, named Joe), reads: "'As far as I'm concerned,' he said, 'the purpose of life is to stay alive and to keep on staying alive as long as you possibly can.'" As the essayist and historian Luc Sante writes in his estimable forward to this centennial edition of "The Bottom of the Harbor": "This book of ostensibly journalistic feature stories turns out to hold at its core some of the fundamental questions of existence."

When Joseph Mitchell died in 1996 at the age of 87, the obituary that appeared in the New York Times, May 25, 1996, called him the "chronicler of the unsung and the unconventional." Mitchell began his career as a writer for The New York Herald Tribune in 1929. His career spanned the 1930s to the 1960s. He joined The New Yorker in 1938, and the pieces he contributed to that magazine have continued to gather momentum, taking on a life of their own. The six essays offered in this collection, a revised edition of The Bottom of the Harbor, were first published between 1944 and 1959.

Mitchell came to New York from rural North Carolina, and quickly found a fascination with life in the city. His essays, a combination of oral history, natural history, and psychological observation, reflect his love for the people and the surroundings of New York, with a special emphasis on fishermen and others involved in life around the harbor.

The first essay in the collection, "Up in the Old Hotel," is a kind of mystery--from a restaurant on the ground floor of a building near the Fulton Fish Market, Mitchell leads the reader to wonder along with him what the abandoned floors above may hold. It is this idea of mystery, things hidden from view, which permeate his stories. Whether he is describing the rat infestations on board ships in the harbor or the wild flowers growing in graveyards, his eye for detail is captivating. The narrative in each essay unfolds slowly, following a kind of wandering trajectory like the paths Mitchell takes to visit the individuals whose stories he relates with charm.

The Bottom of the Harbor is a book to be enjoyed slowly. The characters and settings are vividly drawn. The historical detail will delight those readers with an interest in New York's past, and the oral histories will captivate those readers who have a penchant for dialogue and psychology.

Armchair Interviews says: First-class essays all will enjoy.

He really does take you places. Places you may have been before, but in a time we'll never know again. As I'm reading, I'm careful to catch every word, afraid of missing out on the world he's revealing to me.

This is the first I've ever read of Mitchell, but he's already one of my favorite authors. Journalism at its finest.

There are so many good things I could say about The Bottom of the Harbor. Mitchell's writing style is clean easy to read without lacking in depth and texture. The stories themselves are fascinating and off beat.

But the best part of the book are the characters Mitchell writes about. They come alive through his portrayals and you will find yourself thinking about them, their thoughts, and their ways of life long after you stop reading.

The book contains six separate stories, each about 40 (short) pages long, so you can absorb them at your own pace without losing the thread. Personally, I had a hard time putting the book down.

I love this book! It has so many great ideas, and not just for plain old lettuce... great suggestions for fish, chicken, fruit, etc. I love the fact that it describes different vinegars, oils, lettuces... it gives you a better understanding of what flavours go well together. Very informative. The recipes are simple and quick to prepare as well. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who is looking to expand beyond oil & vinegar.

I had tried to use my usual stock of cook books (i.e. NY Times, JOC, etc) but found them wanting in this department. Since purchasing this book I have received many compliments on the variety of my dressings. Although I was often complimented before obtaining this resource--this really expanded my repertoire.

I have been using this recipe book for almost ten years and have not tired of it because it remains the most inventive and simply delicious book of dressings I have ever come across.

This is a wonderful book! It is well organized and contains lots of ideas for variations. Each recipe lists the nutritional values, and there are many recipes that fit easily into a low fat/calorie diet. The author explains what purpose each ingredient serves, and also discusses substitutions and their consequences. Each recipe is on a separate page and are formatted so they are easy to read. Nice use of artwork and variation of fonts, if you like that. I do. This book is a bargain, too!

This book provides more information than just dressing recipes. The author gives useful suggestions for creating interesting salads, how to buy and store ingredients, and nutritional information for each recipe. I'm planning on making good use of this book.

Okay, I read a LOT of books. After all, I am a publisher - and I am the publisher of Vali Hawkins-Mitchell's book, Emotional Terrors in the Workplace: Protecting Your Business' Bottom Line--Emotional Continuity Management in the Workplace.

As a publisher, I have to maintain a degree of objectivity about the manuscripts and books I read. Fortunately, I found it very hard to remain objective when I first read Vali's manuscript which eventually became this book.

Vali's extensive use of anecdotes, case studies and examples makes this a tough book to put down. It seems like every case study was about someone or something I have run across in the course of my career - I could put a name on just about every one. What I found most fascinating was each time I would read a case study, identify it with a real individual and experience, and then read Vali's guidance - "if only I had thought of that, I would have handled that idiot differently!"

Bottom line - this book was a pleasure to bring to market, and a worthwhile read for anyone who deals with people in the workplace who experience emotions - in other words, just about anybody you work with.

With my many years of providing an international client base consulting in the areas of continuity and crisis management, there is one important piece that many books on this topic seem to eliminate the human emotions during a crisis.

Sure consultants advise setting up effective command centers, communications, etc. but we seem to forget the trauma being experienced by our fellow workers.

This book provided me and my colleagues and insight into managing emotions and being more understanding and empathetic to those affected by a crisis.

I recommend this book to anyone who is involved with crisis management, corporate executives and anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of how emotions play such a big role in corporate life.

"Dr. Hawkins-Mitchell extensive research and own blend of expertise and clear perception of given situations provides management, and individuals, with competent tools to counter balance emotional terrorism." We've all dealt with them but few of us have successfully maneuvered around them, now we can."

Cheryl D. Coppinger
Owner of SHAM, etc
Retired from CH2M HILL

This book will effectively help you manage emotions in the workplace. It will also help you to become more understanding, empathetic, and sensitive to those around you. "Emotional Terrors In The Workplace" will help you get more production from your staff and as a bonus your staff will be happier, and you will have less conflects in the work environment.

Reading Emotional Terrors in the Workplace: Protecting Your Business' Bottom Line--Emotional Continuity Management in the Workplace, I again faced the Basic Question: Do you believe that the strength and health of your organization is based on the ability of your people to be creative and work as team members to achieve the organization goals? If you say yes then this book is a must-read. We humans are emotional beings. Much has been written about positive uses of our emotions, e.g. motivation, inspiration, drive, and the will to succeed. Of course we want to work with emotions in these positive ways. We also need to deal with emotions which have negative impacts; emotions caused by death, natural disasters, emotional terrorism, etc. This book is a long-needed tool which every successful manager and supervisor should read and re-read. This book should be a part of every MBA, Business Management and Education Administration program. Dr. Vali Hawkins-Mitchell has produced a ground-breaking book in an essential area.

B. Edward Bohart, Ed.D.

I first read Henry Mitchell in the Washington Post when my husband was receiving cancer treatment at NIH in 1982, and when I realized that his columns were collected in The Essential Earthman I immediately bought a copy. I have subsequently owned (and loaned out and thus lost) two or three more copies. As each planting season arrives I remember how much I've missed reading Henry's wisdom, and I berate myself for having loaned out (and lost) those books. So for the sake of upcoming generations of gardeners (and the old hands among us), would someone please reprint this valuable book? It's a book to read in the depth of winter and the heat of summer, in a spacious country garden or a tiny city yard, for beginning gardeners and old timers with permanently-stained hands. There never has been anyone quite like Henry Mitchell on gardening, or on life, for that matter. Grouchy, opinionated, funny, informative, brutally honest--his words will never go out of style.

The two books I have read cover to cover as gardening advice and as literature are this book and Christopher Lloyd's Adventurous Gardener. I have shelves of gardening and horticultural books.
It gives you more each time you read it.

I bought this book a few years ago based on the reviews. When I got it I tore into it and was sorely disappointed. That's the reason for 4 instead of 5 stars.

Why even 4 stars you ask? Well, about a month ago, for whatever reason, I picked it up again and now I LOVE IT!

Henry Mitchell is dry - like the soil under an oak. But he's terribly warm and fuzzy once you get to know him. I write a newsletter for my local garden club and have found quote after quote that I want to use for future issues. They're not la-dee-dah quotes that speak vaguely about the lovely joys of gardening. BLAH! Rather, they're jewels that point fingers at snobby gardeners and kill-joys who scold children for picking crocuses.

This is not a "pretty picture" book. It's sort of a how-to in an essay form. But more than that, it's great writing by a wonderful author on a topic I am crazy for.

Dear Publisher...please reprint this book. I love Henry Mitchell. I was one of the 'blessed' because I actually read Mr. Mitchell's columns (both of them) for years. I live in the Washington DC area, and subscribed to the Post. Those of us who gardened locally were twice blessed because he was not only one of the best garden writers ever, he struggled with the heat, humidity, and high winds that attack us from all sides. Whenever I am in my garden I think of him. When I look at my Japanese Anemones I remember he said "Once you have them you'll always have them." There have been times when I thought for sure they were goners, but they always survived. When I see a little plant struggling under a bush, I remember him saying, "One of these days I'll have to crawl under there and pull it out." When I see a fish tank, I think of him and his horse trough. I miss him.

My original copy of "The Earthman" is in shreds. Why?

I have read (and re-read) The Earthman for more than 20 years. Every time I returned to The Earthman, I had a patient, passionate teacher by my side.

With Henry's guidance, I matured. I learned to accept the rains that turned my garden into a sea of mud. I learned to accept the dogs who had a deep need to explore and "investigate" my treasured plants.

Henry is my friend and mentor. I cannot imagine life in the garden without him.

I must admit that I was sceptical when reading others' reviews on how humour ous this book was but purchased it nonetheless. As a typical yankee, I was not sure if I would appreciate it but I found it to be really entertaining and a great coffee table book as many other people enjoyed it too.

My unca billbob wrote dis dere book! it was a good readin' too! i tell you what, you should read dat dere book! it wuz goooood! like KFC chicken!

This book kept me amused all the way through it. I am from the south,and even though I do not speak like that,it is very funny to see how others speak. I know a lot of people that talk like that,and now I can finally understand what they are saying. This book is helpful (in a sense),and very humorous. Although it is small,this book is one of the funniest things I have ever read, and I would definitely recommend it.

I happend upon this book as I was perusing the "Southern" themes on Amazon and thought, "What the heck?" Being a transplanted Southerner, I decided to give this one a shot and folks, let me tell you---you won't be disappointed! This is not only funny, but VERY well-written with lots of information. Heck, there's even things in here I didn't know and I grew up in three of the Southern states! I can only imagine what Yankess will make of this. Would also recommend another great Southern read: "The Bark of the Dogwood--A tour of southern homes and gardens: very funny, disturbing, and with some great commentaries on the south and what it means to be southern. Thanks Y'all!

This book had me in tears. I'm from the south and worked with a northerner (from Michigan) who brought this book to work one day. What made it even more funny was when one of our fellow co-workers would hear some of the words and say, "Well, what's wrong with that?" They had heard those words all their lives and didn't even realize that there are different (northern) ways to say some things. It was too funny to read these words and realize that we say them this way without even thinking. Well, my northern friend moved away, and I'll never forget her. I believe a tiny bit of the south rubbed off on her while she was here!! "Y'all" just have to read this book! It's a hoot!! :)

This is a fabulous book on vintage costume jewelry! Beautiful colored photos, prices, loads of information and FUN. The author shares her own stories, talking with you as if you are an old friend, and by the time you finished the book you'll wish you were.

Anyone who has a passion for vintage beauties will love this book. It appeals to collectors on every level. Don't hesitate to buy. You will not be disappointed.

The author's first book on vintage costume jewelry is also a must have!

Beautifully written and the photos are stunning! If you collect costume jewelry you won't be disappointed. Only problem is now I have many more pieces to covet!!!

Ooops, I meant, not your OTHER jewelry book. I liked the first Inside the Jewelry Box so much, it was worth buying what I thought was just a second edition of it. But this is an entirely new book, with all new everything: information, subjects, photos. Great job once again by the talented Ann Pitman, who covers yum-yum subjects from fruit salad to Juliana and Lily Dache ... and exotic hard to find extras such as an Italian Ornella boot and a snazzy Calvaire purse. This is one of those books that keep on giving: you keep finding wonderful things you didn't see before, no matter how many times you look. Great job ... on an all-new book!

If you are a jewelry lover this is a must have book for your collection.
Ann does a wonderful job with the pictures and the information. She is very knowledgeable in the costume jewelry field

Inside the Jewelry Box: A Collector's Guide to Costume Jewelry Identification and Values, Volume 2 is a full-color catalogue of an amazing array of costume jewelry pieces. Each piece is presented with one or more photographs, a recommended price, and the name of the collection from which the sample piece was selected. From charm bracelets to artful plastics to necklaces, earrings, and rings, as well as special sections dedicated to well-known brand designs such as Eisenberg and Bettina von Walhof, Inside the Jewelry Box is a singularly gorgeous compilation and a joy to page through simply to savor the photography. The text offers the occasional sprinkling of historical information, comments, or insights about costume jewelry as well. A highly recommended treasury for collectors.

One of the two early Mitch Gooze books on sales and marketing. Lays out the theory of constraints and uses six sigma without getting all technical. He has done all this for quite some while

Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (10/06)

In "It's Not Rocket Science: Using Marketing to Build a Sustainable Business," the Marketing Plan is only discussed briefly near the end of the book. Mitchell Gooze writes in the introduction, "My intention here is to acquaint readers with the nuts and bolts of the real job of marketing." The author accomplishes exactly what he sets out to do in this concise, easy-to-read book.

The first section of the book explains what marketing is and what it is not. Many businesses get into trouble because they do not have a clear definition of what marketing is and often confuse it with sales. "Marketers take the long view: they want to think about the future. They like to envision products or services that could better satisfy customers' needs in the months and years to come. Salespeople, on the other hand, concern themselves with the here and now. Salespeople want the order yesterday; they'll settle for today; its taxes their patience to wait until tomorrow." explains the author. Without a strong foundation in marketing, a business is going to be seriously compromised when going head to head with their competitors.

Chapters on how to make product guarantees, product pricing, market share, distribution and surviving competition are all vital in marketing, sales, budget forecasting and strategic planning. Gooze also uses excellent examples (both success and failures) about real companies throughout his book to illustrate his marketing points. I was very surprised to read about Avon's near fatal decision to buy Tiffany & Co. in the chapter about having a plan and knowing your market.

The final part of the book includes the actual marketing plan. The preceding sections of the book lay such a solid foundation that putting a plan together is no longer so overwhelming and mysterious.

As a not-for-profit executive who has been struggling with economy issues and tough competition, I felt like I finally had some answers to how to turn the business around after reading this book. I realized that my small independent not-for-profit has spent the last 10 years going head to head with the two competitors that own the market. The books principles helped me to analyze our strengths and weaknesses and to identify the two products our creative staff has made into nationally recognized and sought after model programs over the past seven years. The two competitors do not have these programs and have no current plan to get into this aspect of the business. After protecting them with copyrights and a patent pending we are now ready to launch the program products that should support and sustain my not for profit. Instead of being a small fish in a big pond by trying to compete directly with the national organizations, my not-for-profit business is finally finding its niche.

"You can succeed in business if you will just master Marketing 101. You see...it's not rocket science." writes Gooze in 1996. Every person who owns or runs a business, plans to own a business or is in business school should read "It's Not Rocket Science: Using Marketing to Build a Sustainable Business."

Mitch Gooze has convinced me that I can be and need to be the Chief Marketing Officer for my company. His emphasis on the distinctions between marketing and sales is a real `eye opener' as I grow my business. We are starting to do some things differently, but the critical impact is that I am thinking differently.

Read this book if you are thinking about starting a new business or want to increase sales in an existing company. Reading it won't guarantee success but it will arm you with the information that you need to gain a competitive edge in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

This is a clearly written "how to" book about basic business principles that work. It is full of informative examples from the history of business and it is the one book to read if you are serious about succeeding.

I'm not one to normally write my comments on any book. However, I enjoyed this one enough to take the time for these few comments. It makes you see the true difference between marketing and selling in clear terms. I liked the numerous examples used throughout the book. As a business owner, who knows I may even try some of this stuff, which is very unusual for me.

This book is an excellent introduction into home schooling today. As a home school graduate I think he captured much of the spirit of the movement today. However, he misses one point. He looks to Holt as the beginning of the movement. His bias towards the secular home schoolers blinds him to the private school movement that led to Christian home schools. The exodus of the Christians started during the time that Holt was writing. Thus, both movements were happening around the same time. He misses the fact that Christians such as R. J. Rushdoony were writing before Holt on the need to leave the public schools. Thus, the Christians were seeing the danger in the schools at the same time if not before the secular crowd. The Christians did not hijack a secular movement.

The Mitchell Stevens does a great job of accurately representing the two broadest classifications of homeschoolers. As someone who lives in the county with the highest homeschool population (13,000+) I can tell you every homeschooler I ever met was accurately represented in this book.

I am a conservative Christian (what the author labels "Godly Women") but I practice Attachment Parenting (what the author labeled "Natural Mother"). I spend a lot of time and know lots of people in both camps, and I can tell you the author did an outstanding job of respectfully explaining them. He also explains how the different philosophies/world views have led to legislative and media domination by the conservative Christian homeschool organizations. With that knowledge new homeschools are given insight to as to the cultural divisions in open vs. closed support groups. Being familiar with both cultures can help avoid unnecessary conflict.

This book covers the first wave of homeschoolers. There are essentially 3. I Saw the Angel in the Marble by Chris and Ellyn Davis covers all 3 in one of the essays. It is an excellent companion book to Kingdom of Children. It covers the roughly 6 different ways people homeschool, the 4 different subcultures homeschoolers fall into, and the chronology of the 3 waves of homeschooling.

The Davises call the first wave "Pioneers"- people who were not happy with institutional settings for religious or philosophical reasons. They emerged throughout the 1980s. That's who Kingdom of Children is about.

The second wave are called "Settlers"- people who are not categorically opposed to institutions, but are enjoying the academic excellence and flexible lifestyle that homeschooling affords. They showed up in the early 1990s after the test scores of pioneer kids were widely publicized.

In the late 1990s and after the turn of the new century the flood gates opened and group 3 known as "Refugees" poured in. They are fleeing a failed system and are unable to access a private school of their liking. They are probably the fastest growing group where I live. They are not steeped in homeschool philosophy, and usually mimic school at home. (They are also called "school at homers" instead of homeschoolers by current Pioneers and some of today's Settlers.)

SPOILER ALERT!
I was surprised Kingdom of Children let the cat out of the bag. The author's observations led him to the conclusion that women homeschool. No matter what camp they are in, no matter what they say about biblical hierarchy, in the end women develop the educational philosophy and research materials and do the work of teaching. Women set up support groups, networks, and enrichment activities. They also handle the lion share of the child rearing and household management at the same time. There are books and convention workshops that tout the idea of father significantly participating in and overseeing the process. How can they? They are working so hard to provide for us so we can enjoy the amazing and challenging experience of being a homeschool mom, it leaves little time for hands on instruction by dads. We're so appreciative that they do. Anyone considering this lifestyle needs to be ware of that reality.

Dads-read Help! I'm Married to a Homeschooling Mom by Todd Wilson. Your wife will be soooo glad you did!

Mitchell Stevens provides the first in depth study of the American home schooling movement. Instead of assuming that home schoolers are right wing fanatics or left wing bohemians, he takes the time to attend their meetings, visit their homes and read their literature. From his in depth study, he concludes that home schooling is an activity that grows out of long traditions in American politics and is an honest, and possibly successful, attempt at reconstructing education so that it meets the needs of children.

The focus of Mitchell's book is the division between home schoolers who view home schooling as a form of Christian education and those who view home schooling as a secular activity. Mitchell's thesis is that this division defines much of the discourse, organization and politics of home schooling. It also reflects concepts of womanhood, childhood and family.

From a sociological perspective, I think that this book's biggest contributions is an implicit critique of some themes in the sociology of education, where schools are seen as propagators of the status quo. Here, we have an example of how an institution, public education, is relaxing its grip and new forms of education are being created. This is not to say that public education is on the path to extinction, but this book shows how viables alternatives to dominant institutions emerge.

To summarize: first in depth sociological work on home schooling, takes home schoolers seriously as people, clear

writing and very little jargon and furthers our understanding of educational institutions and social change. A sure winner!

We have been homeschooling since the early 70's. earlier if you consider my homeschooling in the 50's. This is why I was eager to read this book and why I recommend it. Because the author gives the reader one of the most complete and balanced view from the outside, of who homeschools and why.

I also like the fact that the author was interested in parents and families and not simply whether or not the homeschooled child tests better, gets enough socialization, have their own friends and get into college. What the author set out to find is what drives the parent to homeschool. And what "practical household decisions" make homeschooling possible. Because as he notes "conventional parenting is a lot of work" and he "suspected that homeschooling is even more labor intensive." And he set out to find out "how people decided that they could afford the time, lost wages, and mental energy that homeschooling costs." And "how homeschoolers assemble the help they need to get the job done."

He also include the study in 1995 that sociologist "Maralee Mayberry and her colleagues released the best comprehensive statistical study of home educators to date." The authors fifty-six item questionnaire included measures of parental occupation, educational attainment, religious affiliation, household size and income and the divisions of domestic labour. Working with a sample of home educating families in Nevada, Utah and Washington the researchers painted a picture of a predominantly white, middle class and religious movement. Ninety-eight percent of the survey respondents were white 1 percent were Asian Americans, the rest a mix of African American, Native American and Hispanics. Most parents were under age forty and the vast majority or 97% were married. 43% claimed at least some post secondary education, and additional 33 percent were college graduate. Professional and technical and managerial and administrative occupations were heavily represented among the fathers some were craft or service workers and a few were ranchers or farmers. 57% reported incomes of between 25 and 50k, 26% reported less. Compared to the general public the respondents were better educated slightly more affluent and more likely to be white. They also found that homeschooling is heavily gendered. 78% of mothers do the homeschooling. Also of interest to is the religious aspect. 91% reported that religious commitment was very important. 78% claim they attend church weekly. Yet 20% say they are not religious per se. 12% didn't answer the religious question. What surprised me was the fact we know more Asian and Jewish homeschoolers that any group, so this study should have studied homeschoolers in NYC, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco as well in order to get a better read on a more diverse section. The states studied are higher income and better educated so the results make sense.

I also like the book because the author notes the SAT study by Jon Wartes of Washington State homeschooled students. Although these were done in the 80's. The author does note the HSLDA funded study by Lawrence Rudner and I was happy the author noted "The study's findings must be tempered by the fact the research was built with a nonrandom convince sample, financed by a highly interested advocacy organization, and has received criticism from both within and beyond the homeschool community."

The author also explains the while homeschooling is legal in all states that some states have strict rules as far as parents reporting to state educational authorities. This is often one of the first questions I get from a parent asking about homeschooling. Is it legal? How do I find out? And I like the fact the author noted the Sikkink study that shows that homeschool parents are more involved in cicvic life than public school parents.

And the history of homeschooling since the 80s is covered well. And I am glad ton see that John Holt and Holt Associates are given good coverage since this is the one organization we joined in the early 80s and was the most secular or accepting of all homeschool families. So often all I hear is that the majority of homeschoolers are conservative Christians, even though my experience since the early 1970s shows (yes I live in a more liberal area of California) that there are more secular homeschoolers, or at least ones who are free spirits.

This is a book that any fair minded person interested in homeschooling should read. This is one of my top 3 homeschool books.

Rather than tell you what the book says (see other reviews) let me just say that having read this just as we are beginning homeschooling with our children, I have a much deeper understanding of the people we are going to be relating to in the future. Many of his insights have already been borne out in my observations. I appreciated the fact that this book is fairly up-to-date (written in the late 90's). I think I will be able to relate to other homeschooling families in an understanding way after reading this book.

The author, a judge, has researched and laid out all the evidence for the reader. Her opus transcends anything written on this subject before. The history of the Protocols and its many manifestations and clones reads like an unfolding mistery. The Lie That Would Not Die continues to resurface: in the crude threats and vituperations of Moslem jihadists and mullahs; in the speeches of so called ambassadors at the United Nations; in the fulminations of "elected" leaders such as the President of
Iran; in schoolbooks throughout Arab and Moslem nations;in the broadcast and printed media; and most lamentably, in the halls of academe even in prestigious Ivy League schools. This is must reading and belongs on the shelves of all libraries and schools.

This is a great study into the fabrication of a "Jewish Conspiracy" to World domination. People, mostly uneducated from the "Ultra-Right" or Over Educated from the Ultra-Left percieve this mid 19th Century Tzarist Forgery as fact or even attempt to entertain this rubbish. If one might take into the consideration of researching into the origional work will find its relationship to Napolean and his quests. One could develop this same lie about wealthy Non-Jewish families; Rockefellers, Fords, Carnagees, Morgans and many others with the same outcome. Today people do not place any of their reading habbits into researching or dismantling any and all of these rediculous claims even when most are public figures or public corporations which release by law their Corporate information: Jews own the Media, actual fact dictates that Arab/Moslems own far more share in all mainstream media. Jews own the Banking researching the earlier mentioned names, that claim is also a myth and the same trend relates to all of these mythical claims. This work is a good understanding of how this lie was fabricated, for what purposes and shares the factual lies within each. Usually people who entertain this "Protocals" garbage are ignorant and have never read a creditable book on the History of these people and are unlearned on the entire topic of Anti-Semitism which are blindly lead. This is a great book to defute this widely circulated promulgation. Might I suggest Paul Johnson's "A History of the Jews", Marvin Perry's "Anti-Semitism" and Joan Peters "From time Immemorial". All are fabulous, well documented and I'd consider the latter a piece of source material that should be accepted as a text for Academia.

Shortly after the 1897, First Zionist Congress, a full transcript was published, according to this masterful book, which capped six years of investigation into the etymology and evil of the 1895 forgery, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. It's a reminder that the U.S. should veto all U.N. resolutions submitting to terrorist demands.

Hezbollah, the Iranian terror group that attacked Israel July 12, believes the Protocols--twice proved an 1895 forgery of Tsarist officials in Paris--are the real First Zionist Congress transcript. This libel so well matches Hezbollah's lethal designs that it collaborated with Iran on a Protocols series, broadcast on Al Manar TV in Lebanon during Ramadan in October 2003, and in Iran in 2004. Ben-Itto here examines the lie's history and continued propagation.

Egypt's culture and information ministry approved another such 41-part TV series that aired in late 2002. U.S. State Department condemnation elicited Minister Safwat El-Sherif's declaration that it "contains no anti-Semitic material." Broadcasts continued. Al-Akhbar's editor called international opprobrium "a barbaric attack on Egyptian and Arab art."

Ben-Itto first encountered the Protocols' political use at the U.N. General Assembly in 1965, while in Israel's delegation to Third Committee deliberations on human rights. Her rebuttal didn't debunk the notorious forgery. A non-Jewish diplomat later chided her, "This book is dangerous."

Indeed. The forgery's anonymous speaker presents "in concise form, a comprehensive program for the annihilation of all Christian states, proposing practical methods for achieving world domination by the Jews." It then terms describes the Jewish people as a satanic sect, "united in purpose, acting under the leadership of a group of elders, who lacked any moral consideration." Each section (24) elaborates on purported plans for a "Jewish super-government."

Although the very antithesis of Jewish thought, this false text has nevertheless for a century swayed hundreds of millions of dupes.

In 1988, while lecturing in Berne Switzerland, Ben-Itto she met the diminutive widow of Georges Brunschvig, who in October 1934 tried the Protocols, under a 1916 Swiss statute prohibiting publication of "obscene literature." The Christian judge, Walter Meyer, in 1933 determined to try the case on its merits, a year later appointed independent experts, and in 1935--after many testimonies and affidavits attesting to the Tsarist crime--ruled the text a forgery, intended to malign Jews and incite their mass murder.

How Tsarists leveraged Maurice Joly's anti-Napoleonic 1864 novel, Dialogues in Hell, is a tale of court intrigue, Russian Orthodox mysticism, peasant anti-Semitism and counter-revolutionary tactics so compelling, albeit complex, as to confound the mind. But Ben-Itto's meticulous search through French, Russian, British, South African and Swiss archives, private libraries, journalists' notes and court records on three continents--and her interviews with dozens of witnesses--prove that truth is often stranger than fiction.

Joly anonymously published his 324-page Dialogues in Geneva in 1864, hoping the staged conversation between Niccolo Machiavelli and the fictional Charles de Secondat Montesqieu would generate opposition to Napoleon III. Instead, Joly was arrested, imprisoned and "charged with inciting hatred." His banned novel remained out of print from 1865 through 1933--excepting four copies in Paris' Bibliotheque Nationale.

Yet the book intended as a force for good was soon exploited for monumental evil. In the 1880s, Edouard Drumont's anti-Semitic La Libre Parole newspaper began charging that Jews intended to economically and politically dominate the world. The "Jewish conspiracy" myth spread throughout France and in 1895 instigated false charges against Captain Alfred Dreyfus.

Russia's troubled Romanov dynasty likewise fueled the 1895 forgery plot. Tsar Nikolai II further empowered Paris Okhrana chief Piotr Ivanovich Rachkovskii, who often carefully crafted forgeries to implicate suspected revolutionaries and other Russian emigrants whom he later remunerated to spy on others.

In 1933, several non-Jewish witnesses corroborated Rachkovskii's forgeries and helped George Brunschvig unmask Rachkovskii's "most outstanding" effort in court.

Russia's 1917 provisional government sent Sergei Svatikov, a former law professor, to dissolve Okhrana's Paris office. Svatikov presented papers from Henri Bint, formerly Rachkovskii's trusted agent, including fabricated letters, pamphlets and anti-revolutionary provocations. Svatikov also testified that Bint himself had paid Rachkovskii's two forgers, including Matvei Golovinskii, to copy Joly's 1864 book in the Bibliotheque Nationale.

Vladimir Burtsev, former editor of Russia's Byloe, confirmed Golovinskii's evil, vituperative anti-Semitic character, and libelous accusations of a "Jewish world conspiracy." Moreover, former police chief Stepan Petrovich Beletskii had told Burtsev that Tsarist officials all knew the Protocols were a "crude forgery," but nevertheless disseminated them widely--to falsely discredit the Jews for "revolutionary activities."

Graf Armand Alexander du Chayla, who spent spent nine months in 1909 at Russia's Orthodox Optina Pustyn monastery with Sergei Nilus, the Protocols' virulently anti-Semitic 1905 publisher. Nilus had showed du Chayla the text and said it came from Rachkovskii in Paris.

Many trials have unequivocally proved the Protocols to be false. Yet since the 1940s, they have circulated widely in the Arab and Muslim worlds, where they are available almost everywhere--even five-star hotels--are frequently promoted by government media and government clerics.

The Hamas Charter cites the Protocols, alongside Islamic beliefs. Other promoters include such renowned clerics as Sheik Muhammad Al-Mussayer of Cairo's Al-Azhar University and Palestinian Authority-appointed Jerusalem Mufti Ikrima Sabri. Countless Islamist websites publish them. RadioIslam provides 16 translations.

Ben-Itto discusses this phenomenon--but doesn't understand the sources of Muslim acceptance--classical Islamic ideology in the Qu'ran, Hadith, jurisprudence and end-time eschatology.

Georges Vajda's 1937 essay, notes Hadith eschatology (Mohammed's reputed deeds and sayings) describing Jews as "adherents of the Dajjal--the Muslim equivalent of the Anti-Christ--and as per another tradition, the Dajjal is in fact Jewish," according to Dr. Andrew Bostom. Elsewhere, the Dajjal is expected to appear with 70,000 Jews, who will then be slaughtered.

This book is critical to understanding the grave danger now posed by the Protocols. But defeating this inhuman lie requires defeating radical Islam, its biggest current purveyors.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

I would just like to say that since the author is a Judge and not a historian the one thing that I didn't like about the book was the fact that no footnotes or endnotes were present. In case I wanted to look up something the author had written, I would be at a disadvantage as I wouldn't know where to begin to find that information.

Other than that, this is to date the most comprehensive book that I've read on the history of the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion." This is my fourth book on the subject and I must commend the author on her diligence. Although at times I thought the "emotions" ascribed to the characters in this book were a bit overboard, the story will draw you in like a modern mystery thriller.

The characters are well developed and we learn about each one as well as their motivations and what they planned to get out of either creating this forgery or propagating it. I personally never knew that so many people had taken part in this forgery, in terms of both its creation and distribution in Russia, not to speak of Europe, which followed closely after. It was also in Europe that this forgery made the biggest impact and not in Russia where it was initially supposed to have been used, it was mentioned and readily forgotten after investigations into its authenticity proved that it was a fake.

To describe all the layers of this story is beyond this review, suffice it to say that I would highly recommend this book. The book is well written with a few typos here and there easily overlooked. The author does a good job handling so much material and so many characters so that the reader is hardly ever confused about who is being discussed, during what time period, and in what location. What more is there to say? A proven forgery, over and over again, with nothing in its defense aside from the fact that it exists. Learn its tragic story here. I will only add that sadly there is no concrete evidence as to why this book was written, theories exist and there is circumstantial proof for a few of them, but nothing that will support a 'beyond a reasonable doubt' type reason. Even so, the fact that this is a forgery and easily proven to be just that is the truth of the matter, the exact reason for this forgery's creation will have to remain a mystery.

This book is highly readable and provides an absorbing accounting of some of the court cases involving the so called Protocols. I especially liked the way one layer after another of evidence. That can make it hard to keep your place in the story if you only do a few pages at a time. If you like details and legal considerations then this is quite interesting.

This book is a good complement to Warrant for Genocide by Cohn. The original literary source of the Protocols is also very interesting after reading Ben-Itto's book and it's available in a modern edition titled: : The Dialogue in Hell between Machiavelli and Montesquieu: Humanitarian Despotism and the Conditions of Modern Tyranny" (Paperback) by Maurice Joly.

How ironic that Joly's material actually inspired imitation by those who instead critized and tried to crush the Jewish people unjustly. I wonder if Stalin and Hitler had a copy of this or the protocols by their bed sides. Continuing spread of the protocols shows how contagious evil can be.

Now it's time for someone (maybe our author) to pickup from this with a more pointed focus on current middle eastern mis-use of the protocols. Those turn of the century Czarist agents generated a best seller that continues to provoke outrage. What a blight on the world. People need to realize how much ugly and nasty stuff like this exists and motivates so many in our troubled world and then tell others.

Great work Ms Ben-Itto !