Morrison Books

It is a commonplace to speak of how quickly event move in our age, but I doubt events have ever so overwhelmed the nation the way the did between Oct 1859 and April 1861. In the beginning the sectional crisis seemed to have subsided and "Black Republicanism" was a tendency, easily overcome by the democratic party (or "the Democracy" as it was called). At the end, the war had begun and the battle was about to be joined.

Crofts book, focuses on the weeks between the election of Lincoln on Nov 6, 1860 and the proclamation calling up an army to subdue the rebel states on April 16, 1861. Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee initially and decisively defeated the drive towards secession only to be undone by being forced to choose between making war on fellow americans (and fellow southerners) or secession.

Crofts focuses on southern unionists, old Whigs for the most part, who participated in last minute negiations for a peaceful resolution of the crisis as well as William Seward and Stephen A. Douglas who were the chief go betweens. Previously historian like Kenneth Stampp have been dismissive of the efforts of the peace camp but Crofts build a compelling case for the legitimacy and viability of their negotiations and poses some difficult "what if" questions in the epilogue.

Like all good Civil War history, it will displease ideologues on both sides. It does not sanctify Lincoln or his course taken in rearming Fort Sumter and raising the army. While the militant "southern rights" prosecession camp seem like so many demagogic hotheads (at least that is how they appeared to the Southern Unionists).

Also it is a remarkable analysis combining primary historical research and statistical methods and is path breaking in contributing to what Stephen Hahn refers to as a "dissenter" tradition in Southern politics.

Finally this book was inspired by David M. Potter's LINCOLN AND HIS PARTY IN THE SECESSION CRISIS. In the most recent edition Crofts has the introduction to this 1943 classic. Read the both and really get an education!

We only read the first chapter of Dawe's book in my introduction to Irish Lit Class, his chapter that relates the history of Belfast through the history of Van Morrison. But the little bit that we read was enough to get me hooked. A professor at Trinity College Dublin, Dawe's work carries with it a personal nature, much like Joyce's relationship to Dublin in "Dubliners," but the nature of the section that I read is such that it ties the modernization of Belfast to the modernization of Belfast's culture as depicted through the career of Van Morrison. It was fascinating and accessible. If you're a Van fan, you need to read this because it contextualizes his work so much more than the songs themselves. Great work.

About fifteen years ago, a little animated series on television known as "The Simpsons" spun off into their own comic series published by Bongo Comics, founded by "Simpsons" creator Matt Greoning. The series was brilliant, featuring our favorite yellow-skinned family between episodes and new characters, situations, and meta-jokes about the comics medium that --unfortunately-- only work in print nine times out of ten.

The comics featured a main story that took up the bulk of the book, and a secondary tale in the last eight to ten pages. These were usually parodies or homages of popular films, comics and even books. One such backup feature was a comic called "Roswell: Little Green Man," created by Bongo Comics' regular artist/writer Bill Morrison.

Morrison took a huge event in Americana history --the UFO Crash in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947-- and looked at it through a skewed movie lens, taking the concept of an alien reporter nicknamed Roswell crash-landing on Earth, meeting a genius mechanic/waitress named Julienne Fries and a lunkheaded cowboy who rides a giant, mutates jackrabbit named Dagnabbit and having the trio go on the run from --what else?-- the United States military.

There are jokes a-plenty in the book, from jabs at politics to films from the 40s and 50s, the artwork --by Morrison-- is top-notch, giving the book a semi-EC Comics/pin-up babe feel, and the writing --also Morrison-- is brilliant, snarky and quirky.

Honestly, I love this book. I had the comics when I was a kid and they're just as great now as they were back in the day. My only problem? It ends way too soon. I really, really wish Morrison had plans for another Roswell series in the works. The book is brilliant, but it leaves you wanting more.

Five stars!

A fine scholarly effort with a lot of heart, Mr. Morrison's book rescues the boatmen of the Altamaha/Ocmulgee/Oconee from obscurity. Mr. Morrison has an eye for anecdote; he passes along tall tales that, whether they're true or not, demonstrate the place that timber rafters and pole boaters held in the imaginations of South Georgians a hundred years ago. Look for the story of a Mr. Harrison, who floated into Darien wearing a bowler hat, vest, and a 'grass skirt' made of Spanish moss.

I've bought and read many guides to Seattle, but this is the only one I want in my office. If you've every wanted a condensed, phone directory-style guide to some of the best things in Seattle, this is the one.

At the heart is a well thought out table of contents, which allows you to quickly locate your desired topic. Quicker than the blue pages, white pages, or the Internet; I love it.

This is not a high-design product, but it is very functional. For example, the binding allows the book to lie flat (no more 1-handed reading).

Highly recommended

This book is engaging, funny, and poignant. I felt like I was there in the early 1940s, living in Caroline Morrison's shoes, as she adjusted to the changes WWII forced on everyone living in the US. The book is full of wonderful stories and characters, both famous and ordinary. Even if you don't love history, this is a must-read.

Even if you don't ride horses, this is a fantastically useful book. The book is exquisitely designed to provide you with easy, powerful, and practical tools for achieving your most ambitious and exciting life dreams.

If you are a coach, you can easily apply the multitude of strategies and techniques in your work with clients.

For added value and interest, the book contains inspiring stories of individuals who have used the tools to successfully achieve their own goals.

It is brilliantly organized with excellent visuals to help you understand and apply the tools and concepts easily.

The tools are NLP-based (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), so the book will appeal to those of you who want to learn about NLP as well as those of you who are familiar with NLP and want to develop your expertise further.

The U.S. Dollar has been the monetary "corner stone" since the
1944 Bretton Woods Conference.

The ECU or European Currency Unit--now called the EURO, is coming
very close to edging-out the dominance of the 'almighty buck".
Iran wants Petro-Euros versus U.S. Petro-Dollars in it's Oil-based
market-bourses.

China, with all it's new power, suffers from Economic Consumptionary
problems. It's like the crisis that forced Chiang-Kai-Shek from
the Chinese mainland, as Chinese farmers working on collective
farms are NOT sharing in China's "new prosperity"--or--64% of the
Chinese populace. This is SOCIAL DYNAMITE.
China's currency is way under-valued.

In short, the year 2025 A.D. is too soon for a WORLD CURRENCY.
I am a sort of an Internationalist, but nationalism, and even the
forces of ultra-nationalism , are on the rise.
Militant Islamo-fascism blots out any meaningful Internationalism.

This book, The Single Global Currency, is still an excellent treatise
in the needed Monetary Reformation of the World.

But the best ideas now in force are the Tobin Tax, and the United Nations
Law of the Seas Treaty.
These are the two "building-blocks" for a Better World Order, but not
a/the "new world order".
Concerning this book that I am reviewing;
BUY IT. I already have.
This book does call for CITIZENS ACTION FORUMS, not "focus groups",
so BUY THE BOOK!!

A Smile In His Mind's Eye: A Study Of The Early Works Of Lawrence Durrell is an examination of a truly multicultural 20th century author. Durrell (1912-1990) spent his childhood in India and his adult life in France and Greece; his writing included novels, poetry, travel writing, essays, and drama; perhaps his best known work is "The Alexandria Quartet", and he is remembered for blending Western concepts of time and space with Eastern metaphysics. A Smile In His Mind's Eye studies Durrell's oft-neglected work prior to the Second World War, with particular interest in his embrace of Taoism and his shift away from Western patriarchal framework to a more Eastern, feminine-centered point of view. Chapters analyze "Pied Piper of Lover", "Panic Spring", and "The Black Book" in particular, as well offering a broader digestion of how Durrell's early work evolved and what this says of him. A welcome and erudite treatise of literary criticism.

This is an excellent reference book. I have used it for years to help me date, identify, and price older snowbabies. There are many color pictures, all of which are clear and sharp. Good descriptions. Easy to follow price list. If you collect older snowbabies you will want to own this book. Watch Mary Morrison's website for a new book that she will be publishing. As good as this one is I am looking forward to the next one.