O'Neal Books

Some say that this book collecting the O'Neil/Adams GA/GL run was outdated and lame, well they are wrong. racism and drug abuse is not something that is just forgottan about. purchase if you are a fan of either charecter.

I bought this because I liked Green Lantern and I heard the stories in this book were good. What I got was one awesome adventure after another with Green Lantern (who is still cool) and Green Arrow (my new favorite superhero). It is clear that the themes of the stories work way better at the time they were written than they do now, but they are excellent themes nonetheless. Some of the dialogue is cheesy, but that's to be expected considering when it was written. None of the dialogue is "bad cheesy," though. Just a bit dated. The best part of the stories is definately Green Arrow. He always acts for good and isn't fooled by "The Man." It's cool to see Green Lantern change throughout the stories from super cop to a more open-minded hero. If you like this one, you'll definately like the second one as well.

On the road, questioning their motivations, a junkie ward, unhappy overlords, and more. Two friends go travelling, mostly sans costume. They end up doing some soul searching, not to mention fighting, along the road.

There is also a pretty bird on a motorcycle in the future, as well as some other characters.

Cults, unions, and other such things appear. No supervillains.

If you have an appreciation of old school comics and like green lantern and green arrow, this should be an easy buy for you

I was amazed to see the intensely negative reviews printed here about this remarkable series. Neal Adams is probably the greatest comic book artist ever and his work here is his best.

The times we live in are incredibly sad. I despair when I read comments like these. The so-called "Reagan Revolution" must be here to stay, unfortunately.

People, even comic book people, obviously don't care about important issues like racism, poverty, the enviroment, American imperialism and the like. Reviewers who consider the GL/GA series "quaint" or, even worse "naive and misguided" are not part of the problem. They ARE the problem.

I picked up the book for what I assumed was humorous reading. What I found, however, is a book full of leisure second-guessing by a non-official. Granted, the calls the author discusses are controversial, but to write a book about these calls and also villify those who made the calls is ridiculous.

The author operates from a fan-based perspective, i.e., a raving lunatic, that the official who 'blew a call' is a horrible, terrible human being and has no business wearing those stripes. One bad call means the official deserves, at the very least, death. However, the author doesn't spend any time discussing all of the thousands - yes, that right - thousands of good calls and no-calls that same official has made over time. So, again, like a brain-dead rabid idiot, the author rants and raves and name-calls the official who 'blew' a call, only to ignore the really good past and future performances of those same officials.

In other words, to put it simply, if a coach, player or sportscaster (gasp!) made a mistake, we need to look the other way and excuse that person for having an "off day" or having a "momentary lapse of judgment." Holding officials to the impossibly high standard of never making a mistake is ludicrous. Yes, officials are supposed to get it right, but then again, so is that 5.5 million dollar wide receiver who has dropped 60% of his passes this year, and so is that multi-million dollar coach who is 0-7 for the start of the season. Oh, and I guess we should mention the sportscaster who doesn't really know the rules but yet feels totally comfortable second-guessing and sounding like an expert.

In short, it's simply a book to mock officials and does nothing to edcuate people about how very difficult it is to officiate a game at the collegiate and professional level, something all rabid fans need to learn to appreciate. This includes brain-dead annoying sportscasters-trying-to-be-author.

From Don Denkinger's infamous blown call in the 1985 World Series to Bernie Fryer's boneheaded rationale for calling a shot no good (before it was taken!) in the 2002 NBA Playoffs, "The Worst Call Ever!" takes us inside some of the most infamous plays in sports history. This book breaks each incident down into short chunks that are easy to read and highly enjoyable. It also separates the incidents by sports, so everything is grouped together very conveniently. Getting this book about bad calls is a great call for sports fans!

Last Sunday I did something I hadn't done in a long time: I watched an NFL football game. I've never been a huge football fan but I was in the mood for a game. Maybe it was this book that put me in the mood, I don't know. What I do know is that I couldn't help but think of these stories put together by Garlett and O'Neal of referees, umpires and officials who have changed the outcomes of games through mistakes, ignorance, fear or maliciousness.

In this particular game, the Dallas Cowboys were playing in Chicago against the Bears. In the first half I counted three (perhaps four) obviously blown calls by the refs. Particularly bad was the call to keep the clock running at the end of the half when Dallas should have gotten the ball back with at least a couple seconds on the clock. Instead of a potentially big Dallas lead, these calls effectively helped make the score 3 - 3 at the half.

Of course, Dallas came back in the second half and put the Bears away 34 - 10 so there's no way this game will end up in any future sequel of The Worst Call Ever! It violates two of the criteria Garlett and O'Neal used for inclusion: it's an early, regular season game (and so, comparatively unimportant) and the likely outcome was not changed by the officiating. Instead, Garlett and O'Neal provide us over two hundred pages of rule-changing, apology-causing, outcome-changing calls made in World Series, Bowl and Stanley Cup games. They also throw in some playoff games, Olympic medal contests, and a potpourri of less popular sports.

All in all, it's quite a fun collection of, in many cases, sports history changing calls. Sports fans will be familiar with many of the tales here but it's astounding to see them all together like this and realize just how much depends on officiating. In my heart, I still like to believe that, if a team was really meant to win, they wouldn't be in a position where a call can cost the game, but after reading this, I feel less sure. Hopefully, testing and instant replay will make things fairer in the future but, as the Dallas-Chicago game proved, we still have a long way to go.

Having lived both in Austin and Chicago, and not being a big football fan, I really didn't care who won the game so I was able to look at it with an unprejudiced eye. I couldn't help but think: yes, it's only the third game of the season but what if they had lost and, at the end of the season, Dallas missed the playoffs by a game? Would it be fair to say that some of the blame lay with these officials? I don't know. What I do know is that the calls in every game have impact. And the challenges to calls had no impact, at least in this game. Yes, we still have a long way to go. There is little doubt Garlett and O'Neal will have the makings of a sequel as time goes on. And I'm sure I'd like to read it.

I bought this book as an afterthought because I umpire high school baseball. As a sports fan, I have enjoyed each chapter on the different sports. The author sets up the blown call(s) very well to illustrate why the calls were magnified (e.g., playoffs, national championship implications, etc.), and with a good dose of humor. The selection of blown calls is subjective, and some may disagree with inclusions and/or exclusions. Regardless, this is an excellent book for any sports fan.

I originally was buying this book to give to sports-minded family and friends...and then started reading it myself. When an author can write with such wit, knowledge, and intelligence AND keep a non-sports-minded person like myself fascinated to the final page, that is saying A LOT! This is written in a style that makes me think I am sitting in the author's living room simply chatting about some very interesting, and oftentimes controversial, referee and umpire calls.

i got this book as a birthday gift.i have to say it is one of the best presents i ever got.it took me back to a time when i was just getting into comics.it was great to relive how comics were back then,great storys and even better art.it was funny how the writers used the "70's" lingo.
the story is a collection of the hard traveling heros story line.the book is a great read.the storys are compeling.the art is wonderful.anyone will enjoy it!if you have any spare money laying around,spend it on this book.you will not be sorry!it comes with a nice book cover for safe storage.i have to say if i hadn't got it as a gift i would have had a hard time spending that much money on a book.but after reading it i found out it was worth it.you will not be disapointed!

A kid growing up I had four favorite comic heroes: Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and the Flash (Well, at least Spidey made it to the 21st century intact). It didn;t get better than when two of my favorite characters wound up in a single comic.

The first comic I can remember regularly anticipating was the Green Lantern/Green Arrow comic. Unlike other comics, the stories were interesting and invovling. Issues like drugs, racism, hypocricy, and religion. Stuff that even as a kid gave you a time to pause and reflect. Early 70's saw the emergence of several new writers and artists, and Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams led the charge. They give you everything you ask for in a comic book: Interesting characters, great stories, and fabulous art. These days it's either all art/no substance, or a great story with pics by Mrs. Johnson's 3rd grade art class. This is back when they made them right, as evidenced by the fact that over 25 years later, they can still sell them!

And though they may have been killed (and subsequently re-introduced in altered fashion), GL and GA still rock old school. For years I have been trying to track down good copies of these comics, and heaven bless the genius who decided to reprint these. My hat''s off to you.

If you have never read anything written by Dennis O'Neal or drawn by Neal Adams, buy this! It will not disappoint.

I do not intend to try to sell this book to any potential buyers. I like to think that those seeking this book out recognize what it is, and the effects that the orginal series had on comic books in the 1960's and 1970's.

In the post 1960's era, where shows like Batman had made comic books look foolish, and childlike, true fans had nowhere to turn. Consider the effects this had on comic book readers in general and those characters themselves. Several books were almost cancelled! The cartoony pop of that era had campy cartoon villians, (like a Cesar Romero Joker) and immature stories. Batman and Robin would fight the Joker, who used huge tubes of paint to defeat the Dynamic Duo.

The stories were running dry. How many times could Lex Luthor trap Superman in a Kryptonite cage??

Enter the heroes.

Neal Adams (the best comic artist ever) came in with Denny O'Neil, and Dick Giordano and redefined the classic DC characters that were becoming "caricatures" of who they were before. The Green Lantern/Green Arrow stories of the sixties and seventies focused on racism, drug use, dependency, disappointment and violence. Those stories brought charcters back from the brink, and showed them as being human.

I have the orginal comics from which the reprint was taken. It's beautiful, well drawn and written. Neal Adams defined the art that has influenced even todays young comic book artists. And the respect I have for the entire team on those books has yet to be repeated.

Read this book because your a fan. You like richly drawn characters. Deeply meaningful stories and of course Green Lantern and Green Arrow. Enjoy the book, i know I did .

In the early 1970's, the comic book world had to start changing. It seems, no matter what problem Superman got himself into, those accursed robots would be called in from the Fortress of Solitude to give him a hand. And Batman's utility belt was always full of what you needed. And characters like Green Lantern and Green Arrow could face whatever villains came their way in the Justice League series. But the problem was, comic books had to grow up to retain readers. What had been aimed largely at children before, began to broaden its audience as a means of survival. (Though if you have the actual comics from the 70s, you'll see the ads are still aimed at a juvenile audience.) One of the first series to push the industry forward was the new Green Lantern/Green Arrow series. This is the O'Neill and Adams era (not included are the subsequent years when O'Neill handled the title with other artists), in which Green Lantern and Green Arrow began to confront inner demons. They'd look at problems in society. True, most of this comes across as not always so subtle liberal propaganda, but when you look beyond the politics, you find amazingly talented writers and artists churning out a good product that makes you think (whether you agree or disagree with their conclusions.) These days, almost all "important" comics require some near Armageddon scene, (think "Watchmen" or "Kingdom Come), but this title managed to talk about important issues without thinking it was even more important than those causes. My only complaint, as pricey as this book is, it should have included the post Adams era.

i really only have one thing to say. i was a little disappointed that such a great comic was reproduced in such a weak format. the book is set up more like a novel than a comic collection with the paper being of a very low quality. its not bad for the price really but not so great considering that the comics industry has made such an effort to improve the quality of the books they produce. this paper is not even as good as the prestige format paper of the late 80's comics. i just expected more for the high end price. it does have all the great stories and a great cover gallery but it just felt a bit forced together (think of the nick fury steranko tpb $$$). if you have extra money and really love these stories its cheaper to get it this way. if youre a collector i advise buying the individual issues.

It took me much longer to read "I'm Every Woman" than I would have liked, but it's not because of the book. Rather, it's because of my lifestyle--full-time job, mother, etc.--so I tend to lack time for ME.
I'm not complaining, I have a great life, and Lonnae's story was proof of that. The book is REAL. It's honest. It's refreshing. It captures various aspects of my life and many other women that I know. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Excellent work, Lonnae.

Hello Lonnae,
Thank you again for signing my copy of "I'm Every Woman" at the Professional Business Women of California conference at the Moscone center. I really enjoyed your perspective on motherhood and the ever-elusive perfect mother load balance. When you signed my copy, I promised to write to you if I enjoyed the book. So here's my attempt to keep that promise.
I love the book.
From the first page I have been glued to every beautiful sentence. This book is art. Your story is my story. (Down to my Dona Rose who keeps up with my baseboards and babies.) Thank you for telling it in a format more poetic, musical and thoughtful than I ever knew possible. As an attorney, mommy and wife of a very in love husband I appreciate your candor and wit applied to our shared history and future. Thank you for taking the time to research and recite your findings and insights in the proper context. It brings a real depth to the work.

As I have read the book I have laughed, nodded in agreement, said "amen" and even welled up. I too see my ancestors smirk and raise a brow at what I often shamelessly feel is my hard life; To wit: my commute (to a great job), my children (healthy, robust and off the charts intellectually), and of course my husband (who loves to love me). Poor me. Right. Thanks for helping me keep it real.

As the direct descendent of a lovely tall black woman who was "kept" by a white man in the deep south of the early 1900's, I enjoyed your gift of a new understanding of Great Grandma's real power over her situation. She was not a victim of circumstance, but rather a well supplied provider of a good life for 6 chillen' who could pass if they wanted to. Forget about daddy documentation, this sister knew what mattered in a world where black sons were routinely hung. And I thank God that He pushed her blood through my veins in the form of tall stature and caramel skin in a family of short light bright women!

As a sorority member, I am pulled by my inability to fulfill my own club lady duties...but I am so thankful that you provided the context and validated the historical significance of the sisterly bond (and the right to hold up a pinky when sipping on my pricey tea in my large home). I hope to make the salmon pink and apple green a larger part of my life soon. I keep promising...but children, exhaustion and errands keep taking priority.

Perhaps one of the things I appreciate most about your story is knowing that I'm not alone. I'm not the only mother still in love with LL Cool J and everything he is and was. I'm not the only mother chagrined that she can't watch rap videos or listen to most contemporary hip hop anymore---even alone---and even though I know my 21 year old self would have been singing "lemme see yo grill daddy" at full voice! (yes...I too memorized my share of NWA and Too Short lyrics), And forget about modern commercial TV for my children---have you seen a Bratz doll? Please. Now, I was a SERIOUS Vanity fan. And learned to live with Appolonia since she did do an "ok" job of portraying my girl in the movie...but my daughter will NEVER hear anything like that in my home--and buy a doll wearing miss Vanity's cast off's? I don't think so.

I love your poem on page 15. A very nice remix on a classic. The line about the children is especially personal since they pull on me the most. I can hardly imagine someone wrestling my 4 year old from my arms--even during the times when I wish my mother was here so I could GIVE her away. Giving her away as a neatly wrapped and gleaming present becomes especially likely when I'm wrestling with her hair so foreign to my own soft curls. Her "out not down" hair (p. 75) is our bonding zone and seals in our hierarchy quite nicely. Poor baby. And don't trip on "sleep" for a verb girl, as I am sure my son would say mine is "yell". (p. 79)

And on page 20 -last paragraph-you SAID IT! Slave women get me out of bed on the regular. And I secretly giggle with them as I sit in my fancy office directing traffic and expressing myself. Imagine! Oh how I hope they can see us now. Don't you?

Thank you for sharing the intimacies about your marriage. As a woman who committed to her own husband as a tender 23 year old...I agree that waiting 'til 30 is some of the best advice seasoned women can give. (I didn't take it either and you KNOW I had to have that boy.) But we're making it work and learning to appreciate the nuances of real love. And I AM taking your date night advice. Because my growth is more meaningful if I have him along for the journey. Even if it requires a bit of tension as I stretch into the real grown up me.

Thank you for the story about Kim. My 10 year old sister has a wonderful and White momma. And I've already told my Dad that she's all mine at 13 "so's we can have us a talk". I am so looking forward to holding her hand as she traverses the real exploration of her race and sex and makes her own decisions. Your loving expressions about your cousin are inspirational. And I have my "Go Back" sign ready and waiting for my own sister. (p. 89)

I could go on and on -- and will if you let me (feel free to call or write back if you like), but mostly I wanted to offer heartfelt gratitude and sincere kudos for a job well done.

Girl, you did it. You did it for all of us educated (and not) married (and not) mothers (or hopeful) women who struggle with all the in-betweens. In-between classes, races, political lines, careers, passions and priorities. You have grabbed the baton of oral history and put it to paper in a fierce way---illuminating the joy and sorrow of generations in a sheath of pure God-given talent for the written word. Praise God for you.

I thank you and I honor you. If you ever want a reader on an early edition of book number 2---PLEASE call me. That's all for now. Two munchkins are waiting patiently for one last kiss. And a half-finished ice cream cone is in the freezer. Oh, and a dance class instructor awaiting my call for registration.
-Kelley C.

Drawing on historical figures that are well-known and little known, plus women of her own family, O'Neal Parker has written a wonderful book that brings me from where we were to where I am now as a black woman in America. Working and married, (although not with children), I found each chapter had a lesson to teach and offered comfort in knowing I am not alone.

O'Neal Parker's thoughtful research in bringing us black women of history is especially welcome.

Excellent work that I will share with my friends, both black and not.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it speaks directly to my generation. Often, books that are about mothers, mommy-wars or the like are written by older women or by authors I have absolutely no connection to other than the fact we have children. I could relate to this book on so many levels and her historical references, specifically from the eighties, are right up my alley. This book is definitely on my gift giving list!

I truly enjoyed reading Parker's book, styled really as a collection of essays. Her social commentary is insightful and refreshing. She supports her observations with an impressive array of sources, reflecting research that spans sources from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Her prose is engaging and evocative. When she writes: "Or to convey the ritual constant -- sometimes affirming, sometimes tearful -- stretching back over all the generations we remember, of planting a daughter between your knees and trying to bring a diasporic sensibility to the Africa growing from her head," she takes me back to Saturday "hair-fixin" nights during my childhood. Although it speaks loudest to African American women, this is a book for everyone. I plan to lend my copy to a Caucasian working mom, as I find myself already quoting Parker to encourage my friend on days when it's tough to be Every Woman.

"Deadman" ushered in a new age in comics, initiated by Carmine Infantino but ultimately solidified by Neal Adams. The big change was a comics character that wasn't a crime fighter battling supervillains, but a high-wire aerialist who seeks his killer.

Every issue showed him aiding innocent victims from evil people that exploit them. There was even an episode about illegal aliens being transported across the border and planned for extermination.

If there are any negatives to this series it was:
1) The re-inking of the 3rd episode is too busy to the point of distraction and actually spoils the story for me.
2) The climax of the tale still looks sloppy. First there's one killer, then the killer has another killer after him, and Deadman chases both, and it never really reaches a satisfying conclusion. The person that really needs to get waxed doesn't, and it's even messier than it reads right here. Terrible conclusion, just disappointing.

These comics haunted me when I first read them in the Sixties and to this day they still do. Deadman pretty much made Neal Adams a star. Not bad for a ten-page feature in "Strange Adventures".

I love the package of this Hardcover collection. Great way to get your hands on the early Deadman stories. If you are a Deadman fan this is a must.
This would have been a 5 star review but the newly inked story really takes away from the flow of the stories (kind of like Captain America 112 in the middle of Steranko's run).

The Deadman Collection is a beautiful high quality format that is appropriate for these wonderfull examples of comic book art. Carmine Infantino, Neal Adams, Robert Kanigher, Bob Haney and George Tuska, these are the iconic names of the silver age of comics. They combined to make the creation of Arnold Drake's Deadman a high point in the history of DC. A slip covered hard bound that looks wonderful on the shelf next to the Legion Archives and Marvel Masterworks, I can recommended it strongly to anyone interested in the adventure comic genre. My only critisism is that the story from Strange Adventures #206 was re-inked by Neal Adams. George Roussos' orginal inks apparently were a dissappointment to Adams. The new inks look much too different from the other contempory Deadman stories and somehow slightly taints the flavor of the series for me. However this is a small thing and does little to diminish the importance of this book to me nor my delight at reading these stories again after so many years.

If your a fan of Neal Adams art then this is a must get. Yes it is quite expensive, but its worth it. The series retains it original colors (wich were remastered when given it's first reprint in the early 80's)only one story is completely redrawn (and recolored?) by Mr. Adams himself and I have to say that it looks really well done. The rest however is untouched and looks even better now then it ever had when it first came out in the sixties. other artists are also on display here as well like Carmine Infantino (the first deadman story), George Tuska (Challengers of the Unknown story) and an uncredited Jim Aparo (Aquaman backup stories). The latter Two stories just mention shows more work by Neal Adams and are reprinted for the first time in this collection; deadman related of course. Great writing and great artwork this is propably the finest collection on Neal Adams work ever printed.

Don't be fooled by the description of the newly "inked" story in the other reviews. Neal Adams has completely redrawn and RE-COLORED (using a jarring computer coloring style) the first of his stories in this volume. It destroys the narrative flow completely. The revised version looks like one of his bad Conitinuity titles from the 80's. Remember those? Yeah--his art wasn't in top form then, was it? And remember the bad coloring on those books? That's exactly what he did to the story in this hardcover. It doesn't fit into the rest of the book and drags the whole thing down with it. For a fancy archival edition, DC really messed up here by letting Adams tinker with his own work.

As bad as Lucas tinkered with the original Star Wars trilogy, this is worse. It's as inappropriate as if Lucas had not only added bad CGI, but also replaced all of the actors, altered the camera angles, and changed the colors of every costume. That's, in essence, what Neal Adams has done to his own work. I recommend 90% of this book. But the other 10% really ruins the whole package.

This will spoil your ideals of the wild west gun slinger-but if you want the facts this is your book!

This book is fascinating because it separates truth from fiction. All documented gunfights of the old west are included here (as of the book's writing), & all gunfights that are undocumented are excluded. It's as simple as that. I don't buy the author's premise that if it was a real gunfight, it must have been documented at the time (wouldn't most killers have wanted to keep their killings a secret if at all possible, & wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that a good number of gunfights occurred in deserted, out of the way places where there likely would be no witnesses?). Other than that, this book is an old west fan's bible! It's that good!

Bill O'Neal's work is not a simple re-hash of old facts. Instead it is a refreshing and factual look at the men who made the frontier into the myth that survives today. The most interesting aspect of the book is that it shows, over and over, how truth often far outshines fiction in its detail and graphic nature. It is apparent in one read that O'Neal has an intimate knowledge of his subject. This book is destined to become a cornerstone of reference libraries for any and all western history aficionados.

This book is entertaining and well-organized; unfortunately, it's not very accurate. Some of the author's mistakes are due to credulity (it's possible, but not likely, that Butch Cassidy survived his final gunfight in South America; O'Neal reports it as fact); some to partisanship (he's an unabashed Clantonite in the matter of the OK Corral, and thus again reports speculation as fact); and some to ignorance (he doesn't seem to be aware that Florentine Cruz and "Indian Charlie" were probably the same person). The history of the American West is treacherous territory, and nobody can avoid a few mistakes, but Mr. O'Neal seems to make more than his share. I can't recommend this book.

What a great book for Western gunfighter nerds! O'Neal did his research and presents it in a highly accessible manner. I've had this book for over a decade and I still return to it with a gleam in my eye once or twice a year.

I walked around the house like a zombie, my eyes glued to the page. Not the inconvenience of cooking nor the movie playing on T.V. succeeded of dragging my eyes from between the pages. The characters are so REAL. Garry is such a sympathetic character, not at all macho like many romance novels, but deffinatly a man. Jeremy, Robin's son is an adorable scared little boy and his affection for his toy horse, Traveller, that he made with his own hands just makes you want to cry. Robin is one of the strongest women I have ever read about. Every character portraid in the novel seemed very real and human to me. Even Major Corley. I found myself feeling sorry for him, even though he was the next thing to evil. This is a keeper for sure, I'd recommend it to ANYONE!!

I think this book is a little overrated. The historical facts are awesome, and the period detail engaging, vivid and illuminating.
However, I felt no sympathy for this character in the end, and found it hard to be compelled by her situation. Too many men falling in love with her, no time to build something between she & Garry. I never felt we really got to know the hearts of these weird people. She was a spy, one side or the other, she played a deceitful albeit necessary role, but one never truly understands WHY she did it, HOW she became involved, WHO she really loves, WHERE her heart lies, or WHEN - the timing is awful. And the oxymorons and irony is everywhere. There she is feeling SO safe with the yankee negro camp, they're welcoming her with open arms, yet she is fighting against everything they believe in and taking advantage of their kind-hearted generosity. She takes advantage of everyone and everything she can. Macey, Jeremy & Garrison were more interesting and we hardly got to know them. If Robin broke that rib one more time I was going to throw the book against the wall.

If you've read and loved Gear's other works (like People of the Lakes, etc.) or even if you haven't. you're sure to fall in love with gear's writing all over again. Gear has a gift for blending historical fact into believable fiction. This novel made me re-think the way I imagined the Civil War and held me entranced until it was finished/

I'm always hearing from New York publishers and editors that there's nothing new being written about the Old West. Look again, pardners, Gear has found a new slant by taking a serious look at the women who won the West. I think the western genre just got a welcome nudge. The western women slant will prove profitable and entertaining reading. As stated, "New York, take another look."

I really enjoyed this but I can't seem to find the rest of the Women of the West "Series". Please let me know how to get them. Mariann98@aol.com

This little book has become my favorite edition of Eckhart's writings. It's a beautiful collection of spiritual counsel and insight into the soul's relationship with God. Drawn primarily from his German sermons and letters, the langauge is more direct and less technical than in his Latin treatises, and more practical in orientation -- these are primarily his writings on the spiritual life, rather than his more complicated theological treatises. Amazingly profound, powerful, and fresh in the way he writes about the mystical experience that transcends all language. There are passages that are pure poetry. I had to buy copies for all my friends.

If you like this book, you might also try the poems of Angelus Silesius and, more recently, Frithjof Schuon.

One of the problems of a mystical experience is that you are probably writing about what has to be directly experienced. As Eckhart says, "anything we say of him (God) is bound to be stammering". Logic and scholastic experience cannot be used to dissect his writing. Eckhart uses metaphors, to give sign posts that hint at a deeper experience. There are paradoxical statements "If I am empty, God, of his very nature is obliged to give himself to me to fill me". We may think of denying ourselves as a commandment, but for Eckhart it is a reward. There are statements that seemed heretical to the church at the time like "To seek God by rituals is to get ritual and lose God in the process". I cannot claim to understand Eckhart completely, for example the difference between God and Godhead, but this small book warrants future readings.

Meister Eckhart has become one of my favourites, and this is the book that introduced me to his work. If you're interested in his writings, this is a good place to start.

Although I found some parts of the book very difficult at first, when I read through them again many months later they started to make more and more sense. One must learn to read Eckhart properly, or he is very easily misunderstood. He expresses perfectly orthodox ideas in very unorthodox ways, throwing all concern with theological precision to the wind. Reading his work can be very refreshing, once one learns to read it properly.

If you're looking for more, I recommend College and McGinn's 'Meister Eckhart: The Essential Sermons, Commentaries, Treatises, and Defense.'

While I had read about Eckhart for years, I was apprehensive about delving deeper into his actual writings. That is why this book is such a pleasant surprise, for the author has "moved a lot of soil" to get at his finest moments. Not only that, but since Eckhart was a mystic in the deepest sense, his meaning is perhaps clearer than that of any other medieval mind, for all true mystics are united by the same common thread connecting them to the same common source all through history. They all transcend history.

Eckhart has that ability to effortlessly transcend the Emanation (unmovable God beyond time and space) and Immanence (God present throughout his creation) question. Indeed he accepts and reconciles both without conflict. There is no surer evidence that he saw all things from a higher plane than this. In his concept of the divine spark in each of us he unites us with the Ultimate- while the rest of creation is influenced by the emanation of the Holy Spirit down through the planes. Only man has this "cosmic wormhole" to connect him directly with the ultimate- the opening of this portal on our side is called "Christ."

As the author points out there are very few teachers that seem equally accessible by both Pope and Dalai Lama. That is because the Meister represents the pinnacle of spiritual connection in the West.

Eckhart was,among others, progenitor of western dialectics and mystical tradition. Neoplatonism, contrary to Aristotle's thought, was a liberating movement during late Middle Ages (I'm not talking about the formative period of Christianity)and the Renaissance, leading to advancement both in philosophy, arts and science.It wasn't for nothing that scientific discoveries ran parallel with attacks on St.Thomas Aquinas,the symbol of dilapidated Aristotelian metaphysics ( although, as a Dominican, Eckhart remaind superficially a faithful Thomist). As for his spiritual doctrine, it can be briefly summarized: For occidental view man is a body-soul-spirit compound (in medieval psychology vegetative, animal and rational soul comprise psyche, while intellect-spirit is immortal "part" of God in man). Or, in words of Eckhart, you have "scintilla animae" or spark of the soul where is the conjunction between man's soul and Christ-Son of God.Christ is Logos, God in manifestation, so the ultimate destiny is to rekindle the spark of soul into the flame of unity with God-and that's it.This is non-orthodox Christian spiritual psychology).St.Paul's words "Christ liveth in me" are interpreted that Christ-Logos- Son of God somehow replaces "old" psyche and the new man is born-hence spiritual resurrection.This is not Jesus Christ from the Gospels (in this case you would have a possession, something detestable ), but Christ-Logos, the ground of every man's soul.

With this Eckhartian "quaternity" 1.Anima/soul 2.imago Dei/scintilla animae waiting for awakening 3.Inner Christ, the Son 4.God, the manifest aspect of Godhead the late medieval metaphysics had come to its spiritual summit.

Elvis fans, buy this book. You fill find out just what a business Elvis really was (before and after death) to people like Priscilla and Parker to name a few. Terrific book!

ELVIS INC. is one-stop shopping for anything to do with Elvis and money. All but the first chapter deal with events after Elvis' death. Especially good are the sections on the estate's lawsuit against manager Parker in the early 1980s, and on the stratospheric rise of Graceland after near-bankruptcy in the two years after Elvis died. There is more detail in this book on these subjects than I have seen anywhere else. Toward the end I did feel that the book loses a little focus, and is not quite as pertinent as the first half. As, O'Neal goes off on some tangents, such as the marriage of Lisa Marie to Michael Jackson. To be fair, though, more recent events are just not as salient. But O'Neal keeps it always interesting. And I love that pink cover - groovy, man!

As an Elvis fan, I have read a great number of books about Elvis and his life. What makes this book stand out from the others is the fact that the reader gets a good look at how Elvis Presley, the person has grown into Elvis Presley Enterprises, the money-maker. It is well known by now that Colonel Tom Parker hindered Elvis' career in many ways. Even though he helped Elvis make it to the top, Elvis had the sheer talent to make it with or without Parker. In this book, it is revealed how much Parker actually took from Elvis in the monetary sense. When Elvis died, his estate was nearly bankrupt due to his lavish spending and poor management of his money. But as you realize when you read this book, Elvis Presley Enterprises has gone to great lengths to make it the money machine it is today. O'Neal gives details on lawsuits EPE has won and lost and tells you of some of the future plans EPE has in store. There is also a chapter on Elvis' only heir, Lisa Marie and there is a detailed account of her inheritance as well as the "relationship" with Michael Jackson. I would recommend this book to anyone, Elvis fan or not. Every page had something interesting and new and I found it hard to put down.

What a delightful and beautifully illustrated book! My first impression of the illustrations were of my childhood when I would play with my cousins around grandma's house. Terry's writings also brought back memories of my parents and elderly relatives encouraging me as a child. This book is a treasure for any young child's bookshelf.

Ev'ry Little Soul is a children's picture book written by Terry A. O'Neal and illustrated by Wendy Robinson especially for African-American young ones. Ev'ry Little Soul would make a welcome and enthusiastically received addition to any multicultural collection for young children. A rousing poem and playful color illustrations make for a joyful read about the virtues of strength, unity, and persistence. "Join hands together/gripped tight as chains./United as one/from which we've come/on this earth/where we remain."

Terry A. O'Neil writes adult poetry and books aimed at adolescents; now she has that book for your youngest ones that they will enjoy. She has partnered up with a women artist from Africa Wendy Robinson for a delightful and colorful book for small children. Terry has taken her children's poem and made it with the illustrations into something small children will love.

The real test however was to read it with my own grandchildren. I figured the book aimed best at my two youngest ones, Daylana, who is almost 3 years old, and her little brother Gianni, who is 16 months old. So began my product testing. The first thing I realized is that the colorful pictures do capture their attention and that my grandchildren will sit still with me to listen and follow the story. Daylana seemed to enjoy the marching parts of the story and my littlest one Gianni thought that the book tasted good. He has a tendency to eat books if not watched too closely. The pictures that they enjoyed best were the one with the young boy with a cooking pot on his head and the other with several girls skipping rope.

So my grandchildren give this book a rating of FIVE TEDDY BEARS!

Reviewed by The Elk Grove Citizen Newspaper 2006