Powell Books

This book was super helpful and informative for a project we were doing for this building!

Since its completion in 2004, 30 St. Mary Axe, known to Londoners as 'The Gherkin', has become a landmark, sporting a curved form in the heart of London's financial center. But it's so much more: renowned designers built it in just thirty-three months, and incorporated design innovations still being remarked upon today. Author Kenneth Powell is a leading architecture critic and well versed on 30 St. Mary Axe: chapters cover nearly every stage in the design and building process. While this book will most likely reach art school holdings and collections strong in architectural analysis, it also will hold interest for any collection strong on London history and culture.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Charles V. Hamilton calls his biography of Adam Clayton Powell, Jrs. THE POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY OF AN AMERICAN DILEMMA. The American dilemma that he refers to is Gunnar Myrdal's 1944 thesis. Myrdal concluded taht American society possess a strong belief in liberty, equality, respect for law and democracy but when it comes to blacks, those same values do not always apply. So the society says one thing and does another as it relates to blacks and other minorities. Hamilton argues that this "blatant contradiction in American society between the Creed and reality was constantly highlighted by white and black advocates of civil rights." In Adam Clayton Powell, Hamilton finds the personification of this dilemma. He asserts that Powell made that dilemma the main issue of his public life. As a result, Powell's constant attempts to raisse and challege America's dilemma is the theme that Hamilton uses to portray his subject.

For students of Powell who may have read Wil Haygood's KING OF THE CATS, Hamilton's portrayal is much different. As the title implies, Hamilton primarily sticks to the political side of Powell's career while Haygood presents a much more personal account of the preacher/congressman. While I came away from the Haygood work feeling attached and sympathetic of Powell, I came away from Hamilton's work realizing that Powell had an extremely dark side and that many of his problmes were self inflicted. In addiiton, for the serious students, Hamilton's footnotes are invaluable.

One of Hamilton's major arguments is that Powell endorsed Eisenhower in 1956 in the hopes of stopping further IRS and FBI investigations of his personal finances. He also makes it clear that Powell had access to the White House during the Eisenhower administration, something that he did not have with Truman. Of course, he had created his own persona non grata status with the Turman White House when he attempted to have his wife, Hazel Scott perform at the DAR hall in Washington. It seems that Powell was attempting to do another "Marian Anderson" event and failed. One can easily conclude that Powell enjoyed the access he had with Ike's staff and figured that Sstevenson was not going to win anyway, so Powell feathered his own nest. While he wanted the poublic to believe his endorsement was for the sake of Stevenson's poor stand on Civil Rights, it is more likely that Powell enjoyed and wanted to continue his access to power.

Hamilton relates how Powell threatened to expose Bayard Rustin and Martin Luther King for an alleged homosexual relationship in order to force them to call off a demonstration at the Republican National Convention in 1960. Powell knew full well the accusations were false but the blackmail served his purpose.

In 1966 Powell scuttled an attempt by James Farmer of CORE to establish a national literacy project. Hamilton argues that in return, Powell hoped to be given White House assistance in having his New York libel judgment reduced.

As does Haygood, and Powell himself in his autobiography ADAM BY ADAM, Hamilton demonstrates how Powell made one of the worse decisions of his life in ignoring the libel suit brought against him by a New York woman that he referred to as a "bag woman." The eventual legal repercussions from the law suit (Powell refused to even show up at the trial) along with Ppowell's flagrant disregard for his congressional duties, excessive spending of congressional funds and egotistical and sometimes hedonistic life style all conributed to his demise. And when he needed the support of other civil rights leaders, who who had been victims of his wrath while he ws in power, they where not there for him as his power wained.

As the sage progresess and Powell gets closer and closer to the time that Congress refuses to seat him, the reader realizes that when Powell pointed the finger of racism at his attackers, as the old saying goes, he was pointing four fingers back at himself.

Oscar DePriest was the first black person elected to Congress in the 20th Century. But Powell was really the first black congressman that African Americans nationwide identified with. He came to congress driving a Jaguar in 1944, wearing $500 suits and looking like a movie star. He became the voice of Black America in congress, especially in the area of desegregation of the military. But his Powell Amendment had its good sides and its bad. While it raised the issue of unequal treatment, it also resulted in the defeat of legislation that would have been beneficial to Black America.

Powell's final demise was no doubt self inflictd. In the final years of his career he midjudged the reapportionment process allowing for a change in his district. Times change and voters change and eventually his base of support eroded. His religious base eroded. With his life syle it seems hard to imagine that he could be identified with the church. Harlem residents realized tht they needed a congressman, not an aging symbol of the past fishing in Bimini. As Hamilton points out, if Powell had fought before for final election defeat as much as he did after the defeat in attempts to get recounts and court battles over the election, he probably would have won.

Adam Clayton Powell died in 1972. It took almost 20 years for historians to write serious biographies of his life. Hamilton's contribution is excellent and well worth the read, not only for the life of Adam Clayton Powell, but for a history of America during the 20th century.

Hamilton has done an extraordinary job with one of America's most enigmatic political figures. Representative Powell was a man hard to figure by anybody. A rascal, decried as a corrupt politician, loved by his constituents and vilified by much of the establishment.

Powell was one of the century's (I guess that is now "last century's") first and longest serving African American members of Congress. He was on the forefront of the campaign against lynching. He brought the moral imperative of the Freedom Rides and the lunch counter sitins going on in the South to the major urban areas of the North.

His position as a vociferous champion of civil rights (more than his indiscretions) led his colleagues in the House to try to oust him. When his constituents rejected this initiative and overwhelmingly returned him to Congress, he had to go the the Supreme Court for his right to continue service (even after being stripped of his seniority.

Great history, and great reading. A thoroughly engaging subject. Even as an out-of-print book it is well worth waiting for.

It is regrettable that Anthony Powell's splendid satire "Afternoon Men" is out of print. I learned of Anthony Powell's work through his obituary in The New York Times in March, 2000. Mr. Powell (the name rhymes with "Lowell") had been highly regarded as a brilliant author by such literary giants as Evelyn Waugh, a fastidious and snobbish critic who seldom had a kind word for any writer. Since I admire Waugh's work, and since he had read and enjoyed Mr. Powell's novels, I immediately read "Afternoon Men," a shorter work and, I might add, an excellent introduction to his vast literary output. "Afternoon Men" deals with a group of rather seedy eccentrics in Bohemian London during the time between the World Wars. It is peopled with those characters so beloved by readers of Waugh and Kingsley Amis: the bored, intellectually witty survivors in a new society, surviving through alcohol and shakey friendships with often disreputable people. Mr. Powell's satire is razor sharp, but not cruel, particularly when he chronicles the pathetic and disastrous love affairs of these vulnerable people. His dialogue is beautifully developed, especially in the several alcoholic party scenes that were a major part of this generation. The character of Fotheringham, for example, is a beautifully delineated eccentric who appears throughout the book and whose dialogue is tight, witty, and hysterically funny.(Fotheringham's dialogue was quoted by The New York Times in Powell's obituary.) Yet Mr. Powell captures, with a few literary strokes, the inner pathos of Fotheringham's character. The story is told through the person of William Atwater; the book is more of a character study of Atwater's friends and their foibles, eccentricities, amorous needs, and survival instincts. Anglophiles who read 20th century British satire will probably want to search for this out-of-print book in second-hand book stores or in libraries. I found a dusty copy on the top shelf of my local library that had not been checked out since 1949. Perhaps Little, Brown and Company will sense a renaissance of Powell's work and reissue this book. At any rate, I am about to embark on the adventure of reading Anthony Powell's masterpiece, "A Dance to the Music of Time," a six-novel, satirical saga of British life in the 20th century.

Powell is one of the truly great writers of the second half of the 20th century. His 12 volume Dance to the Music of Time is a monument of British literature.
This is a lesser book, but still great. No one writes what the English like to call Comedy of Manners like Powell.
His command of the language makes anything he writes a joy to read.

Animal Breeding and Infertility provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of reproduction in farm animals including goats and horses.

Each chapter is dealt with by a subject specialist and takes a problem -orientated approach to issues such as infertility, diseases, and breeding management. Information is given in table form and text, with a clear, attractive layout making the book readily accessible.

While the book strives to remain practical and easily understandable, much of the detail is highly scientific and technical and goes beyond the interest of those involved in day-to-day farming.

In particular the final chapter on biotechnology deals strictly with the science and avoids any interpretation or comment on the ethics of this controversial subject.

Suited to veterinary surgeons, specialist breeders and students as a reference book on a wide range of issues, Animal Breeding and Infertility is an excellent source of information on this diverse subject.
A detailed Contents list is available at:
www.pighealth.com/MEDIA/P/ABI/ABANDI.HTM

Contents and review details given below: Chapter List 1.GENETIC CONSIDERATIONS IN ANIMAL BREEDING by Heather G. Pidduck B.Sc., Ph.D., 2.CYTOGENETICS by Susan E. Long BVMS, Ph.D., MRCVS, 3.REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY by Prof. Hilary Dobson, B.Sc., Ph.D., 4.CATTLE BREEDING AND INFERTILITY by Dr. P. J. Hartigan M.A., B.Sc.(Vet), M.V.M., Ph.D., MRCVS, 5.GOAT BREEDING AND INFERTILITY by Katherine Bretzlaff, D.V.M., Ph.D., 6.EQUINE BREEDING AND INFERTILITY by Sarah J. Stoneham, B.V.Sc., CertESM, MRCVS, 7.PIG BREEDING AND INFERTILITY by M. J. Meredith, M.A., B.Sc., B.Vet.Med., Ph.D., MRCVS, 8.SHEEP BREEDING AND INFERTILITY by H. Ll. Williams, B.Sc.(Agric), M.Sc., Ph.D., F.R.Ag.S., 9 BIOTECHNOLOGY IN ANIMAL BREEDING by Dr. D. Powell, Ph.D. & Dr. I. Wilmut, Ph.D. FURTHER DETAILS AND REVIEWS OF THIS BOOK CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT: http://www-pdic.vet.cam.ac.uk/Other_Source/Books/abandi.html ----------oOo----------

Vera Glenn has given a valuable introduction to an American Family and a sustaining faith. Authentic descriptions of the growth of a family through 300 years of seeking a Godly life, farming, educating and seeking education will resonate with many who have similar stories to tell. For others, it is a glimpse into the values, accomplishments, joys and sorrows of a large number of your fellow countrymen.

I loved this book.It was history with a personal feel to it.
Plus I live in the area and it was fun reading about places that you have seen.Also to read about the apple trees and how the seeds got around from other states and countries.

We received a set of three of these for my son when he was one and a half. They are marvelous! The pages are very sturdy and the tabs are easy to slide, even for little hands. I kept one of these books in my diaper bag at all times to keep my son occupied when I was at the grocery store or at a restaurant. These books are a great idea for any toddler!

This is the first book my one year old boy responded to. We have three of these books, and he likes them all, but this one is his favorite. He brings this book to us to read at least twice a day and doesn't seem to tire of seeing the bunny pop up at the end. It has chunky pages, so he can turn them himself, and the pop ups are rugged enough that he can manipulate them without destroying the book. This is especially good for Sean, who likes to do things himself. I highly recommend this book!!

As a lay person anticipating residence in Assisted Living before all is said and done, I wanted to find out just what it is, how to evaluate it, and what pitfalls and protections await the residents. I had read Internet articles suggesting that there are problems with defining Assisted Living, that protection for residents varies from state to state, and that variations are great, even within states. Mr. Lawton's work, combined with B. Schwarz's Aging, Autonomy, and Architecture: Advances in Assisted Living, managed to provide me either with the answers or with an explanation of why there are still so many unanswered questions. Lawton's Needs, Practices and Policies in Residential Care for the Elderly presents the results of studies and investigations in a number of states, one a potential retirement destination of mine. Both volumes deal with the issue of "aging in place," which turns out to be an urgently important concept to those whose needs might be better served by skilled care (nursing) but an often unwelcome practice to those residents not wishing to be surrounded by the very frail. What happens to those wishing to age in place but who are unable to do so without risk to themselves? What are the issues of liability, as regards the institution? Marketing departments promote the concept of living in a "homelike" atmosphere, but architectural design has traditionally been dictated, and often still is, by practical needs and has been patterned after a "medical" (hospital-like) model, as is the typical nursing home. In the nursing model, the lack of independence and the hospital-like appearance of the establishment apparently contribute to the depression and despair of many residents. What kinds of building styles lend themselves better to the creation of a more homelike atmosphere? Mr. Lawton's studies deal with most of these issues, and his conclusions tend to confirm the information of the other text. The difference? Mr. Lawton's work, as suggested, is based upon studies executed in several states. Mr. Schwarz has compiled a text containing a variety of articles by respected experts in the field from around the country. Both books are valuable because they arrive at many similar conclusions, using different approaches. Mr. Lawton's is a hardback text, perhaps one that more easily fits the bookshelf. But both are excellent, and both enabled me to have a well-informed interview with an assisted living administrator. The lay reader can appreciate these texts by reading attentively, and the elder care administrator will undoubtedly find well-documented discussion and many names familiar to those in the field -- features that would make this a worthwhile text in the office.

This thoroughly researched, scholarly book is just as valuable to the consumer seeking to learn more about assisted living, as it is to healthcare professionals, students of gerontology, and policymakers. The authors have amassed a wealth of information concerning key issues in assisted living, including the evolution and future direction of long term care in the U.S., as well as policy and regulations across states.

Each chapter is written by professionals who are experts in their field. I highly recommend Part II of the book, which focuses on assisted living in four specific states, illustrating the diverse nature of long-term care facilities. Topics such as physical environment, characteristics of residents, types of care provided, special concerns related to dementia, and financial issues are all explored in depth.

As an eldercare executive who works with assisted living facilities across the country, I believe it is crucial for all of us to have a thorough knowledge base in order to make informed decisions about care for our loved ones.

I thought I had all the books on Austin! This book is great. I love the series, and the photos are terrific. All the important sites are included.

As someone who lived in Austin in the '60's and returned recently, the comparison of landmarks 'then and now' was a wonderful stroll through Austin's memorable sites. We liked the book so much that we gifted others with it - it's a very popular conversation book which all our friends have enjoyed.

After reading this book, I had an indescribably warm, soft, fuzzy feeling. All these fuzzy and soft teddy bears, along with the love and tenderness they bring, will give the reader such a warm and happy feeling.

The hospital gift shop manager is determined to make sure the sick children have teddy bears. Her sweet compassion makes you feel good. This book is a romance novel; therefore, a romance develops.

This is the best book I've ever read in my life. It is full of love, warmth, caring, and teddy bears. The sequel to this book is "The Teddy Bear Bandit", which is equally as good, and is also full of teddy bears.

After reading this book, (as well as while reading it), I felt a warm feeling inside. This is the perfect book when you need a dose of compassion, love, and caring. This book is a heart-warmer. Through tangible teddy bears, the feelings of nontangible love and compassion are conveyed. This is the perfect book to read (while snuggling up to your teddy bear!). It is not boring - every single page overjoys your heart. I had no second thoughts when giving this book a 10. Very well written. (The sequel, 'The Teddy Bear Bandit' is equally as wonderful.) I am eagerly waiting for the third book of this series.

In this book I've founded the real hero man history, that gave the world the biggest youth movement.Is really a wonderfull read.

Jeal has written an authoritative and well researched biography of the Chief Scout of the World.

His style is extremely readable and he seeks to avoid conclusions. He treats the rumors of BP being a homosexual openly (the rumors, not BP). His biography is overall very positive but not fawning. I highly recommend it to any Scout leader.