R Books

Kevin Sheehan has simplified the great qualities of important leaders and placed them in an entertaining text. A gift which I have passed on to my dearest friends, this book is both inspirational and educational. My highest recommendation.

Poignant, powerful stories. Beautifully written with a distinctive and important design. This book's not to be missed--by you, your friends, your business colleagues. Bravo!

Within his book A Leader Becomes A Leader, Kevin Sheehan delightfully illustrates the essence of true leadership. He poignantly definies a diverse group of past and present leaders; while exploring their life events and characteristics of greatness. Encourage your friends, family and coworkers to read this motivational book!

The author does a phenomenal job of breaking the topic down into small manageable and inspiring readings; also covers a great cross-section of leaders and the characteristics that made them successful. I ordered a dozen copies as executive and motivational gifts.

J. Kevin Sheehan presents a celebration of what's possible in his biographical snapshots of great leaders. By focusing on the unique character traits of outstanding leaders the author transforms the mysteries of leadership into something very real. He answers the question "what made them great?" in an extremely concise and inspirational style. Great as a corporate gift or graduation present. My children have used it for school projects and I have found inspiration for my own business. No home or school library should be without this most valuable tool.

A great long range bomber that served in SAC to perform as a bridge between the "prop" planes and the pure jet. This book is throughly
researched and easy to read. Many photos.

The photos in the book are worth the price of admission, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the accompanying text is so flat. The book focuses almost entirely on the technical side of the aircraft and completely ignores the political, military, and economic forces that shaped the B-36. There are no crew accounts of 30 hour missions. There are few indications of how the B-36 was used (or more importantly, why it wasn't used). In fact, one gets the impression that upon leaving the factory each plane was just rotated back to the factory for an endless series of upgrades.

Still, the detail here is marvelous. Photos and diagrams are provided for nearly every important part. Changes are often detailed down to individual planes. While the book does have a tendency to get bogged down in model numbers and lingo, it still manages to impart a sense of the majesty of this huge and innovative airplane.

Very good reference on the B-36 Peacemaker. Well illustrated with black and white as well as color photographs. Many cut away drawings and diagrams. Considerable technical information A good source book for the serious researcher or individual interested in this Cold War era bomber.

From page 1 this work contains details of the design and prduction of the B-36 that will satisfy the aircraft purist. Practically every page has drawings, diagrams, or photos that illustrate the print text. I highly recommend this book to anyone who actually saw and heard these great airplanes in the air, and to anyone interested in aviation history and SAC. Incidentally, if you never saw or heard one of these in the air, there is a great Jimmie Stewart movie, The Strategic Air Command, that is built around the B-36 unit that was stationed at Carswell Air Force Base in Ft Worth, Tx during the '50's.

"Magnesium Overcast" is just what an "airplane book" should be: large, attractive, detailed, with a wealth of superior illustrations, many in color. I'd hazard a guess that there are more than 300 high-quality photos and drawings, including a rare chart of the Convair production line.

In any case, it's all here: something for "rivet counters" and "number crunchers" alike. The authors deserve full credit for the thoroughness of their work and the obvious care they lavished on this project. Kudos also go to Specialty Press for producing this significant volume in such lavish style at a reasonable price.

I got this book because i need it when i am working in my intern. This book is good for beginners and little above. It is easy to understand and the quality is great. It worth more than it cost.

This is an excellent book! Stanek's Pocket Consultant books go far beyond the typical. He always uses his comprehensive knowledge to weave a fabric that balances the aim of a program with the fiddling details that drive admins crazy. As soon as I had skimmed the IIS book I set it aside and read one section a day. Nothing escapes his eye, every section clears up something that I had always wondered about. Great stuff!

One of the good books in the market about IIS 6.0.

People who are interested MUST have a look at

MCPMAG(Redmondmag) IIS 6.0: Step-By-Step Mega-Guide, Part I & II as a quick reference.

This book is really worth every penny it costs. It is packed with useful information, well written, intelligent, and enjoyable to read. Just the chapters on IIS applications, side by side .NET configurations, and pooling are worth the whole book: it goes through every detail.

The in-depth coverage of every other subject is as accurate as it gets. I particularly appreciated the chapter about customization. But the book goes as far as covering in perfectly understandable terms the metabase, and more. Not to mention the incredibly accurate chapter about optimization.

This is an easy to read book with the detail you would expect from a pocket consultant. The author doesn't waste time with the basic chit-chat and does a good job of laying out the useful material.

Content includes initial setup, backup, performance monitoring/tuning and more advanced features such as registry and metabase settings. Advanced readers will eventually want to search for further information on some of these topics (scripting for example), but this is to be expected. The books leaves you feeling comfortable with what you've learned and with a good feel for where you might want to expand your learning in the future.

Most of my computer books end up getting re-sold or trashed, but I'll be keeping this one on the shelf for myself and others to use in the future.

Chaplain George Castillo is my grand-uncle. I think the book is very inspirational. Until I read the book, I didn't know he did such great work in the prisons. He's an inspiration to not only the prisoners and their families, but an inspiration to us all.

George shared from the heart in this wonderful book about ministering to inmates as a chaplain. He also includes some of the politics that go with working within the system, We were so touched by his stories that we included his work in "Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul" and "Serving Time, Serving Others: Acts of Kindness by Inmates, Prison Staff, Victims, and Volunteers."

I would love for the author of this great work to give a talk to my local civic organization. He has profound insight into the criminal justice system, and unique, yet practical, ideas on how to make it better. This book is worthy of being Oprah's Book of the month!

My recommendation of the Rev. George Ramon Castillo's book, My Life between The Cross and the Bars, grows out of a personal acquaintance with the author for nearly forty years as well as several readings of the book. The book is very well written and allows the reader to glimpse a first hand view of the circumstances and events that led George into the Christian ministry and into the Federal Prison chaplaincy. This life service offering reveals the character and integrity of the man, as well as the broader dimension of his professional service.
Of vital importance to George's life story is his account of his early years in British Honduras, now Belize, his early immigration to the United States, and his service in the U.S. Air Force, and his U.S. citizenship (October 26, 1953). Even more important was his marriage in 1957 to Muriel Jermain Seale, who has provided the moral and spiritual support for his successful career.
One does not just become a minister and a chaplain willy-nilly. The story of his religious development and educational experience tells how this came about: the early difficult years, then college and seminary.
I became acquainted with George while he was a student at Bangor Theological Seminary. He and his family eventually joined the congregation I was servicing, the First Congregational Church in Brewer, Maine. He was ordained under my ministry there, one of the high points, actually the highest, of my own ministry. When I left in September of 1967, the church called him to become their Interim Minister. After a year or so, he went on to serve churches in Detroit, Michigan, and in Ohio, and then was accepted as chaplain by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
All of this is essential to getting the most out of George's career as a Federal Prison Chaplain. The reader will share in the documentation and correspondence that became an important part of George's work within a difficult bureaucratic system. There were also unexpected difficulties with the machinations of opportunistic prisoners as well as with prisoners whose legitimate personal problems were all but insurmountable. If you want insight into an environment and setting that cannot be portrayed in a TV or movie scenario, this is the book for you.
A Federal Prison does not exist in isolation from the rest of society. George spells out the relationship of his work to the "civilian" religious community. This is part of his task in educating the rest of us to the enormity of the problem that confronts American society. Prison populations are growing fast, and the costs are skyrocketing. The solution to this problem, if we take George's perspective seriously, is more in terms of human relationships than in purely punitive or monetary terms.
But this comes only through genuine commitment, in George's case, Christian commitment, in a life of duty and service, with an equally dedicated life companion. There is much to be learned from what otherwise might be considered as one of the darker sides of life. George in his book, and in his life, has shown us the way.

Ray Wilbur

Initially, I was leery about My Life Between the Cross and the Bars for two reasons: I'm generally not a fan of autobiographies, and I don't know anyone who has been to prison. When I was only one-fourth of the way through the book I realized that it contains volumes of material to which I can relate. I highly recommend this book to individuals from all walks of life, as it has monumentous value for everyone. The author is a genuine inspiration to all people of every race and background, and his book is a great read.

One of my favorite books for the last 30 years. A wonderful set of stories about kids who use their brains to figure out problems and have adventures. Positive stories that are well written.

The Mad Scientists solve a bank robbery, get outfoxed by Harmon Muldoon, save Mammoth Falls from a drought, invade the town with a UFO, then finally get even with Harmon and his gang in a satisfying and exciting sequel to The Mad Scientists' Club. Using classic technology and, of course, their noodles, the MSC romps through 5 short stories which are more complex than the originals, yet retain their smart and fun flavor. Henry thinks, Jeff leads, Mortimer snarks, Homer climbs, Charlie narrates, Harmon interferes, and Freddy and Dinky get kidnapped...twice! This book is great for boys AND girls 9-12 (and also for 42-year old women like me!) I'm so happy I found this book again after 30 years...it was worth the wait and then some!

If you loved Bertrand R. Brinley's first collection of stories about The Mad Scientists of Mammoth Falls The Mad Scientists' Club or the two novels: The Big Kerplop!: The Original Adventure of the Mad Scientists' Club and The Big Chunk of Ice: The Last Known Adventure of the Mad Scientists' Club, then you'll also love "The New Adventures of The Mad Scientists' Club". The boys return in five new stories, again mixing simple yet sound science and a gently wicked sense of fun.

In "Big Chief Rainmaker", a story originally planned for inclusion in the first book, the boys make clever use of simple scientific principles to break a killer drought by making it rain. Unfortunately, making it STOP raining, turns out to be a good deal harder.

In "The Telltale Transmitter" while investigating a series of unexplained seismic anomalies, the boys make an unexpected discovery.

In "The Cool Cavern" the boys acquire a WWII-era midget two-man Japanese submarine and stash it in a cavern behind Mammoth Falls' namesake Mammoth Falls while restoring it to functioning. Then one night the cavern roof collapses, hopelessly trapping Harmon Muldoon's gang, who had come to spy on the submarine, behind tons of fallen rocks. Or are they?

In "The Flying Sorcerer" Dinky Poore is so obsessed about wanting to see a UFO that he quits showing up for club meetings, until his fellow club members promise to build him a UFO. Hi-jinks ensue.

In "The Great Confrontation" Harmon Muldoon's gang kidnaps Dinky Poore and Harmon's cousin, Freddy Muldoon, and offers to trade them for the submarine and the right to use the Cool Cavern. Boy, are they going to be sorry!

As a boy, while I enjoyed this book very much, I never liked it as well or reread it as often as the first one, and after rereading it as a man I think I know why. It isn't the writing, which if anything has improved; it is the story topics. If the first book could be re-titled "The Mad Scientists' Club Triumphant", this book could be re-titled "The Mad Scientists' Club Get Their Comeuppance". In "Big Chief Rainmaker" the boys go from heroes to goats, and in "The Cool Cavern" the boys get made utter fools of. "The Telltale Transmitter" turns out to be a fairly conventional crime-solving, and even the wackiest story of all, "The Flying Sorcerer", is essentially "The Strange Sea Monster of Strawberry Lake" redux, except with a less triumphal ending, and it isn't until "The Final Confrontation" that the boys finally get even with Harmon Muldoon's gang for the events of "The Cool Cavern". The result is a little more downbeat than I prefer. In addition I regret the lost story possibilities of the restored midget submarine, which Brinley never made use of.

Note: the Purple House reprint of The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club is worth picking up even if you own an older edition because it includes an introduction written by Bertrand's son Sheridan and a chronological listing of the stories so you can read them in the order they were written (the order of the stories in the book was not changed). Reading them chronologically clears up some confusion over places, geographical references, and characters.

Not many books can capture your imagination like the Mad Scientists books. I read these back in the late 60s and still have my original copy. Its been reread dozens of times and by the way where is Mammoth Falls? The location was always elusive. References to Chicago, the Air Force Base nearby, and the description of Strawberry Lake was most unusual. I keep two copies of the republished books on my shelf. I rarely rate 5 stars but this one gets it because after 40 years its still one of my favorites.

When I was growing up, I really enjoyed reading the 'Mad Scientists Club' and its influence may partly explain why I ended up in engineering research. Until recently I had forgotten all about it until I was looking at books by my favorite authors as a youth, such as Stephen Meader and Jim Kjelgaard. I came across the Brinley books and I decided to re-read the original and discovered much to my delight that there was a sequel of short stories and two additional full-length books by Brinley.

I read the sequel, 'The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club'and I was both ecstatic and a little dismayed. The stories are uniquely excellent melding adventurous vignettes with some science. However, I noticed that the sequel showed some changes in personalities from the first book. I was a little surprised to see that in The Flying Sorcerer' Henry was both not fully truthful with Colonel March, but even after he was told how much personal trouble he was causing him, Henry proposed that the club continue with additional flights of the flying saucer. The readers had been told in 'The Cool Cavern' that Col. March had done them a big favor in helping them acquire the plexiglass nose from an old B-17 bomber for their midget sub. I guess it did not seem in character for them to treat their friends so shabbily. I know that the Mad Scientists are supposed to represent our rebellious American youth who do not respect authority, but I thought the stunt was taken a bit too far. Moreover, I was surprised when I read that Mortimer Dalrymple stole the rotor from Col. March's Air Force car, which is not only a dirty trick, but patently illegal. I am not sure if it was the length of time between Brinley's writing of his first story in 1960 to his last in 1968, but the characters in the sequel seem to not be as 'kind and gentle' as in the first book.

Regardless, I still really enjoyed reading the sequel and I plan on reading the two re-published full-length books.

We are big Doctor Seuss fans and are attempting to get the entire collection for our daughter. Like the book, just too similar to Fox in Socks. Nothing but tongue twisters and no real story.
Great to have if your trying to collect all Dr Seuss books. If completing the collection is not important to you, I would only chose this if you don't already have Fox in Socks

Great book for my 1st grader, he loves the rhyming words throughout.

This book captures literary genius in the form of childish tongue twisters. It proves to be an excellent practice of diction and reading rhythm while providing extreme entertainment for the little listener. The love of words is the beginning of all great literary accomplishment, and this child's book is a step in the right direction.

This book was one of my husbands favorites when he was growing up, and now that we are expecting a child he wanted our son to have the same experience. He was so excited when it arrived that he read it to me as a bedtime story. The riddles start out easy, but by the end of the book your tongue is so twisted it's hard to say anything!! It's a lot of fun and we really look forward to hearing our son try to say these riddles when he learns to speak.

This is a really fun book to read. However, you REALLY have to pay attention to the words or you will mess them up. If you love tongue twisters, this is the book for you. It also is great for young readers, but they may become frustrated with some of the words. It's fun for little ones to listen to and to see how fast you can say these phrases. When you hear "faster, faster," well, you know you're encouraging reading in your child. A very fun book - I recommend it.

I never knew the Germans had such advanced submarine weaponry during WWII. It's a good thing the Walter engine Type XXI U-boats were never produced in quantity. We might have lost the war, especially if the V-2 equipped version that Dickson's novel is about had made it into combat. The technical aspects of the book alone are well worth the price, but the story is interesting and suspenseful as well. I even liked it better than Clancy's Red October, which I found to be long-winded and dragged in places. Almost like he had to make 400 pages out of 200. At least Dickson's 200 pages are honest, good and interesting prose. This book would also make a fantastic movie someday. A smart producer should pick up an option on it.

I am a veteran of the British Navy. I served aboard destroyers during the war, and participated in several U-boat chases. I must say that though I am old now, I recall those days quite clearly. Fear has a way of doing that to you.

Yes, I agree with Mr. Dickson that the U-boat crews were top-line and very dedicated. Most of them, especially the officers, were not Nazis. They were simply the best and brightest Germany had to throw against us at the time. I know as I interviewed some of them after we sunk their U-boats, and they became our prisoners.

I did not know about the Type Twenty-One U-boats Mr. Dickson discusses in the book. We were up against Type Sevens mostly, and an occasional Type Nine later in the War. However, the fact was that the Jerries were definitely on the defensive during the U-boat campaigns from early '43 onwards. As a sailor, I still respected them, enemies though they may have been at the time.

I might add that we treated them well enough on board our vessel prior to transfer ashore. I believe they would have done the same, had they the capability to pick-up survivors as we.

At any rate, the book is very well-done. I doff my old sailor's cap to Mr. Dickson!

I really enjoyed this short war novel. The author did a fantastic job researching his material, and he came up with some real gems of history: lost secret German U-boat and rocket technology, including what were apparently the world's first ballistic missile silos in France. The German army built several blockhouses in Northern France from which to fire V-2 rockets at the massed allied armies in Southern England preparing for D-day. Fortunately, allied bombers destroyed them, before they could launch. This and other interesting historical anecdotes are found throughout this interesting work. The author's style is refreshing: fast-paced and very readable. His use of short chapters leads the reader on, much like Dan Brown's works (DaVinci Code, etc.). Some other reviewer said this should be a movie. I definitely agree. It would make a great film, too.

This short WWII submarine warfare fiction novel was really cool!
It seemed to have similar elements of "Das Boot", "Red October" and "K-19, The Widowmaker". And yet it was completely original and genuine. An amazing work! I enjoyed Dickson's dry wit. The anti-Nazi U-boat commander, Wulf Brunhausen, constantly recites some excellent one-liners and double-entrendres against his hated Nazi overlords. An old-time patriot, he professionally slugs it out with his pursuer, American attack sub commander, Rick Jackson. The research was excellent, highlighting the little known Type XXI U-boats with their original hydrogen peroxide turbine engines (they didn't have to surface to recharge batteries or take on air). The U-boat crews were very dedicated. There was never a mutiny aboard one of these craft, even as they were being sent out on virtual suicide missions from late '44 onwards. Amazingly, several were still on patrol off the U.S. East Coast as late as March/April '45, as Germany itself was being invaded from both East and West. In fact when the war ended there were still a couple of Type XXIs at sea, lining up allied ships in their sights. Dramatically, they went undetected through the motions of mock attacks, before returning to their North German and Norwegian naval bases. In fact many intact U-boats were surrendered at the end of the war, especially those based out of Norway, which was never invaded by the allies. Some of these U-boat commanders were so good, they were subsequently inducted into the U.S. Navy at their former ranks and then were based out of Pearl Harbor, commanding American submarines. Their honored pictures still hang on SUBPAC Headquarters walls in Pearl Harbor.

I enjoy reading naval warfare fiction, and this little book has got to be one of the most interesting submarine warfare stories I have ever read. The research alone is worth the price of the book. Dickson capitalizes on some amazing Nazi technological breakthroughs and weaves them into an exciting story with a good dose of ethics and morality. War may be immoral, but those who fight it are often the most moral and selfless members of society. Dickson captures the professional character of both the German U-boat officers and crew, as well as their American adversaries. Two thumbs up, as they say!

I say again, it's a Masterwork. One of the other reviewers said he/she didn't understand why more people don't know about this book, and I'll second that. It has flown under the radar for almost 30 years now, but really deserves a wider audience. With the exception of a small percentage of the text that reveals it's late 1970's origin, the book is strikingly timely.

I had come across and read several excerpts on the web a few years ago, and they just blew me away. Then I found it was available here at Amazon and ordered...wow! The book is hard to put down. It's written in a very accessible style that make it an easy if intimidating read. I'll be re-reading this one for years. Highly recommended!

Introduces or reminds us of not only the 'language' of ecology but the necessity and importance of prudent, immediate need for serious life altering action. This is by far the best book I've read on the subject. It should be mandatory supplemental reading for High School/College students in Sociology, Business/Economics, Evolutionary Science or Biology. Catton spells out in great page turning detail how Malthus was right after all. Couldn't put it down! Should be on everyones night stand.

Having recently finished Mr. Catton's book, I find myself at once awed and humbled by the mind that conceived and communicated so well the vision of where humanity now stands and how we climbed out onto this wobbly precipice. I cannot say it any better than the other reviewers here - only can I add another voice saying that this is clearly, in many regards, one of the most important books I have ever read. Open your mind, read it carefully, and I suspect that, like me, you will see with new clarity what is happening before our eyes, circa 2008. The book is transformational; that it was written 26 years ago is even more astounding. Read it.

This book neatly sums up all the others, plus explains all the other vague things you've suspected but can't put your finger on. By building on an ecological structure, Catton pulls all our problems (and terrors) together, and files them into a structure we can at least begin to understand. This was written in 1980 and is eerily prescient of where we are today. He explains how population, peak oil, global climate change, political unrest, starvation, and even spirituality are all part of the predicament.

I think it's brilliant. I just read it again. Each time it sinks in farther, and I glean more of the subtleties, and I understand the day's news just a little better.

The other reviewers are right. Read it. Own it. Give it to the people you care about!

I bought this book months ago (my first of several copies), as I was trying to decide whether to buy Heinberg's "Peak Everything". I read one of the Heinberg reviews, which suggested that I buy "Overshoot...", and I was so impressed by the review that I purchased Overshoot, instead of another "peak" book.

I cannot possibly say it better than the 12 other current reviewers of Catton's book, but I can say that Overshoot....is THE best ecological/environmental book I've ever seen, no qualifications possible.

Why more people don't know about this book, is hard to say, but the fact is that anyone who is interested in where the world is today in terms of energy and other environmental resources, how we got here and WHY we got here, needs to read this absolutely beautifully written book.

No other overview of the world's current predicaments, comes close to this gem of a document..it is almost as though all the powers of the Universe suddenly descended on Earth and provided the reasons for (and also some of the answers to) our situation, in this one superb book!

Owned my first couple for years and gave it away to a relative. Had to buy another copy. It is the very best of the all-around food preservation books on the market. It is a must for the reference shelf.

This book will tell you everything you need to know to preserve your own food. It covers canning, freezing, drying, smoking and root cellars.

I found it very helpful, but a little intimidating. They emphasize safety, and they definitely should, but almost to the point of scaring you to death! I think sometimes the completeness makes the whole process seem much harder than it really is.

I've made two batches of jam so far, and all went well.

All in all the book is great, but I'd also read through the Ball books, as they make the process seem easier.

We have used this book for years for the preservation and keeping of food. It is complete, easy to understand and thorough. Highly Recommended for beginners and seasoned canners. The perfect reference book.

I was just ordering a replacement book for the one that I have been using for years that is falling apart. It is the only canning book that you will ever need. All you need to know to do safe and delicions canning as well as other food preservation techniques are in there. I have a designation from the NC Extension Service of Master Food Preserver, so you can trust my opinion.

This is the only book that I have found that tells me how to preserve figs.
You cannot find these type of books in the Midwest.
This was a gift to my friend that lived in the midwest but has now located to Arizona that is fortunate enough to have these beautiful trees!
The rest of the book is excellent and comparable to what I already have, but this has figs! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!

In 20/20 hindsight (or hindsound?) I bought the book intending to learn about music. Taken purely as an introduction to three genres of early American music, the book is a success. The pictures (and introduction to R. Crumb the artist) were a huge bonus. Wow! The CD with it completes the trifecta.

This is a fantastic introduction to multiple artistic elements - perhaps a few that will catch the reader/viewer/listener off guard. Enjoy!

Richard Nevins of Rounder Records first came up with the idea for Robert Crumb to illustrate a series of early Blues, Jazz, and Old Time Music and Bluegrass greats along the lines of the baseball cards of his childhood. Crumb went for the idea and produced what became three boxes of cards with illustrations taken from old photos on the front and write-ups about the players on the back (many of them by Nevins).

Now the famous fine arts publisher Abrams Books has designed and published a superb volume that includes the Crumb artwork as never before -- in brilliant color and on a larger scale than the cards -- along with expanded bios and a bonus CD that samples some of this great American roots music. Anyone interested in high-level cartoon art and this powerful expressive music will want to own this book.

I have the original jazz card set by R. Crumb, so I was very happy to receive this re-compendium as a gift. The reproductions of the artwork are better than the cards, and Zwigoff's introduction is amusing. The CD is a great bonus, also. One goof I noticed is that the final cut is not Jimmy Noone's "King Joe," but Paul Whiteman's Orchestra with Bing Crosby's vocal, "From Monday On," featuring a good Bix Beiderbecke solo.

What a gem to find on your doorstep on a sunny afternoon. Book-CD full of mystery and joy. I passed it around at a picnic and everyone had a personal take on it. The music took me way back to my early childhood and me dad playing that early jazz stuff on Swaggy records. Dock Boggs music is chilling - always sends shivers up my spine. Jaybird Coleman is a revelation. It would be worth it for these alone but theres much much more.

Wow! Every so often you run across something that knocks your socks off. R. Crumb's Heroes of Blues, Jazz, & Country left me barefooted.

In the 1980s, Robert Crumb, whom Robert Hughes appropriately once called the "Breughel of the 20th century," created sets of trading cards featuring some of his favorite blues, jazz, and country musicians. (The plan was to include one card per LP sold by innovative record firm Yazoo.) This collection, edited by Terry Zwigoff, the same guy who directed the documentary "Crumb," pulls together the illustrations from all three sets. They're wonderful. The blues and country illustrations are drawn, and are vintage Crumb: crosshatched, brooding characters. The jazz illustrations are water-colored. They're identifiably Crumb, but have a definitely different feel to them.

Crumb is a fascinating genius. Although his art and comics tend to be avant-garde (a term he might well disdain) and iconoclastic, Crumb also has a real affinity for late 19th and early 20th century American culture. Part of this love for an earlier time, no doubt, stems from his intense dislike of the fast-paced, loud, and garish American culture he eventually fled in the 1990s (Crumb now lives in France). But part of it is that he thinks the music produced in the early 20th century represents folk art at its finest and purest, before music became an industry. Crumb began collecting old 78s when he was still a teenager, and his love for the older music has never waned.

And so to the piece de resistance of this book: the accompanying 21 cut CD. Crumb personally chose the pieces, and they're absolutely fantastic. Except for a couple of the blues and jazz musicians, all of the artists are virtually unknown except to the afficionado. But man oh man, are they wonderful. Skip James' rendering of "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues" is a heart-breaker. Dock Boggs' "Sugar Baby" and Burnett & Rutherford's "All Night Long Blues" are haunting in their strange but beautiful ways. And no matter how bad things get, Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra's "Kater Street Rag" will pick you up. My son and I have listened to the CD over and over and over, and we never get tired of it. He prefers the blues and jazz, I'm in love with the hillbilly blue grass cuts. But the whole CD--well, it just knocks your socks off.

Wow.
_____
* From R. Crumb's essay "To Be Interested in Old Music is To Be a Social Outcast!", The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book, p. 191. "You play old records for most people, and, if they listen at all, after the record's over they turn to you and say, 'So what is it you like ab out that old music?' You just want to throw up your hands."