R Books

Nightmares plague the narrator's childhood. In these dreams he relives the pre-stoneage life of one of his proto-human ancestors. Each night is a different episode from his ancestor's life, and the episodes are lived and relived in a jumbled, non-chronological order. The narrator places the episodes in chronological order and tells his ancestor's biography. What emerges is an action-packed, engaging saga of adventure and romance at the dawn of humanity.

London got the science of genetics wrong as he tried to explain how the narrator could have such memories, but he seems to have gotten one thing right. Modern paleo-anthropology posits that for most of prehistory, the earth contained several coexisting species of hominids. London peoples his world with three hominid species. His description of the interaction between these species probably gives an accurate depiction of ancient man's inter-species interaction.

In this short novella Jack London ('White Fang', 'The Call of the Wild', 'The Sea-Wolf') describes beings who lived at the dawn of mankind. You could call these creatures human, but they are still rudimentary beings. He tells a romance of the unknown ages populated with creatures that may have been.
Jack London's 'Before Adam' is a brilliant recreation of the dawn of humanity, describing the prehistoric world as a place of dark conflict where only the fittest will survive.
Would it be exaggerated to call it a journey to our own subconscious? A subconscious - as a hidden memory of the history of mankind - hidden so deep in our mind that it can only be reached by fiction.

I agree wholeheartedly that this is a very unique and interesting work (it's hard to even call it a novel or pin it down to another genre). The book is about a modern day protagonist who has nightmares about prehistoric life. As he becomes an adult, he posits a theory that these are the biological remnants of the experience of his distant prehistoric ancestor.

He pieces together the story from his dreams and what comes out is this book - a detailed and very graphic portayal of life before people were "people". Reading this, you are plunged into a whole different world, where the inhabitants are somewhere between people and the primate-ancestor on the evolutionary scale. It is an amazingly harsh and cruel existence with a truly "primitive" society. And yet, we get to love some of the central characters, empathise with them and marvel at this novel's description of the seeds or the birth of what we see as humanity in terms of resourcefulness and compassion.

The work also has a psychological and philosophical aspect as the modern day narrator wrestles with his "second I" and what his connection to his ancestor means to his identity. I've read several good prehistoric fiction works and this is the best - certainly the most profound - it really makes you think and amazes you.

While I'm not much into reading fiction or Sci-Fi type books; I have to say, this is probably one of the best books, I've ever read in my life. ( and I'm an avid reader)

Jack London has a way of really pulling your mind into the picture. ( Or putting pictures/stories inside your head)

If you're looking for a book to take your mind of things, or want to live a vicarious experience, I can think of no better book than this one.

This is one of Jack Londons stellar achievements. The ending will surprise you.

An awesome book, that you'll have trouble putting down, until you're finished.

I only started reading Jack London's work three years ago, but I've had an interest in prehistoric times and evolution since I was ten. When I tried explaining to other children that humans and apes may have evolved from a common ancestor they just sort of sneered in disbelief. This was over a hundred years after Charles Darwin had died.

Jack London's first SF novel "Before Adam" is an imaginitive, compelling read. Through his dreams, a twentieth century man "remembers" events from another time and place - a life lived at the dawn of time. The narrator "Big-Tooth" shows us the harsh brutality of prehistoric life, the endless struggle to survive, the constant danger posed by predators looking for food, and the menace of the "Fire Men" - a race more advanced than the species Big-Tooth belongs to, a race that have learned to use fire and kill prey with bows and arrows. It's very rare for anyone to live beyond middle age. Most people die violent deaths, either at the hands of a rival, or satisfying the hunger of a beast.

This is not the first story with a prehistoric setting (Jack London was apparently accused of plagiarism by another author, Stanley Waterloo), but it's a wonderful book nevertheless. London later wrote a book with a similar premise called "The Star Rover", in which a condemned prisoner puts himself into a trance and experiences his past lives. It's possible that J.G. Ballard had also read "Before Adam" before writing "The Drowned World", another book about race memory and the retreat into prehistory. There's a lot of psychology in it.

As a species we've certainly come a long way, or so we like to think. The slaughter initiated by the Fire Men looking for living space has been repeated time and time again. Our "intelligence" has enabled us to come up with more ingenious ways to kill each other, moving from bows and arrows to guns to weapons of mass destruction. From what can be seen on television or read in newspapers, it seems we're still a long way from "growing up". Jack London's novel should teach us not to be complacent.

"...Christmas is such a special time that very special, almost magical things can happen. And the most magical thing of all is Santa Bear: I'd say he has the best job in the whole world, because the joy of giving is what Christmas is all about." -- From the book

This lovely book by Stan and Jan Berenstain follows the Bear family as they navigate through the trappings of Christmas: making lists, feeling the tug of store-front windows loaded with toys, kids worrying if they've been good enough to merit Santa Bear's visit, the spirit of giving and more.

I love that this book doesn't demonize wanting things (like The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies), and shows kids deciding to spend their own money to buy their parents special gifts from Christmas.

One adorable scene in this book is when the kids encounter a bell ringing Santa outside the mall, standing in front of a pot that says "Help the Needy". Paper Bear explains "His job is to collect money to help the needy--birds who need seed, squirrels who didn't put enough aside for the winter".

Especially good for Christmastime, The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear is a heartwarming story with an uplifting message that children will no doubt enjoy.

This is such a cute book! This one has the Bear family going to the mall two days after Thanksgiving and finding that it's all decorated for Christmas. Mama thinks it's too early, but Papa thinks that the kids will be fine and they will be able to handle it. Then the next page shows the cubs jumping up and down in front of the toy store way too excited for the season to begin. Sister has a ton of questions about Santa, like how does he get down our skinny chimney, how does he drive his sleigh when there's no snow, etc., etc. Just the same questions just about every child has at one time or another. It also goes through how hard it is to wait until Christmas Eve and all the things a kid goes through waiting for that wonderful event. Lastly, it shows the cubs buying thoughtful gifts for their parents and being very excited when they open them on Christmas. The book closes with Papa explaining all of Sister's questions on Christmas Eve while they are looking up into the sky, waiting for Santa Bear to come. Then, it starts to snow and blankets the entire town with Christmas snow.

This is such a great little book - it shows all the joys of Christmas through a child's eyes but also teaches about giving. When Sister says that Santa Bear has the hardest job in the world making all those presents and then delivering them, Papa counters with the fact that he thinks that Santa Bear has the best job because he gets to give all those gifts to so many cubs. That's the last sentence in the book too - when the cubs give their gifts to their parents, they realize that Papa was right - Santa Bear did have the best job in the whole world because it feels better to give than to receive.

We LOVE this book in our house and I just can't recommend it enough!

I got this book as a christmas present in 1990 and really enjoyed it. All the toys looked exciting to me and I really loved the illustrations.

I gave this book four stars because it is a great book for children dealing with questions about Santa Claus. Papa Bear answers all these questions with a simple answer, "Christmas is such a special time of year that very special, almost magical things can happen. And the most magical thing of all is Santa Bear."

This book is about how the cubs start wanting their presents for Christmas. Brother bear wants just a couple of things and makes a small Christmas list, while sister bear makes a really long one. Sister gets thiknking and she realizes she's being greedy.

I reccomend this book to any child who is havinbg a want problem. The point of this story is don't be greedy. This is for children 5-8 yrs. of age.

My son's absolute favorite book. The boy could read this book forever and still not get enough of it.

This is a wonderfull book!!!!! It's realistic, the pictures are very good, the words used are perfect for my 3 year old son. He loves this book, and I love reading it to him over and over again.

What is impressive about this book is it's appeal to any age. The book follows a firefighter during his typical 24-hour shift. All information is based on realistic circumstances - from responding to a car accident, to inspecting stores/restaurants, to teaching children fire safety, to the infamous fighting of brush fires.
Artwork is detailed but easy (and fascinating) for a two-year old to view. Lots of little details are imbedded in the pictures for older children to find and learn about firefighting.
The book is slightly wordy for a two-year old, but perfect for ages 4 and up. We summarize each page for our 2-year old son.
I am excited that this book will continue to be one of his favorites as he grows.
A must for children who love Firemen/Fire Trucks!

My son who is 2.5 years old and is very much into fire trucks nowadays, absolutely loves this book. Everytime when I ask which book he wants to read, he says "Big Frank's Fire Truck!" He's memorized pretty much the entire book. I'm now on the lookout for another fantastic book. He also loves Fireman Small.

My five year old son loves firefighting books. I am a volunteer firefighter/EMT in NY so my son always has a lot of questions. This book is fine without explanations. My son always has to know, "Is that how you do it Daddy?"

This book stays close to reality with the help of Big Frank! Big Frank is a very likeable character for my son. I first started to read this book to him at 4 and he has loved it since.

This book is an Essential as a Gift to a FAN(s) of These GENRES old & New.From the Ink Spots to Jermaine Jackson from Ja Rule & Ashanti to Ray Charles & Al Green this Books got'em All!Find Out How Successful in Sales & Airplay The Hits You Remember down to Your Bone Thugs N Harmony to Anita Bakers/Your Body+Soul.This Richly Illustrates in printed form some of the most premier recordings of pre-rock era soul to todays Rappers.Highly Qualified Purchasing Quotient & Highly Enjoyable esp4 Fans!

Any avid follower of R&B and hip-hop hits will have to make Billboard Book Of Top 40 R&B And Hip-Hop Hitsa part of their collection: it does far more than detail hit charts; it provides artist and song title for quick reference, extensive biographies of artists and groups, lists of record holders, and more. Author Joel Whitburn's company Record Research has compiled extensive references to music based on Billboard charts: Billboard Book Of Top 40 R&B And Hip-Hop Hits is one of the best of his works, packing in a wealth of information. A 'must' for any serious follower of the genre.

Any avid follower of R&B and hip-hop hits will have to make Billboard Book Of Top 40 R&B And Hip-Hop Hitsa part of their collection: it does far more than detail hit charts; it provides artist and song title for quick reference, extensive biographies of artists and groups, lists of record holders, and more. Author Joel Whitburn's company Record Research has compiled extensive references to music based on Billboard charts: Billboard Book Of Top 40 R&B And Hip-Hop Hits is one of the best of his works, packing in a wealth of information. A 'must' for any serious follower of the genre.

Any avid follower of R&B and hip-hop hits will have to make Billboard Book Of Top 40 R&B And Hip-Hop Hitsa part of their collection: it does far more than detail hit charts; it provides artist and song title for quick reference, extensive biographies of artists and groups, lists of record holders, and more. Author Joel Whitburn's company Record Research has compiled extensive references to music based on Billboard charts: Billboard Book Of Top 40 R&B And Hip-Hop Hits is one of the best of his works, packing in a wealth of information. A 'must' for any serious follower of the genre.

I highly recommend this book to any fan of the music genres charted in Billboard's R&B Top 40. If you grew up on music like this, it's perfect for review during the years when you were in school--no matter if it was back in the 40s, 60s, 90s or 00s. You'll be surprised of all the music you have forgotten, you'll then find yourself looking for it to bring back fond memories.

If, like me, you grew up during Hip-Hop's baby years (early 80s to early 90s), some great jams didn't make the top 40. Keep in mind that Hip-Hop from that period was not fully appreciated until recently, and Billboard recognized mostly Pop-Rap that crossed over like "Parents Just Don't Understand", "You Can't Touch This", "Wild Thing" or "Bust A Move" at that time. For those jams not on the list, you'll see the artist's music from the sophomore or third album (which happened to A Tribe Called Quest and Big Daddy Kane).

There is recent scientific evidence which reveals that a person's state of mind is affected by the state of mind of a given author's...whose books are read. (As if we needed science to prove the power of the word!). To paraphrase a wise teacher of the past: A person makes the book, not a book the person. For, it resides within our unique human consciousness, to think noble thoughts...or not. To put it another way, "As we think, so shall we become"....

That said, in reading, "Building A Noble World", one comes to recognize that its author, Shiv R. Jhawar, is himself a "noble" human being; in that, a finely-tuned and tempered quality of higher thought pervades his writing. Recall the playful school-age axiom (albeit with a delightfully convenient twist that occured to me!): If A, (noble-minded Author), writes B, (a Book based upon such noble thought), then C, (the Consciousness of the reader of that book) is enobled too. For, they all tap into, and parktake of, one higher stream of consciousness (and, after all science is stating this is so. But, before science even existed as a discipline, spiritual sages taught likewise)....

Building A Noble World-- although it covers much exploratory ground that might seem too various, or perhaps in some other way, too particularized to a special audience (in the eyes of the casual reader)-- nevertheless, has a way of weaving it all together, and arriving at the heart of the matter. Like the concept of a hologram, readers can extrapolate the whole throughout all the diverse sections of this book-- (e.g. in the homage the author pays to great beings of wisdom at the forefront of human evolution, the inspiring quotes, the inter-lacing of historical events of certain cultures, the sharing of his personal account of the transformational inner journey, etc.)--we come to recognize a cohesive element that pervades all. And, this essential unifying principle which the author repeatedly illustrates, is both touchstone and challenge for humanity-- to achieve such a level of unity amidst all the turbulence and seemingly disparate (and often desperate) realities of our post-modern world.

This touchstone, the attaining of profound inner wisdom, may just be humanity's saving grace. For, if we as individuals, can recognize and embody the power of this simple truth-- i.e., "Nothing and on-one is different from me. If I help my self, I help others; if I harm myself, I harm others"-- then, this very helping, this realization of the "Golden Rule" once more, this very enobling process, will indeed bring about a peace-filled world. One built upon compasssion arising from the recognition of our essential unity. This is what Mr. Jhawar's book holds up for examination, in a most succinct and illuminating way.

Building A Noble World, throughout its pages-- inspires and challenges us to ask ourselves, not only what it means to be a human being, but also, how we can embody the forthcoming realizations in ourselves, and then in the world. That is, to live our daily lives within the framework of a higher consciousness, that allows us to achieve awareness of our motives for everything we think, say, and do. For example, we believe we all want "peace" in this world. Yet, truly, how are we all going to have this "world peace", unless we each and every one of us, becomes peaceful (peace-filled) within ourselves, first and foremost? This, I understand to be the essential message of this aptly-titled book. How we ourselves can "build" this noble world we long for-- by providing the "scaffolding" of a higher consciousness within ourselves.

I highly commend Shiv Jhawar for courageously sharing his noble thinking about Life with us; the result being, this book, which is at once, emminently straightforward and "do-able", while at the same time, profound in its grasp of a great spiritual basis for human existence. He has my gratitude also-- for reminding me of this divine and human birthright-- which challenges me to reclaim my soul's highest responsibility. To deeply realize, in my mind and heart, and practice in my daily live, the truth that...all is One.

I urge everyone to read this uplifiting and enlightening book. Become inspired by it, and live by that awakened inspiration. Then surely, world unity and peace will become a reality...much sooner than we can ever hope to imagine.

Gargi (Stephanie) Sweas
Chicago, IL
August/ 2005

A spiritual page-turner! Shiv Jhawar's Building a Noble World is a unique blend of history lesson on human relations, introduction to Yoga, memoir of a spiritual awakening and proposal to unify the planet.

Mr. Jhawar shares his plan for creating a noble world, beginning with personal inner peace achieved through meditation. The author illustrates many complex concepts in simple but elegant prose, enlightening readers with quotes from spiritual masters and tales that support Jhawar's practical solutions for a World in crisis.

Building a Noble World is a tome that should be required reading for those yearning for change--both personal and political.

It is extremely rare to find such a wealth of knowledge in one small book. The book, "Building a Noble World", is more like a "capsule"-- reading one small, easy to understand handbook instead of reading fifty complex books.Understanding the information offered inthis little pocket book can enhance GLOBAL PEACE when violence and terrorism has becomre so common.It is a breath of fresh air. I strongly recommend this insightful, inspiring, and educational book that offers practical spirituality for solving problems at both personal and global levels. When one understands the wisdom offered in the book, one experiences the inner transformation and peace.This book may not add years to your life, but it will certainly add value to your life."

-- Harish S Jhaveri,MD;DABR;DMR
Galveston, TX, USA

This book is very unique and interesting. One would only know by reading it. One of the interesting aspects it has is quotes from most noble people in world like Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, and many more. This book also emphasizes on yoga, spirituality, and meditation for people who are interested in it. It talks great deal about peace, politics, religion, and culture. I truly enjoyed this astonishing book and gained variety of info. I also recommended this book to my friends, co-worker, and to many others. It will make anyone feel like doing something special. Everyone should read this great book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Building a Noble World is one of the most splendid and thought - provoking books written in recent times. The author, Shiv R. Jhawar, has an innate talent of explaining the most complex ideologies and terms in a way that is easy for any average person to understand. There are very few people who have known and experienced spirituality in its truest sense, and upon reading Mr. Jhawar's personal experience, one can easily conclude that the author is one of them.

This book has tremendously helped me understand the true meaning of spirituality. It has also helped me in removing the preconceptions and false assumptions I had regarding spirituality. Many people erroneously believe that spirituality is the same thing as religion. According to the author, spirituality is not as same as religion. The main goal of spirituality is to realize one's inner being through meditation. All the divine powers lie inside an individual, and to realize that, is what spirituality is all about.

Mr. Jhawar has made it very clear that the only way one can attain outer peace is by experiencing inner peace. This can be done only through meditation and yoga. People might think that meditation and yoga are for saints who sit in caves and forests and are away from the worldly life, but this is not true. In fact, mediation and yoga is for everyone, because every individual has right to attain inner peace. Most modern people may find mediation not appealing, but after reading Building a Noble World, they would certainly realize the importance of it.

Mr. Jhawar has quoted world renowned figures (Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Carl Jung, and others) and spiritual masters (Vivekananda, Rama Tirtha, Yogananda, Muktananda, and others) in his book, which makes the book all the more interesting to read. The author not only has written about spirituality, but also has given his views and practical solutions on the most pressing global problems of today. He has effectively combined spirituality with politics. Many people might think that spiritual people remain aloof from today's problems; they will surely find themselves wrong once they read this book. After reading Building a Noble World, one can certainly conclude that Mr. Jhawar is not only a spiritual being but also a practical person.

In the midst of adversity and poverty in today's world, the book comes as a ray of light and hope, allowing us to experience true happiness within ourselves. Building a Noble World is for everyone irrespective of their race, culture, religion and background. It is about unity and peace. It is indeed, in its true sense, a must read book for everyone seeking permanent happiness and peace.

Since my cancer diagnosis four years ago, I have been given and have bought dozens of books about coping with cancer. This book was by far the most helpful to me. It does exactly what it says it does. It keeps patients organized and informed. It helped me so much to see how other people cope with everything from treatment side effects, to making plans, to communicating needs--- everything. I would give this to anyone who has just been newly diagnosed-- or who loves someone who is newly diagnosed.

This book has been an invaluable resource to me as I navigate the maze of lung cancer material, treatment options, clinical trials, etc. Joanie has done a fabulous job of covering every topic, no matter how painful, from begining to end of this painful journey. Three of my family members also have the book so we can all refer to it prior to treatment and for questions that arise. I highly recommend the book.

I bought the Cancer Patient's Workbook for myself when my colon cancer reoccured. It has been so valuable to me that now I give a copy to friends, family or aquaintances whenever they receive that dreadful diagnosis.

As newly diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer with spread to the brain I found The Cancer Patients Workbook to be the best one- stop source of information I have discovered.

Everything from what to expect from treatment side-effects to experimental treatments is covered as well as great material on coping with the diagnosis of cancer.

I would highly recommend the book to anyone looking for a way to deal with the beast that is cancer.

I bought this book for my mother the week following her diagnosis of Stage 4 lung cancer. This book was a blessing in the early days of diagnosis. It offered hope and guidance. Joanie Willis provides excellent information on nutrition, diet, exercise and vitamins which doctors often don't address. We have used many of her suggestions and have found them helpful as we, as a family, battle this disease. Ms. Willis also provides hope which you need after receiving devastating news. I would recommend this book to not only patients, but family members. This is the first book I would recommend to family members after their loved one receives a diagnosis.

A voracious reader I thought I finished the Russian classics when I completed Cancer Ward and the First Circle having devoured Crime and Punishment and War and Peace years before. Not so . Victor Serge has it all :the prose of Tolstoy, the impending doom of Dosteyesky and the currency of the Stalin era. Don't miss this one. FPB Ann Arbor

A repressive shadow looms over the destiny of these men of all age, beliefs, and ranks ... insidious terror creeps into those innocent minds and their lives ends before they know it or before their hearts stopped beating. Some vainly fight back, some don't, but all are hopeless.
The implacable and revengeful wave of the Soviet rotten bureaucracy destroys the life of innocent men. When tyranny and deception shutters the greatest hope of and for humanity, one ought to question if it had to be that way.

This book is amazing for its ability to communicate the intimate thoughts of the characters and employ beautiful prose to describe the physical settings in which the action takes place, without abandoning the larger narrative. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Soviet history or literature. I read it after reading several other books on the period, and felt that they were an excellent preparation for this one (The Unquiet Ghost - Hochschild, Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar - Montefiore, The Gulage Archipeligo), but even without the background this is a fantastic read.

in time the mind will make chains snap." Victor Serge.

Victor Serge's novel "The Case of Comrade Tulayev" is set in the Soviet Union in the late 1930s, long before "the chains wore out." It is a classic and haunting look at Soviet society during an era of party purges, show trials, and executions that deserves a place of honor on any reading list that also includes Arthur Koestler's "Darkness at Noon", George Orwell's "1984" and Vasily Grossman's "Forever Flowing" .

Serge, born in Brussels in 1890 to Russian emigre parents, returned to Russia early in 1919 in order to support the newly created Soviet Union. He served as both a writer and journalist. However, Serge was one of the first of the old-line revolutionaries to oppose Stalin's concentration of power. He was arrested, expelled from the party, released, and arrested again. Finally, in 1936 after a public campaign by leading European political and literary figures, Serge was released and deported to France. He eventually found his way to Mexico where he died, penniless, in 1947.

The Case of Comrade Tulayev mirrors in some respects the murder of Sergei Kirov that set off Stalin's first great purge beginning in 1934. The story begins with the almost accidental murder of a leading member of the Central Committee, Comrade Tulayev by a disaffected clerk. The Chief (Serge's allusion to Stalin) immediately commences a round of purges, investigations, show trials and executions. The rest of the book takes us on a chapter-by-chapter account of a group of individuals caught up in the aftermath of the murder. Each individual represents a different component of Soviet society, from the lowly clerk to the high-ranking party functionary to the `oppositionist' already living in exile in Siberia.

Serge paints an intimate, vivid picture of each individual as they meet their fate. Like a storm at seas these people can see the storm on the horizon but they all seem powerless to either flea. They are swept up and prepared for show trials. The only option available to each is their ability to fight the omnipotent forces that want them to admit to crimes they did not commit and to implicate others in these same acts. The power of Serge's writing lies in his examination of the inner lives of his protagonists and their reasons for either accepting this fate or fighting to retain some shred of inner dignity. The outcome of each protagonist's story provides a cross section of human responses ranging from cringing supplication to death-defying resistance. The story of Ryzshik, the exiled oppositionist is particularly haunting. As with the others, he knows what is expected of him but he chooses to starve himself to death rather than confess to some non-existent crime.

The Case of Comrade Tulayev is most often compared to Koestler's Darkness at Noon. Although the comparison is very apt there are some critical differences in approach that bear mentioning. Darkness at Noon focuses on the self-reflection of one key player in the creation of the Soviet state, Rubashov. Koestler took one life, Rubashov's, and reflected on his own role (or guilt) in creating the state that was about to murder him. The emotional heart of Darkness at Noon (for me) is whether and why Rubashov would perform one last act for `The State". Serge, takes a broader look at the questions of individual guilt and collective responsibility. I think that by taking this broader look both Serge and the reader begin to think about, if not find a rational explanation for, how a society based on egalitarian ideals can allow itself to be transformed into a compliant, totalitarian state in less than a generation.

Victor Serge's Case of Comrade Tulayev is an excellent piece of writing. Highly recommended. L. Fleisig

Most of the other reviews of this book are right on the money and more articulate than I could be, so I won't try to repeat them. But I will say that I found this book to be a compelling piece of work; a classic. I never quite appreciated the depth of dysfunction, even depravity, of the Soviet system. It bewilders me that such an abomination took place in my lifetime. It frightens me that it could happen again. I just finished reading about the Spanish Inquisition, where the same terrible mechanics were perpetrated on the Spanish. Whether the motivating spark is political ideology or religious orthodoxy, demented societies like this can spring up like mushrooms. Communism was a massive crime upon the Russian people. And it provides little satisfaction that the criminals were often the victims of their own crimes. A devastating but outstanding book!

A little book, but very very complete. I think that it suits all artists that are not perfectly familiar with this method. I was knowing the method but I found some little gems in it. A must!

I bought this book after reading the positive reviews at amazon.
This book gives a closer look at classical drawing technique which is perfect for portrait drawing done in a studio.
Almost from a beginning a reader is thought the sight-size technique by example.
There are clear explanations about setting up a workspace, measuring, shading and finishing work. Additionaly a reader is given some references about the sight-size drawing and painting.
The author promise this book to be a start of a whole course of sight-size aproach. That's why a student-reader begining his journey with this book starts with basic practice of cast drawing.
What I like the most in this book is that it comes with a subject right away without any unnecessary content.
The author is a painter and teacher and as a teacher he knows that book is sometimes not enough. That's why there is a dvd that accompanies the book and shows the author explaining the technique while drawing a cast.
The only disadvatage of sight-size aproach is that you have to have some extra space to set up your workspace that's why I recomend this book to everyone interested in classical drawing and painting done in art studio and to everyone interested in drawing techniques in general.
However, I don't recomend it to comic and concept artists, unless they are interested in broadening their drowing skills in general.

"Cast Drawing, using the Sight-Size Approach, by Darren R Rousar"

In my studio is a large walk-in-closet filled with books on art history, artist biographies and art how two books. Most of my how to books are deceptive pricey, glitzy books claiming to reveal secret art practices, some just rehashed bits of stuff with an over focus on personal expression and others are ads. My students offend bring in new books and we as a class discuss each book's merits. We've broken the field of books on art practices into three groups: inspirational, usually packed with lots of pretty pictures, artist promotional, usually packed with lots of pretty pictures produced by one artist, and technical usually not so pretty but packed with useful information.

Darren R Rousar's book "Cast Drawing Using the Sight-Size Approach," is technical and is in the vein of an older group of books written in the tail end of the 19th and start of the 20th century who's authors focused on real studio practices and aesthetics, not on self-promotion. What you will learn from Rousar's book is a way of drawing that is focused and sure. This book is like having Rousar there beside you as he walks you through an approach to skill development in drawing. He is one of those rare teachers, formed from the studio tradition, who understands the how and why, and can explain it and do it. I wish I had him as a studio trained drawing teacher instead of the university trained teachers, when I went to art school back in the 70's but I now have his priceless book of well-presented material.

This is not a book of fluff and pretty pictures. If you want to learn how to draw, buy this book and learn from it.

David C. Powers artist and teacher of art skills

This book is very simple and straightforward explaning the "atelier" or a sighting method for drawing which yields realistic drawings. I once took a class on this subject and have read a few books on it, but most were a bit "lofty" and philosophical. This book tells you how to set up an atelier studio simply and a week later I was using these methods and producing almost photo real drawings (been studying art for 4 years now). Highly recommended.

The content of the book is good; other reviews have covered it and I don't disagree, so no need to rehash.

One star deducted for its disappointingly mediocre production quality; it looks like a manuscript printed on a cheap home laser printer and sent off to the publisher for duplication, and in fact I'd be surprised if that wasn't exactly how it was done. The photographs, as a result, are badly halftoned and muddy-looking, like newspaper photographs, and for a work about detailed fine art line this one, that's really surprising and unfortunate. There are many photographs that I really wish were sharper so I could see the technique and results being described more clearly. I would happily have paid more for the book if it had had better print quality, like any of the other art instruction books I've purchased over the past few years.

Five stars for the content, minus one for the production.

Great book, read it everyday. Us Coasties sometimes forget the basics. Read it well and read it often.

I took this book and showed it to my recruiter and he said that it's weight in gold, and that after I was done reading it I woul be ahead of everybody else.

It teaches about ROTC and the uniforms during your hopefull coast guard career. It also teaches all the necessary tools you need to be in the coast guard.

I am in the Coast Guard myself and when I was in boot camp they even handed out copies of this book to us to learn what we needed to know about the USCG. It covers everything from a brief history to customs and courtesies and to Maritime Law Enforcement. It talks about the different knots we use and how to properly tie the knot. There's history on the USCG's uniforms and the different ships we use to the different jobs that we offer. It's a great book for all and I even find myself at times referring to it whenever I need to know something! So I recommend it for anyone who is entering the Coast Guard, looking to up their seamanship skills or just want a refresher!

I was issued one of these in boot camp back in 79. As a American Legion Commander now, I needed to know how to properly handle a weapon while marching and doing drills. Darn I wish I had of keep it. But I ordered the latest edition and see it is still the great manual it always was and still has the commands and the examples of how to do proper manual of arms.

This was the first of Priscilla's books that I came in contact with and I was pleasantly surprised and I got impressed later on in the book. Impressed because it isn't often that you find an American author that cites an old Swedish song. One that just so happens my parents sung to me as a child and that I've always loved highly. Being a Swede that has never crossed the ocean in that direction, I found it very helpful to read her books to get just a little peek into the native American people, that you see in various films all the time and hear quite a bit about, but never this personal. I am grateful for this chance to look into their ceremonies closely and get inside another persons experience with them, from both a native American and a non-native American perspective.
That on one hand and then Priscilla being a psychologist and writing about a western psychologist's meeting with these traditions and ceremonies, was superb to me.

So different but yet so familiar.
-Yes, she's got it all covered so well, that although Meggie recons these things are all knew and she has her own beliefs, because of her psychological education you can not help but feel that what is happening in this book is all very usual and every-day kind of things. Priscilla deals with all of Meggies questions and therefor she also deals with my own questioning as a reader. The feeling, a long time after reading her book is that it is perfectly normal and nothing out of the ordinary going on in it. Not all psychologists manage to make me feel at such ease with things the way Priscilla does, which is an excellent skill. The skill of integrating a western type of societal hierarchy with tribalism. That and Christianity along with naturalistic belief's without to much of a clutch can really be something to master.

This was a very good book, a book hard to put down. The characters are your friends and you want to keep them in your life. If you want to another read a book that goes straight to your heart, read Stolen Moments by Barbara Jeanne Fisher. . .It is a beautiful story of unrequited love. . .for certain the love story of the nineties. I intended to give the book a quick read, but I got so caught up in the story that I couldn't put the book down. From the very beginning, I was fully caught up in the heart-wrenching account of Julie Hunter's battle with lupus and her growing love for Don Lipton. This love, in the face of Julie's impending death, makes for a story that covers the range of human emotions. The touches of humor are great, too, they add some nice contrast and lighten things a bit when emotions are running high. I've never read a book more deserving of being published. It has rare depth. Julie's story will remind your readers that life and love are precious and not to be taken for granted. It has had an impact on me, and for that I'm grateful. Stolen Moments is written with so much sensitivity that it made me want to cry. It is a spellbinder. What terrific writing. Barbara does have an exceptional gift! This book was edited by Lupus specialist Dr. Matt Morrow too, and has the latest information on that disease. ..A perfect gift for someone who started college late in life, fell in love too late in life, is living with any illness, or trying to understand a loved one who is. . .A gift to be cherished forever.

Many thanks to Priscilla Cogan for writing this beautiful book continuing to weave the story of Winona, Meggie O'Connor and Hawk. Not only is this a wonderful love story, but a story that allows the reader to learn about beautiful Lakota traditions.

I fell in love with this book and didn't want it to end. It was a story of relationships at many different levels. The growing love between Meggie and Hawk, the Lakota wisdom Winona shared with her Grandson Adam, and the struggling relationship between Wynona and her daughter Lucy, who in many ways rejected her Lakota heritage. It was simply beautiful, and I couldn't put it down.

If reviews had a 10-star rating, that would be my pick for Compass of the Heart.

Priscilla Cogan has brought us the second title in the Winona Trilogy, the first being WINONA'S WEB. Although reading COMPASS doesn't really reveal anything that would ruin it for the reader if she chooses to read it first, I would still recommend finding WINONA'S WEB and reading it before COMPASS.

The story is a contemporary romance and takes place on the Indian Reservations in Northwest Michigan. Winona Pathfinder is an elderly medicine woman who knows she is dying. She calls in her younger cousin Hawk, who she has been teaching and tells him to gather the family. The family is her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren. As the family tries to communicate in this sad and awkward time, the author lets us hear what each one is really thinking although tradition and manners has them saying something different. We learn Winona's daughter is as much a woman of the present as her mother is of the past. And one of her grandchildren will someday carry on the tradition. Hawk is surprised when she tells him to give her social pipe to a white woman named Meggie. Meggie is a psychologist who attempted to treat Winona and convince her she wasn't dying, instead Winona taught Meggie about the earth and spiritual world. Hawk is even more surprised when Winona asks him to watch over Meggie. Hawk has dedicated his life to his people and he feels to love a white woman would be a betrayal, yet here is the wise woman he left the South Dakota Reservation for, telling him to watch over the one white woman he already fights temptation with, Meggie O'Connor.

The reader will be drawn into the enchanting world of Indian life; its myths, its beliefs. And they will see how our American Indians must balance their past with their present. The glimpse into their version of the afterworld is captivating. I think we all can learn from the different traditions and methods of other cultures. Priscilla Cogan shows a side of the Indian culture that is both mesmerizing and fascinating. Also, take notice of the Glossary of Lakota words at the back of the book.

Look for the first award-winning book in this trilogy, WINONA'S WEB, to become a movie in the year 2000.

As in psychologist Priscilla Cogan's debut novel, "Winona's Web," which was praised for its noteworthy depiction of Native American beliefs and customs, Compass Of The Heart, also invites readers into a world of little known rituals. This is a place where individuals struggle to
maintain tradition amid America's homogeneous secularity, and where spirits of the dead materialize to instruct, advise, or sometimes tease.

With a cross-cultural romance as her springboard, the author probes the minds and hearts of those with one foot in the past and another in the present. A practitioner of Native American rituals, such as pipe and sweat-lodge ceremonies, Ms. Cogan is an Irish-American who joins her Cherokee husband to teach workshops pertaining to these healing practices. Thus, she brings an informed eye to her novel's setting.

Hawk, a medicine man, has come to upstate Michigan, "to the tiny Ojibway and Ottawa reservation of Peshawbestown" to study with Winona, an aged teacher. She not only instructs but tells him of her imminent death, saying it is time for her spirit to go home. Winona asks that Hawk give her pipe to a divorced psychologist, Meggie O'Connor, who employs him as a part-time handyman. When Hawk protests that she is a white woman, Winona replies, "She is a woman of good heart."

A divorcee of 40, Meggie is attracted to Hawk, and they soon become lovers. To the obvious chagrin of other tribespeople Hawk invites Meggie to be a doorkeep at an inipi, a therapeutic sweat lodge ceremony for which the men gather in a hut heated by steam from water poured on red hot stones, believing that the excessive perspiration washes away "that which was false and unclean." It is also at this inipi that Hawk receives instructions from a former teacher, now dead and living in the Spirit world.

It is at such a point that those with less than an avid interest in the minutia of ritual may feel the story's pace flounders, as plot turns to podium for the advocacy of the author's beliefs.

Nonetheless, the blossoming relationship between Hawk and Meggie is truncated by the unexpected arrival of beautiful Rising Smoke, the medicine man's ex-wife. As old desires reawaken, Hawk believes himself to be in love with two women. To further complicate matters, Meggie discovers she is pregnant.

Winona, meanwhile, is caught between worlds, awaiting with impatience her new life as she observes the interplay between Hawk and the white psychologist. Disgruntled with the people "Back There," Winona mutters of Hawk, "What he needs is a good kick in the butt," and hisses to Meggie, "Go fight for your man! She (Winona) never could understand white people with all their confusion about what was important."

Only a return to his former home and the ministrations of another teacher enable Hawk to choose between the two women. Discarded again, Rising Smoke wrecks vengeance on an unsuspecting Meggie.

Alternating narrative voices, among which are Fritzi, a white furred terrier, proves to be cumbersome. While peripheral characters whose motivation is unclear, and whose plights are left largely unresolved tends to puzzle.

However, there is much to be learned about Native American tradition in Compass Of The Heart, and Meggie's Thanksgiving toast is a valuable reminder: "I would like us to remember that people of different races can come together, help each other, teach each other, and celebrate their differences.....Rooted in this continent, the native people taught and continue to teach respect for the land and all its inhabitants, the truth that we are all in this Creation together."

- Gail Cooke