Richard Books

This isn't an Idiot's guide to photography. It is a well written book on the physical and chemical phenomena around picture tacking, an eye opener on quirky peculiarities of the media for photographers (more scientifically minded people may feel it just brushes the surface of many subjects). It is a good read, but as with text books, if you're not well awake, you'll have to go through a topic several times!

Most of the emphasis is on film, with a last chapter added on to cover digital. I reckon even strictly digital shooters may profit from reading it.

OK nearly fully understands photography. This book goes far beyond the "for dummies" overview of the medium. It even goes far beyond the "Beyond Basic Photgraphy" books I've read. This book, along with Ansel Adams' The Negative are the best instruction you can receive on the technical aspects of photography, digital or film. It does include chapters on film and chemicals which are becoming less and less popular though still useful for some. But it also describes light, light measurement, focal plane vs. leaf shutter operation- you'll understand why an SLR has a high flash sync speed limit of 1/250" while point and shoots as well as Hasselblads can sync flash with any shutter speed. You'll understand lens optical performance terms. You'll fully understand film characteristic curves (now dynamic range characteristics of digital sensors). Worth the money. (Note this review is based on the first edition which was hardcover.)

All the technical details of photography have been covered. The review questions at the end of the each chapter are helpful too. I feel one can surely save a lot of film after reading this book. And there are quite a few b&w photogrpahs which are quite interesting.

This is a rather comprehensive introduction to the theory of photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Rochester (NY) is of course where the headquarters of the Eastman Kodak Company is located...

Note the word "theory" above. That the volume contains an appendix on the calculation of basic logarithms should give you a clue to the nature of this book.

This is a book about the physical properties of light, the chemical properties of photographic papers and film, and so on. It is not a book about composition and "beauty".

Photography is an art and also a craft. You would buy this book to become a better craftsman.

After a boring introduction to one of the most exciting topics I can think of (Light and Photometry) the volume covers exposure both at the picture taking (camera) stage and post-exposure (printing). These are extremely useful chapters for any photographer.

There then follows five chapters and 160 large pages whit what is essentially an introduction to science for photographers. You wouldn't guess it from the chapter headings, but you are given a brief introduction to statistics, sensiometry (excellent chapter!), optics, chemistry, and physical chemistry. Only what is relevant for photography is presented, and it is done at a fairly high-level. The level may suit you or frustrate you. The style is unlikely to excite you...

Finally, on page 213 we get practical and hands-on again with a chapter on black-and-while development followed, after a section on archival, by one of the gems of this book: tonal reproduction. Starting from the foundation it has developed over the five "boring" chapters it shows how to achieve the tonal reproduction that you want, and shows the Zone System as a practical approximation. Understanding the Zone System in this light (pun intended) will give you a great background on when and how to use it, and when not to use it: it is only an approximation.

The remaining chapters are classics and include excellent sections on visual perception, colors and color reporductions.

This book is a must read! I considered deducting a single star in the rating because the book is very focused on black-and-white photography. It does cover color, but not in the level of detail that I would have liked. In the end I decided that it would be unfair to give this book anything less than 5 stars: you should read it.

The book "Basic Photographic Materials and Processes" is separated on 16 chapters. Very useful chapters for everybody, both for beginners and professionals are chapters: 1) Light and Photometry, 4) Photographic Sensitometry, 5) Photography Optics (there is an instruction how to build the pinhole camera with exact calculation a diameter for different pinhole cameras and how make the lens testing), 8) Black and white Photographic Developments (with a paragraph about anti-foggants, special black-and-white process), 10) Tone Reproduction (Objective tone-reproduction curves for motion pictures, transparency etc., Luminance values of an outdoor scene, Flare factor, The making of negative, The making of Positive, the equations for average gradient for different quadrants of tone-reproduction diagram, ......), 11) Micro Image Evaluation (with much examples og graininess of films of different producers), 13) Filters with their influencies on different sort of films, 14) Color, 15) Color Reproduction and 16) Digital photography. This book is very useful and its content is very comprehensive one. I photograph since 1960 and I admire Mr. Anselm Adams, that is to say I very, very recommend this book for one, who has serious interest about photography and different cameras with their optics. The book has many pictures, useful tables and diagrams. (Rene Novak, studio ER67, ...)

Leviton's writing style is perfect for me. This book is thoroughly practical unlike so many other books with at least half useless or biased filler. Just the few pages on bowel cleansing is worth getting this book. Bravo!

I like the excercises and all, but I am very wary of the new age stuff (meditation, etc). Beware of the wiles of lucifer!

Terrific item!! My 69 year old mother is putting up a good fight against Alzheimers so this is quite good for a Christmas present.

good book, with some good points. You wont regret taking the time to read it.

This book is quite interesting. Make use of whatever suits you. I like a lot of the nutritional information, its looking into different research from all sources, and it had something interesting like encouraging you to spin around like a Sufi to boost your IQ which sounds weird, but who knows:)

A great gift for a bride!! I loved surprising my best friend with it that lives out of town!

This bridal book is one of the best for helping in the organization of putting the wedding all together. I highly recommend this for any future bride or as a gift for the organized bride.

This is a true jewel. I gave it to my daughter and she had a ball with it! The ideas presented sparked more ideas and the helpful organization made the process of keeping it up to date quite easy. It's a treasure she'll keep and may even hand down as a started seed for her own possible daughter(s).

"A Bride's Book" is both visually exquisite and extremely valuable for any bride to be. As a mother of the bride, it was extremely helpful during the year before the wedding. I had my own copy, which turned out to be beneficial to both my daughter and me. The attention to detail helped bring order to the chaos of planning and executing the perfect wedding.
I often give "A Bride's Book" to the daughters of my friends when they becomne engaged. It is a beauiful gift.

Marsha Heckman is the most original, romantic bridal designer in the U.S. I've seen most bridal and wedding books, and Marsha's (this one and BOUQUETS) really cut through a lot of the stuff we see everywhere else. A BRIDE'S BOOK helps a woman create a unique, personal wedding that's true to her own style. It doesn't hurt that the photos are gorgeous too.

Fast, interesting read- combines several different types of genres into one book in a cohesive and interesting format. Explores areas currently unknown in the computer world (well, I hope unknown) and highlights the underworld of sex slavery.

I started reading the book during my commute. After finishing first chapater, I was so hooked and could not wait to find out destination of Isacc and Ami (the Artificial Intelligence). Wonderful plot and superb writing skill. It is definitely a novel worth reading.

ha ha ha,
Hay unkle ricky!!! even thow i did not read the book (you read a few pages to us) i thought it was kick ass...and a tad strange lol. Any way i hope thay make a movie out of this caurs then i can know what happens next....with out haveing to read. ha ha ha and if it does become a movie you'll get lots of $$ to buy "Blue drinks"!!

This book reaches to the reader on multiple levels ranging from deep philosophical analysis of life to thrilling plot turns. What a masterful control of the language! What erudition!

I had not heard of this author before but liked the synopsis so I bought it. It took me a while to get into the book but by around page 20 I was totally hooked. The character development was great. The Artificial intelligence was so real it even made me cry. A great read and I hope he writes a sequel SOON as I want to know more about what happens to the characters and the Artificial Intelligence.

I did not know that the person who created the blood banks was black. Charles Drew had to deal with a lot of grief in his life, but he believed in himself and he had great friends. They kept him going.

When he ran out of money during the Depression he almost dropped out of medical school and returned to being a coach of a college but he didn't.

He figured out, what other people couldn't- a way to save lives with blood preseervation.

This was a good book and its well written. It reads like a novel

I thought this was a really good book. I learned a lot about what life was like for Black people 50 years ago.It was really hard. They couldn't go to school or become doctors . When they were sick they couldn't go to hospitals. I didn't know about blood types until I read this book.

This is the kind of book that should be in the hands of every young man in America. Drew overcame the odds and didn't complain. He just did it and lives were saved.My wife bought several copies of this book and gave it to all the boys in our son's scout troop.

My science club read this last week. I was surprised at how primitive medicine was just a few short years ago.

Reading about Dr. Drew and all the challenges he had to face made me more determined than ever to become a doctor.

Charles Drew watched his baby sister get sick. He wanted to save her life but most schools would not let him attend because he was black. He said he "Dreamed High" and found a way. He became a surgeon and helped others become surgeons. He was a great man. I'm glad I read this book.

All you need to know about greek mithology can be found with in this book.
Great mixture of info and pictures.

Somewhere amid the oodles of glossy photos of athlete-festooned kraters and oinochoes, I was hoping to discover some well narrated myths. My quest was frustrated. Not only does the book provide, at best, sketchy coverage of the thrilling heroic epics (e.g., Theseus, Perseus, Herakles), but one must hunt around for a sentence here and a paragraph there--even to reconstruct something as basic and tightly definable as the "birth of Zeus and overthrow of Kronos" story. That said, I feel strongly obliged to assign three stars merely because the volume is so overwhelmingly physically beautiful. Give this book wide berth and reach for either Schwab (a narrative cyclopedia) or D'Aulaire (a fun, richly illustrated--if purportedly juvenile--panorama). Graves isn't bad, either, but it's oriented toward the scholar of comparative evolution of mythosystems or some such, not for the seeker of glorious old tales, spicily woven; nor can you go wrong with Hamilton, though that's clearly showing its age.

Good book for young children interested in this subject since pictures abound and captions tell a clear story. the text is more for late teens and above so the book has a good shelf life if bought when kids are young.

Reminds me of a college text book. It's very informative, so be prepared. It's not just a collection of the myths.

This is a truly beautiful book, placing Greek myth in context. Well worth the price. The author's voice comes through quite nicely, and I do feel like I'm attending a lecture series at an art museum.

A heartwarming story. Not only the story of one man's courage and determination to overcome the challenges of near total paraplegia to become a successful artist-----but also the story of the generosity of spirit that he encounters in the benefactors and friends that he meets along the way.
The author brings us into this "Creative Odyssey" and with clarity and wit enchants us and puts us in touch with the best the human spirit has to offer, filling us with warmth and hope and the appreciation of life's gifts.

This is a very well-written character study describing life in the first half of the 20th century. It would be of specific interest to people who enjoy history, particulary first and second-generation Americans in the Northeast.

Floyd is a fascinating character and well worth the time spent learning about him.

Does one's inspiration and motivation for living a meaningful and gratifying life get any better than this? A Creative Odyssey is a real story about how two very special individuals, Richie and Floyd, met despite distances and backgrounds far apart, resulting in a captivating combination of courage and caring. It is a story that had to be told. Author Dick Rotelli had a huge advantage in relating the human bonding aspect while interweaving much of the history of the times and locale of Framingham, Massachusetts. Richie was the author's dad.

Floyd Walser, stricken as a young man with polio, refused to allow his adversity to become an obstacle in experiencing a rewarding and productive life as an accomplished artist. Richie, a neighbor and mechanical wizard, one of Floyd's closest supporters, provided not just a spirit of hope and friendship, but took his mechanical ingenuity to the next level in building several apparatuses that would miraculously facilitate Floyd's mobility- including a fishing boat in which Floyd spent many enjoyable days on a nearby pond.

An interesting assortment of historical photographs sprinkled throughout the book capture the colorful flavor of the times and the closeness of an immigrant Italian family, while much of Floyd's remarkable artwork demonstrates his true genius. Dick Rotelli has a down-to-earth style of writing that effortlessly conveys the intended message of his story; a message of courage, human kindness, generosity, caring and of course, family pride. This is a must read for anyone who needs a little inspiration now and then.

"A Creative Odyssey" is the engaging narrative of a young Texan man by the name of Floyd Walser who answers adversity with courage, and finds meaning in a life of art. It is also the story of his inspired patrons - the Greenes, husband and wife musicians who bring a young Walser to Massachusetts to live with them and to study art at the famed Museum School in Boston. Lastly, it is the story of Walser's neighbor Richie Rotelli, and how the courage of a disabled man facing life without excuses can inspire the generous support and incredible ingenuity of a man and his family. This is a true story of Americana, with threads of interesting historical detail supplied by the author. The most compelling aspect of the book is the human drama - how people respond to challenges, whether their own or someone else's. This is not history writ large, but the rich history of extraordinary people you find next door to you. This book should resonate particularly with residents of Framingham, Massachusetts, where most of the story is set. Well-researched, the book is written with a personal, refreshingly unmannered voice. The book is illustrated liberally with examples of Walser's art, and with many interesting period photographs.

America was still young, when this story began. Hardships were common among the general population. Immigration from Europe was still heavy in the early part of the Century, and the story is alive with the kindness, and helping of recent immigrants.
It brought back so many memories for me, things I had forgotten, about how good family and neighbors could be for and to each other.(It is especially interesting, if you grew up in Framingham, with Fred Bortolussi, Henry Belloli, and Richard Rotelli, as I did.) Here was a man, Floyd, born over two thousand miles away from New England, who came as a stranger, and ended up being supported, loved, cared for and encouraged, by total strangers who in essence became his family. It is more than the story of Floyd Walser and the Greenes, who took in Floyd Walser , it is the story of the neighbors, the Rotelli's, the Bartolussi's, the Belloli's and especially Richard Rotelli, who invented an electric wheelchair and a boat for Floyd, and of Carlo Belloli, who was with Floyd to the end. We can not forget the author's part in this story, obviously he was awed and impressed by the interaction of the people involved in doing what we are here on earth to do. Give of ourselves, our love and caring, to help others learn to overcome the obstacles in their lives. Truly an all American story, garnished with history, as it was occurring around us.

Anyone born between 1955 and 1970 HAS GOT TO SEE Dazed and Confused.

And this book adds to the fun. Plenty of real live Mad Magazine stuff, real live ads from the time period, with a bunch of side splittingly funny made up stuff based on the characters from DAC. Enjoyed the heck out of this book. Just wish it was longer so my trip through memory lane could go on another hour or so.

Great stuff! Where's Wooderson today, by the way?

It was in a fit of Dazed And Confused mania that I purchased Richard Linklater's tie-in book to his cult classic 70s adolescence movie several years ago. At the time I basically flipped through the book and then put it aside. Until earlier today when I was going through a stack of old college texts I was planning on getting rid of and wonder of wonders came across this one mixed in among them for some reason. So I decided to take a refresher course in 70s stoner adolescence and then offer up my take on it.

What I especially liked about Dazed And Confused the movie was the way Linklater managed to sneak in some profound truths about life amidst the nostalgia. In the book, the most profound and honest part is Linklater's introduction where he writes: "Let's face it, no matter where you live no matter at what time high school is a light prison sentence to be served. Once paroled, you don't look back".

From that point on, any social observation basically goes out the window as we are treated to a crash course in all things 70s as well as stuff related to the movie itself. All of the major characters are profiled and there are excerpts of a yearbook page from the high school they attend. Although it might seem redundant to most people, die hard fans of the film should enjoy it. Pick up a copy! Also recommended -------> The Losers Club by Richard Perez, an offbeat small press novel that you will truly dig. Like far out!

Let me just start by saying that I just bought this book no more than an hour ago. As soon as I got home I picked it up and didn't put it down forr the next hour. As a huge "Dazed and Confused" fan, I was extremely happy when I saw that there was a book to go along with the movie. But the book is not just about the movie. It starts out with a great introduction by the director and writer Richard Linklater. In this intro he explains the time period, the pros and cons of the 70's, and where the idea for the movie came from. Also in the book are synopsis's of all the basic charactar (the best is Clints, the guy who beats up the nerd). This book doesn't just follow along with the movie, it is an explanation of the 1970's, I enjoyed it considering I wasn't alive yet. So if you are a hardcore fan of "Dazed and Confused" or a collector of 70's memorobilia, than you need this book.

ATENTION ALL D&C FANS: IF YOU DO NOT GO OUT AND GET THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW THE WHOLE STORY! This book has everything, from Clint's favorite colored muscle T-shirt to Benny's beer limit. It is definantly a must for not only Dazed fans, but to any fans of the seventies!

Dazed & Confused is a classic movie about the day in the life of high schoolers in a small Texas town on last day of school in 1976. This book that is a companion to the movie is just like the movie itself: funny. Designed as part high school yearbook, part 70's era teen magazine, it is a nostalgia filled, quick and enjoyable read. There are tons of pictures (the yearbook pictures of the cast are great) and everyone of the major cast member contributes an "article" to the book. If you are a fan of the movie, then this book is a must for your collection.

One of the most famous - and infamous - letters in all of literature, De Profundis is a strange little piece of work: either much more than it appears on the surface, or much less. It is something I think everyone should read, if only for its insight into the human character, particularly that of one under great personal suffering. Wilde wrote this extraordinarily long letter from prison to Lord Alfred Douglas, his friend, lover, and the man who - by all accounts - was the reason Wilde was in jail in the first place. Despite repeated assertions in the first few pages alone to the contrary, Wilde seems reluctant to blame himself. He clearly blames Douglas to the hilt, and harbors a certain bitter resentment towards him. And yet... he clearly still hold much dear affection toward - and even loves - Douglas. He still seems to be asking for forgiveness - despite the fact that, by all accounts hardly excluding his own, he was the man wronged. It is quite clear from reading this letter that, desite the view history holds of him, Wilde was clearly a man of very high moral character. Certainly, one would not put Wilde atop a pedastal as the zenith of ethics - he himself says that morals contain "absolutely nothing" for him, and clearly admits - and is proud of - his having lived the high life to the hilt during his youth - but Wilde was a man of principles, and he stuck to those principles to the tragic, bitter end. Perhaps you might say he carried them too far. One gets the sense in reading this letter - or a biography of Wilde - that, not only could he have stopped his immiment imprisonment, but could have severed his ties with Douglas completely - had he wanted to. Apparently, he had his own utterly compelling reasons for not doing so. Whatever the case, Oscar Wilde is one of the most fundamentally and perpetually interesting characters in the whole of history. A self-described man of paradoxes - Wilde was subsequently the true essence of his time, while also being far ahead of his time - De Profundis makes for required reading by one of the most endlessly fascinating individuals you'll ever read about, and also provides a startling - indeed, perhaps too much so - insight into human nature.

De Profundis, though long for a letter, is not a long work in the conventional sense. Consequently, as many editions of Wilde's collected works are available, buying this on its own may be deemed questionable. I highly reccommend purchasing a Collected Works of Oscar if you have not done so already - it's well worth the price - but, should you desire to have more compact editions of specific works, an edition such as this will be privy to your needs.

This is a very moving account of a heartbroken man who was betrayed by a person he loved dearly. The pain, the trauma, the love, the anger, the frustration is evident in every single well-written sentence. This book is not only a window into the mind of one of the best British writers of the late 19th century. It is also a timeless lesson on what can happen when one falls in love with someone who doesn't truly appreciate what they have before them. Of course there are other lessons to be learned in this book but rather than point them out here, I'd much prefer you pick up a copy of "De Profundis" as soon as you can.

Not actually a "letter," though it had to be originally presented as such for him to be allowed to write it while in prison, *De Profundis* is Wilde's masterpiece--one has to have really lived and really, really suffered to have written it and it's amazing that he achieved it.

I only very recently read it--and "got" it. It rings true to me, and is very, very moving and "profound." It ain't summer beach reading.

Wilde is still and will probably always be best known as a "Personality"--that and the author of a couple of decent period plays, a short novel, a few stories, and lots of forgettable poems and such. But THIS--THIS is IT.

He really WAS a great writer, it turns out, after all.

So many people concentrate on De Profundis' accusations cast towards Alfred Douglas. Yes, it's true that the letter was written to him and that Wilde is ruthless in letting Douglas know exactly what he thinks of him but that's not why De Profundis is a great piece of work. It is great for three reasons. Number one - It contains the best account of the life of Christ. Christ as the romantic artist is the only account that has moved me to tears and the only account I can personally embrace. Number two - it is chock full of the Oscar Wilde voice and wit and as a result it reverbates as a true work of art and number three - It is ultimately a work that celebrates the things in life worth feeling - failure, love, injustice, strength and forgiveness.

Don't waste your time with the accusations towards Douglas. He is unimportant. Oscar Wilde is what's important and De Profundis is Oscar Wilde bare.

Ah, me...one doesn't know which to be more irritated
and exasperated with: whether it be Walt Whitman doing
his dissembling shuck-and-shuffle about the children
he had sired (to throw off a probing, serious John
Addington Symonds) -- or Oscar, in this "j'accuse," which
he should have spoken while looking in a mirror, rather
than writing it on paper to Lord Alfred.
This is without doubt a fascinating, horrifying,
and yet in places humorous, "piece de Miserere mei"
(to combine a bit of French with Latin).
If one chooses to believe Oscar, his only fault
was weakness in "giving in" to Lord Alfred. Oh,
come now. Blinded by Eros, reason flies out the
door...if ever reason was in control. There are
some sentences which are devastatingly revealing,
but Oscar doesn't seem to see it. "The trivial in
thought and action is charming. I had made it
the keystone of a very brilliant philosophy expressed
in plays and paradoxes." Ye gods, and little fishes!

And this man dared to call himself a "Classicist?!"
Yikes!!!
The best exercise for the reader is to just take
many of the things which Oscar accuses Lord Alfred
of, and turn them toward the self-blind, self-
justifying Oscar, to see their devastating hitting
of the mark. Never having met the young man, but
only having the "benefit" of hearsay (mostly from
Oscar's literary defenders) Lord Alfred seems to have
been calculating, temperamental (using anger to get
his way), manipulative, etc., etc., etc. The best
description of him may be Wilde's referring to him
with the lines from Aeschylus' play AGAMEMNON,
about the lion cub being raised in a house and
being let loose to wreak havoc and ruin.
But Oscar bears his share of blame -- more than just
that of the "sin" of weakness which he constantly falls
back upon in his own justification. Even in the midst
of what purports to be some sort of penitent cry from
the depths of hell...Oscar still is ever the poseur:
"And I remember that afternoon, as I was in the railway
carriage whirling up to Paris, thinking what an impossible,
terrible, utterly wrong state my life had got into, when
I, a man of world-wide reputation, was actually forced
to run away from England, in order to try and get rid
of a friendship that was entirely destructive of everything
fine in me either from the intellectual or ethical point
of view...." Er, when was the last time that the
"everything fine" had last seen the light of day?
Was Oscar an "Artist," as he consistently claims?
Was he the wronged, harmed Artist? Perhaps only the
reader can decide that for himself. Without doubt
he was witty, acerbic, funny, cute, clever, perhaps
even charming (to some -- sort of like a Pillsbury
Dough Boy with flair and a clever tongue), perhaps
stylish (in a frumpy, velveteen sort of way). Was
he wronged by a predatory clinger and manipulator,
and a hypocritical social prudery and class power
play (Oscar is no Socrates--that's for sure!)? He
hardly seems worthy, in some ways, of being a poster-boy
for Gay Pride parades. More likely, he is a better
warning poster boy for the self-excusing, and never
take-responsibility-for-your-own-actions crowd.
But this is an incredible piece to read and think
about. There is some of it that is mordantly hilarious.

Richard Alther sets a humorous stage for this book. However, it is heartwarming to see how his character works through life to find his soulmate.

Alther, Richard. "The Decade of Blind Dates",
iUniverse, 2008.

Looking for Love

Amos Lassen

"The Decade of Blind Dates" by Richard Alther is a book that many of us can identify with. Peter Bauman at forty-five years old is a divorced painter and a gay man. He wants a partner so he reads the personal ads to see what is available. He meets quite a group of men--as we all have done. The book is a look at the social and cultural aspects of advertising for love. It is a real look at life before the internet and it is full of wit and humor.
The main character seems to be modeled a bit on the author who was in a straight marriage, had a family and came out later in life. I know, as a middle-aged man, that it is not east to find a date and pre-internet it was that much more difficult. Alther had several similar adventures as he came out as a gay man (he ultimately met his partner on-line). It is easy to empathize with the book as I am sure all of you who have dated will see.
Let's look at some of the men Peter met. There was a doctor from Connecticut with a 56 page resume and a very heavy man, a Republican who was rabid about his political views and there was Henry. Henry crocheted toilet covers. There was Walter who had really bad dandruff and long toenails. There was Norman who loved to dance the Texas two-step, naked. Winston never went anywhere without his collection of sex toys. What more could a man ask for?
Peter has a best friend, Barry who was his confidant and crying towel but Barry had his own problems in the abusive relationship he was in.
Peter did fall in love and that was with Luke but he fell victim to AIDS. Peter is also diagnosed with prostate cancer but he still managed to date. It was when he decided to paint his self-portrait that Peter begins to learn about himself. It takes him ten years to find his mate and while he probably did not have fun looking, we had a great time reading about it. The book is somewhat sexually explicit but, hey, this is a book about looking for love and the search is like buying a pair of shoes. One has to try them on because if they don't fit, it will be awful.
The book is well written and great fun to read. Alther has a very sharp writing style and the fact that he is writing about what is familiar territory to many of us makes this book so endearing.

The book is very well written and reflected the author's superior command of vocabulary, and classical background. His superior communicative intelligence was further reinforced by his many references to Classics, books, authors, events, and more. I am now re-reading the book with a notepad on hand to expand my knowledge of the references and content.

The message in the book demonstrate the value of being tenacious and goal setting in your pursuits. Readers can learn so much and to pursue similar courses when face with life changes. Perservere, be tenacious, enjoy ones own being, value friends and family and study the arts for personal enjoyment of life.

I found a wonderful friend in Peter Bauman and got very involved in his story which made the book hard to put down. Richard paints such clear word pictures. I loved every minute, be it naughty or nice and truly related to many of Peter's feelings and needs. I hated to have it end and look forward to a sequel. Jim Hof, California.

This is an excellent adventure. Peter, a divorced gay man,embarks on a scavenger hunt for his soulmate, struggles through a web of truly eccentric dates which will take you through many amusing situations; breezily written, very gay. ( I am straight, so the explicit sexual imagery was interesting..) Relief came with Peter's conversation with his dead mother while painting her portrait. Opening up his past family relationships, Alther lapses into some beautiful, touching prose I hated to leave for the next date.

I loved the ending, and closed the book feeling entirely sated.

You will, too.