Richards Books

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.

Reviewed by Tyler R. Tichelaar for Reader Views (7/08)

"The Decade of Blind Dates" by Richard Alther has an excellent quote at the beginning by Simone Weil, "Do not allow yourself to be imprisoned by any affection. Keep your solitude. The day, if it ever comes, when you are given true affection there will be no opposition between interior solitude and friendship, quite the reverse." The plot and philosophy of the novel can be summed up in those words. The title gives away that the main character, Peter, will not have much luck in the men he dates. Consequently, as a novel, the book is largely episodic, each chapter generally dedicated to one of the men Peter considers having a relationship with and each one of whom he ultimately decides is not right for him, except in a couple cases where the other man decides to see someone else.

The novel is refreshing for the gay fiction genre because it is not about hot sex among young men (something about gay fiction one of Peter's dates complains about), but rather a very serious--slightly heavy--novel about dating. While the book has some humor in the oddballs Peter meets through advertising for a partner in magazines and newspapers in the years before Internet dating, there is a sense beneath these humorous moments of Peter's loneliness in being unable to connect completely to another man. But Peter also has the good sense not to stay involved in relationships that are not healthy for him. Peter often gets good advice from his gay friend, Barry, who made the mistake of spending twenty-five years in a physically and verbally abusive relationship, and who does not want Peter to make the same mistake.

Because the reader knows Peter isn't going to end up with any of the men he dates until the end, the book is largely plot-less so interest lies in the individual characters. Some of them were humorous--such as the man who shows up with his sex toys, or the man who wants to teach Peter how to two-step, only to have Peter's college-age son and friends walk in on them. I would have liked more of this type of humor. Several of the letters Peter exchanges with other men, including his friend Luke who dies of AIDS, were over-written in tone although the book is always well-written. I just don't know too many men--even gay ones--who write, or talk, like the characters in the book. The book is obviously geared toward gay middle-aged men--those born before Kennedy's assassination as the book implies. Since Peter is an artist I found the talk of his painting interesting, but at times the book became too artsy in its depictions of the characters' sophistication with name-dropping of novelists and artists and special gourmet foods. One of Peter's dates remarks how glad he is to miss Peter's birthday party because he did not care for "all the cleverness and gourmet food." I found myself liking this date of Peter's at times better than Peter himself, I'm afraid.

That said, I do think "The Decade of Blind Dates" is refreshing in its realism about what gay men experience--friends who die of AIDS, gay men who marry in an attempt to convince themselves they are straight, only to end up divorced--and even straight men will feel for Peter during his bout with prostrate cancer and his interesting medical experiences where therapists try to help him get an erection. Gay fiction tends to focus heavily on sex, and this novel is no exception, but at least the sex isn't all buff young bodies but realism mixed in.

And the ending is satisfying. The reader begins to feel a bit forlorn and wonder whether Peter will ever find anyone--he does even though it takes him ten years, and his long search makes the happy ending all the happier and more believable. I found myself also wondering how much of the novel was autobiographical. Author Richard Alther, according to his biography, had several adventures as an emerging gay man before he met his partner online. Happy endings can happen, and adding a little realism to them can't hurt. Middle-aged gay men will definitely enjoy "The Decade of Blind Dates" and anyone who has suffered through years of dating to find a soul mate will feel empathy and humor over Peter's situation.

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.

This one was cute. I Prilla is she a fairy with the talent of blinking to the clumsies (humans) mainland and playing with child. This talent keeps the fairies alive because it keeps the belief of fairies alive. I wish there was a little more of her using her talent because I think it cute when she plays with the kids. It had a pretty good lesson at the end too.

My girls (3 and 4) LOVE these fairy books - my 4 year old reads them over and over and both love for me to read them out loud!

From my 8 yr old daughter: It's really fun; a lot of wacky action from butterflies. I like it as much as the other Disney Fairy books. It teaches you a lesson about lying.

I have a 4.5 year old and we bought the Prilla doll and gave her the book with the doll. It's a fun book to sit and read a chapter together and so she gets to "know" her doll and she becomes more real. We liked the book so much my daughter gave her friend a copy for Christmas too! It's not an easy reader book, but it's a book that makes sitting and reading together so much fun, these stories are really good!

We got this book for our 13yr. old Grandaughter for Christmas, VERY beautiful book!! She LOVES it too ;)
Thanks for a GREAT book!!!

This is both a great read and an important historical document. Fanny Trollope was the mother of Anthony Trollope, perhaps the most prolific English novelist of the nineteenth century and my favorite. Fanny's husband was ineffectual in the breadwinning department, but fortunately for the family, Fanny herself was energetic and enterprising. She took one of her sons (not Anthony) and an artistic young man to the United States. She was planning to join a friend of hers who was a mover in setting up the utopian community in Harmony, Indiana, but the place turned out to be squalid, and she didn't stay long.

Fanny spent most of her time in the U.S. in Cincinnati and in her book is very hard on the city and its inhabitants. She especially objected to the pigs' role as garbage collectors. (In those days, pigs roamed the streets freely, like sheep grazing.) Fanny felt most of the people she encountered were loud, dirty, vulgar, and fanatically patriotic. It is her vivid descriptions of the physical conditions and the people that give this book its historical and entertainment value.

While she was living in Cinci, she opened a retail emporium and filled it with rather shoddy merchandise sent from England by her husband. She also attempted to bring culture to the inhabitants. Not surprisingly, both ventures failed.

After Mrs. Trollope returned to England, she supported her family by writing novels that were quite popular at the time, though they haven't become the classics her son's have. She spent her final years living in Italy with another son and his wife.

This is an extremely entertaining commentary on American manners and well written. I agree, however, with Mrs. Trollope's son, Anthony, who commented that Mrs. Trollope is a keen observer but she understands little. Certainly her complaints about the lack of gentility among Americans is valid but she completely missed the wonderful lack of class restraints endemic to English society which afforded Americans "class mobility"--freedom of opportunity (except for native Americans and slaves).

Fanny Trollope (1779-1863) wrote over 35 novels and several non-fictions books in her effort to rescue her family from poverty. However, the most read of all her books is "Domestic Manners of the Americans" which she published in 1832. It was in that distant year that Fanny and two of her children traveled across the Atlantic Ocean. Her purpose was to join a utopian community in Tennessee whose denizens were freed slaves.
Fanny left her impecunious and feckless husband the barrister Thomas Trollope back home in England. Her famous son Anthony did not make the trip as he was a student at Harrow School. Fanny knew her husband would join her in the USA when money became available. Later the family would flee to Bruges to escape creditors. Fanny eventually lived out her life in Florence near her son Thomas Trollope.
After leaving Tennessee the Trollopes settled for two years in the Queen City of the West Cincinnati, Ohio. Fanny did not like America or the American people! She found us xenephobic; boastful, prideful and violent.She hated the hypocrisy of life in Midwest Ohio although she did attend such cultural attractions as opera, plays and lectures. She favored the state Anglican Church of Great Britain not caring for America's separation between church and state.
This book could well be read alongside Charles Dickens' "American Notes for General Circulation" based on his 1842 six month trip to the USA.
Both Trollope and Dickens found the Americans crude, lacking in manners
and eager to make a quick buck. Listen to Trollope at her most scathing:
"..among the rich and the poor, in the slave states, and in the free states...I do not like them. I do not like their principals, I do not like their manners, I do not like their opinions." (p.314).
Fanny Trollope's book is more interesting than Dickens since she discusses colorful characters and shares anecdotes about her sojourn in our young republic. Like Dickens she hates the odious practice of tobacco chewing and the mangling of the English language. Trollope found us Yankees to be too serious and viewing us as poorly read. Unlike the wealthy and famous Dickens, Mrs. Trollope was a middle-aged woman fighting off poverty with her pen. I enjoyed her descriptions of nature such as those she paints of the Potomac River, Northern Virginia and the Niagra Falls area in New York and Canada. She is aware of flora and fauna and describes them with knowledge and in beautiful prose.
Dickens and Trollope give us the eye to see America in the days prior to the Civil War when the curse of chattel slavery ruled the land. Since those days America has granted freedom to all citizens. I wish both Fanny and Charles could visit us again in the 21st century. Their remarks would be of great interest to this reviewer and countless others!

All I can say is: what a great read! Who knew? Quite frankly, upon first sight of this book I must admit a bit of dread as the puritanical artwork does not smack of fun and games. Of course, as a literature student, I should know better than to ever judge a book by its cover.
Had I been Fanny Trollope writing such an account of America in the 1820s, I would be hardpressed to say that I would have changed a single word. Trollope has been the victim of many mean spirited caricatures and accusations by Americans and it still continues today, but what is interesting is that no one can do more than attack her person. In other words, no one seems to be able to refute her claims.
Trollope's "bitchiness" seems, for the most part, merited by my standards and while she finds much to complain about concerning an American democracy in its adolescence, she certainly discovers just as many things that she likes or finds beautiful.
Plain and simple, Americans collectively have a hard time taking criticism, especially from an outsider...and at that time, political criticism from a woman was deemed absurd if not audacious.
Last but not least, Fanny Trollope is always sure to preface anything she says with the conscious realization that she can only speak for what she has seen/heard personally and is thereby not judging ALL of America.
Trollope is witty and anecdotal and I think anyone interested in what an outspoken Englishwoman had to say about the New World should certainly pick up a copy. I found particular interest in gender/religious issues but got the most laughs out of her descriptions of American manners (or the lack thereof).
It is always interesting to see how much things have changed, and better yet, how many things have remained exactly the same!

Very entertaining read of the author's trip through 19th Century America, full of wonderful description and enlightening observations. Despite the griping below, Mrs Trollope simply reports what she sees - men spitting tobacco on the floor, ladies off in another room while the guys have a good time, etc. She reports accurately on our forefathers' rugged pioneer spirit, but points out the lack of education everywhere. We want to shout "lies!" but Mark Twain wrote about the same thing, and the aspects of our society that haven't changed much are still being commented on with the same frankness by writers like Saul Bellow, Gore Vidal, Dawn Powell, Paul Theroux and Joan Didion. Many true-hearted Americans will enjoy this book no end. Mrs Trollope clearly loved America and simply wrote truthfully about; she is simply beholden to no one - the essence of good writing. A thoroughly refreshing read.

I had to laugh to myself while reading this book. I instantly knew that the ideas and principles set forth in the book were completely right on and also that I have been living my life the completely wrong way! Not that that's funny but---you know what I mean. I loved the quotations from all of the great minds of the East as well as the author's many reminders that the troubles we face in life every day are there to test us and help our souls practice love, tolerance, kindness and patience among other things. I read the book very quickly and felt an immediate sense of peace and happiness which were subsequently erased again by life's many annoyances. I am confident, however, that with lots of re-readings and practice that I will be able to live a happier and soul-healthy life. Much thanks to the author!!

Eastern Wisdom for Your Soul: 111 Meditations for Everyday Enlightenment is an anthology of helpful meditations crafted by award-winning author, trained psychotherapist, and devoted student of Eastern psychology Richard A. Singer, Jr. Designed to help the reader transcend the restrictions of ego, improving his or her ability to live in the moment and enjoy life to the fullest, Eastern Wisdom for Your Soul promotes the cultivation of happiness and joy. Each page consists of an inspirational quote, the brief meditation itself, and a "real life application" often presenting insight into the meditation's wisdom for day-to-day living. A sample meditation reads, "The fleeting sensory pleasures created by material and corporeal possessions will not fulfill your inner yearning for happiness and tranquility. The blissful state you seek is already within you as a natural part of your being and must be tapped into consciously. Absolutely nothing outside of your being will provide you with genuine contentment. You may continue in this useless search externally, but know that it has no end." A suggested twelve-step plan grounded in Eastern wisdom rounds out this thoughtful and positive collection.

I bought 7 copies for my friends. I am very impressed with the wisdom and purity of this volume. It condenses the writings of many wise teachers into one book - easy to read, good format, powerful words. I recommend this to anyone interested in growing spiritually.

Eastern Wisdom for Your Soul -



This book is a must read - I was a bit skeptic of the book's title but how fitting a title with these soul soothing real life issues that we take for granted on a daily basis - after reading this book I look on life in a more enlightening way - please take the time to purchase this life changing book that explain in layman's term quotes and meditations with real life applications - I assure you will enjoy the different topics - the ones I enjoyed reading the most are Love, Compassion, Enlightenment, Our True Nature, Change and Mindfulness - in fact they were all good - Enjoy.

Richard A. Singer is a highly respected psychotherapist who has devoted his life to understanding Eastern psychology/philosophy: he has also committed his time to writing books on his personal discoveries and shares his thoughts not as a 'Guru or Sage', but as a warmly friend guide to bring the secrets of Eastern wisdom to the public. EASTERN WISDOM FOR YOUR SOUL is, then, less a course in philosophy and more of an encouragement to practice means to find peace and tranquility in each of our lives, the obvious extension of that mission would be to alter the way we are living on this planet.

The first attribute of this fine book is the simplicity of approach Singer uses. He has gathered 111 meditations from wide sources (the Dalai Lama, Buddha, Gandhi, Lao Tzu, Sufi and Zen sayings, etc) and uses these memorable brief statements to initiate a meditation, the goal of which is to bring the reader into contact with the only reality that exists: the present moment. The manner in which he manages to move even the most cynical reader is the delicate yet straightforward use of quotation, then thought, then Meditation, then thought, then Real Life Application. Using this simple (yet profound) formula Singer leads the reader through the paths of Mindfulness, Truth, Change, Ego/Illusion, Our True Nature, Unity/Oneness, Simplicity, Compassion, Anger and Resentment, Death, and ultimately Enlightenment. And he makes the journey gentle, asking only that the pages of entry in this book be absorbed slowly, using the mind clearing meditative state to come into a place where we understand our place in the oneness of the Universe.

Not that any of this information is new: it represents centuries of Eastern tradition and wisdom. Yet Singer somehow makes it all feel accessible, allowing each reader to grow at a pace most conducive to personal lives. Growing (and the is what the process certainly promises) becomes natural, as natural as waking up after a life nap of misconceptions. This is as valuable a source of learning Eastern wisdom as you will find. Grady Harp, February 08

All Richard Scarry's book are great. Have been reading them to children and grand children for over 40 years. One of my granddaughters loved this one especially and still, at age 9, will not put it away!

I got this for my daughter when she was 13 months. It has become one of her favorites for sure! She loves to hold on to the "holes" and follow the dotted path of the egg with her finger. It's the book she reaches for the most to have me read to her. I catch her reading it by herself sometimes, and softly mimicking my reading as she follows the egg on each page. So cute! You seriously cannot go wrong with Richard Scarry (another great board book of his is "I Am a Bunny" - beautifully illustrated!) Very sturdy, should last for many,many years. This book would make a great present for a one year old or any toddler, to get them excited about books and reading.

This is such a sweet book. The pictures and the text are perfect for little ones, who wait eagerly to "discover" the hidden location of the egg at the end of the book. They get a very happy surprise. This is a great book that moms can read to their children and it will delight them again and again.

I remember being read this book as a child. It was a fun read. I remember being fascinated by the hunt for the missing egg.

My son loves this story. There are cutouts for his finger to explore on every page as he follows the trials and tribulations of a traveling egg...there is a wonderful surprise ending...that is fun to anticipate too. It's an activity book, without any tabs to break! Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this book and found it filled with usefull imformation. Opened my eyes to the new world of marketing.

Winton Churchill makes this subject understandable for any type business owner. I have put his strategies to use and I have watched my business grow right in front of my eyes. I do not come from a business background and I had the traditional thinking for marketing which does not work any more. I am looking forward to the next book or maybe the next step is a coaching program.

Great book...really drills in on the complex sale issues...stays away
from jargon...easy to read and understand...a good blueprint (and usable step-by step methodology)for anybody thinking about ethical email lead generation and email marketing.

This is required reading for any B2B business owner that has to build a relationship with their prospects before they buy.

My business (and therefore practically my whole life) depends on email marketing. That's why I thought I could skip the Introduction and first three chapters, since they seemed to be written to do a sell job on how important email marketing is to growing your business.

However, I'm so glad I didn't skip them, because Mr. Churchill taught me what a complex sale is and how I needed to look at my business differently. You see, recently I had begun marketing this new higher-end (i.e. very expensive) book marketing program and I had been getting very frustrated with the results I was getting.

It works brilliantly, so I didn't know why the sales leads weren't converting. I thought perhaps the market was going dry, or my sales staff was losing their edge, or maybe the down economy was forcing people away from promoting their books and I should consider a new business.

I was so good to find out it wasn't the economy, and I don't have to hire new sales people, and there is no need to change businesses. I just needed to treat my email marketing differently.

The rest of the book was extremely valuable in putting together the right plan of action. There was no techno-babble, just straightforward, plain language guidance that I could understand and apply.

If you have a business with a complex sales cycle and it's in the slow lane, or if you want to add a higher end product or service and create success right from the start, then I highly recommend you get this book.

Winton Churchill's system will attract more prospects and kick their buying into high gear, because it teaches them how to make their decisions faster and with greater confidence. And, if you're in a situation like I was, it will reduce the wear and tear on both you and your sales team. It should be required reading for every sales manager.

DrProactive Randy Gilbert, #1 Business Adviser to Authors

Informative book with a lot of provocative scenarios (the analogy of the Tokyo fish market and the piece of empty ocean is genius). The illustrations were expert and a welcome surprise. Much of the support for the imminent extinction assertions, however, are buttressed by seemingly Environmental Activists' groups. More balanced sources might add credibility to the general thesis.

As a scientist I thought the book provided an excellent edifying view of our global marine ecosystem. The book builds an extremely strong case of the devastation caused by man to the marine environment. More politicians should read this book, especially the Bush Admininstration with their imbecilic view of global warming. The power of this book can harnessed in the classroom, by planting a seed in future generations for the importance of the biodiversity of life. Great book!!!

Where Empty Ocean wins above a dozen other books is how it takes a bottom line approach, species by species and gives you the facts. Facts verifiable by the ever-handy Redlist(provided online by the IUCN). Ellis goes quite a bit further though, giving a historical account of each species. It is nice to know, for instance, why it is that the Sea Otter has ended up in the predicament it has; never mind that a friend of mine (oh my) was quite unaware that the Dodo was eaten out of existance.


Ellis makes each animal a story--and a worthwhile story at that. I recall sharing 'Wounded Knee' with a friend of mine who gave up after a few chapters saying he 'got the point', and while it works for literary criticism, it doesn't for historical or scientific criticism. I doubt that Ellis's book is in anyway comprehensive, but while most readers will grasp the levity of things very quickly, it deserves to be read in its entirity. I think the various species mentioned here (many in trouble, many already extinct) deserve that much.

Best yet, while Ellis does little to disguise his deep affinity for all those things that would make the sea their home, his arguments rest not at all upon this sentimentality, but rather on the instability of our marine-based economies as populations crash.

At least a dozen eighteenth century extinctions would read like this epitaph "Like the sea cow, it was ridiculously easy to kill and tasted good...", but Ellis exposes how modern methods are far more effective in decimating extant species than any whalers ever could have managed.

Possibly one of the most essential reads for an easy overview of the state of sea-going species, though readers with a greater interest will no doubt want to dig farther into the literature and on-line resources.

This is a truly frightening book. Most people are really unaware of what's going on today out in the world's oceans. Giant long lines nets and factory fishing ships are creating unprecendented damage to the world's fisheries. The odds are that things are sadly even worse than this book states. A few years ago it was revealed that the total world fish catch figures had been inflated as a result of cheating by China, the world's number one fishing nation. This made it look like things were better than they were. The only reason they got caught was that they forgot to rig the local catch figures as well. Think about it. China is a totalitarian state. Do you trust them to tell you the truth about what their fishing fleets are doing right now in the middle of the Pacific and all over the world? We need greater monitoring of what is going on by the UN or some other international body.

Richard Ellis' "The Empty ocean" reads like an encycleopedic obituary for marine life. It's an on going casualty list of oceanic life forms complete with well researched statistics designed to give the reader plenty of "shock and awe."

The book focuses on two age old problems; an infinite population versus a finite food source, and man's greedy Draconian methods used to enhance his own pocket book. Long line fishing boats with 60 to 100 miles of fishing line strung out across the waves dangling thousands of baited hooks is bound to catch "something!"

This book is truly a cornucopia of resource material injected with the author's personal caustic innuendos that serve to highlight his zealous crusade against the onslaught and waste by big corporations and sea food distributors.

A good read, but perhaps an even better source of historical statistics and research for tomorrow's promising marine biologists.

Ellis has put a great deal of effort into his topic. His realism and propensity to "tell it like it is" will slice into your heart and soul, better than any harpoon ... every thrown by Captain Ahab!

and faithful to scripture. This is the idea book you want to start with on Christian apologetics. Filled with neat illustrations, and practical advice, it should be good for high schoolers who want to know more on Van Tillian thought. What is especially helpful is that Pratt criticizes a book entitled KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE by Paul E. Little, which suggests a more popular tactic for defending the faith. Here, Pratt writes (p.73-74): "Little's view of reason has several major difficulties. First, human reason is not seen as entirely dependent on God. Little encourages the Christian apologist to present Christianity as a view to be examined and judged by independent human reason....Second, reason is not seen as affected by the fall of man into sin. Man's problem does not, for Little, include blindness to the truth but his unwillingness to choose the truth which he is fully capable of knowing. As a result, Little treats rationality and logical analysis as something neutral for both Christians and non-Christians." Why is it that human reasoning must judge God's existence? Who are we to put "God in the dock"? What Pratt is saying is that neutrality is a myth because "sin has so affected mankind that even rational abilities are not neutral." When a non-Christian suggests that he is "honestly" looking for the God of Christianity, and is left wanting, he seems to skip the fact that he is wearing what Cornelius Van Til calls "colored glasses" that keep him from finding the truth. His own autonomous worldview won't find the truth, he must have the Christian worldview.

Here is the Table of Contents:
Foreword
Author's Note
Acknowledgments
1. A Firm Foundation
2. Where It All Began
3. The Character of Man before Sin
4. The Character of Man in Sin
5. The Character of Man Redeemed by Christ
6. The Non-Christian Point of View
7. The Christian Point of View
8. Attitudes and Actions
9. Popular Tactics
10. Structure of a Biblical Defense

11. Defending the Faith (1)
12. Defending the Faith (2)
13. Defending the Faith (3)
14. An Apologetic Parable

This is an effective study guide that accessible to general readers for Christian apologetics. Dr. Pratt is an effective proponent of the form defense known as presuppostionalism, that is the use and explanation the Christian faith, and coming to understandings with others based on preexisting beliefs they bring. In other words, Pratt argues that no one is really nuetral and capable of making completely objective decisions.

This short guide, about 150 pages, examines what the Bible says about the state of humanity, and how that effects all other relationships. This becomes a very practical book, after a short theoretical exposition. Pratt does a wonderful job of showing that making the case for Christianity is more than an appeal to the mind, rather it is an appeal to the whole person: intellect, body and emotion.

Pointing out evidences from the Bible, personal experience and the external world, Pratt hopes that all apologetic conversations ultimately end by discussing the logical conclusions of where beliefs take persons. By so doing, he hopes to show inconsistencies in world view and to show consistencies in a Biblical world view.

This book makes extensive use of flow charts and diagrams that would make it of good use for group or individual Christian study for people interested in being able to articulate their faith better, based on its consistencies and the evidences available from presupposing what the Bible says about humanity and God is true. Pratt, a former professor at Reformed Theological Seminary with a Harvard doctorate aims to show how apologetics is the natural state of how a Christian believer interacts with the world at large and seeks to help others perform their job more at ease and with greater understanding of their world view.

When it comes to apologetics, I'm of the presuppositional persuasion (specifically Van Tillian). Pratt was a student of John Frame who was a student of Cornelius Van Til, but Frame differs in his approach from that of Van Til, as does Pratt. For a more consistently Van Tillian approach to apologetics, take a look at Always Ready and other works by Greg Bahnsen.

Though I applaud Pratt for taking the subject of apologetics and presenting it on a level that high school students can understand, I also think on some points he is wrong, and on other points he takes a dangerous position.

At one point he says that we can use near death experiences as evidence of some kind of afterlife. I think this is a naive at best and dangerous at worst. Many people have had experiences, and can even present "evidence," for things that are decidedly false.

On the other hand, I can commend Pratt for his coverage of the foundations of people's worldviews, and I think here he is barking up the right tree. I just wish he would take it a little further.

Ideally, I would have preferred that he focus on how the foundation of one's worldview effects one's interpretation of facts. The question is which worldview can even allow the possibility of facts in a consistent and non-destructive manner. Of course, this would have made the book Van Tillian, and I can't fault him that he doesn't completely agree with me.

Over all, this is a good book, and I would use it for a high school Sunday school class, but (personally) I would supplement it in order to give a complete picture of the apologetic conflict.

Pratt does an excellent job with this introductory work on presuppositional apologetics. He is absolutely clear and succinct. This book is an excellent resource for churches wanting to train men, women, and even high school students, in the presuppositional approach.

I felt this book was an excellent foundation for further studies and practice of presuppositional apologetics. Pratt provides a manual for Christian apologetics by getting to the heart of the matter - the unbeliever's commitment to independence while suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. Pratt stresses the importance of addresses the foundational issues in apologetics. This book was extremely helpful.

Lets face it I am not a big fan of fantasy books but this one I found to be a pleaser to read. I loved the way the Dragons where not portrayed as stupid animals but as cunning if not evil for the most part rulers.

I read this a few years ago and became fascinated with the way it showed the dragons way of life and culture. I enjoyed reading it then and pleased to see it back in print.

Let's get straight to what you want to know, why this book is so good. You do have the typical conflict between good and evil, wars are waged and light seems as though it will fall. There are powerful warlocks abound, a beautiful enchantress, and shapeshifting Dragon Kings. But as usual, something unexpected occurs, and so the forces of evil are thwarted once again. The thing about this novel, is that the unexpected really is unexpected. Knaak creates a plot filled with twists and turns, not to mention fantastical concepts that I have not seen paralleled in all of my readings. I give this book a five purely on its ability to drive thought and imagination. Once you get past some of the rather unimaginative names (i.e. the gold dragon is named Gold, the black Black, and so on and so forth) then you are free to enjoy a magical ride of intrigue and suspense.

All right, I read this book when I was about 9. It was my very first, real fantasy book, and there are very few authors in my opinion who can even come close to Knaak. He is still one of my all time favorite authors (he and Feist, not to mention Roberson, Brooks and Lackey are among the top ten), and I still own my battered old paperback of Firedrake I've had since I was nine years old. I am now 22, and a fantasy artist. Knaak has been a major influence on my tastes in artwork, reading material, and the like, and I never get tired of reading his works.

At this point, I own the entire Dragonrealm series (including the Origin of the Dragonrealm series), and am hoping he'll pick it up from where he left off on the Horse King. Those half-human, half-Dragon people sound very interesting, and I'd love to see more of them.

I loved Knaak's Legend of Huma for the Dragonlance setting. It is how I first got to know him. Some of his other writing is hit or miss for me, but I loved this book. It is a quick read, but a great start to a very interesting world of sword and sorcery. If you like his Dragonlance work, you will certainly love this.

I've read all of the Dragonrealm series which consists of The Shrouded Realm, Dragon Tome, Firedrake, Ice Dragon, Children of the Drake, Shadow Steed, Wolfhelm, The Crystal Dragon, and The Dragon Crown. Each of these are spectacular fantasy books, and Firedrake is by far the best work of the bunch. There are many well developed characters, and several good storylines going on at once which all come together for an outstanding climactic end. Most definitely one of my favorite books. Much better than any other Fantasy stuff that I've read including AD&D.

Richard Barone's Frontman is a great inside look at what is takes to be a surviver - as a musician in the music industry. And a well respected on at that.
It is mostly the industry 'from within' as well as Richard's personal experiences and a few tips on how it works and how to work it.
Nice! And did I say well written?

Frontman: Surviving the Rock Star Myth

"Frontman" is a uniquely honest and refreshing story that works on several levels at the same time. What makes a frontman? Why do they do it? Few books, if any, have explored the phenomenon from the point of view of the subject so brilliantly. B-52's Frontman Fred Schneider says it best on the back cover: "BUY THIS BOOK"!!!

Richard's book is an extremely enjoyable, involving look at a business that eats its own without blinking, but he's come out of everything he's encountered with an amazingly uncynical, positive view. I can't recommend Frontman highly enough... a wonderful way to spend your weekend!

With 'Frontman' Richard Barone adds another remarkable achievement to his already impressive portfolio. Most books I've read by or about musicians have disappointed and/or caused me to like a performer less. 'Frontman' only helps me further appreciate one of my favorite artists! Richard offers a fascinating "travelogue" of his career and music. As in his songs, his writing is eloquent but never pretentious or cloying, and honest but never self-indulgent or gossipy. And as intended, his stories of the music biz are enlightening, engaging and educational for any aspiring frontmen. Richard has truly experienced the wild rollercoaster ride of the entertainment industry and still remains modest, upbeat, and astonishingly un-jaded. Whether or not you're already a fan of Richard's work, this is a great read... and if you're not, you will be by the time you finish this book!

What a surprise to find that the frontman, Richard Barone, is a poet, a musician and singer, a philosopher and mystic. I was skeptical when a friend gave me the book exclaiming, "you'll love it." I love music, but wasn't interested in knowing the ins and outs of the music business (which is accomplished with humor, intelligence and punches). So, I read the first page and was convinced he could write, and then read the last two pages, which reeled me into the reality that this book was much more than black and white words. I've thanked my friend for turning me on to The Frontman. I've given copies to several of my friends, who have thanked me. And, so it goes, there are numerous ways to be inspired, appreciate creativity, notice serendipity, and be compelled to consider the grand unanswerable questions of life. Thank you Richard Barone!