Richards Books

This massive coffeetable book does exactly what it sets out to do: photographically chronicle the 20th century, showcasing the famous and the not-so-famous. Along with familiar images such as the flag-raising at Iwo Jima, the Buddhist monk immolating himself, the sailor kissing the woman in Times Square on V-J Day, the kneeling girl screaming over the body of one of the Kent State dead, and the man facing down the tanks in Tiananmen Square, there are lesser-known images such as Soviet soldiers leaving Afghanistan in 1989, an alternate scene of a flag-raising at Iwo Jima, a very young Dick Clark sitting among the chart-topping records of 1957, old men lining up to get their social security benefits, and a Muslim groom and Christian bride picking their way through the rubble of Beirut on their way to crossing the Green Line so they could reach her church and get married.

Instead of dividing the book up by decades, it goes by historical era--1900-13, 1914-19, 1920-29, 1930-39, 1940-45, 1946-63, 1964-75, 1976-92, and 1993-99. After all, more often than not things from the previous era are still influencing a new decade, such as how the Seventies were by and large a continuation of the Sixties instead of an entirely new era. Each chapter begins with a short essay by a prominent historian, and each features a "Turning Point" section, focusing on subjects such as space travel, discovering our prehistoric ancestors, closing the gender gap, outlaws, bandits, and mobsters, civil rights, and the conquest of the atom. Each chapter ends with a requiem, highlighting some of the prominent people who passed away during that era. In addition to the usual suspects such as James Dean, Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Charlie Chaplin, and Susan B. Anthony, there are also some lesser-known personalities, such as Albert Woolson (the last surviving Civil War vet), Martha the passenger pigeon (the last of her kind as well), Sen. Cornelius Cole (the last surviving person who voted in President Andrew Johnson's impeachment trial), Aimee Semple McPherson (the now-largely-forgotten evangelist who faked her own kidnapping in the Twenties), and James Naismith (the inventor of basketball).

This is a great book for all those who are interested in 20th century history, and many of the images are bound to bring back memories the readers, whether they were born in the early century, at mid-century, in the later decades of the century, or anywhere in between. (Although it should be noted that some of the pictures are a bit disturbing and graphic and might upset children or even some adults, such as the ones on page 8 and page 178.) One wishes the book were even longer and had been able to include even more images of the past century; there were a couple of events and images I was rather surprised to see excluded, such as the killing fields of Pol Pot's Cambodia, the Armenian Genocide, the fiery end to the stand-off in Waco, the disastrous U.S. excursion into Somalia, the Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics, and the war in Bosnia. Still, in a book this size, one can't expect absolutely everything to be included, and all of the images that are included are stupendous.

I first noticed this book in fourth grade, as my teacher liked collecting interesting books. I ended up reading it cover-to-cover about 6 times. I am a major fan of history, and always have been. I am in the seventh grade now, and when we talk about things in history class, some of the beautiful pictures still come back to me. I also really like how the written part of the chapters are written by authors like Avi. This falls in the class of my "most favorite books of all time," including the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card, The Breadwinner, and any and all E.L. Koningsburg books. A great read!

I bought this book for my 85+ year old mother in law for Christmas 2005. She loved it so much, she later asked me to help her find one for a close family friend. A few weeks later, her sister Corrine came to visit, and they poured over the pictures in her copy of the book - "remembering when" they had seen this or that. They especially loved the pics of San Francisco in 1940's when they were young and going clubbing. I later ordered (yet) another copy for Aunt Corrine's 87th birthday - and she just loved it! It's so hard to buy gifts for someone over 80 - this is a sure fire hit!

Life has done a superb job of pulling the whole century together into one book.I wont't tell you what picture was the first picture the started the book off with.But I'll tell you this;they got it right! This in not only the most important and best picture of the 20th century, but also; the most significient picture to portray what man has done;ever.Check out the book and see if you don't agree.
It must have have been a difficult,but rewarding, task to decide what to include and what had to be sacrificed.Everyone must have their favorite pictures of the century and will find many of them in the book.A very good balance was made between text and pictures.
An excellent book to have or to give as a gift regardless of r age.

Life has done a superb job of pulling the whole century together into one book.I wont't tell you what picture was the first picture the started the book off with.But I'll tell you this;they got it right! This in not only the most important and best picture of the 20th century, but also; the most significient picture to portray what man has done;ever.Check out the book and see if you don't agree.
It must have have been a difficult,but rewarding, task to decide what to include and what had to be sacrificed.Everyone must have their favorite pictures of the century and will find many of them in the book.A very good balance was made between text and pictures.
An excellent book to have or to give as a gift regardless of age.
There are other similar books;but none better.What else would you expect from TIME!

First, Jonathan Eig is a tremendous writer! He does have a tendency to detour along tangential lines, but that adds to the richness and backdrop of the drama that was experienced by Jackie Robinson. Eig transforms history into humanity with cameo appearances by icons such as Babe Ruth, Malcolm X, and Sidney Poitier. I felt the sense of pride that African Americans of mid 20th century America must have felt. It bolstered the idea of "Only in America". This was a civil rights story before Till, Brown v. Board.., Parks, and King. I hurt with Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, and a litany of other Negro Leagues stars born "out of season". I smelled the hot dogs of Ebbets Field. I met and loved Branch Rickey. I watched Pee Wee Reese, Eddie Stanky, and Dixie Walker and many others mature. I adored Jackie Robinson for his talent and demeanor. All courtesy of Jonathan Eig, who BROUGHT IT!

Jonathan Eig is developing an expertise at rehabilitating hackneyed young-adult biography heroes. First with Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig and now with "Opening Day", Eig takes a baseball player whose legend has become tarnished by excessive praise, and retells the story from its original context, restoring a sense of wonder.

The story of Jackie Robinson has with time become a story about the heroism of Jackie's white teammates. History now tells us that they bravely accepted and embraced him, over society's disapproval at the ending of baseball's color line. At least, that's how Eig first approaches and then rewrites the tale. In "Opening Day", the spotlight rightly shifts back to onto Jackie himself, as well as to his wife Rachel, the rock at the center of his life. We hear from Jackie himself via contemporary interviews and from his assigned beat-writer from the black press.

The discussion of Jackie's acceptance among his teammates is limited to how they did not in fact accept Jackie as one of them: Eig fails to uncover any evidence that the rest of the Dodgers tried to socialize with or befriend Jackie in any meaningful way once they stepped off the field.

Branch Rickey, who gets rightful credit as the man who integrated baseball, is also shown as the shrewd businessman he is, in both the good and bad sense. Rickey was the executive who refused to trade one of Jackie's most vocal teammate critics, realizing that his pennant hopes resided in that man's bat. He further refused to give Jackie a significant raise for 1948 even though Jackie's presence generated value in publicity and gate that far exceeded his meager rookie paycheck.

Most compellingly, Eig retells the story of the 1947 season month by month, primarily through contemporaneous newspaper accounts. We see the variable way Jackie was treated by the press, and whose agenda affected which stories. A national publication tried to anoint Spider Jorgensen, a strictly league-average third baseman, as the league's top rookie, in a veiled slap at Jackie's aggressive Negro League style of play. We also learn things not commonly told: we know, for example, that Larry Doby was the second black baseball player in 1947, but Eig goes further and tells us who came third and fourth (a cynical move by the St. Louis Browns), and which white owners opposed integration in the disingenuous name of preserving the Negro Leagues.

"Opening Day" could stand to go farther and tell a bigger story. Jackie's post-1947 career and personal life is shunted into a brief epilogue that hints at a possible second book of equal depth. Of course, the space within "Opening Day" is well used: the three chapters devoted to the 1947 World Series are well researched and lively told. Even in a book about Jackie Robinson, the other unlikely heroes and goats of that series (Bill Bevens, Cookie Lavagetto, Al Gionfriddo) still deserve their space.

A complex, nuanced portrait of Jackie Robinson, told with stunning detail and insight into the first black man to play major league baseball in the 20th century. As an historical account, this book goes beyond myth and revisionist morality to create what feels like a genuine account of a complicated man in a complicated place. As a baseball book, it is wonderfully expansive on an important era with lots of legendary players. As a literary work, it is a top-notch narrative told in an elegant, rhythmic cadence. It also gets high marks for journalistic technique and style. If all writers of sport possessed Jon's rare combination of gifts, the genre would be a lot richer.

This is the second book that I have read from author Jonathan Eig. The first, Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig, was such a great retelling of the life of the Iron Horse, that my expectations when picking up Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season were quite high.

Opening Day is the story of Jackie Robinson's first year in the majors, and the challenges he faced when he became the first black American to play Major League Baseball. Any true fan of baseball knows the story of Jackie Robinson, his importance to the game and the lasting impact he has had on the United States. But, Eig manages to provide a fresh look at this historical year, focusing not only on the challenges and bigotry that haunted Robinson, but also on the lives that he touched in 1947 and for years to come.

One of the more intriguing stories from the book was that of Jackie's teammate Dixie Walker. When Robinson's Dodger teammates were informed that he was coming up from the Montreal Royals to play with the team, Walker wrote the team's general manager, Branch Rickey, asking for a trade. There were also rumors that he led an effort by the Dodger players to get Jackie off the team. Dixie always denied the accusation, but nonetheless, he was basically a self-proclaimed bigot - worried about what his family and friends in Alabama would do if he played alongside a black man.

Like authors before him, Eig could have easily cast Dixie as the villain of the story. But instead, he details how playing with Jackie helped Walker evolve into a better man. Within time, Walker started to respect Jackie for his toughness and determination. He started giving Jackie pointers on how to improve his game, and later in 1947, he stood up for him (along with all of Jackie's other teammates) when opposing teams would hurl racial epithets at Jackie. Robinson made Walker start to question his views on minorities and Walker came to realize what he learned about blacks while he was growing up was wrong. After that, Walker played with, coached and managed black players throughout the rest of his career, and later said Jackie was "as outstanding an athlete as I ever saw."

This is just one example of the impact that Jackie had on the lives of others. Stories are sprinkled throughout the book about the significant impression he left on his teammates, other players in the league, broadcasters, league executives - and most importantly, the next generation of black Americans who would continue the struggle for equality in America.

Opening Day, definitely lived up to my expectations and surpassed them, and I highly recommend it for any fan of baseball and/or American history - and to anyone who is interested in understanding the important role Jackie Robinson played in the evolution of the United States.

Eig's extensive research and thoughtful treatment of Jackie Robinson does not vary or question the general truth of his legend: Robinson played the game well under tremendous pressure with little or no support and demonstrated in the process the skill and courage that entitled blacks to equal opportunity. But Eig does add some new perspectives that make the legend far more interesting.

First is the general unpleasantness of Robinson. He's like Pete Rose in his burning desire to win at all costs and would rub some people the wrong way regardless of his color.

Second and perhaps most important is Eig's ability to introduce more subtlety into the story. Eig destroys the legend of Pee Wee Reese publicly encouraging Robinson on the field in the face of racial abuse. That did not happen, at least not in 1947. Robinson is utterly alone in 1947 and has to prove himself to his teammates. Branca is the only guy to make a point of shaking his hand when he first appears, which adds to Branca's own legend as a man of character, but even Branca essentially ignores him for much of the season. Some of this is racial, of course. But some of it is the culture of baseball: a rookie must prove himself.

Robinson's ability to peform in these circumstances, under the most tremendous pressure possible, adds to his legend and makes his 1947 season perhaps the most admirable of all seasons. Eig is also good at introducing subtlety into the legends surrounding Robinson's oppressors. There is some rumbling on the team, but that quickly dissipates. Most interesting is the role of star player Dixie Walker. Walker felt compelled by his southern roots, and by his desire not to have his business punished in the south, to make a point of objecting and asking for a trade. But thereafter, he drops the protest. The problem for Robinson was not simply the obvious bigotry, but his freeze-out by the rest of his team until he could prove himself under the most trying of circumstances. Walker may have given Robinson a few batting tips and may have dropped his trade demands, but neither he nor anyone else took Robinson under his wing. Even in baseball's demanding culture of ritualized abuse of rookies, a rookie will eventually be taken under someone's wing. Robinson did not have that benefit.

The protests of other teams has also been exaggerated. It appears that there were some murmuring on the Cardinals to try to boycott Dodger games, but that fizzled before it started. The Phillies were grossly racist in their bench jockeying, but backed off early in the season. The Yankees in the 1947 World Series had a few nasty bench jockeys.

What emerges from all this is the pain of the gross racism aggravated by the agonizing loneliness of Robinson as he has to endure everything and prove himself. Eig convincingly shows that by the end of 1947, Robinson succeeded in proving himself and was the MVP of this team. Only then was he accepted by Pee Wee Reese, the team's captain.

All of which demonstrates Branch Rickey's wisdom in choosing Robinson as the man to break the color barrier. Robinson had mental toughness and competitive fire. The rap on black athletes was that they were not mentally tough, and Robinson was exactly the right guy to disprove that myth. Choosing a more passive personality would not have made the point, and choosing a less disciplined soul who would have got into physical fights in 1947 would not have worked either. But it is interesting to learn how Robinson sometimes crossed the line (such as spiking Rizzuto in the 1947 Series) and how close Robinson came to losing it.

Robinson emerges as a complex and truly great man in this narrative. This is an excellent book that I highly recommend.

this book helped me imensly it delivers on all aspects of hypnosis the author should be proud the only thing i found lacking was the use of one induction in his performances the book is a neccecary tool for hypnotists starting out

If Ormond McGill had been with us, I think he would have loved this.
This is the MUST HAVE book on Stage Hypnosis,it covers all the aspects of Stage Hypnosis that you need to know, the Do's and Don'ts, it even has exercises and tips all the way through.
It is now 2008 learn from someone that has done it,if you can only afford to buy one book on stage hypnosis, I would say this is it. SPH UK
Bye now.

Sept. 2007 I decided it was time to make a dream come true...learn hypnotism. I literally spent 4 - 6 hours a night researching on the net, watching You Tube, checking out what the field had to offer.
If I had just found this book first it would certainly have saved me so much time...and time is money...that means the book would have been FREE. I had purchased well over $800. of books, cds, and dvds, when I found this book.
If you were only going to purchase one book to learn about stage hypnotism then this is it. This is written more like a text book, actual education. I read until I reached the last page, cancelling all plans for that day. The book was written so that a person could actually decide if that is the direction they want to go or not.
My only complaint is that it left me wanting to move to Ronning's town so that I could study full time with him.

What I wouldn't have given to have this book when I started out in stage hypnosis. There is no fluff, it's right to the point and gives you the true nuts and bolts of performing stage hypnosis. I know many people, myself included, jumped at the chance to pay a lot of money, take off work for a week, hop on a plane and travel to in my case Seattle, just to study under Geoffrey and Wendy Ronning. He absolutely didn't hold anything back and you get it all in the comfort of your own home for a ridiculously low price. My only complaint is that he didn't charge more money for the book to keep the curious away.
I really do love everything about this book, but the one subject I find to be priceless is what to do when no one gets hypnotized. I think it is the biggest fear of every beginning hypnotist. I know that it was mine. I still remember beginning to learn about stage hypnosis and literally going on a quest to discover a plan B when the show goes wrong. I E-mailed every hypnotist I could Google and only got one response. His solution was to bring some magic tricks along with you and if all else fails, turn your hypnosis show into a magic show. I didn't think a corporate client would find that very acceptable after they just flew me across the country when they could have just hired a magician instead. I remember traveling twelve hours to attend a hypnosis seminar from a noted stage hypnotist specifically to find out what to do when no one was hypnotized but still didn't get a satisfactory answer. I just couldn't believe that all these hypnotists got hired to do a show, just threw fate to the wind, and had absolutely no plan B to go with when things went wrong. And I don't care who you are. If you do anything enough times, eventually things will go wrong.
Geoffrey gives you a very detailed solution so you will never have to worry about what you are going to do if no one will volunteer, if no one gets hypnotized, or if none of the volunteers will respond to your suggestions and you have no show. Now you get a plan B that turns what could be a very awkward situation into a great show. I know first hand it's a solution that works because I have personally used this technique to save my reputation, and my dignity, and my show. As far as I am concerned, this information alone is priceless, as is everything else in the book. Run and get this book. I highly recommend it!

Geoffrey Ronning has written the book all others will be compared to. The field of Stage Hypnosis has not seen a book quite this good ever before. One part detailed instruction manual, one part exercise work book, and one part collection of secret tips and inside tricks learned from a lifetime of practice as a full-time performing Stage Hypnotist, this book is the modern classic on the art of Comedy Stage Hypnosis.

There are only a handful of good books on Stage Hypnosis. While Ormond McGill's books, such as The Art of Stage Hypnotism and The New Encyclopedia of Stage Hypnotism are classics to be admired, they aren't particularly useful for the individual who wants to quickly learn Stage Hypnosis and begin performing shows. Jonathan Chase's Deeper and Deeper is a very good book, but it is nowhere near as thorough or complete as this new work by Ronning.

Well written, comprehensive and filled with immediately actionable tools and exercises, Stage Hypnosis by Geoffrey Ronning would be the # 1 recommended book I would suggest to the individual wanting to learn Stage Hypnosis and get started performing shows quickly.

It's been said that you can't learn to ride a bike by reading a book. And that is certainly true. But you can learn a great deal about Stage Hypnosis from this excellent book. I would say it's much more than a book, it is a Training Manual. If you will diligently study and apply what Ronning teaches in this book, you will have enough knowledge to begin performing Stage Hypnosis shows. Then get out there and perform a few shows to earn enough money to take Ronning's live training. The live training will give you confidence you cannot get from a book.

Highly recommended.

Richard S. Levick and Larry Smith have delivered the definitive book, at least for now, on crisis communications and litigation PR. (Brief disclosure: I have met and chatted with both of them, but this review is, I hope, unaffected by any personal contacts.)

Levick and Smith don't hold back in describing some disastrous public relations gaffes by major companies, and they also give credit to corporations that understood how important the "court of public opinion" can be. These authors also know how to write: the book is free from marketing and PR jargon, and is easy and even fun to read. As a media relations professional and former reporter and editor, I have put this book on my desk next to my computer.

The authors also recognize the importance of blogs - both as tools that a company or law firm's opponents can use and as tools that are well suited to defense as well.

The recommended use of "message points," though hardly original with Levick and Smith, reaches a high plateau here. Their recommendations for pharmaceutical companies, antitrust defendants, even asbestos makers, are not merely plausible but convincing.

Sometimes a firm needs to stand tough and fight the battle in the media. Sometimes it needs to stand down. Levick and Smith help explain the difference.

This would be a five-star review except that the authors' constant use of brief stories -- in a different and jarring typeface -- as sidebars in the text is off-putting and even a bit amateurish. Sometimes, it's even hard to follow. The fact that they must put "continued" lines into their book ("See page 147") should have been a tip-off that the typography here is not ideal.

Still, this is a terrific book.

Don't buy this book for your PR department. Buy it for your attorneys.

Levick bridges the gap between the need for an organization to speak publicly during a crisis and its legal department's desire to keep the corporate yap locked tight. An attorney himself, Levick understands perception trumps fact, and that at crisis time the real battle won't happen in a court of law; it's already happening in the court of public opinion.

Filled with insights and strategies for short-circuiting a media assault from newspapers still in print to online bloggers, "Stop the Presses" is a must-read for those who think they know crisis communications.

Levick also explains the critical need for advance preparation, on-going media awareness and outside legal and communications counsel in a crisis, three steps lacking in too many organizations.

A clear winner.

Dennis Dean
The Dean Group

It's rare that a book can serve as an "insurance policy," but Stop The Presses comes as close as any I have read. Nobody relishes the idea of a crisis situation befalling them or their business--but crises do strike--and by definition, they are unexpected. If a company's management has read, or even browsed those neat little gray "So Don't Forget" boxes at the end of each chapter of Stop The Presses, it will have taken the first step on the road to preparedness.

Ricard Levick and Larry Smith make this sometimes frightening topic eminently readable, and fill the pages with useful, do's, don't and "don't forgets." Their experience is evident all through the book. No book is a substitute for the right advisers and advice, but this one covers many of the crises and legal/regulatory troubles with just enough explanation to start readers on the path to the right kind of actions.

As I stated at the start: it isn't quite an insurance policy, but for $30, it might just save your reputation or your company. And that's probably the best $30 you could spend. Buy it; read it; and hope you never need it. You'll sleep better at night.

After having devoured this book, I can highly recommend reading it.

It is easy to read and offers lots of very practical advice on how to master or even prevent crisis. Richard and Larry have apparently broad experience in helping troubled companies in times of difficulties; and they share their knowledge with a good portion of humor, many real world references and examples, and very helpful appendixes.

Their emphasis on "prevention" made it clear to me how important it is for nearly every company's "survival" to anticipate the potential for crisis and to set up early the required structures. I liked in particular the reminder - or wake up call for many of us - on how important it is to become part of the blog community.

This book should be bed side lecture for everybody who manages communication on behalf of any size and type of company, in particular outside counsel, members of legal and PR departments. It is a great 1x1 on crisis management but also offers lots of depth.

I immediately thought of British Airways' management who should have read this book before opening Heathrow's new terminal and entering into disaster. They would most probably be better off today!

Stop the Presses (2nd Ed.) is a reference book, but it can only be considered a primer for anyone needing to respond to crisis and litigation. I especially like appendix. Most readers will find them helpful.

It's a lucid presentation of the ideas that govern the different domains of Mathematics. Clear but not too easy, it needs commitment by the reader in order to understand its essence to the full. Courant (as his mentor Hilbert) shows how important and useful it is to demystify the cumbersome technicalities that often dominate the subject.

As an above average undergraduate math major(by no means exceptional) I always had some nagging questions in the back of my mind. Questions like: what is the connection between e, pi, 1/x? Why does the Taylor series expansion work? How did we come across complex numbers? I found a lot of good answers in this book. This book is totally worth the price - I think I can speak for (and speak to) all who have at least an undergraduate preparation in math (and have some knawing questions).

Overall a great, broad overview of the discipline. Spread the word.

Nevertheless, this book does in fact deserve 5 stars. I wanted to be the first to give it less than 4 stars, but the quality of the presentation of ideas is just too damn good.

An engineer or physicist would be quite happy with this book, which makes sense given Courant's career focus on applied mathematics. Still, a lot of "pure" mathematicians obviously enjoy it too. lol.

(By the way, this review really refers to original. No doubt Ian Stewart crapped it up a bit.)

Whether or not you are a mathematician or if it is just a hobby, this book is fantastic!!! You can open it up to any page and just begin reading...there is no need to start beginning to end. A great work to read as time allows!!!

We all have done math and have had math classes,but this book will open your eyes as to what math really is.It is a language that can show you the beauty of the world.

The many excellent reviews that have been written about St. Faustina's Diary are correct! I have been reading this for Lent and it is a fascinating book that can be read over and over much like the Bible. Someone once told me this book is really deep; please don't think this book is too deep for you, it's not.

Page after page reaffirms God's great mercy. Reading the words that Jesus actually spoke to St. Faustina is so moving. You will want to meditate upon them. I find it is a great book to take with me to Eucharistic Adoration.

So, if you only have a couple of Catholic books in your home, this should be one of them.

As this book states, it is the sayings of Jesus FROM the Diary of St. Faustina - but it is NOT the diary.

The diary itself is the story, as a diary would be, of St. Faustina's life and her interactions with Jesus and His messages throughout her life.

The sayings alone, without knowing the content of what was happening at the time of each saying, can easily make it seem like something totally different then when you combine the whole picture of what had and was happening when Jesus spoke each quote to Faustina.
(it is the same as only getting one side of the conversation, very disjointed and out of contest).

That said, if one knows the whole story and has read Faustina's diary, then this is a nice book just to be able to have the actual sayings of Jesus to St. Faustina in one compact and easily to review book.

The complete Diary:


Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska - in Burgundy Leather: Divine Mercy in My Soul

Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (Mass market version): Divine Mercy in My Soul

Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska (Polish Version)


Very well written, easy and fast paced story of St. Faustina's life:
Faustina: Apostle of Divine Mercy


Another book that sorts out parts of the Diary:
Revelations of Divine Mercy: Daily Readings from the Diary of Blessed Faustina Kowalska

This is a must read for everyone. It assures us of the Divine Mercy of Jesus, especially good if you are going through a difficult time in your life.

I found this book to be a wonderful aid to my spiritual life. At one point in the book Jesus tells Sister Faustina to write in her diary because it will be helpful to souls who would read it later.
I am one of those souls. At times I felt as if Christ was speaking to me through her. This book helped me so much to understand more fully how vast is the love of God. So vast that none of us will ever be able to understand it. Much larger than the worst sins that any of us can ever commit.
This book made me more aware of my own sin on another level than what I was previously aware of. This book has taught me new forms of prayer that have helped draw me closer to Christ.
This book has taught me more about how to love God. It has greatly enriched my interior life. My relationship with God has now moved up to a higher level.
It has also helped me to understand more about the living presence of God in the Eucharist.
I am not Catholic, I am an Episcopalian, (but I am rather Catholic at heart). And although I have always believed in the living presence of Christ in the bread and wine, it has now moved to a higher level of understanding and reverence. I anxiously look forward to every oportunity I have to join with the living Christ in the Eucharistic feast.
The book is a bit long and does repeat a bit, but it is beautiful and well worth the time to read.
My copy is underlined, and marked with sticky notes and folded over pages of places that I have returned to again and again to meditate on.
I have nothing but praise for this book and recommend it to everyone of any religion.

This book is a gem. It covers daily spiritual thoughts. You have something deep and worthwhile every day to read and reflect on, if you read just a little each day. Or you can read the whole book in one sitting, then re-read each day what moves you the most.

The book is well written and entertaining. The story was nicely presented around the letters of Mary Pringle. All the similar names of the characters make it a little confusing. A nice reference chart showing the relationship of the characters should be included at the beginning of the book. Did the author hide some things to make the family look better? I wonder. It's hard for a Northerner to muster up a lot of sympathy for this family of slave owners. Perhaps Julius, who likely became a Unionist, was the real hero of the family. It's ironic that the South nearly destroyed our country in the 1860's, but is saving it today.

Mary's World helped me to understand life in the Antebellum South and the culture that thrived on slavery. But it also showed the North's response to winning the Civil War, which was anything but forgiving. It was a thrill to see the Miles Brewton House and the St. Michael's Cemetary on my recent visit to Charleston, and to feel the connection with the Mottes, Alstons, and Pringles.

In Mary's World Richard N. Cote has succeeded admirably where so many others have tried and yet missed the mark. With his succinct style and exceptional organizational skills he has laid bare the thoughts,emotions and lives of Mary Pringle, her family and their slaves, and done so in a way that has given us a book
that is informative as well as enjoyable. By putting their lives
into context with the times Mr Cote has given the reader not only the opportunity to learn what they thought and felt but the ability to understand why they thought and felt the way they
did. This book will appeal to historians and the average reader
alike.
It took me only 2 days to read Mary's World and I found myself
so absorbed that when interrupted I was momentarily confused to find I wasn't in 19th century Charleston.

FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN ANTEBELLUM CULTURE AND THE CIVIL WAR, THIS IS A MUST READ. EVEN FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T A STUDENT OF THE ERA, "MARY'S WORLD" IS STILL A FASCINATING GLIMPSE OF THE LIFE OF AN ELITE SOUTHERN PLANTER FAMILY. TAKEN FROM FAMILY PAPERS, THE STORY OF THE PRINGLES IS A FIRST HAND ACCOUNT OF THEIR INNERMOST THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.

THE READER GETS TO WATCH WILLIAM BULL AND MARY ALSTON PRINGLE'S CHILDREN GROW UP. BY THE END OF THE BOOK YOU FEEL AS IF YOU HAVE KNOWN THEM ALL. I DREADED FINISHING THE BOOK BECAUSE I FELT AS IF I WAS LEAVING OLD FRIENDS.

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND MAKE TIME FOR THIS BOOK. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU ARE AN "ANTEBELLUM-OPHILE" LIKE ME OR NOT, THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK.

I found this book in Charleston on vacation after touring this home. I loved this book! Now I want to visit again because I am so much more invested. I read this book for pure pleasure, and di it deliver! One doesn't need to visit the south to enjoy, the book takes you there. It gives such insight to the era and history the reader gets pulled right in.

As a psychologist for 30 years I have read many professional texts and self-help books. This is a valuable book for people entering the healing professions as well as for patients and their caretakers because, throughout, it touches on a man's path to recovering from brain damage. It touches on his creating a personal philosophy to see him through, skills he learned along the way, including self-assertion, and finally the love he's learned along the way.
Dick Schmelzkopf's book, Brain Damage: Overcoming adversity with wit and humor, challenges us to observe what is, to most of us, the mundane choices of life, what to wear, doing chores, and handling finances through his brain-damaged mind. This book is a practical, no-nonsense, road map outlining the rehabilitation process of a brain-damaged man ... and more. In addition, the author describes what one can expect to experience along the way and shares his views that will help people understand what tools one needs on such a journey. It will make the trip easier for all who make this journey and those who accompany them. Reading this book illuminates our lives and can only make us more tolerant, compassionate, and caring. I'm a better psychologist for having read it.
Philosophy
From his first thoughts after surgery, Dick Schmelzkopf psychologically reframes how he sees life. Dick's advice to "Add Quality of Life to your personal credo" will shake the whininess out of anyone's "pity party." Many who have died on the operating table and are brought back to life also make this shift in their thinking through the transformational experience.
Dick avoids sliding into non-productive funks when he admonishes us, "Don't beat yourself up ... Remember it and learn by it." Combine Dick's advice to us all that we "... need challenges and interests. If you don't have one, get one," with his personal stance, "I will never, never give up," which explains much of his success. Dick's dogged determination to master whatever functions his brain surgery left him is a model to everyone, with or without brain damage. Dick's prior work as a salesman has, I believe, contributed to his use of affirmations like, "I have a positive attitude that guarantees success." Dick adapted the adage, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade," into his personal mantra, "If you're given brain damage, write about it." In addition to being great rehabilitation therapy for him, it gives his life meaning and purpose that this book "... will give somebody an idea of how to help themselves or someone they love."
Skills
This book has many techniques for the brain-damaged person to use to enhance the quality of their life and the lives of their caregivers. His recitation of his abilities, pre and post- surgery, can be an instruction manual, both for the patient and for caregivers. Whether discussing the impact on his decision-making or judgment, Dick lays out the roadmap of how a brain-damaged person can regain control of whatever is left by the surgeon's scalpel. Dick constantly reminds us of the need for the acceptance of the "slow and arduous task" of rehabilitation by patients, caregivers and health care professionals.
Dick teaches us by example. His strategy of linking his interests in darts to solving a math problem clearly shows how a brain-damaged person can learn how to cope. He serves up the problems he's had, like pattern recognition, then follows up with helpful hints for dealing with his "broken recognizer." Dick's rituals, for rebuilding his vocabulary, are his menu for finding and using what works for him. Dick's "Rule number one" for the cognitively challenged (and their caregivers) is proof that his "... pen is mightier that the surgeon's sword." Dick's comment about his re-learned poker skills are a warning to us all, should we ever find ourselves across a poker table from him.
His determination to define himself in his new life is a triumphant assertion of the human spirit and will. Dick's response to people who treat him as less than equal is a prime example of a psychologically healthy outlook, succinctly put, that others see him as a person of worth and dignity, handicap be damned. Dick's admonition that "Brain-damaged means we may be a little slower in some areas, but don't count us out," works as well for those with an aging brain as it is instructive to caregivers and health care professionals alike.
Love
This book is as much a love story of two people committed to each other in ways only a few lucky people will ever experience. It emphatically says, "Take heart, caregivers," when Dick tells caregivers, "You are important," and you feel it when he says throughout the book, "Ain't love grand?" You will find this book is full of heart, love, compassion, humor and common sense that prove that to overcome a handicap, the wisdom of the heart trumps intelligence. Every time. The two pages discussing Grief is worth the price of the book alone. Its lesson is the power of compassion, love and illuminates the author's humanity, or, as his wife says, "ECCE HOMO," which translates as "Behold, A Man."
Dick's rehabilitation journey is not complete, nor will it ever be. After a year of rehab work he has found, however, the best path for himself. He's currently busy on many writing projects. We wish him God-speed and Dragon's Luck.

This is one story that will inspire many people and give them hope for recovery from brain injuries. The author uses humor and wit and weaves his story of how he over came and coped with his "brain damge". It is a positive message about a serious concern. The book is a great read even if you do not have anyone in your lfie with brain damage - it really is about attitude and how you can cope with whatever happens to you in your life.

I totally recomend this book to all readers. It will add something to your life in a positive way. It is uplifting!

What can I say....I laughed, I cried (rest in peace, Shardak), and then I laughed again (out loud, alone in the room, 1 AM). I saw myself and wondered why anyone who has ever lost their car keys is not in the same program right along with the "Rehabbers". Dick shares some very personal moments with his readers (some of these things it would never occur to me to share with some of my closest friends). He really grabs you and makes you think.....and laugh....and cry.... I felt like I was sitting and sharing secrets with my best friend. Truly inspirational, in many ways!! Thanks for sharing yourself with the world!!

Brain Damage is an amazing journey. Both the story and its author are testaments to the indomitableness of the human spirit in its quest for wholeness. However, the author's pilgrimage, compelling in its own right, is but a subplot to a recurring theme throughtout the book. This is a love story, marriage the way God intended it. "For better or worse, in sickness and in health"--vows often spoken but not always honored, expecially when tested the way these were. You will love this book, and you will love the way these two people love each other. Enjoy their journey, then I challenge you. See if you can ever again be angry with your spouse for ignoring the budget or failing to lower the toilet seat.

Dick Schmeltzof's very personal book, Brain Damage, is both heartwarming and informative. He treats a very serious subject with humor, wit and compassion. It is difficult to imagine the drastic changes that have occurred in Dick's life since the emergency surgery to remove a tumor on his pituitary gland. But through his carefully constructed narrative, we can "feel" his frustrations and also revel in the incremental -- yet moving forward -- progress that he makes. His is a story of great courage, hope and love; a lesson for Humanity. Thanks to Dick for sharing this moving and insightful story of life after brain surgery. Readers will laugh. They will weep. And finally, they will applaud this incredible human being. Dick demonstrates a real gift for storytelling through this book. Let's hope he delights us with "Brain Damage II".

A wonderful book that sends you on a mystery filled christmas wish. The book will keep you reading for hours. I read this book every Christmas to remind me of virtues such as love, forgiving, and living a Christ-like life. I also love the movie by Debbie Reynolds and Neal Patick Harris on DVD.

This was surely one of the best Christmas family oriented book I've ever read! It had morals and values to each and every page. This story tells of a young man around his early 30's who gave up his Wall Street life to help take over the family real estate business due to his grandfather's sudden death. His sense of determination to find out who the mysterious "Lillian" is keeps the reader itching to turn the page. You will find that the ending will surprise you! I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a little uplifting to their holiday spirit.

I recommend this book, it kept me curious to find out what would happen at the end and the end was I would want it to be.

This is a wonderful book. A very touching story. I highly recommend it.

A heartwarming story about a busy Manhattan executive who ventures back to his small hometown to revamp his deceased grandfather's real estate business. He is swayed by his grandmother to locate a mysterious woman who is believed to have had a special relationship with his grandfather when he was alive. A truly beautiful story about romance, tradition and unfailing loyalty that takes place in a Currier and Ives-like location. The ending will knock your socks off and stay with you long after the book is finished.

FYI: The sequel is entitled _The Christmas Quest_.

Cris Cunningham

This book is a very interesting account from the Sub commander. The first hand accounts described by the writer are what makes the book a cut above most.

The man has done it all, i.e., fantastic submarine skipper, Medal of Honor Recipient, and writing skills to match. This book is a classic, and anyone interested in WWII submarine warfare absolutely must have this book in his shelf!

Outstanding read---puts you on the submarine, with all the tension and excitement---and yes, the inherent boredom. I'm a former submariner and my old CO (Dennis Oltraver, CAPT, USN---who went from E-1 to O-6---so quite a man in himself) knew O'Kane and copied much of his leadership style. In turn, I copied my CO---when I read Clear the Bridge, I was amazed at how I knew what O'Kane would do (particularly on personnel issues) before I read the next paragraph---I learned from someone who learned from him. Sadly, CAPT Oltraver died of cancer, or I would thank him for his legacy of leadership, some of which was learned from a master leader and legend, RADM Dick O'Kane. This book is as good as Ed Beach's Run Silent, Run Deep---and in some respects better---for his is a first person account. Highly recommended.

This is a great book. The fact that is was written by the Captain of the Submarine makes it that much more meaningful. I couldn't stop reading it, but my one complaint is that it is very technical and lacks some emotion. The author, being a "career navy man" uses abbreviations and phrases that don't mean much to the layperson (and the glossary doesn't help much in this regard) and there is an overall lack of "passion". There is very little discussion of his personal feelings or the mood on the ship. For example, he describes a depth charge attack (a crack and a boom and pressure through the hull) as something that made the men realize the training exercise did not approximate reality (or that the real thing was nothing like the Hollywood version). I thought a depth charge attack was one of the most terrifying ordeals in a submarine and as a result was very interested in reading what it was like by someone who was there first-hand, but it gets very little coverage.

However, knowing that the events were real and the people were real makes this book an excellent read. I recommend it.

O'Kane's the real deal, sailor, warrior, leader, survivor and writer.

This is his story and that of the USS Tang, one of the most successful submarines operating in the Pacific. O'Kane was one of a new breed of submarine skippers who traded caution for results with great success but at huge risks. One of the most effective tactics was to take the surfaced submarine into the middle of Japanese convoys at night, attacking multiple ships and then escaping to the depths.

The action is heartstopping and explains why the Navy pulled some of the more conservative older skippers out of their boats and replaced them with men like this. But the story is much more than simply tactics and bravery above all expectations, it is a story about true leadership. Young MBA's would do better asking themselves what characteristics of leadership did O'Kane and his officers utilize to achieve so much with so very little in tangible rewards to offer their crews. There were few rewards for the truly outstanding sub crews, congratuations, a sense of team and the dubious honor of being sent back out on patrol as soon as possible.

The description of various engagements may seem a little dry and technical to someone who has not been out on the sea on a dark night trying to make sense of faint shadows and movement. For fans of surface warfare who think subs are like hunting with poison gas the descriptions of night surface attacks in the middle of escorted convoys will fully dispell that image.

The book is a great reminder of the incredible courage of those who have gone to sea to defend our country for more than 220 and those who continue to do so today.