Roberts Books

I believe this book to be unique in the fact that it puts faces to the heros in a story that when told in other books seems to gloss over who these guys really were. The photos of these young heros is simply haunting. Many of them seem to have that look that says, "I know I'm going to die, but I must do my duty." And they did. And I think this book is also unique in the fact that it covers in depth the contribution of the pilots who flew and suffered and died from the actual atoll of Midway itself, not just the pilots from our carriers. Many of these pilots who flew off of Midway were flying antiquated death traps that had no chance in hell against the Japanese Zero and their veteran, battle tested pilots. My God 13 of the 16 pilots in VMSB-241 flying SBD-2/3 Dauntless divebombers off Midway had never even flown a Dauntless until a few days before they flew off of Eastern Island. Many of them were right out of flight school and many of the rear seat gunners had minimal and in some cases NO training at all. And the pilots and crews of the hapless and totally antiquated and obsolete TBD-1 Devastators were doomed as well before they ever took off from Midway. The Devasator had to slow to 100 mph in order to drop a torpedo. They Zeros ate them alive. This book has given me an even greater respect and awe for these gallant heros who knew they were going to die, yet got into those cockpits and did their duty for their country. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid but this book is a giant step in the direction of making sure their sacrifices are never forgotten. Highly recommended even if you have to pay the big bucks to get it off the used book market. Don't miss this one if you are a WWII Pacific Theatre buff.

This is one of the most complete accounts of the battle that I have read. It was an excelent book

There's not much doubt about the exhaustive detail of this book. It's about as close as you are going to get to a blow by blow account of the most important battle in US Navy history. The authors recount virtually every movement that any ship, squadron, or commander made in those 3 crucial days. Although the detail is minute, I couldn't put it down. The battle was apparently, a continuous stream of action.

This book is really for the dedicated historian and hardcore history buff. It isn't really intended to be a good read, but it sure was for me. The writing style is easy and flowing, not as dry and dusty as you would expect from a history book.

The story really focuses on the men. It is full of pictures of the flyers, commanders and squadrons. There are only a couple small weak points. One is the poor quality of the printed pictures. This is not an expensive book, so it is printed on medium quality paper. Photos don't turn out very clear on this kind of paper. Several captions describe details in the photo that I can't for the life of me see. Still the picture collection here is huge. It was especially touchng to look at the faces of these great heroes. They look like ordinary guys. I guess they were. It impresses me that ordinary guys are capable of rising to such high levels of dedication and valor.

The other problem is the lack of good maps. There are only 6, and they aren't very high quality. The 3 battle maps are given on only 2 pages, and contain too much information to make much sense. I would have prefered more larger maps showing more specific phases of the battle. I tracked down some better maps on the internet, but the data in this text could be used to produce many more detailed maps.

The book starts witb an interesting brief history of Midway atol, itself. Such an important place, and yet it is just a couple of tiny piles of sand literally in the middle of nowhere.


Altogether, I can highly recommend this book if you want a lot of detail in an easy-reading style.

. This is THE definitive work on the Battle of Midway. It accurately provides the detail that most of the others omit or get wrong, and it corrects all of the popular myths about the battle that some of the others perpetuate, i.e. the controversial flight of the USS Hornet's air group on the morning of 4 June 1942, and the "Midway is short of water" ruse pulled off by the signal intelligence wizards at Pearl Harbor.
. You have to be very familiar with the events and personnel involved in the battle to find even a minor flaw in this book. This reviewer knows of only two (in the 4th printing, March '98); one photo caption cites the wrong PBY squadron and another has the wrong names for an SBD aircrew. Beyond that sort of miniscule nitpicking that very few would notice, "A Glorious Page" can be relied upon as meticulously thorough and accurate to a level that no other volume on the Battle of Midway approaches.
. If you are researching the battle, start here. And if you can only afford one book on the Battle of Midway, this is the one you want. (Reviewed by R. W. Russell, Battle of Midway Roundtable, www.midway42.org)

Simply fantastic. I've read many books about this topic but this is the best. No theatrics, just the facts presented in a very readable format. Great work.

This book is a must read for anyone in any profession. I couldn't put the book down and I don't even play golf. The Reiss Brothers make an awesome analogy by showing how the game of golf relates to learning new strategies for building networks and improving communications, not only in one's professional life but personal life as well. The book is honest, insightful and enjoyable to read. It gets down to the basic psychology for a successful business. Jennifer Amlen, LCSW

I just started golfing and i love this book! It was easy to read and I think it will be helpful in every aspect of my life for a long time to come!
Sam Leibowitz

I am not a golfer, so I was a tough sell on this book. But its content transcends golf as a sport or even as an ideal. The strategies, insights and ideas are practical, usable, honest, and not limited to any industry. Really good stuff.

The book gives you a terrific prespective on the value of customer service and understanding the potential sales leverage in a positive feedback loop. You don't have to be a golfer to like this book!

This is a book that has simplified the complex ideas of best business practices. By breaking down the parallel principles of golf, The Reiss brothers have given us digestible thoughts and actions we can apply every day in almost any line of work. I will suggest all my colleagues read this and encourage all staff members to do the same.

Gordimer Byrd is a very hard worker at the thimble factory. He wants more out of his life and is always looking for something magic that might change him. It's tired of the same old life doing the same things each day. He finds a special pebble that he believes is magic and takes it home. Find out what magic this pebble holds for Gordimer.



This story has a great message that all kids need today. The message seems to be that you should always make the best of every situation and Gordimer does just that!

Everyone images magic in their lives, and so does Gordimer, and lord knows there's enough fantasy in kids books (and play station games et al) to go around and around and around. The moral in this book is that magic does exist, but not in fairy tale form. It comes from celebrating the commonplace, and using it, in fresh and extraordinary ways. My eight-year old son loved the sense of mystery and wonderment that comes from the text and illustrations. My daughter (11) took it along on a babysitting gig. She read it to her five-year old charge who was delighted with the unwrapping stillness of the tone. My daughter brought it back and pointed out some of the magic in the illustrations themselves and challenged my son to find all of them, and he suprised her with a few discoveries she'd missed. Somehow, the writer captured the sense of discovery and wonder that life is all about in a kids book. It's a pleasure.

Who among us hasn't experienced Gordimer Byrd's brand of malaise? Unhappy with his station in life and bored in his job, he's about to give up on hope and finally accept his lot. In the process of letting go of his dream he discovers that he has the ability to fashion another kind with his own two wings. Out of lemons, Gordimer makes lemon chiffon pie. Robert Weinstock's character is a gentle inspiration that will be a special reminder for this adult.

My daughter (age 5) LOVES this book! It is a story about a bird who finds the magic in his own imagination. The writing is beautiful, clever and funny. The illustrations are outstanding. The story draws you in and takes you on an unexpected journey. From his mundane life working pecking dimples in a thimble factory, Gordimer Byrd discovers that ordinary objects can become spectacular treasures in his hands. As he discovers his own spark, you will too. The pages where Gordimer takes all of his "treasures" out of his closet and where he tries to get magic out of a not-so-magic pebble are especially memorable. This book is our new favorite. Finally a new book with depth and creativity in both the text and illustrations. BRAVO!

Gordimer's days are a mix of musky blues, greens and grays. He eats squash blossoms and pine nuts and he hangs out with Olivia Katz who wears glasses big enough to reflect all the things he loves.

My kids wanted me to read this book to them, over and over, so they could figure out the mysterious parts by studying the clues found in the stunning illusrations. Weinstock captures the yearning for magic that we all share. This is not just a book for children but for all adults who haven't given up the quest. I want more books about Gordimer!

No writer can afford to be without this one! An excellent resource for all the grammatical rules you've forgotten since high school. I keep this beside my computer as I write.

I had an edition in the 1950's when I was in college, then bought the updated 5th edition in the 1960's. I have newer, bulkier books like _Chicago Manual_ of Style but for conciseness, correctness and convenience this little book is still my favorite. My advice, get an older edition if you can find it. My little book can fit in a large pocket, yet it is complete.

John Culleton

Two or three millenia ago, when I first began college, the assigned handbook was the Harbrace, then in the second or third edition. Since then I have ben a military officer, a professional writer, a manager, and a teacher. Through each of these incarnations I have had the Harbrace at my elbow. I have never failed to find exactly the right advice, the right emphasis, and even the right choices to make my writing eminently readable.
Although its style is not didactic, it does present enough examples to keep both the old and the new writer from wandering off into that muddy stuff we se so often in magazines.
Buy one! That and a Strunk and White are all you need.

Harbrace book rocks. The book was read by me and I like it. Theirs a good part when the book talked about how to not split infiitivs and I like that also, however, do'nt by this book if your all ready nice at writing, like me! C' YA.

I found this book to be a wonderful reference when writing anything from a short paper to a forty page research paper. Neither would have been possible without this text. A great buy!

I am currently re-reading this interesting book after a recent discussion involving studies -- among other things this book debunks 'medical terrorism' in which studies are used to frighten people unnecessarily. (The authors strongly encourage us to look more closely at the size and scope of studies before applying them to ourselves)

However, the book covers many more topics in emphasizing the importance of pleasure, including a focus on Work that makes and keeps us slaves to industry while cutting us off from significant others in our lives.

The authors aren't proponents of hedonism, but suggest that if we buy into conventional wisdom, we miss out on the joy life has to offer without any real improvement in our health or longevity.

Pleasure as the root of all evil (too often equated with sex) has been converted from its true purpose as the only motivation and incentive that spurs people to action. The power of pleasure has quite simply been highjacked and converted into the exact opposite of its intended purpose to elevate mankind into achieving the impossible - whatever that impossible happens to be. Long recognized by founders of America by including the possible of impossibilities into the preamble of America's Declaration of Independence to properly document their perspective, and their newfound knowledge emerging from the tyranny of Kings and Queens, they set in motion the philosophy upon which American capitalism and entrepreneurship seeks to preserve that delicate relationship between man and the enjoyment of his life - spiritual, mental and physical - and at least, in theory, the same for women. Practice turns out to be much more elusive than planned despite the Constitutional protections because of our lack of consideration for each other of the fine boundaries that separate one from another in that sometimes elusive pursuit that is by definition individually selective, and guarantees that his life will be meaningful, important and happy secure in the natural rights defined as his privilege to define for himself what gives him pleasure - the expression of his free will nurtured within that promise of a free nation, America.

The authors make an airtight case for a pleasurable life being healthy. This book will make you feel good, emotionally AND physically.

Healthy Pleasures written by Robert Ornstein and David Sobel is a book about the medical benefits of pleasure, that is longer, healthier life.

The book is divided up into three parts and each of those has chapters relative to the topic. Healthy Pleasures proposes a new approach to the way women and men manage their health. This book is a readers guide through the maze of myths and misconceptions that stand in the way of health.

In the book the reader will find scores of practical suggestions, based on recent scientific discoveries, on how to live in a way that enriches, rather than just maintains, health: ways to mobilize positive beliefs, expectations, and emotions... from cognitive therapy, relaxation training, and successful behavior modification practices.

Because people are naturally drawn by the pleasure principle to many of the things which promote health, this makes the book easy to follow. The emphasis of this book is the importance of pleasing rather than punishing ourselves... food, drink, rest, work, sunrises and sunsets, too... in a refreshing affectionate light found in the brain's pleasure centers.

This might be my favorite mind/body book. Through scientific research, it proves that pleasure is good for you, purpose, meaning, fun and laughter are good for you. In other words, the better your life, the better your health is likely to be. And the harder your life, the more health problems you are likely to have.

This is a profoundly healing message. It tells us not to be hard on ourselves, or on others. Not to blame ourselves or set up hundreds of hoops to jump through. That's not the way to be healthy or happy. Make your life easier and better, and good health is likely (though not guaranteed) to follow.

I have used this approach in my life with multiple sclerosis, my health coaching practice and my wellness workshops for years now with wonderful results. My book, The Art of Getting Well: Maximizing Health When You Have a Chronic Illness, puts Sobel and Ornstein's research into practice. I remain a big fan of Healthy Pleasures

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I have been reading philosophy for a long time now and occasionally, when I talk about it to my friends, I get asked where one can start when it comes to a massive subject like philosophy. Before this book, I would have a hard time pinpointing a good source for a newcomer because most books out there are either boring and dull college books or books that are way too complicated and wordy for anyone without a background to enjoy them.

This series turned out to be perfect for starting a journey in philosophy or brushing up on your ancient Greek philosophy - where it all started. It is a pity that it does not include some Eastern thought schools that are very important to explore but I suppose it had to limit itself on some scale. It is easy to comprehend, laid out rather nicely and often enough refers to former chapters so you don't lose the thread. Not only does it give paragraphs of good translations of the original texts from Plato and Aristotele etc, but it also enriches these thoughts with its own neat and current examples.

I highly recommend it. It was a very pleasant read.

This item was in very good shape and came to me in no time. It was shipped the same day of the purchase and i got it 2 days later.

This book offers an excellent summery of the basic teachings, understandings, and doctrines from Thales of the pre-socratics to the late Classical period in Rome (Epicurus, Cicero, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, ect). The History of Western Philosphy Series is an excellent addition to the mind and bookshelf of all scholars who maintain interest in the evolution of the human mind. This specific book goes well hand in hand with F. M. Cornfield's "From Religion to Philosophy (A Study in the Origins of Western Speculation)."

This book, 'The Classical Mind', is the first volume of a five-volume series on the history of Western Philosophy by W.T. Jones, professor of philosophy in California. This series is a very strong, thorough introduction to the course of Western Philosophy, beginning at the dawn of the philosophical enterprise with the pre-Socratics in ancient Greece to the modern thinkers such as Wittgenstein and Sartre. It has grown, over the three decades or so of its publication, from one to four then to five volumes. It has remained a popular text, and could serve as the basis of a one-year survey of philosophy for undergraduates or a one-semester survey for graduate students. Even advanced students in philosophy will find this valuable, all major topics and most minor topics in the course of philosophy are covered in these volumes.

Jones states that there are two possible ways for a writer to organise a history of philosophy -- either by addressing everyone who ever participated in philosophy (which could become rather cumbersome if one accepts the premise that anyone could be a philosopher), or to address the major topics and currents of thought, drawing in the key figures who address them, but leaving out the lesser thinkers for students to pursue on their own. Jones has chosen the latter tactic, making sure to provide bibliographic information for this task.

This volume, 'The Classical mind', starts and ends in ancient Greece. Plato and Aristotle are well featured, to be sure, but the pre-Socratics and the post-Aristotilean thinkers are also discussed in great detail. The first chapter deals with a number of thinkers whose names are well-known to those who study the history of science as well as to philosophers -- Thales, Anaximander, Pythagoras -- showing the interconnection of disciplines that recurs again and again throughout history, but never again so closely as in these opening days of Western thought.

Jones gives a general history lesson along with the history of the development of thought so that the reader will understand the social and historical context in which ideas developed. Plato and Aristotle both came out a context in which Greece was a fairly violent place much of the time, with warring factions and city-states variously dependent upon and warring against each other.

The discussion of Plato largely deals with his theories of knowledge and metaphysics, with an additional chapter on subsequent topics such as ethics, politics, religion and art. Similiarly, Aristotle is dealt with in two chapters, with the major topics of metaphysics, logic, ethics, politics, aesthetics, and other issues addressed. At the end of each of these sections, Jones gives a general critique of the philosopher's main ideas, and in the final chapter of the book, sets the stage for further developments, particularly in terms of the decline of the Golden Age in Greece. In some regards, all subsequent Western philosophy vacilates between Plato and Aristotle, so a thorough grounding is important.

Each volume ends with a glossary of terms, and a worthwhile index. The glossary warns against short, dictionary-style definitions and answers to broad terms and questions, and thus indicates the pages index-style to the discussion within the text for further context. The one wish I would have would be a comprehesive glossary and index that covers the several volumes; as it is, each volume has only its own referents.

This is minor criticism in a generally exceptional series. It is not easy text, but it is not needlessly difficult. The print size on the direct quotes, which are sometimes lengthy, can be a strain at times, but the reading is worthwhile.

W. T. Jones' first volume, The Classical Mind, is a fantastic introduction for studying ancient philosophy. His work is fairly clear and not very difficult in terms of being able to understand his explication of various philosophers and theories. That is, Jones does not write to other philosophers; he is writing to would-be philosophers or students. Jones considers important aspects such as the timing and events surrounding the philosophical theories in order to demonstrate that these ideas do not develop ex nihilo. They arise because of important questions or issues developed in the relevant cultures.

This work covers quite a few people. Of course, it is not exhaustive on every thinker; nor is such even possible since many of the writings of people like the pre-socratics do not exist beyond a few manuscripts. In any case, Jones starts with them (specificaly Homer and Hesiod), through Thales, to Plato, to Aristotle, and up to the skeptics (e.g., Carneades and Sextus). From time to time, Jones will comment upon some of the positive and negative (or implausible) aspects of each of the theories provided. Sometimes his objections are good; other times, they can be answered. For instance, Jones treats Plato's argument for the Forms as a transcendental argument and he applies Stephan Korner's uniquness argument against Plato (c.f. Korner, "The Impossibility of Transcendental Deductions"). Jones doesn't refer to Korner, but it is the same point. I think Plato could *in principle* answer Jones.

There are a couple areas where I think that Jones has misinterpreted some of the early thinkers. For instance, Jones treats Aristotle as only holding to the intellectual virtues as being eudaimonia (for an alternative view, see Cooper, John M. "Reason and Human Good in Aristotle"). Also, Jones gives a traditional analysis of Parmenides. Patricia Curd offers an alternative analysis in "The Legacy of Parmenides." Both of these thinkers challenge the traditional views that Jones sides with. In any case, that's a head's up for readers who have not done exhaustive reading on these philosophers; just something to keep in mind when reading Jones.

Finally, I think that Jones often uses far too long of quotes from other people. At one point, he quoted Plato for an entire three pages (8 size font!). Jones could have summarized the point and added a footnote. Nevertheless, this is a great textbook for studying ancient philosophy and it deserves five stars despite my harsh disapproval of some of his analyses and writing style :)

An excellent book! A House of Straw is an honest, well-written, highly-detailed account of building a straw-bale house DIY style. If you've ever considered DIY, then this book is a must-read. While it's not a "how-to" book in the general sense, A House of Straw is just as valuable and informative because it chronicles the various phases of DIY construction.... things you won't see on a half-hour HGTV program.

I am very happy with this book having purchased about 10 straw bale related books/dvd's in the past 2 years. I've been out of the DIY field for about 20 years (having helped my parents build 3 conventional vacation homes that were later sold). This book brought back a lot of memories and reminded me just how exhausting, cost-saving, and worthwhile DIY construction can be.

Again -- an excellent book! If you're considering building your own house (even a conventional, non-straw bale house), you'll benefit from reading A House of Straw.

This was my second copy of this wonderful book, and arrived in such great shape that it made for a perfect donation to our small town library. It was the first tome covering straw bale building on Blanche K. Werner's shelves and has been constantly checked out. I am currently ordering another volume

Not a story about exactly how to build your own straw bale house ... rather an easy read about one woman's choice faced with adveristy in her life and wishing to provide an economical, quality solution to a home for herself and her two sons. There is lots of good information about the stumbling blocks one must face, especially at a time when this architecture was relatively new to the Tucson area. Mostly I found in this book what I was looking for personally ... a story of inspiration and success. As it happens I have had the opportunity to see the final product and it is truly a beautiful home in an area close to the city of Tucson but remote enough, and on enough land to allow further exploration of alternative energy and a self sufficient lifestyle. Carolyn has done a magnificent job of making her home happen and of writing the story about it.

Chicken soup, that is, with a lot of nuts and bolts thrown in for extra fiber!! All though this is, more of a what happens to you in the process book, than it's a "how to do it" book? It should be the second book following "Build it with Bales II," that you should read. Even if written from the female perspective? It will give anyone invaluable insight regardless of your gender, to build your dream home (right). Without needlessly killing yourself or your spouse (or kids) in the process. Her centering herself in spirit and connection to the earth pulls her through, as it will you. After buying and reading this book, you can move on to the other coffee table books on the topic.

I'll admit bias, I was there in the early stages to help Carolyn get her dream up, and out of the desert dirt. I am "Spuds" (Chapter 9). Until I read further into the process, I couldn't believe she would have had more difficult times? After working hand and glove, sweat and toil with this absolute dynamo of a woman? I can tell you she writes it as it happened and her writting, reads just like she speaks.. honest, straight forward, focused, sincere and connected to her purpose. By keeping focused on the goal, she surmounts obsticles that most of us would cave into. But not her. Due to her indominatable connection to spirit, she, rejects "no" for an answer. It didn't take me long to learn that aspect of her persona first hand.

In the previous reviews, short shrift was given to the envolvement of community and personal commitment in the process.
Carolyn, would be the first to step forward with a long list of names. The point being, Staw Bale, by it's nature is a event that "makes" community happen, and long lasting friends.

Of all the books written of the topic, this one alone stands as the testimate from the beginning of the dream to the; blood, sweat, tears, fears, and toil it takes... It's just not that easy. If you think it is? Read this. And, if you take her path, you'll eventually feel the same gratification, and relief that is "almost" done....

I'll sum up her book in one word.. backbone! She's got it. If she can get it done, so can you. If you doubt it? Start reading.

This is a great book of building dreams and manifesting your own destiny. As I read I was brought out into the hot sun, crying, sweating and blistering along with the builder. It has never ceased to amaze me what human beings can bring about if they really put their mind to it. Carolyn Roberts is truly a warrior of life and creates a reality we can all live with. Keeping life simple allows one to focus on realizing one's dreams. And Carolyn's dream is one of giving. Giving back to Mother Earth and giving us a good example of how simple, healthy, loving life can be.

If you are interested in building a house, especially one of straw, this is a must read. It prepares you for the pitfalls and the joys of accomplishing challenges you never thought you could.

How To Do Everything With Your PC is more than a simple introduction to personal computers. Robert Cowart has written a thoroughly "user friendly" and comprehensive guide to how even the most novice computer user can take full advantage of all the capabilities computer technology has to offer them. Every aspect is methodically covered including selecting the PC that best meets a particular need; effectively using the Windows operating system; customizing the Web browser; upgrading equipment and troubleshooting problems on the system with ease and confidence; getting connect to, and efficiently using, the Internet; managing personal finances on the PC; building a home computer network (including a wireless network); manipulating digital photographs on the PC; creating a "digital jukebox" with the PC; synchronizing data from the PC to a handheld device or laptop; and much, much more. How To Do Everything With Your PC is very highly recommended for those new to computers -- and has a great deal to offer even the more experienced users.

I've your fantastic book, How to Do Everything with Your PC, and I do have to say it's the best book I've purchased yet! It's answered just about every question I've had. Just about everything a person can think of about using a Windows PC is answered in this book, from doing my email, getting on the Internet, even making digital movies -- it's answered in this book.

If you're looking to get the maximum use from your PC investment, this is the book to read. The book gives you concise information on how to set up your PC and perform routine maintanence. There's also sections on using peripheral hardware, setting up your own Web site, and using with the software that comes bundled with most PCs. I learned volumes by reading this well-written, easy to understand book and can highly recommend it to anyone who owns a PC and wants to get the most from it.

I have read the entire book and enjoyed every minute of it. The most important thing however is this: Cowart's book is very,very good, and he is more than knowledgeable in his field. The book is one that you will retuirn to time and time again, for answers. You bought, or are thinking of buying it for one reason: to learn more about your computer. This book has all the answers to probably 95% of the questions you may have. It covers nearly everything about computers that readers want to know and to learn. It is easy to understand, and for the person who is new to computers, this is a must. It has a well thought out Index which is also of importance to those who don't understand their new machine. For more experienced users,this book is for you too. It's a reference book you'll enjoy,and use, for a long time.By the time it becomes obsolete, I expect Robert Cowart to write an updated version; but that time isn't anytime soon.

The book was actually for my wife (who hates computers and hates manuals even more), yet needs them in her business. She keeps the book on her desk as a reference. It does not use technobabble and is not boring. The index is good. It is written a lot like asking a friend for help. It is not intimidating. Now I am about to order another one for myself.

The format and content was unusual - light hearted and entertaining, yet helpful and complete. I have been using computers since working on mainframes in college in 1958. Even with this background, I found the book helpful and informative. I often get phone calls from friends and customers about their computer problems and have already purchased three additional copies of the book for their use.

I highly recommend the book for all users from beginner to veteran.

Hass shows us why it's more important to release a great book every decade or so than to publish a mediocre one annually. This is absolutely one of the best collections of poetry ever. It blurs the line between prose and poetry in its pages, so I recommend it to fans of fiction as well as fans of poetry.

You can do much worse than to emulate Robert Hass.

It is debatable whether or not this collection of poems is confessional or not. However, I feel that is not the important thing. What is important is that Hass has taken events in his life and emotions and forces the reader to feel and see them as well. It causes one to look at things in a different way, a new way.

These are great poems, be it to read deeply and study, or to just read them casually and sink into the emotions and thoughts Hass' words provoke.

A must for any collection of poetic works.

I must begin by saying that Robert Hass' body of work is without many rivals in the world of contemporary American poetry, thus to call this book his "most accomplished" -which I wholeheartedly believe- is not to say that the rest of his poetry volumes are not wonderful and, in some cases, stunning.
Still, "Human Wishes," in my opinion, stands out as a work of delicate craft and compassionate thoughtfulness. Hass achieves something extremely uncommon -among modern poets, of course, and so much rarer among our politicians!- he conveys strong conviction without smearing you with righteous rhetoric.
Each of his poems invites you to enter his vision gently but not without requiring you to engage your heart, and risk whatever borrowed ideas one may call one's view, for the sake of attaining a new depth of thinking and seeing.
Poems like "Paschal Lamb," an extraordinary example of his prose poems, show this conclusively. I can honestly say that reading -and often re-reading- this poem, has changed me. What may appear at its beginning to be a scholarly meditation on the idea of the "sacrificial lamb," moves beautifully to a reminiscence of passionate young friends dealing with the Vietnam War, and becomes a moving reflection on how regular human beings could change the world. So, ultimately, this poem achieves all three: it is a meditation on sacrifice, a reminiscence of people with strong ideals, and powerful proof of the transformational capacity of language to have us see and engage with life, more deeply.
Now, of course, that is just one of this many, gorgeous gifts in this collection. This volume is full of great poems, for instance "Human Wishes," "The Privilege Of Being," "A Story About A Body," or "Tall Windows" which, each in its own way, are remarkable in their gentle wisdom and unassuming, flawless craft.
It is important to note that, in Robert Hass' case, words I chose to describe his work such as "delicate" or "gentle" are, by no means, chosen to convey fragility nor mild manners. Mr. Hass' words manage a different kind of strength, of fierceness even, without raising their voice nor sounding alarms to convey their urgency.
Robert Hass has been an inspiration to me as a fellow poet, and as a human being earnestly attempting to live an authentic life.
Lives not unlike the people he speak of in "Privilege Of Being", who, at times, may live their lives ...

[...] clutching each other with old, invented
forms of grace and clumsy gratitude, ready
to be alone again, or dissatisfied, or merely
companionable like the couples on the summer beach
reading magazine articles about intimacy between the sexes
to themselves, and to each other,
and to the immense, illiterate, consoling angels."

I feel in debt to Robert Hass for this illustrious collection of poetry. I happened to be browsing a local bookstore one day a few years ago, and some strange impulse (the like of which I usually disregard) provoked me to purchase it. I was just out of high-school then, and wasn't too familiar with how emotionally engaging "free verse" could be. In fact, it took me a little while to absorb his words so that I could feel the true significance of them. Hass paints his poetry with tiny, delicate brush-strokes, and is very uncompromising in what he is trying to say. This is what I've come to adore about free verse: you can use the word that most accurately portrays what you're trying to say, without worrying about rhyme.

Hass often sheds light on the subtle (and often overlooked) undercurrents of daily life. For instance, take this dialogue between an adult and a very young child from "Santa Barbara Road," one of my absolute favorites:

"Household verses: "Who are you?"
the rubber duck in my hand asked Kristin
once, while she was bathing, three years old.
"Kristin," she said, laughing, her delicious
name, delicious self. "That's just your name,"
the duck said. "Who are you?" "Kristin,"
she said. "Kristin's a name. Who are you?"
the duck asked. She said, shrugging,
"Mommy, Daddy, Leif."

Very simple, yet it perfectly illustrates how, from a very young age, were taught to search for our identities semantically; in the narrow labels that are given to us.

But enough of my rambling, just buy the book.

Robert Hass (UC Berkeley, English Dept.) is a wonderful poet and teacher. Human Wishes demonstrates that he is one of the most interesting poets on the scene today. His verse is vibrant and energetic. I highly recommend this collection of poems. Also, Hass has done much to introduce poetry to the general public.

Hass is a Northern California poet who has an eye for subtle movements in the natural world. Whether his setting is Tacoma, WA or Mt. Tamalpais, he always manages to capture images of life at its most fundamental source. For example, in "Spring Rain": "...the light will enlarge your days, your dreams at night will / be as strange as the jars of octopus you saw once in a fisherman's boat / under the summer moon...."

The strongest work here is the prose poems, such as "Museum" (describing a couple at a Kathe Kollwitz exhibit), "Human Wishes" ("This morning the sun rose over the garden wall and a rare blue sky leaped from east to west"), "Tall Windows," and "The Harbor at Seattle."

Also, the third section of this little book contains some gems, such as "Misery and Spendour," "Santa Barbara Road," and "Berkeley Eclogue."

Hass loves word craft and the spirit that inhabits diverse poetic voices. His enthusiasm and zeal for the 'poetic' is much felt in this rich, little volume. In reading Hass, one feels as if the printed page could crawl or even perhaps fly away with the beautiful life that is found there.

I also recommend: C. Milosz, R. Jeffers, and A. Zagajewski.

A friend shared this book with me on a recent trip to Maine, where I typically "escape" to re-capture the core of my being. As I read, I "listened" to the writer's charmingly sophisticated, yet simple straight talk that recalls
reminiscent ideals for the ears of today's world.

Rick Roberts skillfully contrasts our current realities with the romance of his nostalgic "Grandpa's" values that are echoed in his chosen idyllic lifestyle in Maine. Likewise, each of us has a voice to cast as a glistening pebble skimming the pond. Our collective energy will then radiate peacefully with infinite resonance. The world will see. The world will hear. The world will be touched.

Our future generations are only as great as the exemplary ideals and legacies we, as role models, hand our children. Not just for "Boomers," this book is a must for parents, teachers, and all responsible adults.

Thank you, Rick!

What every boomer needs to remember. It is in this book. Can't put it down, can't stop thinking of what it says, or what we, the Boomer Generation needs to remember.

Richard Roberts timely book is a must read for everyone, not just the Boomer generation. Roberts heralds a wake-up call to look at what impact we can (and do) have on our world, now and for the future. Most importantly, he outlines what steps to take to make positive changes now. Whatever your politics or spiritual beliefs are you will find this book a fresh take on our world today. Run, don't walk to buy this book.

Someone has finally written the great American novel! Well, it's not exactly a novel...more like a cross between a Michael Moore script and an Andy Rooney commentary. Rick Roberts' book is a warm hearted, straight talkin' wake up call to baby boomers - this nation's biggest generation ever. We boomers gave birth to a Dream in the sixties; and now, he says, it's time to finish the job: it's time to start living that dream. All I can say is buy this book by the armloads and pass it out to all your friends. It's a rollicking, great read...and when you're done turning pages you can continue to use it as an alarm clock.

I couldn't put Rich Roberts' book down! No matter what your politics, religion, gender, or race, it'll hit a nerve in anyone who questions today's personal, professional, or political priorities. Each chapter is extremely relevant. Rich's 'baby boomer rantings' are insightful, well researched, and full of wonderful, though sardonic, humor. Starting with Chapter 1 I penciled "X's" next to my favorite passages only to find by the end of the book nearly every paragraph was "X'ed!"

What more can I say than this: I enjoyed the book so much that I bought 20 copies and gave them to my friends, who also say "it is a must read!"

Aveline