Roberts Books

Katherine Duncan-Jones in the Arden Shakespeare's Sonnets is closer to Stephen Booth's linguistic approach from Helen Vendler,s artistic analysis of the Sonnets. I think she made a mature choice because Old Will in his love lyrics is ambigous and misleading.His words are loaded with meanings and accordingly are open to more than one interpretation.Publishing the detailed notes and commentry on the same page looks more practical and helpful, not only for the students but also for the general reader.Nevertheless, Hank Wittemore's version of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, recently published for the first time , emphasizes that the dedicatee of Shakespeare,s Sonnets is Henry Wriothesley, Third Earl of Southampton and not William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke as the Arden,s editor of the Sonnets suggests in her introduction. Since 400 years the dedicatee,s identity had been masked. A.L. Rowse in 1964 published his version of the Sonnets and held that Shakespeare dedicated his poems to his close friend and patron Earl of Southampton. Now Wriothesley proved what Rowse had cocluded in his literary and historical researching half a century ago.
In the next edition of the Arden,s Sonnets I hope Katherine Duncan-Jones sheds more illuminating light on this issue which puzzled many Shakespearians for a very long time.


Abdulsattar Jawad
Duke University

Thy merit hath my duty strongly knit,
To thee I send this written embassage,
To witness duty, not to show my wit.
(Sonnet 26.)

How to do justice to the legacy of literary history's greatest mind -- moreover in such a limited review? Forget Goethe's "universal genius" and his rebel contemporary Schiller; forget the 19th century masters; forget contemporary literature: with the possible (!) exception of three Greek gentlemen named Aischylos, Sophocles and Euripides, a certain Frenchman called Poquelin (a/k/a Moliere), and that infamous Irishman Oscar Wilde, there's more wit in a single line of Shakespeare's than in an entire page of most other, even great, authors' works. And I'm not saying this in ignorance of, or in order to slight any other writer: it's precisely my admiration of the world's literary giants, past and present, that makes me appreciate Shakespeare even more -- and that although I'm aware that he repeatedly borrowed from pre-existing material and that even the (sole) authorship of the works published under his name isn't established beyond doubt. For ultimately, the only thing that matters to me is the brilliance of those works themselves; and quite honestly, the mysteries continuing to enshroud his person, to me, only enhance his larger-than-life stature.

The precise dating of Shakespeare's sonnets -- like other poets', a response to the 1591 publication of Sir Philip Sidney's "Astrophil and Stella" -- is an even greater guessing game than that of his plays: although #138 and #144 (slightly modified) appeared in 1599's "Passionate Pilgrim," most were probably circulated privately, and written years before their first -- unauthorized, though still authoritative -- 1609 publication; possibly beginning in 1592-1593.

Format-wise, they adopt the Elizabethan fourteen-line-structure of three quatrains of iambic pentameters expressing a series of increasingly intense ideas, resolved in a closing couplet; with an abab-cdcd-efef-gg rhyme form. (Sole exceptions: #99 -- first quatrain amplified by one line -- #126 -- six couplets & only twelve lines total -- #145 -- written in tetrameter -- and #146 -- omission of the second line's beginning; the subject of a lasting debate.) Their order is thematic rather than chronological, although beyond the fact that the first 126 are addressed to a young man -- maybe the Earl of Pembroke or Southampton, maybe Sir Robert Dudley, the natural son of Queen Elizabeth's "Sweet Robin," the Earl of Leicester -- (the first seventeen, possibly commissioned by the addressee's family, pressing his marriage and production of an heir), and ##127-152 (or 127-133 and 147-152) to an exotic woman of questionable virtues only known as "The Dark Lady," even in that respect much remains unclear; including the nature of Shakespeare's relationship with the two main addressees, regarding which the sonnets' often ambiguous metaphors invoke much speculation. #145 is probably addressed to Shakespeare's wife; the closing couplet plays on her maiden name ("['I hate' from] hate away she threw And saved my life, [saying 'not you']:" "Hathaway -- Anne saved my life"), several others contain puns on the name Will and its double meaning(s) (exactly fourteen in the naughty #135: "Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will;" and seven in the similarly mischievous #136), and the last two draw on the then-popular Cupid theme. Sometimes, placement seems linked to contents, e.g., in #8 (music: an octave has eight notes), #12 and #60 (time: twelve hours to both day and night; sixty minutes to an hour); and in the famous #55, which praises poetry's everlasting power and as whose never-expressly-named subject Shakespeare himself emerges in a comparison with Horace's Ode 3.30 -- in turn written in first person singular and thus, denoting its own author as the builder of its "monument more lasting than bronze" ("Exegi monumentum aere perennius") -- as well as through the number "5"'s optical similarity to the letter "S," making the sonnet's number a shorthand reference for "5hake5peare" or "5hakespeare's 5onnets," echoed by numerous words containing an "S" in the text.

Of indescribable linguistic beauty, elegance and complexity, Shakespeare's sonnets owe their timeless appeal to their supreme compositional values, the universality of their themes, and their keen insights into the human heart and soul; as much as their transcendence of the era's poetic conventions which, following Petrarch, heavily idealized the addressee's qualities: a form new and exciting twohundred years earlier, but encrusted in cliche in the late 1500s. Indeed, Shakespeare's "Dark Lady" Sonnet #130 owes its particular fame to its clever puns on that very style, which went overboard with references to its golden-haired, starry- (beamy-, sparkling, sunny-) eyed, cherry- (strawberry-, vermilion-, coral-) lipped, rosy- (crimson-, purple-, dawn-) cheeked, ivory- (lily-, carnation-, crystal-, silver-, snowy-, swan-white) skinned, pearl-teethed, honey- (nectar-, music-) tongued, goddess-like objects. "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;" the Bard countered, proceeded to describe her breasts as "dun," her hair as "black wires," and her breath as "reek[ing]," and denied her any divine or angelic attributes. "And yet," he concluded: "by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare."

Arguably, Shakespeare's very choice of addressees (a young man -- also the subject of the famously romantic #18: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day;" the first of several sonnets promising his immortalization in poetry -- as well as the "Dark Lady," in turn introduced under the notion "black is beautiful" in #127) itself suggests a break with tradition; and compared to his contemporaries' poetry, even the equally-famous #116's on its face rather conventional praise of love's constancy ("Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments"), echoed in the poet's vow to vanquish time in #123, sounds fairly restrained. But ultimately, Shakespeare's sonnets -- like his entire work -- simply defy categorization. They are, as rival Ben Jonson acknowledged, written "for all time," just as the Bard himself immodestly claimed:

'Gainst death and all oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
(Sonnet 55.)

Also recommended:
The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
Shakespeare: For All Time (Oxford Shakespeare)
Much Ado About Nothing
Love's Labour's Lost
William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)
BBC Shakespeare Comedies DVD Giftbox
BBC Shakespeare Tragedies DVD Giftbox
Olivier's Shakespeare - Criterion Collection (Hamlet / Henry V / Richard III)
William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Twelfth Night

Ms. Duncan-Jones' Introduction is an extraordinary example of scholarship. To say that the Sonnets have been controversial throughout the time since their publication is a mild understatement. Ms. Duncan-Jones casts a brilliant and unwavering spotlight on these controversies and resolves them.

Any serious student of Shakespeare must read this Introduction.

If there is a failing in the book, it is in the actual footnotes to the Sonnets themselves. But in the context of Booth's footnotes, for example, this failing is insignificant. Anyone who wants a line-by-line exegesis of the Sonnets has many resources available.

Go get this book and read the Introduction!

The secondary source material found in the appendices, the fantastic footnotes, the capacioius introductions, the big clear typeface, the textual editing decisions, all make the Ardens the best single-volume Shakespeares by a long shot. The rest pale by comparison.

The only drawback, god forgive this y-chromosomed curmudgeon, that I can see in this particular Arden is that the editor, Katherine Duncan-Jones, often tends to lean a bit too far to the left, indulging into too much gender politic-ing.

Duncan-Jones also spends a quite a bit of time arguing in a rather extended manner for composition dates that are self-consciously 'provocative' and seem to be much too speculative for an introduction.

One could match this with Booth's version, which by comparison seems perhaps a touch more shallow and hidebound-- but more solid, and get a nice complimentary set of typefaces and editorial views that would balance out nicely, I would suspect.

I recently used the Arden edition of the Sonnets in a graduate level course on Renaissance literature. It's useful, too, to have Helen Vendler's "Art of the Sonnet," as well as the Penguin edition (fewer notes than the Arden). Quite simply, the Arden excels in the scholarly apparatus. Also, for a concise, readable supplement, include Greenblatt's "Will in the World" (the chapter on the sonnets). But for a close study of the sonnets, if you need a single edition, Arden is terrific.

As a pastor who has been in ministry for over three decades, it takes depth plus reality to capture my attention. With Soul Physicians, Dr. Kellemen combines these two traits that are all too rare today: truth and love. I first read his second volume, Spiritual Friends, and was amazed by the practical model of sustaining, healing, reconciling, and guiding; and even more amazed to learn that it has been around for 2,000 years. Where have I been? And where have seminaries been in not teaching this? That motivated me to grab hold of this theological volume. I thought maybe it would be deep but boring or shallow but sweet. Instead, it provides new insights into age-old issues that my parishioners face every day--that I face every day! Each chapter was like a devotional taught by a seasoned theologian. I didn't want to finish it. Now I'm buying it for my friends in the ministry and for the lay leaders at our church. Indispensable!

This book is a must have. In my 28 years of being a Christian this is by far the best book I have ever read. It is absolutely amazing. This book is like having your own personal counselor at your disposal who not only gives you understanding on how life works but gives you the tools to share these truths with others. Great tool to share with both believers and non-believers. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Clear, well-written, accesible to the educated lay-person; what else can I say? Forget post-modern philosophy and pop-psychology--come drink from the Spring of Living Water! This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in helping others. I would not, however, call it an introductory text. If you need to become a sensitive, open listener, I would recommend you wait for the release of Dr. Kellemen's book "Spiritual Friends" in October. He has assured me through correspondence that it will cover these and other more basic topics. Buy and read both and you will be well prepared for the life changing work ahead.

The book is marvelous! Comprehensive, concisely written--it is a superb resource for counselors, lay leaders, pastors, or even wounded servants.

doc_k delivered the item well ahead of the scheduled delivery date. I received several courtesy emails and a thank you note from the seller. Outstanding service! I would not hesitate to use them again!

In Soul Physicians, Dr. Kellemen has written a thoroughly biblical and thoroughly practical systematic theology of the spiritual life. Comprehensive in scope, each chapter and each section stands alone, allowing readers to "jump in" anywhere.

Very helpful are the two embedded study guides which allow readers individually or in a classroom setting to apply the material to their lives and their ministries. Soul Physicians has opened my eyes to an entirely new way of thinking about and practicing Christian counseling and pastoral ministry.

Kellemen probes a "Creation, Fall, Redemption" model of life. In particular, under Creation he examines a biblical view of people--God's original design. Under Fall he probes a biblical view of problems--human depravity. Under Redemption he explores a biblical view of solutions--Divine dignity. In every section and every chapter, he integrates truth and life, making the biblical principles come to life in personal, ministry, and cultural illustrations, stories, and narratives.

The end result is an excellent biblical psychology. In fact, it is more than that, it is an excellent scriptural primer on spiritual maturity. How do we grow in grace in Christ? For solid, practical, biblical answers to this vital question, look no further than "Soul Physicians."

My mother was, and several of my extended family are Christian Scientists, but I could never quite "wrap my head around it" enough to practice it as a lifestyle. I bought and read Mr. Peel's book years ago, and it was a "good read". I had danced back and forth with Science, eventually giving up on it as a lifestyle for me. BUT, I had a premature infant in a hospital 22 years ago, and I KNOW that the prayers that were prayed for the efficacy of the doctors and staff treating my baby worked. (if one is under medical treatment it conflicts with Christian Science treatment, but one can ask for prayerful support of the care-givers). I've seen healings, and I've seen it "not work" just like conventional medicine doesn't "work" all the time. Actually, CS probably has a better track record, but Scientists don't toot their horns over every success. You don't hear about the little everyday ones. People need to understand that this is a viable path of life to follow, not just medically, and Mr. Peel's readable style drew me on to the end. It relaxed my guilt over not being able to BE one, opened my heart to TOTALLY respect Christian Science treatment and the people who rely on it. More and more medical doctors don't dismiss spiritual healing anymore. This book provides a layman with an authentic look into Christian Science.

I learned to respect the honest, scholarly approach of Robert Peel in his fascinating 3-part biography of Mary Baker Eddy. He doesn't disappoint with this fascinating review of spiritual healing in the modern age. Anyone curious about the efficacy of spiritual healing would be fascinated by this book and profit from it. I'm amazed that such a helpful book is now out of print.

I first read this book upon publication in the 80's while studying at Harvard Divinity School, where the author had studied several decades earlier. (I re-read the book again last week, and found it still at the top of the class.) At the time of my first reading, I found little written on the topic of spiritual healing, even though I had access to Harvard's great libraries. In the interim, the literature on this topic has flourished, mostly from the pens of MD's who have earned the ire of their colleagues for breaking lockstep with the "church of medicine". And I've read most of those authors: Benson, Chopra, Segal, Dossey, Weil, et al. Those names are nearly 'household' while Peel remains unknown -- a travesty, as in many ways his intellectual rigor is their equal, and his familiarity with the subject eclipses them all.

The spiritual healing which Peel describes is not an alternative "medical" approach to healing. It is a path apart. His work disabuses the reader of the materialistic worldview of medicine by first describing a healing of cancer through prayer which was witnessed and participated in by a medical doctor who conducted a prayer group in St Louis. This healing appears on p.17, concluding simply that the change of state, from matter to energy, should have resulted in a nuclear event (the disappearance of 38 pounds of tumor overnight!) sufficent to level a small city, according to modern physics. Of course, materialists would say: "Impossible!" And here I will quote Richard Feynman's definition of science as "the belief in the ignorance of authority." Mary Baker Eddy wrote: "Impossibilities never occur." The event is well documented, as are all of the many healings attested to in this book.

If you have enough honest curiosity to explore reality with an open mind by questioning the possible 'ignorance' of what you've been taught, you will be benefited by reading this important book. Advances in knowlege have usually come through those who are willing to question 'what they know that just ain't so.' (-Twain.) Do you have sufficient curiousity to turn aside to learn 'why the burning bush is not consumed?' Peel will speed your progress, whether you are a scientific thinker, or a spiritual seeker. You won't be disappointed. ~eric.

Robert Peel gives a wonderful background understanding of Christian Science and spiritual healing.

Many testimonies including his own personal family's add to the authenticity of his writing.

Well worth the read.

It is difficult to dismiss seventh century healings as mere fables. Yet, there are always medical skeptics who speak of spontaneous remission. Biomedicine rests on the concept of the human being as a physical organism.

The human spirit is larger than the specialized activities of humans. Today followers of scientific and religious orthodoxy are scandalized by spiritual healing. There is a tendancy to write off spiritual healing as a product of suggestion or the placebo effect. It is thought the diseases healed are psychosomatic or hysterical.

Sometimes the words used are anecdotal evidence. This puts the issue into some sort of pejorative category. Christian Science healing is one way of worshipping God. Peel claims emotional coercion is contrary to Christian Science ethics. (Critics of Christian Science would not support such an assertion.)

Many individual cases are considered in the latter half of the book where selected testimonies of healing are set forth in considerable detail. Peel makes his points with much persuasive force.

I was up to 3:00 am reading Stefi and then woke up at 5:30 am to continue reading. I literally could not put this book down! This is a book that will definitely stay with me. The ending was a complete surprise and makes me want to read the book again. I gave this book to a close friend this morning simply saying, "You MUST read this." Stefi is literally one of the best books I have ever read!

Sue K. has done well in her career, at least. At age forty-two she is a production executive, a job that most people would find rather glamorous. Despite success in her work, Sue knows the rest of her life is a disaster, especially in the romance department. Sue can blame part of this on her more than difficult mother, but she must shoulder part of the blame herself. Her somewhat cynical nature and sharp wit have been a definite factor in driving off Matt.

Just when Sue feels she has reached a new low spot in life, she meets Stefi. Stefi is only twenty-four and not someone Sue would usually pick for a friend. There is just something about Stefi that is irresistible with her joy and love of retro clothes and music. Stefi inspires Sue to try new paths in life, but suddenly disappears just as Sue sets out on a life-changing adventure.

Sue leaves for India with Jake and learns almost as much about herself as she does about both the beauty and tragedy of the cities she visits in that ancient land. The author is quite adept at mixing humor and pathos. You will never feel quite the same about eating pork or pigs, in general , after reading about Sue's adventures in Goa. Counterpoint to laugh out loud moments, there are scenes that are heartbreaking in their depiction of the effects of abject poverty. The author is able to pull on the reader's heartstrings without becoming maudlin.

STEFI is told in diary form, a device that has become quite popular in recent years. This is no angst-filled BRIDGET JONES DIARY, though. The author is able to show Sue's rawest emotions with this type of narrative and the reader views the other characters as they influence Sue on many levels. Sue's year long journey of self discovery is bound to resonate with female readers of many ages. We all know, deep down, that choices not made and paths not taken, may have more impact than poor choices.

This novel shows the author's superb storytelling ability in being able to mix romance, fun, adventure and poignancy into a riveting plot. This is a tale that will haunt you and perhaps have you re-think the choices you make in your everyday life. Through Sue and Stefi, the reader can see the ripple effect our lives may have on others even in seemingly inconsequential matters.

STEFI is Ms. Paschall's dazzling debut novel. She does have an impressive writing resume already in American and international television and has written four trivia books. Ms. Paschall was born in London and still writes features for the Sunday Express in England. She currently lives in the United States. I look forward to future novels by this talented author.

Sunday Express Book Review (London,England)
Reviewed for the Sunday Express
by Michelle Stanistreet
Reviewed March 25,2007

Sue K is 42 years old and having a bit of a mid-life crisis. She works in production, is great at her job, but is rarely appreciated; she's still reeling from a break-up with Matt, the man she thought was "the one"; and her mother is a total nightmare. Just at her low point, she meets Stefi - a 24-year-old, vibrantly-dressed hippie who makes a beeline for Sue at her local gym. It's as if they've always known each other. Stefi seems so tuned in to Sue's moods that she always seems to appear when Sue needs her - armed with a bag of tortilla chips, a bottle of wine, a shoulder to cry on and some sassy words of advice.

Despite the age gap, Sue is open and willing to take a lead from the vital young woman who enters her life in a whirlwind and quickly takes her in hand. "We were getting like an old married couple after one week of association," notes Sue in one of the diary entries that make up the novel.

Stefi seems to unleash Sue's alter ego - a new, improved Sue with more self-confidence, get-up-and-go in spades and a zest for life that had long deserted her. Experiments with clothes, men and work all follow.But leaving London provides the key to Sue's transformation. Egged on by Stefi, she jacks in her job and fulfils her lifetime's dream to travel around India.

Her journey there, taking in Delhi, Goa, Calcutta and the Himalayas, is wonderfully evoked. India charges Sue with energy and a thirst for life that she's never experienced before. It truly becomes a life-changing experience for her when she works as a volunteer alongside the nuns running Mother's Teresa's Home for the Dying in Calcutta. The scenes here are heartbreaking and genuinely moving.

Throughout the book, the relationship between Stefi and Sue is brilliantly captured, their exchanges fizzing with effervescent humour, making for several laugh-out-loud moments. Both seem to be seeking experiences that have been denied them, although Stefi remains something of an enigma. The ending has an intriguing twist that keeps you guessing (almost) to the final pages. Witty, acerbic and moving, this is a novel that is hard to put down.


I fell in love with this book!
Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer: Kathy
5 Cups (Highest Rating)

Sue Katz is a forty-two year old production facility manager with an easygoing manner and a penchant for being a yes woman. Because of this, Matt her boyfriend of three years proclaims he can no longer put up with her indecisiveness and leaves her. Heart sick and aimless, she buries herself in her work and starts frequenting a gym where she meets Stefi. Unable to resist this tornado of a woman, Sue strikes up a friendship with her, but is plagued by Stefi's vague answers to almost all of her questions, so she does not push the issue. Growing up with a mother who did not quite know what to do with a child made this come naturally. Will she ever stand up for herself?

Stefi is vague in a hippie type way, always wearing colorful clothes more suited to the seventies than the new millennium, marching to a different drummer on any and all issues. She loves pushing the envelope where Sue is concerned. She challenges Sue to get back into the dating world and demands to hear all of the details, living vicariously through Sue's escapades, sexual and otherwise until Sue has had enough for the time being. When Sue starts to assert herself, Stefi goads her into trying new and different things just to test Sue's resolve. Finally, Stefi brings up the subject of Sue's job, and questions her about where she is ultimately going, making Sue realize that comfortable and safe is also boring and meaningless. Convinced, by Stefi that life is meant for the living, Sue and Stefi set out to fulfill a dream by traveling to India. What ultimately happens is straight out of every woman's dreams.

Ms. Jenny Paschall has written a "laugh out loud" novel. I became enthralled from page one and found myself laughing hysterically at the descriptions of Sue's mother; I thought she was describing mine for a while! Her wit is sharp and on point; her observations of the male species is dead on perfect. Sue is a typical easygoing, "easy to get along with" type with whom I identified. Stefi is a mystery until the very end.... and the conclusion does not disappoint. I fell in love with this book!

"....absolutely should not be missed!!"
Reviewed by: Jeri Neal
The Romance Reader Connection
Rating: 4 ½ (Superior/Excellent)

Sue is an attractive, accomplished forty something production executive, living in London, who seems to have a particularly difficult time with her romantic endeavors. When the book begins she has just broken up with Matt, her long term lover and best friend. She meets Stefi at the gym and Stefi is the opposite of Sue.

Stefi is in her 20's, dresses like a modern day flower child, and is evasive about her life and work. She quickly becomes Sue's best friend and they share many evenings over tortilla chips and wine. Stefi blows into Sue's staid, boring existence like an earthquake, shaking and cracking her foundation of conservative beliefs about what she can and cannot do with herself.

Curiously, Stefi seems to disappear just as Sue is pushed into something new and exciting, such as three months spent traveling in India. Stefi coaches and pushes from the sidelines but it is Sue who is exhibiting the courage to change her life.

Readers are privy to Sue's disastrous choices in male partners and catch a glimpse into the difficulties inherent in finding a male companion when you are "of an age". It's an understatement to say that Sue struggles with men and relationships.

This book grows on you and becomes more compelling with each page. The descriptions of India are exquisite and clear. It is so evident that the author writes what she knows. The most compelling reason to read this book occurs in the last 20 pages of this book and absolutely should not be missed. It is so unexpected and surprising that even the most jaded reader will be shocked at the outcome.

Told in the style of a personal diary kept by Sue, this book offers a glimpse into a woman going through subtle but powerful life changes The plot will carry readers through Sue's international and interpersonal travels. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by Audrey Larson for RebeccasReads (3/08)

Who or what is Stefi? When she constantly shows up at 42-year-old Sue's workouts in the gym in London, practically forces friendship on her and subtly (and not so subtly) encourages big changes in Sue's life, one wonders.

Stefi doesn't give her phone number or address, and seems to live on tortilla chips and wine. Stefi dresses and acts like a 70s hippie, is supposedly 24-years-old, but also has insights and wisdom to give Sue. Stefi first appears in Sue's life after Matt, her boyfriend of several years breaks up with her.

Sue's next love interest is a doctor, who was also her gynecologist. They have fun for a while, but he is a cheapskate, and the way Sue dumps him is incredibly funny. Stefi encourages Sue to change jobs, and embark on a journey to India, where Sue meets an old school friend, has new job opportunities, and discovers that life in India is far different than anything she has experienced before.

The old friend, Jake, becomes Sue's next love interest, and also her guide to the ways to get along in India. Jake became very rich at an early age, and had enough money to live the rest of his life without working again, if he wishes. Jake wants to marry Sue, although he is at least 5 inches shorter than she is, and her mother makes all kinds of snide remarks about it. Sue's mother is twice widowed and never seems to have a nice word to say to Sue. She is extremely harsh and mean-mouthed, hates sex, and never hesitates to say so. Stefi doesn't like Sue's mother or Jake. In fact, strangely, Stefi doesn't like any of Sue's love interests except Matt.

Stefi is supposed to join Sue on her trip to India, but at the last minute she says something came up, and she will join her later. So, Sue embarks on her journey to and in India alone until she meets Jake. The teeming masses, heat, humidity, lack of adequate plumbing and sanitation, plus the diseases and poverty change Sue's outlook on life. Volunteering at a hospital for sick and dying people, one of whom Sue becomes close to, opens her eyes to life. When one young woman whom she attends in the hospital becomes snarling and angry when dying, because of all her lost opportunities, Sue realizes what a good life she really has.

Along the way, in India, Sue has encounters with two funny pigs, yaks, a tour bus with bald tires, and sees the Taj Mahal and other beautiful sights, as well as the slums, poverty, and overpopulation. Sue also faces danger as a taxi driver drives in the opposite direction from where she wants to go, and then tries to assault her. Sue literally has to run for her life.

Sue's production work on a documentary proves her skills and abilities, and consequently she receives even better work opportunities. She also makes more money than she ever had before in her life. When Sue is back in London, with a better job, she has Stefi redecorate her apartment with much brighter colors and fabrics from India. When Jake becomes difficult upon their breakup and refuses to give her plant back, Sue retaliates by swiping his Indian bedspread. It becomes the focal point of her newly redecorated bedroom. Sue realizes that Stefi is her best friend ever, and the end of the book is surprising when Matt re-enters her life and Stefi is revealed for what she really is.

Jenny Paschall has written a book with humor, frank language, sexuality, and glimpses into life in London and India. "Stefi" is an intense, interesting read.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views, 12/06

Sue is an executive with a nightmare mother and a broken relationship, when she meets Stefi, a free spirit, hippie, and 70's flower child. Their personalities are like night and day yet their friendship grows. The duo plan a trip to India but at the last minute Stefi leaves a note saying there is a family emergency and that she won't be joining Sue, right away. When she does arrive in India she becomes a little jealous "Well, look at you. Back in London you were a spineless wonder who wouldn't say `Boo' to a goods, and now you're `Miss International Traveler', fearless and intrepid, just bulldozing your way across continents, helping the dying and putting the world to rights."

This book will keep you in stitches. Jenny Paschall's humor is contagious. I've never laughed so hard in my life. The thought of Sue dating her stingy GYN, telling off Jeremy in front of everyone and Stefi selling pubic-hair and not quite used panties left me with tears running down my face I was laughing so hard. Each chapter gets funnier and the main characters more endearing. Yet beneath the humor lies a strong more serious side of this book.

The cover of "Stefi" is the perfect introduction for this book. The storyline flows smoothly. Ms Paschall is an extremely talented author. The plot has a twist that I never saw coming. Just when I thought I knew the direction this book was taking it twisted a totally new way. It's hard to believe this is her first novel; I eagerly await her next one. I highly recommend this book to those that enjoy really good fiction. Well done Ms. Paschall.

Straight to the Bottom Line makes a compelling argument for why procurement must transform itself into fully integrated supply management. Take care of your supply network-its objectives, strategies, processes and data linkages-and you generate competitive advantage for your organization. In other words, you create value for shareholders and customers.

Although the talk of the shift from the purely tactical to the strategic has been around for many years now, actual implementation of strategically focused supply chain has simply not happened at many organizations. Why? The authors of this book are eloquently blunt: a "lack of understanding of the opportunities presented by supply-side performance" at the senior executive level.

And what is the sine qua non of a truly strategic supply chain? Leadership and understanding from senior executives. So where to begin? Slipping Straight to the Bottom Line into the executive suites would be a good start.

The strength of this text is its clear and lucid presentation of a "step-by-step" roadmap for executives on how to implement supply management transformation that directly produces bottom-line results. Illustrating straight-forward principles with compelling examples, it shows how executives can create an environment in which they can expect to see improved performance quarter over quarter and year over year.

If I have one criticism of the book it is that its subtitle might suggest that it can be overlooked by the non-executive. That would be a mistake. Yes, it's a "must read" for the senior executive, but it's also an essential text for anyone, including the currently mid-career procurement or supply chain professional, who plans to be one.

Vicki McBryde, BA, CPP, CPM

Straight to the Bottom Line is an actual "how to" book for CEOs as well as a great tool for management to sell the value of Purchasing / Supply Chain to the CEO's. This book is a "must have" for the corporate library.

In today's world where "outsourcing" and a "flat" world are becoming commonplace, it is essential that companies recognize the strategic nature of their procurement and supply organizations and taylor them to manage their external/purchased assets. This book provides examples of supply chain management experiences, both good and bad, and practical tools for implementing effective supply chain management processes. An important book for supply chain specialists, it also should be read by every CEO, CFO and COO, so that they can take benefit from supply chain management in their companies, before they are confronted by competitors who have preempted them in the implementaton of modern supply chain management practices.

The authors are an outstanding group of well-qualified experts in the field. They have assembled an impressive combination of significant examples and techniques that should benefit any enterprise (business, government, educational) that deals with external purchases.

Straight to the Bottom Line explains well to the layman why Western companies need a new strategy to cope with the massive shift to outsourcing and Asian manufacturers. I particularly enjoyed the chapter ("A Tale of Two Spenders") describing the lack of collaboration in the American automotive industry in the past 15 years and how that approach impacted Detroit's inability to establish an electronic communications and transactions platform (Covisint). It's a good business book. Very clearly written.

I have been in the field of Supply Chain Management for over 15 years. As such, I have reviewed and purchased many of the text on the subject. This book represents a very easy read that crystallizes many of the concepts into useful and understandable formats. Also, many of the current myths are effectively addressed and excellent examples are provided. I would recommned it both for experienced practitioners as well as the uninitiated.

Strategic Supply Management provides a step by step guide to creating a world-class supply chain. By focusing upstream on the power of procurement, readers can learn to establish a solid integrated foundation upon which to build their corporate value proposition. Trent uses timely examples of real-world companies and supplies straight-forward assessment templates that, once completed, provide a comprehensive plan to develop a sustainable and highly effective supply chain. Injected with an occasional dash of humor, this book is a well-organized, efficiently-detailed must-read for anyone wanting to transform their twentieth century procurement function into the strategic supply chain required to compete successfully in today's world.

As a manager responsible for approximately $100 million in spend, I found that this book was able to effectively break down the complex topic of strategic supply management into manageable chunks. I find this book to be useful for the entry level supply chain professional as well as for the practicing purchasing professional. This book not only discusses today's best practices but it also lays out what needs to be done in order to prepare for tomorrow. I will be using the valuable information provided to improve our practices with regard to managing our supply base. It was well worth the read, and it will continue to be a ready reference for me going forward.

This text should be required reading for every supply chain professional. It covers every important topic and trend in supply management and does so with a unique blend of theoretical analysis, industrial survey results and real-life examples. I was particularly impressed with the sections on supplier selection, managing supplier performance and the use of information technology to optimize and support supply objectives. From this text, I learned not only how to take a big picture, strategic look at the problem of supply management but what tools and techniques are available to help day-to-day execution of that strategy. You can quickly see from this text just how complicated supply management is and that a high level of interaction exists between many different functional organizations. Taking a short-term, isolated approach to this topic and ignoring the trends and advice offered in this text will make it very difficult to achieve long-term success.

I was very pleased with the writing style used by the author. It did not read like a textbook with listing of fact after fact. Instead, the author made the subject matter enjoyable to read and included some personal observations that stressed the practical aspects of the material. I would highly recommend this text to anyone who works in supply chain management.

This book is an excellent read for supply chain professionals and those wanting to understand the tools and practices of world-class supply management. Thoroughly researched, Trent provides the foundations and processes of supply management and supports these with real-world examples demonstrating how organizations have transformed their supply chains. The book is a quick read and the summary points at the end of each chapter are also a great reference for those in a hurry. Supply management organizations looking for sustainable competitive advantage will find this guide invaluable.

This book is a complete guide to supply management for any purchasing professional or student. It effectively addresses all the pressures supply professionals face today and provides actionable solutions. The book provides a holistic view of supply management but also gives specific tools and identifies additional resources for more in-depth research. Specifically, I found the tools for supplier identification and selection and the tips for crashing the timeline for supplier identification and selection very useful. While this book is executable by more senior supply professionals, lower level supply professionals can benefit by it also. If you have been too busy to follow what others are doing, this book will give you the heads up on new trends that work. It's a fast, well organized and interesting read you can breeze through during the weekend so when you go back to work on Monday you can begin transforming your organization to a lean and mean supply management machine.

The advice in this books rings true and meets the stated goal of providing the 20% of information needed to be successful in international dealings. My recent experience with business people in China, Korea, Japan, France, Switzerland and Germany all echo the observations that Mr. Day provides in this document.

This was my best business oriented book investment of 2008.

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (11/08)

Business dealings are complex even when you conduct them in your own country, but they can become positively overwhelming when you venture outside of your comfort zone and have to deal with foreign business people in their own countries. I am speaking from personal experience here, although the first foreign country I had to deal with in my own career was actually the United States. You can believe me that the American way of doing business was a real culture shock to this European.

That's why I was truly glad to have found a really good, down-to-earth and practical guide in Rob Day's "Street Smarts for Global Business." There are a lot of things to be said for it, not the least of which is the very organized and approachable way all of the information therein is laid out for the reader. I have oftentimes found myself in a situation when I wanted to go back to a certain book for reference, but usually I found it really difficult to find the section I was interested in at the time. That's where the outstanding Summaries at the end of each chapter come in. Coupled with the fantastic Global Business templates at the end of the book they would already be enough for me to highly recommend the book. When we add to this the great amount of truly practical, hands-on information; as well as the personal and oftentimes funny insights of the author, we clearly have a potential winner in our hands.

I am sure you noticed the word "potential" in the previous sentence, which brings us to the elements that I found distracting and in some cases, just slightly disturbing. One of them was the clear lack of proofreading, most evident in the random punctuation used in the direct speech sections, as well as in some other areas; with my personal favorite being the placement of the apostrophe in the "Bill Gate's" name - I guess being one of the richest people on this planet is not enough to insure the proper spelling of your name either... The second issue - some factual mistakes, such as talking about Czechoslovakia in a book published in 2008, when the two countries, Slovakia and Czech Republic, separated back in 1993. And I am sure that the author is aware of the fact that people living in Central Europe are not big on being called Eastern Europeans, yet he does that more than once. Well, Western Europe did not fare much better, since one of the most famous streets in the world got renamed into Champs de lyses, and I am not sure that the French will ever forgive Rob Day for his opinion of foie gras. Even if the French were to forgive him, he'd still be in trouble, for calling expatriates ex-patriots. Most, if not all of those mistakes, should have been caught by a competent editor.

Overall I really liked the practical aspect of "Street Smarts for Global Business" as well as the invaluable examples and lessons of how to conduct business globally. With the world getting smaller every day, this is a book that should be read and referred to often by anybody who might ever be in the position of dealing with partners, investors or customers from another culture.

Street Smarts For Global Business: A Practical Guidebook For Global Business Executives
Excellent, practical guide to conducting business nationally and internationally --understanding the "culture" of your customers; employing sales/negotiation techniques and strategies to produce successful transactions. For the busy business exec: a pocketbook of quick templates and fingertip info; business etiquette; advice on targeted communication; and an easy read for the business traveller.

Superb, practical business templates provide successful frameworks for sales or procurement professionals.

Elijah A. "EJ" Jones, III
Fellow Classmate - USAFA '87

As a teacher with thirty years of experience including nine years of teaching Business Management I am pleased to see a text on International Business that fits the bill! In developing curriculum over the years, it has been difficult locating the perfect resource to accomplish the international objective of the course. Rob Day manages to capture the reader / students attention on this subject in a magnanimous way. This read is an excellent addition to any Business Program.
"An International Business Text Written from the Heart"

R.T. Stevens has done an absolutely wonderful job of this fictional novel of the Imperial Family! The main characters are John Kirby, a British officer, and Grand Duchess Olga Nicolaevna, the eldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna. The Summer Day Is Done is such a charming book and so difficult to put down - it makes you want to smile, and yet at the same time, so tragic that it is quite easy to find yourself in tears. The portrayal of the Imperial Family in this book, I find, is much better than a lot of other books on the family (fiction or non-fiction).

Overall, The Summer Day Is Done is definitely worth a read and one to treasure for a lifetime.

I just finished this book, and although I knew the hero and heroine would not end up together, I couldn't but the book down. The description of the characters are vivid and makes you love them dearly. Many things have been written about the Romanovs, and this book give us a glimps of what could very well have been.

The Summer Day is Done is one of three superb books I have read in my lifetime. It moved me to tears, an unusual response from me while reading. I read it over twenty years ago and only two other books since then have touched me so deeply: The Clan of the Cavebear, and The Time Traveler's Wife. There are "must-reads" that I purchase and enjoy, such as the Harry Potter books and James Patterson books. But this book has stayed with me for a lifetime.

This is my favourite book ever! The love between Grand Duchess Olga and Mr. Kirby is very sweet and touching, even though it is a very unlikely match. I also loved the Imperial Family because they were all so united and loving. The end is very sad though, because we know that the Romanovs were murdered in 1918. But still, the love continues in the heart, even though Olga's life ended so early and tragically. But overall, this book is excellent and I recommend it for EVERYONE.

This is a historical novel. Granted. But it is much more.
The author, Robert Tyler Stevens, grasps the heart of what REAL Russian people are about, as well as the classic British persona with its keen, clever humour.
But there is more afoot in this novel. Stevens gives the reader a highly believable peek into the very english-speaking and english-living lives of the Nicholas Romanov family--even though they were technically Russian. The children: Olga, Tatiana, Marie, Anastasia and Aleksey all make the reader laugh and cry with equal intensity. This is a huge work with very very reslistic glimpses of a wonderful family, who were totally devoted to themselves and to Russia. Utterly Superb!

This is one of the most unusual books I've come across in a long time in the way it thoughtfully blends learning from the author's life and many different disciplines of study. By carefully organizing the material into two sections, Robert Kamm makes some very profound ideas easy to understand. There are wonderful insights about why we so readily give in to the speed of the information age. Especially enjoyable for me was Chapter Four which peels back the Superman myth layer by layer to reveal some startling messages. I also found quite unique among all books on family and workplace issues Kamm's emphasis on the importance of the grieving process in helping us grow. The scope of the book is almost too ambitious, but he pulls it off with passion. A courageous and eloquent work.

Extraordinary depth of thought yet expressed very clearly. The most comprehensive book of its kind available--moves from a theory about human nature through a fascinating explanation of the underlying meaning of the superman myth, to personal application, then professional and organizational. Very wise on intrapersonal dynamics. A unique applicatiion of the grieving process as part of a liberated person's standard operating mode. Insights could be as valuable to just anybody trying to live their live or apply to business, social, religious and political leaders. Being in business myself, I'm impressed that a business leader, or any leader for that matter, who really "gets" the author's message could revolutionize his way of operating and lead his people to higher productivity, more genuine satisfaction and a better balance between work and family. One of those books that, if it hits you, it hits you hard and you want to share it with a lot of people you know. Author's description of superman made me feel as if he'd been peeking into my psyche, my father's and my grandfather's. Strong stuff...and apparently only the first in a trilogy. More, please, Mr. Kamm!

Best selling author Harvey Mackay wrote "Swim With The Sharks", describing the dog-eat-dog world we live in and how to be the dog that eats. In "The Superman Syndrome," Kamm brings the voice of compassion, integrity and openess to the service of humanity as the way we ought to conduct our lives. He provides the counterpoint to Mackay: "Swim With the Dolphins."

When we choose to live a life at speed, not depth, we choose an unrelenting willingness to sacrifice family, love, marriage and all else in pursuit of success. That's the synthesis of what Kamm calls "The Superman Syndrome."

For men in particular, there's an opportunity to cast the Superman uniform aside in favor authentic selfhood and family. Kamm says it's where "the inner and outer journeys are inextricably woven together...to tear down the wall of illusion between personal and professional realms."

Amen.

I had Bob Kamm's book for several months before I slowed down to read it. I knew better, but my life was caught up in speed at the expense of depth. Bob has a hard hitting way of reminding me about the importance of relationships, without leaving me bleeding on the side of the road. So, after reading the book, I gave it to my son to read, and now I'm going to get another copy for my daughter and son-in-law. This is a must read for all of them. For someone you love, read The Superman Syndrome.

I expected this book to be about our being inundated with information and how that drives us to be super-human and create something in us that makes us seem sick. What I got was a hundred pages of reviews of Superman (the movies, comics, and other items) and then 200 pages of how to fix our problems as a result of our Superman myth becoming reality. But the real gist of this book is that we are addicted to the working speed of the information age (which is a synonym for today) and, as a result of this, we are denying our most valuable job: to be effective parents. If we change the purpose of our lives to be children-focused, then we will have a better society. No argument there. What he suggests is very much akin to The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which I happen to agree with. While his writing is imaginative and flowing, in general, I found this book redundant, not very cohesive, and not well organized. I agree with the findings he presents in the last half of the book, but it certainly could be more succinct. The title could better reflect the content.

Sports Illustrated designated "The Sweet Science" the best book about sports ever written in the Western World and I agree with that assessment. Author Abbott Joseph Liebling was as fine a writer as American journalism ever produced and his favorite subject was "The Sweet Science" of prizefighting in its golden era. Liebling wrote for The New Yorker (not known for its sports coverage) and he renders the boxing world (including its characters, cynicism and lingo-ese) with clarity and uncommmon eloquence. Liebling gives you such "broken" (financially from hunger) fighters as Rocky Marciano, technicians such as Archie Moore and aggressive aces such as Jake LaMotta and Sonny Liston in as vivid terms as possible. He doesn't shrink from his task, either. He relates his blow-by-blow reports with the uncannny knack of one who knows the sharp consequences of a faulty defense. He's amazing, Liebling is, and his "Sweet Science" is the epitome of graceful sportswriting in a bluntly articulate age. I can't think of a more rewarding book for any sports fan. Liebling is a wonder. He was a counterpuncher. Every time you let down your guard he surprises you with a shot to the ribcage.

If you like boxing and reading, then you are truly a rara avis. But if you do happen to belong to such a tiny cohort, then this book should provide a couple hours' entertainment.

Liebling tries too hard to emulate H.L. Mencken's style, and he doesn't have the chops for it...but, at the same time, he knows how to describe the action inside the ring. (Not as well as Jack London, but well enough.) At all times, you sense the depth of his love for boxing.

Another reason to recommend this book is that Joyce Carol Oates thinks Liebling was a racist. (I know, I know...who the hell is Joyce Carol Oates?) If you read the book, you'll discover that he wasn't...and a few more things besides.

The late,great Floyd Patterson,who became the first heavyweight to regain the title after losing it,is as good a reason as any to name a book about boxing,'The Sweet Science'.In this particular case,'A.J. Liebling's masterpiece about boxing(mostly
in the fifties)was voted the best sports book ever, by Sports Illustrated.The incredibly colorful characters Liebling focuses on would be hard to beat by any writer in any field,even if he may not have gotten all of it right.For example,he seems to actually get along with Rocky Marciano's manager,Al Weill,even though evidence elsewhere suggests that Rocky may have retired to get away from him.And I think he resorted to cliche in describing Irish Billy Graham as as "good as a fighter can be without being a hell of a fighter"(p.250);Graham is a Hall of Famer who was robbed in a welterweight title fight against Kid Gavilan-and my (Jewish) uncle idolized him.But Liebling,who wrote on "serious subjects" for 'The New Yorker'and was an award winning war reporter, attended the first fight ever held in Yankee Stadium in 1923-and remained optimistic about the future through the lens of boxing,concludes,"I reflected with satisfaction that old Ahab(Archie)Moore could have whipped all four principals on that card within 15 rounds,and that while (Jack)Dempsey may have been a great champion,he had less to beat than Marciano.I felt the satisfaction because it proved that the world isn't going backward,if you can just stay young enough to remember what it was rewally like when you were really young."

I've been searching for this book for years. I'm from Brockton, MA and I certainly appreciate great boxing prose. The new intro really adds nothing to the book and Mr.Anasi even gets Ezzard Charles' name wrong--calls him "Ezra" in the intro--which also indicates poor editing. Leibling gives you the total world of a great fight--not just whats going on in the ring but the world surrounding the fight. Very real, often funny, thoroughly engaging. I want to read more of his stuff.

When asked which is the best book on boxing ever written, anyone with any inclination towards the literary side of The Manly Art will instinctively site Liebling's classic collection of essays written in the early '50s collected in this volume. On the evidence here, I cannot dispute the consensus. Liebling gives you not a history or a list of profiles of boxers but an entire world and a culture. He captures the feel of going to a boxing match in the early '50s, the crowds, the managers, the trainers and assorted characters. The best thing you can say about a piece of literature is that it places you in the action, you can physically feel that you are there and present. I have read no other book on Boxing that accurately captures this the way Liebling does in The Sweet Science. He's also an accomplished and erudite writer, a highly cultured man who brings that cultural sensitvity to something often considered, by those ignorant of these things, to be base and low-brow.

The fighters themselves - Marciano, Moore, Sadler, Robinson, Patterson, Farr - come across less as legends and more as contemporary sportsmen. It seems incredible to me that once upon a time you could just buy a ticket and stroll into the Marciano-Moore fight! For me, that fight and many others was the stuff of mythology and yet Liebling succeeds in making it real and tangible.

Final note: anyone who after reading this feels an uncontrollable lust to acquire Pierce Egan's Boxiana volumes will be enthralled to know that there is a company in Canada, Nicol Island Publishing, who have published at least three of the total of five volumes. Unfortunately, Amazon does not seem to sell any of them.