Shaw Books

This is the real thing folks. No more cute travel stories that romanticize without substance, that Disneyize and exaggerate. This book is the story of the author's courageous and thoughtful trip through an amazingly historical place that is also presently complicated and important. However, the author comes at it from a personal angle: the cosmology of canoes. We learn the importance of canoe travel not only to the Maya but to the author and people in general. That connects to the Maya cosmology and culture, the sense of place that is inherent in living in a watershed and having your existence contingent to flowing water (whether you live in the Lacandon forest or Westchester County), the importance of the geography of the region to the people who live there, and then finally to how all this connects to the Zapatista movement and the modern, and not so modern (this thing is full of scholarly but apt historical asides) plight of the indigenous Maya. All along the way you get to like the author, in his sometimes goofy gringo ways but his omnipresent awareness of his own place within the experience. Sprinkle in healthy doses of heart-thumping whitewater in canoes with inexperienced bow-men, death defying swims, life-threatening bandits, and tight, musical prose, and you've got one heck of a book. I tell you what, Shaw's got it right, the same way Matthiesson did. I recommend this book extremely highly. I wish it were getting more publicity. Read it. Its important.

I was disappointed after getting to the end of the book to find out that the author only navegated half-way down the Usumacinta. It's like reading a book about someone who goes half-way up Everest! I understand his reasoning (security) and financial limitations, however the security situation dramatically improved shortly after he left and he could have easily finished the trip. Putting in the extra effort and completing the task would have definitely improved the book and the author's contribution to the world's body of knowledge. His insights on the Mayan's use of rivers for commerce and the east/west trade routes are excellent. His thorough research into the more recent history of the area was also excellent.

(From Planeta Journal) - Ready to explore one of the world's most intriguing regions? Take your trip with Christopher Shaw who introduces readers to the Usumacinta River and its magnificent watershed that stretches across the Mexico-Guatemala border in his new book, Sacred Monkey River (New York: W.W. Norton, 2000).

Subtitled "A Canoe Trip with the Gods," this notable book traces the author's canoe trips running the great river. Unlike many adventure travel narratives in which the author plunges into an unknown terrain, Shaw aims for comprehension rather than searching for misadventure. The result is an account which combines the best of travel literature and environmental reporting.

Few travelers opt for the watery path, particularly with the threat of hijackings and shootings in such a remote area. But Shaw, an accomplished river guide and an enthusiast of the Maya culture, will not be deterred.

"In classical art, two gods pictured as canoeists, accompanied travelers on both actual and metaphysical journeys," Shaw explains. "Both gods paddle the souls of the dead to the Otherworld and the cosmic canoe -- the Milky Way -- across the sky."

Shaw also connects with the environmentalists in the region, including Fernando Ochoa and Ronald Nigh -- two pioneers in developing sustainable agricultural practices in the region.

The book is a veritable "Who's Who" in the region. Meet Scott Davis of Ceiba Adventures, Maya scholars Linda Schele and David Freidel, Moises Morales, the owner of El Pachan and Victor Perera, author of The Last Lords of Palenque.

The book is divided into 12 chapters and boasts the 1953 Franz Blom map of the Selva Lacandona on the inside book cover. What would be useful additions would be a map of the author's expeditions and an index of places and names.

Sacred Monkey River deserves a long shelf-life and it will no doubt be consulted for many years by travelers and environmentalists alike.

This book has been a genuine page turner for me, and as I approached the end I tried not to read too much at each sitting so I could prolong its pleasures.

It is for anyone interested in Mesoamerica, Mayan culture, canoeing as adventure, or boats as the movers of trade and ideas. Also for anyone who is lusting for an otherworld experience, metaphorically or actually, though trave, boating, psychogenic drugs, or all of the above. It is full of honest hard-nosed obserevation of nature and the specific nature of this area, and at the same time streches for and is able to peek at the"final" trip, perhaps as many civilizatins saw it, goin on a craft down a river or out to sea/see. shaw effortlessly intertwines some Spanish into his evocative--dare I use the word--poetic English, always aiming for and touching precision and clarity without sacrificing mystery. On, I believe, its deepest level, the language as well as the story drew me into the unknow, into the future, and of course the past as well.

(From Planeta Journal) - Ready to explore one of the world's most intriguing regions? Take your trip with Christopher Shaw who introduces readers to the Usumacinta River and its magnificent watershed that stretches across the Mexico-Guatemala border in his new book, Sacred Monkey River (New York: W.W. Norton, 2000).

Subtitled "A Canoe Trip with the Gods," this notable book traces the author's canoe trips running the great river. Unlike many adventure travel narratives in which the author plunges into an unknown terrain, Shaw aims for comprehension rather than searching for misadventure. The result is an account which combines the best of travel literature and environmental reporting.

Few travelers opt for the watery path, particularly with the threat of hijackings and shootings in such a remote area. But Shaw, an accomplished river guide and an enthusiast of the Maya culture, will not be deterred.

"In classical art, two gods pictured as canoeists, accompanied travelers on both actual and metaphysical journeys," Shaw explains. "Both gods paddle the souls of the dead to the Otherworld and the cosmic canoe -- the Milky Way -- across the sky."

Shaw also connects with the environmentalists in the region, including Fernando Ochoa and Ronald Nigh -- two pioneers in developing sustainable agricultural practices in the region.

The book is a veritable "Who's Who" in the region. Meet Scott Davis of Ceiba Adventures, Maya scholars Linda Schele and David Freidel, Moises Morales, the owner of El Pachan and Victor Perera, author of The Last Lords of Palenque.

The book is divided into 12 chapters and boasts the 1953 Franz Blom map of the Selva Lacandona on the inside book cover. What would be useful additions would be a map of the author's expeditions and an index of places and names.

Sacred Monkey River deserves a long shelf-life and it will no doubt be consulted for many years by travelers and environmentalists alike.

"Search For the Flaming Chalice" was an exciting adventure that will definately be loved by all ages. I can't wait to read it to my two year old someday. There are some very important values to be learned by these witty martens...teamwork, friendship, and faith are just a few. You won't be disappointed by this book of adventure, mystery, good versus evil, and humor!

It is a fun book, good for people of all ages. The plot is creative and well thought out. I really enjoyed reading the book!!!

"Search for the Flaming Chalice" by Robert Shaw Kesler is adelightful adventure story. I read it aloud to my nine-year old whodescribed it as "suspenseful and funny." This book features three clever, courageous martens in an ever-surprising plot. The evocative descriptions, punchy dialogue, and tension-relieving humor make for a wonderful chapter book. This fresh take on adventure and magic is highly recommended.

"Search for the Flaming Chalice" transports its readers into the magical, marten-filled world of Toveria where sorcerers battle for power and enchanted gems, murderous sewn-together monsters, and angry spirits dominate everyday encounters. I thought the book was a charming story with enough mystery, action, and silliness to captivate younger readers. As an older reader, I enjoyed the humor and the many camouflaged literary references. In today's environment where children are besieged with frenetic, cross-marketed trash such as Pokemon and Power Rangers, parents can take heart that "Search for the Flaming Chalice" gently teaches children the importance of friendship, family, courage, persistence, and teamwork while entertaining them.

I have a seven year old and a fifteen year old, and we all love it! My son kept saying, "wow, Mom, this would be a GREAT video game!" I appreciated the "stretching" references - at several points in the story, the kids would ask "what's that, Mom?" or "why are you laughing so hard, Mom?" and then we'd go look things up. I've read it twice since the kids and I read it, and each time I find something new to make me chuckle. Great book!!

Solomon is a terrific book that tells a story that is rarely told; black, emancipated slaves homesteading in North Central Florida and a young boy who becomes a man through his adventures on the farm and as a cattle herder. This book is easy to read and exciting at the same time. It has no bad language and is otherwise very "clean", but the author has included the harsh realities of life in that time period.

An exciting adventure, this book challenges readers to go beyond their knowledge of Florida history and try something new. This book has great characters and a gripping plot that will leave readers begging for more. As a beginning novel, this book beats lall the standards. Watch out Florida because here come the book that is even better that "A Land Remembered!"

Solomon is a one of the best ever, Historical Fiction books i have read in a long time. It has adventure, action and can teach and tell kids of my age and older, and younger about the west and the tough ways of living it.I especially love the way of the book about Solomon. The boy has grown not to love the land but to love the ,hunting and using the whip. Even though solomon's father would have liked him to love the land and follow his foot steps.I am more of a sequel type of person ,and i would love to read the sequel to Solomon.

This was an excelent read with exicting cliff-hangers at all the right times. I loved the fact that if one of this mixed up family was missing no one could function. Every one needed each other. Although Solomon didn't want to follow in his father, Moses' footsteps he still did what he was told. Solomon was very curious about everything and sometimes it got him in trouble. Solomon was a great read for any age. I also loved the fact that this is a book of forida heritage. As many know Florida history books are few and far between. It ws truly an awesome book.

Solomon is an excellent read. As a resident of the area used as the setting, I really enjoyed the historical tibits, but more importantly, I came to really care about the characters, and want to find out more about their lives in post-civil war Florida. This novel really is a coming of age story, of a boy named Solomon who is developing his own strengths. Solomon's father is a farmer who doesn't understand his son's hunting spirit. Shaw's character-driven novel is tightly-woven, filled with great details and action. Middle school students will especially love this novel.

When I first went to camp back when I was 11 I loved hearing the Tajar Tales. They are campfire classics. Sadly now that I work at the same Girl Scout Camp I first heard the story's the Tajar Tales are banned there. The story's a great when told around a campfire and even though the Tajar can no longer roam the woods where I work, he will always roam the imagination. I strongly reccomend this book.

This story was first read to me when I was a child at camp. The Tajar is such a fascinating character. I even named my own dog after him!!! After 15 years, my dog has passed but I still have Tajar Tales to read again & again!

I received a copy of Tajar Tales in 1967 when I was 9 years old. It was, and continues to be my favorite kids' book. I've read it to my own childrens' classes over the years. I am tickled to find that it is back in print!! Now MY copy (a first edition) can have a rest!!

When I was a camper, my counselor would read Tajar tales to me at night. I loved to hear about the misadventures of Tajar and when I was very young and had a very huge imagination, I swear I really did see Tajar right before I left camp! Now that I am a Girl Scout counselor (at the same camp I went to as a child) I continue the tradition and read Tajar Tales to my campers every night!

This is a classic camp tale told each summer throughout the USA. At Clearwater Camp... it continues to be an annual event that campers and counselors looked forward to. Flying teacups and that wicked Tajar offer opportunities for the imagination to run wild and campers still initiate their own stories upon hearing the wonderful tale of this mythical animal. A story that can be enjoyed by one and all - this edition has wonderful illustrations that should not be missed.

The doctor looking for a job must solve five main problems:
1) Define practice matching criteria - avoid regretting a wrong choice;
2) Define a good practice - avoid joining a second-tier practice;
3) Plan the interview process - make sure you ask the key questions;
4) Understand necessary legalese - what must be covered in your contract and what should be skipped;
5) Negotiate your compensation and benefits.

Keep this book next to you during your job search - it helps solving all of your job search problems.

Yuval Lirov, Practicing Profitability - Billing Network Effect for Revenue Cycle Control in Healthcare Clinics and Chiropractic Offices: Collections, Audit Risk, SOAP Notes, Scheduling, Care Plans, and Coding

Very well written, concise and to the point. Gives an excellent idea of what to expect when you start looking for a job after residency. Explains the common scenarios and pitfalls to look out for. Definitely helped me ask better questions during interviews and assess the job opportunities in a much more objective manner; rather than going in wide eyed, the big hike in salary clouding your judgement.

The last section on physician recruitment agreement was particularly helpful for me as I didn't know they existed. Nobody talks about these things during residency training.Thanks partly to this book, I probably will be starting my own practice, based on a physician recruiting agreement.

The surprisingly good "The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Right Job after Residency" written by Koushik Shaw was published in late 2005. It is probably the most useful book for the physician job search that I have come across so far. It is short, concise, to the point (sometimes a bit too short), but it covers absolutely everything that is relevant from getting to know your personal preferences in your work life to determining where exactly you want to live and work, how to find a job, how to interview, and - kudos for this section - how to analyze a practice you are looking at, what questions to ask a potential employer to uncover risks and possible mismatches early. The author goes into details of analyzing benefits offered by an employer and negotiating a contract. He even goes into the basics of opening your own practice.

Overall very well written, in good style, very easy and quick to read and extremely informative. One smart book everybody should read at least once and at least one year before graduation.

This book is an absolute must have for any graduating resident. The author has put an enormous amount of research into a concise and organized fashion, allowing even the time restricted resident to conquer this book in a few short sittings. I have discussed this book with several junior attendings and private physicians, and they are all amazed at how much accurate and insightful information is hidden in this short concise book. It will save you weeks or even months of research and grant you an amazing head start into identifying and obtaining the right career. I truly believe this book will substantially increase your chances of a successful and happy career choice plus teach you to avoid many of the common pitfalls.

This is the only book of its kind that I was able to find. I am an anesthesiologist leaving the Army and joining the ranks of the civilian world. This book assisted me in understanding the Pros and Cons of different practice set-ups, and made me a more informed candidate during my job search.

This is a very cute book about how the presidency works in the United States. It is easy to understand and kids can enjoy what can be a dry subject. I highly recommend it and used it with my middle school ESOL students.

I have purchased the entire series. They are wonderful. My students better understand and have clarity in the government. The author puts this series in a very kid friendly way! Awesome

Karen

I bought his book for my daughter who really loved it. It is a very didactic book, with a very interesting subject and also, very nice drawings for every age.

The artwork in this book is fairly unsophisticated (in fact, in some places, it's pretty amateurish), but the clever story and cute mice make up for it.

It's intriguing to watch how the authors manage to describe the president's constitutional duties in easy-to-follow rhyming verses. Against long odds, they do it. E.g, "The president is required to study each "bill" / That Congress delivers from Capitol Hill / If he signs it, a bill becomes law -- it's approved / If he gives it a "veto," it's rejected, removed."

My kids love to find their favorite mice, which sometimes are slightly hidden on the page. I like the thought that they are learning -- even just a little bit.

Woodrow, the White House Mouse and the whole series are fantastic. Illustrator, Cheryl Shaw Barnes does an amazing job of bringing the White House to life with her beautiful watercolor and ink drawings. The rhyming text in each of the books is hilarious and instructive. These books will stay in our family library forever - treasures all!

Book Report is a very useful guide that I turned to again and again while crafting my book proposal. I was impressed by the author's ability to not only cover the nuts and bolts of writing a proposal, but also to succinctly convey what makes a quality proposal. Particularly useful were the parenthetical tips the author inserted throughout samples in the appendix. With Mark Shaw's style and ability to anticipate writers' questions and omissions, I felt like I had a mentor by my side leading me through what had been a daunting process.

Book Report is a very useful guide that I turned to again and again while crafting my book proposal. I was impressed by the author's ability to not only cover the nuts and bolts of writing a proposal, but also to succinctly convey what makes a quality proposal. Particularly useful were the parenthetical tips inserted throughout samples in the appendix. With Mark Shaw's style and ability to anticipate writers' questions and omissions, I felt like I had a mentor by my side leading me through what had been a daunting process. I can finally say, "I did it."

This book has been very helpful to me in preparing a proposal for potential agents. The ten points to help write a manuscript were also useful, however I already knew most of them. It's REAL strength was in outlining and detailing the process for writing, fine tuning and submitting a proposal, and tips on HOW to present it to agents. It isn't enough to write the next great American novel - if you can't get an agent to look at it on the strength of your outline and synopsis it's just going to gather dust on a shelf. That is the true worth of this book, it was more helpful to me in preparing and sending my proposal than any other publication or person before or since.

I've read most of the how-to books and magazines over the past 15 years, and this is the only one to inspire me to stop reading and start writing.
The book lays out 10 basic rules for success, and helps new writers understand they are about to embark on an endeavor that's as much about the publishing business as it is creativity.
Is it useful? Let me say this: It's right next to my keyboard as I'm developing my new novel proposal.

Book Report is a well written concise outline of Shaw's 10 golden rules to successful publishing. I am much more knowledgeable about the legalities of the industry after reading Book Report. I feel inspired, encouraged and confident enough to put pen to paper and tackle that road to successful publication.

Finally, a book that addresses stress and depression in the business world! Whether you are an advisor on Wall Street or selling real estate in California, this book provides you with the insight, skills and resources to deal with the everyday stresses of your job in this volatile economy. To be able to understand the different personality types and your own mindset and those of the people around you is something powerful to walk away with after reading this book. The book gives you the knowledge each of us can use to make clear steps in being able to deal with stressful situations and become more successful in our relationships at work, as well as at home! A must read.

Kudos to the authors! It's about time that someone with a profound knowledge of the advisory space stepped up to the plate to provide counsel on how advisors can effectively address the crucial issues we face on a daily basis: volatile markets, angry clients, demanding branch managers, anxiety, depression, burnout! As Sun Tsu's The Art of War remains perhaps the most prestigious and influential treatise on military strategies, Bullish Thinking should become financial advisors' "strategy manual", as it provides unquestionably successful tactics to excel in our business, regardless of the market environment.

It's about time someone addressed the serious problems we are facing everyday - the volatile markets, angry clients, branch managers who push us to the limit, etc. The authors clearly define the problems and obstacles that arise in this fast-paced, high stress business environment and then give you solutions that can easily be incorporated into your daily routine. The book has made me take a step back and examine how my reactions to different situations may be sabatoging my success. This book is a must read for anyone in the financial industry.

Legal dan
I am not a broker or trader. In fact I don't work on Wall Street at all. Regardless, my job is extremely stressful and my work hours, extremely long. I am a corporate litigator and was emailed a blurb about this book from one of my buddies on Wall Street. I was having a tough time managing my anger at work when unpredictable things happened during one of my hearings or throughout the course of a case. I would fly off the handle at my colleagues and my wife. The Channeled Rage section of this book helped me gain control over the powerful emotion of anger. Now I no longer feel lethal with my anger. The Bullish Thinking section is also good for helping me focus on the crazy thoughts that often precede my anger and frustration. I guess there is hope for me after all. My message is that Law is just as stressful as Wall Street and anyone working in this job should read this. If you have ever seen the inside of a court room you would see that there are many angry lawyers out there!

This book is a thoughtful and helpful guide for anyone plagued by negative thoughts and a stressful work environment. It teaches effective techniques for dealing with others, as well as ones' self, to have a more succuessful and happy life. Highly recommended.

I highly recommend this translation of Joinville and Villehardouin.

The translator has taken care to translate these works into lucid, contemporary language without dumbing down the writing. Her work has paid off, providing a readable and lively edition still suitable for scholarly review.

Whether you are reading these for enjoyment, personal interest, or academic reasons, this translation is a good one.

I had to read this book in my Medieval and Ranasance Class at OSU. This book gives a first person view of what the Crusades were like. My teenage son has read the book several times and used for several research papers in high school.

These are both excellent accounts of the crusades. Villehardouin proves insightful in what he does not say. A small army of crusaders faces unbelievable odds in Constantinople and yet somehow they conquer and hold this territory. It brings up the question of whether the conquest was an accident or a conspiracy, and a reader can answer that question through careful reading. There are other books wholly committed to this argument of conspiracy vs. accident.

Joinville gives an equally appreciable account of a crusade, this time a failed attempt in Egypt by Saint Louis. Joinville is an author that gives a huge amount of information. The integrity of Louis is apparent as well as the mistakes made by the crusaders (Joinville rarely places direct blame of any failure on Louis, noting instead Louis's brother and his failures.)

This is a well introduced book and is not difficult to read in my opinion.

Chronicles of the Crusades is a chronicle of the Crusades from two of the senior participants who took part in two of the Crusades. The book covers the descriptions of the fourth and the seventh crusades as seen through the eyes of Geoffroy De Villehardouin (who took part in the fourth crusade) and Jean De Joinville (who took part in the seventh crusade). The two chronicles were translated for this book by Margaret Shaw. The book was published in 1963 around the time of her death. The two chronicles give us a look into the two crusades as chronicled through the eyes of two important noblemen of their time. This in itself will taint the purity of the chronicle. Chronicles such as these lay out the justifications for the crusades and tend to gloss over the blemishes. These two are no different. They were written to glorify the Crusaders and surely the writers would not put on ink anything that would later detract from their names. These chronicles do an excellent job of showing how the two chroniclers thought and how they wanted these two crusades remembered. When this book is read this should be kept in mind. The average crusader was a mixture of those driven by greed and religious extremists. The crusaders were allowed to plunder the lands they conquered. In today's terms they were allowed to take war trophies, thus stealing from the inhabitants of the land. They were barbaric in their means of taking the land and the raping of women was allowed, if the women were not of the Christian faith. The fourth crusade received condemnation on its behavior when the Christian city of Constantinople was sacked. This was due to the crusaders raping of the women. This of course is not pointed out by Villehardouin. The chroniclers mention a little of the plunder, but do not mention anything else. Though the chroniclers are quick to point out the cruelty of the Saracens. Margaret Shaw refers to these two chronicles as being the most reliable accounts of the crusades written in French. I would have to disagree that these chronicles should be taken as completely accurate. Joinville refers to Prestor John as if he was a person who actually existed, thus showing that his accounts are not strictly cemented in fact. The chronicles give an overview of the crusades and do not go into much detail on the equipment used and the everyday life of the average crusader. This book is a good book to show the chroniclers thoughts and perspectives but if you are trying to get an accurate picture of what happened during these crusades I would look into other books as well. Such books that describe the opposing views as seen from the Muslim side and other books that can give specifics on how the crusaders lived and their equipment could help in understanding these crusades better. I am giving this book 5 stars because it does accurately convey it's title. It does cover the Chronicles of the Crusades.

The two accounts in _Chronicles of the Crusades_ provide readers with fascinating accounts of the 4th and 7th crusades. Villehardoun's observations of the sack of Constantinople leave some questions regarding whether it was a conspiracy to destroy the city or not; ultimately it is up to the reader to decide... It does, however, provide a window into 12th century warfare and politics.

Joinville's chronicle of the 7th crusade into the Holy Land was similarly fascinating, providing more information about a European's impressions of the Near East and Christian-Islamic conflict than Villehardoun. I much preferred Joinville for this reason. Together, both accounts provide a well-rounded history of the time and place - a tremendously interesting read for professional and armchair historians alike.

Hilger gently introduces the uniniated into the not always gentle world of the religious. An excellent first effort, and I look forward to the next Sister Abigail mystery. Ms. Hilger, your reading audience awaits!

Great plot, super characters, and prose that seemed to come from heaven itself in places. My only complaint was the novel's length. I hope subsequent installations of the series have more pages to turn. Bravo to Ms. Hilger for a job well done.

A couple of stories to work on, and such a direct approach to the faith of the nuns in the story. Most mysteries that involve nuns focus much more on the mystery, the story, the plot, the characters, etc. Faith - and true good and evil - usually get short shrift. Not so here.

This book was such a GREAT read. Ms. Hilger's portrait of Sr. Abigail as a fiesty but tender, spiritually adept but humorous and real nun made her come to life--I hated to say goodbye when I ended the book and I hope the word series on the cover means at least a DOZEN more!! I also enjoyed the story within a story. Ms. Hilger took the time to present her readers with not only good entertainment, but something to think about as well. Evil is chosen and He (Jesus) truly is everfaithful.

I loved this book completely and absolutely. From Sister Abigail and the nun with the orthopedic shoes to the story within a story Ms. Hilger used to weave this incredible tale. I couldn't put it down and for ONCE I WASN'T DISAPPOINTED over how a mystery ended. Read it and meet a wonderful friend in Sister Abigail.