Smith Books

My son and daughter in law live in Colorado and have been thinking about purchasing a piece of propertie to put a Yurt on. We gave them this book for Christmas and they loved it. They felt it was very informative and loved the pictures too.I of course injoyed the sneak preview of the book before I sent it. Great book, great price. Thanks

Great resource book for anyone wanting to buy a yurt or live in a yurt. Gives a great deal of practical information on purchasing a yurt, deck building, plumbing, bear proofing and making a yurt a comfortable home.

Ever since I first heard that Becky Kemery was writing a book about Yurts I have been looking forward to having it in my hands. The wait has definitely been worth it, now that I can see how fully realized her idea has become. Yurts: Living in the Round was published in 2006 by Gibbs Smith, and is the definitive source of information about anything to do with yurts. Not only that, it is also a fine piece of art in its own right; nearly every page is graced with carefully laid out color photos and drawings. Becky's writing is both clear and well researched.

Becky writes, "Most yurts are portable, tent-like structures. They have circular lattice walls (reminiscent of baby gates tied together) and a cone-shaped roof supported by rafters that meet in a center ring. The outer fabric shell of the yurt can be made of felted wool, coated canvas, or a modern architectural fabric. An ever-increasing number of wooden structures are also called yurts. What defines them as yurts and not just round houses? The Answer lies in the yurt's uncommon roof structure."

"The yurt roof incorporates a unique architectural design. Roof struts meet in a center ring, producing inward and downward pressure. This center ring holds the rafters an a state of compression. Where the struts meet the wall at the perimeter, a natural outward thrust occurs. A band (of rope, woven cloth, or wire cable) a the top of the wall holds the wall and roof poles in tension against this outward pressure. Because of this...long roof spans are possible without any internal support system (like posts, trusses, or beams). This gives the yurt an uncommon feeling of spaciousness and uplift. the roof design also creates an incredibly strong and resilient structure that is uniquely equipped to withstand earthquakes, strong winds, and heavy snow loads."

The historical evolution of the modern yurt from its origins with the nomadic Central Asian tribes is carefully outlined. Both the Mongolian Ger and the Turkic Uy are the forerunners of what we now call the yurt. How these tribal folks traditionally make and decorate their portable homes is both fascinating and colorful. This process is generally a group effort and often involves painstakingly felting the wool to make the covering. The traditional pattern of living within this circular space is surprisingly similar to Native American traditional use of space within a hogan, with various family members and guests having their appropriate places.

One of the early modern adaptations of the traditional yurt design was Bill Copperwaite's "tapered wall yurt." These are wooden structures that incorporate the same roof design, but modify the vertical walls to incline outward, giving them a distinctly oriental flare. Bill has been exploring these interesting shapes since the early 1960's, and has come up with quite a variety of forms, including some with concentric tiers of yurts within yurts. Some of them have scalloped butterfly-like roofs; others have gothic arches that surround the perimeter.

The modern fabric yurt is more like its nomadic predecessor, in most ways, except that modern canvas or synthetic fabric replaces the felted wool. Becky chronicles how various people have adapted the original designs to suit modern needs in a variety of climates. Many of the new yurts have central plastic dome skylights and windows that let in lots of light, making them much more open and airy than the darker, womb-like nomadic yurts.

Many of the folks who have experimented with building their own yurts have gone on to make a business of supplying yurt kits for the general public. Becky suggests how to locate and evaluate these yurt companies, and describes various ways that yurts can be adapted for personal needs, such having a bathroom, porch, heater, etc. She even addresses the issues of financing and insuring yurts, and dealing with building code officials.

Another modern adaptation to the traditional yurt is called the "frame panel" yurt. These are much more permanent dwellings than their fabric cousins, and can appear as very solid indeed. They are often prefabricated off-site and shipped to the site for erection. Becky interviewed various people who have lived in these unique homes and shares many insights that could help others who do the same.

The chapter titled "Living in the Round" philosophically evaluates the merits of doing this. Becky writes, "The flexible open space of a yurt is an interior design canvas waiting for the creative expression of each yurt inhabitant. What remains constant is the welcoming embrace of the space, the interaction between inner and outer worlds, and the roof structure that lifts our vision skyward. The yurt also has an inherent ability to bring people together into a circle, which naturally engenders connection and cooperation."

The final portion of the book has several appendices that explore building codes, platform construction, and wood stove installation. There is also an extensive resource guide here for yurt companies, yurt plans, and other media. Becky's website about yurts, [...], is another resource providing additional information.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in simple, sustainable living, enduring vernacular architecture, or the possibilities inherent in living in the round.

"Yurts: Living in the Round" is put together very well. It is clear and concise, bright and full of photos, and covers just about everything you'd ever need to know about yurts. It is obvious upon reading the book that the author has used her own extensive personal knowledge and experience in writing it.

The author has lived in various yurts in enough states to have some wisdom to share since climates can change and a yurt in the dessert is different than one high in the Sierras or Rockies where the temperatures can get well below freezing. She writes of the history of yurt dwellers and how modern fabrics here in the states make yurts weather proof in most areas and livable homes year round.

As a member of the Small House Society I am looking for a variety of small house choices and yurts and boats are at the top of my dream list.

Her examples also show the modern yurt like the ones here in the Sierras that all have windows, skylights, doors and most amenities one can find in a small modern home. Read other 5 star reviews who tell you even more. Excellent book.

This book is so cool, i recommend this book for readers who enjoy farm life and animals who lives on the farm, If I would rate this book on a 5-point scale, I would say it would be a 4..because the pictures could have been colourful instead of black and white, but overall I liked this book. Bye!

This is an excellent book by an excellent author. I've never been disappointed in one of his books and this is one of his best! I wish it could have been longer or that there were a sequel to it. The main characters are Farmer Tubbs and a lot of animals that live on his farm. I recomment this book for anyone who likes pigs, animals, or humorous stories. It's probably more of a child's book, but I think everyone would enjoy it.

This book is very exciting I learned about how ACE the pig can communicate with his owner. He has alot of adventures. I would reccommend this book to any age I think it would brighten anyone`s day to hear about a big fat pig that made me laugh. It`s a book that you can`t put down but sometimes you have to . I would give it five golden stars. ACE the pig, Nanny the lamb and Megan,are all the people that live on Ted Tubbs Farm. ACE isn`t an ordinary pig If you want to find out why, you should read this book.

This book is very exciting I learned about how ACE the pig can communicate with his owner. He has alot of adventures. I would reccommend this book to any age I think it would brighten anyone`s day to hear about a big fat pig that made me laugh. It`s a book that you can`t put down but sometimes you have to . I would give it five golden stars. ACE the pig, Nanny the lamb and Megan,are all the people that live on Ted Tubbs Farm. ACE isn`t an ordinary pig If you want to find out why, you should read this book.

This is another Dick King-Smith favorite of many people. This author has a way with words..............especially with Ace; he can understand HUMAN WORDS! He and his owner share a bond somehow; they can "understand" each other. Named Ace after the Ace of clubs (because he has a club-shaped birthmark), he doesn't want to go where his brothers and sisters are going, and he's prepared to do anything as long as he doesn't have to......he doesn't really have to do anything, though because of his talent, although he DOES makes peace with the farmer's pets, Megan & Clarence. Ace, along with lots of other King-Smith's pigs, is better than E.B. White's Wilbur.

If you love Lt.Ellen Ripley and actress Sigourney Weaver? - you must read this book!

In the span of the twenty-five years since the release of the first Alien film in 1979, much has changes in the American culture and society and the film industry. It would be easy to write a relatively standard work analyzing the four films in the series that include Lt. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). Other than those interested scholars and, perhaps, fans engrossed with those films, such a book would be rather dull. But Gallardo C. and Smith have produced a far different, far more unexpected and powerful work. This is done through an elegant and insightful organization of the work. Each of the four major chapters deals with one of the four films (Alien, Aliens, Alien3, Alien: Resurrection). Nicely written personal forward, introduction and a conclusion surround these, but it is these four chapters that are the meat of the text.
At first glance a potential reader may imagine that these four chapters have little to do with each other, as each deals with a different film. What is so wonderful about this organization is that Gallardo C. and Smith are able to actually accomplish two things with their text. The first is a surprisingly well researched and detailed close-reading of each of the films. But the second, which would likely not be possible in any other format, is a tracing of those cultural shifts of the last twenty-five years. When the first film was released in 1979 the United States was on a cusp both culturally and politically. Second Wave feminism was reaching a crest of cultural importance, the rise of the Republican Right was beginning to be noticed, and one small decision to change a protagonist from male to female was surprising in many ways. This was a female hero that did not scream and run to her protecting male. Gallardo C. and Smith do not pull punches, though, and while they praise Alan Ladd Jr. (then the head of 20th Century Fox) for casually suggesting the change, they also point out that he gathered together secretaries from the Fox offices to view Sigourney Weaver's screen test because in the late 1970s there simply were not female executives in the film industry.
With the emergence of the Reagan-era, the defeat of the E.R.A. (Equal Rights Amendment) film in the United States changed as well. The new heroes of film in the 1980s became muscled "hard men" and Gallardo C. and Smith spend much time discussing the changes made to the character of Ripley by James Cameron as a reaction to this change. The two most general critical replies made about these first two Alien films has been that the first suggested a new type of female hero, while the second was one of two things (or perhaps a bit of both): Either it is a film about reifying the nuclear unit (in the form of Ripley as mother, Newt, a young girl as daughter, and Hicks, a marine, as father), or it is a metaphorical Vietnam film.
Gallardo C. and Smith have it both ways, emphasizing the polyphony of the texts, and the fact that multiple readings are not necessarily false readings. They become more critical of the final two films featuring Lt. Riply, but in a carefully respectful way. Blamed for the lackluster reception of the third film are mostly studio problems that led the film to essentially be the "merged" versions of two competing scripts within the studio - and that with far too little "development" time. Of the fourth they note that the film undermines much of what came before it because of the underlying ironic and postmodern nature of Alien: Resurrection.
Gallardo C. and Smith claim early that they do not intend to write a "theory book" for such a book is beyond the scope of what they intend. Any while they have not, in another way they have written a "theory book" of a certain time. The organization of their volume is such that the intellectual history (the changes in theoretical perspectives from 1979 and after) can quite easily be fished from their text. The transition from Second Wave to post-feminism (or Third Wave, or whatever term you prefer) is there. The transition of the Modernist heroes of the 1970s to the muscle-bound Sylvester and Arnold-like character of the Reagan-era (which were ironic, but few seemed to notice) to the postmodern pastiche and irony are all just under the surface, waiting to be considered.
That "just beneath the surface" level allows Alien Woman to work very nicely as both a film studies work on its topic, and as, literally, an intellectual history of one of the more profound times for change in the academy in some time. The character of Ripley has always been on that embodied a certain amount of "sex trouble," but by placing the films in their own times, Gallardo C. and Smith manage to analyze with being over critical. This isn't the type of criticism too often found in the academy, the kind I like to call "claiming Napoleon was a bad general because he never called for air support." This is the kind of critical examination that allows theoretical perspectives to exist, but doesn't think an analysis of Ulysses should spend fifty pages discussing Foucault and five with the actual text. So, when the authors make their claim that this is not a "theory book" what they seem to really mean is, "we are theoretically informed, but are dealing with our texts, not polysyllabic jargon. And it is all the better for it (this from someone who likes theory, too!).
Gallardo C. and Smith have produced a work that is developed, complex, insightful, and still maintains a readability that was so accomplished I almost felt jealous. It is a suitable for collections at colleges and universities with film programs, film studies programs, English programs that emphasize cultural studies, American studies programs, and popular culture programs. I would recommend it for upper level undergraduates, scholars of culture, feminism or speculative fiction in all its form.
I just published my first book (do not worry, I wont name drop it here!) and upon publication I approached the large dry eraser board in my office and wrote down all the possible "next book" projects I could think of and, among these was a book on the Alien films. It turns out that Ximena Gallardo C. and C. Jason Smith have already written it, and I'm scholar enough to know the did a better job than I would have. Alien Woman has my highest recommendation.

About a two weeks ago, my husband bought this book, and we have been notified that it will be on its way soon. I'm saying this because for some reason Amazon delayed the delivery, and if it happens to you, it's worth the wait. I know it's worth it because I borrowed a colleague's copy.

But to the review: Having watched the first three movies only once when they were released in theaters, I found that ALIEN WOMAN helped me remember many, many scenes I had forgotten. I believe that this is one of the book's strengths: the authors deal with the movies in their entirety, as opposed to dealing just with selected scenes that "prove" their points and ignoring the rest.

Another strength is how easy and fun this book is to read! No cumbersome quotes, no "academese" to muddle through-a book as entertaining as the movies, and even more exciting sometimes. Where else will you find an academic text that describes Ripley's spacing of the Alien Queen as "bitch-slapping the Alien into space"?

ALIEN WOMAN does have an agenda. It centers on Ripley more than the monster, and it does reveal how hard it is for actresses to find a role different from "babe," "mom," and "old lady" (and I'm old enough to remember what few roles women had before ALIEN was released). It is the book's contention that Ripley manages to escape this mold, and so, that she's a somewhat unique female hero in sci-fi cinema-and more than just a dragon slayer.

All in all, ALIEN WOMAN was good enough to make me want a copy of my own, and to make me rent ALIEN RESURRECTION, which appeared to be too violent and silly in the ads for me to care about watching it before I read this book.

Alien Woman is one of those books that works to find the proper context for an aesthetic product. Gallardo and Smith read the Alien films in the context of gender theory and feminism (and the way gender theory and feminism fit into the very different cultural moments of the films: 1979, 1986, 1992, 1998). For them, the films unevenly chart such themes as the primacy of the body, the breakdown of the rationalist-humanist white male subject, the fear of woman and the feminine, the identification of the monstrous and horrific with the feminine and with sexuality, and the emergence of philosophical post-humanism as an alternative to Renaissance humanism. Though they do not put it in these terms they essentially track the consequences of a Hegelian-style equation: the split "Man vs. Alien" is merely the reflection of a split within category "Man (human)" itself, "Man vs. Woman." In other words, the fight between Man and Alien is really the gender trouble within humanity itself.

The authors have an admirable sense of focus: outside of an introduction and an afterword, the book devotes one chapter to each film analysis: no novel or comic book spin-offs, no video games, no parodies, no fan-fiction. Gallardo and Smith know these films backwards, forwards and sideways. Heavy theory is relegated to the footnotes (making the whole thing easy to read), but their knowledge of Freud, Jung, Foucault, and Butler shows in the pages. And for several years Gallardo and Smith have chaired the science fiction section of one of the largest academic popular culture conferences in the world: Alien Woman is particularly strengthened by their almost encyclopedic knowledge of science fiction movies good and bad; the reader benefits from their sitting through these often awful films (Ice Pirates, anyone?), and connecting them to the Alien series. The book also hits every substantial piece of Alien criticism: future scholars will start reading about the films here, and then follow the bibliography.

Gallardo & Smith have written a work that *will be* one of *the* most important books ever for scholars AND fans of the Aliens series of films. This serious and thought-provoking, clearly-written work is immanently readable at the same time as it is insightful and rigorously scholarly. It will promote greater academic understanding of science-fiction and feminism (together and as discrete studies) and those who read it will want to own it, reference it, and read it for sheer pleasure again and again.

The study examines the entire story arc of four movies that made us gasp and wonder, and made us re-examine science fiction not only as more than just "bug eyed monsters against the good GUYS" but also as reflections of the historical era from which each film arose. This seriously well-researched and well documented work traces the history of the movie's compelling images, (for example, giving us "ah ha" moments about the inspiration for the films' artwork, facts that I know I never knew about the reason for the Aliens' form). It gives us intricate close-readings of each film, examining scene after scene with insight and depth, and helps us understand the metaphors of Corporate space and humanity in a post-human era.

One of my favorite parts is the close-reading of Ripley's suicidal leap in Aliens 3, and I had to gloat as Gallardo & Smith reveal the background meanings and imagery of her strongly compelling act of grasping the newborn alien bursting from her chest. I was delighted when I realized that my own feelings watching the film for the first time were right (I knew it!) and had that comfortable feeling you get when having a great conversation with people who share your passion for interesting works of cultural significance.

Never a "publish or perish," jargon-laden ivory-tower read, this work is compelling and fun, at the same time that it contributes important scholarship to a pivotal science fiction franchise and science fiction studies in general. If you are a fan of the series, but not an academic, you will still love this book, and learn something new and worthwhile about your favorite sci-fi. If you are an academic looking for rigorous critical interpretation, you will also find what you are looking for.

A must read for fans, scholars, and anyone interested in the "post-human" subject and Ripley's compelling character. Plus, a heck of a lot of fun and hard to put down.

As a trumpet player and studio teacher, I have been using the Arban book for over 25 years. The comb binding alone, which allows the book to lay flat on the music stand, makes this book worth the additional expense. The CD of 10 of the 12 Fantasies is a nice bonus feature, but I find I don't use it that much.

For those unfamiliar with Arban's text, here is an excerpt from Trumpet 101: A Reference Manual For Trumpet Players that gives a brief overview of the book:

The Arban's Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet was written in 1864 by Jean-Baptiste Arban (1825-1899), professor of cornet at the Paris Conservatoire and the first true virtuoso of the instrument. Since its initial publication, the book has never been out of print. This book is truly "the Bible of Trumpet" as it has everything in it that you need to develop any and every skill necessary to play the trumpet well.

If you are serious about becomming a better trumpet player, this book is an absolute must. If you only purchase one method book, make it this one and you won't be sorry upgrading to this Platnium Edition.

The Arbans Complete Method Trumpet continues to be the standard for all trumpet practice books. This time tested publication continues to be the best available.

I have been using this book in my daily practice since I purchased it a month ago. The Arban's method is a tried-and-tested set of progressive exercises that encompass a wide range of brass techniques such as long tones, flexibility, and phrasing. Exciting material can be found by both beginners and advanced players alike.

The accompaniment CD is a helpful tool for anyone looking to rehearse with a virtual accompanist, although this offers no flexibility within tempi, and cadenzas become tricky with the guesswork associated with the disc's timing.

Some notable points about this volume that I found most impressive:
*Updated introduction section
*"Historically accurate" tempo markings for each exercise
*Footnotes for further reading
*Bold, easy to read typeface
*Attractive presentation with comb binding
*The original Arban's introduction, featured at the back of the volume, printed in its entirety.

All in all, I feel that I could not have been more satisfied with the quality of this product. I found the price to be great (I am a tuba player, and the "tuba specific" version of this book is nearly twice the price of the Arban's Platinum Edition), and I received the contents of my order on time and in perfect condition.

I was very please with the timely manner which this book was delivered and delighted with the content.

This book is by almost all accounts the Bible of the trumpet world. It is comprehensive, and cognitive in its presentation. There are several hundred pages of practice score and a good amount of comments to guide.

This particular edition is a worthwhile purchase as it is spiral comb bound, so it lays open better, it is chock full of updated, editorial comments that explain and clarify some of the things Arban said that don't apply or possibly don't, and it includes a cd with accompaniment for the practices in the book.

Great book, well worth the price!

Having lived in Southern Africa and talked to people who had knowledge of those events this is a good account of what went on for a historical point of view. I would recommend reading the entire series. A very good read!

I am a 49 year old man who has recently taken up reading after an absence of too many years. I have found that Wilbur Smith's books have filled the void of recent changes in my lifestyle. Although I started with Angry as The Sea some ten years ago, I cannot read Mr. Smith's novels quickly enough. Each thought or phrase summons me into it's very existance. My only regret is that memory will not allow me the pleasure of re-visiting Mr. Smith's adventures.

This book is, beleive it or not, right on par with Smith's other breathtaking adventures like Birds of Prey, Monsoon, Blue Horizon, Seventh Scroll etc. Only River God can be considered better (and even that is close). None of the books in the Courtneys of Africa series or the others in the Ballantyne series can even come close to this book. A truely marvellous adventure yarn and one of the overlooked gems in the entire genre, A Falcon Flies is a masterpeice which, if had been published after Smith became internatioanlly famous (that is, after River God), would have done as well as any of Smith's other monster bestsellers.

I must say as a fan of Wilbur Smith, this book captures anyone's imagination from the first page to the last and it leaves you wanting to start on the next one in the series. As an African and Zimbabwean in which most of this story takes place I am left with no option but to salute Mr. Smith. He is a briliant researcher and an accurate writer of our historical stories even though he calls them fiction. Some of the facts are so true that you really feel you're in that age. He gives vivid descriptions of the Ndebele state as if he was there during that time. I have no problem rating it 5 out of 5!!!

Wilbur Smith is my favorite author, and "A Falcon Flies" is one of his best. You are introduced to the Ballentyne's, Maj. Zouga Ballentyne and his sister, Dr. Robin Ballentyne as they search Africa for their missing father, the famous missonary and anti-slavery cruscader Fuller Ballentyne and have the bad luck to travel to Africa on board the ship of Mungo St.John, who it turns out, is a infamous slave trader himself...With that breathless start, you would expect action and lots of it, and you won't be disappointed. Duels, attack by slave traders on the Ballentyne safari, and ship to ship battles with thundering broadsides are but some of what is in store for the reader. Smith has never been afraid to write a strong woman character, and Robin Ballentyne certainly qualifes, coming close to unsympathic, being saved mainly by her constant concern for human life, never hestiating to place her own in jepoardy to help the ill or injured, but always sure of being right and never hestiating to say so. Neither is Zouga perfect, being more concerned with making the expedition profitable,from gold and ivory, than finding his father.All of Wilbur Smith's books are of the "keep you up late reading it" variety but "Falcon" is ones of his best, which makes it one of THE best, period.....

I purchased this not too long ago. I have the movie and adore it, so when I saw this book I was extremely excited. I was not let down. For all Filmmakers, for all aspiring Filmmakers, I recommend this book. It is Jean Cocteau's diary, or shall I say Director's Commentary, of the making of this film. If filmmakers think they have it hard making a good movie today because of the price, please read this book. It is about true dedication, true passion and true love for making movies, telling stories and bringing fairytales to life. After all, isn't bringing a movie to life every filmmakers fairytale? This book can teach you more than any film class can ever. Get this book and recommend it to everyone. Give it as a present to the aspiring filmmaker in your life. And after you're done reading it, let it soak in and never forget it (I won't). It is that GREAT!!!

Absolutely fasinating. So many of my French teacher colleagues show this movie. They would find this "making of" so interesting. It is not a record of how he created the special effects, though he does discuss a few (the dvd shows many more), but rather all the trials the entire crew endured to create this seemingly effortless masterpiece.

The book provides insights into the making of Cocteau's classic film. The incredible film obviously stands alone, but knowledge of the period and the various aspects and difficulties in making it adds to one's appreciation.

Some have found Cocteau's litany of illnesses that he and others suffered while filming "Beauty and the Beast" tedious and skipped over them as seemingly irrelevant. Unfortunately, those who do so may miss the entire point of Cocteau's masochistic esthetic, namely, the necessity for the artist to suffer and triumph over all adversity for the sake of his art. That suffering is part and parcel of his art, suffering is art, just as "Beauty and the Beast" suffered during the filming and triumphed as a lasting work of art. Cocteau's suffering at the time mirrored the enormous technical difficulties encountered while making the film. The entire surreal struggle of Cocteau and of others involved in the film is wonderfully captured in his journal and any serious student of either Cocteau or the film will profit by reading it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has seen Jean Cocteau's fil version of "Beauty and the Beast" The book is the diary of the film. There are some great photos in it as well.

I have read it at least 6 times since it was originally published.

It speaks to the current world scene each time and probably will for the next 50 years.

Hall is one of the 20th century's great geniuses.

I read this book for the first time over 20 years ago after I graduated from college with an unrelated science major which I found loathesome and never used. I had already read "The Hidden Dimension" when working with an architect. I am not about to read this one again due to its complexity and the fact it "sunk in" then. Here are some of Hall's highlights:

Ch. 1 (The Paradox of Culture): "One wonders how many individuals who have been forced to adjust to eight-hour, nine-to-five schedules have sacrificed their creativity, and what the social and human cost of this sacrifice has been."

Ch. 3 (Consistency and Life): "He is forced into the position of thinking and feeling that anyone whose behavior is not predictable or is peculiar in any way is slightly out of his mind, improperly brought up, irresponsible, psychopathic, politically motivated to a point beyond all redemption, or just plain inferior."

Ch. 7 (Contexts, High and Low): "... in high context systems, people in places of authority are personally and truly (not just in theory) responsible for the actions of subordinates down to the lowest man. In low context systems, responsibility is diffused throughout the system and difficult to pin down ..."

Ch. 11 (Covert Culture and Action Chains): "The investigation of out-of-awareness culture can be accomplished only by actual observation of real events in normal settings and contexts. ... Culture is therefore very closely related to if not synonymous with what has been defined as "mind".

Ch. 12 (Imagery and Memory): "Our problems in education are exacerbated by eductional systems and philosophies that stress verbal facility at the expense of other important parts of man's mind ..."

Ch. 13 (Cultural and Primate Bases of Education): "One reason psychotherapy is so slow is that in order to change one thing it is necessary to alter the entire psyche, because the different parts of the psyche are functionally interrelated."

Ch. 13: Over bureaucratization: "The problem with bureaucracies is that they have to work hard and long to keep from substituting self-serving survival and growth for their original primary objective. ... Bureaucracies have no soul, no memory and no conscience."

Ch. 14 (Culture as an Irrational Force): "Since the men and women responsible for these [anthropological] studies for the most part are both well trained in Anglo-American social science methodology and well motivated, one can only assume that there is something basically wrong with the way in which social science research is often conducted."

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE READ THE BOOK. THE LAST TIME WAS A 110 YEARS AGO IN COLLEGE. MR. HALL MAKES US THINK ABOUT OTHER CULTURES AND ESPECIALLY OUR OWN CULTURE. IN THESE AWFUL TIMES IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND OURSELVES AND ONE ANOTHER. MR HALL'S BOOKS HELP WITH THIS. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND A CULTURE'S LANGUAGE AND DRESS. TIME, SPACE, AND OTHER CONTINGENTS ARE JUST OR MORE IMPORTANT.

Since other reviewers have summarized this book, my suggestion is to read it with present-day work environments in mind. There is an increasing emphasis of Diversity and Globalization in the workplace. This book can be difficult to wade through, but the concepts stick with you. It was very easy to take the concepts and compare them to the daily situations of working in a multi-cultural corporate environment. Sometimes the best information, is from an original source or work. I would suggest reading this, just because Hall's premises still bear the brunt of time and provide that "ah-ha" awareness to an experience.

This is not Hall's best known book but it incorporates many of the ideas that were originally presented in the Silent Language and applies them to culture. The idea of monochronic (M-Time) and polychronic time (P-Time) are briefly summarised as well. The underlying concept of Beyond Culture is that man is an evolutionary being and although we cannot evolve to adapt to our environment at the rate of insects we can continue to evolve through extensions. These extensions are the things we create such as fire and tools at the basic level and cars, computers, and mobile phones at the more complex level. In this way we have continued to evolve beyond the limits of our biology.

In a similar sense, culture is an extension of our personal being and is used to prevent us from having to explain every little detail. Regardless of whether a culture is "high" or "low" it contains a body of knowledge that provides for ease of communication among members. He develops this idea in the concept of action chains which is a sequence in which several people participate. Culture is by its nature participatory and understanding action chains within a culture can help us to understand how to prevent ourselves from running aground in a culture different from our own.

He also looks at culture and education and lampoons the current state of higher education in the western context. I find this somewhat unwarranted. He concludes with chapters on the irrationality of culture and our identification with culture. However irrational a culture may be to those who identify with it it makes perfect sense.

I do not always agree with the interpretation of cultural examples that he cites but his ideas are interesting and can be helpful in understanding cross/intercultural experiences. I would recommend this book to those who are, at least in passing, with his overall concepts of culture.

What a great book. Gary Smith isn't a writer, he is a poet. His articles are something to be savored, not skimmed. Each and every word has a purpose. In today's world of "blurbs" it is refreshing to read a book by someone who has honed his craft so superbly you never want to finish reading the book. He's not a sportswriter, he's a writer of human nature. By far the best book of collected articles I have ever read.

Gary Smith, a veteran of the sports writing game has brilliantly pieced together this collection of past articles that have made him the most popular sportswriter in the business. A gift to Sports Illustrated Magazine, Smith goes beyond the game to capture the truth in situations the reader never knew about sports legends as well as sports tragic failures. Smith writes about John Malangone a.k.a. the "Damned Yankee," who was foreseen to be the next Yogi Berra. Malangone's story shows Smith's ability to add emotion to his writing, especially in this first instalment to this collection. Muhammad Ali's story is a great one but in Smith's book, he looks at the lives up the people around the public life of Ali. The lives of Ali's entourage according to Smith had it's ups and downs through Ali's struggles and triumphant moments. Perhaps the most fascinating piece in Smith's book is his view of the young Mike Tyson growing up in Brooklyn. From Tyson's ill-temper, and petty theft to his encounter with the great Cus D'Amato, Smith shows the reader what made Tyson a raw and gritty character in the boxing world today. Smith's magnificent collection of sports writing takes the average sports fan to a new level as he truly takes the reader beyond the game.

I recently received this book as a gift, after having raved for years about the quality of Mr. Smiths writing. Sports happens to be the world in which these stories are set, but he writes about what it is to be human. His compassion and understanding of his subject is so complete that I feel as if I know these people better than most of my friends. His ability to indicate the unspoken thoughts and feelings of his subjects leads the reader to a deeper understanding of humanity, triumphs and failures both.
My only disapointment, as pointed out by an earlier reviewer, is that the collection is not long enough.
I recently re-read a story he wrote for Sports Illustrated back in march of 2001, about a black man who became the basketball coach for a high school in a small Amish community and how he affected the entire town.
I challenge anyone to read this article without feeling uplifted.
A must read for anyone who enjoys great writing.

Gary Smith is a great writer who happens to write about sports. My only complaint: I wish the collection was twice as long as it is. Whether or not you're a sports fan, you should read this book to get a feel for what a master prose stylist can accomplish. Terrific reading.

i'm thrilled to see gary smith's work in a nice collection like this one. in an age of writing catered to us as if we have attention deficit disorder, it's refreshing to have such illuminating work readily available. in college a few years back i was working on a very touchy feature about an athlete, so i called sports illustrated just hoping to consult with mr. smith to get a better understanding of entering intimate and personal boundaries. amazingly enough, he called me back the following day and we talked for about a half an hour. and for a young writer to speak with one of the greatest, i was deeply inspired. needless to say, the story ended up winning a feature award and i am very grateful to him. i hope he not only gets his writing out to more people now, but that he makes a nice buck off it too! the book is worth every cent!

I thought that this was one of the best books i've read and belive me i've read a lot of books. I read a book in about a day if i enjoy it and i read this one in even less, I liked it so much. I am a very picky reader as i am most things and this one caught my eye very well. It has the PERFECT ending. Smith is an exellent writer and this is one of her best yet. The characters were so detailed and well defined i felt as if they were people that I've known my whole life and in past lives. The plot was also superb. i felt as if i was someone right there and on set ready to get into action. I've even thought of getting permission from the publishers and Sinclair Smith to turn it into an independent film!

This Book was great... It made want to keep flipping pages. Im pretty sure my high school English teacher has seen me reading my book even after ssr is over. When Randy is left alone in her desserted home, on a strange night a boy Creeps up, he is Julian Dex. Julian Dex is The Boy Next Door. He teaches Randy how to play practical jokes on some of her class mates and almost causes an accident on the freeway while Randy is driving her camaro. What will Julian make Randy do next? Murder ? or is it just a simple joke?.

While her father is away for three weeks on business, Randy Bell is acutely aware of being alone. There aren't any neighbors nearby, just an old deserted house next door that's been abandoned for years. That is, she thought it was deserted until she starts seeing lights come on in the house. Then one night she meets her new neighbor (Julian Dax) who jokingly attacks her while she's taking out the garbage. Scaring people is just one of the few things Julian loves do. He also enjoys manipulating people, and since Randy is already head over heels for him, she becomes his newest puppet. Anything he says, Randy does, such as pulling cruel pranks on her history teacher and several of her classmates--from arranging a fake tarantula in her teacher's desk to forging a love letter to staging a skating accident by pouring oil down a hill. Julian insists by doing these things, it will make her feel "alive" and "on the edge".

Soon Randy feels like she has no control over what she does. On one hand, she's reluctant to commit the crimes for fear of being
caught and reprimanded; on the other, she's afraid of what Julian might do if she doesn't follow through. The book started to get very exciting towards the end when Randy couldn't tell if Julian was real or just a figment of her imagination. Even her best friend, Alice, thought Randy was starting to crack. That was probably the best part of the book. The ending was minimally satisfying with the discovery of Julian's hideout (...), but the book as a whole wasn't spectacular. It's still fun to read though if you like young adult thrillers.

This is one of the BEST books I have ever read!!! It's Cool, Fun, Mysrey and horror. I mean this book was great. I read it and I couldn't put it down. I recommend this book to anyone...It's FANTASTIC!!!

Julian Dax is the new guy in Randy's life. One night, while she's taking out the trash, he appears out of the darkness, and from there, she falls in love with him. Randy's always been the sensible one, the one to do the right thing. Her father's away for three weeks, and Julian spices up her life. He gets his kicks out of pranks and scaring people. At first, the stunts are harmless, but they get deadlier. Who is Julian? He's always appearing out of nowhere, right on cue, and soon his jokes will ultimately lead to murder!....

Sinclair Smith is an awesome author! She definitely has a knack for jokes and pranks (such as in "Double Date"), but the idea seems to spawn hits. I felt that "The Boy Next Door" was a very thrilling, suspenseful book. You wondered what Julian was going to think of next, and you didn't know if the main character was starting to go crazy or not. The only flaw was that the ending was a little rushed and a bit hard to follow. Otherwise, it's worth your time!...

Felt like I'd been looking for this for years. Fred's last work, a cap to an incredible legacy. Never before have I seen to much "meat", so concisely packed and easily understood, in one place. It's a "must" of daily reading. I start and end my days with this little book of incredibly densely packed wisdom in running a business, a family, a life.

Fred Smith is a gem who's legacy will last for generations. This is a man who devoted his life to lifting up others, many famous, and many just like you and me.

Breakfast with Fred is a book for everyone. It addresses subjects which apply to us all at one time or another, at one age or another. Skip around from topic to topic as your need presents itself and be enriched by these real-life nuggets of wisdom. Fred Smith was my mentor and helped me for over 40 years with his brilliant wisdom. I encourage anyone to thoughtfully enjoy this marvelous book.

Fred has a Godly wisdom that goes to the heart of the reader. What a great resource for personal development. I'm stocking up on the book to give it away to friends and am delighted that the family has put this material together for us to use.

Fred Smith urged, "Avoid the authors who are meringue chefs." Trust me, this book is a gourmet smorgasbord.

Scan the 52 chapter titles and the bios of the 52 contributors--and you're hooked. The management morsels are inspired. The leadership lessons are fresh and the spiritual insights are deep. This book is a keeper and would be a treasured gift for family, friends and donors.

Business leader Fred Smith Sr. used his mentoring gift and God-honoring wisdom to motivate and inspire some of the world's most influential people, often over breakfast. Each chapter in this brilliant little book delivers two pages of Smith savvy with a response by the likes of John Maxwell, Ken Blanchard, Philip Yancey, Zig Ziglar, Ruth Stafford Peale, Jill Briscoe, Jay Kesler and family members like Smith's son, Fred, president of The Gathering.

"Flying With the Eagles" (chapter 38), with a response from Charlie "Tremendous" Jones, includes this nugget from Smith. "So early in my business career, I chose six qualities that I wanted to build into my life and I asked individuals who personified each to give me an autographed picture. I framed these pictures, along with Hoffman's Head of Christ at 33 and a mirror. I hung them on the wall in a circle, with the head of Christ on the top, the mirror on the bottom and the others around. I could look at the pictures and at my reflection and determine whether I was growing in these qualities."

Fred Smith Sr. was welcomed into heaven on August 17, 2007. His wisdom remains.