Turner Books

Since I cannot review my own work, I want to impart some knowledge about the publication of this saga. It was written without the consent of Lana Turner after our ten year personal and professional relationship ended badly. Bantam Books was extremely cautious in making sure that every detail of the story could be authenticated. They made me prove every word I wrote through both their 'in-house' attorneys as well as my own attorney's at Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp, the largest entertainment law firm in the world. Many thanks to Don Biederman, who was my personal counsel. Jeff Rovin pointed out to me upon publication that 80% of this book was printed exactly as it came off my typewriter, which gave me the impetus to continue learning the craft. Lana Turner was the only person who did not like what I wrote (because it was all true). It was to take the spotlight off of "Always, Lana" that she conspired to dictate her 'Autobiography', which many found lacking in truth and detail. With much respect to Miss Turner, I understand how difficult it is to 'tell all' when you've spent a lifetime putting it behind you and trying to sweep it under the rug. In my case, I had nothing to lose and decided to tell it as I saw it and divulged things about myself which hurt to admit, but this book is the result of a ten year, 24/7 relationship with not only Lana Turner, but her mother, daughter, career, social life, professional triumphs and failures. In short,it's the true story of a motion picture screen queen and a man nineteen years her junior who comes into her life at the twilight of her screen career and helps her triumph in a completely new medium -- live theater! In the process, we both fell in love with the same person -- it was "Always, Lana".

i bought this book awhile ago and just recently got around to reading it! i loved it! i could tell that taylor really did care a great deal about lana, and there was no venom in his pen, although you could tell he was alittle hurt about the bad things that went on between them, he doesn't let his book mire in it! a must read for any lana fans

great work taylor!

The Confessions of Nat Turner audio book is a magic history lesson that is emotionally and intellectually appealing rich in detail and magnificent in scope. It is also exciting, compelling, powerful and tersely written and should be heard by anyone interested in the history of the United States. This excellent documentary should be part of all American History courses.

For those Americans both black and white, who've dared imagine the the myriad horrors of the slavery system, the audio book by Kente Classics "Americas Black Spartacus Remembered" is a compelling and vivid journey back into one of saddest moments in Americas often violent history. The tape brilliantly deals with the actual confessions given by the captured "Black Spartacus", Nat Turner to attorney Thomas Gray in November 1831 (3 months after the revolt, and just before he was to meet a certain fate of death by hanging). Gray went own to publish "General Nat's" confessions in a pamphlet which was widely read throughout the northern and southern states.

As the tape begins, we hear Gray (stage actor Michael Collins) describe Nat Turner's (stage actor Bernard Addison) entry into the interview room, in heavy chains and shackles from head to toe. From that point forward you we "transported" back in time and space to the very room itself.

One of the great advantages of the audio book as a medium, is its ability, like all great live theatre, to engage you through the aural senses to a place where you feel as though you are there witnessing the event taking place. For entire 1:30 min. playing time, this tape holds you in its grip with chilling descriptions by Turner of how he and his band of "disciples" went about their "work". The horrible result being, the ultimate death of over 30 white slave owners and their families, and the capture and slaughter of over 100 blacks in retailiation by maurauding bans of whites and militias mobilized in response. All this carnage taking place in a few days during August of 1831 in Southampton County Virginia.

Where the tape succeeds in a historical context for those interested in the episode, is we see the obvious impact the event had on the politics of the times, and the vast schism that existed between north and south on the matter of slavery.

Furthemore, because we actually hear the spoken words of Turner himself describe his motivation, objectives, and mental state for his actions, we are provided with a direct contrast to the Pulitzer Prize winning, and widely read book (a novel)"The Confessioins of Nat Turner", written by William Styron and published in 1968.

In a well written afterthought provided at the end of the tape, written by William L. Andrews, a professor at the University of North Carolina, we hear of challenges to the authenticity of Gray's confessions because Gray seems to imbue Turner with far too much intelligence and elegance of speech for a uneducated Negro. Andrews also argues convincely that the ultimate result of the Turner revolt may have mitigated southern anti-slavery sentiments to the point where the final conflict which was the Civil War was inevitable. In this, we see the validity of the comparison of Nat Turner to the Spartacus of 2000 years earlier.

The rest of the cast is equally superb, with Collins doubling as the voice of the Judge, and Shakeperean pro Allen Gilmore playing the voice of the William L. Andrews. The tape is punctuated with 2 very moving musical interludes by the great Odetta which help to add to the emotional impact of this sterling production. The tape jacket provides us with artists reproductions of the scowling Turner and a map of the country side where the revolt took place.

As has been the case with other Kente Classics audio books I have experienced, this tape succeeds because of the historical importance of the subject matter chosen, outstanding quality of the writing and editing, and the professional performances of the actors chosen for the various spoken roles.

I highly recommend this or any of the other titles from this house.

For the collector of coin silver this book is a nice addition to Kovels "American Silver Marks" and Ensko's "American Silversmiths. No single book covers all American silversmiths and their marks. But, the addition of Turner's book should fill a great part of the void left by the other two.

This book is appropriate for the very advanced collector or enthusiast of silverware. It provides limited pictures of patterns but a wealth of textual historical information about uses and development of silverware. This book does not include information on recent patterns but does a good job focusing on very old patterns. As the title states, the period covered is 1837-1910. While not geared to the casual or beginning user of silverware, researchers will find it an integral part of their collection for patterns before 1910.

Charles Coulter had a passion for the Gods. For 10 years, he collectedbooks, magazines, reference material and devoured all the informationabout the dieties of the ancient worlds.

Coulter painstakinglycataloged and cross-referenced every bit of information about theGods. Many times, he would find stories and references about Godsunder a variety of names - but he was able to identify them as thesame diety. So, often, you'll be able to see if your favorite mythicalgod had counterparts in other cultures and other lands.

This reallywas the work of a lifetime. When he finished the book and selected theart for the cover, Chuck decided that he was too ill to go on. And hewent to join the Gods.

The book was published two years after hisdeath.

What a great place to start exploring the foundation oftoday's cultures, societies and frames of reference.

Oh yes, alongthe way, Chuck's sense of humor being irrepressible, he wrote a totalspoof about the romping of the gods in modern-day Greece - if you wantto laugh out loud while you're reading, pick up a copy of 'Ponce'sFountain" (and NO, it is not totally out of print. His wife stillhas about 100 copies, plus about 30 that were autographed before Chuckdied.)

Charles Coulter had a passion for the Gods. For 10 years, he collected books, magazines, reference material and devoured all the information about the dieties of the ancient worlds.

Coulter painstakingly cataloged and cross-referenced every bit of information about the Gods. Many times, he would find stories and references about Gods under a variety of names - but he was able to identify them as the same diety. So, often, you'll be able to see if your favorite mythical god had counterparts in other cultures and other lands.

This really was the work of a lifetime. When he finished the book and selected the art for the cover, Chuck decided that he was too ill to go on. And he went to join the Gods.

The book was published two years after his death.

What a great place to start exploring the foundation of today's cultures, societies and frames of reference.

Oh yes, along the way, Chuck's sense of humor being irrepressible, he wrote a total spoof about the romping of the gods in modern-day Greece - if you want to laugh out loud while you're reading, pick up a copy of 'Ponce's Fountain" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1569015074/ (and NO, it is not totally out of print. His wife still has about 100 copies, plus about 30 that were autographed before Chuck died.)

Ralph Clark and his family farm apples, and we are shown the beauty and rhythm of their life through the seasons, beginning with winter. All efforts are interconnected, each season with its tasks that untimately contribute to a successful harvest. The book ends as it began, in winter, showing the full circle that being a farmer and working with nature offers. Beautifully illustrated.

This is an informative and interesting book about the nurturing and care of an apple orchard. The charming illustrations of Sandi Wickersham Resnick enhance and firmly place the story into the mind of the reader. The illustrations show the Clark family in their home and orchard. We also see the family dogs, Belgian horses, black cat, cows, squirrel, chipmunks, mice, black birds and bees. And, of course the frisky fox and her kits. I was especially fond of the shaggy gray dog!

APPLE VALLEY YEAR takes us through the seasons of tending and caring for an apple orchard. In the winter, the dead branches need to be trimmed and Ralph Clark, the owner tells his horses, "Good pruning makes good apples." He's happy to see a fox and later reports to his family, that the fox is a good sign and will contain the mice population.

In the spring, Ralph moves his bee hives to the orchard so that the hives can be set among the apple trees. When the bees awake they will be in the middle of the lovely apple trees. Ralph says, "Plenty of bees make good apples." His children, Tim and Martha are thrilled to be allowed to lay under the flowering trees and look at the night sky. Martha wishes on a star that she will see the fox.

When summer arrives, the fox now has her own family of three kits. She teaches them to hunt under the tiny green apples. The foxes are pictured walking along a scenic stone wall. In late summer, the Clark family stakes up the branches of the trees that are heavy with apples. When it begins to rain, Ralph says, "Rain at the right time makes sweet apples in the fall."

In September, the children start back to school and look forward to getting new shoes after the apple crop is picked and sold. Everyone helps to pick the apples. The crops are stored in a cool place until the buyer comes to get them. Now, the family will have the money to purchase what they need. Next, it's time to smoke out the bees from their hives and remove the precious honey. The hive boxes are stacked on a hill facing south which will keep the bees from freezing during cold weather. In winter, the foxes sleep in the orchard and Mrs. Clark counts the money from the cash box and tells the children that, "A good apple sale makes a good year."

APPLE VALLEY YEAR is a wonderful and instructive book. I do hope that our local schools have copies since we live close to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley which is known for its delicious apples. I borrowed this copy from the county library.

First off, I'd like to agree with the first reviewer. This is an excellent compilation that stands by itself (although, for an intro class, it definitely requires a "discipline-oriented" text book like Kottak as a guiding force). I would recommend this book highly to my fellow anthros and to general readers alike. What follows is a brief summary of some of my favorite articles in the collection. The selections are all short and well-written, they make interesting and useful points and convey the complexity and utility of anthropology very, very well.

I've been waiting a long time to see Peggy McIntosh's wonderful essay on "White Privilege" in print somewhere. I had the distinct pleasure of hearing her give an oral version of the same talk a number of years ago and am very very pleased to see it published here for the benefit of students. The book is worth the price for that article alone.

However, this is not the only gem in this collection. Phillipe Bourgois' work on crack dealers is introduced here as is Gerald Murray's work on wood farming as a means to encourage re-forestation programs in Haiti. There are also classics such as Richard Lee's story of the !Kung San insulting of his gift of a Christmas ox ("Eating Christmas in the Kalahari") and Laura Bohannon's failure to get Tiv elders to see Hamlet as a story about incest, revenge and justice. Jared Diamond's revisionist view of the advent of agriculture is also here (perhaps an antidote for his more recent "Guns, Germs and Steel" though undoutedly similar in style).

Other personal favorites of mine include Eugene Cooper's discussion of Chinese table manners (also a must for people who want to teach a course on the anthropology of food), Richard Reed's examination of the tension between environmentalists and indigenous communities in Paraguay, Joan Cassels' excellent analysis of surgery as a male-gendered medical speciality and Paul Farmer's and Arthur Kleinman's thoughtful peice on suffering and AIDS in Haiti.

Incidentally, I would thoroughly recommend anything by Paul Farmer to readers interested in social medicine. His scholarship and humanity are both quite phenomenal and totally justify the attention he has recieved due to the MacArthur fellowship.

I only have a couple of quibbles with this book and even these are not so much criticisms as comments for the unwary: Jennifer Laab's peice on corporate anthropologists seems to have been written for a corporate audience as a selling point for anthropology. As such it plays up the notion of anthropologists as service providers for corporate interests in a way which is a little frown-inducing for an academician such as myself. Not because I don't approve of anthropology in the private sector, but because the peice itself seems to argue that anthropology is merely a set of techniques that can be workshopped (like team-building exercises)to busy executives for the greater good of the company. Again, this is a VERY worthwhile point to debate, but not one that easily stands without comment. Secondly, the article by Wade Davis (he of "Serpent and the Rainbow" fame), while again discussion-worthy, seems a little superficial, dated in language and probably replaceable (Robert Voeks'recently-published "Sacred Leaves of Candomble" is one alternative that springs to mind). Lastly, I would like to plead for the inclusion of a selection on tatooing or bodily adornment of some sort in any future editions. This is a topic of enduring interest among students and would definitely be an asset to such a nicely-balanced and valuable collection.

When I took a sophomore level anthropology class at my University, Applying Anthropology was required as a secondary reading text, in addition to Kottak's Anthropology (7th edition). Applying Anthropology contains 52 articles in the categories of Biological Anthropology, Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology, Culture and Communication, Culture and Food, Culture and Race, Economy and Business, Gender and Socialization, Politics & Law & Warfare, and Social & Cultural Change. Instead of being a textbook that was something I just read for the class that required it, it turned out to be a book that I would have bought for my own personal purposes. Also, in addition to enjoying reading it, I learned a lot about anthropology. One of my favorite articles discusses what may have happened on Easter Island that resulted in the demise of an entire culture. All in all, Applying Anthropology provides an interesting approach to learning a lot about culture worldwide.

I have never before written a review for a book. I depend on them when I make a purchasing decision all the time, but I just never take the time to write reviews. Until now.

This is one of those rare books that serve as both a history lesson and one of the most amazing survival stories you will ever encounter. It is a fast paced read that keeps you engrossed from beginning to end. The author has a unique sense of humor. I found myself chuckling at certain times, and then thinking "I probably shouldn't be laughing at this, but THAT IS FUNNY".

This book may be hard to find, but you won't be disappointed if you can get a hold of one.

Very well written, keeps your attention, moving with a good history lesson on the war as well

I first bought this book about 15 years ago. It made a huge impression on me then when I didn't know much about uniforms, and it is still a great resource today now that I am a uniform collector. The painted images of soldiers of all the major armies of World War II are vivid and interesting. The text is informative and thorough. Of particular use are charts that detail rank insignia for all the various armies.

This is the DEFINITIVE reference book on the uniforms of WWII. Mollo carefully explains his terms and illustrates them in this handy, well-organized work. Individual illustrations of patches, epaulets and weapons are complemented by contemporary, hand-colored photographs of a wide variety of uniforms. Excellent!

Surprisingly one of the most intriguing analysis of recent American Politics that I've read, from a major insider. Still works as a great read in 2008... This is the first review that I've written on Amazon - and there's a reason...

One of the most interesting commentaries on the actions of the government I have ever read. What was revealing to me was the pinpointing of when and how the "hate campaigns" started in politics. Should be brought to the attention of anyone concerned about the way Government is headed today.

CD has the songs without the voices so you can clearly hear and play along. Get buy!!!

This is one of the better bass instruction books I have found and I have looked at or bought a good many of them. I use other books, but I always come back to Progressive Bass Guitar. It really helps the student learn the fretboard. It also teaches a variety of blues/rock riffs that can make someone sound good in a short time. It also touches on transposing skills, finger patterns and music theory. I pretty good buy for the price. I showed it to my bass teacher, who thought it would be good to develop your chops. Most of his students study jazz and have a tendency to play most types of music in a jazz style. Since the book is slanted more towards early rock/pop, he plans on recommending it to some of them to expand their styles of playing. The only negative comment is that the riffs on the CD are lumped together with four-five riffs per track. That makes it hard to reach a specific riff, but that is really a minor complaint. Other than that, I can't recommend Progressive Bass Guitar enough!