Walsh Books

The real magic of William Walsh's Without Wax (Casperian Books) is Walsh's ability to make the reader have so much empathy and sympathy for the protagonist, Wax Williams - a man with an eighteen-inch (flaccid) penis. I like Wax. I just do. It didn't feel like Walsh beat me over the head with attempts to reveal Wax's character, but from the opening pages I found myself rooting for the guy. He seemed vulnerable to me . . . and human.

Two big sources leave us vulnerable according to Without Wax. What leaves us vulnerable? Well, sex and money. Both play a role in making Wax the unhappy man he becomes. Because sex is so taboo in our culture, most of us stumble into it and its mysteries on our own -- without guides. Guessing that everybody does it, Wax shaves his pubic hair as a young boy. This simple misunderstanding leads to fears by adults of his underdevelopment, which eventually leads to his overdevelopment. If he'd had someone to mentor him, maybe he never would have shaved - though, sadly, then we wouldn't have Without Wax.

It's the mystification and demonization of sex which fuels the porn industry, which is prevalent in the novel, but also prevalent in the real world. Without Wax examines how our relationship to sex has left most of us creeping around the subject - and sometimes creeping into peep booths or locking the doors to our rooms and watching porn. We have few healthy outlets for our curiosities and fantasies, so we have to turn to this seedy industry.

Of course, money plays into this, too. Wax's endowment leaves him ripe for exploitation -- by his parents, by his manager, and by nearly everybody who sees his gardenhose-length member.

Though I wouldn't have thought it at first, this novel says a lot about our society. Our relationship to money and our relationship to sex put Wax in the predicament he finds himself in. It puts many of us in the odd and sometimes unnecessarily shameful positions we find ourselves in.

In any case, this is a book that centers on a porn star and the porn industry, and it left me more intellectually stimulated than it did sexually stimulated. That's pretty cool.

(I'll admit, though, that there were some passages that raced my heart a little bit.)

I guess this isn't really a review - it's just me rambling after having finished the book. I did really like this book, though. I read it in a weekend - which is pretty darn fast for me. It's rendered in an interesting way, which includes interviews with characters, second-person narratives, a complete movie screenplay, and court depositions. A very cool read to say the least, and another unique feather in the cap of Casperian Books. Motor City Blues, The Tea House, End Credits, and Without Wax are each very different from the other, and yet all four have their own strengths.

This book is an absolute must for those who are looking for historical truth - mercifully, it is available online.

Walsh and LeRoy go beyond the parameters of a typical research study as they share the experiences and the realities of women from around the world (18 countries to be exact) in a way that is informative and compassionate. Situating aging in a global web of social programs and public policy, the authors delve into the issues that matter most. Using a case study approach to introduce each topical chapter, the authors first allow women to tell their stories, thereby providing space to women who have been marginalized for the greater portion of their lives. This in itself is remarkable and commendable. The book is also rigorously academic, citing and adding to research on health, income, employment, family relationships, friendships, leisure, quality of life, and others for people with and without disabilities. This book is definitely an indispensable resource and staring point for further research in each field of aging, gender, and disability studies.

This is a compilation of very short and compelling stories. The ones that especially stand out are the ones about Thurkill the Tall and Harold Godwinson. The stories are written in sparse, poignant language. Bravo!

A charming, learned murder mystery by an author who deserves to be better known than she is. Walsh blends a contemporary setting (a Cambridge college in the 1990s) with a style reminiscent of such grande dames as Dorothy Sayers and Josephine Tey. Rich character development and some intriguing historical asides.

A lovely little book featuring illustrations by Joan Walsh Anglund. There is an illustration for each month of the year which also features the Zodiac sign that goes along with the month. For example, February shows two warmly-clad children in a snowy barnyard drawing water from an old-fashioned pump. (The zodiac sign for February is Aquarius, the Water Bearer.) Next to each illustration is a short verse or quote. Also listed are the birthstone and flower for each month. The copyright of the book is 1966.

Simple and profoundly true. I sat down to rest, to write this. Must go back to THROWING THINGS AWAY, that are neither useful or important. Excellent book.

The really pleasant thing is that Peter Walsh makes you laugh at yourself for the ridiculous clutter you have clung to. And he has some great little nuggets to remember: "If the family heirloom is gathering dust in the basement, don't tell me it is something important or has personal value."

And concerning that over run basement: "It's not like you come downstairs one day and make a decision that you'd rather fill the basement with old lawn furniture and off-season clothes than have a place where the family can gather for movie night."

He lists every excuse you can make:
1-I might need it one day
2-It's too important to let go
3-I can't get rid of it, it's worth a lot of money
4-My house is too small (You should either move to a larger house now (and I mean NOW) or get rid of some of your stuff.
5-I don't have the time
6-I don't know how it got like this.
7-It isn't mine.
8-It's too overwhelming.
9-It's not a problem my husband/wife etc. just thinks it is.

Walsh takes you through each room in the house and then helps you determine the purpose of that room and if the current things in that room fulfill that purpose with specifics like, don't save catalogs, reduce books to shelf capacity.

He encourages you to let go of things that you don't love anymore. Don't keep them hoping that they will appreciate in value.

The kitchen clean up covers cleaning out and organizing work zones. "And NO. Junk. Drawer. Do I make myself clear?"

The book is packed full of a monthly maintenance calendar once you've cleared the clutter, room by room help, daily chore list, etc.

I really recommend this book if you need to stop hoarding and start living.

If you feel a need to read this book, please check it out of the local library.

There's little here in the way of new ideas and the book is very repetitive. Perhaps the author had a page quota to meet.

Two questions were helpful in thinking about clutter removal: What is the purpose of the room? How do you want to feel when you are in the room?

While the premise is that things must be culled and removed from the home, there is more stress on simply tossing things in the trash than suggestions of ways to properly dispose of items or recycle, or pass along to appropriate charities or non-profits.

I'll be giving my copy of this book to a charity's upcoming book sale.

Peter Walsh, the professional organizer from TLC's reality show "Clean Sweep" holds forth on how and why we are overwhelmed with "junk" and what we can do about it. Instead of offering simple "how to clean" advice he tackles the psychology of why people have trouble letting go of things.

Basically, there are two reasons people have trouble thinning down.
1) They have an irrational sentimental attachment to an item. This explains why people keep broken, unusable goods, or family heirlooms which are more of a burden than a blessing.
2) They feel they might need the item "one day". This usually boils down to a fear of scarcity. In our decadent Western society, how likely is it that we won't be able to run to any number of big box stores down the street and pick up whatever we need, at the time that we need it? Do yourself a favor, he argues, and get rid of the stuff that's weighing you down.

I did find a few of his edicts a tad draconian. For example, no bronzed baby shoe mementos, and never ever more than 3 magazines in the home at a time? Really?
However! You must keep in mind, that this is coming from a man who has personally witnessed a lot of the worst cases in the country. I think I can speak for the majority of Americans when I say that my house certainly doesn't look as bad as some of the "before's" on his show. Unfortunately, my home doesn't look as beautiful as the "after's" either. For most of us, whose homes are somewhere in-between, this book is the perfect kick in the pants to get a bit of clearing, organizing and beautifying accomplished.

Walsh patiently, reasonably and logically lays out some of the common thoughts and fears that prevent us from getting rid the clutter and living in the best space possible. I felt inspired to clean up my act and while my home still isn't "perfect" it's now looking a darn sight better than it has in years. It's a difference that you can see! For this reason alone, I give this book 5 stars. Highly, highly, highly recommend.

I watched a few episodes of that TV show Walsh is on, and he is clearly not a professional in any sense. He gives the impression of someone who somehow fell into an opening in front of a TV studio on his way to his job installing drywall.

One of his organizational strategies is shame, one of the most damaging emotions to mental and emotional health. In one episode, he drove a Korean woman not just to tears, but to actual sobbing, over the state of her guest room. He pummeled her with questions like: "Would you want your mother to stay in this room? Is that what you think of her? Is that how much she means to you?" Given the reverence bestowed upon elders in the Asian culture, it was especially mean.

Furthermore, disorganization is major feature of several neurological disorders, particularly ADD, and many of the afflicted are undiagnosed and untreated. Given their serious, lifelong struggles to get organized, it would not be surprising if a disproportionate number showed up on these TV shows seeking help. Shame would be particularly destructive to these individuals. As a form of toxic help, shame is a major player.

Walsh just doesn't get it: organization or lack thereof is not a moral issue.

I read The Green Book when I was in the 5th grade, and I loved it! It has been 7 years since then, and the book has inpsired me, particularly one of the parts of it. I've been a writer since I could talk, and I've always loved writing. I love reading as well, but it's not nearly as broad as writing. In the scene where Sarah and Joe find out that Patti only brought a blank book and picked on her for it, I could relate to Patti. I would rather be able to broaden my mind by making up my own stories, and then being able to look back on it and remember stuff.

It reminds me of in The Diary of Anne Frank, where her father says to her after he gives her the diary, "There are no locks, no bolts that anyone can put on your mind." These two books together inspired me, because if there was ever a time when I had to leave my home, I would want to have something to write in, to be able to express my emotions.

Overall, I think this book was amazing, and I defiantely recommend it to anyone between the ages of 8 and 11 to read it. It's truly inspirational.

I use this in my 3rd grade classroom as a read aloud. The kids love it!

This is my definate favorite book ever! The plot is great. I love reading thing about the future because It all seem so cool, except for the part where the earth dies. But the space ship that lasted 4 years! Awsome! Well, my point is, it is a great book with many different exciting and good writing. I think it is a real page turner. And I love it. And I am almost over the age of reading this book, but I still read it anyways.

This has got to be one of my favorite children's books, and I've read thousands. Highly original. Beautifully woven story. The ending is exquisite, one of the best you will ever read. I suggest you read this aloud as a family.

I read this book as a child, 15 to 20 years ago. I don't remember exactly how old I was. I remembered it vividly all those years, though. The imagery stuck with me, and the emotions of the story. It was one of the books that got me started at an early age on science fiction. The main character faces trials and strangeness, and ends up giving hope to her entire community, born from her fearlessness and determination. This is one of those stories that haunted me, and eventually I'll have to get a copy of my own, since I only had it for a week from the public library.

This is an excellent collection of all her work. It is in chronological order as well so it is quite interesting to compare different works from different times in her life. Beautiful and haunting.

One of my favorite poets since being assigned "I'll Tell You How the Sun Rose" in eighth grade, Dickinson has always struck a chord within me. Despite having lived over a century prior, the feelings and ideas expressed within her work are just as relevant today as ever.

The sparse beauty of Dickinson's words can both evoke loneliness and the certainty that the poet shares your pain. Her topics encompass everything from death to literature to the soul; and her mood is often somber, but also very often playful.

This particular collection is a volume I had to purchase for a graduate course on Dickinson I once took -- and it is one of the very few texts I never wanted to sell back! Margins are wide, allowing for ample underlinings and notations as readers peruse and mull the verses. At the rear is an index of first lines, in alphabetical order, to allow for easier location of particular works. This volume also preserves Dickinson's tendency to use dashes, which was often "corrected" in past versions -- also contributing greatly to the readers' ability to fully appreciate Dickinson's legacy.

"Your thoughts don't have words every day..." But, oh, how skilled was Emily Dickinson at finding words to match her thoughts. And what intriguing thoughts they were - clever, insightful, playful, impassioned, meticulous... Whether describing life from the point of view of a bee or pondering the ravages of death, Dickinson was unique in her approach to her work and the world she saw around her. One of her poetic gifts was finding ways to express profound thoughts through brevity.

Most of us are exposed to Dickinson only through the most publicized and commercialized selections of her work. This complete compilation offers us a chance to see Dickinson in her entirety and find the many treasures that have not been exposed to the masses. I first really discovered Dickinson in college, and I clung to a paperback of her complete works for years and was happy to at last be able to replace it with a more durable hardback. Not only are we treated to her life's work here, but in some cases we get different drafts of a single poem - giving us a window into the development of her thoughts. Crack open the cover, and it is as if we have been allowed to wander unsupervised into Emily's room and peruse her papers. And we discover how true the poet's own words can be:

"A word is dead
When it is said,
Some say.

I say it just
Begins to live
That day."

Dickinson is probably the one poet who best personifies mood, emotion, fears, hopes, dreams, and time and eternity with such few words and in the most illustrative way. Most of her subjects are ones we readily identify with--love, death, nature, religion, passage of time. Her ability to make so much out of so little is truly a gift, and, while her poetry can be a little hard to grasp at first, it is quite powerful if you pursue it. For this reason this volume of her poems is a treasure for anyone who loves poetry, or the power of its message.

Many of her poems have an ironic twist to them, or a paradoxical message. Consider the few first lines of "The soul unto itself", where the dual nature of the soul--good and bad--is explored:

"The soul unto itself
Is an imperial friend--
Or the most agonizing spy
An enemy could send..."

Another one of her poems, "Each life converges to some center" evokes the idea that we are part of some bigger plan in the universe. She clearly has a knack for taking the reader along on the journey in the poem, and feeling its magnitude along with the speaker.

In "The Future never spoke," Dickinson personifies the future as indifferent and unpredictable, a mysterious entity that has a will of its own:

"The Future never spoke,
Nor will he, like the Dumb,
Reveal by sign or syllable
Or his profound to Come.."

The power of Dickinson's words come to life in this book, and this is one of the best collections out there of her poems. There are also many of her more popular ones, such as "I'm Nobody", where she blasts the notion of having achievements publicized and being popular and "Because I could not stop for Death", where the speaker is taken on a journey through time by Death. Over all this is a powerful collection that no literature teacher should be without. Great for anyone though, and, if you aren't a poetry fan, try this one out and maybe you'll be one.

Definitely recommended!

Under a surface of innocence, Emily Dickinson's witty, acerbic, playful & profound poems are America's wisest contribution to poetry. Sometimes she riddles, sometimes she puns--she puns not only in ambiguous word choice, but also in ideas and topics. Her small gems are the unique response of genius to the world, a dialogue on the most inspiring level--and from a given woman's experience, too. But I think Dickinson surpasses the merely human--she was sent from another planet to rescue us from Whitmanesque excesses.

I bought this book expecting to read the usual stuff about why some people think that the moon landing was a hoax and how astrology doesnt really work (as explained on the cover). But i was suprised to learn about so many things that I actually thought really did exist in the world of astronomy. I really did think that the water spun in a different direction in australia, and that the sky was blue because thats what a lot of oxygen looks like and many other things that turned out not to be true. Many times i thought "oh what! that isnt real!?"

There is also a nice section that takes delivers a blow to the creationists and their wacko claims.

I highly reccomend this book to anyone curious about astronomy and anyone that wishes to learn about all the ailment of bad astronomy that you never knew you suffered from.

I bought this book for my 14 year-old nephew. I wanted to preview it for my 9 year-old daughter. In flipping through I did find one expletive on page 103 (opening sentence to chapter 11), but the story is funny, so I will just black it out. I think some of the chapters would lose my daughter in comprehension. I'll wait a couple of years for her copy.
Here is an except from the final paragraph of chapter 8: "Finally, in this section we'll travel back in time and space to where it all began, the Big Bang. Something about contemplating the beginning of everything twists our already tangled minds, and descriptions of the Big Bang usually confuse the issue more than unravel it. The irony of the Big Bang, I suppose, is that it is even odder than our oddest theories could possibly suppose."

PERSPECTIVE: physician with an interest in astronomy

It's interesting to look at the American educational system to see exactly how much basic astronomy and space science is not taught, or at least, not taught well. Asking the average person to explain why we have tides or why the sky is blue is bound to elicit answers that vary from the slightly off to the ridiculous. One could argue that having a grasp on these most basic of "why's" isn't needed for our daily lives to proceed - the truth is, its embarrassing how much many people not only don't know, but also don't care, about how our planet and our solar system really work... and then easily believe frankly inane "ideas" such as how Venus split off from Jupiter 3,000 years ago, or that the Apollo moon landings were a hoax.

Like Sagan and Gould before him, Phil Plait has the amazing gift of being able to easily explain potentially confusing scientific concepts with such simplicity and wit that anyone, regardless of their level of education, can understand them. His writing is easy and conversational, and this book is a joy to read. He enhances some points with a modest number of clear illustrations. Furthermore, he is very forthright about where he himself has been wrong in the past, and is more than eager to explain why - an important trait notably missing from the non-scientists whose work he discusses.

Topics covered include misconceptions concerning the earth itself (balancing eggs on the equinox), the solar system (tides, seasons, moon phases), and the galaxy (star observations, meteorites, planetary alignments), as well as non-scientific errors, both deliberate and sincere (moon landing hoax, astrology, creationism), and common astronomical fallacies in movies.

FINAL WORD: A HIGH five of five stars. Necessary for everyone (and I mean everyone) to read, and doubly so for educators from early grade school to post-graduate level.

Oh my!land sakes the flag moves! What does it all mean? Maybe the moon really does have an atmosphere, but we didnt find out for sure until we actually landed got out put up the flag and low and behold, a breeze made the flag flap! Does this mean that we didnt go to the moon? No what it means is that sometimes just because we have a theory about something regardless of what it is, does not mean that our theory was right to begin with. Sometimes our professionals leading the charge dont want to admit that they were wrong about something, so they just leave us to believe the original theory even if their theory turns out to be wrong. As far as the moonhoax promoters go, put up or shut up. There's an obscure piece of moon jumping footage that is hard to find, but it is out there that is from the apollo 11 moon landing. When Neil Armstrong goes to get back in the lem, he stands flat footed on the lem pad grabs the ladder with both hands, bends his knees and jumps straight up and lands on the 3rd step which is about 4 1/2 feet above the lem pad. The greatest recorded vertical jumps in the last century were only 42 an 44 inches. get out your messuring tapes right now and do a standing vertical leap and see how high you get. Now after you do that put a back pack on that weighs about 75 pounds. Now put 25 pound ankle weights on, 1 for each ankle. now your ready to try and duplicate Neil Armstrongs "1 giant leap" if you or maybe the great "AIR JORDAN" cant get as high as Neil did, "54" inches, then maybe its time to accept the fact that "YES "we did go to the moon, now GET OVER IT! OH while you still have the back pack and leg weights on, try and duplicate John Youngs "JUMP SALUTE" just the way he did it, with only just slightly bending the knees. He got about 18 or so inches off the lunar surface. If you cant duplicate these jumps or cant find a basketball player or a high jumper to get anywhere close to Neil Armstrongs "54 inch" vertical jump, thens its time to close the books on the moon hoax theory, because we did indeed go to the moon, but they found out that the moon was already occupied and the astronauts were not well received. This is why we've never gone back to the moon and thats what all the cover up is really all about. Yes there is life out there and our closest neighbors are not light years away, but are right up there on the moon not wanting any part of our violent behavior to influence their world in any way. So we were told to get off the moon and dont came back. WARD FRAZIER U.S. ARMY PROJECT M.A.R.S MINDCONTROL SURVIVOR 1984-1986 GREENSBURG INDIANA.

The average American knows more about what Julia Roberts eats for breakfast than what the Coriolis effect is, and Dr. Plait thinks that should change. I think this book should be mandatory reading for anyone remotely interested in astronomy and/or science fiction. His website is just as informative.