White Books

*****
I own many books on the Labyrinth, and this is one of my favorites. It is a great introduction for beginners; however, it is also an excellent refresher for those familiar with the Labyrinth. As one of the latter, I recently reread it and got many new ideas for walking and for thinking about the Labyrinth differently.

This book focuses on how the Labyrinth can be seen as a metaphor for our lives. It explores lessons we can learn and then apply from the Labyrinth. These lessons have to do with living your life and applying spiritual wisdom. Most of the ideas or lessons are questions that you ask yourself and then explore and find the answers to, either on the Labyrinth or off.

It is a rich little book, one to be read again and again.
*****

I enjoyed this book so very much. I felt the peace of the labyrinth as I read the stories and wisdom gained on the path of the Labyrinth and on the path of life. This book is such a joy and a wonderful guide to the labyrinth. I loved this quote from Jack Kornfield's Buddha's Little Instruction Book, "As you walk and eat and travel be where you are. Ohterwise you will miss most of your life." This book is a good reminder for us overworkers. Thank you, Gay Fry

This is a beautiful tool (not JUST a coffee table book!) and a great gift for those who already use the labyrinth as well as one who has yet to explore it's possibilities. I highly recommend Way of the Winding Path! Thoughtful text and beautiful photos.

Way of the Winding Path is very beautiful,very simple & very thought provoking.While reading the book I felt so peaceful--& many
ah ha's about what is intriguing about the Labyrinth.Upon finishing the book I understand the concept & history of what a Labyrinth is & also a desire to walk it.As the title suggests--it is also a way to view this journey of Life---
this book is Heartfelt,inspiring & practical--
I'm sending copies to all loved ones.....
Mahalo to Eve
Sincerly, Sherry Lambert

Eve's book is truly the book I wish I had written! I came away feeling deeply moved, light hearted, and grateful to have the labyrinth in my life. Basically I gobbled this book down whole, only taking one break, and came away fully satieted and filled to overflowing. I love her quote: "What if we were to live our lives as if we were always on a pilgrimage--on a journey toward the Divine, with the Divine, as the Divine?" That shall be my focus, my aim, and my intention from this step forward! Thanks, Eve, for putting to words what I have long since felt and known in my heart regarding this powerful spiritual tool. Blessings, Caroline

Well researched and written. Gives a new perspective on Jackson's early approach to leading his forces. Also points out that Jackson didn't always win.

Gary Ecelbarger, a well known speaker and tour guide in the Northern Virginia area, has produced one of the finest battle histories published in the last decade. Ecelbarger's research, both meticulous and voluminous, tears away much of the myth surrounding Jackson's defeat at Kernstown. Ecelbarger is unsparing in his criticism of Jackson's handling of the battle, but still retains his objectivity. One welcome aspect of "We Are In For It" is its even-handed treatment of the Federal side, something that many other 1862 Valley Campaign books neglect. All told, this is a superlative effort by a rising young Civil War historian.

Rod Gainer, Kernstown Battlefield Association

To the average Civil War student, the First Battle of Kernstown appears a hopeless, lopsided engagement where Jackson's forces never had a chance. That is how I had long viewed the engagement based on summaries of the battle. Gary Ecelbarger's book reveals a far different reality. Despite the disparity in numbers, Jackson's attack was not simple folly that was easily and predictably repulsed. This was a desperate fight that was a surprisingly close affair.

The author presents a refreshingly balanced view of the campaign from both the CSA and Union perspective. By comparison, otherwise fine works such as Tanner's "Stonewall in the Valley" are understandably focused on Jackson's army. In particular, Ecelbarger's account of the Winter Romney Campaign presents the Union side of the story from Brig. Gen. Lander's position, making it an appropriate companion to Tanner's work.

The author has done an outstanding job of tying together the phases of the battle and explaining a confused fight. Participants such as Tyler and Shields (and even Jackson!) had sought to obscure the truth and had been disappointingly successful. Mr. Ecelbarger has peeled back the curtain using the accounts of participants to reveal Tyler's disastrous attack in column, the presence of multiple stonewalls as key features in the battle, as well as explaining the confusion over Garnett's whereabouts. Shields claims of a master deception are soundly refuted, and Kimball is given his proper credit (and blame with respect to Sandy Ridge.)

While the author's conclusions about the impact of Kernstown appear sound, there is one point that is not well supported. Shields is blamed for the vast over estimation/exaggeration of CSA numbers. While on the surface this is true, it is also clear that Kimball, Banks and others in a position to know differently were similarly deceived, and they most likely influenced the wounded Shields perception after the battle. The reality of the confusion is revealed by Banks' initial concern that he was being sent to his death pursuing the defeated foe! It should also be noted that for such a small force, Jackson was fielding a rather large compliment of artillery (over twice the norm, and more guns than the Union had present.)

The battle map detail is some of the best I've seen-nineteen maps covering all phases of the battle at battalion level, and with important details such as the location of stonewalls. The scale is adjusted as appropriate to show large or small movements. The topographical effect could be enhanced, but this is a minor quibble. One thing lacking is a sufficient campaign scale map.

Another commendable feature: Mr. Ecelbarger's examination of the true strength of Union forces at Kernstown--far fewer than most believe. I wish more authors would go into such detail explaining how many soldiers were actually on the field from each unit in given engagements.

Writing a readable book is not an easy task, writing a readable book about history is harder. Even harder is writing a readable book about an obscure historical event. Making the event real, immediate and understandable is an accomplishment that should be recognized. Mr. Ecelbarger manages to do this in a very real way.

This book succeeds on many levels, first it is well written, instructive and a pleasure to read. The central battle is not an isolated event but carefully placed within the fabric of the war, campaign and the local area. We understand what leads the armies to this particular place and why each side is making incorrect assessments. The aftermath is very well done giving us a balanced view of where the battle took the war and those that fought it. This little battle continued to reverberate for many years as participants attempted to justify there actions that day. The Jackson/Garnett controversy starts here but continues to our day. The charges, counter charges, defense and string pulling make a fascinating read. That Jackson managed to keep from losing and Garnett was never able to emerge from under the cloud the charges cast says much about the system and the men.

Most of all this is a battle book and it delivers a battle! The maps are plentiful and excellent! You will not get lost on the field and you will understand where things are. This is one of the strongest points of the book. The battle narration and the maps allow the reader to keep up and stay in position. I have never been to the field and read little about the battle but with them, I understood what was going on and never got lost.

Another major item is personalizing the men fighting the battle. It is hard to do this in a big battle when the participants have star power. Their are some stars on this field but the majority are just ordinary people participating in an extraordinary event. The author does an excellent job in telling us about them and what happed to them later. I always like this in small battle histories and it is well done and interesting.

Overall, this is an excellent book, well worth the money, an enjoyable read and a learning experience.

A useful study of a battle that doesn't get enough attention.

The author states in his introduction that he feels the battle has been misinterpreted, but he never clearly gives his thesis. That's a minor glitch in an overall vivid portrayal of the events. As a student of the 27th Virginia I was excited to learn about their heroic performance here.

The battle recreated in microcosm some of the war's larger tactical themes, giving a pretty clear view of the new power of the defense, illustrating the screening role of cavalry, and making very plain the fact that attacking in column should stay in Napoleon's grave where it belonged, so even scholars not especially interested in the Valley Campaign will find something of interest in this study.

"When Race Becomes Real" initiates a discussion long overdue in America where the subject of race is so sensitive that it has become virtually taboo. Some of the essays in this book touched me very deeply, some annoyed me, and others provided thoughtful new insights. All of them impressed me with their sincerity. After reading these writers' revelations about their own highly personal experiences and feelings in regards to race, one understands that there are many sides to the same truth, and that in order to approach any level of comfort in relations between the races, well meaning people need to be able to bare their souls without fear of censure or ridicule. This stimulating work can be used to open up frank discussions in the classroom or the living room and is highly recommended to anyone who is ready for an honest examination of the unavoidable everyday complexity of race relations in America.

Ms. Singley asked each contributor to share a REAL race experience of their own, not their opinion and not a retelling of someone else's experiences. The result is a book filled with excellent stories that force the reader to reflect on his or her own experiences with race. While reading, I realized that people of color experience most life events in the context of race - while most "white" people experience life without giving much thought to race. This book is not accusatory, but it is a wake up call. If some of us spend a little more time considering the effects of race in our society, perhaps others will be a little more free to think about it less. I sincerely hope this personal reflection will help me be a better friend and better member of our society.

Bernestine Singley is to be congratulated for her thought-provoking, nitty gritty book. She has assembled a group of writers who aren't afraid to make it plain about race, including black folks who are sick of it, white folks who are finally getting it and everything in between.
My favorite pieces are Derrick Bell's epilogue (I have been a big fan of his since Geneva Crenshaw), Julianne Malveaux's hilarious and rather poignant "Race, Rage and the Ace of Spades" (that woman needs to write a memoir or something), and Tim Wise's insightful piece.
This is too searing to read in one setting, but it is the kind of book that begs for discussion. I am suggesting it for my book club and plan to use it at work to deal with some diversity related issues. Check it out!

When Race Becomes Real is probably the best book to come across my desk in two years. Bernestine Singley and the other contributors have managed to take a tension-laden subject -- racism -- and approach it with the deepest honesty possible. The result is not a book that will send people reeling away in shame or disgust, but one that is accessible to anyone, regardless of skin tone or occupation.

It is an odd thing to say about non-fiction, but this is a very tough book to put down once you start. If it were a novel, we'd call it a page-turner.

This book made me laugh, cry and everything in between. In the wake of the Trent Lott controversy, I would highly recommend this book to Blacks and Whites. Although there were a couple of stories that were long and uninteresting, I still gave this book 5 stars.

First, let me point out that I am a retired school superintendent and I wrote the book, School Corruption: Betrayal of Children and the Public Trust. So from that perspective, I found Karen's book to be a shocking revelation even to me. Her incredible documentation of teacher abuse has opened up an entirely new category of school corruption. I am ashamed to admit that even though I spent five years researching corruption for my book, I did not identify the problem that she has exposed so powerfully and courageously.

Based on the words that are used to define "corruption", I categorized them as follows: cheating and deceitful practices, waste and mismanagement, and fraud and stealing, but teacher abuse does not fit the categories. Only one word fits "teacher abuse" and that is the word "evil" (one of the words that defines "corruption"). That is the only word to describe teacher abuse. So now I must add "evil practices" to my three categories.

What makes her book so compelling is the first hand accounts from so many different individuals who have been the victims of uncovering wrongdoing in school practices. They all chose ethical behavior and their concerns for students over their own careers. The real problem is why are board members, who are supposed to represent the public and students in monitoring school resources, so impervious to the plight of honest souls who are willing to sacrifice themselves if need be? The administrators retaliating is no surprise, but school board members participating in such retaliation is hard to understand and accept. Of course, as she points out, there are many others who participate in the retaliation by refraining to do anything about it and that includes the one group that should be protecting them--the teacher's union.

Now that the problem of teacher abuse has been exposed, one can only hope that support will be provided to those with such courage and ethics, and that actions will be taken to protect those who are certainly viewed as "whistleblowers."

Because of school scandals in many New York districts, legislative reforms were enacted. Among the original recommendations was protection of whistleblowers that would have provided action against those who retaliate; unfortunately, it did not pass as part of the reform legislation. It certainly would have been the kind of support honest souls needed, and would have encouraged others to expose injustices and corruption by school administrators.

Obviously, Karen is to be commended for her dedication and skill in exposing the truth about teacher abuse and by keeping the discussion and interest active through her National Association to Prevent Teacher Abuse. Perhaps her book and activism will be the catalysts for enacting reforms that will protect teachers who expose "evil practices." Let's hope so.

I taught at Navarro ISD in Geronimo, TX. I taught there for the final 3.5 of my 10.5 years of teaching. The .5 is the buyout I agreed to instead of filing a whisteblower complaint in District Court against the Administration and Board of Navarro ISD. I filed over 2,000 pages of documented violations of Texas Education Law with the school district and the Texas Education Agency. Neither the school board, the TEA or the local newspapers did anything. 25 clear and documented violations of law and they did nothing!! I even turned my entire files over to the local newspaper, the Seguin Gazette...who did nothing. The bad part...I found out when I left that I was not the only one who had been ostracized, demonized, and essentially forced out of public education. I was one of many. But I would not go quietly!!!

Come on Oprah...I dare you to read the book and take the challenge to do an expose on what really happens in education in the U.S.

A scholarly and comprehensive work documenting what is happening to teachers all over the nation once they are targeted for "removal" from the classroom. This displacement takes many forms. It can be forced retirement, failure to be "reinstated", "reassignment" or outright termination of teachers from their careers that they have held for decades. It starts with harassment, a hostile work environment, and the infamous "U" rating which enables the public school hierarchy to dismiss teachers via "the process". False charges of incompetence usually close the deal of getting rid of teachers who have been anything other than "subordinate" to public school administrators who must fulfill their business agendas. It is the idealistic, competent, talented, committed teachers who are targeted. It is often those with outstanding skills and experience, those who cared, whose only crime was to speak out about the abuses are being hidden behind the closed doors of academia. They are replaced with "newbies," the younger, newly "certified" teachers, straight out of colleges, teachers training and certification mills, who, unknowingly, also face a limited shelf life in the present teaching system, before they too, are replaced, and their lives and careers are destroyed. For over a decade, Karen Horwitz has documented the heinous practice of teacher abuse that has infected our nations' education system and which only now rising into our common awareness. A must read for all concerned about education, our children and our nation's future.

I'm sure that as word gets out about this book, there will be others who will share here a brief summary of their "treatment" by the current nightmare that is the education system. As Horwitz points out at the beginning of the book, it will be hard to believe the stories related within its pages; they are too frightening to believe. I can tell you that they are true; we're not makin' this stuff up. How could school administrators treat teachers so poorly? How could administrators be so uncontrolable? How can they act with such impunity? How could school boards be so blind, trusting, and in some cases, collude with these corrupt administrators? How could state boards of education look the other way when notified of these behaviors? How can the courts not see and give appropriate, legal relief to those affected rather than side with the corrupt school officials, further adding to the harassment of good, honest teachers?

Horwitz details ten years of data collection of these horror stories of individual teachers who have tried to protect their students and themselves from power-hungry administrators. The lengths to which these administrators go to eliminate concerned teachers is astounding: lies, bullying, destruction of careers, falsifying documents, coercing other teachers to join in the shunning of the targeted teacher. Those of us who have been through it understand that this is NOT an effort to weed out poor teachers, but is, in fact, an effort to weed out the good, vocal teachers who are morally opposed to the actions of these administrators in order to bring in inexperienced, pliant teachers, fresh out of college who will just be ground up by unreasonable demands of the overloaded system in a few years anyway.

My story includes the elimination of my ability to provide "rigorous" curriculum to my students by limiting my ability to use the National History Day curriculum in my classroom. It includes numerous verbal attacks from the principal and surrogates in the office staff as well as fellow teachers who needed to curry favor with the building principal for their own survival or protection. It includes constant reminders that "if you don't like it here, you can go someplace else." It ended with the witnessing of bullying of STUDENTS by the principal and my attempts to get SOMEBODY to do SOMETHING about it. My "inconvenient truth" gave the district grounds to get rid of me and allowed the principal to have a "leave of absence" for a year and return to the district by apply as an assistant superintendent in charge of teaching and learning. Oh, yes, and there was the "no trespass order" signed out against me and my wife (who "retired" six years early rather than continue to work under these people) by the administrator who originally refused to listen to my reports of abusive behavior by the principal. Nice little club they've got there.

Administrators will surely mount a counter-attack that these victims are just "complainers" or "crazy" or in some other way "deficient." The truth, however, is that it is the administrators themselves who are the deficient ones--devoid of morals and eager to control others in order to get what they want for themselves, NOT "for the children" as they so often claim.

This is a "must read" book for any parent who has children in public school as well as for any college student thinking about making teaching their career. A word of warning: don't.

A shattering expose of how the multi-billion dollar world of education in America has been turned into a business. This seminal work by an expert who has spent her entire life in the field of education pulls back the curtain and exposes the almost unbelievable degree of corruption that exists in the Wizard of Oz world of educating our nation's children.

It has become less about what is good for children and more about how tens of thousands of people, reaching to the highest levels of government have found countless ways to skim and milk the system of money that should be going towards helping educate children in the classroom.

Teachers nationwide who dare to expose this corruption, that manifests itself in countless different forms, (both within schools proper as well as inside the labyrinthian bureaucracies that control the funding), are dealt with swiftly and harshly.

I myself was one such Whistle-blower who attempted to report massive corruption, financial mismanagement and ongoing Federal Civil Rights violations occurring in schools in New York City. My reward for doing the right thing was that I was removed on trumped up allegations and found myself fighting a "David versus Goliath" legal battle for the past four years and counting.

Should anyone wish to know the real reason/s I was removed from my position, it is only necessary to visit the United Federation of Teachers website:

http://www.uft.org/news/teacher/top/axed/

There one will see a photograph of me being decorated by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in New York's City Hall as a "Teacher of the Year" for Exceptional Achievement in Education. I had designed, built from the ground up, and personally funded, the first premiere Medical Illustration Program in the United States for gifted Minority students. The goal of the program was to serve as a launching pad to propel those highly intellectually gifted students from socio-economically deprived backgrounds into Ivy League Universities and into careers including Medicine, as Physicians and research Scientists.

The success of this unique program was such, that it attracted the attention of Pulitzer Prize winning Journalist, Clara Hemphill.

But once I became a Whistle-blower the New York City Board/Dept of Education went after me with a blistering degree of vengeance and retaliation not witnessed in decades and has led to the Legal arm, known as NYSUT, of the United Federation of Teachers, filing a $ 30,000,000 (thirty million) NOTICE OF CLAIM against schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq. and the New York City Board of Education on my behalf.

My case, in the way the press and other assorted news media have reported the above story, in the most skewed and distorted manner possible, makes the case one of the poster children of Karen Horwitz's amazingly factually detailed book. Ms. Horwitz recounts dozens of stories, like my own, all part of an ultimately shocking and illuminating expose of how the world of Education has become a form of billion dollar "piggy bank" for those in a position to raid and feed at the trough of publicly funded Education budgets.

The countless stories of the fates that have befallen teachers nationwide and the abusive, often sadistic and illegal methods that have been utilized to retaliate against and silence teachers who have tried to report egregious wrongdoing and outright theft of taxpayer money is ultimately heartbreaking but a story that must be told.

This is a landmark and seminal book, painstakingly researched over a decade, that will hopefully serve and assist the long overdue need to expose the rampant theft of the enormous financial resources that are intended to educate our children. This monumental work will also hopefully call the public's attention to what has happened to the lives and careers of hardworking, dedicated educators nationwide, who at great personal and professional risk to their careers, have spoken out about WHITE CHALK CRIME: The REAL Reason Schools Fail.

David Pakter, M.A., M.F.A. Artist and Instructor of Medical Illustration
www.OldMasterPortraits.com david@OldMasterPortraits.com

I bought this book because I read that the Candian post hard-core band Alexisonfire had used one of the images from the book as the cover to their album CRISIS, (Dine Alone Records). I am glad that I did. Being an Aussie and not comprehending snow at all didn't help me understand the hardship of snow and cold. But, this book did. The simplicity with which it is displayed, through direct recounts from the victims gave a heartfelt purity to my read. The author then went on to provide a short break from each personal voyage by adding facts and short snippets about that time in Canada (and the U.S.). As we say here in Aus, 'Do yourself a favour' and grab this book. It's a world away from anything most of us would ever have experienced. As Alexisonfire said in their lyric...'we got a crisis on our hands'. They did that winter, and you should experience it too.

An incredible book! I was a teenager, safe inside my parents' house, when the blizzard hit Elma, NY, 23 miles east of Buffalo.
Cut off from civilization (not even snowmobiles could access our road), I never heard the extraordinary tales that Rossi related -like the Buffalo Zoo animals running around the city! This, and Robert L. Smith's pictures, brought '77 back in full black and white - a LOT of white.
Rossi also poignantly relates the losses that Western New York suffered from this disaster that still leave repercussions, such as the loss in faith in the federal government's benevolence and the huge number of abortions that year. It is no wonder to me that Western New York spawned a huge number of fundamentalist congregations to ease their pain. And it is no wonder to me that Dr. Slepian was killed in the religiopolitical war that followed.
I've heard people down here in the Philadelphia area complain about this or that blizzard, but so far, NOTHING compares.

Media Release

Blizzards and Babies

The Toronto birthrate will surge in October and November of 1999 says Erno Rossi, author of the revised best seller, White Death-Blizzard of '77--Millennium Edition, a true and frightening oral history of the only blizzard declared a national disaster in Canada and the USA..

Rossi's Canadian-American survival classic, shows an 18% jump in the Niagara birthrate 9 months after that winter hurricane . That blizzard of the century and millennium also buried Buffalo, killed 30 people and stranded thousands of people in cars, trucks and in the homes of strangers.

But Buffalo showed only a 3% rise in the birth rate 9 months later compared to the 18% jump in Canadian Niagara. Rossi felt that he had discovered Canadian superiority in something other than health care, beer and hockey. But the 45% jump in the Buffalo abortion rate helped to explain the difference in birth rates.

Rossi predicts that both the birth and abortion rates will be higher in Toronto because of the record snowfall there in January/99. People stranded and bored because of snow can find themselves very busy at things other than shoveling.

Rossi self published the first edition of White Death 21 years ago when Toronto publishers rejected his manuscript, telling him to come back when he was famous. Rossi laughed all the way to the printers and since has sold tons of books as well as TV rights to Granada Television in England.

First edition White Death books have sold on the Internet as rare, old books for $50 U.S. But many grandparents want these first edition books to be passed down through the family.

The White Death-Millennium Edition has been updated from 50 photos to over 70.

The book now contains letters to Rossi from the Queen, Prime Minister Trudeau, Premiere Davis of Ontario and President Carter at the White House. Rossi's own experience and photos are now included. The Millennium Edition will end the argument as to what community and country got the most snow.

A former teacher of history, sociology and disaster survival, Rossi has a lot to teach people who want to save their lives in a disaster or get a successful book published.

Does Uncle Sam need some Viagara? Or are Canadians just better than Americans at something other than hockey and health care? Erno Rossi raises this question in his best selling oral history of a major national disaster, White Death -The Blizzard of '77--Millennium Edition. Rossi says that Canadians appear to snuggle faster and more effectively than Americans during a cold weather disaster.

The Canadian birthrate jumped an impressive 18% nine months after a winter hurricane called The Blizzard of '77. The American birthrate sputtered at 3%. Should Uncle Sam see his doctor ?

The answer says Rossi might shock some people. But its all there in his White Death-The Blizzard of '77--Millennium Edition, ... Rossi will be talking about his book, the success of his new edition and how to save your life in such an emergency...

The Blizzard of '77

(This column was first published in the December 27,1999 Buffalo News.)

What was the major regional natural history event of the 20th century? No contest.

Lake Erie froze over by December 14, 1976, an early record. This normally puts an end to the lake effect snowstorms created by winds picking up moisture from the lake surface, converting it to snow and dumping it when those winds reach shore. But that winter something different happened.

It began to snow just after Christmas and a few inches accumulated almost every day through the next month. By late January snow depth in Buffalo was 30 to 35 inches and street plowing was already falling behind -- 33 of the city's 79 plows were in for repairs. More ominous, snow depth on the 10,000 square miles of Lake Erie surface was also almost three feet.

Although the National Weather Service had posted blizzard warnings, that fateful Friday, January 28, 1977 started out quite pleasant. There was little wind and it wasn't too cold for late January. But suddenly, just before noon, the infamous Blizzard of '77 hit.

The temperature quickly plummeted to near zero and the winds arrived with gusts peaking at over 70 miles per hour. This produced a wind chill that dropped almost off the chart to 60 below. Only about seven inches of new snow fell over the next several days, but western New York and nearby Canada were also inundated with those tons of snow blown in off Lake Erie.

As one consequence, visibility remained at zero for the first 25 hours of the storm. Drivers found themselves being buried and many, surrounded by the whiteout, were forced to stay in their cars. Some of those contributed to the 29 death toll, dying of carbon monoxide poisoning or exposure. (In another episode carbon monoxide from a snow blower started in an enclosed garage killed not only the operator but his daughter in a nearby bedroom.) Hearing of people marooned in their cars, police struggled over drifts to bang on car roofs. They were relieved to receive no answer because they had no way of digging anyone out.

Ordinary snow would not have been so bad. During this same period the east end of Lake Ontario received almost six feet, but theirs didn't pack the way it did in Buffalo. Here the wind was so strong that it broke up snow crystals and compressed them into drifts that were cement-like in quality. At the same time buildings acted like snow fences causing the drifts to accumulate in some places to 30 feet, enough to bury a house.

The problem became more than the usual too few plows; now it was plows that could not penetrate the drifts. Some broke down, were quickly buried and themselves contributed to the difficulty of opening roads. The state's National Guard and Department of Transportation, the Army Corps of Engineers, nearby towns and commercial firms had to bring in earth moving equipment to handle the huge accumulation.

Seven western New York counties were designated part of a major national disaster area and soldiers were dispatched from Fort Bragg in North Carolina to assist in the clean-up. It lasted well into February.

Although there was some looting and theft during the storm, it was mostly an episode that brought the community together. Stores and restaurants and hotels provided food and places to stay, often free. Agencies like the Salvation Army and the Red Cross as well as city and county departments worked continuously through the emergency to provide services. Individual people helped not only neighbors but strangers as well.

It was without a doubt our storm of the century.-- Gerry Rising

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: Most of the information on which this column was based was derived from the excellent book about the storm, Erno Rossi's WHITE DEATH: THE BLIZZARD OF '77 (Seventy Seven Publishing

I wanted this book because 'Haller' is my mother's maiden name. However, there is no connection that I know of!

The book is great - the recipes and the history of the presidents during the time Henry Haller was chef at the White House are very interesting. I was hoping there would be colored photographs, but there are none except for the outside cover.

I do recommend this book.

I got this cookbook on a Norwegian cruise ship.When looking it over,I recognized many of the recipes used on the ship!What does that tell you?I bought it for $40 and I've never regreted it.It is so packed with hundreds of top-notch recipes.It is the only cookbook you'd ever need,ranging from comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese,spaghetti and meatballs,pizza,and waffles to the effortless gourmet and seemingly endless variety of desserts,entrees,and salads.The best cookbook in my library.If you cook at all,buy this book!

This book not only has great recipes but it also talks about why the presidnet enjoyed them so much. Also included are photographs of presidents and their guests with descriptions of their time spent in the White House. More than just a recipe book!

I first purchased this book years ago, and it is still a cherished favorite. It is as much fun to browse through as it is to cook from, with well-written stories recollected of our first families. Mr. Haller included recipes which can easily be mastered by the average household cook, with photos to inspire and amuse. We enjoy this cookbook so well, we've purchased copies for family and friends over the years, and continue to do so. It makes a wonderful and thoughtful gift - a book of elegant and practical recipes, fit for coffee table display! This book has something for every taste and every occasion, and covers everyday recipes to the truly sublime, decadent to healthy, down home Southern recipes to European favorites, with everything in between. The White House Family Cookbook is truly worthy of America's talented First Chef - Henry Haller. It is also the only recipe book of which I personally own two - a "working copy" for the kitchen, and a more prestine copy for our personal library.

surprisingly doable recipes- every one so far has been one of the best meals ever- family favorites- nothing even "OK" - everything fantastic. the history or personal stories included are fun as well. best cookbook i ever had- going to give as a gift to everyone who cooks. Can't help but love it!

I am told I am a distant relative of Nick Wilson. My Whole famile has all of the copy's of this book and the movie of this story also. It is very well written and very captivating. You cant go wrong buying this book or any of the Nick Wilson stories!!! A must read and must see!! L.J. Gittins, Utah.

Fast service - thanks a lot.

I felt like I was reading a diary of actual events. The historical insight was enlightening. History is hard to write about from the frame of mind of the people that lived it unless it is written by someone that did just that. "The White Indian Boy" transports us to the time of the settling of Wyoming through the eyes of the author.

If you are interested in America's early frontier west - the days of cowboys, pioneers, explorers and Indians - you will be fascinated with two western classics, The White Indian Boy and its sequel The Return of the White Indian.

The White Indian Boy, first published in 1910, is the story of Nick Wilson, a young Mormon pioneer boy who became the adopted son of Washakie, famous chief of the Shoshone Indians who inhabited areas of western Montana, eastern Idaho, western Wyoming and northern Utah. Nick later became a Pony Express Rider, a driver for the famous Overland Stage, a guide for General Albert Sidney Johnston, and co-founder of Wilson, Wyoming in Jackson Hole.

Years later Nick's son Charles A. Wilson wrote a sequel to his father's famous book, telling of his father's later years and of his own adventures in early Jackson Hole. His book, The Return of the White Indian, is equally as interesting as his father's, telling of Jackson Hole's earliest days, of cowboys and Indians, of big game hunting, lake and stream fishing, world famous celebrities, development of Grand Teton National Park.

These two books, published by the University of Utah Press as a single volume, vividly bring to life a unique time and place in American history. There is considerable humor mingled with historical fact, and enriched with early day photos.

A delightful Foreword has been written by John J Stewart, author of several books and chief founder of the National Association and Center for Outlaw & Lawman History.

I read the book and then recommended it to a book club I was organizing. We used it as our first book and everyone enjoyed it. I found the stories spellbinding and the history was very interesting. Nick Wilson led a fasinating life and I would recommend this book to anyone interested in history from the old West.

I have been looking to buy a new copy of this book for YEARS since we lost a childhood favorite. From a very young age my son LOVED this book (infancy) and well into childhood.........Then it disappeared. I kept thinking we'd find it, but I finally concluded we must have somehow left it somewhere.

With 2 versions listed now on Amazon though, I'm not 100% sure this is the right one....Wish I could see a picture!

This book should NEVER have gone out of print -- it should be a classic.

This is one of the most beautifully illustrated color/nature/animal stories ever created for children; it is definitely the loveliest I have ever found. Rich, detailed, charming illustrations accompany rhythmic, rhyming text in patterns that build upon each other, featuring all sorts of animals throughout the day and night, and even the sun, moon, and sky. I loved the interesting and somewhat atypical choices of animals showcased (puffins, for example) as well as the more familiar ones. The story progresses throughout one entire day, from moonlight to moonlight, making it an excellent choice as a bedtime read as well. My pre-schooler and I have adored this book since he was 18 months old; it is sure to captivate aesthetics seekers of all ages-a timeless treasure, and a must have in every thoughtful literary collection for young people.

My son has loved this book since he was an infant! He is now 2 1/2 years old and we still check it out of our library regularly. Before he was one he was able to identify the beautiful characters and objects in this book. As a side note, after reading it about the first twenty times or so, I realized it fits perfectly into the rhythm of Donovan's song "Yellow is the Color of My True Love's Hair." Now more often than not, I sing this book to him! If you are familiar with the song, try singing the book to your child. It's so great!

I think this is a wonderful book. It has very good illustrations and great poems. I think it is a perfect bedtime story for younger kids (3 and younger). I love it!

Though my baby is only 17 months, he loves this book! The illustrations are gorgeous, clear pictures with wonderful colours and lovely detail. The story is simple and contains words and concepts he is just learning, like the sun rising and setting, and the moon coming out in the dark sky at night. I would thoroughly recommend this book to both parents of young children, and to anyone wanting to own a beautiful - but not coy or cutesy - book. Its a shame that amazon.com lists the book as out of stock - the copy we enjoyed was a library book.

Ozzy is considered a legend in metal music, but not to me. The real deal in metal is Lemmy Kilmister. This is his story, and its a highly enjoyable read. I highly agree with his take on what people say about the Ace of Spades cd and alot of other things he says is very true. Ozzy can enjoy retirement and quit making a fool of himself. The real deal is over sixty, rocking harder then you ever have, and is better then you ever will be. His name is Lemmy.

Lemmy takes the reader on an interesting journey of his sex drugs and rock n roll lifestyle over many decades. He explores all of his excesses in life in a thoroughly entertaining and well written book. Perhaps the only disappointing thing for me was his failure to mention his friendship with German metal queen Doro Pesch, which was the main reason i purchased this book.
Overall it is a great read and highly recommended for fans.

I loved this book. Not only does it tell the reader some hilarious stories of Motorheads crazy antics, it also tells us interesting facts about the music business, history, politics and not to forget drugs, sex and rock n 'roll. Some of the stories in the book were so great I ended up calling my friends and reading exerts from it. This is a must read not only for Motorhead fans, but also for any fans of rock, or music in general.

Lemmy Kilmister is a legend for the music, but also his attitude, like he said 'I dont drive a porsche', although he is a living legend. The book gives an great view of music through the 60's and 70's. The best thing about this book is how it gives you that knowledge of what was behind the music when they made it. You find out all those things from Lemmy, the rumours such as his poisinous blood.I flew through this book just wish there was more.

Let me guess . . . the editors and bean counters put a limit on the word count? I could have easily read double the amount of pages on the life of this rock n roll legend and still wanted more.
Never a dull moment, though. I laughed out loud. I pondered Lemmy's wisdom. And, I learned a great deal about rock n roll--the art, the life, the philosophy, and the shady businessmen out there who exploit it.
I flew thru this book. It's hard not to admire someone like Lemmy, who is uncompromising and unapologetic. I see this man as someone who's had the guts to live life on his own terms--believing in himself and always staying true to his art.
I've been a Motorhead fan for only a short time. Only knew of them from the "Ace of Spades" video that I had first seen 20-some years ago. I always remembered the thunderous bass & drums and the searing guitar riffs. But, what I recall even more so was the frontman shouting the lyrics. "Who is that guy?" I had asked myself. The image remained in my head. But, thanks to our wonderful radio staions, driven by $$$, failing to promote bands, and ignorant of rock n roll, my image of Motorhead slowly faded.
Years later, with the Internet at my disposal, I researched this band, getting drawn to various interviews. I bought the CDs and read anything on this band that I could dig up. I wasn't disappointed--I only regretted that I hadn't checked them out years earlier. But I digress . . . coming across this book was the cherry on top of my heavy metal sundae!
The writing is terse, often humorous. Lemmy goes off on tangents, but I never minded, as I found every word interesting. Quite often, he'd tell a story, and I was left wondering, what happened after that? What did you think? Where are these people now? The interactions with other bands was particularly enjoyable, but like a drug, I still wanted more.
Anyway, Lemmy and Motorhead can count on me to be a dedicated fan, always awaiting their next CD. As for "White Line Fever" I'm reading it again. I enjoyed it that much.
Always,
Bill Kozlowski

This is a gem of a most extraordinary commentary on the Seven Line Prayer by Mipham. I would strongly encourage reading this if you are a new or long time practitioner. Mipham opens the inner recesses of this powerful prayer many times over for us. This book will be treasured throughtout one's life and beyond.

This is a very profound multi layerd commentary on the most important prayer in the Nyingma Linage. We are very lucky that this has been translated. Please do not hesitate to purchase this book, you will find gems of wisdom here for years to come.
And remember, please be kind to animals, don't eat them.
Peace!

This is an excellent book for practitioner of the 7-line Guru prayer. Not for non-practitioner unless theya re thinking of becoming a practitioner. There are other books I would recommend for buddhism for non pracititoners: Gates to Buddhist Practice: Essential Teachings of a Tibetan Master; When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times. or any of Pema Chodron's books; and Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Shambhala Library)

Anyone working their way through the Longchen Nyngthig Nyngdro could benefit from this book. The seven line prayer is, of course, an essential component of the Guru Yoga practice of this particular nyngdro. This commentary explains the prayer on four different levels, that of skillful means, Secret Mantra, Inner Most Secret and pith instructions.

The introduction also provides a very interesting analysis of how 21st century Westerners can approach the vast number of miracle-stories associated with Guru Rinpoche with out falling into the extremes of naive belief or scientific skepticism.

For those without a background in Tantra, nyngdro practice or who are not familar with the teachings of Guru Rinpoche this book will be quite baffling. Those with some previous reading or who have received teachings on the practice of guru yoga will probably benefit from this slim but thought provoking book.

The following is not a review but a comment on this beautiful book.

Please note that the cover photo is a painting of Padmasmabhava (Guru Rinpoche) by the talented artist and teacher Lama Gonpo Tsedan Rinpoche. This thanka (painting) was given to Thinley Norbu Rinpoche.

Lama Gonpo escaped from Tibet to South India and came later to California where he gave incredible and matchless Dzogchen teachings to a fortunate few. In the mid-80's, he returned to Tibet as soon as it was opened as he was dedicated to rebuilding his community of anis (nuns) and Ngagpas (male practitioners). He passed away in Tibet in 1991.

To quote from W. Seal: "Rigdzin Trinley Ozer (Lama Gonpo Tsedan), was Panchen Vimalamitra in person, one can easily trace his lineage of transmission through his root teacher, Patrul Rinpoche of Tso, to Adzom Drukpa, to Khyentse Wango, and so forth all the way back to Garab Dorje...."