White Books

I enjoyed this account of Al Ettinger's travels with the 69th infantry during WWI. It's interesting to find that he held so much detail in his mind so many years after the events, and after many years of not talking about it- finally opens up and recounts everything in such great specificity. I also appreciated that the accounts were checked out by his son in such detail to verify specifics before publishing- after all, no one's memory is perfect. The book is interleaved with historical maps and summaries of allied strategy, giving the reader a yardstick as to where the events fit in history. I really got a good feel for the deep sense of camaraderie that Ettinger developed with the people there in the ranks, and his heroes, especially concerning Father Patrick Duffy, a guy anyone would want to know in whatever place in history that he or she was born in. The only shortcoming of the book (and it is slight) is that it leaves out the outcome of Lt. Quirt (a pseudonym) in the epilogue. Great reading.

"It is enthralling and difficult to put down before completion." --Military Images

"A vivid portrait if a colorful outfit, DOUGHBOY places its emphasis on the human factor ... an invaluable and entertaining firsthand portrait of leadership, loyalty and morale -- the soul of any U.S. Army regiment." --Military History Magazine

"This well organized book becomes one of those rare war memoirs that has been back-checked for facts, that has such meticulous evidence of accuracy, it transcends the normal colorful remembrance to become a true work of history." --Gannett News Service

"Don't let 'A Doughboy With the Fighting 69th' escape you. It is destined to be a classic." --Irish Edition, Phila.

"An eye- witness account of World War I doughboy experience from a less than model soldier...a lively, personal account of both courage and realistic Army life." --The Bookwatch

"Although I have read many autobiographical accounts of famous generals and their bloody campaigns, few have touched me with the same effect as this story of one of America's true doughboy heros." --Ronnie Shimron, Curator, Jewish War Veterans

"It is enthralling and difficult to put down before completion. Afterward it is to be savored." --Military Images/ "A vivid portrait of a colorful outfit...an invaluable and entertaining firsthand portrait of leadership, loyalty and morale ... --Military History/ "This well organized book becomes one of those rare war memoirs that has been back-checked for facts, that has such meticulous evidence of accuracy, it transcends the normal colorful remembrance to become a true work of history." --Gannett News Service (John Hanchette)/ "Don't let [Doughboy] escape you. It is destined to be a classic." --Irish Edition (Philadelphia)/ "... a lively, personal account of both courage and and realistic Army life." --The Bookwatch

Private Ettinger, in his brief military career, managed to experience the battle of the Argonne Forest, survive four close shell bursts, a personal strafing by a German pilot, and some spectacular crashes on his dispatch-rider motorcycle, to provide us with one of the most engaging memoirs of the American Expiditionary Forces.
His very readable and entertaining reminiscences, augmented by some first-rate research by his son, are enhanced by rare photos, interesting appendices, and details of organization of a unit with some of the most colorful characters in American military history, such as "Wild Bill" Donovan, Father Duffy, Joyce Kilmer, and Douglas Macarthur (who personally delivered the author from incarceration).
Ettinger's story is highly recommended as a vivid window into the world of the doughboy, and a fine unit history as well.

(The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

This is a great read. The spare images have such power and rightness. A kind of serenity too. Might go well with Poems of the Late T'ang (Graham)and Stranger by the River (Twitchell).

Yes, I'm picky and had a quarrel with the introduction's reference to religious institutions without a recognition of the interplay between Nestorian Christianity and Chan Buddhism but such a point is of no interest to the general reader. The book is a wonderfully broad selection of poets and styles including poets with a strong Taoist bent - a happy addition illustrating the coexistence of multiple religious traditions within single individuals. There are differing styles of translation - from the more literal to the more poetic - but only two poems in the entire book that leave me wanting to read the original Chinese because the translation seems too free. The book as a whole is a marvelous example of the force of poetry that is rooted in experience rather than metaphor; as such it should be read by those without a specific interest in Buddhism.

My criticism? Too many poets are represented by only one or two poems.

Quite by accident I discovered the book "Mountain Home; the Wilderness Poetry of Ancient China" translated by David Hinton. That got me started on a search of nature and Zen poetry of China and Japan. So far I have read at least a few dozen books and this is my favorite! The anthology covers from 4th century to modern and has quite a few authors represented. The sensitive translations are what, I am sure, attracts me to re-read and highlight this book. This book is a keeper!

A Drifting Boat includes Chinese Zen poems that have been gathered over 1500 years. The book has been divided into six sections, each one covering the poets of a different dynasty.

The poems themselves are beautiful, simple yet complex, elegant. The words just seem to flow from the pages. A delightful reading experience.

"as I wonder aimlessly under a frozen moon a flute poors its beauty from a nearby tower. then morning breezes begin to rise and gust - the river already a carpet of scattered white blossoms." --Kuan Hsiu

Jennifer White was my wife for nine glorious years before her sudden, tragic death at the hands of our pitiful medical system in June of 2001. And yes, I'm biased, but this book is beyond amazing. Jen was so far ahead of her time in leadership and innovative ideas that the rest of the publishing world hasn't even ripped her off...yet. Yes, her publisher did a poor job (or none at all) of editing out Jen's typos, but this book is worth far more than what anyone asks for it. If you're a leader and want to truly lead, read this book cover to cover and then put it into ACTION. You will be rewarded with, as my sweet Jen used to say, FABULOUS results!

I liked the good, practical content and application exercises. But the editing errors drove me to distraction. So much so, that I had to stop reading periodically to get over my irritation at all the errors before I could take it back up again. However, I did do a lot of highlighting and will be able to use the material in my coaching and consulting practice.

Jennifer White has put together what I believe is the most comprehensive, realistic, and user friendly users manual for entrepenuers, managers, and CEO's alike! If you are interested in your growth as a leader and are up to the challenge presented by Jennifer and her team of coaches that conspired to bring this together then don't hesistate. If your not, then be willing to give up on realizing your true potential as a leader and as an individual. Yes, you'll be challenged by the exercises. Yes, you will be asked to be honest with yourself. And Yes, you will see RESULTS as you apply what you learn.

Go ahead, maximize your productivity, transform chaos into sanity, communicate with power, honor your people, use speed to your advantage, leverage their strengths, and above all GET A LIFE.

Your worth it and so is this book!

Under pressure, some leaders become dictators believing that they have to drive performance from their people. What do they get? Long hours, more stress, more chaos, and mediocre performance. Jennifer White has created a unique seven part process that will help business leaders produce the right results when it matters the most, show them how to inspire their employees to be high performers even if the economy is slowing, and convince them that it is possible for everyone to make it home in time for dinner without sacrificing company results. The first chapter called Transform Chaos into Sanity gives timely, practical advice on walking the fine line between chaos, creativity and sanity by creating some elements of consistency. The Maximizing Productivity section is about doing less to achieve more by challenging you to spend your time only on the things that matter the most(and the answer is NOT everything!) But the biggest learning for me personally was the Leverage Strengths chapter in which she tells us we should put our people in positions where they can use their strengths to achieve results instead of focusing so much on those "opportunity" areas. Other chapters include Honor Your People, Use Speed to Your Advantage, Communicate with Power, and Get A Life. In fact, that sums up White's philosophy...business success and happiness are not mutually exclusive. With her easy to read writing style she has delivered a powerful message and yet another essential business leader's tool. I guarantee if you read any one chapter you'll end up reading them all.

Every year as the holidays approached my daughter requested this book from the library. Ed Emberley's books are still the best books for easy step-by-step drawing instructions - simple lines and shapes accumulate into a satisfying whole. My son rarely picked up a drawing utensil, but he'd be down on the floor, right beside his sister drawing away - satisfied and rarely frustrated. Emberley's "Big Orange Book" also recieved a lot of use in our house around Halloween.

Ed's books on thumbprints...and simplier drawing books would probably be considered the *first* steps while i would consider this the *first and a half* step... there are more complex (more steps to some pictures) drawings... there are still pretty easy ones and if this isnt your shilds first book and they are at a stage where they are ready for something a bit more challenging this would be a good second line of art books.. it still is writtne in the same way and there are still easy easy things to draw BUT for those wishing to increase their skill/hardness level..there are pictures with more steps. the pictures are still broken down into easy to follow steps and it is STILL much easier and more understandable than most art books out there for kids... and there are so many things to choose from!

This book is from a series of 4 books from Emberly are the easiest books on drawing there are, period. Anyone young or old can learn to draw some great critters and vehicles from these books. ANYONE! All of his Big Color books are great, (They are a series, each named after a color). This one is famous for the easy way it shows you how to draw step by step, what appears to be a complex fire engine, but it is simple when you do it his way. THis book includes a number of fun ideas including Uncle Sam, police cars, ships and boats, Christmas holiday drawings. He even shows you how to make yours unique rather than a copy of his drawings. You can be the doodle hero of your classroom or office after using this book. He does it simply using very simple steps, lines, and basic shapes to start you off. My favorite in the series would be the Purple Book or the Green Book, then Orange, then the Red Book.

If you want to move up from here and learn the terminology of what you are doing, and really become an accomplished artist, the next step after these are the terrific books by Jack Hamm. If you just want to have some fun, get this book!

I think now we have all the Emberly drawing books and this one is far-and-away the toughest. Ed's son Michael, in particular, favors more complex drawings that will be harder for the youngsters to emulate, though older kids will probably appreciate the step-up after mastering the other books. (Even Ed's stuff largely seems tougher.)

Also, just so you know, this isn't a "red" drawing book like the green and orange: a wider variety of colors is used, and more subtly than in any of the other books, even the Animals book (which also uses color, but not to this degree).

I'd still recommend it, but more for 7 - 10 year olds.

Jose Canseco. Barry Bonds. Jason Giambi. Human growth hormone. The cream and the clear. Steroids. The saddest part about baseball today is that these are the words we think of. However, the past is not free from scandal, and I'm not just talking about the introduction and proliferation of "greenies."

When the 1919 World Series was fixed by eight (arguably seven) members of the Chicago White Sox, the face of baseball changed forever. While it remained America's pastime, an inherent skepticism took hold. This was epitomized by the famous "say it ain't so, Joe" confrontation between "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (the arguably innocent of the eight) and not just any fan, but a child.

Eliot Asinof has done a wonderful job of reminding us that baseball is not a sport newly tainted by strikes and drugs. All the major players are documented. The owner, Charles Comiskey, whose tight pocket book can be partially blamed for the scandal and who tried to cover it up. Baseball's first commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis prosecuted the guilty the best way he knew how and set a precedent that baseball followed into the late '80s with the lifetime ban of Pete Rose (eight years after Eight Men Out was published in 1981). "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, to his deathbed, recanted his confession, calling it something contrived, and professed his innocence. And then there were the gamblers: Joe Sullivan, the contact man; Abe Attell, the man who manipulated the whole thing as a middleman without the money; and Arnold Rothstein, the money behind the debacle. Asinof, despite a lack of modern "forensic" evidence, such as phone taps, followed the information back to the guilty parties. As Asinof relays, this is one of the shames, one of the great failures of the American judicial system following the Black Sox scandal.

What Asinof has accomplished with this story, this true epic, is to remind us that todays era is not that only tainted one in baseball's illustrious history. It reminds us that as long as men have been paid to play a childrens' game they have wanted more and owners have wanted to give them less. In the end, Asinof reminds us that we make it possible for players to make $25 million a year. And we also make it possible for someone like Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds or Jason Giambi to become a "hero." While Asinof does not make me feel guilty, he makes me take pause and wonder how much of baseball's dramatic fall has been a product of the absolute corruption of American culture as opposed to the absolute corruption of a select few individuals.

The year 1919. The city is Chicago. Eight men enter the room of "Sleepy" Bill Burns and conspire to fix the World Series. The money was coming from Arnold Rothstein or "AR" to his friends. Eight men were about to rock the foundations of baseball for greed and the hatred of Charles Comiskey - or was there another story?

Asinoff recounts the months leading to, the days during and the years after the 1919 World Series with amazing detail and clarity. His story is told and as you listen you'll think you are actually there. This audio book is by far much better than the movie.

What you get is 8; count them 8, how ironic, tapes that weave a story of deceit, corruption, and conspiracy on both sides of the law. From Joe Jackson and Eddie Cicotte to Lefty Williams, Chick Ghandl, Buck Weaver, Happy Felsch and Swede Risberg the tragedy is unraveled.

The recording was a true pleasure and the actual use of transcripts, reports and other material adds major credibility to the exposing of baseball worst nightmare. Asinoff is to be commended on this first rate work and baseball needs more men like him. A real standout performance!

This review refers to the audio book version.

A great book that shows what led to this infamous scandel with the 8 White Sox ballplayers. Not only will baseball fans want to read this book but anyone who likes to read. It also makes you wonder if throwing games is still going on today.

The scandal of the 1919 Black Sox is probably the most disilluisioning chapter in the history of baseball. Asinof captured the feeling of America and its reaction to the scandal on and off field. The story is told accurately and with great insight. "Shoeless" Joe was a wonderful player who made bad decisions. He can be both admired and loathed by fans who now know that he wasn't completely innocent as the Sox threw the Worl d Series. It shows how baseball perserviered throught the gambling. Baseball tradition has kept the game alive through many adverse situtations and when gathered together make the history of baseball very rich. A must read for ALL baseball historians and fans.

A wonderful book. This exciting story kept me turning pages. It makes you feel like you have taken a time machine back to the days when ordinary girls and boys were becoming heroes as they helped to create our nation...destined to become a children's classic.

This book is not an attempt to sell dolls. This book does not follow a script making it sound like there has been only one girl in all of American history born over and over. It is an exciting adventure filled with danger. It is also painstakingly researched. The details presented are accurate. Learn what it was like being a young person during the revolutionary war. Follow Anne Brewster on her perilous mission.

Interestingly enough, as our country is being torn in two by red and blue states, this story of Loyalists to King George and Rebels for Freedom hits close to home. I don't think that is the story's intent. Just my added observation.

Readers will be caught up in this accurate portrayal of a young girl and her family as they live the heartbreak, confusion and strife of Revolutionary War times. The author creates a dramatic story filled with historical events that enables us to relive a moment in our United States history.

Teachers and young history buffs, buy this book. For anyone who wonders what it might have been like to live through the American Revolutionary War, EIGHTEEN ROSES RED delivers a rich, yet terrifying account of events through the eyes of a young girl. Loaded with details true to the times, Ruth Maxwell's novel takes us along with 13-year-old Anne Brewster as she attempts to deliver a coded message to General George Washington, camped in the hills around New Brunswick. On the way, facing setback after setback, Anne wrestles with family sorrows, romantic yearnings, true danger and grown-up determination.

I laughed out loud or got misty-eyed (sometimes simultaneously) at the photos and captions in this book. The photographer has captured the essence of doggy expression. One of my favorites (and there are many) is the tilted head and "I'm listening" look of the dog for whom it is wished, "May you always understand what is being said to you." This book is a lovely gift for yourself or any dog people you know.

I laughed out loud or got misty-eyed (sometimes simultaneously) at the photos and captions in this book. The photographer has captured the essence of doggy expression. One of my favorites (and there are many) is the tilted head and "I'm listening" look of the dog for whom it is wished, "May you always understand what is being said to you." This book is a lovely gift for yourself or any dog people you know.

I laughed out loud or got misty-eyed (sometimes simultaneously) at the photos and captions in this book. The photographer has captured the essence of doggy expression. One of my favorites (and there are many) is the tilted head and "I'm listening" look of the dog for whom it is wished, "May you always understand what is being said to you." This book is a lovely gift for yourself or any dog people you know.

I have seen this book and being a dog lover, I really enjoyed it. Some of the captions for the pictures made me laugh out loud. I saw an interview with the authors and the said that The dog we call an Irish Setter her in the US, is called a Red Setter in Ireland. The Pictures are great and the captions are even better.

This is an extremely clear, knowledgable, well set out book especially for a beginner like myself. Even my husband, who is not a beginner, really likes the book and uses it too.

I started to fly fish about a year ago. I quickly mastered the basics of fly fishing. "Essential Fly Fishing" helped me learn the how to on fly-casting, where to fish, what flies to use for different kinds of fish, and how to put together a balanced system. This book also touches on how to tie basic flies and shows step by step instructions on how to tie a Wooly Worm. This is an exelent book for beginers. Although I know the basic principles that the book teaches, I still refer to it when I am fishing in new environments and using unfamiliar flies.

This book takes you through the basic pricibles of the art of fly fishing. It explains in depth who to cast your fly onto the water. It gives a clear idea of how to tie 7your fly to the line. It even explains how to make your own fly.

If you're looking for a complete Fly Fishing book that covers all in a few words, you have found it. A concise and easy-learning book for the begginer. Beautiful color drawings and diagrams illustrates the essential rules and tips of this sport. A might-have for your library.

I bought THE ETERNAL ARMY to learn more about its discovery, the reason for its creation, and above all, for its many incredibly stunning/revealing photographs. So closely are the soldiers shown, for example, that one can clearly see the different facial expressions of each. But I was even more amazed by how detailed and different the backs of their heads are, especially the ones with braided hair. And that each soldier's armor is made up of a myriad plates absolutely astonished me.

In addition to the famous soldiers and bronze chariots (also shown in incredible detail), the camera treats the reader to close-ups of the chariot driver, archers, functuaries and the scantily clad figures now thought to perhaps be gymnasts or wrestlers "ready to engage in an exercise of martial arts." Shown too are many artifacts, such as bronze birds, that were found along with the army. But perhaps most mind-boggling of all are the photographs of finds yet to be reassembled, for they attest to how monumental the task has been to excavate and restore but a fraction of the emperor's army.

Had the above, including the fascinating information about the army, been all that was in this book, I still would have gladly spent every dollar I did to purchase two copies. But much to my amazement, there was even more: approximately 90 pages of background about ancient China and the Qin empire--pages laced with stunning photographs of related artifacts and watercolors, pages so interesting that I learned much about a period that I'd had absolutely no interest in. And as an added bonus, the entire book is written in prose not the least bit pedantic. For these reasons, there are neither superlatives nor stars enough to convey how highly I recommend this book. --B. Evans, 12/11/07

Incidentally, photographs from this tome were used to make the four jigsaw puzzles of the terracotta army in a slim, $6.99 remainder book with the same title that currently is available at Border's.

I bought the book for the friend to give as a gift. I thought she had given it for Valentine's Day, but here's what she said when I asked her for a review: I didn't give it to him - I decided to wait til his b-day in Nov but yes, the book is excellent - exactly what he wants - the pictures are beyond excellent and extremely detailed - it's an excellent book!

The striking feature of this book is its inclusion of unusually large photos of close-ups of some individual soldiers. Two individual chariots, in addition, receive in-depth illustration of various aspects. If you really want to have a taste of what it feels when seeing as different each of the soldiers' faces, you will never be disappointed with this book in hand.

Several historical incidents that happened in this period also attract elaboration from this book. How the Emperor burnt thousands of scholars and books in order to take control of people's mind, is something that is explained through a model of the scene by the authors.

At the end of the book, the authors also explain how they, with the help of the Chinese officials, took the photos, with equipment weighing over 1000 pounds.

In the middle of the book the authors also attempt to delineate the long tradition of the Chinese philosophical thought as expressed in different schools, that preceded the rule of the Emperor over the unified China, which lasted only for 15 years!
While the discussion of the philosophical thoughts might not be deep enough, I guess the readers who are interested in this book would not count this as any issue. For overall each of the faces of the soldiers that feature in the photos already tell thousands of different stories, given the reader's own imagination.

I would recommend this book as a highly collectible gem!

I ordered this book so I could read about the terracotta warriors prior to visiting the exhibit currently at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, CA. The other reviews are really what sold me on the book - especially the review by B. Evans.

I ordered the book July 31 (Sunday) and paid for shipping so I could receive it prior to my museum visit August 7. I expected it to arrive the 6th but it arrived on the 4th! I was very pleased with the fast service. I was astounded when I saw the book. It surpassed the reviews by far. It's gorgeous! There's so much background information and the writing style is excellent and the photos are superb.

If you have an opportunity to see an exhibit, please go! But first - buy this book! I'm so glad I'd read the background information (I skimmed a lot - there's a lot of information!) and looked at the very detailed photos prior to my visit. It made it so much more enjoyable (there's an audio guide and great written plaques at the museum but I liked knowing all that information beforehand). I also appreciate the photos even more now because the museum has low lighting and that makes a difference when you're over 50! Seeing the warriors in person is a great experience - but having this book is even better because the details are sharper and you get a vast amount of information. The exhibit had the 2 chariots with horses and so many of the warriors and animals that are featured in the book that you have your own museum tour right there in the book.

I almost bought a book that featured a large fold-out of the warriors lined up in the pit. I saw that book in the museum and looked at the fold-out (and another fold-out was placed on the wall). The photography was inferior to the photography in this book. I looked at all the books the museum had and was thrilled with this book. It's really the best. So thank you to the first 3 reviewers! You sold me and I'm grateful! One thing no one mentioned was the quality of the paper in this book. That struck me immediately. It has very high quality, glossy paper which makes it easy to read and makes the photographs stand out. With tax and shipping, it came to $41.79 and is worth so much more than that.

I received this book when I was eight and have hauled it around with me for the last 33 years. These are fairy tales that have meat you can discuss with your children and lack the sugary frosted Disney always happy endings that my children get from the current revisions of the stories. As my copy is beginning to weaken at the bindings due to much use I truly wish I could get a reprint so that not only my children but my grandchildren could read it.

My mother gave me this book when I was little, 1976. I read it over and over again. I recently gave my copy to my daughter. I know she will love it as much as I did. This is the best fairy tale book I have ever read. The author does a wonderful job of retelling these timeless stories.

I was given this book in 1975 as a gift. I have always cherished it as one of my favorite books. The author tells the tales in an intruiging manner and has re-told many fairy tales that I never knew existed. For this, I am an avid fan of this book!

This ISBN is actually a book which explores the history, the makers, and various types of dolls, covering a time span from medieval Nurnberg to the period just before World War I. Concentrating on the 19th Century, Gwen White researched the origins of dolls, their patents, makers, dates, and more. This reference book includes illustrations, drawing, technical details, and photographs.