Wolfe Books

While the Book of the Long Sun ended on a satisfactory note to those who didn't want to read further, it also allowed itself plenty of room to continue the stories of those who were involved in it. At the end of that long work, we found that the Whorl was apparently a giant spaceship and that the actual plan was to get everyone to two planets that it was near, Blue and Green. And thus, everyone did. Sort of. We pick up the tale a few decades later on Blue where Horn (who "wrote" Book of the Long Sun) finds that everything seems to be falling apart, civilization isn't what it used to be and the colonists are being attacked by inhumi, flying, shapeshifting vampiric creatures. Thus he decides to go on a quest to find the one man who can put it all back together, Patera Silk, who has been AWOL since we last saw him (and had an awesomely understated exit at the close of that last tetraology) and while he fully intends on doing it alone, it doesn't quite work out that way.

Wolfe is never going to an action packed writer, his prose is dense and things tend to unfold slowly, interlocking and branching until it all comes together. This is probably his most accessible book, at least on the surface, told in a first person style by Horn that is straightforward, although still heavy on ruminations from time to time. Horn has personality, although he lacks Silk's razor sharp and almost casual insights and his singularity of purpose. But as a straight-up quest, events are much easier to follow this time out. At first. Then things get deceptive.

The early part of this book, for all its accessibility, can be rough going for those who never read "Book of the Long Sun" because there are a lot of references to that previous series, to the point where I wondered when the actual plot was going to start or if we'd just be rehashing events from "Long Sun" in greater detail and a first-person viewpoint. Then it changes and I can remember almost the exact point where all the first-personness condensed and became something far sharper and harder than I expected. It comes as suddenly the narrative starts to reference events that have occurred after our current point of view, a future Horn writing about events from his relative youth.

The sequence is brief, but it ends with the lyrically eloquent: "But know this: the best and happiest of my hours you know nothing about. I have seen days like gold." From that point on the book seems to gain focus, especially once Krait the inhumi comes on board, inserting these very alien but seemingly human creatures into the story adds another level to it. Meanwhile, the narrative itself splits and simultaneously becomes about Horn's life years from now after the book's events are over and what is happening now and what gets him to Green. He manages to do both without becoming confusing and still allowing mysteries to linger for future novels and does it so easily that you don't realize how difficult this is to pull off. Which is what makes it deceptive, he pulls you right into the complex and you never realize how much of a fractal you've entered.

Gene Wolfe at his best as he weaves the whorl and Horn in an enigmatic manner that exemplifies his style. I am always just short of being frustrated with Wolfe. You wait and wait, read and read, hoping for something significant to happen yet never seems to, only to discover that it has already happen but you didn't know. The frustration and mystification will only increase with subsequent books in the series as Horn devolves into
a multi-dimensional confusion of characters and space-time reality. I fell in love with the siren Seawrack and feel pity for Krait the alien vampire...or is he a manifestation of Horn's son Sinew? Wolfe will tease and tempt you but never really answer any of your questions while seducing you with effortless, gorgeous prose. I miss Silk.

Reading this brilliant first portion of "Short Sun," I repeatedly wondered if Wolfe had not decided to pay homage to David Lindsay's woefully unknown masterpiece, "A Voyage to Arcturus." In many ways, Horn seems much like Lindsay's character, Maskull, metamorphosizing to meet the demands of each situation, using and abusing those who offer him aid while trying to overcome his base urges and rise to the status of savior.

Wolfe is never content to simply tell a story, though, and his narrative complexities often scare off readers...Severian's memoir in The Book of the New Sun is, sadly, seen as overly long-winded by some; the progression of intrigues in Long Sun is considered, by many, the book's greatest weakness, along with its treasury of characters. Short Sun is no different: Horn's meditations are deeply personal, more of a confessional than anything. It is fitting that Horn, like Severian, narrates in the first person. Where Severian is distinctly amoral, relating his actions, ranging from murder to rape and worse, with no hint of regret, or even the notion that he should feel regret, Horn relates his actions with perfect honesty and marked shame...his memoir is a plea for mercy, while Severian's is simply a chance to allow others to remember.

Wolfe's characterization is at its peak, here, and I do not believe he has ever written more human characters. I'm eagerly anticipating the arrival of the next two volumes in my mailbox!

(...)
The Book of the Short Sun will be one of the finest reading experiences of your life... if you can get through the thing. The difficulty in extracting those rewards out of the text is considerable and not to be lightly discounted. Reading these books will require supreme effort. Willing readers will have to be intensely interested with how individuals relate to historical and semi-mythical figures, religion, and their own personality as influenced by these themes. These books are about as far as you can get from the popular concept of "space opera" and thrilling, "page-turning" fiction. An analogy to Moby Dick is probably very appropriate as that work due to the very slow pacing, the introspection, and the great literary symbols stomping through the setting reified and alive. Any scholar of literature should be deeply fascinated by these books.

WHY YOU SHOULD PASS:

There is no shame in not reading these books. They are terribly difficult and an exercise in stamina though we feel most people should at least try once. If you have attempted Shakespeare and been turned back because of the language; if you have attempted Moby Dick or novels by Henry James only to be turned away by the lack of progression in the plot; if you have attempted James Joyce's Ulysses but been baffled by the interior monologue, then Short Sun is probably going to daunt you as well. But we feel the rewards of this book are equal to those giants in literature.

(...)

..
I've never much cared for the Wolfe I've read (which isn't all that
much), but he gets so much praise from people whose opinions
I respect that, every few years, I try him again [note 1]. This time,
I tried On Blue's Waters (1999), since I recalled seeing some comments
that the Short Sun 'series' (which appears to be one long novel) is
unusually accessible. Plus, I saw a blurb by Michael Swanwick
praising Wolfe as the world's greatest working novelist, in *any*
genre....

Anyway, Blue's does have clear prose and an unambiguously sfnal
setting -- Blue is a pleasantly Earthlike planet that has recently been
settled by colonists from the Long Sun generation-ship, which is a
VERY large spaceship indeed. This is good, because I recall being put
off in both the New Sun and Long Sun books by the fantasy-that's-
really-SF tomfoolery [note 2].

Blue's also has a broken-back plot structure that got in the way of
Wolfe's story (IMO), but there was enough going on to lure me into
finishing the thing, even after it became obvious that this wasn't a
stand-alone book (another annoyance). Anyway, Wolfe's conceit
here is that On Blue's Waters is the memoir of the viewpoint
character (with complications noted in the reviews cited below).
Fine, except that it's a *first draft* memoir (written with a quill pen
on handmade paper....), and the narrator is constantly jumping around
from story-present to various times in his past, which I found both
confusing and annoying. Plus the bridge-bits (which make it a
'memoir' rather than flashbacks) are meandering and rather dull.
And there are all these carried-over characters from the Long Sun
books, that I'm supposed to recognize, I guess... Faugh.

So here I am again, wondering how Wolfe has acquired such a
stellar reputation from books that I find, at best, annoyingly 'literary'
and at worst unreadable. Why would Wolfe structure Blue's as a
confusing, meandering and dullish pseudo-memoir? How is this
better than using a conventional first-person with flashbacks plot-
structure? Why does Wolfe deliberately fracture and obscure what's
basically a fine travel-adventure yarn? His choice, of course, and he
clearly knows what he's doing, but it sure doesn't agree with me.
Sigh.

I'm guessing that the Short Sun is as straightforward as Wolfe is
likey to get, at novel-length anyway, and I liked On Blue's Waters
well enough that I may continue into Green's Jungles sometime --
but I'm afraid that most of the glittering jewels that others see in
Wolfe's work look like dusty pebbles to me.
___________________
Note 1). I vividly recall a long-ago weekend in some godforsaken
mining camp when for some reason all I had to read was Free Live
Free. And it rained. It was a VERY long weekend, and it was years
before I touched another Wolfe.

2). I abandoned both series (after about 1.5 of each), not because of
this, but because I Didn't Care What Happened to Those People.
I have had better luck with his short stories -- I've liked maybe 1/3 of
those that I've read, as opposed to, basically, none of the novels.
I believe that I've sampled most of what Wolfe's fans think is
his best work....

Review copyright 2002 by Peter D. Tillman
First published at Infinity Plus, with links and discussion:
infinityplus.co.uk/nonfiction/blueh2o2.htm

The line-by-line writing isn't bad. For the most part, this is an enjoyable book. But the big resolution that pulls everything together is obvious by about the third chapter. And the random sex scenes are (a). entirely dispensable and (b). very poorly written. I mean, come on, she gives him a massage, and at the end of it he says "Now I'll massage you -- from the INSIDE!"

A good read, but not the mind-blower some of these other reviews made it out to be.

Wow! I never expected the " page turning" experience that some of the other reviewers described. Perhaps the only mystery more complex than the one laid out within this book is why this book isn't a best seller. It clearly is heads and tails above any book I've read in this category. Would love to connect with the author. Brilliance! Absolute brilliance!

KJ
Palm Beach Gardens, FL

This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I ignored everything else until I finished it. It was written in a different style - weaving two stories together to make a very interesting book - a conspiracy within a conspiracy. I can't wait for the sequel!!! I enjoyed it very much and I have read plenty of books that haven't captured my imagination like this one.

I recently read "The Trial of Evan Gage" and completely enjoyed it! I was quite surprised to learn that this book is the first effort of the author Rowan Wolfe.
I thought that the storyline was intriguing, the characters crisp and interesting and Wolfe obviously researched the book thoroughly and carefully. It also helped considerably that the author included an index of the military and law enforcement terms used throughout the book.
It is a captivating and involved intertwining of stories and I look forward with great anticipation to her next book.

Good Job!!!
Gary Evans
Savannah, Ga.

This book really was a page turner. I know a lot of people say that but once I got in to it and got connected with the characters I really could not stop until I had finished. Just ask my husband! This book had a lot of information in it to make it very connected to the times that we are in at this moment. I can not wait to read the next installment!!

The stories in this book are almost all winners. Read with care or you will miss critical details. Wolfe never explains completely, and he never gives a clue twice. My favorite is "Seven American Nights," the travel journal of a lost tourist from the Middle East in a fallen America. Pay attention and you may find a second horror story behind the obvious one.

I also loved "The Death of Dr. Island," "The Eyeflash Miracles," "Hour of Trust," and "Tracking Song." Some of the really short ones, like "Cues" are extremely cryptic and seem to be jokes.

Wolfe is the best writer at work in SF and fantasy. These early stories prove just how subtle, exciting and completely riveting his writing can be. Each story is a true gem, and each is totally different. The title story (and the variants on that title) all provide insight into the human heart you cannot believe until you have read them, aand the sorcery of the writing just pulls you right into each imaginary world. Irresistable.

These being the first short stories I've read by Gene Wolfe I went into the read curious, hopeful and genuinely unsure how they'd turn out. I'll be upfront w/my bias; I think Gene Wolfe is an amazing author.

The good news: I'm even more impressed by his writing and stories than I was before.

The bad news: Not every story is amazing; such is reading short fiction collections.

Overall, I rate this as an excellent collection of short fiction, and unless you simply have an aversion to the fantastic, I would highly recommend it. And if you already like Gene Wolfe? Look for familiar devices, such as memory and sense perception. He winds such nice paths...

His Castle of Days comes at the second place.
One other reviewer called this a perfect introduction to Wolfe. It certainly is. Do not begin with The Fifth Head of Cerberus. That one might turn you off.
Wolfe is at his best in these short stories and he keeps publishing them. I hope an additional collection will appear. Even in his novels Gene Wolfe holds tight to his concept of creating tiny gems of writing. Every chapter in the Book of the New Sun could be seen as a short story. Some of them might well stand alone. Will make some weird reading, but that's Wolfe.
This is a review of this collection, so I will return to this book now. This language is one of the best prose I have yet encountered. Vladimir Nabokov is another superb stylist. If the language won't sedate you the ideas will.
This is so good! On par with the greatest of short story writers. Certainly the top of SF in general.
I'm not giving away anything. Just buy yourself a copy and start reading, slowly. Give it the time it needs. SF readers are generally not used to this kind of writing, but don't think you can't handle it. I don't think that many non-SF/F readers come here, but that's fine. They don't know what they're missing.
Other readers recommended the more favorite stories in this collection. Follow their advice. Start with them.

THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR DEATH AND OTHER STORIES AND OTHER STORIES (yes, it's supposed to be titled that way), first published in 1980, is Gene Wolfe's first collection of short stories. It brings together 14 works published in the 1970's, some of which originally appeared in Damon Knight's "Orbit" anthologies. Like with any collection of short stories it ranges widely, but the volume does contain some of Wolfe's finest pieces.

The first story in this book may make the reader wonder why exactly Wolfe receives so much praise, for "The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories" (1970) is a very immature work, an unconvincingly written tale of child whose love of pulp adventure magazines helps him escape a broken home. The next story, "Alien Stones", dates from two years later and shows a dramatic improvement in Wolfe's writing. On the surface it appears to be about a spaceship crew exploring an abandoned alien vessel, but under the surface hints at a darker story. Wolfe, like Larry Niven in his 60's hard science-fiction works, unfortunately underestimates the progress of technology---his spacecraft's computer uses CRT's and manual switches---and his far-future female character seems supiciously like a stereotypical ditz of the early 1970's. Nonetheless, the strong storytelling and intricate plot more than make up for this.

"Three Fingers" is a short diversion, an enhibition of Wolfe's droll sense of humour. "Tracking Song" is another of the high points of the volume, the chronicle of a journey on a frozen world where humanity has evolved into myriad diverse forms. The narration is reminiscent of Wolfe's first great novel, THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS.

If this collection begins with Wolfe's weakest story, it ends with one of his best. "Seven American Nights" is the record of an Iranian visiting a bizarre post-apocalyptic America for less than honourable purposes, an ironic reversal of the phenomenon of 60's hippies visiting the Middle East for drug tourism. The novella contains the hallmarks of Wolfe's finest writing: unreliable narration, casual relevations, fantastic world-building, the perpetual feeling that the reader isn't getting the whole story, and an ending that shows that all the plot's secrets were really right there in the text all along. This is a powerful work, and it is worth buying the entire collection just for it.

While perhaps not ideal for the reader who hasn't read anything but Wolfe yet, this is an excellent work to turn to next if you enjoyed one of his accessible works like The Book of the New Sun, PEACE, or THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS.

"It's a comprehensive and exhaustively researched offering and a fine addition to Wolf's career in helping Pennsylvania anglers better know and respect their home waters. With its detailed maps and hatch charts, it also will help traveling anglers find and fish their way around the Keystone State."

"Over the years, a number of books have been written offering insight to the best places where (fishing) opportunity can be found. However, none is as complete as recently released, Dave Wolf's, Flyfishers Guide to Pennsylvania. This book is complete and provides tidbits of information overlooked in the past, but not in this book. The book can not only serve as a fishing guide, but for travel as well, covering where to stay, restaurants, fly shops and much more."

"Wolf, although an ardent trout fisherman, includes in this book information for the ever-growing number of anglers that have taken to fishing for cool and warm-water species using buggy-whip techniques. And it doesn't end there. It is a great reference to the special waters of Pennsylvania even for bait and spinning tackle anglers....

If you are looking for a book to give you general knowledge on better known trout fishing streams in Pennsylvania, then this book will meet your needs. Unfortunately, the author does not do a good job of covering remote streams in many parts of the state that are excellent producing streams and beautiful places to fish. I was especially disappointed in his lack of coverage of streams in McKean and Warren County. I would not recommend this book to an avid Pennsylvania fisherman. The book is adequate for an out-of-state fisherman who is looking to fish some of the more popular streams in PA.

I've had this book for several years and I've found it to be a very useful resource. The hatch charts are extremely helpful, especially for trout anglers. While the author made a better than average attempt to cover the warmwater opportunities in the Keystone State, for the most part only the most well known sites were covered. Certainly Pennsylvania has some world famous trout streams, but the variety and quality of our warmwater fisheries is truly extraordinary. Some of the streams that were covered specifically for the trout they hold probably offer better bass fishing over most of their length. Trout centered thinking is far too prevalent in the fly fishing community and as a result this sort of overemphasis on trout is typical of many fly fishing guides. Indeed, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is guilty of killing thousands of trout annually by stocking them in waters so warm they are almost certain to all die by Memorial Day. I know that Mr. Wolf is a skilled and avid warmwater fly fisher. I hope in the future he will update this guide and give our warmwater fisheries the coverage they deserve.

This book is a well written guide to understanding what is happening in our society and how one youth deals with it. All ages should read this and would find it interesting and enjoyable.

Out of the Gray Zone is a great read! It is not only enjoyable as fiction; it is also thought provoking in its story line. When I first started reading the book I thought it would be more for the general high school male audience, therefore not my type. It begins with a young man absorbed in a music high, imagining himself as a big rock star. Only he carried something more important, outweighing all the inconveniences he would have ever had to encounter. Jeremy's will and hope was for freedom to play music, freedom from HPG patrols, Drug Enforcement or some other arms of the government. The novel's descriptiveness and ease of reading came strongly across just as vividly as if I was watching an awesome action movie. The main character let me have a glimpse into how inconceivable our world might possibly become if we allowed the present tendencies of our leadership to take over. Look around. We are already in the "Gray Zone" with Ritalin and national ID. Beware -- reality IS stranger than fiction.

I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the next RebelFire book.

After ordering the book, I waited with great expectations that the book would read like The Black Arrow or some other great work. It didn't. I gave it a 3 because it is well written by two great authors who see things the same way I do, but it just didn't have a story line or development that would deserve a 5 in my humble opinion. I had to temper that with the fact that this book was written for teens, so the language and the levels of sex and violence had to match the intended audience. A 13 year old might like it, but I found it - shall we say - bland. I think most teen-agers would rather see more blood & guts (video games makes them that way). It could have been better. I hope the sequel finds Jeremy in the rebellion toting an old fashioned AK-47 against the evil CentGov troopers. What the heck, buy one and read it. You'll need it to understand the sequel.

If Mark Twain were alive today, he'd recognize a little of his work in this tale of a boy battling the wilderness and the system. That said, it's a good read and I eagerly await the next volume in the series.

I'm 13 yrs., old almost 14, and my parents bought me this book because I'm a teenager and it was recommended by JFPO( Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership). Just the same, I wish they had read it first. There were some references to adult topics that I did not want to see and that I wish my parents had removed first.I also don't like rock music. Those, however are my ONLY complaints withs this book. It's fast-paced, exciting, thrilling... in a nutshell, GREAT! It is an excellent example of what those New World Order freaks want to do to us. No meat, no guns, no opinions (except those that are approved, of course), everybody tracked, drugged, and the list goes on and on. However, I think that an adult should read this first and blackout/ whiteout some parts, those parts being the only thing that kept this from getting a 5 star rating.

Fred Neff wrote Lessons from the Art of Kempo, a book that is as much about a philosophy of life as it is about a martial art. According to the author, "the ultimate aim of Kempo practitioners is not only to grow in power, but to improve themselves and learn to live in harmony with others." Kempo, as explained by Fred Neff, is a beautiful method of harnessing a person's abilities to be in tune with nature. The author says, "Kempo teaches not only how to efficiently protect yourself, but also how to flexibly combine techniques in a smooth free flowing action that seems almost effortless to the viewer." The book explains Kempo as a form of continuous energy that changes as it flows. The Kempo practitioner's goal is to strive to perform in such a manner as to promote harmony. Implicit within Fred Neff's book is the message that energy can move in a linear manner, at an angle or a circular manner. While Lessons From The Art of Kempo shows linear and angular moves there is a definite underlying emphasis on softer circular movements that do not directly oppose force, but rather redirect it. The Kempo book has clear explanations and photo illustrations that make learning easier and more enjoyable. Consistent with the book's philosophic leanings that emphasize the use of the mind is the chapter on "Effective Kempo Strategy." The lessons on strategic approaches to the use of Kempo are easy to understand, practical and further solidify in the reader's mind potential uses of the fighting moves taught earlier in the book. Fred Neff's Lessons From The Art of Kempo is a thinking person's martial art book that transcends just teaching how to fight to that of a holistic approach to improving oneself through the study and practice of the Art of Kempo. The book's point that a Kempo practitioner should strive toward developing harmony with nature and other people is a positive social concept that appears consistent with the author's own approach. The author Fred Neff has done extensive community work as a teacher and lawyer, which has resulted in his receiving the city of St. Paul Citizen of the Month Award, a Commendation from the Sibley County Attorney's Office, the WCCO Good Neighbor Award, The HLS Justice Award, Lamp of Knowledge Award From The Twin Cities Lawyers Guild and the Presidential Medal of Merit. Fred Neff's Lessons from the Art of Kempo is a gem of a book that I very strongly recommend.

"Kempo is an art of philosophy, physical culture, and self-defense that develops the body, mind, and spirit. It includes meditation, punching, striking, kicking, throwing, and locking techniques. Also included are dodges, blocks, and sticking techniques for tying up an opponent with his or her own arms. Kempo moves are both linear and circular, allowing for a smooth flow of action from soft to hard movement. There is a continuity of action that make it exhilarating to practice, irresistible to watch, and difficult to defend against."

"Ultimate aim of kempo practioners is not only to grow in power, but to improve themselves and learn to live in harmony with others. Kempo teaches not only how to efficiently protect yourself, but also how to flexibly combine techniques in smooth, free-flowing action that seems almost effortless to the viewer."

Kempo principles: 1. Don't worry, instead focus on the solution. The byproduct of relaxation and comfort is the path to finding solutions. 2. You can do whatever you believe is possible. 3. Use your opponent's actions against him or her. Any action creates a weakness or an opening for counterattack. Even an opponent's strength can be manipulate and turn it to your advantage. 4. Concentrate on what you do well 5. Be flexible in your approach. Learn to use techniques that will work in a situation and discard anything that will not. A Kempo practitioner learns to expect the unexpected, and varies the self-defense to fit the situation. 6. Preserve. Fighting is not about show but perseverance to survive and win. 7. Dedicate yourself to continual self-improvement. The quality of your training determines the success of failure. Kempo philosophy teaches that knowledge is endless. Practitioners of kempo never become conceited because they know that kemp is an endless way. 8. Take advantage in adversity. Every crisis has two elements: danger and opportunity. If you do not despair, if you see the opportunity and work hard to overcome the difficulty, you will gain from every experience. You must overcome the feeling of doubt caused from self-seeking validation. A kempo practitioner stands alone in his skills. 9. Try to live in harmony with nature and its ways. Unity of action creates harmony and strength.

Stances: Natural Stance, Back Stance or Cat Stance, Front Stance (R or L Cover), Horse Stance, Reverse Cover

Hand positions: low guard, Mid guard, high guard (preferred)

Foot patterns: slide step (shuffle), step 45 degrees, side step, circle step, cross over (forward and back), and half turn (crescent step).

Blocks: Inward block, Outward block, downward block, upward block, upper and lower block, and fan block (parry and chop or parry and simultaneous backfist)

C1: L knife block, R vertical punch to solar plexus
C2: L knife block, L punch to the bridge of nose
C3: R cover, step forward R punch to groin (opponent left downward block), R backfist to face (R upward block), R grab and pull down trapping opponents L arm over R arm, finish with L punch to face.
C4 : Opponent throws a L and R punch. From a R cover, left outward block, grab, and pull and R outward block the opponents R punch, grab and cross Opponents R over L arm, finish with a L uppercut to the opponents R ribs.
C5: R cover, R rear kick plant back, L and R punch
C6: R cover, L front snap kick, R side kick thrust
C7: R cover, shuffle forward, L backfist, half step CC, R punch, R sweep kick to the legs
C8, R cover, L punch, L backfist, R punch
C9: R cover, L side kick, R round kick
C10: L cover, R backfist, left cross behind towards opponent, step behind, two hand sweep the opponent over the R knee
C11: L cover, L side kick, R round kick, L spinning backkick.
C12: R cover, L front snap kick, spinning R back kick
C13: R cover, L outward block, shuffle, R uppercut, L punch

Basic strategies:
1. Keep calm
2. Use your mind. Fight intelligently. Fight passionately. Feel the power and speed of the technique without thought. Fight with an empty mind. Fight without fighting.
3. Control the situation. Try to maneuver into a place where you can best take advantage of your skills and strengths. Close the gaps and Fight in close and decrease the chances the opponent will kick you from a distance systematically. Do fight for show or flash. Fancy techniques are abandoned as injury and risk increases. Use what works.
4. Watch the opponent's actions. Watch for the signals an attack is coming. Don't be presumptuous about the opponent's abilities or inabilities. Watch for shifts in weight that indicate the opponent is preparing to kick. Take the simple technique for protection, such as an inward block. An inward block by itself can break bones in the forearm. Less is more.
5. Consider range in select a technique. Be care not too seek demonstration of skill but think about why the technique will work and what gates it will open. The flow into the gate should be natural and predictable. Find the obvious opening.
6. Disrupt the opponent balance. The best technique is always to put the opponent on the ground on his back. This is the most vulnerable position to be in for the opponent.
7. Use movement as a defensive weapon.
8. Keep the techniques simple
9. Use the element of surprise.

Kempo is a passion of mine that has not abated in the fourteen years I have been practicing it. In my continuing quest for more knowledge I have tried to learn everything that I could on the subject. After reading numerous books on Kempo and other martial arts books with discussions of Kempo, I find that my favorite martial arts book is "Lessons from the Art of Kempo." This book in a straightforward and useable way lays out REAL Kempo--not what you see in the movies or the useless open hand waving movements that some have tried to pass off as Kempo. Lessons from the Art of Kempo shows you the fundamentals of REAL Kempo and how to apply them. Even after practicing Kempo for years, I still find this book has strong meaning and appeal for me. I enthusiatically recommend this book not only to others with a passion for learning Kempo, but for anyone who wants to learn about the REAL art of Kempo.

I am an avid student of Asian history and martial arts. For the last 12 years I have made a study of Asian fighting strategies such as described in Sun Tzu's masterpiece "Sun Tzu Bingfa" ("The Art of War"), which is the definitive work on strategy and Miyamoto Musashi's "Book of Five Rings." In "Lessons from the Art of Kempo" Neff has done an excellent job making practical use of Asian strategic fighting considerations. Chapter 12 of Neff's book on kempo strategy very favorably impresses me. This chapter includes principles from Sun Tzu, Miyamoto Musashi and others. The net effect of Neff's book kempo is that complex principles of strategy have been condensed into workable and usable ways for people to defend themselves. I applaud this book's easy to read straight forward manner. I highly recommend "Lessons from the Art of Kempo" by Fred Neff to anyone. It earns my most enthusiastic 5 star rating.

Kempo is the "fist way" as shown in Lessons From The Art Of Kempo by Fred Neff. Too many books that claim to be on kempo are nothing more than a collection of flashy movements that are impractical and have no usefulness in a real fight. Lessons From The Art Of Kempo gets down to what you need to know and need to do in order to win a fight. It shows conditioning exercises, how to position your body in a fight, how to hit, where to hit and winning strategies. I like Lessons From The Art Of Kempo because it is reality based and does not waste space on flashy movements that have no value and are a waste of time to anyone serious about self-defense. If you want to learn to fight better and--more importantly--smart, a good first step is to read this outstanding book on kempo written by Fred Neff.

In these trying and chaotic times, Firms of Enderament offers a refreshing new look at capitalism and what it really takes for a business to be successful in today's complex and ever shifting markets.
The authors start by identifying and studying the practices of comanies that honor and serve their customers, employees, suppliers,partners, investors and even the commuities in which they operate. After identifying 28 companys which score high marks in these areas, then and only then do the authors take a peek at the bottom line performance of this group. They then compare these bottom line results with their counterparts which are driven by the traditional and singular focus of shareholder wealth.
The results are eye opening as the FoE's profit performance is 8 times that of those companies which compulsively and almost exclusively pursue the bottom line in the interest of shareholder return. The book makes a compelling arguement that nice guys (business people) can finish first and that by paying attention to its stakeholders rather than just its shareholders a company can excel even beyond the paragons described in the works of Jim Collins.
Firms of Endearment is an excellent work and should be included in the curricula of business schools around the world.

Much like Gary Hamel's book The Future of Management, one needs to read this book with an open mind. It is an exceptional book and one that I am giving away to my clients this coming Holiday. It is thought provoking and enlightening. Above all it stresses that companies have a need above profit. That profit is the score, not the game itself. Perhaps had the management of Enron and others of that ilk truly believed in a purpose beyond profit, corporate America would not being wearing SOX today.

There's a difference when you fly Southwest vs. United. You feel different shopping at Costco than you feel shopping at Wal-mart. Why? That question is explored and answered in the book Firms of Endearment: How World-Class Companies Profit from Passion and Purpose by Raj Sisodia, Jag Sheth, and David B. Wolfe. This is one of those books that will cause you to think about why you feel as you do towards certain companies, and how those feelings translate into real profits.



Contents: A Whole New World; It's Not Share of Wallet Anymore - It's Share of Heart; New Age, New Rules, New Capitalism; The Chaotic Interregnum; Employees - The Decline and Fall of Human Resources; Customers - The Power of Love; Investors - Reaping What FoEs Sow; Partners - Elegant Harmonies; Society - The Ultimate Stakeholder; Culture - The Secret Ingredient; Lessons Learned; Crossing Over to the Other Side; Acknowledgements



On Wall Street, companies are usually judged on their profit. Squeeze as much out of your business as you can, cut costs wherever possible, and make sure you meet your numbers. To be sure, plenty of companies are successful under those rules (such as Wal-mart). But when you look at their performance over the last few years on the stock market, returns have been stagnant or have trailed the field. The alternative way to run a business is as a "firm of endearment" (FoE). These companies have a passion for what they do/sell, they have a strongly defined purpose for what they want to accomplish, and they look to contribute to society in more ways than just the quarterly dividend to shareholders. These FoEs, like Costco, Whole Foods, Harley-Davidson, and others, include stakeholders to mean all parts of society that they touch... shareholders, employees, the community, etc. The focus isn't on pure profit, but instead on contributing to the well-being of all the stakeholders. That's why a company like Costco can afford to pay their employees a living wage, have low turnover, and *still* turn a substantial profit. They have captured the hearts of their customer base, and that base will go out of their way to shop at Costco whenever possible. That's also why a company like Ikea can propose a new location and have nearly universal acceptance in the community, while a new Wal-mart location brings out protesters in force. There's obviously a lot more that differentiates FoEs from their counterparts in the marketplace, but once you recognize an FoE, you'll understand why they are successful by *not* following the same formula as everyone else.



It's tempting to think that all the FoEs covered in this book can do no wrong. That's not the case. JetBlue was/is an FoE that badly damaged their reputation during the winter when storms caused massive cancellations. It even led to the resignation of the CEO. Like other business books of this genre (In Search Of Excellence, From Good To Great), only time will tell how these companies will fare over the long term. It may well be that a decade from now, the stars of this book will have all fallen to the wayside. But I would venture to guess that the companies covered here will have a much larger margin of forgiveness than would other companies that are just focused on the next quarter...



This is a book that is highly recommended for anyone running a business. It should cause you to rethink the factors of success for your company, as well as point you in directions that could lead you to become an FoE in your niche.

This book identifies a batch of companies that have oriented their business model to providing a superior feeling in the minds of their customers. In many cases I absolutely agree with them.

Wegman's supermarkets for instance presents an excellent shopping experience. I particularly love their cheese department where knowledge people stand ready to discuss their magnificant array of choices and even to giving you samples to taste seemingly without end or sales pressure. In turn I buy far more cheeses than I would otherwise. We both win.

But then they turn to Wal-Mart and repeat a litany of alleged problems with employees, suppliers, and communities. My own experience with Wal-Mart is limited to one store in the small town where I live. But my experience doesn't match the alleged problems. I go there, the people, from the greeter at the door to the most junor sales clerk are friendly and willing to walk halfway across the store to help me find something. I talk to people who work there (away from the store) and they universally say that it is the best job they've ever had. Does the Wal-Mart experience depend on the store? Are the alledged problems just that, allegations? And for that matter, does every Wegman's have such an excellent cheese department? And what about Microsoft? Everyone (nearly) uses their products and most people hate the company. What does this say about their future? I guess we'll just have to watch and see.

This is a book that describes one way of doing business that has worked for a lot of companies. It provides a good insight into what these companies do.

In the Prologue, when discussing The Age of Transcendence through which the contemporary business world is now proceeding, the co-authors (Rajendra S. Sisodia, David B. Wolfe, and Jagdish N. Sheth) suggest that it is "a cultural movement in which physical (materialistic) influences that dominated culture in the twentieth-century are ebbing while metaphysical (experiential) influences become stronger. This is helping to drive a shift in the foundations of culture from an objective base to a subjective base: People are increasingly relying on their own counsel to decide what the truth is...That shift acknowledges a long-suppressed idea in a world largely guided by Newtonian certainty that chemistry Nobel laureate Ilya Prigogine says is scattering to the winds: Ultimately, everything is personal."

Thus do the authors establish a frame-of-reference for the thesis of their book: That each stakeholder in an organization tends to thrive best when all stakeholders thrive. That is, no stakeholder group is more important than any other. "It is disciplined dedication to the well-being of all stakeholders that separates firms of endearment from their competition." Stakeholder relationship management (SRM), the authors suggest, can achieve and then sustain superior business performance that, in turn, will create n a decisive competitive advantage. They are convinced that SRM business models will increasingly be seen "as the most efficacious way to achieve sustained superior business performance in years to come" but only if (huge "if") the interests of all stakeholder groups are brought into strategic alignment.

Two Questions: Are all stakeholder groups of equal importance and do they have the same interests? Also, are all members of a stakeholder group (e.g. shareholders) of equal importance and do they have the same interests? These questions occurred to me as I read the first chapter, especially the brief discussion of the "distinctive" core values, policies, and attributes that firms of endearment (FoEs) share in common. Eventually, Sisodia, Wolfe, and Sheth provide answers to these questions, answers best revealed within the narrative.

If indeed "endearing companies tend to be enduring companies," how do the 28 FoEs that "made the final cut" for this book compare with the 11 companies praised by Jim Collins in Good to Great? "Over a 10-year horizon, FoEs outperformed the Good to Great companies by 1,026 percent to 331 percent (a 3.1-to-1 ratio). Over five years, FoEs outperformed the Good to Great companies by 128 percent to 77 percent (a 1.7-to-1 ratio). Over three years, FoEs performed on par the Good to Great companies: 73 percent to 75 percent." (FYI, there are no duplicates on the two lists.) As with the exemplary companies discussed by Thomas J. Peters in Robert H. Waterman, Jr. in In Search of Excellence, not all companies on any such list continue to meet the criteria that were the basis of their initial selection.

For me, some of the most interesting material is presented in Chapter 11, "Crossing Over to the Other Side." At one point, the authors cite Oliver Wendell Holmes's observation "I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity." They then quote one of my favorite passages in James O'Toole's The Executive's Compass:

"To move beyond the confusion of complexity, executives must abandon their constant search for the immediately practice and, paradoxically, seek to understand the underlying ideas and values that have shaped the world they work in. Managers who clamor for how-to instruction are, by definition, stuck on the near side of complexity."

According to Sisodia, Wolfe, and Sheth, the big challenge of the times is to transcend the zero-sum mindset because, given the profusion of new opportunities, absolutes (by nature limiting) are found everywhere on the near side of complexity. "They emerge from people's perennial quest for pat solutions, or `silver bullets,' as they are sometimes described. This is a key point because, as Sisodia, Wolfe, and Sheth explain, a zero sum mindset leads to the conclusion that one stakeholder group can only benefit at the expense of the other stakeholder groups...However, opportunities increase by an order of magnitude when the mind breaks free of zero-sum thinking."

There are specific reasons why endearing companies tend to be enduring companies and one of the most important is their having "the ability to transcend ruthless competition and embrace the fruits of cooperation [which is] the essence of evolved humanness."

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Bill George's Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value and his later book, True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership, co-authored with Peter Sims. Also Michael Ray's The Highest Goal, Adrian J. Slywotzky's The Upside: The 7 Strategies for Turning Big Threats into Growth Breakthroughs, Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill, and David Robertson as well as Ram Charan's Know-How: The 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform from Those Who Don't, Lynda Gratton's Hot Spots: Why Some Teams, Workplaces, and Organizations Buzz with Energy - And Others Don't, Robert J. Herbold's Seduced by Success: How the Best Companies Survive the 9 Traps of Winning, Jack Alexander's Performance Dashboards and Analysis for Value Creation, and Michael Useem's The Go Point: When It's Time to Decide--Knowing What to Do and When to Do It.

These books, though written so long ago, are timeless and very enjoyable. Stout's forte was character building, and let me tell you there is no one out there like overweight Nero Wolfe! This book is all about a pedigree bull if you can imagine, but it is really good. Wolfe and his sidekick Archie are out of their element here again since they are in the countryside attending a country fair with Wolfe's orchids, and they happen to stumble upon a murder that occurs in a bull pasture. Wolfe knows its murder, but has to convince the local yokels of this fact. There are something like 46 Nero Wolfe novels, and I'm very tempted to read the entire series, since these are just so good.

It is amazing that a book written so long ago is still so entertaining. I will be reading the entire series and I bought the 1st seasaon DVD for a friend.

Some Buried Caesar begins with an auto accident as Archie Goodwin is driving Nero Wolfe to an orchid exhibition. Wolfe, in his own considerate way, loses no opportunity to tell everyone he meets that Archie has wrecked his car. While this definitely helps fuel some of the comedy in the book, it's not quite the central plot thread. It turns out that Wolfe and company get sucked into a murder investigation where the prime suspect is a prize bull. Wolfe knows that the bull is innocent but has to prove it to the police to earn his fee. There is plenty of enjoyable snappy patter and the story moves along at a nice brisk pace. Archie also picks up something of a girlfriend, Lily Rowan, who will be around off and on for the rest of the series.

Most Wolfe novels have him safely at home in the city but this one pulls him out of his cozy confines and this definitely helps add spice to the story. Speaking of the story, it's one of Rex Stout's best. The characters are varied and interesting and the murder mystery is just as baffling as you could hope for. Some of the dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny, just as you would expect from Wolfe and Goodwin.

If you've never read a Nero Wolfe book, this one would make a great introduction to the series. If you have read some of the novels, this one is well worth adding to your collection. In short, I would recommend it without reserve to almost anyone.

This is a great example of why this series is so enjoyable. Nero Wolfe proven right about automobiles, Wolfe trapped in a pasture by a bull, (Threatened by food, how appropriate.) Archie meets the one woman who sticks around (Lily Rowan) and a mystery that only gets solved with one of Wolfe's outrageous, but plausible (well, almost plausible) schemes. All the usual pleasures are just a bit better in this one, Archie gets arrested (as per usual) but instead of just suffering comically, he decides to organize the inmates. The banter between Goodwin and Rowan is another highlight (You'll see why Stout kept her around) and the twists and turns all have purpose. This one is one of the true classics of the series.

And it's not Hickory Caesar Grindon, the bull, either. This early Wolfe introduces Archie to his lifelong companion Lily Rowan.

Lily sticks with Archie (God knows why) for the rest of the series, which means from 1939 to 1975.

Some would say that Archie should be ashamed that he never makes an honest woman of Lily - I mean, isn't 36 years long enough? But that shows that they've not understood Lily - or Archie, for that matter.

Lily is a classic proto-feminist. She is independent and wilful. SHe thinks and acts for herself. Marriage, as she would define it, poses unacceptable terms to her: having to conform her actions to the expectations of someone else.

A great pleasure was seeing Kari Matchett play Lily in the much-lamented A&E series on Nero Wolfe. She was perfect: beautiful, self assured, charming and very much her own woman.

Oh, the story: a prize bull is killed and so is another person associated therewith...Wolfe, already grossly inconvenienced and in a highly uncomfortable place, must unravel this to assure that Archie does not languish in a provincial prison.

And, of course, a relationship begins which lasts a lifetime. The language and the characters in this story are irresistable, and Michael Prichard does his usual, wonderful job in capturing the spirit of Rex Stout's writing.

It's a story that stands up to multiple listenings. Enjoy!

Although it's aimed at adults, Vanishing Act is the best children's book I've ever seen. Kids treat it like a puzzle as they pick out the animal from its background. It gives us a chance to explain to them about life on earth when they are totally engaged. The photography is beautiful, too.

Art Wolfe has turned wildlife photography upside down. Instead of isolating animals in their environment, he has shown them as part of the ecosystem in the most striking way.

Amazing and highly recommended.

Bought this for a Christmas and everyone wanted to look through it before I gave it away. It is great fun for all ages!!!

I purchased this book as a gift for my elderly grandma. Both she and the rest of my family enjoy looking through the beautiful photos to spot the camouflaged animals.

This is such an amazing and wonderful book of photos taken by Art Wolfe. "Vanishing Act" refers to the natural camouflage of living beings as they blend into their environment, as a means of self-preservation.

Honestly, I have had to look at some of the pictures 3 or 4 times before I could locate the animal, insect, bird, etc. that was lurking there. There is a "cheat sheet" in the back of the book, but I am determined to locate these creatures without resorting to outside help.

It is so amazing that I could look at a large picture 3 or 4 times and not see what I was looking at; however, once you see it clearly you can't understand how you could have missed it in the first place. Isn't nature grand? I have two of Art Wolfe's works hanging on my walls and they are the first things commented on by any visitor to my home.

Buy this book!

A mezmerizing coffee table book. It's almost a puzzle to find the incredible creatures in the photos that have natural camouflage. Large format views with lots of detail. A nature lover's must-have.

Although The Living Wild was published a few years ago, it remains a unique achievement. Art Wolfe shot most of these photographs in just a year and a half, assembling a lifetime of images in that short span. All were shot in the wild. We see Wolfe's characteristic wide range of approach and imaginative compositions.

The book is a resource of photographers. Wolfe explains how he took each shot and gives us a glimpse into the way a wide range of animals live in a variety of ecosystems.

Jim Zuckerman

Others have commented rightly that the photographs in this book are fantastic. The book is hardcover and large format and takes hours to go through.

However, this book is particularly good for amateur photographers. The book is split into several sections, based on ecosystem - island & ocean, moutain, subtropical, etc. At the end of each section, Wolfe has a couple paragraphs about the animals in every single photograph. In addition, for every single photograph, he includes a paragraph about how it was taken and why it was taken that way. He also includes camera, lens and film used, and aperture and shutter speed. I find looking at a beautiful photograph and then learning about how it was created a great way to learn. I have encountered few nature photography books with this kind of information.

The photographs alone make this book worth the money. However, the details about how the photographs were taken make it a book that anyone who enjoys taken photographs will especially enjoy.

Exquisite photographs of the living world. It is a coffee-table book, but large and heavy enough to have difficulty maneuvering it, but worth the effort. I have two of Art Wolfe's photographs in my apartment and they are always the first thing people comment on.

It is a beautiful book as one would expect because the photos are by Art Wolfe. In addition there are descriptions of how and why he took each picture. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in wildlife and/or photography.

I liked the photography in this book but i can not believe how UNSHARP many of the shots appear to be. They are blown up way too much considering he works with 35mm equipment. The book layout is splendid but should be produced in half the dimensions of the current version. Best part is the distribution maps with the photos reduced and a brief write-up about the species and how the shots were taken.