Dance Books

Wow! What a fantastic story. Characters are clever, intriguing, but somehow familiar. Story keeps you guessing and wanting more. I found it very hard to put down and lost sleep just to finish that last chapter. I can't wait until the next book. Move over John Grissom & Mary Stewart... Tamara Hanson is here and she ROCKS!

Preston Campbell is an ambitious, upright guy. His flaw? Waffling when confronted with conflicts between integrity and love. Hanson obviously knows her stuff: Dallas haunts and hot spots, accounting, taxes (and loop holes), insurance and cigar-smoking, diamond-flashing high-rollers. Her characters are familiar around these parts, yet they never collapse into stereotypes. The good guys' flaws are embarrassingly easy to identify with. The bad guys can be crafty and charming. Minor characters have their own stories that explain their unexpected behaviors. I am so inured to unrealistic endings that this one really surprised me. TV dramas keep you hanging until next week, movies either have a Speilberg "isn't it all nice?" conclusion, or a Tarantino debacle which leaves no one unscathed. At this writing, who knows how the real-life corporate trials will conclude (Enron, World Com and others), but in Hanson's world regardless of power, status, wealth, or influence, the scammers get scammed, the forgivers get forgiven, and family ties matter.
Women who like Nora Roberts, Charlotte Vale Allen and Elizabeth Adler will probably enjoy this. Men who enjoy Sidney Sheldon, and fiction about wheeler-dealers may find entertainment (and instruction) in these pages.

Hanson takes us into the heart of Texas. . . and deep into the heart of one of the most memorable characters of our time, Preston Smith-along with his mentors, friends, and enemies. In a tale of bittersweet tenderness and the unexpected turns that life can take, Tamara Hanson, in Mastering the Dance (Skyward Publishing, new release title), is at her very best: warm, compassionate, the author captures the feelings and needs and desires of her characters in a way that possess a reality unique in American fiction.

Preston Smith, a bright and handsome young accountant, who takes a job with Hank Cantrell, a real estate magnate and longtime client, soon finds himself trapped in a downward spiral of tax evasion, embezzlement, and cover ups. As Preston's future hangs in the balance and he faces prison, he is aided by Amanda Hale Young, the attorney who loves him. Preston realizes his irresistible desires for wealth and the love of Kate Cantrell have led him to the edge. To clear his name, he must risk losing everything he's worked for.

Hanson's quick, eager sympathy for her characters, her ability to slip easily in and out of their minds and hearts, and her effortless narrative style all combine to create a story that is as emotionally involving as it is entertaining. . .absolutely satisfying.

This is a superb book by Tamara Hanson, a new author who has already "mastered the dance" of telling an intricate story. Set in an affluent area of Dallas, Texas, the story seamlessly weaves the corrupting influence of power and greed among the elite and "would be" elite, with intricate family and personal relationships. A real estate deal going bad is at the heart of the events which challenge the ethics and sensibilities of the power brokers, accountants and lawyers directly involved, but ultimately affect the families and lovers of the deal makers. The fallout has suprising, yet believable outcomes.
Ms. Hanson has done a marvelous job of vividly depicting her characters and their emotional and intellectual strengths and weaknesses. I found myself comparing her characters with real life equivalents and how closely the events described in the novel come to the real life situations and challenges we face in our own lives.
This is a must read first book. I anxiously await future works by Ms. Hanson.

The books characters were very real. We all know the people in one form or another in business. I had a difficult time puting the book down when I started reading, the feeling of having been in the lives of the people before came at the start of the book and was there when I finished. The mystery of the final solution for the bad guys was held in bay until the end. A little spicy and bits of humor was a good touch.

As an artist and art educator, I am enthralled with the photos in this book. The design elements and knowledge of art and dance all combine to create a beautiful presentation of each dance artist. The wonderful part is that the dancers are shown in their own environment. The love, absolute love of what they are doing shows in every face. The text is something you want to sit down and absorb over and over. This book is not only for one familiar with dance, but lovers of photography and the arts also. Can't wait for more!

I love this book. It is esthetically gorgeous. The text reveals the depth and complexity of these amazingly talented choreographers elicited by compelling and often humorous questions. I think Rose Eichenbaum's images and accompanying interviews show tremendous respect for her subjects. And they respond in turn by revealing so much both in front of the camera and as they speak to her of their art. If you are curious about who has been or is responsible for American dance today, you will want to read this book. Bravo!

Never before have I encountered a book with such rich content dealing with the dance field and---photos no less, that truly capture these interesting and provocative dance artists. Not only did the book peak my interest about the field, it inspired me to consider going to the theater for a evening of dance--something I haven't done in years.
I recommend this book to dancers, educators and average people who simply want to be inspired.

Jack Caffrey

I expected to be wowed by the photos in Ms. Eichenbaum's book, as I have attended some of her photography exhibits. What I did not expect was that I would be so entertained by the interviews! I am not very familiar with the world of dance but with her interviews, she has portrayed the spirit, the style and the passions of each individual -- they are all very inspirational. And with the photos and the prose combined she has really captured the essence of these dancers. You do not need to be a dancer to appreciate this book!

Lavish treatment of the American Dance scene. Warm in tone, intriguing and evocative in purpose. Photos are emotional and revealing. A 'must have' for anyone passionate about the art of dance and the dancer.

This book is well-crafted and interesting. It should hold the interest of all beginners in this topic.

It is not without its faults, however. As discussed in my book Fractals in Music, the analysis of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as based on Fibonacci numbers is not correct.

I received this unexpectantly. I enjoyed this thoroughly. I would recommend this to any one who is new to the concept of Math and Music being related and needing a rather easy and non complex explanation. The author diagrams nicely the examples with the explanations. I really think this book would be good a text book in either a high school music or math course in the history of the subject. Thank you to the person who knew me well enough to give this to me. I like this book so much that I almost read it cover to cover in one sitting.

I found this book full of very interesting data for a math report. I loved the bit on the comparison between the piano and Fibonacci numbers. Truly amazig. It has a lot of cool facts..

This book was one of the handiest and dandiest things I've ever read. It's extremely interesting, so long as you know what you're talking about. If you're not in a high level of mathematic capabilities, a lot of this will seem like junk that is interesting, but you have no clue how it works. It reveals some of the most interesting phonomena I've ever heard of, such as the flicker noise. Scaling fractals, harmonies of the worlds. This is what got me interested in astrophisics. It's a great book. Read it, live it, love it.

When you read a book like this, You spect to find out answers. And that exactly what you fell when you read the last page. The lenguage is accesible. The size of leters and the graphics make it very easy to read. I fully recomend it

I bought this book for my son for his birthday he is a big meerkat fan,he loved it!!!!!!!! Lots of great pictures inside.

A feast for Flower lovers or anyone who can't get enough of Meerkat Manor! Substantial weight "slick" paper (used for entire book) gave each picture a "hi-def" look, and there are plenty of them.
Aside from more detailed insider information (written by Cambridge
Professor Tim Clutton-Brock) there are maps of the Manor divided into
the territories held by the major meerkat clans, a chronology of Flower's life, geneological notes on Flower's children, and full-color pictures on nearly every page. Prof. Clutton-Brock has been
studying the meerkats of this area since 1993 and has done a marvelous
job of organizing and delivering a thorough and enjoyable discussion
of all things meerkat, and of Flower in particular.
I highly recommend this book for all meerkat lovers. It is worth every
penny. I know you won't be disappointed.

The book is full of beautiful photography and offers insight and additional detail to events that were softly touched on by the Animal Planet series of the same name - I find that the chart of all of Flower's pups in the back of the book to be particularly helpful.

Overall, it is well-written and easy to read - anyone who is interested in animals, Meerkat Manor, or Meerkats in general will enjoy this book.

Gives details of the Meerkat project that are sometimes only touched briefly in the Animal Planet TV series. There is heavy emphasis on reproductive strategies such as male roving and the frequent practice of infanticide of sibling's pups by pregnant females. Definitely for the reader who wants a deeper understanding of the sociobiology of another mammalian species not for someone who expects a gushing anthropomorphic indulgence. For that, view the movie!

Being a fan of Meerkat Manor, I really appreciate the information and great photos in this book. For anyone who enjoys the TV show or likes the study of animal societies, this book is for you.

This book covers a wide range of blues soloing techniques. The CD alone has 85 examples of techniques and concepts. There is even some tracks on the CD which contain background music for you to solo over and practice. The book is great at teaching the diatonic harmonica and blues playing inside and out. Possibly one of the best books ever written on blues and the diatonic harmonica.

A member of the Denver Mile High Harmonica Club has developed his blues technique tremendously with this book. Impressed with his progress, I orderd the book and am working my way through the book and CD. I have improved a lot in only a few lessons.

This book is primarily about one thing, learning how to solo with a harmonica. It teaches various techniques and has exercises to build your soloing ability. A great book, helpful to me!

Great book! Not for the beginner that can't bend notes yet. I just picked up the Harmonica about 4 months ago and just getting bending down now. Almost all of the written examples appear on the CD. A book that will get lots of use!

I've been playing harp for years. This book taught me techniques that improved my tone, my solos, my range and my overall understanding of the instrument. I'm still working on 3rd position, but at least now I have a guide.

I have always loved this song and was so glad that I bought this release with the book. The song is even better after reading the book.

I have loved "Merry Christmas From the Family" by Robert Earl Keen since the very first time I ever heard it. I was initially exposed to this song on a cable access TV show, "Viva and Jerry's Country Videos" (which is hilarious in its own right). I hadn't caught the name of the artist, so I called Viva herself and she told me to look up Robert Earl Keen. I did so, bought a couple of albums and generally liked them, but this song (and his video that goes with it) remains my favorite of his works.

This book/CD combination is very nicely produced and is basically a funny color collage telling the story of the song. The CD has my favorite version of the song on it so you can follow along if you want, or more likely just listen and laugh.

I have given several of these as gifts over the last few years and they always get rave reviews. It's kind of sad that there is more than a little truth in the song, but nonetheless it's funny, dryly tongue-in-cheek, and very well done. While this may never overtake "Silent Night" or "O Come All Ye Faithful" in the pantheon of the world's most popular Christmas songs, it has a unique charm that is like nothing else, and I recommend it highly.

This is by far the funniest thing I have seen, heard, and read in a long, long time! A must have for anyone with a sense of humor!

If you are a fan of Rober Earl Keen- I mean a fan of all his stuff from the rowdy staples "Road Goes on Forever" and "Copenhagen" to the skillfull subtle songwriting exhibited in No Kinda Dancer, and West Textures.

If this is you, then you will aprreciate this book. In short it is a hysterically illustrated version, verse by verse of his epic Chrismas Song "Merry Christmas From the Family". It is designed by esteemed Nashville graphic designer Buddy Jackson, and it is done with wit and humor in keeping with the songs' lyrics.(...)

Well, Robert Earl Keen himself said this was more of a greeting card than great literature. I think it's a delightful presentation of one of REK's best-loved songs. It's chockful of lyrics, pictures (did you know that Fran and Rita are both women?), recipes (for all those great drinks sung about), lists (10 Things You Can Do with Fake Snow, 10 Things You Won't Find in a Convenience Store), and Texas-style fun. And it includes a CD to boot, so you can listen while you read along. This is a hoot--and at this price, you can buy one for yourself and all your friends. Spread the love from the fam-o-lee!

This is as good as it gets,score-wise, for Handel's best known piece. Unless you want to spend a lot, this is it !!!

This edition of Messiah by Alfred Mann dates from the early 1960s. It is a good edition at an excellent price. For the latest scholarship and all of Handel's variants, however, you should consider the 1998 Oxford University Press edition edited by Clifford Bartlett. For the best guide to the work, read "Handel: Messiah" by Donald Burrows in the Cambridge Music Handbook series.

Paul N. Van de Water

Even to atheists and other skeptics---thanks to G.F. Handel.... I don't know anyone who doesn't love this masterpiece. Handel sets the dry prose of Revelation and Isaiah to Baroque rock n roll, and has earned a place as one of the great vocal composers of ETERNITY... This Dover full score is priced lower than some piano reductions!

Handel's Messiah is one of my favorite works of all time. And nothing goes with a great recording of this exquisite music like a fantastic score - exactly what Dover has provided for us here. Dover sews their books (they don't glue), so you can count on this score's durability, and the print is legible (which can't be said for all music) so you don't have to search out the magnifying glass to read the notes.

Masterful music in a high quality book and at a more-than-reasonable price. Do not delay in acquiring this score.

This is a wonderful book if you love to sing. Even if you just love the songs and have a copy of the concert on tape, now you can learn the words! My commumity has Messiah all sing concerts and even though I know the songs, it's always nice to have the music on hand. I ,personally, have been looking for this book everywhere!

I used this same book when I was taking lessons in high school, went on to college as an organ major, and now use for teaching my own students. This is a great way of teaching classical organ technique, if followed correctly.
It especially builds a sound pedal technique and strong fingers.
Lots of good pieces too.

I am an experienced pianist and have been tapped to play the organ at church for years, but I play it without pedals and while I have learned to choose and combine stops according to my own taste, I wanted to learn more about how stops are put together on organs. And I want to learn how to use pedals more than the occasional dominant and tonic uses I now when the music allows my time to find them.

This book is just what I wanted. Harold and Catharine Crozier Gleason have kept this method relevant through eight editions since it first appeared many decades ago. The book has explanatory text, illustrations, progressive exercises, and a nice selection of graduated pieces. The book assumes that you begin with a level of keyboard skill (piano, they say) of the level where you can handle the Bach 2 and 3 part Inventions.

Part 1 provides text that introduce you to organs, how they work, classes of pipes, mixing stops, and registration. Part 2 is just two pages providing an outline of this method. Part 3 introduces you to playing the organ on just the manuals. It begins with very simple exercises and soon provides a mixture of held and moving notes and combined touch. Finger substitution is an absolute requirement of organ technique and is taught quite well and its cousin, the finger glissando (sliding to neighboring notes). The section on how to play multi-voiced works and articulating the different voices so they are heard clearly is quite helpful. Part 4 introduces some practical issues of technique for playing pieces rather than exercises and provides more than 40 useful short pieces that give you experience in a variety of techniques and require you to use everything you have learned so far. I also enjoyed that the authors provide a few samples of the pieces in original notation along with the modern notation so you can see how different they are.

Part 5 introduces the pedal from how to sit at the console, very simple exercises including step-wise, small intervals, heel and toe, foot substitution, alternate toes, wide intervals, broken cords, harmonic intervals (playing two notes at the same time), and chords. Part 6 provides exercises and pieces for manuals and pedals together and begins very simply.

Part 7 provides some perspectives on performance practice from various periods and places including ornamentation. A table of ornaments is provided. Other issues such embellishment, notes inegales, fingering, touch, phrasing, articulation, the doctrine of affects, rubato, style, and interpretation. Part 8 covers the practical issues of playing for sacred services.

Part 9 provides scales for manuals and pedals. The appendices provide interesting material about organs around the world from various periods, information about composers of organ music of the Renaissance and the Baroque, a bibliography for further reading and a glossary.

The book is bound in a very sturdy way that will stand up to long use. However, you will have to work to get it to lay flat at the organ (at first) or use other books to keep it open to the pages you are working on.

A very useful text for pianists being used as organists, organ students, and anyone interested in developing beginning organ skills.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

Since the first appearance of Harold Gleason's Method of Organ Playing in 1937 it has been the most comprehensive and complete tool on the market for training first-class organists. The Gleason method is unique among books of its kind in that it has been in a continual state of evolution throughout its eight editions. The vast practical and pedagogical knowledge of Harold Gleason and his wife, concert organist Catharine Crozier Gleason is presented in the most up-to-date fashion in the current eighth edition. Every page of the book reflects both first-rate and recent scholarship as well as tried and true materials for beginning players. The lists of organ literature, the bibliography and the historical information that supplements the pedagogical portion of the book makes it a worthwhile investment for organists at all performing levels. As a beginning player I was reared at the organ with the fifth and sixth editions of the method and have returned to it often thoughout my career as a performer and teacher. Method of Organ Playing should be a must in the library of every serious organist and is a model for any kind of method or instruction book.

I have known since I was sixteen that Gleason is the only way to go in terms of technique. (My high school and college teachers were both Mildred Andrews' students.)I found a second edition and several fourth editions here at Amazon.com in reasonable conditions, and most of them are very affordably priced. These are wonderful collector's items at real life prices - something not often found. I have seen a fourth edition before: it is in manuscript. I look forward to seeing my second edition!

My organ instructor insisted I find this pricey book for my studies. I reluctantly ordered it, and I'm really glad I did. It is a comprehensive learning tool for any organist, useful exercises and great pieces are included.

I called every music store in my area and no one had this book, but Amazon did! I could have hunted for this book in stores forever. Save yourself the trouble and order it here.

This book is not for pianists who want a quick transition to the organ, but for serious students of the instrument. There are plenty of cheaper organ method books out there, but the Gleason is the best.

The sun never shines on this book, literally. The weather is dismal, Miss Zuka's job is rather dismal, but the plot shines. It is obvious that Jo Dereske, the author, is an ex-librarian, as she gets the library details correct. I'm a school librarian, and found it interesting that she got her Dewey Decimal number right, the precise cataloging needed right, and even the possibility of a special cataloging system for specialized collections right.

Ms. Dreske also got the Native characters right, along with the pseudo-Native characters right too. The Raven, a trickster from the Northwest, is explained well, as are the details of the museum.

I enjoyed the story. When reading a mystery, I never try to figure "who dunnit." I just read for fun. In this book, I sure never thought "who dunnit" "dunnit."

Read it for an enjoyable, easy read.

I read this book last year and I really enjoyed it. It is one of the best mysteries. The librarian Miss Zukas is dragged into a murder of the curator of rare Native American books. I Loved Ruth too and the story is easy to read and understand. Some mysteries are complicated and involved with too many characters but not this one. I couldn't put this one down. The Ravens dance is a rather enjoyable story.

Miss Zukas, a librarian in Bellehaven Washington, is asked to catalogue a collection of Native American books and memorabilia in the new Cultural Center. She is replacing Stanley Plummer whose dead body was found in the ladies' restroom at the Center, having been stabbed by a spindle-wielding murderer. She is not particularly pleased at having been "loaned" to the Center without her consent and is somewhat apprehensive as to whether she may be the next target of the murderer. In self-defense, and armed with her usual curiosity and powers of observation, Miss Zukas carries on her own investigation. As usual, her sidekick, the freewheeling artist Ruth, assists Miss Zukas in her pursuit of the killer. While working at the Center, Miss Zukas learns a lot about the Indian culture and meets some very interesting characters. With this book, Jo Dereske produces another delightful and entertaining "cozy" in her Miss Zukas Mystery Series.

I'm hooked on this series. The sleuth, Helma Zukas, is a librarian in the public library of the fictional town of Bellehaven, WA. Although a complete amateur she is unwittingly dragged into a murder investigation by the murder victim himself.

The murder victim was done to death by a paper spike in the women's washroom at a Native Cultural Centre. He was the curator of a collection of rare Native Indian books. And his death brings in Helma who takes over where he left off and then some.Quite a clever story really.

And Helma's side-kick Ruth is fun. The characters of Ms Moon, Eve and other caricatures of the library world seem all too familiar to a public library patron like myself. And the Native Indian characters are quite decently drawn. I liked Young Frank, Audrey and Juiliana.

Really a good mystery.

Besides, I've never seen the Vancouver Public Library in a mystery before and in the Raven's Dance it gets a cameo.

I read this on vacation under Hawaii's sun and was ever so grateful not to be in the gray and rainy Washington town with Ms Zukas. As a librarian, I enjoyed the librarian detective, but hope my profession isn't peopled by too many as spacy as "Ms. Moonbeam" or as hidebound and routine-driven as Ms. Zukas. Young Frank was appealing, and Ms. Zukas's free-spirited friend was beguiling. When I got back to town I went to a bookstore and purchased another paperback in the series. I guess I'm hooked.

This was fascinating to read. Three characters deliver a monologue relating to Molly's experiences temporarily regaining her vision through surgery. In addition to the clear & interesting portraits of these people, scientific information is presented in an easy to understand manner.
However, unlike other good plays I have read I have no interest in seeing the play performed. What does seeing this play add to the experience of reading the play? But definitely read it!

This year i have had the privalege of not only reading Molly Sweeney, by Brian Friel, But also playing the part of Molly. Never have i read such a brillant work of literature. The heroine,strong willed and enchanting goes through a series of operations to try and restore her vision. Through the sucesses and pitfalls of this procedure Molly shows us what true vulnerability and dreams are made of. She posesses an inner strength that can be understood only by those who have been caught between two worlds, never to re-enter either of them. She has taught me to appreciate everything I see. For she relished the world and all the beauty in it.. while those of us with vision are blind to its miracles. indeed, We are the ones with blindsight. I have never played a character I have loved as much as Molly. She took over my body and soul on stage until i existed only as her vessel.... her unique personality shining through teaching us all to value what we have, to love what we are given, and to venture into the unknown.. even if it means loosing everything we've ever understood. Brian Friel is a modern day shakespeare. Truly my favorite playwright of the 20th century, he is also my mentor, and my inspiration. Molly Sweeney is truly a miracle in print.It will change your life.

Brian Friel, Ireland's premier modern dramatist, produces a minimalist ensemble drama in this 1995 play, presenting a story of immense dramatic power with no dramatic action on stage at all. Molly Sweeney, a forty-year-old woman who lost her sight when she was a baby, is the central character, the two others being her husband Frank, and Mr. Rice, a man whose surgical skill can return partial sight to her. When the play opens, all three characters inhabit their own spaces on stage, and each tells his/her story directly to the audience, the characters having no interaction with each other at all.

In a brilliant example of dramatic irony, the play comes fully to life through their stories and achieves a poignant reality though the audience never actually sees any action. In this way, the play's structure parallels the life of Molly, a woman who sees nothing but fully experiences the joy of life. Molly is fully independent, works as a massage therapist in a local health club, and, in fact, supports her husband, who is unemployed, considering her life completely "normal." When she has the opportunity to regain partial sight, she accepts the surgery at the behest of her husband and the surgeon, a man so dependent on alcohol that he sees the surgery as his last chance to restart his career.

Through the story of the surgery and how it changes the lives of the three characters, Friel forces the audience to consider important aspects of reality and how we interpret it. As he points out during the play, a functioning person without sight has created "engrams" of reality based on the other senses and must be taught how to connect new visual knowledge with the tactile engrams of his/her life if s/he is to be successful in understanding a sighted world. The gaining of sight involves the loss of the blind person's known world and the creation of a world in which everything is constantly moving and changing, "all the consolations of...the familiar" gone forever. Friel brilliantly recreates the drama of all three main characters as they try to cope emotionally with the changes wrought by Molly's surgery.

Ultimately, the play raises complex questions about fantasy vs. fact, and imagination vs. reality and suggests that these concepts may not be the opposites that many of us think them. The unusual format of the play itself is perfectly suited to this subject matter, asking us to imagine each character's invisible, but nevertheless completely real, inner life. Mary Whipple

I Just finished this play and loved it. In fact, I found it so moving and powerfull that I was anable to close my eyes because of the haunting ramifications described in this play. I had no choice but to write this review at 2:30 AM. This play tells the story of a women who undergoes a surgery in order to regain her sight, and the aftermath of that surgery. It is told in a seris of monologues by the three central characters in the show to brilliant perfection. Read this play, it will change the way you look at the world forever

Anyone interested in the neuropsychology of vision must see or read this play! *Molly Sweeney* is great drama by an award winning playwright. It tells more of the truth about failed attempts to restore vision in those blinded by cataracts in early childhood than "To See and Not See" in *An Anthropologist on Mars*. "Molly Sweeney" should be required reading for anyone interested in "Discourse between Anthropology and Medicine."