California Books

This small book is sooo powerful it is unbelievable! I had so many aha moments that it shocked me. Would recommend this book to everyone at every age.

I picked this book up after leafing through it a bit, and what I found intrigued me to buy it. It's an interesting journey through life and growth, offering insight along the way. "The Laws of Spirit" can be read quickly, but should be savored for its rich content. Our life is always open to transformation, and only we have the power to fully direct that transformation. All life is a journey, and this books helps lay it out in simple terms to achieve balance in life. Elaine Williams

I came across this little book completely by accident (fate?) in a bookcase/library of about 800 books while renting a house for a few weeks scouting locations for my company. I was at a very low point in my life and this book taught me a new way of looking at almost every detail. This particular Dan Millman book shows you how we make life so much more difficult than it has to be. I have purchased and given away almost 40 copies of this book to friends, family, and sometimes to people I have just met or barely know that seem lost or overwhelmed with life. Suggestion: Find a spot that is special to you to sit back and absorb this book...it's an easy "short read" and I hope it speaks to you as it has to me and many others.

This book is short and to the point. The problem is that once you have the tools in this book, can you apply them. That seems to be my downfall. Another good guide book out there by my favorite author.

This book is one of my all time favorites. I have bought over 40 copies of this book and given them to friends (many of them in turn told me they bought copies of this book for friends and family). If you want to give a gift that will be appreciated, give this book as a gift!

I have reread this book several times!

Lets face it Lee lost the battle of Gettysburg. He admitted it himself, but he did have a co-conspirator. Due to his criticism of Lee, the fact that he wasnot your typical chivarlous southerner and becoming a Republican after the war Longstreet had been pick for that role. Everyone of the confederate corp commanders made mistakes. Cocky Hill letting Pettigrew go to Gettyburg with no idea of what was in front of him. Indecisive Ewell failing to attack Cenetery Hill when even Hancock admitted later that it could have been taken with a timely southern attack. And then there was Longstreet or what i like to call "The little train that couldnt" who whether right about not attacking the union postition or not certainly had a hand in that failure with his sulkying and perhaps even self fullfilling prophecy due to his lethargy and slowness. The mistakes these corp commanders made did not win the battle but only two if you want to discount that the federals won it lost the battle. Lee's ofder of pickett's charge and his incompetence in not properly overseeing Longstreets diligence in overseeing the attack especially Hill's corp lost the battle. Staurt was co-conspirator for these reason's. Would Hill have stumbled into a general engagement if Staurt's cavalry would have been there to report that it was federal cavalry and not militia in Gettysburg. There has been claims that there was sufficent cavalry left to Lee yet Stuart took every exceptional commander with him on his ride. What if he had left Wade Hampton to oversee that cavalry. As for Ewell he was getting reports that federal infantry was advancing up the Baltimore Pike It was confederate skirmishers and he was told that but how much did that and his ignorance of what federal forces were coming up because Stuart was not there to tell him contributed to Ewell hesitation. Not even Stuart can be blamed for Ewell not occupying an unoccupied Culps Hill. As for Longstreet and his suggested small flanking movement around the round tops and his larger one of putting the Condeferate force between Meade and Washington on defensible ground forcing Meade to attack. How feasible would they have been if Stuart would have been there to tell Lee where the federal forces were. Everyone of the corp commanders mistakes has the hand of Staurt on them. As for Picketts charge that was Lee's and Lee's alone so dont get the idea that this review is in anyway an attempt to exonerat him. Malvern Hill and Picketts charge showed he could perhaps be too audacious. Regarding this book hopefully it is the beginning of a movement that those Lee adoletors if they want to scapegoat Lee's failure at least it will go to the proper person. Stuart not Longstreet. I dont care about his brillance before and after the battle, i dont care that he died for his country. I dont care if he represented true southern chilavry. Jeb Staut made a monumental mistake in how he choose to obey Lee's orders by choosing a route that he could have foreseen the union army blocking his way north and his total lack of urgency in getting to Lee by chasing a wagon train half way to Washington. I have read Lee's order and while it may have given Stuart discretion in how he got there one thing was very clear in Lee's order. He wanted constant and up to date information about the whereabouts of the union army and he wanted him on Ewell flank protecting the army as SOON AS POSSIBLE and ladies and gentlemen him arriving on JULY SECOND just didnt cut it. So you Longstreet haters ease up and you Lee lovers if you have to blame someone i hope this book has at least given you the proper target.

As the last of George Pickett's men limped off the battlefield on the evening of July 3rd, 1863 it was clear the Confederate Army, after three days of fighting, had been defeated. General Lee, as the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, accepted all responsibility for the loss, but many, after the battle, blamed General J.E.B. Stuart instead. It has been 145 years since the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg, and the controversy over who is to blame for the loss has never abated.

Eric J. Wittenberg and J. David Petruzzi have brought the case to trial in their book, "Plenty Of Blame To Go Around: Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg." The first half of the book is an inquiry into the facts of the case, as the authors present General Lee's orders to Stuart as exhibits. Their careful and diligent research has turned up many witnesses, both Union and Confederate, who add their testimony, and together, they form a narrative of the events following Stuart's departure with his cavalry, their ride around the Federal Army and their arrival on the battlefield of Gettysburg on July 2nd.

The second half of the book enters the historiography of Stuart's ride into evidence, and breaks it down into three phases. In the first phase, immediately after the battle and war, those immediately involved in the Confederate high command, and those involved in the ride, begin the finger pointing and placing of blame. In the second, the controversy continues, and heats up, during the post war years, as the participants continue quarreling with one another. Finally, after the passing of the participants, the debate continued into the 20th & 21st centuries, when the historians took up the argument. In all three phases, JEB Stuart had his supporters and detractors. The authors have done a fine job, presenting the evidence and arguments on both sides of this complicated issue.

Was the infallible Robert E. Lee at fault for issuing vague orders to Stuart? Did Stuart disobey, either willfully or unintentionally, Lee's orders? The authors, in their conclusion, deliver their verdict and find there is no one single person entirely to blame for the Confederate loss at Gettysburg. There is enough fault for every one. Or, in other words, there's "plenty of blame to go around."

"Plenty Of Blame To Go Around" is the definitive history of Jeb Stuart's ride to Gettysburg. Eric J. Wittenberg and J. David Petruzzi's outstanding research has produced a book that is truly a joy to read.

Lots of questions answered regarding what Gen stuart did or didn't do at Gettysburg. Definitely added lots of light to dissipate the tons of heat present in the myths, rumors and inuendo surrounding Lees loss of the Battle of Gettysburg and who truly shared the blame for the loss--including rafts of evidence supporting the what and why of the blame. Gen Jeb Stuart comes off well--he was certainly not the villain of the loss.

As a history of Stuart's epic ride, this book has no peer. As even-handed historiography of the critical aftermath, echoing for well over a century, it also no peer. I have two trivial criticisms: 1) the title isn't quite accurate, I think -- however many people were in the decision loop during those critical days, Stuart surely must have realized, at some point, that he had brought his command far from where it should have been; and, 2) the authors interrupt their clear narrative flow with repeated biographical digressions that should have been drastically curtailed or relegated to the endnotes (or both). The authors make the all-important point that Lee and his corps commanders marching into Pennsylvania had sufficient cavalry available for their purposes in the four brigades left behind by Stuart, but they failed to utilize these brigades properly and the brigade commanders themselves demonstrated little initiative. The biggest problem was not the absence of Stuart's three cavalry brigades but of Stuart himself, with his intuitive flair for scouting and delivering accurate reports to Lee.

Regardless of what one thinks of JEB Stuart, "Plenty of Blame to Go Around" is worth the time to read. The authors carefully analyze Stuart's part in the Gettysburg campaign using first hand accounts, secondary sources, and "color" commentary from beyond the written word. In regard to the later, I found it most helpful as the authors placed the realities of mounted warfare into the context of Stuart's actions. For instance few first hand accounts discuss how often horses were shod. Such was an action so common, they didn't think to mention it (as we wouldn't mention filling our gas tanks or changing oil in a narrative). Secondary accounts miss this important limitation when discussing what Stuart could or could not have accomplished. The authors here present this and other points that bear on the overall discussion. Interesting and very well written overall. The last few chapters deal directly with the "historiography" of Stuart's ride, and very professionally I might add. Clear distinction is made between the author's opinion and the secondary sources. In the end, the authors don't play their hand early with regard to conclusions. Facts are presented and different interpretations offered, then the authors make their conclusions.

Three points which prevent this from becoming a full five star submission in my opinion. First, the maps presented are not detailed enough to support the text. When I read an historical text, particularly military history, it is rather cumbersome to pull up a modern road map to place things in context of the terrain. Second, the "tour" section at the end should be more inclusive, and deal with more than just the Pennsylvania sites. Lastly, I would prefer the authors to have brought into the discussion more of the action in Loudoun Valley in the week preceding the start of Stuart's ride.

My son got this book from the library and was pretty upset when he had to return it. He had to own it. He loves it.

In Screenwriting for Teens, Christina inspires young and old to dive into the film craft. The book's depth of information allows for it to transcend the high-school age group. One of the unique aspects of the book is the subject chapter exercises which prove both helpful and challenging. Participating in these exercises will enhance one's film craft. Highly recommending the book.

The idea of any kind of guidebook normally gives me the "ho-hums", but I must admit that this was a pleasant (and educational!)surprise. Christina Hamlett's Screenwriting for Teens is fun to read; it's pleasing and practical and comes across as more of an on-line chat with one's mentor than anything resembling a "how-to" text. And yet, this book is totally to be taken seriously!

Christina Hamlett knows writing, and she knows movies. She also knows how to speak to a young audience (though I feel this book would be invaluable to beginning writers of all ages). And, most importantly, she knows what it takes to make a good start as a writer. Her wise advice? It's all about you and your writing (and reading), NOT about how to make money, achieve fame, and create blockbusters.

Screenwriting for Teens is a nice visual package, as well, both structurally and graphically. I myself wish Ms. Hamlett had been my tutor in high school - she could've taught me how to do a proper outline! This book can be read effectively in its entirety, or section by section; the blocky layout is great for kids, who we all know can be (ahem) a bit impatient. Another plus for kids is the fact that Hamlett's voice is conversational yet professional, and not "teacher-ly". She's not trying to get young people to slog through yet another textbook, after all. This is about real world goals and practice.

Hamlett also offers great advice for beginning writers of all stripes, not just budding screenwriters. For example, she explains the differences between story and plot, how to write for various genres such as comdey, sci-fi, etc. And yet her advice for screenwriters is priceless - my own favorite Hamlett topic is "Characters Shouldn't Use Dialgoue to Explain Things to Each Other That They Already Know" (she proceeds to cite some dialogue from a Harry Potter film, but she's right so we must forgive her).

So, if you are a teen writer or an adult just fumbling around getting started, pick up this book, sit down, and learn, learn, learn! Screenwriting for Teens is enlightening, sensible, and FUN!

Screenwriting for Teens, The 100 Principles of Screenwriting Every Budding Writer Must Know, is an in- depth, yet easy to read book for writers of all ages. Christina Hamlett motivates any promising screenwriter, with her humorous writing style and detailed, informative understanding of the craft.

To call the book a complete "how to" manual would be a vast understatement. At the end of each chapter, a section called Brainstorming, provides writing exercises to reinforce the core concepts introduced in the chapter. Also included, is a Look and Learn section that references films, television shows, books and websites that highlight the focal points contained in the chapter.

Offering more than just helpful hints for those with the dreaded "writer's block", Screenwriting for Teens is a comprehensive guidebook that covers all genres. Whether writing a Drama, Comedy, Action Adventure or Sci-Fi Film, this is the book to begin or develop your skills.

It will be first on my recommended reading list for the Screenwriting Program that I will be offering at my local community college. Thanks a million, Ms. Hamlett, for your brilliance and encouragement, supporting all those with the courage and vision to put their pen to paper, move forward and to not give up!

Screenwriting for Teens is the quintessential guide for taking an idea and turning it into a film. The book stresses that it's necessary to understand the story process before you can understand the specific formatting of a screenplay. Christina Hamlett's no-nonsense delivery is refreshing as she instructs writers, newbies and veterans alike, on some of the basic concepts of writing a screenplay - though these concepts really apply to any kind of writing. Principles such as knowing your medium (and which one works best for your story), understanding high concept, knowing your characters and their voices, and understanding the art of dialogue are but a few of the many this book covers in detail.

Screenwriting for Teens also covers how these principles apply to us on a personal level and not just that they're the 'right' thing to do if we want to sell our script. A lot of experts talk about how making a script presentable by spellchecking and using the right font size is important, but not everyone explains the 'why' of it. Christina likens it to someone you've been interested in for a long time. They finally ask you out on a date and you spend the entire day fretting about your clothes and hairstyle. When the person arrives, not only are they late but they look like hell warmed over. The whole experience is rather deflating and frankly, disappointing. That's how directors, producers, and agents feel when they get a script from a writer that didn't take the time to polish it.

The book doesn't quibble with the fact that Hollywood is a tough business. Many writers spend their whole lives looking for that one big break while some get lucky their first time out. What's important to remember is that writing isn't meant to be a 'get rich and famous quick' kind of gig. It's about being the best writer you can be because that's what you want to do. If you want to succeed at writing, then this book is just the catalyst you need to get moving. After all, writers write. That particular maxim will be the most repeated advice anyone will give. Take it to heart, because practice (and Christina's book!) makes perfect.

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads.com (8/08)


In this powerful memoir, Irene Watson shares the story of her sheltered and painful childhood, how it shaped the person she became, and the steps she took to heal her wounds and to change her life for the better. The book begins on day one of her twenty-eight day stint in Avalon, a recovery center. On the surface, her reason for checking into the center was to fit in, as she had numerous friends who had graduated from the program and raved about how it had changed their lives. Also a practicing therapist, Watson thought that putting herself through the program would provide her with more insight into the issues of her patients. Deep down, however, she knew that there were different reasons for her stay.

After the introduction to Avalon, Irene presents to us the events that took place during her childhood that molded her adult life. One of the first things that would have an impact on her happened before she was even born and this was the birth and subsequent passing of her brother Alexander. The death of 2 ½ month old Alexander definitely had an influence on the way that her mother raised Irene. Although her mother really never had a chance to know Alexander, she envisioned him as the "good child" and held Irene to the high standards that she believed he possessed. Irene's mother sheltered her from so much, but failed to believe her or protect her when she was being abused by cousins and by bullies. Irene was not allowed to think for herself as her mother pretty much dictated whatever she did.

The story of Irene's past continues through her marriage to her husband Bob. Then the setting shifts again back to the Avalon center and the treatment process. We watch as Irene delves deep into her past through a series of exercises in an effort to recreate herself and change her and her family's life.

I found "The Sitting Swing" to be a very honest and inspiring memoir. I applaud Irene's willingness to share with us her journey, and I think that everyone reading this book will be able to take something away from it. As a parent to two young boys, her issues with her mother opened my eyes to a lot of things. I learned to not be too overprotective of my children, to be sure to listen to them, and to be honest when explaining things to them.

Irene's style of writing draws you in from the first page and the book flows smoothly until the last page is turned. She is an extremely talented writer and her experiences are very touching. The last half of the last chapter even gave me goose bumps. I highly recommend "The Sitting Swing;" Irene's words are so real that you cannot help but to be inspired by her journey.

Reviewed by Tyler R. Tichelaar for Reader Views (8/08)

Childhood trauma. Honesty about one's personal faults. A dramatic recovery program. These elements all add up to make Irene Watson's "The Sitting Swing: Finding the Wisdom to Know the Difference" an eventful, meaningful, and poignant tale of one woman's struggle to overcome her repressive family background, the anger that arises from her treatment in childhood, and her own deepest inner faults, so she can become whole, successful, positive, and ultimately a resource of help to others.

The story begins when the author, Irene Watson, attends Avalon, a recovery center. As a practicing therapist, Irene goes to Avalon to learn more about addictions and codependency. She wants to help her clients, but she has no idea how the experience will help her personally. When she arrives at the center, she soon realizes she will be spied upon by cameras, the counselors are aggressive and in her face, and she has issues she did not want to admit before. This unexpected situation causes her to question why she has come at all. The narrative then flashes back to Irene's memories of her childhood to explain what ultimately brought her to Avalon.

Irene begins telling her story by detailing her family background. Her parents and grandparents were Ukrainian immigrants to early nineteenth-century Canada. Their culture and language make Irene isolated when she begins to attend an English-speaking school. She tries to melt into the crowd by befriending the other children, but her family continually stands in her way when she tries to have a "normal" childhood.

Irene's biggest struggle is with her over-protective and irrational mother. Irene's brother, Alexander, died before she was born. The loss of this child and her mother's sense of guilt over his death cause Irene to live a protected life. The memoir's title refers to the swing Irene could barely move because of the rose bushes surrounding it. This forced confinement is a metaphor for her life with a mother who denies her playing with other children or even allowing her to be herself.

As Irene reaches her teenage years, the narrative becomes quite frightening since the very real possibility exists that Irene could have become a juvenile delinquent, and some of the angry actions she contemplates taking toward the narrow-minded people of her town could have had irrecoverable consequences. Fortunately, Irene had one friend, Margie, to confide in and who helps her see the irrationality of some of her proposed actions. I found this section painfully honest because it suggests how badly children need attention and role models and the consequences to a society that mistreats its children. Eventually, Irene finds the strength to stand up to her mother when she falls in love and gets married. However, even when she has moved out of her parents' house, the trauma of her childhood continues to haunt her.

Irene's experiences at the Avalon Center are told with equal frankness. She finds herself forced to confront her deepest shortcomings, realize she must forgive her mother, and take responsibility for herself, rather than blaming her past. She also finds the courage to make changes to her marriage. The final chapter of the book is not a warm and fuzzy conclusion but rather a very honest and realistic summary of how she has grown from the frightened and repressed little girl she was into a mature woman.

"The Sitting Swing" is an inspiring story. Readers will empathize with Irene, and they will be motivated to begin their own spiritual journeys of recovery. While the path is not easy, Irene is proof that serenity is achievable. More than anything, readers will be impressed with Irene Watson's honest voice and her straightforward colloquial writing style that makes us realize we are a lot like her, and consequently, if she could recover from her past, then anything is possible for us as well.

This revised edition of "The Sitting Swing" also includes a new afterword and appendices to provide additional resources for people seeking to recover. Anyone, whether a recovering addict or co-dependent, or victim of abuse, will find strength in this narrative. "The Sitting Swing: Finding the Wisdom to Know the Difference" is highly recommended!

The Eagle's Last Flight
This is not a "for women only" book nor is it a pretentious litany of psycho babble. In a surprisingly frank account of her life, Irene Watson bares her soul for all to see and provides hope for those of us whose life has unaccountably wandered into a dead end from which there seems to be no escape. At times, the journey through the book is torturous and almost too painful to follow. But follow it you will, because it is the kind of book you can't put down. A must read!

I picked up and began reading The Sitting Swing with some reluctance, but only because I generally read fiction. Still, the cover was arresting, the title thought provoking, and I had heard wonderful things about Irene Watson. What a treat I had in store!

Although this is a memoir, The Sitting Swing reads like quality fiction. I was immediately immersed in Irene's story of her childhood, and her fine story-telling ability and description allowed me to enter with relative ease the alien world of a childhood in a 2-room house in Canada.

Born of immigrant parents, an emotionally unavailable father and an oppressive mother, Irene had none of the advantages most children her age as she entered school and began her journey to adulthood, including the facility of language. She felt like a victim, and she was; and even though she rebelled to some extent, she mostly suppressed her feelings until she had no idea who she was. I think many of us have done that to some degree.

The Sitting Swing tells of Irene's discovery of that missing person, and it tells it with candor and sensitivity. I could relate on every level to her voyage of self-discovery. It was a two-box-of-Kleenex read, but it ends with a message of hope that will stay with the reader long after the book's pages have yellowed with age. I can only hope Irene will turn at least some of her energies to fiction, because what stories she can tell!

Bravo, Irene! You gave us a beautiful book.

As human beings we tend to pattern our lives in very particular ways. We hold onto pain from our past creating cycles of behaviour that colours everything we do, our attitudes about life, and our image of ourselves. We create strategies that serve as walls to block out the feelings of our deep pain. These strategies in turn become our prison assuring that we never escape our bonds.

The Sitting Swing looks at one woman's life as she seeks to escape these bonds and deal with her pain. This story follows the author as she is checked into an addiction treatment center for a 28 day period. In this account, she openly admits that she couldn't see her addiction. At one point, she states, "I felt sorry for them, but was grateful not to be among their ranks." Moreover, the author shares her initial plan of providing a good show, shedding a few tears, and then continuing her life as normal.

I enjoyed this book for two main reasons. I respected the author's openness and willingness to share her entire story, not just the parts of her experience that might make her look healthy and put together. I believe this aspect of the book will help many people realize that they are not alone in their pain, confusion, and stubbornness.

The second aspect of the book that I really liked was that the book did not really focus on the particulars of the author's addiction. Instead, the story looked at addiction as an underlying behavior that manifests as habitual patterns. One of the characters in this book even notes that we all create unhealthy patterns that we habitually follow believing that we can hide from our pain but that the only true way to release this pain is to feel it.

This is one of the all time great true crime books. If you like true crime, you must read this book.

I realize this is an odd heading for a review, but one of the very first things the author points out is that the crime was as incredibly stupid as it was brutal. I don't want to spoil the story too much, but added to a long list of very stupid mistakes made by the kidnappers was an apparent failure to understand how the telephone system in San Jose worked.

The author tries to explain this, but I supect that in this day and age when many people haven't even used a rotary dial phone, his explanation was inadequate. In 1933 the telephone system in San Jose was completely "manual." Telephones had no dials or buttons. When someone wanted to make a call, he or she simply picked up the receiver. This action caused a small light to go on over a jack in the switchboard, which was of course marked with the number of the calling party. The operator then plugged in one of a pair of cords from the shelf in front of her and asked "number, please?" The caller then spoke the wanted number to the operator who used the other plug to connect to the jack of the wanted number. She then had to press a small lever to ring the wanted party's bell. Consequently, tracing a call was ridiculously simple; all someone had to do was read the numbers next to the jacks in question on the face of the switchboard.

Of course all operators would have been alerted to signal the Chief Operator when anyone asked for the number of the Hart residence. The operator could also delay a few seconds before starting to ring the Hart's phone, giving the Chief Operator extra time to alert the law enforcement officers at the Hart residence that there was an incoming call.

All this resulted in Thrumond being arrested while using a pay phone to call the Hart residence. While San Jose city police were not involved in the arrest, it should be noted that he was using a telephone something like 150 feet from the main police station, not the wisest choice of locations.

This evidence would have been crucial if the case had come to trial and if Thurmond and Holmes had recanted their confessions, or if the confessions had been ruled inadmissible, which was possible even in 1933.

In other areas the author paints a vivid picture of the local political scene, and how "bosses" controlled much of city and county government. It's also interesting to note that much of the area around San Jose was rural at the time.

The brutality of the crime notwithstanding, I cannot in any way approve of the lynching, and I'm of the opinion that the governor should have been impeached for first failing to provide national guard troops to help defend the jail, and secondly for his outright approval of the lynchings and treat to pardon anyone convicted of taking part in them.

Prosecutors in three, if not four different jurisdictions were preparing charges against Holmes and Thurmond. There is simply no way they could have gone free if the first case against them for any reason had failed.

Swift Justice is more than a story about the murder of Brooke Hart, the son of a prominent San Jose businessman in 1933. It is about vigilante justice in its worst form--lynching.

Farrell starts the book off with Brooke Hart and the events that led up to his kidnapping and murder. He points out that most of his material was gathered from witnesses and/or people who wish to remain anonymous to this day. So, he cautions the reader about the accuracy of his story. The detail in which he describes the body and the lynching is gruesome. It works with the story, though, because I got the sense why the citizens of San Jose flew into a rage at those two men and the justice system. Brooke Hart and his family were revered by many, and in their eyes, what those two men did was unforgivable. The sheriff's department started receiving anonymous threats against those men and alerted the police chief. When the threats became more severe, he brought in more deputies to secure the area while the police chief did nothing. Then a small crowd gathered outside the station house. Slowly, it grew into a large mob. At eleven o'clock that night, they stormed the jail, dragged the men out of their cells, and hung them on two trees in St. James Park.

Farrell did an excellent job in depicting this scene. I felt like I was right there in the sheriff's office while he pleaded for those men to confess to their crime. I felt his desperation and terror of the crowd outside, and the adrenaline rush when he and his deputies fled for their own lives. He was a man on his own; however one firefighter helped another prisoner escape. Other than that, nobody helped them. Then there was the mob, itself. As I read those pages, I couldn't believe how good, decent citizens turned into bloodthirsty savages. But there they were, chanting and raving as the men were dragged out by their peers. The lynching was a spectator event, and everybody who knew or heard of the Harts attended with their babies and children. It was appalling and sickening. The authorities didn't arrive until it was time to gather the bodies and clean up the mess.

The St. James Lynching of 1933 was the last to occur here in San Jose. Since then, the penal system has made several improvements; however, the system leans more toward the civil rights of the criminals than to the victims. The pendulum always swings left and right, never landing in the middle. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in San Jose's history and/or the justice system. With all terrible tragedies, there is something to learn.

I'm not ashamed to stay I stayed up all night reading this book. I thought I'd read a few chapters before bed and...well, I just couldn't put it down. Brooke's murder is particularly brutal -- I could hear his final calls for help inside my head. The description of the lynching is so vivid you feel as if you're there, shouting and manning the battering ram with the rest of them. My only complaint was that the "after the lynching" section seemed to drag a bit. All in all a wonderful book, which I would highly recommend to any fan of true crime.

I must admit, I have a biased viewpoint. As a descendant of not one, not two, but three people who were summarily executed without the benefit of due process (one was most probably guilty --- the other two probably were not), accounts such as the San Jose Lynching tend to rub a raw nerve with me.

In a brisk, wonderfully written narrative, the author sets the stage and lets the events unfold to their unsettling conclusion. Along the way, he makes some interesting points about mob mentality, vigilante justice, and the abication of moral authority that our leaders on occasion display.

Most troubling for me are the points raised at the end of the book. The abrupt dispatch of the two murder suspects meant that other leads never were followed up on by the authorities. The author makes it clear that the two men were most certainly guilty --- they confessed to the crime, and the circumstantial evidence certainly pointed towards their guilt. However --- most troubling of all --- the circumstantial evidence also pointed quite strongly to additional men being involved in Brooke Hart's kidnapping & murder. Did other men get away with murder because the San Jose mob was too impatient to wait for a trial? The author does not beat us over the head with his theories, but he correctly points out that, because there never was a trial, a lot of questions that needed answering went unaddressed.

Certainly, it is a cautionary tale for those who believe that the justice system is too sluggish, and that we should just "line 'em up against the wall and shoot 'em." Maybe some time has been saved --- maybe justice has been served fully. But you can't confidently state it as fact.

1.) The interviews in this book are invaluable. Interviews from both film students and professional in the industry.

2.) First 32 pages of the book, in my opinion, was hard to follow, learn and understand due to choice of words. If I hadn't of read "Crafty TV writing" by Alex Epstein, prior to reading this book, I would have been lost. THis book is for beginners, but Alexs book is for the beginner of beginners.

3.) Nice grids on pages so that you can do some training at home.

4.) This book is extremely analytical. I liked it, but some people may not.

Overall a good book.

This is a very helpful and useful guide.

I will expand my review later.

I've read many, many books on writing for film and television, and this is one of the best ones. Worth twice the cover price!

I have read several books on the craft of TV drama development, and this one is by far the most comprehensive and helpful. As someone who doesn't have access to the great writing instructors of the left coast, this book is essentially my drama writing class. "Writing the TV Drama Series" is a wonderful A to Z look at what to expect in the rough and tumble world of professional television writing. Thanks, Pamela, for sharing your expertise with us!

I have read many books on writing for film and TV and this is by far the most comprehensive and best organized TV writing book on the market. I have required my class of Advanced Short Scriptwriting/TV Writing students at the University of New Hampshire to purchase the book, and I am encouraging them to hang onto it for the rest of their lives so they may refer to it easily and quickly.

I was so disappointed in the quality of the paper and print that I returned this book. A big part of the enjoyment of a new book for me is the physical quality of the product. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's other works and was disappointed not to read this one.

All the Live Little Things began the golden era of Wallace Stegner's writing career. Finding the right voice in a first person narrative, he followed this beautiful novel with Angle of Repose, The Spectator Bird and Crossing to Safety; all are highly acclaimed.
In All the Live Little Things Stegner brings to the page a great deal of raw material from his life. The character of Marian was a composite of friends who had died of cancer, Peck was a composite of the 60s "beatnik", which in real life caused Stegner to retire from teaching and devote his time fully to writing. The callousness of Dave Weld's bulldozing on virgin land reflected the author's long term concern for the environment. His beautiful description of nature throughout the novel, and use of nature as a learning tool, expressed his life-long love and dedication to the American West. Even Joe and Ruth Allston were drawn from the real life marriage of Wallace and Mary Stegner. This matrimonial understanding and bliss is reflected in the opening page of the recently published "Selected Letters of Wallace Stegner":
What does more to stay us and keep our backbones stiff while the
world reels than the sense that we are linked with someone who
listens and understand and so in some way completes us?

All the Live Little Things flows beautifully. It has rich, well written characters that keep the novel moving towards a bittersweet conclusion. I did not believe the plot was forced or took unnatural turns; rather it followed the characters as they thrashed about with their struggles, sins and destinies, all seen through the eyes of the flawed but wise Joe Allston. As the character says near the story's conclusion: "There is no way to step off the treadmill. It is all treadmill."

Stegner once wrote that "In fiction I think we should have no agenda but to tell the truth." All the Live Little Things does draw heavily from the truths of Stegner's life in the 1960s, but it also holds its own as a thoughtfully written fictitious story of pain, hope, resignation, acceptance, and other qualities that mark the human condition.

just a note for everyone
the hippie in the book was actually based on Ken Kesey

Wallace Stegner's _All the Little Live Things_ focuses on a nine-month period in 1967 in California and the lives of five neighboring families in a rural area on the verge of becoming a suburban subdivision. The first-person narrator, a crusty sixty-seven year old retired literary agent, Joe Allston, describes his relationships with his neighbors and his own struggles to maintain a healthy, ordered garden. Each of the five families has its own philosophy, whether explicit or implicit, and its own eccentricities. Much of the novel examines how people coexist and how lives become enmeshed. The Allston's garden, which despite Joe's efforts is constantly being overtaken by gophers and poison ivy, is a metaphor for how life all too often resists people's hopes and desires.

The Allstons are an older retired couple from Manhatten who have moved west to find solace and comfort in the anonymous quiet of gardening. The Welds have lived on the land for generations as farmers and with each generation must sell more and more land to survive. The LoPresti family is wealthy and socially connected. Fran, the wife, indulges her artistic sensibilities in sculpture, in part to deflect her tense relationship with her daughter Julie. The Caitlins are a young family new to the area. Marian, the wife and mother, is a beautiful thirty-year old woman whom Joe dotes over. The Allstons adopt Marian, her husband John, and their daughter, Debby. Finally, there is Jim Peck, a graduate student, who squats on the Allston property. Jim Peck and his "family" of accolytes represent the excesses of the 1960s counterculture and the dangers of chaos.

The novel works in a flashback sequence. As he walks around his property, Joe Allston reflects on the momentous events of the past year and his feelings of loss. He feels that he is "infected with consciousness and the consciousness of consciousness, doomed to death and the awareness of death." At the same time, he realizes that the loss he has suffered has made him richer (see the quote for the review) because death, in some sense, affirms the experience of having actually lived. Marian's view, which Joe accepts intellectually but not yet emotionally, is that one must "be open, be available, be exposed, be skinless." Throughout the novel, we see Joe stripping back the layers of himself in his self-reflection. We see his rage as well as his sensitivity and acceptance. He even seems to acknowledge that he has fallen in love again to fill the void in his relationship with his wife.

Interestingly, the ending of _All the Little Live Things_ is similar to Stegner's last novel _Crossing to Safety_ and is written with the same intensity. One of Stegner's gifts is his ability to depict multiple generations in his novels and the conflicting viewpoints of generations. While Stegner usually sides with the older generation, there is a continuity in outlooks among the old and the young. Joe learns about himself--his demons as well as his strengths--in his interactions with his neighbors.

This is my third Stegner novel including Angle of Repose and Crossing to Safety. All the Little Live Things has a more 'elemental' style than the other 2 novels. It is compact and extremely logical. There is not a throwaway sentence in the book. For anyone looking for deeper, relevant background reading - I suggest these pre-requisities prior to reading Little Live Things: Shakespears 'The Tempest' - where the literarary figures of 'Calaban (i.e., Peck)' and 'Prospero' are introduced. I would have been quite lost without having first read Tempest. Another great book that I think provides the 'mythological basis' for Little Live Things is Joseph Campbell's 'Pathways to Bliss'. In Campbell's book I learned the basic philosohpy of Jainism - which is the foundation for Marian Catlin's character as well as the title of the book. You get a better sense of the Joe Allison's heroic struggle as he confront his personal demons (personified by Peck)living deep in the gully across the 'spritual bridge' that he cannot bring himself to go across. Quite a hero's journey indeed.

Hart has crafted a great story here. The plot is tight, and of course the characters are believable. In this book Annie struggles to free her beloved Max as he's being framed for the murder of a beautiful young woman. She is dealing with a truly crafty and cold-blooded murderer, but she does not hesitate to put herself in harm's way if it will get her to the truth. Ms. Hart builds up the suspense throughout the book right up until the end when he is finally caught. It is easy to see why Caroline Hart has won so many awards. She is truly gifted. I really do enjoy this series.

This is Carolyn Hart's 17th mystery in the Death on Demand series alone. She can't turn them out fast enough for me. I loved it, all the way through.

I had only two problems with the book: (1)I really relate to Max Darling -- what loving husband wouldn't? -- and he is incapacitated and powerless virtually the entire book. (2)For more than a hundred pages I believed I knew the identity of the murderer; I was wrong.

What a fine read. And when is No. 18 coming out?

I feel this may be the death knell of my love for the Death on Demand series. The previous book was disappointing as well. The "Max-in-peril" plot has been used twice before. And in those cases, Annie did not react like she did in this one. She was too serious, intense, morose. Not that I can't sympathize, but I guess my point is, the whole book was too serious, dark, etc. I like the lighter, funnier books Carolyn Hart used to do. I want Laurel being zany; Emma being intimidating; Henny channeling fictional detectives. And where's Miss Dora? I love her! Hasn't been in a book in ages. Plus, there weren't enough suspects in this one. It was pretty easy to narrow down 'who-dun-it'. I still give 3 stars cause Carolyn Hart is great, but I hope she returns to form in the next books.

Dead Days of Summer
Carolyn Hart

If you like murder mysteries or the author Sue Grafton, you will love Carolyn Hart's Dead Days of Summer. The book is one is a long series called Death on Demand. I have no idea where this book fits into the whole picture, but I never once felt that I was left out of the loop because I had not read any of the others. The book does not have a strong Christian base, but it does speak of the Lord, church, belief, and faith. There is even a character who quotes scripture. As a Christian you would not feel weird, or wrong reading this book.

The story opens up on the slow side, and introduces you to a lot of characters right off the bat. This is definitely one that you have to pay attention to from page one or you could get lost in the mix of all the mayhem.

Annie Darling is the main character. The story revolves around her and her husband Max. Annie is the owner of a mystery book store called Death on Demand. Max is a private detective, but cannot call himself one because of the laws of the island that they live on. Broward Rock is the name of the island that they live on. It is one of the islands off of South Carolina.

Annie and Max had lunch together and are walking back to their offices, Annie insists that Max go to the office today and maybe someone will come in. Annie goes to her bookstore and immediately picks up where she left off on planning Max's surprise birthday party. Her mother-in-law Laurel is helping with the planning. It is almost close of business time when Max calls and says that he has a client and will be home later and call if it is going to be real late.

The client that hires Max is a beautiful woman who says that she is looking for her brother who disappeared the previous year. She shows Max pictures of him, and a note that states that he is seen most nights at a place called Dooley's Mine, which is a sleazy bar, that not many people would be caught dead at. They plan to meet there later that evening to scope the place out and see if he is there.

Max never calls and Annie freaks out. She goes to Max's place of business and finds and intruder. She then calls the police. Nothing is making sense, and just as a precaution a missing persons is released, just on a hunch because there is not enough evidence to go on. Annie calls all of their friends and they all start looking for Max. The friends that she calls are a mystery writer, and ex-military woman, an ex-editor, an ex-reporter, an actress, a newspaper man, and others.

The next morning they find a woman who has been murdered, and Max's car just outside the cabin that she has been murdered in. They don't find Max though. Annie knows from gut instinct that this is the person who hired Max. When they don't find Max, the search is on even harder. One of the friends Emma, who is the author, hires a great attorney for them, since it now looks like Max is wanted for murder.

Later on the same day that they find the dead woman, they find Max. He wakes up, confused, sick, and covered in blood. When the police find him they take him into custody for the murder of Vanessa Taylor, who is the woman that they found dead in the cabin. Max has never heard of Vanessa Taylor, and cannot remember anything that has happened. The police chief ends up having to put Max under arrest for the murder of the woman. While he is in the cell, Annie enters the jail and they talk. She vows to find who set him up, and get to the bottom of all of this mess.

Annie, her mother-in-law and her friends do just that. The majority of the book is them sleuthing around and getting information. They follow leads and end up unraveling the whole set up. Max is freed and life goes on as usual.

The book on the whole is good. It takes a long time for the story to develop and get into the action. If you are into meat and grit from page one this one will leave you wanting. If you have patience and don't mind a long build up and climax, then this is the book for you. Ms. Hart has wonderful characters and many of them. She also finds a way to keep them all tied to the story, even if it is just a sentence in the middle of the book. That is a definite gift, and I am glad that she does not leave the reader wondering what happened to so and so even if they were a minor character. Not a bad read at all, life as usual...until the next Death on Demand book.

Max Darling, a murderer? Annie Darling knows there isn't a chance Max is a murderer, but all of the evidence is stacked against him. After all, his car is found with the murder weapon inside and Max himself was covered in blood with no memory as to what had happened. Annie is willing to do whatever it takes to clear Max's name, even if it means putting herself in harm's way. Will Annie and her friends clear Max's name or will Max forever be branded as an adulterous murderer?

DEAD DAYS OF SUMMER is Carolyn Hart's 17th book in the series, but it is my first foray into her world. Needless to say, it will not be the last Carolyn Hart book I read! Ms. Hart draws even a new reader to the series into her vastly entertaining world, populated by the most colorful characters. Annie and Max have a variety of quirky friends and Ms. Hart makes the most of each individual's unique skills in this clever mystery. In fact, the characters are the true heart of this tale as the mystery itself is fairly easy to figure out. It is the characters who keep the reader turning the pages. After all, who knows what crazy plan this group will come up with next in their quest to clear Max's name?

Carolyn Hart does a beautiful job at establishing the community on Broward's Rock, South Carolina. Not only are the inhabitants vividly portrayed, but one gets a real sense of the layout of the island. Generally, the further a series progresses, the harder it is for new readers to jump in the midst of the storyline as the characters and settings are fairly well established. Instead, Carolyn Hart easily welcomes new readers into her Death on Demand series with DEAD DAYS OF SUMMER. Count me in as a new fan!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Fat City by Leonard Gardner is a singular masterpiece of modern American literature. I was introduced to the book by the John Houston film of 1972 which in its own right is a work of wonder.

Gardner, who has regrettably not written another novel since, tells the story of an over-the-hill boxer in Stockton, California, his brief affair with an alcoholic woman, and the last chance he is given at a bout. In a spare, flawless prose, the novelist depicts the starkness of this life which unfolds in cheap hotel rooms and bars, in third-rate boxing arenas and in the agrarian fields where he has to work as a picker to eke out a living. A scene of onion picking is often cited as an example of supple, kinetic writing at its best.

By being so specific and immersing the reader in this small world, the author manages to make devastating statements about the mercilessness of American life and even the ultimate futility of life's many struggles.

As the veteran boxer mentors a young contender who is getting married and starting his own life, the reader is given every reason to believe that the travesty is open-ended.

Fat City is a short book, so I'll write a short review. You can get a plot synopsis from the other reviewers. This is high-quality noir territory. It is 180 pages of boxing, booze, lousy jobs, poisoned relationships, and flophouse squalor. It perfectly captures the characters' desperation and hopelessness. If you are looking for a tough, lean, gritty read, then look no farther.

Fat city is a book that took place in Stockton California in the 1950's that follows the broken lives of several men who are brought together from boxing. This book is written by Leonard Gardner, a boxer himself during the 1950's. As you read through the pages a story of the lives of different men unfolds.
Billy Tully is an out of shape boxer who gave everything up because of long losing streak and the painful divorce with his wife. Living off of almost nothing he decides he wants to go back and try to fight. While training he meets a young boy named Ernie Munger who has a natural talent for boxing. Ernie wants to be a boxer so bad that he trains day and night letting nothing get in his way. In the middle of his career he gets his girlfriend pregnant but tries his hardest to stay in the life of boxing. While following the characters in their lives this book goes though the struggle of each man and illustrates how they react to their failures. In this story the women are the cause of problems between all of the unhappy boxers; a problem that cannot be fixed.
Some chapters in the story are dedicated to small parts of other men's lives such as the trainer and the opponent, letting you understand the story from both sides. Although these men are brought together by boxing the book is about these men doing what they can do to survive. From boxing to farming this book accurately covers the actions taken to survive. Although the book can be slow at parts over all it is a quick read.

I read Fat City sometime in the mid-sixties, when it was first published, and was immediately captivated and envious of Gardner's powerful style and talent. If you appreciate and admire Hemingway or Steinbeck you will likely feel the same about Gardner, who, unfortunately, has not published anything since. Perhaps this small gem of a book was the only one he had in him. Even so, this novel is a remarkable accomplishment and may well become an American classic. What intrigues me the most in this work is that Gardner gets it all down right--the sights and smells and sounds of the seedy streets and flophouses; the drifters and dingy diners; the sweaty gyms, barsweeps and whores and how it is to work as a stoop-laborer in the fields, especially the true-to-life characters inhabiting the pages. Fat City is simply a well-crafted execution of art throughout and is as pleasurable to read now as when I first picked it up years ago.

Short novel, published in 1969, about two boxers, Billy Tully, who is 29 and down and out, and Ernie Mugger, who is 18 and up and coming, two versions of the same man, in some respects. Terrific skilled prose, short chapters, switching points of view between these two main characters and an assortment of other minor characters. The author takes you inside the characters' deepest despair or elation. How simple the author makes it look, one thinks, reading this book. But of course it is not. The prose is precise and honed, and looks easy only after who knows how many drafts. There are only 18 or 19 short chapters, and much of the novel is dialogue. But somehow one comes away with a panoramic view of Stockton, California, this woeful place, and the people the inhabit it - the immigrant fruit pickers, the bartenders and bar girls, the hobos on the street. The descriptions are compact and dead-on. About Billy Tully's hotel room: "All his neighbors had lung trouble." One could quote sentences from this book almost at will, the prose is so spare and perfect.

That the author never published another book, and that this was his first, is incredible. To write this cleanly and confidently, he must have practiced and studied for years. Yet to never do it again.

This is an ok effort by Ms. Goldstein but unfortunately the recipes don't quite result in the amazing flavors that Georgian cuisine is known for. Perhaps it is Ms. Goldstein's substitutions of less authentic ingredients as some ingredients in the "real" dish are hard to find. Perhaps it is something else. (Her "adjika" is REALLY bad/wrong for instance....)

OK book if you want an idea of what Georgian cuisine is like. Not good if you REALLY want the real thing...

This is a marvelous, utterly authentic encyclopedia of Georgian cooking. I tried some of the recipes before leaving for Georgia in summer 2006, and they were great, and gave me a good idea of what to expect. Once in Georgia, the book was an invaluable reference that I constantly turned to whenever I tried something new. Just about *everything* I had is in here, along with many things I didn't get around to sampling.

This book also helped me learn the correct Georgian names for the dishes and many of the ingredients. A significant portion of the book is devoted to providing cultural background on Georgia and Georgian food, such the elaborate rules for a _tamada_, or Georgian toastmaster. With its charming photos of representative paintings scattered generously throughout its pages, it also made me a Pirosmani fan, and better able to appreciate the originals when I saw them for myself.

Most importantly, as the other reviewers say, the recipes *work*. We just made the potato salad with walnut paste (p. 172), and it was delectable. Other dishes we have tried and like include tomato soup with walnuts and vermicelli (p. 73) and green beans with egg (p. 130). Pkhali was one of my favorite dishes in Georgia, and I'm glad to have the recipe for when I get around to making it myself. There is a recipe for beets with cherry sauce, a dish a travel companion had tried but that even some of our Georgian hosts weren't familiar with. For the few recipes that seem to be missing from this book, like eggplant with walnut paste, try Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook, another excellent collection of delicious recipes from all the former Soviet republics.

_The Georgian Feast_ is well worth having even if you don't eat meat - many of the recipes are completely vegetarian. This book is a real treasure.

I've already written a review of this great book. I have only one suggestion: the basic khmeli suneli recipe can be augmented further to reach the authentic smell and taste. The wikipedia article on khmeli suneli has additional ingredients that can be added to the recipe. I tried that, about 2 teaspoons of each ingredient that's not already in Darra's recipe (less for black and chili pepper), and it came closer to the authentic smell and taste. I think the author of the wikipedia article might have meant safflower (marigold) instead of saffron though, so I didn't add that.

I gave this book to a Georgian and she loved it. It had all the dishes she had eatten as a child. If your looking for a book to fill in any missing recipes this is the book for you.

As someone who was born and grew up in Tbilisi, I was very happy to find this book -- it captures all of my favorite recipes, and when I prepare them according to this book, they taste just like my grandma's cooking.

More than just a recipe book, this is also an exploration into the rich history and culture of Georgia, and how the history shaped the cuisine. I suggest this book to everyone who would like to add some interesting preparations to their cooking. For vegetarians, Georgians have plenty of healthful and filling ways to prepare veggies and beans, and also some mouth watering sauces that will enliven any dish (veg or not).

I enjoy this book both as a cook book, and as a historical book!