Indiana Books

This book is a Godsend. It makes me think of the Stone Poneys' 1968 hit, "Beat of a Different Drum" and Herman Kelly & Life's "Let's Dance to the Drummer's Beat." You are treated to a drum medley of delightful anecdotes about life with Asperger's Syndrome (AS).

AS is the spectrum partner to autism and is a sensory, neurobiological condition that affects sensory integration, processing and communication to varying degrees. One of the many good things about having AS is that people with it make things more interesting and present logic from different, but equally valid perspectives. That's what's so wonderful about this book -- it does an excellent job of underscoring that point. Best of all, it instills pride among the autism/Asperger's (a/A) community.

Celebrate being on the a/A spectrum; enjoy some wonderful drumming and march to your own different drummer while you dance to the beat of a different drum done by the drummer's beat. I love this kind of book!

Lisa graciously invites us into her unique family life.
We learn about autism/asperger's through poignant and humorous short stories of their experiences.
This book amazingly manages to be light-hearted and indepth at the same time.
After reading this book I was better educated about autism spectrum disorders but NOT through doctors and text books but through the insights and strengths of one family dealing with Autism.
I highly recommend this uplifting book to everyone.

This is absolutely one of the best books I have read on Asperger Syndrome! When our son was diagnosed two years ago, I read and read and read as many books as I could on AS. Many were way over my head as they were so technical, some were hard to follow, several seemed to focus mainly on the negatives . . . EMBARRASSED OFTEN, ASHAMED NEVER IS THE PERFECT READ FOR A PARENT WITH A NEWLY DIAGNOSED CHILD OR FOR AN EDUCATOR.

When our son was first diagnosed, we weren't sure about the diagnosis as we had never heard of Aspergers. We researched on the internet and thought, "okay, this is familiar, maybe so." We read this book and thought, "WOW, THIS IS OUR SON!"

The title and the theme of the book fit our life . . . we are often embarrassed but we are never, ever ashamed. Be sure to buy this one, you won't regret it!

Embarrassed Often Ashamed Never is an easy to read book. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down until I was finished. I found this book full of "human real life" stories that touched my heart. As I was reading I could picture in my mind just what was actually happening in the story she was telling. I appreciate the openess that Lisa and her family shared with us in the book. One of my friends that works with children in the school that have Asperger Syndrome recommend that I read the book so as a parent working in the school it would give me a better understanding of some of our special children. Now I try to look at situations through their eyes when I'm helping out at school. Everyone should read this book.

As a professional I feel this easy-to-read book provides insights into the everyday experiences of a family living with a child with autism spectrum disorder. Lisa invites the reader to take a glimpse into her family life by sharing poignant and humorous stories of their experiences. Through the experiences of her son, Clark, Lisa reminds is that although living with a child with autism spectrum disorder often leads to embarrassing moments, nobody ever needs to be ashamed. This enlightening book is a must read for parents, family members and professionals who live and work with individuals who have autism spectrum disorders

Husserl published two long books, The Logical Invesigatnons and Ideas Pertaining to the Pure Phenomenology. He wrote very much more than he published, leaving shelves of unfinished manuscripts. He also gave some fairly complete public lectures. Relative to the volume of his total output, only fragments of his work are tranlated into English and these aren't always representative of Husserl's best ideas or affordable for the student. Examples: as far as I know, Thing and Space has no English translation and Husserl would agree that the price of Cartesian Mediations is absurd. It's nice to have this reasonably priced and representative selection of Husserl texts. They start near the beginning of Husserl's published work (around 1900 if I remember rightly) and take us through about 40 years of his phenomenological labors.

This collection of Husserl's writings comes from Husserl's polemic against the "excesses" of radical empiricists and psychological skeptics at the end of the XIX century such as Ernst Mach and Richard Avenarius. For Husserl, phenomenology was a project to defend scientific objectivity against the radical empirical reduction of sense-data to subjective, private feelings and perception. If this were the case, then communicating concepts or establishing consensus of what is valid or invalid would be impossible. Husserl, therefore, tries to find objective truth in the realm of subjective experience. His solution is to distinguish a moment of intention, where the subject represents the object as an essence, separated from other objects, to perceive it as a "pure" phenomenon, without biases or prejudices. Husserl's concept of science is very unique, and it may seem strange to our positive conception of science as the quantification, and measurement of things. For Husserl, science is rather how we experience certainty at the psychological level without becoming a relativist. Besides proving a thing certain, we have to experience its certainty, and this experience is universal. It is the foundation of science. Husserl's philosophical style is extremely complicated, and as a good writer in German, his use of long sentences and neologisms makes the English reading very difficult. Yet, his philosophy was extremely influential in the development of XX. century European thought. I highly recommend this book for those interested in the "prehistory" of deconstruction, existentialism, and post-structuralism.

Though a difficult text to read, it offers a great overview of husserl's phenomenology. should be combined w/ heideggers time and being

This text is the most comprehensive, representative, and cost effective compendium of Husserl's early and late philosophy currently available in English. Given the astronomical prices of the original works excerpted here, this text is indispensible to anyone seeking a comprehensive overview of Husserl's philosophy at a reasonable price - there is literally no competition. The editor, Donn Welton [SUNY /Stony Brook], is an internationally recognized authority in the field of Husserl studies, and the author of a number of authoritative and innovative studies on Husserl's philosophy.

One caveat: the text does need a more comprehensive introductory essay that would give the novice reader a better overview of Husserl's philosophical project and writings. I would suggest Walter Biemel's essay, "The Decisive Phases in the Development of Husserl's Philosophy", in R.O. Elverton, The Phenomenology of Husserl, Noesis Press, 1970 - Biemel was the first editor of Husserl's Collected Works / Husserliana.

New readers in this area should also note that reading a good Introduction to Husserl's work before tackling his works in the original will pay big dividends. I would recommend Robert Sokolowski's Introduction to Phenomenology [Cambridge UP], or David Woodruff Smith's new 2007 Introduction entitled, Husserl [Routledge].

There is also a very good online overview at the Stanford University Encyclopedia of Philosophy ["Phenomenology"] by Dr, Smith, which is available at no cost to the reader - I would also concur that this free philosophical resource deserves your financial support.

This work is better appreciated after one has gained some introduction to HUsserl. I suggest starting off with the Cartesian Meditations, and trying to find a good commentary on them. UNDERSTANDING PHENOMENOLOGY is a fantastic book, albeit unavailable.

This book is a great example of what a good philosophical collection can be -- both an introduction to a problem and a valuable addition to the work on the problem. This book contains many essays (by Howard-Snyder, William Rowe, Peter van Inwagen, Alvin Plantinga, Paul Draper, et al.), but I have found each of them invaluable. The only problem I have with it is that I wish there were more nontheists in the mix (with 10 of 16 articles and 3 of 5 people who were allowed two articles being theistic); but that's just my partisanship showing. No matter what antecedent leanings you have, this book will probably shake you up in one way or another. This is a gem.

The existence of evil - undeserved human and animal pain and suffering - has been a barrier to religious belief for many people. One of those people was this reviewer's mother, raised Catholic but turned atheist after witnessing terrible suffering in her native Scotland during World War II. As she once told me, "when you've seen mothers holding their children, both riddled with machine gun bullets from German planes, it's impossible to believe there's a good God in heaven". Bertrand Russell once made the comment that "no one can believe in a good God if they've sat at the bedside of a dying child."

C.S. Lewis called this issue "The Problem of Pain" in his book of that title. The current preferred term is "The Evidential Argument From Evil" because, as explained in the Introduction, it's not a "Problem" except for people who believe in God.

Readers of this book will discover why belief in an all-good, all-powerful God, in the face of human suffering and evil, is not necessarily "cognitively dissonant". It provides a balanced, fair treatment of the issue by both believers and atheists.

The book is quite technical at times. Several of the essays feature complex equations purporting to illustrate various logical propositions. There is also a good deal of philosophical jargon used. Nonetheless, while the book is not as readable as anything by C.S. Lewis (or Ayn Rand for that matter), it provides the best treatment I've seen in print of the arguments for both sides in this perennial issue.

This book is a collection of articles from theologians and philosophers alike on "The Evidential Argument From Evil". What makes this book a fantastic read is the approach of the book: every article takes the arguments of the preceding article into consideration. Thus the articles build up an interesting dialog to the problem given. If the topic appeals to you, grab this book to obtain fascinating insights into different views on this problem and their respective flaws.

Anyone interested in the debate over the evidential argument from evil simply must have this book. It includes two influential but distinct formulations of the argument--those by William Rowe and Paul Draper--followed by a number of essays written in response to one another. The list of authors who contributed to the anthology is impressive. Besides Rowe and Draper, the book also contains essays by Richard Swinburne, Alvin Plantinga, Richard Gale, Bruce Russell, Peter van Inwagen, and Stephen Wykstra.

Like Cole Mitchell, I was also somewhat disappointed by the demographics of the book (10 of the book's 16 articles were theistic). Despite this flaw, I was still so pleased with the book that I rated it with 5 stars. Any serious student of the problem of evil will want their own copy of this book.

The existence of evil - undeserved human and animal pain and suffering - has been a barrier to religious belief for many people. One of those people was this reviewer's mother, raised Catholic but turned atheist after witnessing terrible suffering in her native Scotland during World War II. As she once told me, "when you've seen mothers holding their children, both riddled with machine gun bullets from German planes, it's impossible to believe there's a good God in heaven". Bertrand Russell once made the comment that "no one can believe in a good God if they've sat at the bedside of a dying child."

C.S. Lewis called this issue "The Problem of Pain" in his book of that title. The current preferred term is "The Evidential Argument From Evil" because, as explained in the Introduction, it's not a "Problem" except for people who believe in God.

Readers of this book will discover why belief in an all-good, all-powerful God, in the face of human suffering and evil, is not necessarily "cognitively dissonant". It provides a balanced, fair treatment of the issue by both believers and atheists.

The book is quite technical at times. Several of the essays feature complex equations purporting to illustrate various logical propositions. There is also a good deal of philosophical jargon used. Nonetheless, while the book is not as readable as anything by C.S. Lewis (or Ayn Rand for that matter), it provides the best treatment I've seen in print of the arguments for both sides in this perennial issue.

Maurice Hinson's earlier revision of GUIDE TO THE PIANIST'S REPERTOIRE was of great assistance to me in my own college piano study, and its accuracy in listing historical content makes this text a most valuable tool for piano students who are ready for a more global vision of our history's piano composers and repertoire. Although brief, Mr. Hinson's sketch biography of each composer well captures his/her musical style, and his scholarly-detailed information allows the reader very succinct information regarding the listed repertoire and level of difficulty. In his current 3rd revision, Mr. Hinson also includes national, international and women composers! This GUIDE will continue to be one of my most valuable reference tools in shaping the young pianist's understanding of quality piano literature.

For the serious lover of piano music, this book is invaluable. For the piano student and teacher, it is indispensable. The finest book of its kind ever published, I refer to it constantly for information about availability of piano pieces and for the rating of difficulty used for piano pieces.

Highly recommended!

As a pianist, teacher, adjudicator and examiner I ocassionally find myself frustrated by the fact that I can't remember off hand the name, key, opus number or a particular fact about a work when I absolutely need too!
Maurice Hinson once again comes to the rescue for people like myself and others! The Guide is wonderfully laid out and provides pertinent facts about nearly 2,000 solo piano compositions by well known and the lesser-known composers. The information is specific and to the point, without all the non-essential material which is exactly what I need when grasping for information in the middle of a competition or when asked a question in a workshop about an obscure work or composer!
All bases are covered in this edition. For students, new, and even seasoned teachers, Hinson provides precise, formidable insight on a composer's complete compositions, as well as pianistic, interpretative, stylistic and characteristic approaches.
Overall, "The Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire", is virtually a "Pianist's Bible."

Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus. A.Mus. L.R.S.M. Licentiate (honorary)

"Essential," "Indispensable," "Invaluable," "Crucial." Those are a few of the labels often applied to this remarkable book. Currently in its third edition, Maurice Hinson's "Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire" is still the most sought-after reference for essentially all solo piano music of significance. Outside professional private instruction and a reliable piano technician, every serious piano student needs three tools on hand: a piano, piano music, and this guide. Hinson's reputation as both an effective and productive musicologist is firmly established in this work.

The book is structured into two primary sections. The main section, Part 1, is alphabetically categorized by composer. Each referenced work includes a list of available publications, their editors, and the composition's date if known. Hinson includes a brief yet vivid description of the style or character of a given piece and, in most cases, a comment or two on some of the technical requirements one can expect for preparatory purposes. The guide is also a reliable reference to books for further study of a given work. Both logic and common sense went into organizing the massive collection of data. The guide also proves sensibly formatted for sections of large volume by a single composer, such as the collections of Bach or Chopin, for example.

Part 2 is an impressive reference to published anthologies, subdivided into four categories. The first category, "General," lists publications of character pieces, impressionistic works, and any number of "Heinz 57" types. There is a "General: Contemporary" section for twentieth century collections. In addition to Bartók, Prokofieff, and others from the earlier years of the century, one can also find reference to works by Boulez, Kohlenz and Harbison, to name a few. The third category, coined "Tombeaux, Hommages," is a brief list of collections of works composed in honor of another composer. The fourth category, the largest of the four, is a comprehensive reference to piano collections by nationality. It is subdivided alphabetically.

The book includes an appendix of historical recital programs by Rubinstein, Busoni and Gabrilowitsch. There is also an impressive group of indexes for referencing under different category types.

The entire collection of works are broadly lumped into four technical grades. The labels are "Easy," "Intermediate (Int.)," "Moderately Difficult (M-D)," and "Difficult (D)." It may help the amateur, when focusing on technical problems, to limit the comparisons to other works of the same genre or by the same composer, rather than cross-comparing any two works that happen to have the same grade.

For example, Franz Liszt's "Transcendental Etudes" is marked "D" for difficult; likewise György Ligeti's "Etudes for Piano" is graded "D." Since the primary technical demands for these two works are as different from each other as the works themselves, the grade is really little more than a signal that both works will require extensive work and patience beyond most anything marked M-D. Naturally, the serious piano student will pursue further research for works of this magnitude anyway, but Hinson's commentary often provides key information for what lies ahead. In Liszt's etude collection, for instance, the player will confront "double-note tremolos," and a "melody with rapid tremolo accompaniment in the same hand." For Ligeti's set, the performer faces "polyrhythmic, simultaneous progressive layers of tempo" and a command in dynamics ranging between ffffffff and pppppppp. Hinson's carefully worded descriptions often prove crucial in matters such as this. It pays to note them.

This massive project is both focused and thorough. Hinson has delivered a beneficial service for the serious piano explorer. Even casual browsing proves enlightening.

One request for the next edition: since the "Tombeaux, Hommages" category is so small, and only a few homages happen to be in collections, perhaps a comprehensive list of all published piano homages would make a worthy addition. Sincere thanks from this aging amateur pianist and music-lover goes to Mr. Hinson, the publisher, and to all teachers and professionals involved in the making of this excellent handbook.

I bought the book for a student and I think it is one of the first books a pianist should buy...the piano repertoire is huge but we are always listening to the same programs.
Maurice Hinson makes a great effort to list a great variety of music. Thank you Maurice.

As a long time veteran of music lessons, I can attest to the importance of the instructor on the outcome of the lessons - for both the student and the teacher. Having had two so-so, "bored with the whole concept, but gotta pay the bills somehow" teachers, and one excellent, inspiring "be the best you can be and have fun doing it" teacher, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book as an excellent guide on becoming the latter.

Not all kids are prodigies, and not all students want to go on to win State competitions and have prestigious careers as soloists. Some do, of course, but some just want to be able to play well around the campfire or at their cousin's wedding, and have fun doing it. Some take up an instrument later in life because they are recovering from an injury and playing an instrument can improve their dexterity, or simply because they want to finally experience the joy of making music now that the kids are out from under foot, and they finally have the time. Ms. Blanchard offers a great collection of fun and creative ways to help every type of student, from the prodigy to the part-timer, meet their own particular goals, as well as excellent tips on setting up a teaching studio to be profitable and successful.

Ms. Blanchard demonstrates an intuitiveness in this book that reflects her years of teaching, and draws upon that experience to provide useful guidelines for the music instructor to follow to help achieve the best results for each student. Students come in all ages, skill levels and attitudes, and have widely variable family backgrounds, social and financial situations and personal goals. This book provides thought-provoking questions that instructors can ask themselves to help assess how each particular student can best reach their goals, and provides insightful ideas on how to make the learning process an enjoyable and positive experience for everyone - including the student, their family, and the instructor too!

The impact a great teacher can have on a student is undeniable. A great teacher can inspire, encourage, and motivate students to embrace life-changing principles which will affect not just their music but every aspect of their life. I would encourage all music teachers hoping to become that great teacher, to take advantage of this excellent collection of insights to become more effective at enriching their students' (and their own) music and lives.

Bonnie Blanchard's book "Making Music, Enriching Lives" is a joyful, fun and inspiring read, imbued with the author's enthusiasm and humor. The book is pleasantly personal, filled with many stories and examples, which go straight to the heart of teaching. The numerous suggestions offered are practical, rather than mechanical. For example, the book does not cover the physics of tone (the air hits here at this angle, etc), rather it offers ways to help students find and instill in themselves the motivation and desire to practice tone. I read the book, cover to cover, over a long weekend (away from my teaching studio) and was reenergized upon my return - this book is its own "mini-teaching spa/retreat"!

The book is unique, specifically because of its focus on the "human" side of teaching - drawing attention to students' varied abilities, personalities and learning styles. Ms. Blanchard presents many suggestions to help build and nurture the student/teacher relationship, as well as the teacher/parent relationship - both primary factors for student success. In addition, it not only encourages us to challenge and raise the bar for our students' playing skills, but to do the same for our own teaching skills.

Ms. Blanchard reiterates the importance of teaching the "whole" musician, rather than "a piece of music". She offers helpful suggestions for incorporating fundamentals and musicality within each lesson and provides many pointers to help students build their problem-solving and independent learning skills. The author includes a valuable list of suggestions to help students become creative and critical thinkers.

The sections discussing the varied learning styles of boys vs. girls, as well as the section specifically addressing the characteristics of adult learners are extremely informative and helpful. The author places important emphasis upon the learning process and the skills acquired and enhanced throughout, rather than placing the most important emphasis on what the author defines as "outcome goals" (winning the audition, something in control of the judges, not the student). Also unique is the Ms. Blanchard's "Music for Life Notebook System", which ultimately provides students with a personalized reference of all they have learned.

Overall, the book was a refreshing look at many aspects of teaching, offering a myriad of ways to lead each student to their fullest musical potential, through a balance of hard work and fun! One of the most memorable lines in the book is Ms. Blanchard's statement that, "Many musicians decide to become music teachers because the love music. A better reason would be because they love helping people". I believe this not only best sums up what teaching should be, but also the overall nature of the book - "Making Music and Enriching Lives" helps teachers, help their students develop skills to experience joy, confidence and success, in music and many other areas of their lives.

"Making Music and Enriching Lives" offers something for everyone - new teachers, experienced teachers, burnt-out teachers, teachers relocating or teachers of any instrument. The title is well suited to the book, as it will "enrich" the teaching of those who read it and in turn "enrich" the lesson experience of their students. I highly recommend this book to all teachers - keep it in your library, as you will undoubtedly refer to it often. If possible, for the first read, find a quiet spot, curl up with a good cup of tea and be inspired!

One of the best books on pedagogy I've read. Bonnie's work is positively brimming with ideas -- I found it difficult to get through the book in a timely manner; I was too busy trying to incorporate the ideas from my previous reading.

Bonnie's style is very conversational, making the book a fun and light read despite the heavy amount of content. She strives to make the work useful and full of examples from every instrument, making this the most comprehensive work on pedagogy I've come across. The helpful sections on methods of bill collection and marketing as a private teacher were sorely needed and filled in a lot of gaps in my conservatory education.

As a voice teacher of many years, it was a joy to read this inspirational book, with wonderful advice for all teachers (not even in the music field). It shows you're never too old to learn new motivational tricks and ways to be more organized as well. Hats off to Ms. Blanchard!!
Margaret Russell
Essen Germany

A number of people sent me the Amazon link for this book and indicated that it was the best book they'd read in this subject area. Mine arrived yesterday and I can't put it down. It really is excellent. I do think that the characterological makeup of pianists and string players is different than that of flute players (the book is written by a flute teacher and freelancer in Washington state), but nevertheless, the book is full of ideas and helpful recommendations, and is not to be missed.

While there are other good translations of selections from the Canzoniere, Petrarcch's masterpiece needs to be read as a whole from start to finish in order to be fully appreciated. Petrarch planned and rewrote these poems in order to fit into an overall plan.
Usually I skip introductions to works that I read but I read the first paragraph of the extensive introduction and was quickly drawn in. This introduction was actualy a helpful prologue to the poetry which descibed Petrach's styles and intentions.
A blurb on the book cover says that Musa's treanslations read so well that you are unaware that they are translations. I certainly agree. I do not read Italian but this edition does conain the originals on the adjacent side.
I was surprised at the modernity and musicality of the poems. Petrarch was not just inflouential in his versification but also in his language. Much of his humanistic language has become second nature to us but he invented it.
I rank this book as not only some of the graetest poetry but as one ofthe great works of Western llterature.
These "little songs" are highly readble and like a said before form a sort of novelistic story that I would highly recommend to not just poetry readers but all readers.

In addition to one of the finest translations, Musa provides much useful background information. He includes a chronological table that comprises when the poems were written and times when the events occurred in Petrarch's live. The notes and commentary, not footnoted but located separately from the poems in a chapter at the end of the book, are detailed descriptions about the poems and its allegories. Musa tells readers about the name "Laura" and its connection to the laurel. Through the various explanations of Italian lyrics, readers learn how to differentiate between various poetic genres. The book also has the original Italian text as well as the English translation, so that readers can compare them. It is a great way to learn how to read Italian. Another important feature is the works cited because scholars can seek the same readings that Musa used for his book. And also, the index of the first lines is very helpful when one remembers a few beginning words of the poem and wants to know where it is located in the book. This edition is a must for anyone who collects the works of Petrarca.

Musa's translations preserve all the brilliant visionary beauty & humble humanness of Petrarch's voice. & where would western literature be without Petrarch? He was one of the main people to bring Europe out of the Middle Ages.

Petrarch, an Italian poet in the early 1300's, had a major influence on English literature in the 16th and 17th centuries. In a series of sonnets that became known as Canzoniere, Petrarch focused on his idea of love based on the sighting of a woman named Laura in a church. Though she was married, Petrarch confessed his love to her but was rebuked each time. With his love unreturned, he channeled that energy into his poetry and instead of trying to persuade Laura, his poetry idealizes and describes the concepts related to beauty. The poetry of the "lover" to the "beloved" describes Laura with "godly" attributes. The beloved is a woman who has an angelic appearance and a certain grace in her mannerisms. Physically, the beloved has blonde hair, blue eyes and pale white skin with red cheeks. She is radiant in appearance and can strike a man's heart in seconds. In addition, Petrarch's writing mechanics influenced the style in which future poems were written. Petrarch's poetry also followed a distinct meter, usually an octave scale. Petrarch's deliberate style and notion of beauty found in his sonnets set a new standard for writing.

Sidney, Spencer, and even Shakespeare were familiar with, and heavily influenced by, Petrarch's work. Other English poets like Henry Howard and Sir Thoms Wyatt tried to translate Petrarch's poetry. In order to understand this entire time peroid, one should go back to the roots and read the original. Mark Musa's translation includes the original Italian version as well as an excellent English translation. My professors also use this book because the translations stay as close to the original as possible. Though something is always lost in translation, these poems feel as if they are whole, and should be read as one long story. Musa's critical notes at the end of the book provide excellent insight into Petrarch's style, form and meaning. This is a great version of the Canzoniere and I highly recommend it.

This edition of Petrarch's Canzoniere (trans. Mark Musa) is the best English rendering I have seen. Durling's edition, while useful in different ways (I would certainly reccommend both to anyone seriously interested in Petrarch), doesn't provide translations that are nearly as poetic or comfortable as these. Musa's experience from translating Dante's Divine Comedy and Vita Nuova, Boccaccio's Decameron, and even, previously, portions of Petrarch's Canzoniere, definitely shines through here - Musa knows his way around the Italian greats, and it shows in this translation.

Written by Ray Mulesky, Thunder From a Clear Sky is the breathtaking true story of Confederate cavalry officer Adam "Stovepipe" Johnson, who led the first Confederate raid across the Mason-Dixon Line to seize the river-port community of Newburgh, Indiana during the American Civil War. Not a shot was fired. A highly accessible true story of how an ordinary man proved capable of a military master stroke, and the fallout thereafter when the territory he claimed was retaken by Union troops. A welcome contribution to Civil War and military history shelves.

This book is a fascinating story. The author puts you into the story. You can almost smell the gunpowder.

Although I'm only mildly interested in historical books, I truly enjoyed reading this book. The book's ability to engage my interest was through taking a true story with real people from an ordinary place and telling the story of how they acted and what happened when the history altering civil war directly touches their lives through one man's actions. Very thought provoking! The writing so skillfully weaves details from historical research with the people involved in this event that it is both enjoyable and informative. Great book!

I have read a lot of books regarding the Civil War. Being a history buff, I'm always looking for more. Living in Southern Indiana made this book appealing because it is local history. More interesting is that it takes place basically on "the line" between the north and south. With only the river separating the strong beliefs on both sides of the War, the story is true for so many borderline areas. Ray writes in a way that makes the reader believe they are actually witnessing the raid and I was able to relate easily to the feelings that the characters were feeling. When he described the chaos in Newburgh and the clear conflicts with the inhabitants, it was very easy to get wrapped up in it all. He also takes the time to give a full narative to the people in the story so that the reader understands throughout how they fit into the book. It is a very well researched historical account of the struggles of the people during that time. As someone who constantly has a non-fiction book in progress, I highly recommend it.

Adam Johnson's Confederate Raid on Newburgh, Indiana, was a little-known footnote to history even in the communities where the story unfolded. Most who knew about the raid knew only about Johnson's use of a phony cannon battery to deceive the Indiana homeguard into giving up the town. Thunder From a Clear Sky is the equivalent of a backstage pass into the workings and reasons behind the raid. Told in a story-telling style, this book is a wonderful example of what is possible when a talented researcher and writer dusts off a forgotten gem. The book has single-handedly sparked a revival of interest into Adam Johnson's amazing life story.

This is not a book written by a professional theologian. Instead it's a collection of real-life stories told by the people who lived these experiences, themselves, and told in their own words. Each story is a glimpse into the soul of another human being and each reminds us that there is a spark of the divine in all of us. God is present to us in the most unexpected and, often, simple but powerful ways.

I was captivated the moment I read these words from the one whose idea it was for this book. Rev. Andrea Leininger is a United Methodist Pastor serving in Brownstown, IN. Her words about how the book came about are moving and haunting, "In the wee hours of the morning I awakened, remembering the story of a mother who lost her son and how she overcame depression and loneliness, of a man convicted of fraud and... of a victim of incest who conquered despair and, through her profession, now encourages others to grow and live fulfilling lives. I recalled numerous occasions when ordinary people entrusted their extraordinary stories of hope and courage, of strength and joy..." "Treasures in Clay Jars" are the stories of such people who shared their faith journey in hopes of instilling hope and courage in readers who too have had to endure similar experiences. I found myself becoming misty-eyed from stories of sorrow as well as stories of joy and humor. I myself am a contributor to this compilation of faith stories. My story "Corn Supper" is humorous but also sobering. One writer shares her own poignant story of her personal struggle with multiple sclerosis and her haunting experience when visiting Liberia a year after the gruesome massacre of over 800 refugees. As the writer was, so too, will you be changed. This book is definitely a treasure not to be overlooked!

Treasure in Clay Jars is an excellent compliation of life experiences that are varied and yet authentic. Each contributor is on a spiritual journey. I beleive this book captures the experiences of many people on similar spiritual journeys. I highly recommend it.

--Tom Osborn

retired football coach, University of Nebraska National Championship winner

William Faulkner noted that the only stories worth a writer's blood and sweat and tears were stories of the human heart in conflict with itself. TREAURES IN CLAY JARS is a rich example of worthy efforts of writers. To read about everyday events and the presence of love and spiritual power within them is a treasure beyond measure. Pastor Linda Hoopes' story of communion touched me deeply. It's said that the prefix "com" once meant the exchange of burdens and her story of "communion" surely does just that. It shares burdens and brings to life the power of connections to heal our bodies and our spirit.. Stories heal too and that's what this book does: it heals. Buy it! Give it as a gift! Treasure it for yourself. As an author of both fiction and non-fiction including A BURDEN SHARD, I can share with you this view that TREASURES IN CLAY JARS is a fine and worthy read! .

Faith stories by Hoosier United Methodists fills a needed void as it seeks to share personal faith stories in everyday words by ordinary persons living and working their faith everyday. It is an attractive book both inside and out. I first sought out the stories of the people I knew personally, then I went back and eagerly read them all. It's a "good read" and a fine gift idea. Looks as if "Chicken Soup" has worthy competition from grassroots Indiana United Methodists. Go for it! Doris Moreland Jones, Christian Counselor and author of "And Not One Bird Stopped Singing"

A very sad commentary involving the killing and mutilation of many thousands of innocent people. A book that must be read although at times it will be difficult to continue due to the very nature of the material presented.

In this amazing and original history we learn, finally, the first person accounts of the Nazi genocide perpetrated in Belarus, Ukraine and the Soviet Union by the Nazis during the Second World War. This part of the Holocaust has been only touched on elsewhereOrdinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland. Despite the fact that Holocaust Museums such as Yad Vashem have documented the Nazi road of terror and death in the Ukraine, few histories have examined this from the point of view of the people involved.

This book bridges this gap, taking the reader deep into the land that was once flowing with Jewish Shtetle life. Soviet eye-witnesses such as Vasily Grossman, one of Russia's most celebrated journalists, show us the eyewitness accounts of Nazi atrocities and reminds us that almost half of the victims of the Holocaust were murdered here.

An amazing story that turns the heart and will shock the reader and one that fills in this gap of history.

Seth J. Frantzman

The Black Book, is a book incredibly great writen you will in enjoy it from the first page to the last!!!

It's a rare reader who'll be able to get through The Unknown Black Book without having to walk away from it several times. The tragedies it documents are just too horrible to bear except in small doses. Both text and photographs stun the imagination and freeze the heart.

The UBB is a narrative history of Nazi atrocities against the Jews in the German-occupied Soviet territories (Ukraine, Belorussia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, The Crimea, and Russia) during WWII. It contains 93 documents, almost half of which are written by eyewitnesses. The rest are compilations of various eyewitness accounts by the editors, a couple of Soviet Jewish journalists, Ilya Ehrenburg and Vasily Grossman, who began collecting material as early as 1942. The eyewitness accounts include diaries, letters, and testimonies of those Russian Jews who managed to survive the wholescale exterminations carried out by the Eastern Front Einsatzgruppen (one of which was commanded by a direct descendant of the composer Franz Schubert).

What can one possibly say that makes sense of the horrors described by the survivors? Tsodik Yakovlevich Bleyman, the sole survivor of the shtetl of Utyan, tells of being driven into the forest with dozens of men and women, who were then sprayed with machine gun fire by Lithuanian fascist collaborators (p. 310). Yevgenia Shendels tells of her father, a physician, being gunned down in the streets of Kursk because he resisted the Nazi murder of medical patients (p. 401). Tatyana Taranova, a student, remembers that one Jew was ill and in seclusion when an Einsatzgruppe exterminated everyone in his village. When he was told of their fate, he was simply unable to believe the fantastic tale. "He decided to ask the German commandant for help because he did not believe that they had shot the Jews. The commandant smiled and called over a soldier with a submachine gun, and the naive Jew was shot right there" (p. 209). Tales such as these defy comprehension. but they need to be told and heeded.

The UBB's own fate is almost as sad as the stories it documents. In 1942, just a few months after the German invasion of the USSR, the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee was formed to document German atrocities, publicize them throughout the world, and garner aid for the Soviet war effort. A parallel Jewish committee in the U.S., chaired by Albert Einstein, promised to publish an English version of the book when it was completed. The American "Black Book" was eventually released. But the Stalinist regime eventually decided that the Russian version was too "Zionist." In addition, the government was upset that the Russian version documented numerous cases of Russian collaboration with the Nazis, thereby revealing the extent of anti-semitism in the Soviet state. So the publication of the Russian Black Book was squelched, even though the manuscript was complete, and in 1952 Stalin executed some 13 "Zionist" Jews who had collaborated on the project.

The book surpressed by Stalin, the "Unknown" Black book, is finally available thanks to the efforts of the editors of this edition.

Amazing story of the German and Romainian occupation of Russia and Lithuania during the invasion of the Soviet Territories during the second world war and the attrocities perpetrated on their populations especially the Jewish population and the brutality they endured at the hands of the occupiers.

I purchased this collected works of Voltaire a couple of years ago and quite enjoyed it. However, I did read an older translation of Candide from a used book-store a couple of years earlier and I found that some of the irony and overall tone was communicated better. That said, there really isn't anything terrible wrong with this translation and, of course, it's a great deal; you get all of these works in one book. I think mine cost $5 U.S. I recommend this book, each individual story would cost you at least 5 dollars.

Thought-provoking, disturbing, satirical, wise and moving would be an appropriate description of Voltaire's brilliant book, Candide. By cleverly writing in tones of sarcasm and by painting clear cut and gory pictures into the readers' mind, Voltaire conveys the message to the readers, the philosophy of optimism and how humans perceive society when encountered with the most atrocious, evil and brutal world humanity can possibly imagine.

The plot is driven and revolved around the Pangloss' optimistic approach on life; that every cause has an effect in the "best of all possible worlds." Candide is pulled into his tutors' wise teachings until he is forced to face the reality of the outside world when kicked out of the castle, by the Baron of the great palace in Westphalia, for having an affair with his daughter. The readers would think that Candide's beliefs would skew after a series of terrible, inconceivable misfortunes: hopelessly attempting to win the heart of his love, Cunegonde; tortured; diseased; suffering natural disasters and witnessing and hearing the deaths, rapes and enslavement of his beloveds. However Candide lives through his faith, and although slightly unreal and ridiculous, readers stop to consider the sources that shape our society: religion, ethics, law and individuality.

Voltaire's surprising and fast plot weaved in with the philosophies of life, will keep readers turning the page and continue to challenge them.

If you are reading this, you probably know the merits of Voltaire's classic Candide; so I will comment on this particular translation and edition. Donald M. Frame's translation is the best in my view. Frame also wrote the introduction to the 1961 Signet printing. John Iverson supplies the introduction to the new (2001) printing. In addition to Frame's lively translation, and Iverson's introduction, this volume contains 15 other short works by Voltaire and helpful notes and a glossary. This is the best edition of Volataire's Candide that you can buy - and you can't beat the price of 5 bucks!

Although, perhaps, it wasn't ment to be, Volatire's work is uplifting. Sometimes a man faces something that enraged him to such a depth, he either has to cry or laugh about it. Its good to be able to laugh about injustice, betrayal, and every other inborn, basic flaw of the pompous human race we all have the pleasure to be part of. This is one of the best satires I've ever read.

This Signet edition of Voltaire's finest works is THE Candide to buy. It has 15 other classic Voltaire works FIFTEEN!! Now that's a great deal without all the bells and whistles!

I remember first being introduced to Voltaire (1694-1778) when I was looking ahead in my history book in school, as was my "pasttime" and was one of the ways how I became a trivial nerd who can name dates and events almost like Rain Man. His picture attracted me because of that smart-aleky grin always on his face. This was a bit surprising considering everyone took serious portraits in that time.

Before long after starting to read this good stuff, you'll have a grin on your face too.

The Age of Reason is where Marie-Francois Arouet, better known by the pen name of Voltaire comes from and it is the setting of one of the most famous satires of all time.

Published in 1759, Voltaire takes apart the philisophical quote by Gottfried Lebniz (1646-1716) which states that, the seventeenth/eighteenth century was "The Best of all Possible Worlds." In Candide, the title naiive character is about to find out just how "great" an era the eighteenth century was.

Next to Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)-whom Voltaire knew and admired, Candide is the most famous satire ever written. It has the best tragical irony and is combined to make it one very memorable and funny reading experience. It seems to me that the eighteenth century was just begging, bowing, scraping, and grovelling to be taken apart by satire and parody, and who would be better to expose the woes of its society than Voltaire, Swift, Alexander Pope (1688-1744), and all the rest of those satirizing cats?!

Probably Mikhail Bulgakov and/or Nikolai Gogol, but those two cats were LATER.

That brings us to the conclusion that there was

NOBODY, THAT'S WHO!!!