United States Books

A little background: I grew up in Central Illinois, and began watching "All Star Wrestling" on Saturday mornings. I would see these bulky bruisers like Nick Bockwinkle and "Da Crusher!", and really thought this stuff was real.

Then, out of nowhere, came this flamboyant, trash-talking, electrifying persona called Superstar Billy Graham, with his tie-dyed tights, Elton-John rhinestone sunglasses, and the biggest, baddest, most impressive physique I'd ever seen. He was unreal, and for the next year or so, he was THE GUY to watch for during the telecasts.

Then, just as suddenly, he disappeared. Vanished. The TV wrestling went on, and I sort of lost interest, and always wondered what happened to that Superstar Billy Graham guy.

Well, read this book, and you'll find out the whole story. Being so regionalized in those days, unless you were a hard-core wrestling hound, it would have been difficult TO know what happened to him in the intervening years.

What happened to him was he moved on to the NY region, was a smash hit in the NY area, got major juice as the heel to beat, won the belt in a titanic match, held it for about a year, sold out arenas everywhere he went, and then was forced to give up the belt to a true Baby Face named Bob Backlund, (WHO???), got messed up in his head and heart, got into drugs, and became - even more quickly than he arrived - one of the saddest also-rans in the business. Never ever regaining the Superstar persona that had so electrified crowds in the mid to late 70's.

You'll find out more about Wayne Coleman than you'd ever like to know otherwise. Its a fascinating backstage view of pro wrestling in the kayfabe era, and what it was really like to be a performer in those days. You'll discover the ups and downs of steroid use/abuse, and how it prematurely depletes the body of its essential elements. You'll meet a man who gave his life to one of the strangest forms of sport/entertainment on the planet, and find out what happens when the ride is over.

Its a very telling, and really well written book. Its a very honest, personable account that makes you feel you've actually met Wayne Coleman. Its easy to see how a lot of people could really not like him, but this fascinating account of who "The Superstar" really is and was is extremely interesting and compelling. I enjoyed reading this book very much, (similar to how I felt reading Gene Simmons book on KISS.)

I don't endorse pro wrestling at all. In all honesty, its about as Satanic an expression as exists these days. But for filling in a long ago mystery of what happened to the "Superstar Billy Graham," this book does all that and more. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to know the full story of the granddaddy of all modern wrestlers.

While Mick Foley may have set a bar, he doesn't have nearly the experience and lifetime of Superstar Billy Graham. Ric Flair's book is good but it spends a great deal of time praising the WWE. Dusty Rhodes tale was bland and lacked details, a huge dissapointment.

Billy Graham's story raised the bar beyond Foley's book when he penned his memoirs. A few great elements of this book consist of him being frank about drug abuse, including steroids and doesn't attempt to dismiss their deadly long lasting effects. I think Graham realized while he was writing this book the impact he made on professional wrestling. He was the first to jam on the mic and knew how to work a crowd-pure showman and that is the necessary part in being a successful pro wrestling. Before Hogan, The American Dream and The Nature Boy-there was Superstar!

The story is bitter sweet and sad. A Superstar of a performer that nearly died multiple times. I just hope his new life as a minister is a much easy and equally satisfying journey. Thanks Superstar for all the TV memories.

This book was outstanding from page 1, to the very last page.

Outstanding job and life story!

Superstar, a man ahead of all times!!

It's a cliche', but what a page turner. First let me say, I was a HUGE Billy Graham "mark" when I was a kid. He was the first guy that drew me in. He had such charisma. So cool. Anyway, this book is just him 100% totally pouring out his soul. He holds back nothing. Tells you absolutely everything about everyone and mostly - himself.

The stories are more heartbreaking with each page. Everything from him hearing he may only have 30 days to live when he was waiting for his kidney transplant to embarassing moments like when he ditched a cab outside of the Georgia wrestling TV studio because he didn't have the money - only for the guy to come in looking for him and then Dusty Rhodes flips out a $50 bill in front of others to Billy telling him to "pay the taxi".

What's most amazing is that he tells much of his story without heavy bitterness or anger except during his attacks on the WWF and Vince during the steroid trial - which he admits he only did to try to get some hush money from Vince since he really had NO money. It was that he really should have done more and that drugs really did wreck his life.

Wow - I could go on and on and still not give up everything in this book. It really is great. God bless the man of the hour, the man with the power - too sweet to be sour!

THIS IS THE STORY OF FORMER PRO WRESTLER SUPERSTAR BILLY GRAHAM. HIS STORY IS TRULY AMAZING. THE AMAZING PART IS THAT HE IS STILL ALIVE. HE TELLS US OF HIS BODY BUILDING, EVANGELIST, BOUNCER AND PRO FOOTBALL CAREERS ALONG WITH HIS WRESTLING DAYS AND ADDICION TO DRUGS AND STEROIDS. I FOUND HIS STORY TO BE INTERESTING, TERRIFYING, HUMOROUS AND ABSOLUTLY RIVOTING. I HAVE READ MANY BOOKS ABOUT PRO WRESTLING AND THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST. SUPERSTAR CERTAINLY DOES A GREAT JOB TELLING US HIS STORY. HE DELIVERS A POWERFUL MESSAGE ABOUT STEROIDS AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS WIFE AND GOD. A MUST READ.

I am the parent who picks out books for the kids, whether it's at the library or the book store. It's not very often that my husband comments on my choices but this one he came to me right after our 3-yo daughter's bedtime and said how wonderful it is. The text is so lovely and tender, and the illustrations are so rich and lifelike. It really gives a sense of connection to both nature and family roots. A real pleasure for kids & parents alike.

I like this book very much and know that I will read it over and over to my grandchildren. The illustrations are excellent. The story is helpful (learning about the concept of history in a simple fashion) and told in a lyrical voice.

The other reviews did a great job describing this book. I agree with what they said about the beauty, emotion, and love in this book. Here are my top two reasons why this is an important book:

1. Richness of language. Developmentally, if children are exposed to language rich in vocabulary, structure, and grammar, it helps in so many ways. If you read a sentence each out of stack of random Disney, Sesame Street and other character books they all sound the same. If that is all children hear they miss the richness of our language, and actually their ability to think in complex ways is affected. If you read a sentence each of books like this, you hear the difference.

2. Exposure to experience. If you read Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods, you are familiar with the theory that children today have much less real contact with the natural world, and it is affecting them. Even in my own experience, I got to poke in creeks and catch crawdads, hike in woods by myself, eat warm tomatos and corn right out of the garden, and ride my bike all day and stop by the side of the road to eat the lunch I packed. My kids won't have those experiences, and even a school trip to Sunnydale Farm so the kids can line up and pet a cow won't make up for not having the experience of being alone and self-directed in a natural environment. This book doesn't, of course, replace a first hand experience, but I believe can give children some sense of an important experience in our cultural history that most children will not get any other way.

Wonderful story and a pleasure to read over and over. Makes me teary every time, very touching. Rhythm of the story seems to help my son go to sleep.

Patricia MacLachlan creates a heart warming masterpiece through a simple country family's connection with each other and their land. All the Places to Love begins with Eli's birth and his first view of the countryside his family calls home. Eli would soon grow to love this countryside through his experiences with his mother, father, and grandparents. They each have a place on the farm, which holds a special place in their heart. Mama loves the hill where she can see the sun rise on one side and set on the other. Papa love the fields and working in them. Grandma shares her love for the river with Eli as they sail notes down stream to one another. The barn grows special to Eli's heart after sharing experiences with Grandpa working in a place that brings joy to his life. Eli creates his personal getaway where the spring rains come and turn the meadows into marsh. The paintings by Mike Wimmer combined with the words by MacLachlan capture the passion filled anticipation of Eli as he awaits the birth of his baby sister. Eli is eager to show Sylvie "all the places to love."

As others have pointed out, this book is interesting as a history of popular cooking in the U.S. in the last hundred years or so. The illustrations are delightful and the text is informative.

But I must differ from the other reviewers and make a point for those of us who like authentic recipes. Many of the recipes here are introduced with the words "adapted from" or "version of" - which is a way of saying that the original recipe has been altered in unspecified ways and for unknown reasons. The result is that many of the bowdlerized recipes are only vaguely similar to the original, and invariably to their detriment.

I vastly prefer the recipes to be given in their original form so that, if we choose to, we can make them as we remember them. If I want to de-fat and de-sugar recipes where these elements are vital to the taste and texture, I can make that "adaptation" on my own. I think it's rather dishonest to portray the contents as "the recipes our mothers and grandmothers loved" when, in fact, they are frequently pale imitations with all the goodness removed. Be sure to preserve and treasure those clippings grandma left you; with a world full of "editors" carefully excising the politically incorrect ingredients, they're the only unadulterated record of how grandma really cooked.

Now that my mother needs others to cook for her, I look for ways that I can prepare a meal ahead that will bring back memories of the "Good Old Days". I still follow her dietary guidelines, but re-introducing recipes from her hey-day makes her smile, and gives her a welcome change of pace. One of her favorites from this cookbook has been Johnny Marzetti, but I use Baby Portabela mushrooms instead of white mushrooms, and my mother wants double the amount of mushrooms. For my mushroom-hating mother-in-law and cheddar-averse sister-in-law, I remove the mushrooms and saute red and green bell peppers instead and switch to colby cheese. For DH, I increase the extra lean ground beef and use pepper jack cheese. These variations are economical, not too spicy, but tasty. They bring a smile, and take some of the pressure off my mother's care-givers. This cookbook lets me recreate the "Good Old Days." As always, it is my prerogative to update to meet dietary needs.

I love to cook and eat. I have loads of cookbooks. This is the best book I have seen that captures what my parents and grandparents ate and taught me to eat. Beyond that, is chronicle of the food that became available and why and where they originated.
It should be considered a history od 20th century foods a s well as a cookbook. Loads of comfort recipes, as well as those that are now considered classics, never to be deleted. Worth purchasing if you are a baby boomer, you will love it.
DOC

This book is a treasury of true American cooking, with the recipes our mothers and grandmothers loved,and that make fond memories for us. Some are still favorites for family and entertaining (Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, Stroganoff Casserole), others beg to be rediscovered (Imagine! Coca-Cola Salad), all provide fascinating reading, with their accompanying histories, orginal ads and illustrations. "American Century" has rapidly become one of my favorite cookbooks, both for browsing and for adding to my collection of recipes that please and amaze.

I use this book as a reference guide for my high school American History and African American Studies classes. Everything in the world seems to be here including an old favorite from the 1960s, 'Puree Mongole.' This cookbook is easy to read and most recipes are simple to follow. The best part for me, as a Social Studies teacher, is the gem of the history lessons and time lines associated with all the food preparations. A real pleasure and a book that is priceless if you like the history of American cuisine.

As a psychologist for 30 years I have read many professional texts and self-help books. This is a valuable book for people entering the healing professions as well as for patients and their caretakers because, throughout, it touches on a man's path to recovering from brain damage. It touches on his creating a personal philosophy to see him through, skills he learned along the way, including self-assertion, and finally the love he's learned along the way.
Dick Schmelzkopf's book, Brain Damage: Overcoming adversity with wit and humor, challenges us to observe what is, to most of us, the mundane choices of life, what to wear, doing chores, and handling finances through his brain-damaged mind. This book is a practical, no-nonsense, road map outlining the rehabilitation process of a brain-damaged man ... and more. In addition, the author describes what one can expect to experience along the way and shares his views that will help people understand what tools one needs on such a journey. It will make the trip easier for all who make this journey and those who accompany them. Reading this book illuminates our lives and can only make us more tolerant, compassionate, and caring. I'm a better psychologist for having read it.
Philosophy
From his first thoughts after surgery, Dick Schmelzkopf psychologically reframes how he sees life. Dick's advice to "Add Quality of Life to your personal credo" will shake the whininess out of anyone's "pity party." Many who have died on the operating table and are brought back to life also make this shift in their thinking through the transformational experience.
Dick avoids sliding into non-productive funks when he admonishes us, "Don't beat yourself up ... Remember it and learn by it." Combine Dick's advice to us all that we "... need challenges and interests. If you don't have one, get one," with his personal stance, "I will never, never give up," which explains much of his success. Dick's dogged determination to master whatever functions his brain surgery left him is a model to everyone, with or without brain damage. Dick's prior work as a salesman has, I believe, contributed to his use of affirmations like, "I have a positive attitude that guarantees success." Dick adapted the adage, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade," into his personal mantra, "If you're given brain damage, write about it." In addition to being great rehabilitation therapy for him, it gives his life meaning and purpose that this book "... will give somebody an idea of how to help themselves or someone they love."
Skills
This book has many techniques for the brain-damaged person to use to enhance the quality of their life and the lives of their caregivers. His recitation of his abilities, pre and post- surgery, can be an instruction manual, both for the patient and for caregivers. Whether discussing the impact on his decision-making or judgment, Dick lays out the roadmap of how a brain-damaged person can regain control of whatever is left by the surgeon's scalpel. Dick constantly reminds us of the need for the acceptance of the "slow and arduous task" of rehabilitation by patients, caregivers and health care professionals.
Dick teaches us by example. His strategy of linking his interests in darts to solving a math problem clearly shows how a brain-damaged person can learn how to cope. He serves up the problems he's had, like pattern recognition, then follows up with helpful hints for dealing with his "broken recognizer." Dick's rituals, for rebuilding his vocabulary, are his menu for finding and using what works for him. Dick's "Rule number one" for the cognitively challenged (and their caregivers) is proof that his "... pen is mightier that the surgeon's sword." Dick's comment about his re-learned poker skills are a warning to us all, should we ever find ourselves across a poker table from him.
His determination to define himself in his new life is a triumphant assertion of the human spirit and will. Dick's response to people who treat him as less than equal is a prime example of a psychologically healthy outlook, succinctly put, that others see him as a person of worth and dignity, handicap be damned. Dick's admonition that "Brain-damaged means we may be a little slower in some areas, but don't count us out," works as well for those with an aging brain as it is instructive to caregivers and health care professionals alike.
Love
This book is as much a love story of two people committed to each other in ways only a few lucky people will ever experience. It emphatically says, "Take heart, caregivers," when Dick tells caregivers, "You are important," and you feel it when he says throughout the book, "Ain't love grand?" You will find this book is full of heart, love, compassion, humor and common sense that prove that to overcome a handicap, the wisdom of the heart trumps intelligence. Every time. The two pages discussing Grief is worth the price of the book alone. Its lesson is the power of compassion, love and illuminates the author's humanity, or, as his wife says, "ECCE HOMO," which translates as "Behold, A Man."
Dick's rehabilitation journey is not complete, nor will it ever be. After a year of rehab work he has found, however, the best path for himself. He's currently busy on many writing projects. We wish him God-speed and Dragon's Luck.

What can I say....I laughed, I cried (rest in peace, Shardak), and then I laughed again (out loud, alone in the room, 1 AM). I saw myself and wondered why anyone who has ever lost their car keys is not in the same program right along with the "Rehabbers". Dick shares some very personal moments with his readers (some of these things it would never occur to me to share with some of my closest friends). He really grabs you and makes you think.....and laugh....and cry.... I felt like I was sitting and sharing secrets with my best friend. Truly inspirational, in many ways!! Thanks for sharing yourself with the world!!

Brain Damage is an amazing journey. Both the story and its author are testaments to the indomitableness of the human spirit in its quest for wholeness. However, the author's pilgrimage, compelling in its own right, is but a subplot to a recurring theme throughtout the book. This is a love story, marriage the way God intended it. "For better or worse, in sickness and in health"--vows often spoken but not always honored, expecially when tested the way these were. You will love this book, and you will love the way these two people love each other. Enjoy their journey, then I challenge you. See if you can ever again be angry with your spouse for ignoring the budget or failing to lower the toilet seat.

Dick Schmeltzof's very personal book, Brain Damage, is both heartwarming and informative. He treats a very serious subject with humor, wit and compassion. It is difficult to imagine the drastic changes that have occurred in Dick's life since the emergency surgery to remove a tumor on his pituitary gland. But through his carefully constructed narrative, we can "feel" his frustrations and also revel in the incremental -- yet moving forward -- progress that he makes. His is a story of great courage, hope and love; a lesson for Humanity. Thanks to Dick for sharing this moving and insightful story of life after brain surgery. Readers will laugh. They will weep. And finally, they will applaud this incredible human being. Dick demonstrates a real gift for storytelling through this book. Let's hope he delights us with "Brain Damage II".

This is one story that will inspire many people and give them hope for recovery from brain injuries. The author uses humor and wit and weaves his story of how he over came and coped with his "brain damge". It is a positive message about a serious concern. The book is a great read even if you do not have anyone in your lfie with brain damage - it really is about attitude and how you can cope with whatever happens to you in your life.

I totally recomend this book to all readers. It will add something to your life in a positive way. It is uplifting!

This is a great read. It brings another perspective on the war in Iraq.

First off, full disclosure. I have met Kimberly, and we have exchanged emails. I respect her as a journalist, and now as an author.

Her book is a quick read, but not always a pleasant one. In her brisk style honed as a broadcast writer conveys a candid and authoritative narrative. I found three themes of particular interest.

Her description of military medical practices is fascinating. She gives a detailed yet comprehensible explanation of the life-saving methods practiced by corpsmen and medics on the battlefield. Procedures immediately after the explosion are clearly spelled out, and I think that has to be a comfort to anyone who has a friend or relative in harm's way.

She also tells us about the long and agonizing rehabilitation process from start to finish. Too often we only hear about the tragic incident and then the outcome, whether it's happy or bittersweet. The gut-wrenching middle gets left out or short-changed. But Kimberly clarifies the recovery process without being maudlin or grotesque. This book is highly recommended for anyone facing long recovery from serious injury (and for their family and friends).

Kimberly's decision regarding the choice of psychotropic drugs versus counseling is instructive and can be a guide to others in similar situations. She recognized, or perhaps just sensed, that she did not need drugs. Of the three states of mental health problems -- stress, distress and disorder - she was battling the first two, but not the third.

Her counseling references also are in stark contrast to the situation for many active military personnel. DOD recognizes other mental health professions for independent insurance reimbursement, but not certified counselors. This is a disturbing disincentive, particularly at a time when the shortage of mental health care services for military personnel and their families is well documented. Maybe her book will prod (or shame) the military establishment into making counselors more readily available to service personnel and their families.

Her editors let her down in a few places (dropped words, redundant passages), but otherwise "Breathing the Fire" is a good story told well, with interesting information and revelations for just about any reader.

This is an excellent book, contemplative and moving in its detailed descriptions of a U.S. news reporter's first hand experience of war. Dozier's discussion of her near death and recovery from severe injury and loss is as captivating as it is frightening. Written in the prose style of a scrupulous reporter but with the rhythm of fiction, the book brings the reader into places of desire, anticipation, shock, betrayal, anger and triumph.
Breathing the Fire is recommended for anyone concerned about the Iraq war -- a real war that permanently affects the lives of journalists and photographers, soldiers, translators, health care workers and their families.

Remarkably unflinching - Kimberly Dozier's narrative voice in "Breathing the Fire" describes her road to recovery after being seriously injured on Memorial Day 2006 by a horrific car bombing in Iraq which killed four others, including the CBS cameraman and soundman she worked alongside. In meticulous detail, Dozier dissects the details of the bombing and day-to-day decisions around her medical care and rehabilitation, and punctuates them with her observations and feelings, allowing a rare peek into the mind of someone who has survived an extremely traumatic experience. Even after she learns how to walk again and returns to the newsroom - the author learns that there is no textbook for adjusting to a "new normal" and how to respond to people as they react to seeing a walking miracle. The book sheds light on the experiences of many struggling to recover from the wounds of war. You also learn what drew her to journalism and led her to be a foreign correspondent in a war zone. Readers are introduced to a wealth of supportive people who played pivotal roles in her recovery - from Iowa National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Jeremy Coke who tied the tourniquet on her leg after the bombing that saved her life, to her friends at CBS, innumberable medical and rehab personnel, her parents, and her boyfriend, Pete. Destined to become one of the critical memoirs chronicling the Iraq War.

I read this book thinking, "I am not sure if I can relate to this". War stories are not my reading genre of choice. But, I had met Kim over the phone one day and so received an e-mail from her letting me and all her address book addressees that her book had been published. So, I ordered one from Amazon not quite knowing what to expect. This book is so NOT a war story. It is the courageous story of a woman with a goal who achieved that goal, a goal which led her into combat where a life-changing event changed her life forever, as well as so many other lives. I was drawn in the moment I started reading. Kim's writing is clear, concise, factual, with just the right amount of emotion and personality. She lets people in to her very personal yet very public experience without a hint of self pity or any reference to a "poor me" attitude. The book is an inspiring one about a woman of intelligence, bravery, dedication, and love who dared to follow her dream, went through a nightmare, and is today a source of strength to people chasing a dream or living with their own struggle.

This is the third, excellent volume in the author's series that follows the detective work of Major Abel Jones during the Civil War. This time, the author's masterful style immerses you in April, 1862, with its odd speech (to the 2007 ear), its stomach-turning savagery in the Battle of Shiloh, and its well-mannered relationship between Union and Confederate officers off the battlefield. Someone has brutally slaughtered forty slaves, men, women, and children, in the no-man's land between Union and Confederate lines. General Grant sends Major Jones on a hazardous trip through the lines with a request that Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard cooperate in investigating this terrible crime. Beauregard agrees and assigns Confederate Lieutenant Drake Raines to aid Jones. The two officers follow a frightening path as they track down the murderers and barely prevent another mass killing. The story is full of action, and the plot twists wonderfully.

I loved the first Abel Jones Civil War mystery (Faded Coat of Blue), but was sorely disappointed by the second (Shadows of Glory), so it with great relief that I can report that this third in the series displays much (if not quite all) the skill Parry brought to Faded Coat of Blue. The story kicks off with a serious bang, as the first thirty pages or so throw Major Abel Jones into the messy battle at Shiloh in early April 1862. From the very first sentence ("I remember the smell of men burning"), the reader is immersed in the chaos and confusion that is war, and it's hard to imagine any work of nonfiction\ able to compete with the "you are there" sensation these pages impart. In this in initial bloody action, the ever-stern Jones rounds up as many of those fleeing the battle as possible, and rallies them into a little unit, fighting through the day.

It's only after the battle that we finally learn the purpose of his foray into the front lines. As outlined in the previous books, the Welsh immigrant and former soldier Jones has been transformed from an army clerk into a special agent of President Lincoln's. Here, he sent is to investigate the massacre of forty runaway slaves, an atrocity discovered by advancing Union troops in Tennessee. Jones meets with Generals Grant and Sherman (and his friend Dr. Mick Tyrone), and is escorted to the Confederate side as an emissary to General Beauregard to discuss this heinous crime. Of course, this isn't as simple as it sounds, and Jones goes through a few adventures before he's able to team up with an young aristocratic (and Harvard educated) Southern officer to unmask the killers.

Actually, the book's one significant weakness is that there is a great deal of buildup to the mystery, but once the investigation is underway, the killers are identified with very rapidly (not to mention that the answer seems obvious the moment the villain is first seen). As in Shadows of glory, the emphasis is much more on mood and atmosphere than actual suspense. Much of the story seems designed to have Jones come to the realization that slaves are humans too, and perhaps are worth fighting a war over. To that end, a number of the supporting characters aren't nearly as well realized as they are in either of the two earlier books. Jones' Confederate liaison is a textbook golden-haired young Southern gentleman, and there are a smattering of basic rednecks and slave types as well. One notable exception is the Barnaby B. Barnaby, the Cockney gentleman's gentleman to Jones' liaison, who provides comic relief and a vivid voice. Of course, the strongest voice is Jones' own as narrator, and his telling is robust with the Welsh idiom, cadence, and priggish prejudice of the earlier books. Phrases like "he was as full of tricks as an Irish barrister" abound, and add much to the story.

All in all, the book is satisfying reading, if not as outstanding as Faded Coat of Blue, which just had everything going for it. The series continues with , Honor's Kingdom and Bold Sons of Erin which I will definitely be seeking out.

I'm always wary of historical novels, since they have a tendency to transfer 21st Century sensibilities to their subject matter. Owen Parry (whose real name is Ralph Peters, the great Russian expert and strategic thinker) avoids that, creating a hero and a story which live and breath the Civil War era. I was impressed, although not overly so, with the first book of the series, but I am increasingly moved by every addition to the series.

Major Abel Jones is pompous and priggish and if weren't so clever in solving murder mysteries, he would be a classic comic figure (one on-going theme is the pride this Welshman takes in his singing voice, when it's obvious (though not to him) that it's rather awful).

The walk on parts of various historical figures is impressive. I always judge the walk ons in historical novels by using as my gold standard the Abraham Lincoln in George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series: lovely little vignettes which both capture the essence of the man and allow the reader to see his hero in a new light. In River Jordan, Parry manages a General Grant who is every bit as real as Fraser's Lincoln. That is the first time I can say that about anyone's novel about any era.

I've traveled in Wales, know Welsh history back to the early Middle Ages, and even studied the language some years ago. I recognize Owen Parry's Union officer, Abel Jones, as the counterpart of some of the sturdy people of that splendid land. I've now read all three of Parry's Civil War mysteries available in paperback, and each new one has been better than the last.

The only mystery writers of comparable talent who've dissected the physical, mental and moral tragedy of war are Charles Todd and Reginald Hill. But Parry, writing in the voice of a deeply religious, highly puritanical Welshman of the mid-Nineteenth Century, is unique. I doubt that there are very many better first-person stories out there in any genre.

The plot and characters of this latest novel have been covered by other reviewers (with whom I soundly agree). I only want to suggest that if you haven't yet heard the voice of Abel Jones, go thou and do so.

There is something sublime about this book.

It would be easy for Parry to follow the easy path to Civil War fiction that so many other authors have followed. But, instead, he chooses to probe the depths of slavery and abolition and Union versus Confederacy.

Although this book is billed as a historical suspense/mystery novel, it is far more. The murder plot is merely a device the author uses to explore the depths of human character and the interplay between Whites and Blacks during the Civil War. All of Parry's characters are very human, including his main hero and his major villain. The terrors and bloodlust of war are portrayed vividly. And, to Parry's credit, not all of the action takes place on the battlefield.

Main character Abel Jones is a Welsh major hired by President Lincoln to solve the mass murder of some Blacks barely over the Shiloh battle lines. To do so, he must coordinate his activities with officers from the Confederacy. The Union blames the Confederates for the murders and the Confederacy blames the Union. But Abel is Able as he solves the dilemma. But, as I said, the mystery plot is secondary.

Abel struggles with the line between Christian non-violence and wartime bloodshed. Some characters struggle with loss of life and property while others struggle with the concept of true freedom.

The only negative to this book is its obvious setup at the finish for a sequel. I don't dislike sequels or series novels, but the setup is too obvious.

Nonetheless, this book is glorious and there really is something sublime here that I can't pinpoint. A treasure.

I read this book not because I am a wrestling fan, but because I wanted to hear about Eddie's life and how he ending up becoming a born again Christian.

It turns out that Eddie was from a Christian family but did not live the life very well until the last years of his life. Just before this I read the autobiography of Brian 'Head' Welch, the guitarist from Korn and how he found God. Several people in reviewing that book were offended by the many swear words used, but compared to Guerrero's book, Welch is a lightweight. And I thought for someone who was raised a Christian, how could Guerrero use so much swearing in his book.

I think he did a very good job of sharing his family life, his professional wrestling career and so forth, and while I don't think the book was supposed to be for religious encouragement-he did not do a good job presenting himself as a Christian. He was a very bad example as a matter of fact. I say this because he KNEW better. And chose to drink, and swear and EVEN have a child out of wedlock and live with a woman. This all troubled me.

But I realized that much of my younger life was lived similar. Therefore, all I can say is "isn't God's grace wonderful!!". He loves us despite our turning away from Him, and has a plan for everyone's life. He is always ready to forgive us and I am glad Eddie rediscovered this and died at peace with His Savior. No God, no peace....Know God, know peace.

I just re-read this book. I absolutely loved it and put it up there with the best wrestling books out there. You feel connected to Eddie just like you did when you saw him on tv or dvd or in person. His charisma showed through the ups and downs of this book.

I was left wondering what caused a lot of his demons though. He didn't fully explain the things that haunted him. Like his problems with his wife Vickie, he didn't really go into detail which left me wondering what she did wrong. Cheating? Their fights? Also I got the feeling there was more to his demons than he let on. It just left me curious. I'd like to see a book written by Vickie that might shed some light on things left unanswered in this book.

Eddie was honest. Brutally honest. He didn't back off from saying who he liked and disliked. He was very upfront about his drinking, drugs (though never mentioned steriods whether he used or didn't use them), and his problems. He never acted like a saint, but obviously wanted to be a good person. Thankfully he beat the addictions and enjoyed some time with his loved ones before he passed on tragically.

This book brought me to tears even in the second reading. It made me realize that life is a fragile thing and we got to respect and love people and show it while we can. Given Eddie's many brushes with death he was fortunate to be sober and drug-free for 4 years before his untimely death. Unfortunately, he paid the price for his past mistakes, but he got to patch things up with his wife and daughters, and reach new heights with his fans and ultimately becoming the World Champ!

Highest recommendation possible,(right up there with Mick Foley's Have A Nice Day!) buy this book and quit reading this review!

This is a book that my fours sons have all read recently, and they were all moved to tears. My 18yo has wanted to read this book for some time now, but we had trouble finding it for sale, as it sold out quickly.
I got this for him for Christmas. A book to keep. A great gift for any wrestling fan

from the begining to the end this book is so well written and told,its just awesome. No words can describe how GREAT this book is. Eddie lived a wild and rough life and you get to read alll about it in this tell all book. From his start to the end. There are some eerie things he writes about that kinda creep you out because the man has passed but none the less THE BEST BOOK WWE or any other WRESTLER have put out.
READ IT AND YOU WONT BE ABLE TO DROP THE BOOK.
From his wild drunken stories with the nasty boys to his tag team woith the great Art Barr and to his family life and struggles with his wife to THe end where he finds peace makes everything awesome in his life its truly an astonishing story.
After you read this book you will see Eddie in a whole diffrent lighht and appreciate the man that he was and still IS.

R.I.P my man.

Wrestling has always been a guilty pleasure for me. I grew up watching the likes of Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and the Bruiser with my dad. Now I watch with my son. There's nothing I enjoy more than watching grown men make complete fools of themselves. I like the pranksters best--guys like DegenerationX (Triple H and Shawn Michaels), John Cena and, of course, Eddie Guerrero. He brought a lot of laughter into our living room every week. But more than that, Eddie was--and is--an inspiration. He had a lot to overcome, and he did--and this tough guy wasn't afraid to proudly proclaim his faith in God and Jesus Christ. He gave credit where it was due, always. Viva la Raza, Eddie! You still live in Heaven--and through those of us who love and respect you!

Constance is a book about a girl who moves to America and starts out on fresh land. i love romances and this book is very romantic! Constance is a complete flirt! Theres many twists in the book but i still liked it very much. basically its about a girl who grows and learns about her new home theres indians and a great sickness and many romances. enjoy!

This book was given to me when I was nine, and is a long-standing favorite. I'm now in my late teens, but every November I read it again for old time's sake around Thanksgiving, and every year I love it. It speaks many truths about life in general, and Constance is an engaging and highly relatable character. I looked online out of interest to see if it was as widely read as I thought it should be, and thankfully it appears to be. This book would make an excellent gift for a young girl; it is gaurenteed to be a book she will read over and over again and always hold a special place in her heart.

I picked up "Constance" somewhere - I have no idea where, but my copy is old and yellowed and falling apart. I read it and fell in love with it. I must say - my old copy has a fantastic cover and I much prefer it to the one depicted here. But that's by the by... =)

I'm teaching my (7th grade) son the 1600-1850 time period this year and was able to pull "Constance" off the shelf and introduce him to its delights. It has been the ONLY book he has begged me to continue to read to him outside of planned school reading times. WOO HOO! It warms the cockles of this mother's heart. We've laughed at the funny bits, sobbed our hearts out at the sad bits, and marveled how these people, with their numbers decimated that very first spring, worked together to make a successful community.

We'll be finishing the book tomorrow. I drove him bananas by reading the first sentence of tomorrow's reading, telling him WHO proposed but NOT what the answer or consequence was. He says I'm an evil mother. =D I laughed with joy at his enthusiasm for the book.

I got this book on a trip to the East Coast when I was ten years old and fell in love. It was my favorite book during all of my early teen years; and though I haven't read it in years, I think it will always hold the place in my heart as my favorite book.

I read this long before I knew a key fact about Constance Hopkins, and I thought it was terrific. Of course, I still do. The tone of high spirits forced into apparent submission is perfect. I do think the cover illustration on the Beech Tree edition is awful; the cover on the Dell edition is far better.

Key fact: she is my nine-times-great-grandmother. (Patricia Clapp, the author, is also descended from Constance.) I have dug around in other books and on-line sources about Plimouth Plantation, and the historical facts are dead-on. I don't at the moment remember whether "Constance" mentions that her father was not a Puritan, Dissenter, Separatist; he came not for religious reasons but because he wanted his own farm. Constance, her husband Nicholas, and her brother Giles left Plymouth for the same reason in 1644 -- and also because they were fed up with the Puritan oligarchy in Plymouth.

So her family represents, in many ways, the American quest for independence and farmland -- the Jeffersonian ideal of the free citizen. (Constance's descendants were still farming as late as 1940, though my father left the farm in 1921, finding farming a new form of tyranny.)

"Death By Supermarket" is a five star book. The author's Grandma, the first healthy eater in the family, who is quoted a number of times in the book, would be proud of her Granddaughter. Even though Grandma was seen as the family oddball, she stuck to her beliefs and eventually passed them on to her Granddaughter Nancy.

For years my philosophy concerning food has been to "Let your food be your medicine bottle." To finally have an author echo these beliefs and gives additional insight as to how to walk them out is truly refreshing. We should shop for fresh, locally grown foods as much as possible. When going to the supermaket, we are to shop the outside isles of the store, where the whole foods such s meats, eggs, dairy,fuits and vegies are found. You want to stick with whole grains, whcih haven't had all the nutrients processed out of them as have refined grains, with only a few of those nutrients being replaced with synthetic vitamins, etc. It's also important to buy 100% free range meat, dairy and eggs, which don't have growth hormones or antibiotics, aren't crowded into farm factory facilites or fed species inappropriate food and are slaughtered most humanly. It's also important to purchase Alaskan Salmon, which isn't full of mercury and other toxic industrial waste contaminents. As Chief Seattle said, "How we treat the land, we treat ourselves." This is also true of how we treat our animals.

The whole food always contains various nutrients in the proper amounts that work as a team to nourish your body. Some of these nutrients haven't even been discovered yet. You definately can't seperate one or even several of these nutrients from the whole food and receive the same nutritional benefit. Also different foods are high in different nutrients, which is why you need to eat a variety of whole foods from all of the three main food groups, fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Having said that, much of our soils have become nutritionally depleted, becuase of unwise farming practices and so you want to purchase organic grains and produce when that is possible. You also want to eat the freshest food possible. Wilted organic produce, which has been shipped long distances and sat for extended periods of time on the supermarket shelf is unhealthy at any price. You are better off purchasing really fresh non organic produce.

Nancy's message really needs to be read and embraced by every American, especially those with the strongest Puritan ethics, who really believe that food isn't meant to be savoured or celebrated. Our Creator gives us all things richly to enjoy. Mouth watering real food is meant to be eaten with gratefulness, leisurely enjoyed with family and friends as the good gift that it is to us from an all loving God. Also our bodies are more than a machine, and food is more than the fuel. Our bodies are a fearfully and wonderfully made creation and food is a gift meant to enjoyed as it nourishes us.

I have read MANY books on health/nutrition, but few are as effective at getting the message across while still being enjoyable to read. I loved the pace and style and honesty of the book. I didn't want it to end, as I found it motivating to read a bit each day. You will not be disappointed with this book. It would be a great gift for those you love, as well.

Nancy Deville is a medical writer who became alarmed at the national upward trends regarding obesity and other health problems of the general American public. In her researches she uncovered an unpleasant truth -- the food industry has a significant responsibility for what is happening to American public health. The result of her research is "Dead By Supermarket" in which she reveals the benefits of real food while exposing the health risks of eating factory foods, serial dieting, taking drugs. Of special note is what Deville discovered concerning the intrigue, corruption, and simple ineptness within the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Using sold research to show just how the government and the medical community collude in the propagation of disastrous nutritional advice, "Death By Supermarket" is a vital and necessary call to action on both a personal and a political level. Informed and informative, "Death By Supermarket" needs to be on the Health & Medicine shelves of every community library in the country -- and considered an essential study for health and nutrition advocates, as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in personal and public health.

I am only half-way through Death by Supermarket and it is already having a profound effect. I am purging my house of high fructose corn syrup and aspartame for starters. I've lost 6 pounds in two weeks without even thinking about dieting. I just finished the chapter on factory milk and have curtailed my consumption. The line about drinking dead pus was what did it for me. My sons and wife are waiting impatiently for me finish the book and pass it along. There should be a copy of this book in every home.

Once in awhile, if you're really lucky, a book comes along that will change your life. Death By Supermarket is one of those books. Initially,I was curious about it because of its intriguing title and now I'm a huge fan and supporter of its message. I have always eaten pretty well--or so I thought--but so much has changed after reading this book.I eat only real food now--foods that have been picked, fished, hunted, and milked. i have completely turned my back on "factory foods," imitation, fake food with ingredients on the label that can't even be pronounced. You've heard of a "fast food nation." Well, i think we have become a "factory food nation," and it has to stop. Reading this book motivates one to stop eating the processed junk and the fake this and that. It's the best diet book out there--and it isn't a diet book! If you eat real food, you will never have to diet again and your body will return to its normal weight. Nancy Deville is an amazing woman with a very important message for all of us. Death By Supermaket is a page turner!
P.S. Don't drink diet colas and don't eat splenda!

I was given this book for Christmas and - being a huge nostalgia fan - I LOVE it! So many great photos and interesting stories. This is a must for anyone who loves show business success stories.

This is one of the most entertaining reads I've ever had...WOW! What a surprise! Highly recommended!!!

This book is full of wonderful information on the subject of ventriloquism and is a great history book as well, about a bygone era that was once a vital part of American TV entertainment. It's a must read for any trivia buff!!

Oh My gosh, this is THE BEST BOOK I've EVER read! This awesome book is garenteed to educate you on 4 of the best ventriloquists in american history! This is an awesome book, filled with lots of photos and fun stories. WELL WORTH YOUR TIME AND MONEY!

Okay, I admit it: I grew up watching Paul Winchell on TV. And my best friend carved his own dummy, and practiced ventriloquism, while I acted as "audience". So, dummies and ventriliquists formed my warped view of life, later leading to Monte Python and Firesign Theater. What makes ventriliquists fascinating is their combination of surrealism, fantasy and real-life issues, projected into their own, small theater. By "suspending disbelief", these performed create real persons and real stories. If you love imagination and those who create imaginary worlds, you'll enjoy this book.