California Books

The World Weaver - first book in the World Weaver Trilogy - is a wonderful, fast paced fantasy adventure involving a group of high school kids. A quick enjoyable read for anyone between the ages of 12 and 16, though a teacher I know says many of her high school seniors pick this as their favorite book.

Larkin, an apprentice world weaver with extraordinary powers, is faced with the daunting task of trying to defeat his powerful uncle, who wants to destroy all that is good in creation. Larkin takes on the challenge, knowing full well his chance of victory is small. He is accompanied by 3 friends, all essential to achieving final victory.

The plot is fast moving, but layered within the story are messages about the benefits of caring for others - and accepting differences in others, the need to sometimes make sacrifices for a greater good, the need to get beyond selfish desires, and the need to stand up for what is good. This is done without being didactic or impeding the flow of the story.

At heart, The World Weaver is a cracking good story about good versus evil.

This is one of the best books I have ever read! It is dramatic, exciting, and greatly imaginative. The personalities of the characters are so realistic, it's like they are real people. it is so good I don't know what to say.If you like science fiction type books this is definetaley an awesome read.

Many of my students (high school English) have read this book. In fact, I used THE WORLD WEAVER as the summer reading selection last year. WHY would I do that when Senior English-what I mainly teach--is ENGLISH LITERATURE??? The students will read this book. When I gave previous students the opportunity to read the book as one of their yearly novels, they told me, "Mrs. Burke-Cremeans, I actually read it and liked it. It is the first book I have ever finished."
I have used this book in 9th, l0th, llth, and 12th grades--the first edition--and this new edition. The students continue to tell me how much they like it and wish there would EVENTUALLY be a movie.
When we are having problems getting students to read, this one is a great choice.
As an avid reader, I do not like Fantasy at all, however, I certainly enjoyed Larkin, his friends, and their antics. Besides being quite interesting, I enjoyed "seeing" how the group worked together COOPERATING with each other. The diversity of the students was an added touch.
Etchison's words give us the opportunity to come away having liked the book, having "pictured" the kids in our minds, and having learned what can happen when we accept one another-no matter what. I LIKE THIS BOOK.

I am an English teacher in High School. I find it difficult to get students to read. I have taught 7-12...same problem with the reading.
However, students of all ages (including my seniors) enjoy this book. They almost always have something good to say about the book. Often I hear, "This is THE ONLY book I have ever finished."
Why give students books they HATE??? Why not let the ONLY BOOK read be one they will remember???

The book is full of examples of delicious figurative language...it allows the reader to "think"--what if I were one of these students? What if a Larkin were in my life? Would I believe him?

This book would make a fantastic movie...

Reader Comments sent to author: 1. I like the book a lot. The girls in the book...are just like the little clique I belong to. I have never been interested in books before, but I can't seem to put this book down. 2. I don't like to read, but there was something here that kept me reading. 3. I enjoyed this book because it was suspenseful, exciting, and flat out neat. 4. It made me think about what was really going on in my life. It took me by surprise, too. It was an awesome book and I'm glad I got to read it. 5. I changed my view of other people around me--people like Donnie who seem like jerks but may not be. 6. This book showed me that I have to push myself to achieve my goals. It changed my life.

Explains the learning crisis we have in America today. It all really boils down to not having enough high quality, professional teachers to go around. This results, among other things, in some kids, from the best school districts, being exposed frequently to highly capable teachers , and others having very little exposure to excellent teachers--year after year. Now that I understand this, I can see that this is where the entire achievement gap comes from.

Why do we not have enough top quality teachers? Because we fritter away money on educational bandaid programs instead of devoting the bulk of the dollars to creating a career ladder for teachers. Outstanding teachers ought to be able to aspire to earn $100,000 once they reach a certain point in their careers; poor teachers ought to be ushered out the door before they do too much damage to young minds.

We need a professional teaching corps in this country, and this book shows us how to get there. Buy it and give it to your favorite teacher for teacher appreciation day.

Finally, a teacher not an outside consultant writes a book about the teaching profession. Brian Crosby accurately examines the long-standing problems with the antiquated public school system. His proposals, from paying teachers based on performance to a career ladder for teachers, could help revolutionize the teaching profession for the better, thus attracting higher talented people into it. Let's hope people read this to see how it really is like to teach in the public schools. Politicians could take a lesson from this book on how to improve our schools.

Mr. Crosby's well-written book is a must-read for anyone interested in the state of our educational system today. I do not agree with every single thing he has to say, but he does come up with some good ideas and well-thought out solutions to our current public school problems. He states his case clearly and concisely. This is a book that should be read by every teacher in the country. Bravo to Mr. Crosby for a job well done!

Brian Crosby understands what is happening in our public schools. Our public schools really are facing a crisis of unprecedented proportions, especially in Crosby's (and my) home state, California. He understands that a society that pays its prison guards more than its teachers has its values distorted. His solution is a noble one, one that will work, and he outlines in considerable detail the steps necessary for its implementation in this easy to read, well thought out presentation. However, I am sorry to say that I don't think the $100,000 teacher is going to happen any time soon.

Why? Mainly because there is a perception on a significant part of the public that teachers have it easy because they only work 180 days a year and therefore shouldn't be paid more. As a former teacher myself, one who retired young from the profession because of the inequities experienced, I can tell you that this perception is grossly mistaken for any number of reasons, but is true in at least one sense. To put it bluntly, it is true for the teacher who doesn't care, for the teacher who just wants to get a paycheck, for the teacher who has tenure and sees his or her responsibility as not extending beyond that of a glorified babysitter. And this goes for administrators who only want glorified babysitters. Crosby understands this and that is why his program is designed to weed out the teacher who doesn't care and reward the teacher who takes pride in teaching and wants to help his or her students succeed. That teacher IS a $100,000 teacher, if only we knew.

The salient point of this book then is a realization that the problem of adequate public financial support for education and for upgrading the teaching profession will not be solved until the present tenure system is abolished. As Crosby expresses it, "...no matter the lousy job one performs, once tenured (after a two or three years of teaching), one is in it for life." (p. 106)

The immediate effect of this system is to tie the hands of administrators. They cannot easily influence poor teachers, nor can they get rid of them. Conversely those teachers who really care and give their best to their students are not rewarded and so they leave the profession in frustration. As Crosby points out on the very first page of the book, "One-fifth of all new teachers quit within three years" and "Half of all new teachers quit within five years."

An unintended consequence of the present system is to make teachers and administrators adversaries. Administrators want teachers to do more, but teachers are not rewarded for doing more, so they (the ones that stay) resist. In addition, typically the school principal leads the negotiating committee for the school district against the teacher's union. So instead of working together for student achievement, teachers and administrators become adversaries. This dissipates their ability as educators.

In the long run the effect of the tenure system is synergistic in a negative sense in that it tends to attract and keep only mediocre teachers poorly supervised by mediocre administrators who are at odds with one another. Although this truth is well-known to everybody in the profession, suggestions for abolishing the system will not sit well with the various teacher's organizations since they are addicted to tenure and cannot kick the habit. An enlightened and energized public is necessary to help them. This in essence is what Crosby is calling for.

His solution must be taken seriously because there are standing in the wings other "solutions" to the problem including the privatization of education through something like a voucher system. Vouchers will lead to the end of public education in America, that is, to the dismantling of a system that was largely responsible for the fabulous economic growth of this country. Privatization will then lead to a further economic polarization of society. Those who have the wherewithal will be able to afford a good education for their children; those who do not, will not.

In any case, teachers and their professional organizations should be aware, that the time of the mediocre teacher and the adversarial system between mediocre teachers and mediocre administrators is coming to an end. I hope that the public sees the light in time and the reforms outlined by Crosby become a reality.

In his thoughtful, well-written book, Mr. Crosby cuts through the emotion, politics and misinformation that prevents improvement in our schools. He carefully and articulately lays out a logical, common sense solutuion---namely, if you want high quality sevices, provided by high quality people in a difficult profession, then you must pay commensurate salaries. Unions would automatically become less powerful and less important as market forces work demanding competitive high quality results. His case is intelligently presented using statistical data as well as personal experiences from his years "on the front line" as a L.A. County high school teacher. The book is highly informational as well as conversational---a must read for anyone interested in public education.

Coming from New England I needed a lot of advice on what to do with the clay soil and arid climate in Southern California. The Sunset Western Garden Book along with this selection is a great combination for those new to gardening in Southern California. (Try the soil amendment recipe, it worked wonders form me!)

The combination of this book plus Sunset's Western Garden Book will arm the southern California garden enthusiast with all the tools and experience necessary to give a green thumb's up. A true plant geek will find validation and a friend in Smaus' and will read the book saying "been there, loved that". Activities like hoarding plants bought from the Huntington Garden's May plant sale struck a familiar chord.

A transplant to Southern Cal. will quickly gain the inside track to where to go and what to plant to make the best of this unique climate.

Thank You Mr. Smaus ! Finally a book that talks directly to the Southern California gardener. If you live and garden in the So. CA area this is the book you need. Maybe I won't have so many failures in the coming year. This book opened my eyes wide.

If you live in Los Angeles, you need this book. Smaus is the garden writer for the excretal Los Angeles Times and one of its sole redeeming virtues. Smaus covers a range of topics, including plantings suggested for our area and timing of various tasks. Unlike most gardening books, which are written for East Coast or Mid-West audiences, and which are generally unhelpful for our unique climate, Smaus' advice has proven consistently accurate. The book's sole flaw is the lack of an index. Because the articles are short and there is a detailed table of contents, this is not a major problem. Highly recommended.

If you are tired of gardening advice that's good on the East Coast, but doesn't work in Southern California, this is the book for you. It provides real solutions for our unique climate, advice from local professionals, and a reliable planting schedule. This book and Sunset Magazine's Western Garden Book are all you need for successful gardening in Southern California. And in spite of the tone of this review, I have no affiliation whatsoever with the author or publisher :)

I'm glad I bought this book, it is very informative and it applies to anyone. The web links on the sides of the pages are very useful and can be put to good use. Searching for a job can be daunting and overwhelming, but with the advice and the skills learned in this book you can persevere and be successful. This book is very well thought out and gets right to the point, I would recommend this to anyone who is searching for a job, including skeptical people.

The Internet and Web keep changing, and as [...] Job Search editor since 1998, Alison Doyle knows what is going on and she shares her knowledge in this book. This book is up-to-date and extensive, and Alison's advice is straight-forward and practical (just like her section of About).

The book is an easy read - points and additional resources are highlighted in the outer margins, chapters and sections are clear and logical. It covers everything from "Choosing Career and Job Options" (Chapter 1) through resumes and cover letters to interviews and evaluating offers (Chapter 14) and more.

This is an excellent book!

I am about to leave a career that I've worked at for 38 years. This wonderful book arrived just in time for my second career search. When you only know one job it can be hard to know how to find a new career. I can honestly say that now I have several opportunities that I'm ready to explore. This book offers help and advice for everyone, no matter what their age or work situation. I am going to purchase several copies for my friends, some want to work for the first time, and others would like to start new careers. This is the book for all of us!!! Sandy ( a retired teacher from NJ )

The author expertly integrates a solid print presentation of job search strategies with specific references to helpful online resources which will support job searchers those various phases in the process.

The book is clearly written in simple, jargon free language yet it reflects the sophisticated perspective on an experienced professional in the career devlopment field.

The About.com Guide to Job Searching should be an instant classic in the world of job searching books. What makes the book special is that the writer, Alison Doyle combines her years of experience as a career services professional with current, solid Information Technology knowledge. That's a winning combination for today's job searcher who is Internet savvy and technology-oriented. Unlike some of the long selling job search manuals that seem to have added online job searching as an afterthought, Doyle's book makes online tools, job boards, e-mail, and cell phones an integral part of every aspect of job searching.

I write the Human Resources site at About.com so I have first hand experience of the job searching site which is fully integrated with this job search guidebook. The book really does cover everything you need to know to conduct a successful job search - quickly. And, as an added advantage for the reader, it provides links to all of the rest of the best online resources for job searching.

As an employer, I'd advise job searchers to follow the book's advice. It's on target, demonstrates common sense, and will get your resume and application looked at by potential employers. Written in an engaging style, job search advice is offered with lots of stories from Doyle's years of helping people job search. Doyle's been covering job searching online since 1998 and job searching, in general, for over fifteen years. After reading Doyle's guide, I'd highly recommend it as your one stop guide for job searching.

Absolutely the best book written on Thelema, that I have read. Gives modern and updated material which is of great need in this system.

Rodney Orpheus is the singer from The Cassandra Complex and it turns out that he's good at explaining Crowley's magickal system to modern readers. Hard to think of any other recent books which successfully tackle this material. I understand that the O.T.O. (or one them anyway) recommends the book.

Finally! Wow this book is the clearest, easiest to understand book on Magick I have ever read. Now if only the author would write 12 more.
I am often left scratching my head when reading Crowley or books about Magick. If you dont have the IQ of a rocket scientist or an extensive education in every area of everything this book is for you. Thank you Rodney!

This is arguably the best introduction to Thelemic Magick ever printed. I've been recommending this book for years to anyone interested in learning more about Thelema, so I'm glad to see that it's finally back in print.

This book was given me by a magician who adores Crowley. I must state right away that I do not. However, this book is certainly the best introduction to the magic of Crowley, and his universe, that I have ever read. Crowley himself said that Magic Without Tears was the only book he ever wrote that truly described his art. That being the case, this book, and its excellent exercises, are a guide to the otherwise confusing world of Crowleys Thelmatic magic.
Aside from those interested in Thelmatic magic, this book is a good introduction to formal ceremonial magic in general. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in that field.

John's ADVENTURING IN ARIZONA has always been a favorite on our bookshelf.

"A superb new guidebook called ADVENTURING IS ARIZONA is a fast-moving blend of history and trekking advice for canyoneers, climbers and river rafters. Author John Annerino even can tell you, mile by mile, how to see the Grand Canyon in virtual solitude.

Of all the general guidebooks I know on the Arizona outdoors, the best for hard-won information is John Annerino's ADVENTURING IN ARIZONA. A longtime resident of Prescott and Tucson, Annerino has been tooling about on the state's dirt roads and hiking trails for a couple of decades now, and he's covered a huge swath of territory firsthand. He takes in well-known destinations, from the Grand Canyon to South Mountain, but, more to the point here, he offers mile-by-mile instructions for more remote places like the Superstition Mountains and the Lechuguilla Desert. One of the treks he proposes, not for the faint of heart or easily sun-stroked, retraces Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino's route across southern Arizona's Camino del Diablo - a fitting name meaning "Devil's Highway," a route that comes the closest Arizona has to compete with Death Valley for sheer hellishness. Water is nearly non-existent along the route, and those attempting it should bring along at least four gallons per person per day, a luxury Kino could not enjoy. Many available guidebooks uncritically repeat long-obsolete information on the location of the Camino's few watering holes. Annerino went out to the place himself - in summer, no less - to map them on foot, an act that may well save a few lives some day. -New Times

I found John Annerino's ADVENTURING IN ARIZONA a great source of information.

ADVENTURING IN ARIZONA by John Annerino [is] one of my bibles

A very good read. And what makes it fascinating is the fact that they are all actual events. It vividly illustrates what lengths the locals went to to help these airmen. Literally putting their lives at stake to help strangers for a common cause.

Fast paced and very hard to put down, this book really gets you into the WWII evasion experience. The sense of urgency and suspense really comes through...my heart was racing as I read about downed airmen stealing clothes to blend in with the locals and racing away from the scene of the crash, sometimes right through German troops. This book really highlights the efforts and risk of the collaborators, and just how dedicated they were to doing their part in the war effort. A very highly recommended read!

I found this book gives a lot of insight to evaders and some of the less well known facts of the war. The book has a fairly fast pace but also has a lot of detail. The first three stories deal with downed flyers in France and Belgium who eventually made it to Spain and then British held Gibraltar. Spain was sympathetic to Germany, and treated evaders harshly until 1943 when it became politically necessary for them to develop a better relationship with the Allies.

The fourth story is of a later evader in Belgium who was able to meet the oncoming Allies in 1944 instead of going to Spain. The fifth story details the evasion of an entire bomber crew from the island of Corfu over to Albania. They stayed at a guerilla camp in the mountains and eventually escaped by ship to Italy after much hardship. The final story is of of a flyer who evaded through Italy. Originally captured by the Germans upon landing, he was released from jail with many others when Italy signed an armistice with the allies. He spent the rest of his time evading the Germans and travelling around Italy (with much help from Italian partisans) and finally escaping to the Allied lines after many setbacks.

One of the central themes of the book is the sacrifice made by the occupied population to feed and help the Allied fliers escape. Every story has a follow-up at the end about the later life of the evader and what happened to the people that helped them evade (if known).

Do not start reding this book if you have important things to do because you will not be able to put it down. The book chronicles the evasion of several downed airmen in WWII Europe, how they evaded, the people that helped them and the trials and risks they endured. It is well written and informative and will make you glad that you never had to fly in combat, bail out of a plane or crash land and find yourself in a lonely and hostile land.

"Aircraft down" by Philip D. Caine, sub-titled: "Evading Capture In WWII Europe". Brassey's, Dulles, Virginia, 1997

The author is a retired Brigadier General, United States Air Force, where he was once responsible for training at the Air Force Academy for "SERE (survival, evasion, resistance, escape). This gave him a professional interest in the history of evaders in Nazi occupied Europe. Philip D. Caine has also written books on Americans serving in in the Royal Air Force, (e.g. in the "Eagle Squadron") including "American Pilots In The RAF".

In this book, "Aircraft Down", he has drawn on his training and experience to write six separate stories, of individuals and crews, shot down behind the lines in enemy held Europe. The first three stories deal with Americans who were flying in the RAF. These three were fighter pilots, who came down alone. They were not alone on the ground, however, as they all needed the help of the local populace to escape Nazi searchers.

The fifth story is different: the entire crew of a B-17 Flying Fortress comes down on the island of Corfu, off the coast of Albania/Greece. Here, again, the common thread is that he local populace has to work together to first provide refuge for the evaders and then to provide a means of escape.

In all of the stories in this book, the author has worked to put a human face on the evaders. His research has been sufficient to give a personal memoir flavor to each story, and his follow-up on post war meetings, provides a sense of closure to the story. He relates the excitement when an evader meets the same woman working in the same field as on the day he was shot down, some 40+ years ago.

The book is concluded with a very short chapter entitled, "The Art Of Evasion And Survival", which points up that the personal resourcefulness of the downed pilot is often the key to a successful escape. General Caine has avoided the usual impersonal book, often written by General Officers, dealing with statistics numbers and unit identification, all at the "higher" strategic level. Instead, happily, he has used personal interviews and much research to provide a fine book telling the stories almost as if they were all personal memoirs.

Quite simply, one of the most important books I have read in the last 15 years (and I read a LOT of them, trust me).
As an exercise in biography, it is riveting: Schwaller/Aor is painted by Vandenbroeck's skillful hand in all his multifarious sides, even the more untasteful ones.
As a glimpse into the practical side of the Hermetic Work, it is matched only by Fragments of an Unknown Teaching, by P.D. Ouspensky.

CAVEAT: This book is most definitely not for everybody. Only thirsty Seekers of Truth need to apply.

Andre VandenBroeck's "Al-Kemi" is much more significant than a memoir (as described by the author), and far beyond a simple collection of biographical data pertaining to the life of Rene Schwaller de Lubicz. Not that these points are absent. To the contrary, VandenBroeck depicts with great lucidity his understanding of the events and personalities involved his relationship with "Aor" late into the 1950's. Al-Kemi's more vital value however, resides in the fact that reads as a microcosmic course in Hermetic Philosopy, challenging the readers established ways of thinking (even reading!), and offering alternative perspectives. Despite VandenBroeck's knack of utilizing the printed word economically (or, perhaps due to this talent), he effectively communicates profundity through brevity. Hence, the reader will note two predominent ideological threads woven into the memoir: Rene Schwaller's metaphysics of perception (derived mostly from his interpretation of Pythagorean and Pharaonic geometry, or "symbolique", and ultimately spurring all modern philosophical controversies. The battle of "Archemides vs. Pythagoras", the question of two as the result of increase, or as the result of division of the one thing). Secondly, de Lubicz's stress placed on the role of Alchemical Salt. Thus, Rene Schwaller's extention of the Hermetic doctrine of Salt as the matrix of manifestation sends the reader on a mysterious and alluring journey. Absent of any chronology in this Hermetic adventure, back, forward, and simultaneously the trek visits the Parisian Alchemical world of the 1900's, complete with Fulcanelli, whose relationship with Schwaller often reminds one of John Dee and Edward Kelly's work together. This "fixing" of Salt moves behind the temple walls of Pharonic Egypt, finds testimony in the Gothic Cathedrals, presents us with the stormy climate of right-wing, monarchist, and elitist brotherhoods of post World War I France and Germany. And it is this Salt, that our perception inscribes experience upon, circulating eternally throughout nature, more critical, stable, and reliable than DNA in the course of esoteric "evolution" (if such a word can be used without detracting from Schawller's arguement), and providing the key to the Adepts' secret of Palingenesis.

Two of the century's most amazing minds met & interacted in an initiatic/alchemic/esoteric give & take for 18 months some 40 years ago in France...these men were De Lubicz, the cautious, controversial, mind-bogglingly brilliant Egypt-inspired theorist/Adept, and Vandenbroeck, the 'burning', younger, bounteously-gifted apprentice. Their time spent together has been revivified masterfully, the conversations recreated compellingly, and the overall effect achieved in this portrait/memoir/esoteric 'thriller' is revelatory...I'll be re-reading these authors & passing copies to friends the rest of my life! (PS: WHO was Fulcanelli?)

This is the only biography of R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz available in English and as such would be an absolute necessity even if it did not contain rare insights and information regarding the man. Unfortunately the book is a little inaccessible upon the first reading, as the prose is highly compressed. But it gets better each time you read it, as most true spiritual classics do. And this is indeed a classic.

Dispersed among pages devoted to small-minded pettines and pendantic diction there is enough rarefied subject matter to warrant reading and re-reading this fascinating exposé of the hermetical mind of Schwaller de Lubicz. One cannot ignore the rare biographical information imparted on the Fulcanelli milieu. Well worth a place in your library. Silvio Pan

My neighbor told me about this book and I was so intrigued I bought it the same day. I was not disappointed. Mr. Shipe writes in a conversational tone that makes you feel like you are sitting on a porch listening to your father tell stories. A good mix of humor and hard truths that paints a vivid picture of life in the early 20th century. I would recommend this book to any person who learned a lesson while they were growing up; you can be sure that Mr. Shipe learned the same lesson and included it in this book.

I read this book after a co-worker told me my grandfather is mentioned in it. After I began reading it, I couldn't put it down. I was hooked not because my grandfather was mentioned, but because it was such an enjoyable read. The details Mr. Shipe remembers are incredible, I feel like I was there. I, too, can't wait for a sequel. I am going to buy copies for my cousins. If Mr. Shipe reads this, I would love to be contacted by him for more information about "the Orchard" I heard so much about in my childhood, but never saw.

Virginia "Millholland" Schry

First of all, I really enjoyed reading this book. I wanted to know what it was like growing up on a farm in the West Virginia/Maryland area. The author gave me a good picture of it. As an adolescent I had worked a couple of summers on a farm in New England and the author is only 4 years older than I am so I could identify to some extent with his life and the times. The book was well-written and easy to follow. Just to mention two things which interested me: 1) what it was like for him witnessing his pet calf killed for beef, and 2) eating every part of the pig they butchered. I'll quote about 2): "We ... loved brains mixed in fried eggs. Most people gag when they hear that we ate this, but we loved it. We didn't waste any parts of the hog". That's farm life - close to the realities of nature. The first reviewer mentioned something about reference to religion. Fortunately for me, I didn't feel there was enough talk about God and religion to mention. They were good people - I particularly appreciated the anecdote about how his father refused to attend church once he heard the minister speak badly of the blacks - and the religious feeling emanating made me think of Frank Lloyd Wright's saying, "I believe in God only I spell it N-A-T-U-R-E".

Book Review: ALL MY BORN DAYS, Stories by a Sharecropper's Son
Historical Autobiography by Kenneth R. Shipe

The late Senate Chaplain, Dr. Richard Halverson, always ended his sermons by saying: You go no place by accident this week. Wherever you go, Christ is sending you. You are no place by accident this week.Wherever you are, Christ has placed you, has planted you. And so we believe that in September 2003, through several campground evacuations in the wake of "Hurricane Isabel" we were `hand-picked' to meet this burgeoning Christian writer, Kenneth Shipe at the Forest Lake campground in North Carolina. Which one of us was responding to God's whisper? We may never know, but our lives are changed because of this chance meeting, and their (Ken and his wife, Dottie) persuasive discussion of combining Christian service to Habitat for Humanity with retirement. They also showed us the fruits of their labor: the self-published historical autobiography, ALL MY BORN DAYS, Stories by a Sharecropper's Son.

Shipe's crisp writing style, punctuated with descriptions of the stark poverty of his childhood, brings the reader directly into the day-to-day life of a sharecropper-in ways that you would not learn in any school textbook. It's one thing to know, intellectually, that a sharecropper owns nothing: the entire family is beholden to the landlord; the rhythms of the seasons determine good or bad crop years. The other side is revealed in his carefully researched narrative of how they eked out an existence in the 1930's and 40's -- a sharp contrast to the lifestyle in 2004. Today's high-tech families can choose instant gratification in news or entertainment with the simple click of the remote control or a computer mouse. When Shipe was in elementary school, the family had no electricity, so their primary news source was his weekly reader subscription and the portable radio, if they had fresh batteries. Doing farm chores before and after school, Shipe always found time to read whatever he could, consumed as he was with an inner passion for learning, while still following his mother's example of knowing the things that pleased God.

Shipe weaves his Christian testimony through countless vignettes describing his parents' dependence on God and the power of prayer as they survive the Great Depression, and a flood that forces them to flee their home, to mention just a few examples.

He tells in heartbreaking detail how long and hard he had to work, saving money for a bicycle and later a sled. And, how quickly these prized possession were nearly shredded before his eyes as he and his friend learned first-hand the laws of thermodynamics, skidding at breakneck (and unbrake-able) speed down the mountain. His other escapades remind me of the little boy who was overheard praying: "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am."

Perhaps God's master plan included `a fleet of Angels' to protect Ken Shipe. Why? Because He knew the plans He had for him in his adult life: his faithfulness would be demonstrated as a Marine fighting in the Korean War, while his intellectual abilities to safely launch spacecraft would result in the safe return of many American astronauts.

While others might rest on their proverbial laurels, spending their retirement years on the golf course or sitting around the pool, not so for Ken and Dottie. They sold their home 6 years ago, and live full time in their Recreational Vehicle (RV), and have now completed 19 builds for Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) through RV Care-A-Vanner's or the Family Motor Coach Association. "You can take the man out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the man" certainly describes Ken Shipe! His immersion in strict, God fearing family values is apparent in his family roles as husband, father, and grandfather. Yet an integral part of his life revolves around the opportunity to serve others, through local churches and by building houses.

In the Preface he gives two reasons for writing this book:

1. To preserve a written record of his personal recollections, genealogy research and family remembrances of his sharecropping lifestyle in the 20th century in the Allegheny Mountains.

2. To encourage others to record some verbal descriptions befitting their own family name and to add substance to the skeletal framework of their family tree.

I've picked up his challenge last Christmas by tape recording oral interviews with my 87-year-old Mother in Ohio. What will you do?

# # #

This book is an amazing blend of history and personal experience. I couldn't put it down! I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, which comes across as matter of fact, and at the same time very unique and entertaining. I often laughed out loud. Mr. Shipe's memory is incredible and his descriptions bring every scene to vivid life.

When I got to the end, all I could say was, "When is the sequel coming out?"

Anyone who is interested in history from a personal point of view should read this book.

A wonderful story of a man's life in the United States Navy during World
War II. When men of courage and strength were needed, they stepped forward. Draper Kauffman knew the task before them and trained them to meet every possible hardship the seas and the enemy could throw at them. I doubt he would wanted to be called a hero, but I do think he would want those who served with him and died during those war years to be called hero's! Exceptionally well written by a loving sister, and a story Hollywood should tell, as written. Many thanks go to Elizabeth Kauffman Bush

I was on Admiral Kauffman's staff at the 9th Naval District and present at his retirement, so I have long been aware of his amazing biography. Such a book is long overdue and tells the story of his heroic WWII service -- a life with details that you thought ony happened "in the movies".

We have three sons, all of whom have decided to serve their country, and Draper Kauffman is one of their heroes. What an exciting story! And it's more engaging because it's told by his sister, who has the unique insight to blend his military experiences with his family life. It's a well-rounded account of a man who served our country with honor and distinction.

The title is unfortunate, because younger people have no idea what a "frogman" is. It would have been better to refer to the Navy Seals.

BOOK REVIEW OF: America's First Frogman, a biography of Admiral Draper Laurence Kauffman by his sister Elizabeth Kauffman Bush. Released by Naval Institute Press 2004

America's First Frogman is an exciting war story of one of America's great heroes, Rear Admiral Draper Laurence Kauffman, the flamboyant young "father" of America's famous Underwater Demolition Units, now called the Navy Seals or frogmen.

As told by his sister, the aunt of Jeb and George Bush and God Daughter of the former Duchess of Windsor, the biography spans the "heroic age...of individual prowess and fantastic risks" through several World War II battlefields and back home in the US. It is the colorful Homeric odyssey of a young Annapolis graduate who persists, despite bad eyesight, to prove his courage and ability to serve his country and follow his father, Vice Admiral James Laurence Kauffman, into the US Navy.

Vividly the author reports how her brother, after initially failing the Navy's eye test, continues to successfully "test his nerve... from one nasty job to another" (from ambulance driving in northern France and bomb disposing in London's blitz) to return to the US and slowly prove his genius at pioneering and implementing new ideas and strategies. Quoting from his own letters, as well as those of other contemporaries, the author reports how Kauffman gains the respect from all for his contagious courage and leadership, especially in attracting and training volunteer "frogmen" to join him in their exceedingly demanding work preparing battlefields, often by swimming miles at night under enemy fire, supporting enormous backpacks full of ammunition.

Although the book focuses on Kaufman's founding of the first US Naval Bomb Disposal and Combat Demolition schools, it also follows him through his very significant post war period acting as captain of several ships and chief of many pivotal naval offices including the Defense and Protection Section of the Atomic Warfare Division and Aide to Secretary of the Navy Thomas S. Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington DC. Ironically, in 1965 he also became Superintendent of the place where he first began his naval career, Annapolis.

The well researched and colorfully depicted battle scenes are taken from his own letters to his father whom he sensitively cautions to hide from his worried mother and sister back home. This stateside backdrop of glamour and courage in the lives of both the Kauffman and Bush families adds to the dramatic scope of the book. Photographs portray both Admiral Kauffmans, as well as many other famous military, political and family personalities. The forward is written by the author's brother in law, former President George H.W.Bush.

The reader will grow to admire the mischievous and bold, but sensitive, hero even as his sister does. Watch for this newly released biography to become a very exciting movie all of us can enjoy. Young and old can learn self disciplined focus, wisdom, wit and service from reading America's First Frogman.

TerryAnn Reed, former history teacher, Sarasota, Florida, January 30, 2005

Written by Draper Kauffman's sister Elizabeth Kauffman Bush, and featuring a foreword by President George H. W. Bush, America's First Frogman: The Draper Kauffman Story is the biography of the father of the American Navy SEALs. From surviving his time as a prisoner of the Germans, to his acclaimed wartime service disarming enemy bombs and establishing bomb disposal schools, to the underwater demolition teams he led at Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, America's First Frogman is an amazing true story of skill, courage, dedication, high standards, and excellence under extreme pressure. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this fascinating story of a great man's life and resolute determination.