Society Books

The Complete Angler - Izaak Walton and Chalres Cotton

This book deserves a place in a collection of great angling books, such as those of John Geirach, Henry Middleton and Scott Waldie. It is really two books and an odd sort of middle section on property rights and fishing (funny how some issues have not changed much since the late 17th century). It has some wonderful discourses on not just fishing but the lifestyle and philosophy of fishing. There are some sections and descriptions that can be tedious but they minor compared to the overall wonderful dialogue of the majority of the book.

The first section is written by Izaak Walton and, to me, was Canterbury Tales-esque, is it's older English language (which is entertainingly preserved) and its format. Three travelers - a fisherman (angler), hunter and falconer meet. In the course of discussing the merits of their activities the angler convinces the hunter to come along fishing with him (after seeing a hunt with hounds). Over the course of a few days on the rivers of England, the angler turns the hunter to the quiet joys of angling. He goes through the fish in England and all the baits and methods of fishing for them as well as how to prepare each of them. I had never through of carp of chubs and fish to eat, but after some of the descriptions in this book, I may have to give the a second look someday. The first book is as much of a celebration of the social and contemplative nature of angling as it is descriptions and methods of fishing. Interspersed are encounters with the local farmers, milker and inn-keepers as well as the talking over of the days activities among friends. But the highlight of this first section, and in my opinion the entire book, is the parting words of the angler to the hunter of how angling is a life philosophy that departs sharply from the hustle and bustle of the capitalist life. The first book is replete with references to early Christianity and its admonitions against looking to wealth for happiness.

There is an odd middle section about property rights and fishing which serves as a rather odd bridge to Charles Cotton's section. This book focuses on fishing for trout and graylings in a small section of England. If found the wordy descriptions of the flies by month to be tedious and the lack of philosophical discussion of fishing to be a little disappointing of an end.

Five days of fishing along the river Lea which joins the Thames near London is the background on which the cheerful narrative of The Compleat Angler is laid. The splendid civil conversation of Latin named Piscator, Venator, Auceps, Viator, and Piscator Junior is a joy to hear. Shakespeare was just publishing his first work when Izaak Walton was born in 1593 in Stafford. Walton retired in his early fifties and traveled about rural England visiting friends, fishing, and writing in his easy-going fashion. After publication of The Compleat Angler in 1653 he continued to add to it in his leisurely way for the next quarter century. Samuel Johnson praised the book in the eighteenth century and later Charles Lamb recommended The Compleat Angler to Samuel Taylor Coleridge. 'It breathes the very spirit of innocence, purity, and simplicity of heart,' he noted. 'It would sweeten a man's temper at any time to read it; it would Christianise every angry, discordant passion; pray make yourself acquainted with it.'
The Compleat Angler is a true classic of English literature that owes it's esteem not to advice about fishing but to Izaak Walton's pre-occupations and exquisite manner. Subtitled The Contemplative Man's Recreation the pages glow with delight in the hills and dales, woods and streams of the beloved countryside. Walton conveys a message of meek thankful fellowship and peace to all "honest, civil, quiet men". 'The Compleat Angler is not about how to fish but about how to be,' said novelist Thomas McGuane. 'Walton spoke of an amiable mortality and rightness on the earth that has been envied by his readers for three hundred years.'

This is surely one of the earliest books available to the modern angler. But it's worth distinguishing 'anglers' from 'fishermen'. I take 'anglers' to be people who go after fish for fun or sport or pleasure and 'fishermen' to be people who go after fish for work.

The first thing to be said about Izaak Walton's book, is that it is a play followed by a text book. The second thing, is that it's in a foreign language even to the English, because it was first published in 1653 when the author was 60. A ripe old age in England in those days.

Walton was essentially a biographer. He got paid for it - often commissioned as a good artist might. He wrote 'The Life of Donne' - a poet who even I've heard of. He's alleged to have been a prosperous merchant, but it doesn't really matter. Great angling writers like Richard Walker were engineers. Old school writers like George Skues, were public school educated solicitors in London practices who took the train to the chalk streams of Winchester in Hampshire at weekends, tying flies as they went.

The play concerns three people who meet by chance and get into conversation about their interests. They're travelling at a walk, and so they lighten their journey with convoluted conversation. Before long, it develops into a bit of a competition. Walton is the angler (Piscator). Another gentleman is keen on falconry (Venator) and yet another is keen on hunting (Auceps).

If you tire of 17th century banter, skip forward to the chapters on each particular species of fish, which will ring true immediately. To me it's a revelation that these friendly old fish will still fall for the same tricks as Walton was playing on their ancestors over 350 years ago.

Three hundred fifty years ago Izaak Walton wrote of the curious blend of inner peace and giddy excitement which the amateur naturalist finds at streamside. He invites us to stroll with him through the countryside, discussing the mythology, superstition, and the science of England's aquatic fauna. It is an unrushed journey, though we often arise at sunrise, and the author introduces us to many of the local inhabitants. Indeed, if our fishing is successful, we might exchange our catch for the song of a pretty milkmaid. The Compleat Angler is a brief book, and Walton's intent is to hook the reader, and encourage him to try fishing for himself: "I do not undertake to say all that is known...but I undertake to acquaint the Reader with many things that are not usually known to every Angler; and I shall leave gleanings and observations enough to be made out of the experience that all that love and practise this recreation, to which I shall encourage them." Interestingly, Walton starts off on the defensive, since the fisherman's passion was even then caricatured. By the end the reader has joined the "Brotherhood of the Angle," making artificial flies and enjoying the poetry of fishing: "The jealous Trout, that low did lie, Rose at a well-dissembled fly." To the modern ear Walton's literal belief in naturalists' old wives tales may seem humorously anachronistic, and it comprises a remarkably large part of his affection for his subject. We are also frequently reminded of the book's timeline with comments such as "...the Royal Society have found and published lately that there be thirty and three kinds of Spiders," while we now know that there are thirty thousand species of Arachnids. And the Brotherhood of the Angle is a genuine fraternity to Walton, "...I love all Anglers, they be such honest, civil, quiet men." The prospective reader must also be disabused of the misconception that Walton was a purist for artificial lures; he strongly recommends worms, minnows, and live flies. In Walton's watery world there is no dry humor, only fresh. Following his description of the twelve most effective artificial flies he says, "Thus you have a jury of flies likely to betray and condem all the Trouts in the river." And here he compares the beautiful coloration of a living trout to...well, you'll see: "Their bodies [are] adorned with such red spots, and...with black or blackish spots, as give them such an addition of natural beauty as, I think, was never given to any woman by the artificial paint or patches in which they so much pride themselves in this age." At the risk of taking some of the surprise out of the book, I here present a sample of Walton's fishing secrets: "Take the stinking oil drawn out of Polypody of the oak by a retort, mixed with turpentine and hive-honey, and anoint your bait therewith, and it will doubtless draw the fish to it." I would guess that Walton wasn't much of a cook, however, and I do not recommend his recipe for eel (partially skinning it, packing the viceral cavity with nutmeg and anchovy, cutting off the head, slipping the skin back over the body, and sewing it together where the head formerly was, then barbecuing it on skewers). Walton's affection for fish and fishing extends beyond the aquatic nobility of trout and salmon, to the often ignored commoners: gudgeons, sprats, bleaks, herns, tench, roach, umber, loach, and sticklebag. And as for the importance of fishing in Walton's world: "I envy not him that eats better meat than I do, nor him that is richer, or that wears better clothes than I do; I envy nobody but him, and him only, that catches more fish than I do."

Walton uses the perspective of an enthusiastic angler to promote a lifestyle of reflectiveness, gentle humor, and appreciation for nature. The book is easy to read, despite being first published in the 1600s.
The Coachwhip Publications reprint edition (ISBN 1930585209) is inexpensive and contains Cotton's "Part 2," written at Walton's request for the fifth published edition of "The Compleat Angler."

This seering uncompromising volume is one of the most important books published in the past thirty years.

The many excellent chapters penned by world-class historians and analysts destroy the mendacious rationale for the welfare-warfare state, that monstrocity at war with America itself and the world.

In particular, Murray N. Rothbard's two essays, "Two Just Wars: 1776 and 1861" and "World War I as Fulfillment: Power and the Intellectuals" are especially crucial to understanding how this messianic drive for empire and regimentation came about.

_The Costs of War_ thoroughly examines how the US has gone from being a peaceful republic to the empire it is today. From the Civil War to the Spanish-American War and the World Wars, the essays in this volume tell you about the individuals who deliberately turned the country against its long-standing isolationist tradition, and how and why they did it.

More importantly, in keeping with its title, the book also describes the high price we've paid for the warfare state, not only in human lives, but also in damage to the economy, the culture, and especially liberty.

This book is essential for anyone who wants to understand what's going on in the world today in the context of what has gone before. The information and ideas here are extremely important, now moreso than ever, and I give the book my highest possible recommendation.

~The Costs of War: America's Pyrrhic Victories~ is a compelling and powerful anthology directed against the imperial psychosis of our times. It offers a sweeping indictment of the costs of war in terms of loss of life, the effect on morality in the aftermath, inflation, mounting debt, statism, the loss of civil liberties and economic freedom. A multitude of collaborators have contributed to this powerful anthology including John Denson, Samuel Francis, Thomas Fleming, David Gordon, Paul Gottfried, Robert Higgs, Justin Raimondo, Murray Rothbard, Joseph Stromberg, Clyde Wilson, et al. In the words of Justin Raimondo, the "noninterventionist movement" has been "relegated to the margins of American politics, confined to pacifists and extreme leftists, on the one hand, and extreme rightists, including libertarians as well as members of the John Birch Society, on the other." Many of my nominally conservative friends have been of the mindset that a martial obsession is a novel conservative value. However, if they study history more objectively than they will find that there is nothing particularly conservative about being "warlike" and obsessed with "militarism," particularly within the Old Right conservative tradition at home in America. The neoconservative interlopers have led them astray. Notwithstanding our present-day abandonment of the non-interventionist tradition, its roots go back deep into America history. The founding fathers enshrined their commitment to non-interventionism in the Neutrality Act of 1793. "The Great rule of conduct for us," proclaimed George Washington, "in regard to foreign Nations is in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible... It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world." Thomas Jefferson further lauded the virtue of strategic independence, in proclaiming: "Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none." John Quincy Adams surmised, "America does not go abroad, in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own." Some of our "monsters" in recent years whether Osama Bin Ladin or Saddam Hussain were actually considered our allies. Moreover, these "monsters" were foreign aid recipients and are actually "monsters" of our own countenance at one time. In my humble opinion, America's security lies in a foreign policy based on strategic independence and armed neutrality, not in reckless intervention abroad or in countless foreign entanglements, alliances, and commitments to international bodies like the United Nations.

Many people see the Second World War as a defining case against non-interventionism, but if they studied history more objectively than they would see how American intervention in the so called war to end all wars, the Great War, in fact paved the way for the Great Crusade in the Second World War. Woodrow Wilson's intervention in the Great War and his campaign to "make the world safe for democracy" actually served to make the world safe for both Hitler and Stalin. The seeds of Nazi Germany were planted by the forced abdication of the Kaiser and the vehement economic retribution perpetrated by the Western Allies like England and France against Germany, which only served to destabilise Germany and radicalise her body politic.

John Denson astutely surmises, "The greatest accomplishment of Western Civilization is arguably the achievement of individual liberty through limits on the power of the state. In the war-torn twentieth-century, we rarely hear that one of the main costs of armed conflict is the long-term loss of liberty to winners and losers alike." War for America, despite our overwhelming victories, has been one Pyrrhic victory after the other. "Beyond the obvious costs of dead and wounded soldiers, there is the lifetime struggle of veterans to live with their nightmares and their injuries; the hidden economic costs of inflation, debts, and taxes; and more generally the damages caused to our culture, our morality, and to civilisation at large." With this erudite anthology, Denson and many others illustrate the costs of war and the heavy toll that an imperial mindset unleashes on a nation. To encapsulate some of the brilliant content therein: Richard Gamble takes on the perennial champion of imperialism in the nineteenth-century Abraham Lincoln in a terse analysis of his sordid legacy, his war of aggression; Richard Raico sketches the costs of America's needless involvement in the Great War, in an essay entitled `World War I: The Turning Point;' Robert Higg's profound essay entitled `War and Leviathan' sketches a history of how war preparedness has led to a continual aggrandisement of power in the hands of the state while proving itself to be detrimental to freedom; and Paul Gottfried asks the most heterodox question of our time, in his essay `Is Modern Democracy Warlike?'

This book squarely challenges the prevailing myth that our sustained history of war in the twentieth-century has made us freer and secured more freedom at home. War is an engine for aggrandisement of power in the hands of state, centralisation, as well as sweeping cultural and moral changes. After WWII, Americans became acclimated to payroll withholding, a hefty income tax, and a mammoth centralised bureaucracy. Nonetheless, the idea that there is somehow salvific cleansing power in the spilt blood of the America G.I. continues to prevail. I whole-heartedly recommend this book. Thomas Woods put it best, "The Costs of War is easily one of the most important books to emerge from American conservatives in a generation." I whole-heartedly recommend this jewel, which is a reminder of the costs of war and a defender of the non-interventionist tradition which must be recovered.

Although soundly invested in the critiques provided in each of the contributions to "The Costs of War: America's Phyrric Victories," I find the refusal by Mises intellectuals to entertain extending the franchise of soldiering to the ruling classes (and even, now, to the comfortable middle classes) by way of compulsory service a hollow defense.

Mr. Stromberg (whose analysis here, as in his articles dating back many years, speaks truth to power most lucidly) himself has been heard dismissing the James Fallows assertion. To paraphrase: that until the mothers of soldiers in comfortable white suburban towns are ringing the phones off-the-hook screaming at their Congressmen "YOU KILLED MY BOY!" the lives of Fallows' working-class "Chelsea boys" will continue to be defiled in the name of state sponsored phyrric misadventures as they are marched off to slaughter.

What other than placing the incidence (costs) of warfare squarely in the laps of the decisionmaking class will stall the state-led rush to war? Surely not the scorn of intellectuals. Surely not the "mature restraint" shored up by our shuddering constitutional system, increasingly torn to shreds by means of "unitary executive" assertion. Alas, surely not the thoroughly "professionalized" "all-volunteer" armed forces, marshalled by increasingly unaccountable yes-man officers, themselves at the beck and call of revolving-door insider-intellectuals, presidents, congressmen, and captains of industry as they engage in the lapping up of the "political means to wealth"--the overwhelming majority "exempted" from their service on the battlefield.

John V. Denson edited a useful anthology that undermines the "popular history" (popular nonsense)of recent U.S. History and the rise of empire which is a term the Establishemnt does not like because empire is an honest definition. Denson chose excerpts which deal with the rapid growth of centralized government, the disintegration of constitutional rights, and an ever increasing national debt all of which is related to unnecessary war since the Civl War or the War of Southern Succession.

Denson's introductory essay is worth reading. This essay gives the reader a glimpse of the book's theme, and his essay is a good introduction to the rise of militarism in the United States since 1860. Denson's introduction presents the reader with a cause-and effect relationship between war and the erosion of rights.

The essays that examine the Civil War, especially Murray Rothbard's essay, gives a view of the Civil War that reveals that actual origins of this tragedy as opposed to the childish convention that somehow the Civil War began over the issue of slavery. Readers should note that Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson was opposed to slavery. Gen. Robert E. Lee emancipated his slaves. On the other hand, Gen. Grant had to free his slaves to take command of the Army of the Potomac. Gen. Sherman of the Union also owned slaves. As some of the essays clearly state, Pres. Lincoln antagonized the Southerners with manacing military actions especially on Virginia's border which resulted in the Virginians joining the Confederacy.

The essays dealing with World War I and World War II should be of particular interest to those not familiar with actual the origins of these wars. Textbook writers give the false impression that Pres. Wilson and U.S. authorities were neutral prior to April 6, 1917 when members of the U.S. Congress voted to declare on the Germans and their allies. The facts were that American bankers and powerful political fugures had given money and resources to the British and French espcially after 1915. Pres. Wilson had U.S. supply vessels sail into war zones to assist the British and French and to deliberately antagonize the Germans into provocation.

Murray Rothbard's essay regarding World War I is instructive. He chides Walter Lippmann for being a ferocious advocate of U.S. entry into World War I as well as a proponent of military conscription (slavery). Yet, when Mr. Lippmann realized that he was of draft age and in good health, he used his connections with Felix Frankfurter to avoid having to face angry gunfire. Lippmann's excuse was that he wanted to help shape the post World War I United States in line what the "intellectuals" thought was necessary for everyone else. Mr. Lippmann annointed himself as one of Plato's philosopher kings. This anecdote is indeed instructive. This is line with the adage that, "War hath no fury as that of the non-combatent." One should note that the current group of armchair patriots have never seen combat. Vice President Cheney had five (5) draft deferments and never saw one he did not like. Yet, he is similiar to Walter Lippmann in that Cheney wants war but never wants to face war's dangers. Lippmann and Cheney fit Andy Jacobs' descriptions of War Wimps and Chicken Hawks.

The essays dealing with the costs of war reveal that the plutocratic rich benefit from military expendatures, but the public never gets to see the bills until later when they come due. Those who prefer to remain ignorant and comfortable about the costs of war only protest when taxes and inflation damage their economic status. Yet, these folks may hold a key to stopping the war machine as suggested in one of the essays if they alerted their U.S. Senators and Representatives.

The appeal to "Demokracy" to initiate wars is ludicrous which Messers Gottfired and Hoppe make very clear. The fact is wars in the name of democracy or wars in the name of the people are the most destructive. A point well made is "Vox populi Vox Dei" applies to war. Modern political views state the voice of the public, no matter how stupid or wrong, is a substitute for reason and knowledge.

Mr. Denson's book is useful for those who are puzzled by the rise of the military state. Readers should also consult the bibliogrphy in this book. Harry Elmer Barnes' anthology titled PERPETUAL WAR FOR PERPETUAL PEACE and James J. Martin's REVISIONIST VIEW POINTS are especially useful. Mr. Denson's THE COSTS OF WAR is timely and well worth reading.

This is the third in the Moosepath series of books by Van Reid and it maintains his exemplary standard of good writing and is a delight. The story makes a great winter read as it uses all the atmosphere of the season - winter snowstorms, crackling log fires, spooky deserted houses. It follows on from the previous novel Mollie Peer although this story is complete and can stand on its own; but if I you intend to read Mollie Peer (and I recommend it most hightly) it would be best to read this novel after Mollie Peer or you will know what happens in Mollie Peer. This really is good wholesome storytelling at its best - not a watered-down-to-not-offend wholesomeness; but a rich, life-affirming novel of loveable characters in a rollicking laughter-filled old-fashioned tale that will bring tears of joy and sadness. READ THESE BOOKS!

if, like me, you're a bit plugged up from reading irvine welsh, noam chomsky, dave eggers, etc. van reid's "daniel plainway" might just do the trick.

i picked this up on a whim and afterward was scared i had gotten myself into something that was going to be a bit "precious and old-people-y", though i held on to a glimmer of hope due to the fact that "the onion" had read and liked the book.

in the end i couldn't put the thing down -- partly due to the author's way of jumping from storyline to storyline on a chapter by chapter basis, but mainly due to the fact that it was a delightful read. it reminded me more than a little bit of a rural american sherlock holmes adventure (the story is set in 1890s maine), but with tongue planted firmly in cheek (never irritatingly so though).

i won't divulge any details of the storyline, but i will say that i thought the book peaked about 2/3 in (when all the various threads finally came together) and after that it slowed down a bit. not bad, but perhaps mildly disappointing after such a fantastic build-up. one other point of note: if like me, you find yourself wanting to read the first two books in the series after finishing this one, you'll realise you've been given too many spoilers about book 2. will this affect your enjoyment of book 2? dunno. i haven't started that one yet... but i know how it ends.

i don't think you can go wrong with this one. regardless of your age or interests, a bit of good clean old-time book reading fun is coming your way.

Van Reid is just a great story teller. This is the best (so far) in his Moosepath trilogy.

Hurray for the Moosepath League!! Maine novelist Van Reid now has published a series of his comic, sweet novels, each more pleasurable than the last, featuring Tobias Walton and his companions Ephram, Eagleton and Thump. His most recent offering, Daniel Plainway: Or the Holiday Haunting of the Moosepath League, is the perfect Christmastime or winter fireside book. Woven with so many pleasurable amiable asides and subplots, the main story about a kidnaped boy and ancient Norse writings seems almost an afterthought. To take one example, Walton, whom Reid describes as "himself a pearl, and good things did seem to surround him", starts the novel losing his hat in a sudden wind; the peregrinations of that topper itself, and the goodwill it seems to bear from its owner, flow delightfully through the story. In another delightful scene, Reid waxes rhapsodically on the perfect qualities of snow for snowballs, leading to a delightful snowfall fight involving the novel's heros, villains, and local youngsters. A particularly pleasurable turn for me, a former classicist, is that the interpretation of the writings depends on hearing the Greek spoken in a seemingly nonsensical English phrase, "she'll bust her feeding." Although always lighthearted, Reid's novel is not without serious purpose, as expressed in the dialogue as to whether "there are so many people in the world willing to drive tragedy" or whether "there are as many, more, really, who are willing to put things right." In Reid's world, those who good-heartedly "put things right" - most especially the comical Moosepath League - predominate. I finished his book with a fair certainty that the same prevailed in my own place and time.

'Daniel Plainway' is the third foray into the adventures of The Moosepath League for Van Reid, following 'Cordelia Underwood' and 'Mollie Peer'. If you have not read those volumes, do so now.

In this episode, the charter members of The Mossepath League encounter their alter egos in the form of the Dash-it-All Boys, while the other members of the league match themselves against a secret society, obsessed with discovering lost Viking riches, known as the Broumnage Club.

These adventures, however, are once again woven into the fabric of the continuing story of Bird, a small boy whose story has been heretofore a mystery, in great Van Reid style. That is to say brilliantly. Reid's talent for intertwining story threads is unmatched by any author in my eclectic library, and it is a singular pleasure to find recurring, peripheral characters scattered about the pages of 'Daniel Plainway', as well as 'Mollie Peer'. When these characters appear, it is sometimes to deliver a funny anecdote or story, or to be merely a small participant in an ongoing conversation; and whether identified by name, or left for me to surmise their identity myself, I always feel like a participant in an inside joke.

I would love to apprise you as to the identity of Daniel Plainway, or hint at how he is connected to young Bird, but I feel I would be diminishing your reading pleasure, not enhancing it. The best turn I could do for you, in regards to this review, is stress upon you the joy you will have in reading Van Reid's chronicles of The Moosepath League, starting with 'Cordelia Underwood', then 'Mollie Peer' and ending with 'Daniel Plainway'.

I feel confident when you are finished with this trio, you will be anticipating the fourth installment in this saga as eagerly as I am.

Pam Johnson founded "The Secret Society of Happy People" and found herself grappling with holiday newsletters, worldwide press coverage, a spirited debate on "Politically Incorrect", and asking state governors to proclaim National Admit You're Happy Day. In Don't Even Think Of Raining On My Parade: Adventures of The Secret Society Of Happy People, Pam shares with the reader her perspective on living, enjoying, and celebrating what life has to offer, and presents a spectrum of happiness showcased through insightful stories, thoughtful observations, and witty pieces by other writers. Don't Even Think Of Raining On My Parade is highly recommended for inspirational self-help reading lists and library collections.

This book is two books in one! It tells the reader in chronological order the fences Pam had to jump to get her idea to become reality. With sheer determination and a humorous way of viewing events, Pam succeeded in her quest. The book also is loaded with entertaining stories demonstrating the 21 types of happiness. It was a quick, delightful read.

This book provides a humorours look at how her "Secret Society" got started. The stories of her adventures with the media, politicans, and the public in general are funny. She reminds us fo how lost "happiness" as become, but more important how we should NOT rain on someone else's parade. This easy to read and entertaining book would make anyone a great gift.

Pam's book is an easy to read, humourous look at how hard it is to spread a little happiness. It takes the reader on a chronological journey with Pam as she heads towards making her passing thought of a Secret Society of Happy People into reality. It also contains entertaining stories demonstrating the 21 types of happiness. A fun, quick read that left me smiling

Pam Johnson's "Secret Society Of Happy People" is one of the most unique and yet simple ideas I have ever heard of. Unlike so many other "feel-good" authors of today, she does not suggest that we deny our true feelings or the unhappy realities of this world, but to make a point of expressing our feelings of happiness as and when they arise -- without feeling guilty or inappropriate for doing so. There is a good chance that we are all a lot happier than we think we are! This book also raises awareness of how we allow other people's negativity to zap the happiness right out of our lives. "Don't Even Think of Raining On My Parade: Adventures of the Secret Society of Happy People." chronicles the author's diligent and courageous undertaking to bring acceptance back to the concept of feeling good. It's a wonderful read.

If you're looking for an art piece, this is the book for you. I was hoping for a little more instruction. It is a beautiful book and I would probably buy it anyway even if I had known how little practical knowledge is actually offered. Most of the instruments could probably be figured out by a fairly competent ceramist, but a beginner would be completely lost.

I was disappointed not to be given cross-section diagrams of some of the wind instruments; I would have liked some more and more specific technical info on creating a clay xylophone and/or marimba; I'd like to know more about stretching drum heads and stringing/playing the bowed instruments and harps. That said, I can probably figure it out, but that's why I bought this book. To help me figure it out.

Conversely, in the section in which Hall does give step by step procedures, he includes simple steps that even the 6-year-olds in my pottery classes know how to do. Nothing about firing techniques or the rest of the stuff ceramists seem to feel obligated to include in a book written for beginners, though, for which I am grateful. Any beginning potter needs a general instruction text (or a good class), so I'm not sure why specialty authors feel it necessary to include basic steps and then, for want of space, leave out stuff you'd really like to know.

Sorry for whining so much. I really love the book and have been reading it word for word (some of it is pretty silly kind of psycho-babble, so you've been warned) to glean every bit of info. It's spangled with little stars of knowledge and I don't want to miss any of them.

As others have said, this isn't really a studio book. It's too nice, and hasn't got all that much practical information anyway, unless you've never made an ocarina or can't figure out on your own how to make a goblet drum. (Thanks for the instructions on fitting the head, though.) It will give you loads of inspiration, and if you understand the different ways of making a sound, which are really explained quite adequately, you'll be able to figure out at least a rudimentary model of most of the instruments shown.

I'm facinated by ceramic music and this book had instruments that I didn't know existed. It is well written and very informative. I also enjoyed listening to the music CD. If you're into ceramics, this book is a good buy!

Love the book and the cd. If you like making musical instruments out of clay or want to learn about them. This is your "must have" book!

I first made my purchase because I had a couple of my photos included in the book. But when I opened it up, it took my breath away! Not only are the photos well done and well laid out, but there is historical information about clay instruments, as well as information about currently made clay instruments. There are also pages of 'how to' for those so inclined. There is information about various artists. I thought it was of such value that I have purchased a copy for the Bethany College Art Department's ceramic instructor. There is a wealth of knowledge in this one book! I highly recommend owning one! Kudo's to Barry Hall!

This book is to own. It's at home in the studio, on the coffee table or in the historian's library. It's well written,informative (with some how make ceramic instrument techniques), exhaustivly researched with magnificient photographs of clay instruments, both ancient and new, of every type. I would never loan my copy for fear of not seeing it again.

When I first saw the cover of Genshiken, I didn't know what to expect. I assumed that it would be another male-oriented manga where the main male character would fall for a girl who fit neatly into one of the manga stereotypes while everything revolves around fanservice & typical cliches. Boy was I wrong!

Genshiken surrounds a whole cast of characters, most specifically that of Sasuke, a freshman in a local college. He decides that he's finally going to join a group devoted to anime, manga, or both. He almost loses his nerve until he discovers Genshiken and becomes immersed in everything otaku. Along for the ride are a lovable cast of characters that are all distinct and never cliche. Everyone has a set personality that the reader can relate to, and the storylines are actually true to life. There's no magic moves, no love triangles (not really, anyway), and no transforming... even though the characters would probably love it if it actually happened. For the most part everyone's a realtively well adjusted person.

Would I recommend this series? Yes, but some may not get all of the jokes. Luckily Del Ray is faithful about putting explanations in the back of the manga. Fledglings will need them, but die-hard otaku probably won't. ^.^'

There are no flying robots, fiery dragons, or space aliens in this one, rather Genshiken is about a select group of boring people with boring stories to tell. So why five stars? It is only that these boring stories are brought to us in the most kind and personable way, like a meal of white bread, served on a silver platter by the quirkiest waitress you ever did see. In the end, it was a fabulous dinner. Genshiken uses slight humor, slight romance, and a lot of good art. Highly recommended!

This is the funniest thing I think I've ever read!
There's no cheesy sci-fi/fantasy stuff or day dreaming girls trying to get married. The situations are realistic, which makes them even funnier. If you've every dated a super dorky guy or find that you're spending your free time watching anime (almost exclusively), you'll really enjoy this manga.

I seriously don't understand why more of you haven't read this book. It features one of the best and most memorable cast of characters in a manga that I have ever read. If you yourself are an otaku, this manga has at least one character you will find yourself saying,"Hey! Thats me!"

We start with a student, Kanji Sasahara, who is a shy young otaku, off at college. While searching through potential clubs to join, he finds the Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, aka, Genshiken. It takes some prodding from a member of the club, but he eventually joins this club after feeling a sort of bond with the other members.

Through out this manga, we are introduced to several different characters, Tanaka, a cosplayer. Madarame, a military sort of otaku, Kousaka, definately doesn't fit the traditional "look," of an otaku, but his interests are in the right place. Finally, his girlfriend, Saki, who absolutely hates his okatu-ism, but you see her becoming more and more sympathetic towards it as time goes by.

All in all, I would have to say this is one of the best purchases I have made, and I eagerly antcipate the fourth volume.

Kanji Sasahara decides to join Genshiken, which is a club that deals with anima, manga, cosplay and video games. It happens to be his long standing dream to join a otaku club.
Saki Kasukabe's long standing dream is to get her boyfriend to act normal. But he joins the same club also.
Saki now has to chase Makoto around, from various activities to comic conventions, from video gaming to collecting figures.
I have volumes one to three and plan to collect any more that come out. There is tons of humor, but also lots of serious themes about art, relationships, S&M, porn, and what a otaku really is. Very much only for adults. Frankly, Age 16 seems too low a rating to me. Bonus material in each book.

Judith Machree tells her devastatingly true story of being molested as a child and the ramifications of Multiple Personality Syndrom that followed. Through her remarkable faith in God and support from her husband, she is able to share her story today. The book is written in a journal format and relates the different struggles she lived through, but through it all, there is a deeply spiritual aspect interwoven. It is an excellent testimony to God's healing powers and the strength He gives us to overcome even the most horrendous events in our lives.

This book held my attention and read more like a suspense novel than an autobiographical true story. I wouldn't usually read a book with a "Christian" view, but this one is down to earth, real, gritty and honest. If you have been a victim of abuse this book offers realistic hope.

Even though I found this book hard to read at times because of the author's struggle -- presented in such intimate detail -- I found a thread of hope that compelled me to continue. This is a beautifully written book, real literature, that explores the human spirit's capacity for transformation in the face of tragic and overwhelming human depravity. As a victim of incest myself, I found it very encouraging. I recommend it!

Just as encouraging to read the second time around as it was the first. I recommend it for anyone diagnosed with DID or living with someone with DID. Especially if you have religious questions like "what about God in this whole picture ? Where was He, where is He, and does He even care?"

This book is well written, honestly and accurately written, with true, practical answers. It gives the only answer to a person's needs, God, as He reveals Himself in Jesus Christ, but in a way that is easily grasped by a person who has gone through what she has gone through.

The Golden Road and its prequel, The Story Girl, are two of the best books I have ever read. I never seem to get tired of them, either...I have read them countless times! If you enjoy L. M. Montgomery's novels, such as the Anne of Green Gables series, these books are a must. The Golden Road tells the story of cousins, Beverley (who narrates the story), Felix, Cecily, Felicity, Dan, and Sara Stanley, also known as the Story Girl, plus their friends Peter, the hired boy, and Sara Ray. The adventures these eight have are sometimes exiting, sometimes sad...but mostly really funny! For instance, one time, they have the governors wife to tea...but they think she's their deaf Aunt Eliza and comment on the governors big nose and such things! And Felicity accidentally bakes tooth-powder rusks...oh, I can't tell you the whole book! Read it for yourself!

The Golden Road and its prequel, The Story Girl, are two of the best books I have ever read. I never seem to get tired of them, either...I have read them countless times! If you enjoy L. M. Montgomery's novels, such as the Anne of Green Gables series, these books are a must. The Golden Road tells the story of cousins, Beverley (who narrates the story), Felix, Cecily, Felicity, Dan, and Sara Stanley, also known as the Story Girl, plus their friends Peter, the hired boy, and Sara Ray. The adventures these eight have are sometimes exiting, sometimes sad...but mostly really funny! For instance, one time, they have the governors wife to tea...but they think she's their deaf Aunt Eliza and comment on the governors big nose and such things! And Felicity accidentally bakes tooth-powder rusks...oh, I can't tell you the whole book! Read it for yourself!

I enjoyed The Golden Road, but not as much as I enjoyed The Story Girl. I recommend you read the two novels together, one right after the other. If you enjoy reading books set in a long-ago era, the books have a charm to them. If you like action, these books will not appeal to you as much.

In my opinion, it is not possible to enjoy The Golden Road unless you have just recently read The Story Girl. Not all of the characters and actions in TGR will be understoon unless you have read TSG. The characters are a lot of fun and are well-written. The adventures this group of friends have together will stay in your memory forever.

I loved this book. I read the Story Girl years ago, but the 'Road to Avonlea' books ruined the concept for me, and I forgot that there was an original sequel. And then, my sister borrowed it from the library; I was bored, and so picked it up. I read the entire book that afternoon - forget about the fact that exams were six weeks off, that I should be vaccuuming - I couldn't put it down. I admit, I had cherished hopes of the Story Girl and Bev, but they were dashed. Felicity and Peter, I am sure, were happy for the rest of their lives....and I was crying so hard when I read about Cecily. I loved it.

The Golden Road and its prequel, The Story Girl, are two of the best books I have ever read. I never seem to get tired of them, either...I have read them countless times! If you enjoy L. M. Montgomery's novels, such as the Anne of Green Gables series, these books are a must. The Golden Road tells the story of cousins, Beverley (who narrates the story), Felix, Cecily, Felicity, Dan, and Sara Stanley, also known as the Story Girl, plus their friends Peter, the hired boy, and Sara Ray. The adventures these eight have are sometimes exiting, sometimes sad...but mostly really funny! For instance, one time, they have the governors wife to tea...but they think she's their deaf Aunt Eliza and comment on the governors big nose and such things! And Felicity accidentally bakes tooth-powder rusks...oh, I can't tell you the whole book! Read it for yourself!

In "The Greengage Summer" five English youths have their vacation trip to the battlefields of France derailed when their mother develops a disabling illness due to an insect bite. While she is in hospital, they stay at a hotel run by two sour proprietors and peopled by an eccentric cast of characters. Each of the youths pursues his or her interests (painting, photography, etc.) while exploring the hotel and the grounds nearby. They befriend the handyman Paul, a young man with a perplexing past, and bond with their temporary guardian, Eliot, whose background, they eventually discover, is even more disturbing. In their summer stay, the children also stumble upon a mystery. As they collide with a foreign adult world, they receive an education, but not quite the one their mother originally intended.

The Grey children are taken to France by their mother to visit the battlefields of WW1 in the hope that it will make them less selfish. However, she is taken ill as soon as they arrive at their destination, the hotel Les Oeillets, and the children find themselves bewildered and frightened in a strange land with a barely conscious mother. They are befriended by Eliot, a charming and enigmatic Englishman staying at Les Oeillets, who sorts everything out. With their mother in hospital, the children are free to explore this strange and exotic new world, so different from the dull suburban English town they have come from. They get to know all the people at the hotel, Mamzelle Zizzi, the beautiful but slightly haggard proprietor, who is clearly besotted with Eliot, Madame Corbet, grim and unsmiling, who equally clearly detests him, and all the rest of the staff. They make friends with Paul, an orphan who is an overworked drudge in the kitchen, but dreams of some day owning his own lorry. The story is narrated by Cecil, thirteen years old, who observes everything, especially the growing attraction between Joss, her exquisitely lovely elder sister, and Eliot. As Eliot spends more and more time with the children, Mamzelle Zizzi's jealousy grown, until it finally explodes one night in a scene that terrifies and bewilders the Grey family. The children try to retreat from the scary grownupworld to their safe childhood idyll, but it is too late, the happy atmosphere is poisoned. As Eliot's behaviour grows more mysterious,and Mamzelle Zizzi continues to simmer with jealousy the story heads inevitably towards disaster. All the characters in this book are fascinating, from secretive, sexy Eliot to the drudge Paul, and you feel totally involved in their lives. The atmosphere of a French summer is so vividly described, you can taste the greengages the children stuff themselves with, and smell the eccentric French plumbing. A gripping and poignant story of lost innocence, this book is based on actual events in Rumer Godden's youth, and is quite unforgettable.

When the dog bites, when you're feeling blue, simply get a copy of The Greengage Summer to gorge on its luscious and heady prose. Godden is a timeless writer and I'm fairly sure this started life as 'adult' rather than 'children's' fiction - for all the worth of those meaningless categories. I guess the teen reads didn't exist then and this seething, hormonal coming-of-age novel captures the very essence of that moment when knowing youth casts its spell without being able to foresee the consequences, for it to appeal to younger readers, but I wonder if the hindsight of growing-up add another layer or three. The prose is limpid, laden with resonance and the characters are wondeful. I can smell and see the summer and its dangerous allure. Nicely tragic too (in that noone actually dies, but the consequences of playing with adult-hood are suitably dire!). It is a book I turn to time-and-again and recommend unstintingly to anyone who'll hear me out.

This is one of those books I've bought again and again. It's a beautiful coming-of-age story set in the French countryside. I first read it back when the earth was cooling, and I have no idea what became of that original copy. I bought it again as an adult, loaned it to a friend and never saw it again. I recently bought it yet a third time, a used copy on Amazon, and this one I'm not loaning out.
Greengage Summer is a delicious melange of mystery, romance, travel writing, and character study. I'm surprised it's no longer in print, because I truly think it's a classic. It started me reading everything Rumer Godden's written. I like her writing tremendously, but Greengage Summer is her best.
When Mum is confined to bed in a small French village, her children are left on their own in the pensione. It's mainly the story of the oldest daughter's blossoming toward maturity, but it's more, much more, than what appears on the surface.
Read it, and loan it to a friend - but be sure you get it back!

A former "diplobrat" who grew up abroad, I identified with Godden's description of a child's first encounter with France. The effect of their foreign adventure on each family member develops along with an excellent plot (not usually Godden's strong point). Even better than the character descriptions is the evocation of French country life at its most seductive -- "next best to being there."

Product arrived quickly in great shape. will do business with them again.
Thanks D

Ok, let me start off by saying that this book is a very important book in my family. Im 21, but this book is one of my first memories. I remember so well seeing my parents reading it, (probally multiple times) and seeing it at my grandfather's house. I never knew what the book was about, I just knew that "The Henry book" was a big deal. In fact, my Grandfather loved the book so much, he bought an entire box of it one time to give out to friends and family. I heard it was a difficult book to get, but Amazon popped up, and is ready and avalible.
I really debated to give this book a 3 or a 4. I wish I could give it a 3.5. I really liked where the book was going. Kind of a "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" for adults. Poor Henry. He kept giving the mouse (society) cookies, when he didn't have enough to give in the first place. I know, I sound like I have been watching too much Billy Madison but it was the best comparison I could think of. This book is a great vacation read. It took me about a late afternoon and a 2 hour car ride to read. Read it before you go on vacation with someone who has read it. Because it will be a big old laugh when you quote, "I wouldn't want you to miss out on the good life." through out your vacation.
I really don't know how to review this book. Parts of it I loved and parts of it I hated. I really didn't know where the author was going at the end. I didn't know that this book was going to go into the end times when I started it off. I relize that the Bible warns us that the Lord will come while we are all distracted, but I was just confused how it pretained to Henry. I guess was warning us not to get so caught up in it all that we forget about the Lord. I only skimmed the end honestly because I felt like the author was coming off like he was better then me. That's an awful thing of me to say, and maybe it's the stubborness coming out in me, but really. I mean, does he really think we are so weak, that we will fall to the evil ways of a credit card? I think it's a book you need to read more than once. I still suggest it.

This book can wake you up! A story that tells a story.

Beautiful!

This book was loaned to me by a friend. I started reading it and could not stop. It was telling the story of my life in a different way. Henry knew the good life and thought progress was going to give him a better life. He had to give up the things dearest to him. Time with the family went by the wayside. A valuable lesson for people who are trying to get ahead. This book posessed me to quit my 12 hour, sometimes 6 day a week job of 17 years. I now make less money, but I also have time off to be with my family. My priorties are now in order and I am happy. I am now like Henry was in the beginning of the book. Sometimes we don't know what happiness is. Money isn't everything and debt will ruin you is some things I personally gleaned out of this book. I strongly recommend it to college age and over.

Henry is me! Not that I ever had it as good as he did to start, but I bought the lies that our great society hangs in our faces like that nice juicy bunch of fresh carrotts....theres nothing wrong with carrotts is there? I have read this little book a dozen times and each time I do it makes me stop and take stock. This is a must own, buy a bunch and give them to people who you truly care about.