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Woods is as much philosopher and urban planner as architect in the traditional sense. His buildings rip open the landscape of the ordered grid, and also open new possibilities about what it means to inhabit a space. The functions of some of his ideas for buildings are obscure even to him. He is constantly trying to deconstruct the politics of architecture and it's place in history. He actively embodies Heidegger's idea that "dwelling means to recieve the sky", except in his dwellings it also means to recieve the ground, and to actively take part in constructing your world.

Lebbeus Woods is the master architect: his theoretical explorations and investigations lay as exhibits that modern architects pull and borrow for their own artistic palate. His investigations are rooted in deep concepts that are difficult to follow at times, but understanding his drawings and his attempts are easily understaning his genius. The politcal connections he pulls from are all relevant and his drawings are indescribably beautiful, very active with the reader, exciting and full of life and vibrance.

Very pleased to see work by Lebbeus Woods being published and to hear he is being recognized by the Whitney now in its first show on architecture. I think of Leb when I see Ansel Adam's photograph, 'Moonrise Over Hernandez, New Mexico', considered by some to be the best photograph of the 20th Century. It has a moon hanging over a town set in a landscape, something of an architectural study. And it calls back a show on the Urbana Campus, years back, when Leb was an upperclassman at Illinois studying architecture. Sometimes shows of student projects are pretty standard and tentative; they're required work to get a grade. But here was Leb's uniquely impeccable and stunning drawings. Already mature work, I believe. His presentation included a casein rendering depicting a building in an early evening landscape. Above the building in the sky he had drawn a moon. Nobody should have had the courage to do that, nobody. And you won't see a drawing like that but once in a lifetime. He probably could do line drawings done with a marker and still be museum quality.

This book is the bible for millenium era Architecture, ideal for a world steeped in cyberspace, bioterrorism, and chaos. There is no book that a could more highly recommend!!!

Although this is somewhat irrelevant to the book itself, I'm amazed that David Brower was able to write such an articulate, evocative ecological eye-opener at the age of 82...which is not to say I applied a lower set of standards to the judging of "Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers run". Such a bias wouldn't be necessary for the book to be praised and revered by all environmentally-conscious readers who happen upon it; in this, the era of unfettered desecration and destruction of the Earth, the former president of the Sierra Club provides a much needed argument on behalf of all those who enjoy nature and, also, all those who merely want their descendants to be able to breathe . In the gentlemanly prose he maintains throughout the book, Brower explains the necessity of wildlife preservation, what the restoration of the planet would entail, and the political factors involved in the environmentalist movement; he recounts pass successes of the Sierra Club and other environmental groups, encounters with prominent individuals such as FDR and John Muir, and, when he was a boy, describing the beauty of the pristine bay area locale he grew up in to his blind mother. Aside from issuing an eloquent "call to arms to those who would save the Earth", Brower also seems to attempt to convert those who have not yet recognized how nature can enrich their lives tenfold; from dramatic descriptions of his mountaineering exploits to waxing poetic about

the simple enjoyment one derives from observing creatures in the wild, he tries valiantly to convey the euphoria one attains from cherishing and truly experiencing the wonders of the Earth to the unenlightened. All in all, a fantastic book that ranks as one of my all-time non-fiction favorites, and required reading for all the indolent armchair environmentalists like myself who desperately need a motivational boost to start working at saving the planet.

I'm about 180 pages through the book and have been marking it up extensively for future reference. Brower does an excellent job of summarizing a lot of current and older but useful thinking on environmentalism. Each time I go back to my reading, I keep wanting to refer to earlier passages, so I look for an index. In fact that's why I'm writing this brief review. I hope that the publisher sees it and actually produces one for a future edition or printing. It would be very helpful, since I'm sure I'll want to come back to the book.

Over the last several months, I've hit upon the topic of saving the earth from another author, Daniel Quinn, the author of Ishmael. The goal is the same, but Quinn offers an alternative way of thinking that I find quite interesting. I'd like to ask both Brower and Quinn what they think of one anothers approaches, but, of course, that is now impossible in the case of Brower. If anyone knows whether they have ever met or read about one another, I'd be interested in knowing their reactions to the other's work. Since Quinn's approach is not an environmentalist's approach, I doubt that they have knowledge of one another. However, Quinn is pretty savy on all aspects of saving the earth.

I don't know if I specified it was OK to show my e-mail address, but here it is if someone wants to respond: mtn_view@sirius.com.

This novel was great. It was innovative and original. Unlike a lot of environmental books, this one wasn't dull or scientific. Instead, it reached out at you with it's practicality and simplicity. Brower uses real life examples to make his ideas tangible to the reader. This book was well written and is a modern Must Read. Get Inspired!... Read this book.

The Late David Brower takes us through the journey that was his life. With explicit detail, david brower shows us the world in his eyes. His deep passion to inspire everyone with CPR ( conservation preservation restoration) and respect for the environment in which we live in is truly written with heartfelt words, and continues to move me. Founder of Friends of the Earth and Earth Island Insitute, Browers Legacy will indeed never be forgotten. Being so involved in some of the most important national monuments to be made such as dinosaur national park, his spirit and love will forever shine through in his life work to both serve and protect mother nature in all of her natural glory. Told by Brower he takes you on the path of his life, both past and to the present, giving such details of an exciting and meaningful life, such as his times with the wonderfully talented photographer the late ansel adams, work with JFK, and much more! From start to finish this book is indeed a classic, and a wonderful tribute to the late archdruid himself.

Wyeth's biography of Forrest stands as one of the best written about him. It is a 'must read' for any serious student of the civil war as it was fought in the west (Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky). While other biographies have been written (such as, "Bedford Forrest and His Critter Company", by Ansrew Nelson Lytle and "First with the Most Forrest" by Robert Selph Henry), they don't have the breadth that Wyeth's book has. Of course, the only biography actually reviewed and approved by General Forrest was Jordan and Pryor's "The Campaigns of Lieut. Gen. Forrest and of Forrest's Cavalry", but this work is flawed by a markedly biased position on the part of the authors and by their inability to access the Official Records. On the other hand, they did interview Forrest and most of his surviving authors and Wyeth drew much of his material from this work. Still, for the definitive story of Forrest's life, Wyeth's book is the acknowledged source.

This was a very in depth biography of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. This book show the unbeliveable tachtics of Forrest. What a swashbuckler!

This book gives exquisite detail into the life of the South's Greatest General! It is a must read for any Civil War enthusiast. I highly recomend this book for anyone interested in the South.

THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ ON THE LIFE OF GENERAL NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST. IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON THE POINTS OF INTEREST THAT HAS CAUSED A BLIMISH ON THIS GREAT MAN'S LIFE. IT IS A MUST READ FOR ANYONE SEEKING THE TRUTH ABOUT GENERAL FORREST. IT CLEARLY SHOWS HE IS THE GREATEST CAVALRYMAN OF THE WAR. NO ONE ELSE COMES CLOSE TO HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND VICTORIES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE GREAT WAR.

This lovely gem of a book is a welcome addition to the wealth of Jewish literature, providing young Jewish women with powerful Biblical role models by telling their stories in a relevant and engaging way. I remember feeling alienated from Biblical literature as a teen, since most of the stories centered on men. The female Biblical heroines got short shrift in those days, which distanced me from an appreciation of my heritage. Rabbi Cohen's contribution of Lilith's Ark is a wonderful resource for youth group leaders and religious school teachers who work with adolescent girls. The discussion questions and extensions which accompany each story are of tremendous value to these busy professionals in facilitating discussion groups. It would also make an excellent bat mitzvah gift to increase the recipient's understanding of the heritage she has inherited. This book belongs in any collection accessible to teens and those who love and work with them. (Abbe Krissman, parent, grandparent, and former teacher)

This wonderful story collection tells the story of ten of our biblical foremothers from Lilith to Asenath (Joseph's wife.) Each story begins with a "Hint from the Torah," a phrase about each woman as it is related in the Torah. Then there is a midrashic tale of the woman's experience and final the woman puts a symbol of her story into the ark so that future generations will come to know her. The midrashic stories are beautifully written and fully expound on the stories we and our children have come to know from reading and studying Torah. There is much here for exploration and discussion.

There are never enough story books for young girls about biblical characters. This is a wonderful addition to the shelf as it not only tells the story of a woman from the Hebrew Bible, it also provides a discussion guide for each story and ideas for how mother-daughter book groups could use this book. It includes ideas for creating their own ark and discussions about what to place in it. I highly recommend this book to Jewish libraries. With the rise of such titles as Rosh Hodesh: It's a Girl Thing and The JGirl's Guide, young women of today will have a healthy understanding of life during biblical times and how it was not so very different from our own. REVIEWED BY KATHY BLOOMFIELD (NEWTON, MA)

With Lilith's Ark: Teenage Tales of Biblical Women, Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen has created voices for the teenage young women of the Torah. Not unlike, The Red Tent, Lilith's Ark, brings us back to our ancient past, melding Torah text, Midrashic Commentary and modern psychology.

The ten women represented in the book, and connected by Lilith's Ark passed from generation to generation, teach lessons of self confidence, strength, passion, following dreams and journeying to the unexpected. Each of the lessons is important to the young women of today who are growing up in a intimate world of tremendous expectation and pressure and a global world where terrorism trumps rationalism. Rabbi Bodin Cohen teaches that our ancestors, Lilith, Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Dina, Tamar and Asenath, encountered the same fears and dreams of every woman. The Torah is not a relic of the past, rather stories of our lives and the lives of our daughters.

Lilith's Ark is a wonderful resource for teenage Rosh Hodesh Classes, Bar and Bat Mitzvah Divrei Torah writing and sermons. I have used it in teaching parents and children alike and it always creates an atmosphere for interesting, provocative discussion.
The stories are written with beauty and the heroine's with strength and honesty.

In Lilith's Ark, Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen has written a book that should be on every rabbi's bookshelf, every parent's bookshelf and every teacher's bookshelf. It is a unique and powerful work of creative art.

According to the author, "Lilith's Ark is a midrash, a story that grows from the Torah text and the imagination." Each chapter features a different biblical character-- starting with Lilith and Eve and continuing with Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Dinah, Tamar and Asenath. After each woman tells her story she places an item in the ark that represents an important aspect of her life. The ark is then passed on to the next generation. The stories are engaging, sensitive and thought provoking, similar to The Red Tent and The Harlot at the Side of the Road, but more appropriately written for teens. For each chapter there are "Discussion Themes"; "Discussion Questions", a section called" Extending the Exploration," which guides the reader toward more study and thought, and a section called "A Mother- Daughter Dialogue," which stimulates meaningful discussions between teens and adults. Also, an extensive discussion guide appears at the end of the book. This book could form the basis for a Mother-Daughter or Parent-Teen study group. Each month a different chapter could be read and discussed. The discussion questions encourage participants to share their thoughts and insights, helping teens and adults gain a better understanding of each other. For ages 12 and up. Reviewed by Diane Levin Rauchwerger

--Dick Hogan, The Irish Times (May 25, 1999

"In this thoroughly researched and elegantly organised study, [Clarke] makes a significant contribution to understanding of the historical and political origins of race-based violence in the United States. The The Lineaments of Wrath, Clarke combines archival research with an impressive range of secondary sources to examine key aspects of contemporary violence in America. It is an extremely valuable piece of research." --Desmond King, Oxford University

its title from the words of Thomas Jefferson. The author reminds readers that Jefferson used this phrase 'to describe the 'unhappy' effects of slavery that he observed in the faces of white and black children.' In his comprehensive, no-holds-barred study Clarke, a political scientist, reviews the history of race relations from slavery and Emancipation, the immediate post-Civil War period of Reconstruction to 'Restoration' and the emergence of Jim Crow segregation (what white southerners once called 'Redemption') to the ill-fated move to the dark ghettoes of the 'Promised Land', the urban north. He highlights the brutality of slave-holders, organized Klansmen, lynch mobs who scoffed at the law, and law enforcers who also did, and continue to do so. He writes about the devastating effects of race riots on communities and of widespread black-on-black crime. And he offers hard evidence of the persisting problems faced by inner-city African Americans living in anomic conditions marked by fear, disillusionment with the legal system, disdain of authority, broken families, and broken lives. The first chapter, 'Violence Begets Violence,' is a recurring motif in this sobering rendition of America's greatest tragedy." --Choice magazine

of violent oppresssion of African Americans by white Americans with the current explosive subculture of black-ghetto violence. As no other book has done, Clarke explores the deep historical roots of our late-twentieth century crisis in American race relations--an urgent example of how the present must learn from the past to insure a future of peace and civility." --Richard Maxwell Brown, Univ of Oregon

I have read quite extensively in investigating Quaker faith & practice and this is just about the best introduction I've found. This is the one that finally got me to get ... off the couch and seek out a meeting. Elegant, understandable, and personable writing by a guy with an obviously sweet spirit. Wholeheartedly recommended for those seriously considering a move toward Quaker-ism or those who are just interested in making the Quaker spirit part of their life's journey.

This simple yet complete book provides an explanation of many aspects of Quakerism. Pym's (38 page) introduction alone was a wonderful overview of this most-intereting religion/way of life. I found that the explanation and description of the Meeting for Worship answered so many questions that I had about this aspect of Quakerism.

I liked reading the "Advice and Queries" and learning about Pym's journey towards becoming a Quaker. I would recommend this book to anyone who might want to incorporate some Quaker beliefs into his/her life.

Jim Pym gives a beautiful and straightforward account of his Quaker faith, and how this affects his everyday life.

An important part of Jim's personal faith comes from the Buddhist tradition. Despite this, he gives a lucid and positive account of the Christian roots of Quakerism.

The book makes significant use of "Advices and Queries," one of the central documents of the Quakers in Britain Yearly Meeting. These are reproduced in full in an Appendix, and this adds to the value of the book.

A superb, highly practical book, expressed in clear and simple language.

As an attendee of a local meeting for the last year, I have learned a great deal about Quakerism but Jim Pym's book has put all the pieces together for me in a clear, interesting and easily understood style that has significantly enhanced the value I recieve from 'sitting in the light.' From readers merely curious about Quakerism to Confirmed Friends, I highly recommend this wonderful book to anyone with an interest in the Religious Society of Friends.

Highly Recommended for those who wonder about where we come from and our role in the Play of Life, particularly fighting against injustice and oppression.

Puts me in mind of the advertisement that warns mothers not to tell their children the product is good for them - it's so nice-tasting they'll assume it's a treat. The author's fireside-chat style is so gently informative and assured, I found myself effortlessly following his historical sweep from the creation of the earth through to modern America - learning all kinds of tidbits along the way. Did you know that over half of all the agricultural produce in the world originates in plants cultivated by American Indians? He pulls you into the flow of society's development, drawing parallels between the revolutionary appearance of a backbone in fish, and social revolutions punctuating periods of quiet evolution in human society. Places the American war of independence and civil war firmly in this context, and leaves the reader quietly convinced that the logical next phase of history includes workers power. Will give you satisfying food for thought.

When George Novack wrote this great pamphlet it appeared that the prospect for massive struggles by working people in the USA were dismal. Yet, in a few years, Blacks, youth, women and millions of others in this country that wiped out Jim Crow segregation, produced mass feminist consciousness and won abortion rights, helped the Vietnamese people defeat US imperialism, and extended the Cuban revolution for four decades. History is the deep undercurrents produced by the contradictions of society that help us understand why capitalism will undergo great crises, and more importantly how and why workers, farmers, youth, oppressed nationalities will rise against it. Today the contradictions of capitalism that Novack explains here, show in the long run, even a greater radicalization than that of the 1960s and 1970s can and will sweep over this country and the world. It will give working people the chance to take power out of the hands of the super rich and open the road to building another world. Read this pamphlet and you will under stand this. You will learn to live, not in today, not even in tomorrow, but in history.

While this book is not always available on Amazon, it is always available from BooksfromPathfinder, an Amazon Z store that you can get to by clicking on New and Used further up this page!

George Novack points out that for most of human history private property was not even a concept human beings could imagine. He shows that history (pre-human as well as human) is marked by revolutionary advances. Cynics and reactionaries argue that progress is an illusion and revolution is beyond the scope of humanity today. Novack destroys these positions by pointing to a number of examples from history and science. Novack's range of knowledge makes for great reading. But it isn't idle entertainment. He ties human survival to the working class fight for solidarity, leading to socialism or communism, a society where class distinctions are abolished. This is a fight we can all participate in. What about the argument that you can't change human nature? I won't tell you how Novack answers this, so as not to spoil the good read you'll have when you sit down with this book.

The book was exactly what I wanted for a Christmas present and at a good price.

Los Angeles. There were a few years there when Los Angles was the center of the world. 1965-1985, give or take a few years. Oh yes, even the Brits were raving. David Hockney had declared LA the best place to paint ("Splash") and Reyner Banham declared LA the city of tomorrow. Things were cooking and I was there. Then things started to go wrong. Spielberg and the boys from USC took over Hollywood and turned the city from a culture center into an amusement park. The pollution started to get too dangerous to laugh at. The gangs took over much of the fringe. There was Rodney King, O.J., riots, earthquakes, fires, gang warfare. All in all, the city was destroyed. Who knows what Banham might make of the place now. This is a great little book.

Outstanding book about Los Angeles, a must-read for anyone interested in history, architecture, and culture.It reads like poetry.

Reyner Banham's writing is intelligent and entertaining. He has taken LA to heart and reveals how its "four ecologies" have affected its contemporary appearance and character. You'll not only learn how LA's architecture came to be as it is, but learn a great deal about the history and personality of the city as well. I read this book to get to know LA better. I couldn't have picked a better one.

Even though Banham's book was written in the early '70's, it remains a cogent view of a metropolis that has changed yet remained the same. It is a place, yes a real place, that is defined by geography and the various cultures of its inhabitants to a unique degree. Architecture is but a backdrop to Banham's larger point about the inter-relationship of people to the natural and built environments. The perspective of 35 years only sharpens the observations made by the insightful author.

Readers of "Love the Sin" may also enjoy Naked in Haiti: A sexy morality tale about tourists, prostitutes & politicians. It is about the joys and problems of sex tourism. It skewers sex tourists and politicians alike, though the prostitutes come out looking pretty good (they always do). There is also a religious connection, though it's not central to the plot.

This one is not just for the ivory tower. Topics discussed give a historical perspective on the issues we face today. I found concise useful information and thoroughly enjoyed the read. I give the authors a great deal of credit for giving me a greater insight into sexuality and religion, topics I thought I had rather a good grasp of.
Three Cheers form a fellow sinner!

Though some of the reasoning behind the viewpoints seems weird the book is still good. It take an interesting look at the religious right and how they perceive sex, as well as homosexuality. A read for any uber religious fanatic who thinks that sex is good, as long as it's Christian sex.

In their co-written book, Jakobsen and Pellegrini have presented a compelling account of the enduring role of "sin" in contemporary political discourse, from the Clinton impeachment proceedings to the Christian Coalition's attack on homosexuals.

They point out, among other compelling insights, that the concept of religious tolerance, long viewed as a progressive Enlightenment value, has often justified the very kinds of repression it is intended to prevent by positing an authoritative norm (in the United States, the Judeo-Christian tradition) from which other religious, sexual and political minorities are "permitted" to deviate.

The two authors also draw an extended analogy between freedom of religious and sexual expression, and argue that the Supreme Court, especially in its pivotal 1986 Bower v. Hardwick ruling, has essentially ignored the Constitution on the matter of church-state separation by invoking a general notion of "morality"--thereby reinforcing the dominance of Christian values in America.

Jakobsen and Pellegrini envision a more pluralistic society in which disestablishment of religion and state is pushed to its logical conclusion, and extended to the realm of sexuality. This is an excellent, intelligent book--a must for the scholar and general reader alike interested in religion, politics, and the law.

For anyone interested in world peace, Mary King's book, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr: The Power of Nonviolent Action, is a must read.

In the post cold war era, the battling forces of conflict - war and negotiation - peace have changed. From 1945 to 1990, the United States/Soviet Union standoff shaped public policy. The absence of the super power conflict has created a void and the opportunity for regional controversies has emerged. The essence of Mary King's theme is to utilize the people-based non-violent practices of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. as the major new forces for peace and conciliation.

Mary King's whole background and international experience makes her a unique voice. She cut her teeth in the 1960's in Mississippi, active in America's civil rights batles, working with Julian Bond and Martin Luther King, Jr. From there she has been one of the world's leading spokespersons and activists working on the international scene on behalf of women's rights, civil rights and peace. Her first book on civil rights in Mississippi won the Robert F. Kennedy Award for Journalism.

There are not nearly enough books published in English on the extremely important topic of nonviolent social action. I am a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and realize how very many publications there are that examine all aspects of the use of violence/force in international and inter-group relations. But sadly, few of those books give much sober assessment of the huge limitations there are on the effectiveness of coercion-based actions (e.g. in Kosovo, Bosnia, etc.) This book helps to provide an antidote to that. In addition to giving full descriptions of Gandhi's and Dr. MLK's thinking on the power of nonviolence, the author, Mary King, also provides some fascinating material about the effectiveness of nonviolent acts in more recent struggles.

I have written a regular column on global issues for 'The Christian Science Monitor' for nearly a decade now. In the past couple of years, I have also been blessed by the opportunity to work as a writer with an extremely inspiring group of Nobel Peace laureates, including the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Tutu, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, and others. (Based on that work, I wrote a book called "The Moral Architecture of World Peace: Nobel Laureates Discuss our Global Future".) It was significant that nearly all the laureates I worked with mentioned both Gandhi and Dr. MLK--who was also himself a Nobel Peace Laureate--as prime inspirations in their own work and thinking. So I was looking for one reference book that I could use myself, and to which I could refer readers, that would provide a broad overview of the thinking of those two men. I was delighted to find it in Mary King's book, which ideally should be placed as a source-book in every high-school and community library in the country!

Mary King has woven together photos, quotes and her own reflections in a manner reminiscent of the popular GANDHI THE MAN by Sri Eknath Easwaran. Her subject is broader, however, in that she gives us not only Gandhi and King but some of the more dramatic leaders of nonviolence in the modern world. The need for information and understanding about this subject and these people cannot be overstated. Mary King was superbly qualified to respond to that need, and she has done so beautifully in this volume. I agree with previous reviewers that it should be in the library of every school and college.

At a time when the power of violence appears to be growing and unchallenged, this book provides an important reminder that there ARE alternatives.

Gandhi, King and others demonstrated to the world and to history that non-violence is more powerful than violence, if one has the courage and discipline necessary to apply it. Mary King's book does a better job than any other I've read at laying out this very-human saga. I came to recognize in this book that it is through the diligent and committed work of many unsung people over many decades that these two great leaders were able to make the decisive contributions to humanity that they did. Even though Gandhi had said it many times - that what he did could be done by anyone - one can only truly appreciate this truth when one has the "full story." And Mary King delivers the full story.

I also found the collection of quotes one of the best organized and most useful I've ever seen. Anyone with any level of leadership responsibility in social issues will want this book on their shelf - and in their suitcase.