Massachusetts Books

There are many great words to describe this book (and many others) by David Grayson. I can't believe there are so few reviews either, the last ones were in 1998! I think it's high time to spread the word about this man and his beautiful observations of who we are and how the simple things in life are what really matter.

This is the first in a series of around eight books by David Grayson (actually this is Ray Stannard Baker writing as Grayson).
The title of the work says it all. If you are looking for a very, very mellow read, simply stuffed with wonderful observations, then this is one for you. The style/syntax, while admittedly archaic, is great and it takes only a couple of pages for you to fall into it's rythm. This book was written in the early part of the last century. This work reflects a time long past in this country, but that being said, this work still
touches many aspects of our lives we often overlook in one way or another. If you can find this work, and the rest of the series, I strongly recommend you purchase them as you will want to read them over and over again. It is a shame we seem to have lost such books.

My first exposure to this book was ten years ago, when in the LSU library I stumbled upon some very old, very dusty books. Being intrigued by old books, I found his simple titles (Adventures in Contentment, Adventures in Friendship, Adventures in Solitude, etc.) irresistible. I read 5 David Grayson (Ray Stannard Baker's pseudonym) books in two days. I returned them to the library, then soon afterward moved to California. I could not remember Grayson's name, though I would tell stories about those wonderful books that influenced my life and my writing.

7 years later, I came across a 90 year old copy of Adventures in Contentment, and found that it struck me as even more profound, having tasted a little of the cynical world that drove the main character from the city to the farm. This is the only book I have ever read that made me cry tears of human experience -- and then the very next chapter had me laughing out loud. (I was sitting at a coffee house with my friends when this happened, after which they wanted to borrow the book.)

If you are a person of thought, this book will move you. Grayson will take you on a tour of his farm and his mind. You will give him a voice, and you will hear that voice speak the words as you read. You will quote this book, you will reread this book, you will think of this book with the fondness of a close friend.

The simplicity of the essays will charm you, his masterful vocabulary will force you to grab your dictionary, and his expressive literary patterns will strike you as being as close to poetry as prose could possible come.

A picture may say 1000 words, but David Grayson's simple essays about small town life in the early 1900's will paint more vivid images in your mind than 1,000,000 Michaelangelos ever could. Simply stated, this is the greatest literary work ever written. Unfortunately, modern literary critics refer to this type of work as unimportant, sentimental and preachy. So this book will probably never be placed in its rightful spot in the literary canon.

Still, don't think the author died in obscurity without his talent being discovered. He was a lifelong friend of Woodrow Wilson, and in his old age, Ray Stannard Baker won the Pulitzer Prize for his biography of his famous friend.

I wonder why there aren't any reviews on this book? It is the greatest book ever written. This book is about a person who has found a perfect harmony in life. Escaping all the scholastic philosophy and theological quest David Grayson here settles for what I regard the highest wisdom and the true purpose of life, and that is living. The book is potrayal of extra-ordinary experiences of a farmer poet who discovers a world within and without and adds a dream world quality with a sense of humour to our everyday experiences. A return to nature, beauty, simplicity, spontaniety and harmony!

I was apalled to find that my uncle, Michael Boland, was nothing but a con man and a thief. And from what I know about his perosonal life, a child molester too.

Great book, but embarrassing...................

Got so wrapped-up in the story of the book I finished it in one weekend. This should be a movie (w/ Richard Dreyfuss as Vevel. Heck; I've got the whole cast in my head...).

I got Debbie Hagan's book not long after I read the first three volumes of Dean Lawrence Velvel's account of his own experience with the legal profession in the United States over the past half-century. I knew that Velvel's stories were true to life - the names changed to protect the guilty, so to speak. However, in Hagan's book, one sees in true-life form the same institution that is formed by Velvel, and the kinds of difficulties that arose because of this.

There is a near-monopoly in the United States on legal education and accreditation by the American Bar Association. Most recently, the ABA was in the news as it traditionally gives a rating, a blessing or imprimatur if you will, to Supreme Court nominees. At first, the current Bush administration said that they didn't care about the ABA rating; when it became a favourable rating, however, it then mattered to them (we shall have to see what becomes of the next nominee and whether or not that person gets a favourable rating). The ABA is a powerful fraternity, one that includes as its members not only the attorneys who argue the cases, but also the judges who try them, the Departments of Justice that administrate legal issues, and, for the most part, the schools and training programmes that produced the people who fill these positions.

The story that Hagan recounts in 'Against the Tide' is the story of Dean Velvel and others who had a vision of a law school specifically devoted to pluralism and accessibility, one that focused more closely upon useful law and legal issues, and one that more adequately reflected the diversity present in the American population. Velvel and the Massachusetts School of Law was not the first place to attempt this - in the introduction, Hagan discusses other similar attempts (Antioch in Washington DC, Laclede in St. Louis) that failed, in large part because of lack of ABA recognition.

Hagan has a style not dissimiliar to Velvel's own style, and for those who like a true-life story, this is a book for them. It captures the true spirit of the fight that MSL has had to endure to gain credibility and what recognition it has, while maintain itself in the spirit of the sign that Dean Velvel keeps posted in his office - Ut Veniant Omnes, Let them all come.

Against the Tide is the true story of a law school that dared to buck the American Bar Association's requirements for admitting candidates. In an era when only those who score high enough on LSATs and have the money to attend the most costly colleges can even attempt the bar exam, the dream of becoming a lawyer is open largely to those with money and privilege. The Massachusetts School of Law was not the first law school that attempted to be affordable, accessible to students of all socio-economic groups, and relying on its own admissions standards rather than ABA-dictated criteria, but it put up a fiercer fight than its predecessors. The MSL took the ABA to court more than once after they withdrew their accreditation, accusing the ABA of antitrust violations and anti-competitive tactics, arguing that the MSL attempted to fulfill as many ABA requirements as it could, but the demanding costs of fulfilling them all would have resulted in a tuition spike that would price their courses out of the reach of the very community they were trying to serve. Against the Tide is a courageous David and Goliath story, and even though The Massachusetts School of Law did not gain accreditation from the ABA, it was victorious in other ways - for one, it earns accreditation from the reknowned New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Highly recommended.

I had to read this book slowly, one story at a sitting, to give myself time to fully absorb all of the layers of experience presented in each piece. These are small, complex, multi-faceted gems of writing. The stories drew me in, devasted me, transported me, enlivened me, spit me out. I highly recommend Katherine Arnoldi's work!

"All Things Are Labor" kept me up at night. It's a truly haunting book...the difficult stories are told with an exacting delicacy...like a ballerina who has learned to dance on burning coals. From a renegade mother tracking down deadbeat dads to a woman who allows herself to be abused in order to live in the suburbs, Manhattan to Arkansas...the strength of Arnoldi's disparate voices draw you inside their indelible worlds. She's a Joyce Carol Oates with street cred.; she knows firsthand what it is to be poor, what it is to be alone, what it is to be struggling, surviving, persisting. If you like Dorothy Allison or Sapphire, please read Arnoldi.

The narrator's voice, confident in its vulnerability, is the portal to the reader's intimacy with the related experiences. These are stories that stay with the reader for a long time.

This is a collection of beautifully written short stories. Moving, sometimes humorous--always deeply honest and unpretentious. She gives voice to many who are forgotten or invisible in our society, revealing their strength (and hers and ours); revealing the poignancy of life itself. Its a book to keep and enjoy more than once.

I almost couldn't put the book down. Finished it in three nights. Anyhow, the writing style is fantastic and the story is compelling. Lots of ups and downs. The best part is that the book is about real people. Definately read this book.

This is not just a book about basketball. Ask anyone who ever played a sport, and they can probably tell you how much their coach influenced their life. At a time in life when boys are becoming men, a positive male role model, whether it be a parent, coach or a teacher, can make all the difference. Neil Swidey's insider's view of the lives of the players, their families and Coach O'Brien was both heartwarming and disturbing. But this is not unique to Boston. All over the country, we continue to spend money building more jails instead of improving our schools, after school programs and parks. This is a good read for young or old. And not just men.

This book juxtaposes basketball and real life. In doing so Swidey provides a multiple perspectives.

Sometimes the reader is present almost as a fellow team member during very private times in the coaches and player's lives; both on and off the court. You know what music they are listening to - the complex dynamics that are playing out under the surface - what they are thinking during emotionally charged situations. The author has an uncanny ability to bring the reader into these young adult's lives.

Other times Swidey provides a 360 helicopter vantage point that allows the reader to see all character's points of view at the same time; and an ability to see how relatively small events in the present; have big consequences as events unfold.

From either point of view the story is compelling. While based around a basketball coach and his team's on and off court struggles - it is more accurately about a good but flawed man's attempt to help good but flawed kids navigate their urban maze.

I am not usually a reader, but I had a hard time putting this book down. Swidey does an excellent job capturing what has been an incredible story in Boston over the past few years. It's about basketball but, it is also about so much more. He describes how the aftermath of school desgregation in Boston has left the public schools in crisis, and how having someone who cares can make such a huge diffrence.

I love everything about "At Home in Nantucket" - the pictures were beautiful, it was easy to read and the recipes were delicious! I have never been to Nantucket but would love to check it out now!

I love this book!! I purchased a copy for myself first, and then numerous for friends and colleagues of mine who regularly summer in Nantucket, and some who have only been once, and others who haven't been yet (great way to encourage them!) - the photos are gorgeous and anyone with a bit of home decor interest would be interested in this.

Loved this book - some gorgeous homes that really gave me a lot of inspiration as I love that seaside/cottage look. Not all of the homes are decorated in an expected Nantucket style, however, which kept the pages interesting. It has beautiful photographs and some nice recipes too! If you love Nantucket or that casual, cottage/beachy design style, this is a great book for you.

The book is written in a style that warms the reader to life on Nantucket. The photographs come to life with the descriptive prose that the author uses to provide detail. A true sense of life on the island is conveyed in the book which made me want to rush to Nantucket for some R&R!

This author and this book are great for those who are not Boston fans as well as those who are. I have read this book now 5 times and would never part with it.

The inside information and perspective is amazing. It's like you're along side Seth Mnookin in the Fenway offices and clubhouse talking to players and executives. You get the honest feelings and reactions of the best players and higher ups as well as the opinions of the middle and lower tier players about what they thought was really going on. You get the ultimate Red Sox experience at multiple levels.

"Who was the greatest Boston athlete ever? Russell, Bird or Brady?"

That's one question posed on the back cover of the book by Jim Caple and the Boston Herald's Steve Buckley.

I can't be the only hockey fan to wonder, "What about Bobby?"

Skeptical, I opened the book to scan the table of contents. I would skip non-hockey questions like "Was Freezing Ted Williams All That Crazy? (Number 17), "Boston: Football Town or Baseball Town?" (Number 55), and "Which Celtics Player Had the Most Unique Career After Hangin' `Em Up?"(Number 57)--all intriguing--and focus on more important questions.

For example, "Boston's Greatest Hockey Myth" (Number 18) isn't technically a question but it did compel me to investigate. So did "What Was the Greatest Non-Game Moment in Bruins History?" (Number 22), and "Who Was the Greatest Clutch Performer in Bruins History?" (Number 34).

Baseball and football questions dominated the book, but the material I read was insightful and entertaining, and even uplifting (I won't spoil the discovery for you). I didn't agree with all the "answers," but I learned a lot and laughed a lot. Plus, each section was no longer than three pages. And I got over the Bobby Orr slight on the back cover because Number 4ORR gets his due.

This book is very much in the same vein as the sports arguement books written by WFAN's Mike & the Mad Dog, but with a different author and centered on the Boston Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and New England Patriots. So here you get the best and worst of players, coaches, owners, games, even venues. All of the "discussions" (OK, arguement-starters!) here are great fun to read. Such as;

"What Boston athlete could you never get used to seeing in another teams' uniform?" (The answer will surprise you)
"Who was the best/worst manager of the Red Sox?"
"Who was the most despised opposing player in Patriots history?"
"Should Roger Clemens go in the Hall of Fame as a Red Sox or a Yankee?"
"Which was better, the Red Sox beating the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS or winning the World Series?"
"Which record is better, Dimaggio's 56 game hitting streak or Ted Williams hitting .406?"
"Who would've had the better carrear as a Celtic, Len Bias or Reggie Lewis?"
"How good would Ted Williams have been if he hadn't been away from baseball for 5 years due to military service?"
"What was Bobby Orr's greatest goal?" (Surprise! It's NOT his famous leap that won the Stanley Cup for the Bruins)

My favorite is the legendary rumor that longtime Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey, in a drunken stupor, supposedly contacted the Yankees about trading Ted Williams for Joe Dimaggio. Of course it never happened but what if it did? Who would've gotten the better deal?

I'd love to see a similar book for Chicago sports buffs. This is a fun read if you're a member of Red Sox nation, as I am, or even part of the "Evil Empire" in New York.

P.S. New York fans, there's a similar book for you too. Unfortunately it doesn't have pictures and the words have more than one syllable!

I am an avid fan of crime story related books, this one rates up there with the best of them. The authors ability to set up a crime, from the background, to the crime itself and then to the afterfall is fantastic. I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it in a heartbeat.

While I'm not an avid reader of Boston crime narratives, I am a fan of this particular writer. His ability to capture the quotidian details of the city's d.a. office and make them compelling to me is a rare mark of intelligence and good writing.

In speaking to another reviewer's point, I don't believe the goal of this book was to present a biography of Ralph Martin. I also don't believe it does a disservice to the d.a.'s office of Boston. I believe, instead, that it sheds light on many of the most important cases and issues faced by the city's law enforcement officials. The writing manages to make the kind of grisly details we see on the nightly news interesting and informative without being pedantic.

I think the book rises to the top of its genre with a bullet, although I'm not sure that the distinction of bullets is really the point.

I've been waiting for a book from this author for years. His work in magazines and newspapers is unparalleled, and his writing leaps off the page. If you want a good read, just look for Sean Flynn's by-line. I highly recommend BOSTON DA. I can't wait for his next book.

I have lived in Boston all my life and this book gave me new insights and insider information on some of the most well publicized crimes in the city over the past 10 years.It reads like a thriller and reminds me somewhat of an Ann Rule book. Flynn does a good job in his characterization of Ralph Martin, a popular DA, and possible mayoral candidate in the future. Mr. Martin is a black Republican who has managed to thrive in a white, Democratic City. this is a must read for anybody interested in the psychological, sociological, political and criminal interactions in a major urban area.

Having attended Brandeis University, this book is very accurate. It tells of the good, the bad, and the ugly. The college prowler series is great and I would strongly recommend it to anyone looking at a four year school.

Everyone looks at different things while searching for colleges. Some want rural, others want suburban, but really everyone just wants to find a place that feels like home to them. This information cannot be found using statistics alone. What high school students need is to hear about other people's experiences at college, and that is exactly what these guide books give. I am confident that Brandeis University is the school for me after reading this guide, and I recommend this product to anyone who is in the process of searching for their own college that would feel like home to them.

If you're having a hard time figuring out what college to go to, there's no better resourse than the College Prowler books. In most college guide books you get 3 pages about a college and most of the information is so generic, you can look it up on the school's website. College Prowler gives you about 150 pages of the purist information out there: information that comes right from the students. If you can't make up your mind about which college to go to, definitely check out these books. I think shelling out a couple of dollars to decide the next 4 years of your life is definitely worth it. And there's no better value than the College Prowler. Check it out for yourself.

The book explains it all....no one could possibly give this a bad review! YMMMDI !

Entertaining, informative, indispensible for exploring one of America's most fascinating destinations, City Smart: Boston belongs in your carry-on bag. Veteran travel writer Lisa Matte, a Boston-area native, is as smart as the city itself, and she brings to the book a real insider's expertise, with anecdotes and stories that perfectly illustrate Boston's quaint, colorful and sometimes quirky history. Abundant photos and maps quickly acclimate readers unfamiliar with Boston. If you're planning a trip to Beantown, get familiar with this book.

Entertaining, informative, indispensible for exploring one of America's most fascinating destinations, City Smart: Boston belongs in your carry-on bag. Veteran travel writer Lisa Matte, a Boston-area native, is as smart as the city itself, and she brings to the book a real insider's expertise, with anecdotes and stories that perfectly illustrate Boston's quaint, colorful and sometimes quirky history. Abundant photos and maps quickly acclimate readers unfamiliar with Boston. If you're planning a trip to Beantown, get familiar with this book.

DON'T visit Boston without consulting this informative and easy to read guide book. Local residents to international travelers will find this guidebook the key to planning visits that memories are made of. The best guidebook I have ever read.

The best guidebook makes you feel like you've got a good friend in town, one ready to share the out-of-the-way finds and to keep you clear of the tourist traps. City Smart Boston is one of those guides. Author and Boston resident Lisa Matte offers up suggestions on her hometown that range from accommodations to dining, from shopping to cultural activities, all designed to help you make the most of your visit.

We especially appreciated the accommodations section, covering properties that range from five-star to bed-and-breakfasts. Details important to romantics, from terry cloth bathrobes to on-site gourmet dining facilities, are included in the hotel writeups. Along the way, readers find a sprinkling of fascinating trivia (hey, bet you don't know which Boston hotel called John Wilkes Booth a guest just a week before he shot and killed President Lincoln!)

Romantic travelers also find plenty of sizzling nightlife activity covered in this guide, including where to see the Boston Pops and the hottest places to dance the night away. A special section takes a look at Boston's best Irish pubs.

Came on time and was in wonderful condition.

this is an absolutely great read if you don't mind reading research. The book takes Weinberg's research of nurse staffing issues caused by managed care flaws, and makes it understandable- if you're an experienced, and policy-savvy nurse.

She uses the downfall of Beth-Isreal Hospital, once the best hospital in the nation (and the model for the Magnet Program), as an example of how disseminating nursing staff from the top to the bedside can result in horrendous quality failures.

A must-read for any nursing activist, or anyone who wants the low down on why there really isn't a nursing shortage, just a shortage of nurses willing to work in current conditions.

Although this book is based in the U.S., so much is the same in Canada. I would highly recommend this book for nurses [who may be trying to figure out 'what it's all about Alfie'], for nursing students and no doubt, the public - so they can gain a better understanding of what it is that nurses are up against. As one wise person put it - it's a pity that these corporate entities in charge of running our healthcare, know the cost of everything...yet the value of nothing ("The Peter Principle")! So much needless suffering all for a race to the "bottom-line"/dollar. Thank you for such an intelligent book!

I really enjoyed Code Green: Money Driven Hospitals and the Dismantling of Nursing. By telling the story of two hospitals that merged, one with a history of primary nursing and another with a team task driven approach the author speaks to the lack of a consistent role definition for nursing that caused the breakdown of service and quality at these two hospitals...also talked about the bottom line issue of money, the power issues in nursing, the importance of having nursing leadership in top hospital administration positions and so much more. Really gave me an insight into the pitfalls inherent in professional nursing practice as viewed through real problems which developed in the lives of real nurses in two prestigious medical institutions.