Massachusetts Books

This is a poignant story, a window into the world of a "Negro boy" growing up in the White college town of Williamstown in the 1920's and 30's. What I like most about the book is that it is from such a personal point of view. Oscar Greene's vivid memories of his boyhood bring us back with him to that time. As he encounters life, we witness his inner reactions to the events that affected him. This engages the reader and conveys more about what life was like back then than could be described otherwise. I highly recommend this book.

This book is a marvel in its simplicity. Children make a connection between the past and the present through Stemple's photographs while Yolen's clear language allows for comparisions in lifestyles. After reading the book, you wiil find yourself making observations of buildings in your community and wondering about their stories.

Bunting's book is definitive, scholarly yet readable. He defines various architectural features, as well as outlining technological and cost elements, of representative 'mansions/townhouses' built in post civil war Boston. It is fascinating. I found it best read through once for the total picture then used as a selective reference (for example: the intersection of the changes in heating technology on design). Photos are provided to illustrate points made.

Given the recent interest in Harvard sparked by the women in science controversy, it seems many people are eager to learn more about the world's leading institution of higher learning (according to some, anyway) Because of the power the name Harvard commands, this attention is a good thing, and long overdue. How Harvard Rules is a collection of essays all by current and former Harvard insiders with tales to tell--the kinds of tales Harvard would not willingly make public itself. The tone of the volume is indeed critical, but these are not screeds--they rely much less on opinion than they do on straight history and facts. The lesson is this: we cannot afford to take for granted the benign nature of academic institutions. And not because the elite among them contribute to any kind of left-wing brainwashing of our youth--that's pure hogwash. Harvard is a revolving door for the wealthy and powerful, and as such does more than almost any single organization to validate the machinations of the world's rulers. Under a guise of books and ivy lies a corporation dealing in the joint commodities of knowledge and power. This book is a great place to start learning not just about Harvard per se, but the complex web of power and influence that it is essential to unravel to get at the truth about the way our world works. Get this book today!

This is one of three Paul Wellstone books I bought, and am I glad I did. The other two, which I am reading, and will review later are, The Conscience Of A Liberal and Politics the Wellstone Way. Each is a MUST read in my opinion. And here is why. Let me say that the author doesn't sugar coat what happened and he shows warts and all of those whom he worked for and how this helped people change and succeed.

In How the Rural Poor Got Power -Narrative of a Grass Roots Organizer the late Senator writes back in the 70's long before he ran and successfully was elected by the good people of the state of Minnesota. It begins in the early seventies in chapter 1 titled The Struggle for Recognition, in Rice County located directly south and adjacent to the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

He lays out in great detail the economics of the area, the make up of the area by age, marriage, unemployment and under employment etc., and how he helped the poor organize into a group called Organization for a Better Rice County and the hell, literally they had to go thru, the insults the powers that be thru at them and how they were beaten up so many times, but never ever gave up, and in the end, succeeded in so many ways.

How sad it was to read of so many hard working poor and WW2 veterans who lived in horrid housing, had no public assistance what so ever in the county and the mistreatment those who were qualified for medical assistance, like the family with the child with cancer who were given the run around and even targeted for harassment.

Or in Chapter 2 titled Welfare Rights of OBRC President Therese Van Zuilen who received notice from the welfare department that her family was no longer eligible for food commodities and medical assistance, because the welfare department had taken upon itself to price her home as more expensive than it was. And then how the same welfare department played fast and loose and attempted to deprive her of due process and how when she showed up the next day for the hearing, which under the law would have required a ten day notice of hearing, the state welfare official was annoyed by the situation and called a halt to the meeting.

The book is rich with a journal like lay out of how these people, step by step and some stumbles, succeeded starting at the local level and moving on up to the state house and Governor, to make Minnesota the progressive and humane state it became. And an example of how a state should care for those who simply need some assistance to keep from drowning. And these were not you conservative minded stereotypes of bum and lazy people, but the elderly who lived with no heat and often no indoor plumbing. Married couples who both worked and had to rent, but the many landlords in the county along with the bigger businesses, used scare tactics to keep good honest, patriotic citizens down.

Its a book that is as powerful and useful in 2006 as it was in the 1970's when first written, because its a call to arms, those who are disenfranchised and being held down by certain people in elected office and on certain media outlets who simply dislike with a passion the idea that society owes even crumbs to those in need. So much for being 'pro life'.

This is a valuable book (resource) for budding entrepreneurs. It seems to try to cover all the bases for starting a small business, but it can't do them all well in the space available between its covers. The book is only 288 pages long. If you are in the planning stages of starting a small business, then I highly recommend you get a copy of this book. Read it, study it, and outline it. There are helpful checklists to help you grasp the subjects. You will come up with a plethora of keywords and terms that you will want to google to find Web pages giving more detailed (and maybe more current) information.

I am a SCORE counselor (Senior Corps of Retired Executives) who typically does face-to-face counseling sessions three nights a month. It would really be neat if my clients would read this book BEFORE they came to their session with me because they would pretty much be "educated customers" ready to ask educated questions. Our sessions would be so much more beneficial.

My favorite chapters were:

1. Initial business concerns
2. Your business' structure
3. Business start-up details
5. Sources of business assistance (SCORE is mentioned here)
7. Your smart business plan (and a good sample plan is included)
8. Obtaining the financing you need

The book is weak when it comes to how the Internet can be used in corresponding, hiring, and marketing. But this is just one example of how googling keywords and concepts found in the book will make the book more complete. Don't treat the book as authoritative on the law. It isn't. Nor was it ever intended to be. It is light on tax information as it relates to small business.

I was particularly impressed with the material presented in Chapter 2: Choice of Legal Entity. That subject is sorely ignored in most small business books, and it is critically important. It is a subject I regularly must spend a great deal of time discussing at my SCORE sessions. This book does a pretty good job on the topic.

Chapters 4 and 9 through 12 are easy to find fault with. The topic of each could fill a book. But having these topics covered definitely will help a budding entrepreneur know some of the issues they raise.

I would have liked the book more if Chapter 6 (marketing) had been less superficial. When I read it I got the impression that the author was more a public relations expert than a marketing expert. I generally categorize public relations as a subset of marketing. Marketing includes advertising, public relations, and a whole host of other promotion techniques. I did not get this message when I read the book. I also would have liked the book better if the Internet, email, and Web sites had been discussed more. But there are many books on those subjects. Therefore, I can't complain too much about the limited discussion of computers.

When you read this book it may feel a little like it was produced on an assembly line. Maybe it was? There are 51 versions of this book sold; one for each state and the District of Columbia. Content is king, and this book has it. 5 stars!

Harvard University offered an adult evening course on the history of Boston. The course ran weekly for 2 hours during an entire academic year and it was expensive. This would seem to have parochial interest only; it didn't. When Thomas O'Connor held forth, the large lecture hall was filled.
Doctor O'Connor is an inspired lecturer. The facts flowed orderly, abundantly and quite effortlessly into my spiral bounds. This was a refreshing experience that I have not so often encountered [and I have had lots of experience].
My interest in Boston began as a volunteer guide for Boston By Foot. It soon became clear that Boston has stories, legends, myths and scandals at every curb stone. The city is a walkable historical delight for those in the know.
The colonial and maritime importance of Boston can not be overemphasized. Its growth and declines informed and mirrored our national history.
My class notes from Harvard take up two invaluable notebooks. I refer to them often for my tours and lectures.
THIS BOOK IS THOSE NOTES!

Essays and case studies consider why and how urban places can be made greener for those who live there, packing in a 22-minute film on DVD to accompany text examples of how more humane metropolises are built. College-level collections strong in urban studies will find this perfect for classroom discussion, assignment, and for college-level contemporary social issues reference libraries.

We are now pulled into the life of Beatrice Gerard [first met in #4 A Wedding For Emily] learning the reason behind her "divorce".
Beatrice is visited by Samantha Brant [#2]to tell her that she has seen a man in danger and that she saw Beatrice standing vaguely behind him. When Bea asked Samantha to describe the man, it turns out to fit the description of her former husband, thought by everyone to be dead.

WoW! does this get intense. We soon find out that Beatrice and Joseph Whitedeer worked under deep cover for a man named Tobias Smith. Tobias's code name at that time was "The Manager", Beatrice's code name was "Thistle", so named by Joe. At first Bea knew Joe only as "Coyote".

Boy, is this story action packed and fast paced. It appears that there is a "Mole" in the organization and "Coyote" went deep undercover to discover who it was. Taking advantage of a car bomb to fake his death.

When her husband of a year supposedly died Bea left the organization and lived in Smytheshire in "seclusion" for five years keeping house for her grandfather, Justin Gerard. [he appeared in #4 in support of Emily and her son Josh]

Oh, it also appears that she has inherited the same powers as her brother, Ryder. [but keep this a secret.] Oh boy, wait till "Coyote" finds out.

Ah, how intricately these stories are woven. Before leaving Smytheshire Bea stops of at Zebulon's place to find out if he knows of a "Seeker" [#5] She needs help to place the location of the man Samantha saw in her grandmothers crystal ball.

I am not going to tell you how she finds "Coyote" after thinking him dead for five years. But there is more intrigue and action and suspense to make this story truly fascinating.
AND HARD TO PUT DOWN.

Keep track that other "operatives" are involved and pay attention to their roles in this story. You will meet "Knight", blonde and fabulously good looking [so they say] and ordered to take out "Coyote". [it was plotted for "Coyote" to take out "Thistle" [grin] but she put the move on him.] "Knight" shows in #10.

Then there is "Raven", the right hand man and guard to Tobias.
And remember Tobias is a Smith. [Yeah! right.] Tobias shows up in Smytheshire and visits Zebulon, taking "Raven" [#9] with him as a personal driver.

Ho! Ho! Ho! E. August has written the very best Saga that I have ever read in the constrainment of Silhouette Romance but this Special Edition book has topped them all.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED --M - definitely a set of books worth keeping and reading again.

This collection is outstanding: it is so much more than any single author could possibly
do and, as it is carefully curated and connected (using bridge mini-essays
between chapters), it connects as a treatise on the topic. The only weak
contribution, in my reading, is the essay on Nella Larsen; though it is
interesting to to read about how Larsen's type changed as a way of making
her more appealing to contemporary scholars, that argument (and the aligned one
about connections w/ Von Vectin) cannot compare to the complexity of the
other chapters. Each chapter is outstanding. Includes chapters on the typography of the King James bible, Poe, Whitman, comics, etc. Very comprehensive.