Independent Books

Excellent treatment, in the context of an historical narrative, of the controversial subject of the selection of Justices on the US Supreme Court. Book lays out the political priorities of key senators and the "mutual hypocrisy" of both Republicans andDemocrats.

I liked this book. The detailed events, perspective, and clear thinking that it promotes on this topic are, in my view, pretty original. The author uses a great deal of scholarship by Stephen Carter and John Lott. He always notes where he does this though, expresses where he agrees and disagrees, and produces a thought-provoking bound essay which is appropriately and extensively footnoted. Ok, so I like the book and the information... why only 3 stars? We'll, as background, my first experience watching SCOTUS confirmation hearings was in 1987 during my last semester of college. I was taking only 3 or 4 classes and had time on my hands to watch Robert Bork's confirmation hearings. I was apolitical at the time and found the nominee had so clearly out performed his inquisitors that he had to get approved, right? Well, no. Chairman Biden (D-Delaware) had closing remarks that praised the brilliant nominee to such a degree that I thought it possible that Bork had convinced him to buck the pressure and vote to confirm him. Maybe in a perfect world, but not this one. As far as the 3 star rating goes, Biden and his ilk are the reason the central proposal of the book falls flat on its face; that is, the proposal to ban personal testimony of SCOTUS nominees as had been done more often than not in the past. In subsequent hearings for other nominees I've seen Biden and others so clearly in love with the sound of their own voice on television that he/they take up the majority of allotted time ASKING simple questions and apparently caring little what the nominee says. Too darn bad. TV sunk Nixon vs. JFK (not all bad) and in subsequent years has made the otherwise entirely reasonable thesis of this essay laughable in terms of practicality. Other than that, it was a great book with a lot of information and insight that I appreciated.

Everybody acknowledges that the confirmation process for Supreme Court Justices (and increasingly Court of Appeals judges as well) has evolved into a large mess. Many books have been written on this topic in the last several years; this one is quite interesting and designed for the general reader, and even comes equipped with a fascinating proposed solution. The author is an editorial writer for the "Washington Post" here in town. And although the book is published in conjunction with the conservative Hoover Institution at Stanford, it is fairly well balanced in casting brickbacks at both parties for their miserable conduct in connection with confirmation hearings. The author first sums up the various positions asserted in the debate about the current mess--i.e., who/what is responsible and why. Next he traces -- in probably the book's best chapter -- how the confirmation process has unfortunately evolved over time. How the present system might result in a threat to judicial independence is addressed in a separate chapter. The most fascinating element of the book is the author's proposal: let's just abolish confirmation hearings and work out some other alternative to assessing the qualifications and values of nominees. While this not likely to happen, and an argument can be made that the Senate is abdicating its responsibilities if it does not hold hearing to probe nominees, it is nonetheless a proposal deserving of serious consideration. The author's style is easy to read and the book moves along (it is only about 150 pages), supported by some good notes, but alas lacking a bibliography. It will be interesting to see if the book will spark a serious discussion about adopting his proposed solution.

Published Sunday, January 28, 2007, in New York Post

DEMOCRATS now paint Republicans as evil for appointing reactionary judges and for trying to kill all Democratic nominees to the bench; Republicans pillory Democrats for acting similarly at the opposite extreme. In "Confirmation Wars," Benjamin Wittes shows that both sides have blood on their hands, though I don't think that his proposed cure will work.

Wittes offers a terrific history of Supreme Court nominations - showing convincingly that confirmations could be tough long before the modern battles over William Rehnquist and Robert Bork. For example, he cites Louis Brandeis and Thurgood Marshall, who both faced rough confirmations - as did several nominees after the court delivered its Brown v. Board of Education ruling. But in denying that something fundamental has changed since those battles, Wittes is simply wrong.

The confirmation process is getting more bitter and drawn out with every passing Congress, whether Republicans or Democrats control the White House or the Senate. Yes, Wittes rightly notes that confirmations were taking longer even before senators started threatening filibusters, indeed hearings have long been used to produce political attacks, rather than insights into a nominee's thinking.

But the trends are clear. Consider the 47 appointments to the Supreme Court from 1901 through 1977: 39 were confirmed in a month or less, and 20 within 10 days - nine of those within three days. Since 1986, however, bitterness has reached an historical high, with the average confirmation taking 79 days. . . .

I wish Wittes was right that this bitterness could be reined in by ending confirmation hearings. But I fear such hearings are more a symptom than a cause of the problem. Unless the role of the courts is reined in - something that liberals will not seriously discuss - neither side dares to disarm.

"The Contractor," while about a private contractor performing interrogations for the US government, is far from simply a novel about the current war. George Young, a veteran-turned-private-interrogator, narrates a fascinating story just as much about the inner life of a middle aged husband and father as about terrorists and secret detention facilities.

Young makes great money and his family can live with him on an unidentified tropical island, but that hardly makes life easy. His job has put a strain on his marriage—and stressed his wife enough to make her at least a borderline alcoholic. And he still has to deal with all the typical worries of a father: is his young son possibly gay; how can he navigate Christmas with super-religious in-laws; how should he deal with a brother who betrayed his trust? And on top of it all, he's got a pretty emotionally draining day job.

Young's first-person narration is excellent. Every thought, tangent, flashback, and chain of logic felt just right, and I was impressed by how comprehensible I found a person so superficially different from myself. I was fascinated by him and raced through the book. Those who would normally avoid fiction about current events, or violence, should not be put off by the subject matter. This is very much a novel of family life, introspection, and self-examination, and written in excellent prose, too.

To appreciate this book you have to ignore the misleading hype on the cover that suggests that The Contractor by Charles Holdefer exposes the secret detention and interrogation system expanded and ran by the Bush Administration outside of US and international law. It is political book but not at the level of who is doing what to whom. Instead, it goes to the heart of the western moral and ethical war aims as raised in this passage:

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

It is clear that George Young, civilian interrogator contractor and a veteran of the first Gulf war would say no. His reaction when he comes across the burnt out remains of the Revolutionary Guard convoys is to argue:

...Because that day, I learned the price. Sure, I was shaken and sickened, and it is something I'd rather not think about or dwell on, but it also taught me something, steeled me, gave me the resources necessary to understand politics in the grown up world and later to become a contractor. This is what I learned: what we take for granted, hold precious, and celebrate remains viable because of our willingness to do this...To let those men get away would've been a serious strategic mistake...Any other description is special pleading or making excuses. Or simply lying to oneself. It gives me no satisfaction to say so, but not only will innocents die-they must die.

The story starts with the consequences of this when in a powerful opening scene we discover what how prisoner #4141 dies. The humanity of the Prisoners are denied, as they are merely oranges being crated when they arrive or faceless numbers.

George Young is not a monster, which would let us off the hook so the story needs to show us why a good man would get to that position. It does in that we discover that economic and family pressures that lead systematically to that meaningless death. We learn about his poor business track record and happy second marriage (which is being slowly killed by his need to keep secrets). The political playing out of the theme is also examined in his personal life as his big brother is his keeper at key points in George's life.

Away from the heat of the desert island and in the cold of a mid west winter on a family Christmas visit we have the amusing and poignant scenes of having to tackle the Father in Law,( think of Spencer Tracy at his most grumpy) a minister of a struggling flock and a die in the wool fundamentalist. The family idea of fun is Bible Baseball ( questions are asked with the harder they are the more runs they are and George and his son are clueless). At one level this as they are trapped by the snow falls this illustrates the horror that the prisoners have to face. Unlike them, he escapes and answers a call by his brother, which sets of a chain of events where he finally does decide that he is his brother's keeper.

The story moves between George's professional and family life in the now and with flashbacks so that we understand his actions. The other characters are sketched in nicely that make the horrors of the camp and the choices he has to make even more chilling. The use of language and jargon is also clever and the first person POV gives you the reader chance to understand his world whilst questioning it. If it makes more of us more aware of the travesty of a war on terror for Democracy, and Human Rights based on lies and torturing rather then the politics of being my brother's keepers then I hope it gets the wider readership it deserves.

Disturbing, painful, The Contractor is a difficult book to read. It focuses on American secret prisons in the war on terrorism, which is not a pretty picture.

Protagonist George Young is no more than an ordinary, run-of-the mill man. He's married and a veteran of the Gulf War. When a shared family business flounders he takes a job with the government as a civilian interrogator . He's soon sent overseas to a place known simply as Omega; it is a holding facility for suspected terrorists.

While few are allowed to bring their families with them, George is granted this privilege. Thus, he's accompanied by his wife, Bethany, and their two children.

Little did George know when he took the job what a toll it would take. It's not long before Bethany finds frequent enjoyment in toddies, and his beliefs are compromised while his heart and psyche are scarred. He is not allowed to talk about his work with Bethany, hence their personal relationship slides. The wages are good but at what price when the hostages or prisoners are known not as humans but as "oranges" and a group of them as a "crate"?

Holdefer opens his story with the death of a terrorist (#4141)that George and his team are questioning. Fearing reprimand they hide the body. Throughout the narrative there are all too vivid descriptions of tactics used during questioning, such as dunking in a pool laced with salt. This isn't against any rules for interrogation methods in the army manual, and is quite effective. We read, "Most people have the sense to close their eyes in seawater. But most people, when they come out of the pool, open their eyes too soon, while it's still streaming over their brows. Nobody forces them to open their eyes. They do it of their own volition."

After several dunkings and much stinging many become more compliant.

While The Contractor is indeed a first hand look at American interrogation camps it is also an in-depth study of a man in peril, emotionally and physically. Not a pleasant story nor one for the squeamish.

- Gail Cooke

Don't go into this book thinking you're going to get a wall-to-wall violent reenactment of what goes on in the secret detainment centers run by the U.S. "The Contractor" is much smarter and less sensationalistic than that. What "The Contractor" gives you is a portrait of a real human being who follows an indirect and unplanned path to working as a contractor for the U.S. goverment in a black ops interrogation facility in an undisclosed location. By allowing us to get to know and like the book's protagonist and his family, the author delivers a deeply unsettling read by the time the story takes its last, dark turn. I arrived at the conclusion far more shaken than I'd expected to be, and the story has continued to haunt me. Once you pick it up, "The Contractor" is not a book you're likely to forget.

Eric Anderson, author
Alena & the Favorite Thing

The good thing about this book is that it helps you to break the barrier between you and the things that you can do. This is the real point that I got out of this book. Otherwise, it is very limited in many ways. It is of much less value compared to "Self Publishing, Writing and Marketing Your Own Books and Booklets". The latter one gives you both the spirit and the knowledge required to get it done.

This book has shown me my correct publishing path. I am currently working on a history of corporate greed in America. Therefore, it's only fitting that I proceed independently rather than toiling away in service to the publishing elite. It's worth the 12.95 investment.

I didn't know anything about how to get my manuscript into the marketplace. Dan's shown me how to do that independently without wasting a lot of my time and money! This update to his previous book couldn't come at a better time. I enjoyed it.

This is a spirited and practical handbook for those of us who are looking to publish and market our books independently. It's written with good humor and in an easy-to-read style with real world recommendations that I found very helpful.

The book Episcopi Vagantes and the Anglican Church represents an interesting instance of biased reporting, acknowledged as such, that is nonetheless held up as objective and impartial history. Unfortunately, the history of historical scholarship is replete with such examples. Conveniently forgotten in the mists of time are the motivations and intentions behind such works, and it becomes the task for us in succeeding generations to revisit these works to see if the scholarship remains of value.

The jury is still out on judgement for Brandreth's work. First published in 1947, reprinted in 1961, Episcopi Vagantes is both a history and a polemic. The various denominations of Christendom have a history of `not playing nice together', and ironically, the closer in history, style, and general aspect of denominations, the harsher they are toward one another. One gets the sense here of the cliched explanation of why there is always more than one Baptist, Methodist, or other such church in town. One also recalls Swift, and the illustration of warfare over whether it was proper to crack the hard-boiled egg on the top or the bottom.

There are real issues at the heart of Brandreth's work. The term in the title of the book, Episcopi Vagantes, could be translated as vagrant bishops - these are people who have acquired or assumed titles without really having, in many cases, institutions or credentials to back them up. In the Old and Independent Catholic movements throughout the world, but particularly in North America, there is a nearly-inexhaustible diversity of bishops, archbishops, and metropolitans. One of the perennial criticisms of the Old and Independent Catholic movements is that these people often represent no one other themselves and perhaps a handful of followers. In a good number of cases, counting in human terms, this is correct.

This book has supporters - Henry Brandreth was granted access to archives at Lambeth Palace (an official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury), and one such archbishop praises Brandreth's efforts for `bringing light to bear on this obscure but not unimportant corner of ecclesiastical life.'

One of the problems that Old and Independent Catholics must admit, being honest historians, is that many people who have sought and been granted ministerial orders in the past have been unworthy of these; many have sought orders for personal gain, for personal glory, and sometimes for the ability to deceive or make mischief for their local Anglican, Roman Catholic, or Orthodox communities. Brandreth addresses the issue in his preface to the second edition, after having received commentary and feedback, often in the form of scathing criticism and attack, for the first edition.

Perhaps the most critical line in the entire book is found in this preface. `I believe all the episcopi vagantes to be ecclesiastically in error.' This small phrase sets the framework for the bias in this book. Brandreth admits in the preface that there are honest and true persons, of right intention and action, among this group. However, his admission of this is couched between statements that make it clear he doesn't want to give any individuals or groups the slightest credibility or legitimacy.

Why would a scholar and cleric of the Anglican church care so much about these? It is relatively rare in the course of Anglican history for the Anglican church to make pronouncements on the validity and legitimacy of other Christian bodies, save for purposes of official intercommunion. Perhaps the answer lies in the dealings of the Old Catholics themselves, who often proclaimed their validity as somehow more proper or valid than the Anglicans with whom they wanted to relate. One individual, highlighted in the book, Archbishop Mathew, may have misled the continental Old Catholics into believing that there was a great number of people desperately concerned with validity along historical episcopacy lines (although Mathew may have been more sinned-against than sinning, at least in his original intentions vis-a-vis situation in England); Old Catholics on the continent claim a stronger connection (not without its own controversy) with the See of Rome than the Anglicans maintain in many respects. Mathew's consecration and continuing ecclesiastical odyssey afterward (he ordained and consecrated many people, under different organisational structures and rubrics, during his decades-long tenure as a bishop) created a host of local problems for Anglicans and Roman Catholics.

In an era where communications were slow and verifications hard to do, it may have been difficult for local clergy to verify who had proper credentials. Ultimately, most Old and Independent Catholics did not find a welcome home with most Anglicans or Roman Catholics; sometimes there was open hostility, but more often an active ignoring of the situation.

The lists included in Brandreth's book trace lines of succession from Mathew, Vilatte, Ferrete, Herford, Aftimios, Duarte Costa, and various other lesser lines of succession. These lines have stretched all across the world, onto every continent. Various strands are in communion with each other, and others don't recognise anyone but themselves. Some Old Catholic bodies, such as the Philippine Independent Catholic Church, which arose out of missionary work by many who come from these lines of succession, boasts millions of members. Old Catholics in some places such as Puerto Rico have a good working relationship with local Anglicans and Roman Catholics.

In all, the book Episcopi Vagantes and the Anglican Church is a fascinating read. It must be taken as if one were reading one side of the arguments in a court case; the subtle way Brandreth attacks some of the Old Catholics is worthy of a study in and of itself. Yet, Brandreth does highlight many problems that continue to plague not only Anglican-Old Catholic relationships outside of Europe, but some of the problems that Old and Independent Catholics must recognise and attend to if their churches are to become effective and proper places of the worship of God.

Brandreth's short book on the various Independent Catholic and Orthodox groups active in England, the US, and other places in the early twentieth century is biased, often uncharitable, and openly racist in several places. Fr. Brandreth did very little to discern what spiritual good may have come to the church catholic as a result of independent bishops.

That said, this book is absolutely invaluable for the independent sacramental movement. A great of what we know about our early history is found in this book and others written by Anglicans to discredit these bishops. The book contains detailed lines of succession for Mathew and Vilatte, along with tons of other historical information about the early years of the movement. A few of Brandreth's arguments even point to recognized problems in the independent sacramental world, though they are rarely put in charitable ways. Finally, this edition, published by Apocryphile, is beautifully done. Once hard to find, this indispensable volume is readily available. But take it with a grain of salt!

This scurrilous work by a vicious gossipmonger and Anglican priest (I pity the parishes under his pastoral care) contains vicious attacks on our early forebears in the independent sacramental movement (which is not to say that many were not at least a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic), and the attacks reveal a lot about the author's character. Many of his theological opinions for doubting the validity of independent orders could be used equally well to invalidate his own Anglican orders.

That being said, one may wonder why I chose to give this 5 stars -- and the reason is that this is one of the extremely few works documenting the movement in the first half of the twentieth century, and even reading between the lines of viciousness, one can learn a lot about the movement. The tables of apostolic succession are indispensable. I find that the footnotes contain a lot of very valuable information. Many of the bishops he listed would have been completely forgotten without him. Even much of the history he recounts is useful if distorted.

So order this book for your library, which won't be complete without it, and get yourself a box of salt to go with it.

I found this book amazingly helpful during my research for an M.A. in Church History. Brandreth, a Church of England priest, is one of the few people ever to provide an outsider's view of the colorful and sometimes shady world of the "episcopi vagantes" (Latin for "wandering bishops.")

Historically, these were Middle Eastern bishops with no fixed see or jurisdiction--often because they were driven out by Muslim invaders. In modern times, the term describes bishops of doubtful orders--often of doubtful doctrine and conduct as well!

Brandreth spends most of his time considering the legitimacy of many different "vagantes" and the churches which claim descent from them. Though writing on a dry subject, the author livens up his material with anecdotes of "vagantes" he has known. His own opinion is that the "vagantes" don't have valid orders, and that many of them are just status-seekers, who have barely two or three parishioners to their name. For some, though, he has kind words; he considers them sincere and godly men, who are nonetheless deluded about their episcopal status.

Brandreth's book has become increasingly relevant as more and more people have left the mainstream to join the "Continuing Church"--traditionalists who oppose theological and political liberalism. Many of the "Continuing" Bishops trace their orders from the "vagantes."

Why read this book? If you love church history--especially of the quirky variety--then you'll enjoy "Episcopi Vagantes and the Anglican Church." Even non-Anglicans can take pleasure in Brandreth's dry but anecdotal style.

When I think of Emily Post I automatically think stuffy, prim, and proper. Not so this book by her great-great-granddaughter, LIzzie. An updated and fairly hip book of advice for the newly independent, it approaches issues in a straightforward manner, using a variety of formats with tips, Q&A, and checklists addressing roommate dilemmas, and classroom, dining, and office etiquette. As further evidence that this is not your grandmother's Emily Post, subjects such as one-night stands, "things that go bump in the night," (Use your imagination.) and couch-crashers are discussed. The book will also advise you on the appropriate clothing for a variety of occasions, when it's probably not okay to swear, and a great shrimp primavera recipe for your next party.

This book is not a perfect fit for each and every grown kid who moves out of the house, and certainly not for most 18-year-olds. For the young and the clueless, 50 Ways to Leave Your Mother is a fun, and quick read - with lots of illustrations - on the basic pitfalls of independent living. Lizzie Post's book is well-suited for a slightly older, more sophisticated crowd of say, 20-somethings, who are more likely to WANT to make shrimp primavera and really care about wearing the right clothes for each occasion. Personally, I am thrilled with this book and plan on having a couple of copies on hand for college graduations and 21st birthday gifts.

Everyone I know would be able to take something away from this extremely well-written book. Too many young adults these days seem to have somehow missed out on learning how to conduct themselves in a way that does not hassle the people they interact with on a daily basis. It is refreshing to see a young author with such a thorough understanding of these issues.

The book itself is entertaining and an excellent read regardless of how it is read (I enjoyed picking it up and reading chapters at random). I highly recommend it.

I bought this book because I was interested in a hipster take on manners for the post grad crowd. I was a little disapponted at the lack of wit in the book, but it contains info that all people need to know...and a great majority never learn.
It's a perfect go-to-guide for the serially clueless graduate in your life

Although the adolescent years are often considered to be the hardest in terms of life transition, moving from teen-living-at-home to out-on-your-own has to rank right up there. For those who are struggling on how life's supposed to happen in the real world, there's How Do You Work This Life Thing?: Advice for the Newly Independent on Roommates, Jobs, Sex, and Everything That Counts by Lizzie Post. I'm sure my 18 and 20 year olds could learn much from this book, and I know a number of others (unfortunately much older) who would also benefit from a refresher course or two...

Contents:
Introduction: Why This Book?
Part 1 - How to Avoid Killing Your Roommate (and Others) - The "Three C's" Approach to Building Better Relationships; Your New Place; Top Five Potential War Zones at Home; Hello, Neighbor; Welcome to My Home - Hanging Out, the Etiquette of Couch Crashing, and How to Be the Ideal Houseguest; Significant Others, One-Night Stands, and Things That Go Bump in the Night - Romance, Dating, and Sex at Your Place; Entertaining - From Wine Tasting to Beer Pong, and Everything In Between
Part 2 - The Rest of the World and You: Steppin' Out - What You're Telling the World; Errands; The Cell Phone; Dining - A Night Out With Friends; Dining - The Mechanics of it All; Socializing - From Etiquette With Friends to Meeting New People; Dating - For Real; Let the Games Begin! - The Etiquette of Sports and Fitness; Driver's Ed-iquette; Four Times When You've Got to Get It Right
Part 3 - Work, Paid and Unpaid: Landing the Perfect Job; On the Job; When School is Your Job
Index

It's tempting to think that moving out and getting a roommate will be cool, easy, and nonstop fun. The reality of it is that within the first week, your cool roommate will start to transform into the "roommate from hell" before your very eyes. Don't laugh... They're thinking the same thing about you. Your assumption that everyone thinks and acts like you do is incorrect, and clashes are inevitable. Lizzie Post has taken many of the common points of contention in a roommate situation and gives great advice on how to avoid the conflict before it happens. Hashing out issues like the kitchen (clean vs. messy, what food is communal, etc.), the bathroom (clean vs. messy), and the living room (same issues!) before they become flashpoints is a great way to enjoy your new-found freedom and still continue to like the person you're living with.

Parts 2 and 3 are extremely useful, in that she covers the face and persona that you show to the public. There's great advice on how dating should work, the unwritten rules of dining, and what to do (and not do!) with your cell phone. This is the part of the book that I'd like to see be required reading for a number of people who shouldn't need to be reminded of stuff like this. Like the cell phone chapter... ESPECIALLY the cell phone chapter...

The writing style is definitely appropriate for the young adult reader. It's accurate and complete, without being "stuffy." Although it's lighter in tone than you would find in a typical "etiquette" book, I think I would have tried for even more humor just to keep the typical "do I have to read this" person engaged a bit more. But still, I'll be tossing this in the mail to my older son, with hopes that it will make his transition to self-sufficient (and enjoyable-to-be-around) adult a bit easier...

"When the number of random events are large enough, the unbelievable will certainly happen" (p.332, Independent Birth of Organisms).

- Indeed, Senapathy's theory essentially is a theory of random adaptation, the accidental origin of complexity, in other words: the Boeing-747 argument.

In Antiquity basically two solutions for the origin of organisms were developed: design and accident. The creationists Socrates and Plato argued for design. The Atomists Empedocles and Epicurus argued for accident. The atomists needed an infinite universe to explain why accident could produce highly improbable adaptations such as the eye.

Charles Darwin (1859) improved the 'accident theory' by eliminating the huge improbabilities and replacing them by natural selection. The result was that the need for infinite time and space were eliminated.

Senapathy (1994) solution is non-creationist and non-Darwinist. But he does not invoke an infinite universe and infinite time, so he bears the full burden of the Boeing-747 argument, and at the same time he dismisses the greatest improvement since Antiquity of the atomist theory: common descent, gradual evolution, natural selection and random variation. Therefore, he has all the disadvantages of the 'accident theory' and must do without all the advantages of Darwinian evolution. Sadly, and unfortunately, that is the status of Senapathy's theory. For those interested in the details and the reasons, I wrote an extensive book review, which can be found on my website (use google).


In the Amzon bookdescription the author Senapathy described his own book as:
"There is no scientific theory that has ever been propounded to explain the origin and diversity of organisms on earth that does not involve evolution."

After David Sedley (2007) 'Creationism and its Critics in Antiquity'
Creationism and Its Critics in Antiquity (Sather Classical Lectures)
we know for sure that Senapathy's claim to be the first to develop a non-creationist and non-evolutionary explanation of the origin of species, is wrong.
The philosophers of Antiquity, discussed already issues that we today call the Creation-Evolution controversy. The Atomists were the first to develop a naturalistic explanation of the universe and the origin of species. It is clearly the merit of philosopher Sedley to show this to us.
Gert Korthof.

"Independent Birth of Organisms" by Periannan Senapathy, Ph.D., © 1994

This is quite a stunning book, swimming against the tide of Darwinian evolution. The best part is that he is not trying to make the Bible the be all to end all.
The main point is that the whole ball of wax started in the swamp, with organisms developing into what they were from their Deoxyribonucleic Acid. He figures that once an organism has something that can survive and procreate, it does not change the original DNA. The DNA stays as it is come heck or high water. I liked his development of his theory. There are a lot of problems with Darwin's theory and this takes a lot of them and makes them right.
Now, there is talk of DNA in the ground and water that bacteria pick up and use to survive antibiotics. I find it interesting that it happens and it sort of makes what this book says, true and false. The DNA is not forever, but can be adapted to the environment to an extent. Bacteria will not become moles or mice, but they can use this random DNA to help themselves procreate.

Mr. Senapathy's approach to evolution is one of the most interesting explorations that I have read and highlights the difficulties of current Darwinian thinking. Too many books gloss over the difficulties of theory leaving the reader to read between the lines. The stark realities of the current difficulties with evolutionary theory are brought out very clearly by the book. The treatment of the statistical problems in the 'evoluton' of genes is devastating, and a fascinating upgrade of the arguments of Hoyle and Wrickramasinghe in Evoluton from Space. Whatever the status of Senapathy's own complex theory, the penetration of the Darwin fog is extremely salutary reading. Darwinian theory seems like a daydream after reading this book. Fascinating.

Dr. Senapathy presents a bold, controversial, and very provocative thesis about the origin and diversity of life in an exceptionally lucid style. Far from being a creationist, Senapathy's view of the origin of life is very strictly materialistic, and genuinely original.

Senapathy's theory can be taken in two parts: an explanation for the origin of life, and an explanation for the diversification of life. These two parts form a coherent whole united by the basic thesis that life originated by random combinations and recombinations of genetic material in a primordial genetic soup, with only (relatively) slight subsequent modification of the resulting organisms. The style meets the layman where he is, but does not leave him there, educating the reader by painless, even enjoyable, degrees into an understanding of the issues involved in such a theory.

One aspect of Senapathy's theory which particularly intrigues me is that it is a remarkable example of lateral thinking (something I'm not all that good at and therefore admire all the more), which, incidentally, further distinguishes Senapathy from creationists. As I understand it, creationism has tried to discard the following assumption: if organisms are morphologically parallel, they must be genetically related. Rejecting that can be pretty difficult to defend, to say the least, when the evidence is closely examined. Senapathy differs from creationists in that he accepts that all organisms are genetically related, and that this relationship is manifest in morphological similarity, but he rejects a different assumption. The assumption is this: if organisms are genetically related, they must have a common ancestor. Senapathy demonstrates (brilliantly, it seems to me) that organisms can be genetically related without a common ancestor and indeed must be related without a common ancestor because they are genetically related and at the same time genetically unrelated in a way that defies the scenario of common descent.

This theory is not, and does not pretend to be, Gospel truth; as with all scientific theories, it will be subject to change. The book does make a strong case, however that this is to date the explanation for the diversification of life best supported by scientific data. More involved technical debates and discussions have already begun subsequent to the publication of this book, and will be necessary to flesh out the theory in satisfying detail for specialists. But as a seminal work, this book is first rate.

This book is easy to read. It covers all the bases and gives you a good idea as to how much you are really worth as a consultant. It's a "must have" as a reference book for anyone going out on their own.

As an e-commerce consultant I was pleasantly surprised to see that someone had written about exactly the kinds of experiences I've had with clients over the years. This is the first consulting book I've come across that covers all the issues in a straightforward way. It's full of great tips based on real life experience. Other consulting books tend to have a lot of fluff and padding, but this one gets right to the juicy issues in a concise manner. I makes for enjoyable reading, at times it is hard to put down. This is an essential book for anyone doing consulting or contract-based work.

ANYONE considering technical consulting as a full or part-time profession MUST READ THIS BOOK! It cover all aspects of consulting (including a personal reality checklist) in an easy-to-read manner and will be a permanent reference in my library.

If you are looking for one book on how to successfully consult as an engineer, this is not it. Readable in a weekend, the text is too superficial.

It breezes over the nuts and bolts of consulting. Important tax law, such as IRS 'right-of-control' criteria for independency and methods of calculating/paying estimated taxes, are barely covered. Contract writing/review - a vital aspect of the consultation process, is hardly mentioned (although proposals, non-legally binding documents, are well covered). In general, the coverage of the legal and liability aspects of consulting is cursory.

Kaye makes good points, but many would be obvious to any professional experienced enough to consult. What professional doesn't know how to dress for an interview or that bringing physical samples of work to the sales meeting is a good idea?

When detail is provided, Kaye often favors an approach without substantiation. For example, on the all important topic of billing rates, calculation of rates based upon desired annual income is covered in detail, while methods of researching the rate which the market will bear are scarcely covered. Yet in real markets, the billable rate will be influenced (if not based entirely) upon the market rate. In fact, comparison of the market rate and the desired rate may lead the individual to choose *not* to consult. Analysis appropriate in a text about launching a practice.

In conclusion, although Kaye's book has an affirming message and a fine bibliography, it holds few revelations or useful tools and will rarely be use for later reference.

For those trying to decide whether to consult or interested in the "nuts & bolts" of consulting, I recommend Nolo's excellent, "Working for Yourself, Law & Taxes for Independent Contractors . . ." by Fishman. I am unable to recommend any books on marketing for consultants.

The book is readable in as much as trash pop and pulp fiction is watchable and readable.No matter what is said,at the end of the day,this producer is yet another example of someone grandfathered into the industry ,with a production loan to get her started.A lump sum equvalent of about USD 100 000 today.There were a handful of active indie female producers operating in those times(most without that financial leg up.)Vachon is but one story.For that reason this is an ill researched book.
A few other women may not have stood on others toes as much as Vachon is capable of, nor claimed as much public or industry credit for themselves, but this book is but one story from the nineties,and it is in that context only it is best read.There were a small handful of extremely strident indie and studio women in Hollywood at the time,who broke significant paths for other women,not just themselves- in the choosing of projects they developed and the actions they took.The book is readable but indulgent insider name dropping. In one aspect a shallow take on a very political hollywood film business at the time.

This book is riveting reading for the fan or the filmmaker. Vachon has a talent for balancing intensive amounts of details with storytelling skills. You really will want to know how a distribution is made before the first frame is filmed. Her personality -- tough, passionate, centered -- also makes the book a compelling read. Even when her foes are completes a-hats, Vachon does not descend into bitterness, but rather, makes another compelling lesson.

...which kind of gets me wondering--why the heck don't *even more* aspiring producers and D-boy and D-girl wannabes get their hands on this amazing compendium of production experiences, take them to heart, and learn themselves a whole lot about the global film game in the process. If you've got the answer to that question, let me know. I'm still scratching my noodle.

Okay, so you're going to totally dig this book. Christine Vachon and her Killer Films outfit in N-Y-C, using that well-known convention of theirs--break the bounds of traditional (read: boring) publishing with a rather unconventional approach to bookwriting. Prepare for a wild wooly ride of a read...Christine's deft collaborators (egs. directors, financiers, and studio consigliatores) have chimed in here in various sections, offering up sage advice on the pit- and prat-falls of the indie and studio sides of the filmmaking biz, and what it's generally like working with Christine and her able band of brothers and sisters. That, for this here reviewer, was a right privilege...live recordings of Christine's conversations with her colleagues wouldn't have been richer. And like I tell you in my title...you couldn't pay Vachon enough to give this course. For a couple of Lincolns, this was a gold mine.

By the way, I think I've tattooed my entire Netflix wish list with every single Killer title known to Movieland. As luck would have it, ONE HOUR PHOTO was one of the better films of 2002, and little did I know that Christine was even responsible for getting this one made. Small world, baby.

It's an unsung job, the producing game can sometimes be, but mark it--without Christine's valuable input at various stages of the process, many of these so-called little pictures mightn't have been made, languishing in that purgatory of "development hell" (or turnaround) like 98% of the projects out there are in (according to every single statistic known to the filmmaking poobahs). One of the most inspiring statements from the entire book which I triple underlined, dogeared, and highlighted in tri-colour was her frank admission that producers must maintain "eternal optimism." They are the ones who are enthusiastic at all times, oftentimes when there's no reason to be, and oftentimes when there's no production necessarily to speak of. The equivalent to selling short on the stock market. If your sources' predictions are bang on, chances are you're going to make a "buchta" of cash.

Such boundless enthusiasm the mark of a truly gifted deal-maker, and in the trenches which is the modern-day studio system (read: the business of making movies), and the relatively recent advent of the "mini-majors" (or classics divisions of the major Hollywood studios), this brand of relentlessness has become all the more critical. Remove one element from the positivity puzzle, strip away a single grain of that much-needed goodness which is a key ingredient of the all-encompassing feelgood--by definition, a must towards smooth functioning on the film set--and off your high film concept goes into the grey ether.

Just for the rekkid, listening to podcasts helps, kids! I'd heard about this title after listening to Claude Brodesser Ackner's THE BUSINESS on NPR (goo-search it). I was so intrigued by Christine's outspokenness, that I simply couldn't curb my enthusiasm to hop on over to my favourite online book purveyor and pick up the nearest copy of her A KILLER LIFE.

Where is that extra star when I need it? Five estrellas, kids. Count 'em. Cinco.

--ADM in Prague

As an aspiring producer, I have long looked up to the indie queen Christine Vachon, and I was interested to read this book after having read her excellent SHOOTING TO KILL. I read that book when I was back in college, but this book is better. It's definitely more personal - in a way it reads like a memoir.

You feel like you are going through all the trials and tribulations with her. There's a lot of exciting stuff here - she battles the MPAA over Boys Don't Cry -- the bond company takes control of Far From Heaven-- she has interactions with big stars like Jude Law and Julia Roberts.
I have never been to Sundance, but Vachon's Sundance diary takes you through that festival with her.

All this makes for a book that's immensely readable; I couldn't put it down. I really liked the spotlights from other industry figures, agents, studio heads and directors like John Cameron Mitchell (who did my favorite film, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH!) If you are in the industry, want to learn about the industry or are just plain curious about how movies get made, go out and get this book now!

I'm a big fan of graphic novels and crime fiction, so I try and check out crime graphic novels when I can. I was drawn to this one by Dwyer's distinctive cover art, which evokes a raw '70s vibe. The book is printed in a distinctive sepia brown on brown-tinted paper, which marks it as very different from the usual graphic fiction and is well suited to the vintage feel of both Dwyer's style and the material.

The story kicks off with a daylight bank heist in a small town "somewhere out West." And before too many pages have gone by, the robbers -- a burly man in his 50s, a pretty younger woman, and a somewhat simple-minded big lug -- are back at their hideout with the loot. Fortunately (or not) for them, the haul is substantially bigger than they expected, so much so that it's clear something fishy is going on. The fishy something is an arrangement between the weedy bank manager and a nasty Vegas mobster to launder dirty mob money. The rest of the book pits an army of black-suited mob goons against the likeable robbers, with a few flashbacks as to how the threesome became a team. There's plenty of gunplay and gore as the "good guys" attempt to prevail against the odds and get away with the cash.

This is all good stuff, and well executed, the problem is that it's borderline plagiarism. I haven't read John Reese's 1968 book, The Looters, but I have seen Charley Varrick, the 1973 film based on it. Directed by Don Seigel (The Killers, Dirty Harry) and starring Walter Matthau as the aging bank robber, the film's basic plot is virtually identical. Beyond the plot, similar elements include the heist location, the gang, the bank manager, the Vegas mob, and even some bits about a crop duster are all more or less identical. And lest there be any doubt, the book's title is identical to the film's subtitle (which was initially supposed to be the title). I'm all for homage and remakes, but you need to acknowledge that's what you're doing -- to do so otherwise is creative dishonesty.

Ok, it's a homage book. A homage to Sam Peckinpah. Or maybe even John Wayne. Excellent use of the comic medium to tell the story of a band of bank robbers on a final heist, with Fraction's offbeat transitions and Dwyer's sepia-stained art-- it instantly becomes an American classic. It's been a long time since an action book the likes of a John Woo film has come my way (with the probable exception of 100 Bullets), and Independents doesn't disappoint at all.

Is this a book about fairy tale ninjas?

My suggestion is this: Maybe buy the book and read it. I think the book will answer your ninja question for you.

There is a bank robbery in the book.

And the secret to making the perfect jello mold with fruit in it.

Matt Fraction is 100 years old and invented the nukeular bomb while beating Pablo Picasso at a game of Old Maid. He wears the pants in your family.

The influence of the daylight noir caper movie is readily apparent as a dozen films came to mind as I read and then re-read the book. Fraction and Dwyer have created an amalgam of "Lonely Are The Brave", "The Misfits", "The Getaway", "Reservoir Dogs", "Of Mice and Men", a few episodes of "The Rifleman" and their own steely vision to create an action comic that is hard as nails driven through the back of your hand. Sometimes a little pain reminds us that we are alive, have dreams that are only half realized and can lose friends under the worst situations.

Art and narrative are in lockstep as the story sometimes slows long enough to allow bitter details to linger and burn into the mind's retina, while at other times the reader is permitted to fill in details as desired. The sepia toned printing was at first irritating, but after a few pages, the ink color made editorial and artistic sense.

Most of the characters are well recognizable...as they should be, but I'd certainly enjoy meeting them again and sharing another story or two if given the opportunity. Despite that, I actually found myself smiling with surprise at some of the panels as we are given a few background details and thoughts of the characters, sprinkled in here and there.

If I have any disparaging comment it would be that while the story stands alone perfectly well, I want to know a little more, visit with these folks a while longer and wished there was a prequel or a sequel to the story we are given.

"Last of the Independents" is a good read, recommended highly.

I thought the content was disorganized when looking thru and reading details. Not one of my favorite 'reference' books for ideas.

Although the artwork shown is really nothing special (the book itself is not really a great looking one), this book is worth buying for sure. First and foremost for being an excellent type specimen book on one of the most influetial type houses today (no more browsing a 100 webscreens to find the perfect font). Then because of very good articles on stuff ranging from designers' intentions to history of many typeface. One of the most used fonts today, DIN, is presented with an excellent walkthrough of the design. Also featuring early sketches and studies of several typefaces which will prove an excellent resource for type designers all around.

This is a gorgeous book with many full color photos and prints on thick glossy paper with a sturdy binding. It's about the changes that have taken place in font design over the years and especially about the explosion in number of fonts available since the personal computer became widely available in the 1980s. It is primarily the story of digital type from the point of view of those who created the FontFont library of type, the FSI FontShop International in Berlin. It is about how desktop publishing changed the world of design and page layout.

Part of the text covers the history of fonts from a European point of view, but with the text and examples mostly in English. Another part of the text, which is woven through a myriad of font examples taken mostly from advertisements and magazine layouts describes the esoterica of fonts and their designers. There are first person accounts by font designers about their work. There are essays and articles and even an interview by designers from the US to England, Germany, even Iran and Pakistan. The artwork itself is stunningly beautiful, in places almost breathtaking. The book is quite simply a work of art itself.

I had some personal experience with fonts and the purely design side of letters and words some years ago when I sponsored a high school literary magazine. I learned how horrible a clashing mixture of fonts can be. My students did not have the trained eye or the experience to appreciate the subtleties of font distinctions and font design. I also taught some concrete poetry, which is the pictorial and artistic representation of letters and words (this book can be seen as an example of concrete poetry), and of course I downloaded PostScript fonts and worked with PageMaker and similar software.

This then is a book for artists and graphic designers. Many typefaces are described as well as pictured, and their characteristics and appropriate uses are presented. Some parts of the book are quite technical, and to be honest, well beyond my modest typographic expertise. The amount of information in the book's 352 pages is impressive, but more than anything this book is a treat for the eyes.

Continuing its encounter with the topic of font (typeface), Mark Blatty Publisher has released a hefty volume of images and the written word that is fascinating to browse - and almost is designed so that the very informative essays included seem to melt into the fonts being discussed. That may be a double edged sword: the written word by such fine authorities as Akira Kobayashi, Rian Hughes, Emily King, Ellen Lupton, Reza Abedini and of course Erik Spiekermann and Jan Middendorp is value added to the designers and contains bits of history and humor about the way words effect the eye and the mind of the viewer at times become almost secondary to the visual impact of the page!

FontFont was founded in 1990 'to produce innovative and influential fonts by designers, for designers' and this beautiful book is intended to demonstrate the impact of these creative adjuncts to the public. The book is divided into five chapters - Thinking FontFont, Talking FontFont, Making FontFont, Showing FontFont and Made with FontFont. For the casual reader it is the last chapter with its many pages of illustrations of the use of this important addition to the repertoire of designers that will prove the most interesting. This book is a 'must have' for designers and graphic artists, but it is also a fine addition to the library of those who are fascinated by the variations of typeface and their influence on how we absorb information. Grady Harp, April 07