Clubs Books

Sherry Healy, is the author of this book, although she uses the name Shealy. Her style of instruction-type chapters help make the psychic adventure an easy one.

Those interested in knowing more about the methods of a psychic will find this an interesting read. The perspective of the book is from the point of view of the psychic author. Sherry seems to know much of psychic work. Sharing personal experiences allows the reader to get a closer look at the inner vissions of a psychic. Spirit guides, soul mate and dreams are a main topic followed by a section of simple divination.

This book has helped me to augment my client base. I enjoy adding the alternative relaxation offered in this manuscript. It helps the ceos and executives I work with. Otherwise, they would never find inner peace.

It has come to my attention, life is as good as we make it. The first part of this book teaches about the realms of the after life. Through this information I have been finding my true self. I have learned to focus my attention upon that which I desire. The realms are helpful. I most enjoyed reading about the angelic realm. I have learned to access and work with these creatures. Another good chapter is designed to help you learn to read your own future or fortune. I don't see this author as a fortune teller; in fact she seems to dislike the term but she is intuitive and has helped me to be intuitive as well. I plan to have an energy session or therapy with this author, sHEALy. She teaches that moving ones energy is helpful to moving ones attitude toward that which is wanted in life. Althoug she is an intuitive reader first before she is anything else, I find her healings most powerful. The workbook was interesting. It was easy to follow because through out the book Shealy shares her own life experiences. She has seen spirits, angels, auras, energy from the human body and has learned to help others see these things too. I would like to practice all of the intuition and healing exercises found in this book. I think this author is the real thing. I hear she works from the East Coast. I would like to have a reading soon.

I read often and found this book to be one of the best on the topic of intuition. If you want to read about intuition or miracles and magical happenings, this is the book for you. I recommend it!!!

As of 1999 my client base continues to grow. A life coach, my life's calling, is more than the rational and day-to-day exploits of business and community. There is a need to suggest to clients the fruits of life, the dreams and imaginations of the world. I use this book to enhance and find that quality within each CEO, AVP, high-level executive I meet and councel. This book, an alternative approach to the realms of relaxation, has brought a richness to my work that I have, as sHEALy says "only dreamed."

I am a party consultant by trade with several large accounts, and this book has provided some fantastic new activities. It is difficult to think of new games and concepts when you have been in the business for a while, so it helps to have an outsider's ideas. The psychic and seance activities are unbelievably innovative! We have modified some of the activities to tone them down for corporate accounts, but the concepts are still very strong and easily adaptable. Considering my hourly charges, this book was a bargain.

I got tired of bikini contests, but it's really difficult to constantly think of new and fun things to do with people. So I did some homework and --tadah!-- I found this crazy book! In the past 4 months, I have worked non-stop and have enjoyed quite a success, due in part to inspiration and general kooky behavior described in this book! I now own TWO copies of "Make Some Noise", one which I carry with me to all gigs, and one that I leave at the club, and they're both well loved and dog eared. This book has been a source of ideas for mayhem and merriness for me, and I would like to keep on keeping on! I am anxiously awaiting the sequel... HIGHLY recommend this fun book to anyone in the entertainment business, whether you're a DJ, band, bar manager, or party planner. You won't be disappointed!

I have read this book, cover to cover, and continually use it as a reference guide to help me increase my club business in West Chester, PA. I would recommend this book to anyone, who wants to be successful in the club business.

I picked up this book a few months ago for some party game ideas to use at my DJ events. I have to tell you I've had things spilled on it, the pages are ratty, the cover is now torn, but I make sure I've always got it with me because I've used this book countless times. Some of these contests are hilarious. I've generated many referral sales and picked up a few nights at a local nightclub as a result of the chaos that the things in this book have caused! Make Some Noise is an invaluable resource for DJs and bars. Also recommend How To Be A DJ by same author - even more awesome marketing tips!

Forget about bikini contests, banana eating contests and all that silly stuff everyone else has been doing the past 10 years. It's no wonder the club business is suffering - it's been incredibly BORING! "Make Some Noise" finally brings some new and sometimes pretty wild contests and promotions to light. I run a mid-sized bar in the Philadelphia suburbs, and this book has been a big part of helping build some really fun nights. We're about to try "Midget Wrestling", and my advance ticket sales have been better than any band I've had here in years. "Barbie Girl" was a total scream! And the local police got involved with "The Sobriety Olympics", which they thought was a great idea to teach people how too much alcohol can impair your judgment. We've even had people go out to their cars, remove their spare tires for a prize! Most of these ideas are sooo out of the box that they're just perfect for this industry. I can't say enough good things about the insight provided by Make Some Noise. Definitely recommended reading for anyone looking for fun stuff to do. Two thumbs up; three if I had another!

This is a fast moving novel about a struggling but talented New York-oriented black male writer whose life struggles have become a roller coaster ride through American, European and global racism. The axis of the novel revolves around how America deals with the race issue, and in particular how it deals with the issue of black male on white female sexual encounters.

The story is told through the eyes of a character called Max Reddick, a slightly hip, emerging intellectual, who wants to write like Charley Parker plays the Sax, but yet he is still a very much struggling black writer. Max seems to have as his number one goal in life that of decoding the game being played against blacks by the white man. Or maybe (and the novel leaves this up to the reader) this goal is just a normal by-product of being a black man in a white man's world. Very quickly Max realizes that "politics white boy-style" is just another way white people try to lead black people back to their proper "place" in society: in effect telling them through indirection how to think, feel, and when and how to act, and even how to suffer.

Max travels to Europe where he ends up in a select intellectual circle, that very much respects his manuscript, and where he eventually marries and later divorces a Danish woman who remained his friend even long after the marriage has ended, and who takes care of him at the end of the novel as he dies of cancer.

At the meta-psychological level, the novel proves Ishmael Reed's postulate: that writing, "is fighting and struggling by other more respectable means," as Williams gets to use his pen as his last, and most profound act of rebellion. The book thus is as Walter Mosley has described it as "a shout from deep within some existential void" that resonates on the same frequency of all struggling blacks: suspended invisible in a world that rejects blackness without the need for a cause or a reason, where "Black people have been hollering out in pain for centuries, fighting for freedom, dying in slavery, belittled by little [white] men, and denied by kings and history. Sometimes these black folk have just laid down and died. But mostly they have survived with deformed psyches and distorted notions of the world. Sometimes evil has begotten evil and the one-time slave has slaughtered and even cannibalized his oppressor."

As his personal life spins out of control and he contracts cancer, Max puts down on paper in a scatological way, what everyone else in everyday American society is thinking but cannot say aloud, and in this respect, William's novel is not only a shout from the void, but also a supremely iconoclastic and urgent psychological analysis not unlike Dostoyevsky.

While its organization is structurally very scattered, it still gets its message across. Clearly the novel has a deep existentialist basis and draws on existential themes and metaphors. However, at its core is the notion that at the end of the day, when everything is said and done, the only thing "real" in American society is white racism. Everything else its humanity, its values, its ideals, are subordinate and are carefully calibrated and measured in terms of how they affect the sensitively regulated "white supremacist status quo." According to Max's way of thinking, equality, freedom, and democracy are merely the chips used to move the pieces around the white supremacist chessboard. America and all of its "so-called" ideals are just byproducts of the hard core white supremacist ideology, which lies deep in the nation's bosom. Toward the end of the novel, Max leaves no doubt that "the man" will go to great lengths to protect his white male hero system--including the complete annihilation of the black race if necessary. Max thinks blacks are up to the task, able to match whites, evil for evil to the bitter end. [I, for one, think he is wrong in this regard.]

The book is sprinkled with deeply troubling characters and scenes that reflect Max's deteriorating state of mind, such as the following passage about Moses Boatwright, a Black cannibal and Rhodes scholar, who, after being run mad by racism, killed a white man and ate him. In a mock interview, Boatwright tells Max (acting as a reporter) that: "This world is an illusion, Mr. Reddick, but it can be real. I went prowling on the jungle side of the road where few people ever go because there are things there, crawling, slimy, terrible things that always remind us that down deep we are rotten, stinking beasts. Now, because of what I did, someone will work a little harder to improve the species." (page 53).

The book is filled with images such as this one that have both over and under tones that are frightening in their symbolic implications. This is deep, modern, intense writing. Fifty stars.

This book I happen to stumble on while looking for another book here on Amazon. Wow what a great read! Absoloutley well written and eloquent. A must read for all.

There is this book and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison that have proven to be one of the best examples of African American writing during the turbulent Civil Rights Era which really hasn't ended. This novel is frequently compared to Invisible Man as the main character Max Riddick goes through a journey, an evolution and recalls his life in flashbacks, goes through a expatriate American phase going to Europe in hopes of finding a better audience for his writing only to find that the same kind of racism he encountered in the States only less blatant. His motivation goes from trying to best his rival Harry Ames, to phsyical survival, to trying to find a resolution to his own issues with a society that objectives him and his experience being a black man in America.

I first read this book in 1968, as Cleveland burned and after a copy boy on my paper had asked me about a U.S. plan to imprison blacks in concentration camps. I told the kid he was nuts.
After reading the book, however, I realized that Williams was fictionalizing the McCarran Act, which set up the very scheme the kid was worrying about.
That law is still on the books.

A neglected classic by a writer who some consider equal to Ralph Ellison in importance. One fascinating aspect is its fictionalized treatment of some of the century's famous black literary figures. It's a portrait of the post-WWII-through-mid-sixties period as seen through the eyes of a black writer as he establishes a career as a novelist, journalist, and Presidential speechwriter in New York, Paris, Washington, D.C., and Lagos, Nigeria. The main character, Max Reddick, is shaped by anger, at the crux of which is indignation at the hypocrisy and hostility that black people and writers faced during this period. It's a historical novel which provides some insight into the social and political ferment of the sixties, and has an Afrocentric perspective that's somewhat reminiscent of Walter Mosley's work. It includes an intruiging fictionalized version of a mythic encounter between Richard Wright and James Baldwin ("Marion Dawes") in a Paris café, and according to James Sallis's biography of Chester Himes, it describes the essence of Wright's expatriate experience and his relationship with Himes. Ishmael Reed has said that the cartoonist Ollie Harrington is depicted, and although I didn't recognize him, Malcolm X is unmistakable and I suspect that "Time" Curry is modelled after jazz drummer Kenny Clarke, who was living in Paris at the time. According to the author's biography of Richard Pryor, Motown explored the possibility of buying the film rights to the novel as a vehicle for its star, Marvin Gaye, until the idea was abandoned in favor of Lady Sings the Blues.

The story begins near the end as Max, who's dying of cancer, sits at an outdoor café in Amsterdam where he's come to investigate the mystery of the death of his friend, Harry Ames, "the father of black writers," a few days earlier in Paris. What he eventually discovers is mind-blowing.

Throughout the novel, Max opines on a multitude of subjects like: Marxism, African independence and African attitudes towards Americans, sexuality and interracial relationships (he works past some of his homophobia too), the different styles of reporters from 5 major NYC newspapers, the theory of the rich president and other political theories, the "lie" of Christmas ("the rich man's chance to dissipate the image of Scrooge"), American cars (with their "long, buttock-smooth lines"), existentialism, and Alban Berg's atonal opera, "Wozzeck" (whose climax, a child's scream, punctuates Max's argument with his woman). Max interprets bebop's message as, "we can not be contained," and modern jazz becomes the avatar of his literary aesthetic: "He wanted to do with the novel what Charlie Parker was doing to music -- tearing it up and remaking it; basing it on nasty, nasty blues and overlaying it with the deep overriding tragedy not of Dostoevsky, but an American who knew of consequences to come: Herman Melville, a super Confidence Man, a Benito Cereno saddened beyond death."

Mallory is having a hard time at SMS so she goes on the net and search for schools she could enroll in snd she's been accepted. But Jessi's mad that Mallory told Mary Anne first rather than her To tell you the truth this BSC book wasn't really what I expected. I expected Mallory to change her mind like any old book but she''s leaving I'll miss her like the BSC

Poor Mary Anne! Being stuck in the middle isn't what she had in mind! With Mallory going off to Riverbend Hall the BSC is upset. Jessi is heartbroken, after all she's losing her best friend. However Jessi shows her sadnness through anger, especially since Mal concults Mary Anne first about her problems. Will Mal go away? Will Mary Anne solve the feud? You HAVE to read this book!

Mary Anne in the Middle was a very good book. One of the best BSC books written so far. Mallory hates SMS, and wants to go to a boarding school. When she gets accepted, she tells Mary Anne first. Jessi finds out, and now she is furious at Mallory. Mallory is angry at Jessi for not understanding. Poor Mary Anne is stuck in the middle. Besides Jessi, Mallory's siblings are all mad at her as well! And how will the BSC go on with another member too short? Will Mallory and Jessi make up before she leaves? Can the BSC find a replacement for Mal? Will Mary Anne be stuck in the middle forever? You've got to read the book and find out!

The story Mary Anne in the Middle wasn't at all what I expected. I liked it very much, but I personally thought it would be a typical story to chach a readers eye. For example I thought Mallory would change her mind at the end of the story, she would realize what great friends she had, and everything would end happyily. Instead I read what I least expected. Mallory's mind is made up and she prepares to leave for a boarding school called Riverbend Hall. Like I said before I liked the book, but the message I got out of the story bothered me. The message clearly said that if you run away from your problems the problems would go away. Maybe Ann M. Martin will go in another direction with this but for now this plot keeps us guessing! Age 15

When Mallory and Jessi fight, Mary Anne tries to make their relationship back. Anyway, Mal is having a hard time at SMS. So Mal goes to a boarding school, After you read this, Get "THE ALL NEW MALLORY PIKE"

This book is so great I had a old copy that was my moms when she was litle then mine, so I bought a new one for my daughter it is GREAT, very interesting and good for the imagimation. However there were some coffe stains in the book when the seller listed it as new.

Over the years I continue to love this book. Part of the reason is that it is a well told story involving animals. I also love the drawings.
I recently purchased this book for my niece and for the older children of two families who will be having a new addition. When I was asked to present a child's book to my class in middle school this was the book I chose.

MY DAUGHTER LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH, THAT WHEN SHE WAS SELECTED TO READ TO OTHERS DURING LIBRARY WEEK, SHE CHOSE THE MITTEN. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FAVORITE OF OUR FAMILY'S AND NOW I AM ORDERING THIS ONE FOR MY FIRST GRANDCHILD. A READER FROM CA.

Even though I buy them for my daughter, I try not to review items that I owned or remember from my childhood as I feel I am biased towards them simply because of the nostalgic factor. However, I do think I would still love this book even if I had just recently come upon it. For starters it has such vibrant colors with the alternating turquoise background and the bright red and gold Ukrainian clothing. And what child wouldn't love the thought of woodland creatures taking refuge from the snow in his or her lost mitten, although the story is just folklore and the product of a child's imagination...or is it?

What a treasure: the illustrations and the story go hand in hand so wonderfully, quiet and witty and authentic. If you have Slavic roots, the Ukrainian illustrator's work may have extra resonance for you. Yaroslava drew the animals wearing Ukrainian costume, but with subtle touches of real life; this one's boots have creases, see the wrinkles in that one's heavy coat. I always wondered if there was an anti-Soviet subtext to the characters all insisting on sharing one living-space until it bursts at the seams (literally)...

Simply written and illustrated, good for the younger crowd, especially when you need them to calm down.

When I was a little girl my parents read me this book and I, reportedly, loved it, so when I found it on the shelf I was thrilled to read it again, particularly about the pig "mucking about." The story goes like this: Mr. Gumpy goes for a ride in his punt on the river, and a lot of animals and children ask for rides, and he gives them strict instructions for boat behavior, which they eventually grossly violate, and then they all go in the drink. And go home and have tea. Yes, the story is a wee bit British. What strikes me as an adult, reading the book, is the casual loving way with which the children are included along with the other animals -- pigs, dog, children, goat, etc. It is a very sweet book and Benny and Sadie love it and find it hilarious. Publisher's Weekly's review of it presents it as a moral tale on boat safety. What a bunch of loons. ;D

My eighteen-month-old son brings this book to me half a dozen times a day. "Read Gummy!" No higher recommendation.

Truly a classic, this one is a joy to read and kids just love it. The accumulative tale combined with glowing illustrations elicits preschool giggles every time!

This book falls firmly into a very specific genre of picture book literature. The old, if-one-more-person-gets-into-this-boat/mitten/car/etc.-bad-things-will-happen genre. Jan Brett's "The Mitten" does it. The more recent "One Dog Canoe" does it. But one of the first stories to have done it (and have a moral to boot) is the 1970 story "Mr. Gumpy's Outing".

Mr. Gumpy (who is not grumpy in the least) lives on the banks of a river, and owns a boat. As he goes for a boat ride, two children ask to come along. Mr. Gumpy gives them instructions on what not to do, and they join him. Next a bunny comes along. Mr. Gumpy tells it what not to do, and it joins him. As Mr. Gumpy poles his boat down the river, more and more animals join the party, each receiving a stipulation from Mr. Gumpy on what behavior is appropriate. After the boat fills, the animals suddenly ignore Mr. Gumpy's requests and begin to misbehave. As a result, they all topple headlong into the river, retiring to Gumpy's for tea.

Originally published in England (and if Mr. Gumpy isn't THE most English picture book gentleman you've seen outside of Paddington Bear himself, I'll eat my hat) the story is incredibly civilized. There's nothing like seeing a sheep delicately sipping from a straw to drill home the essential manners and protocols essential to everyday interactions. The illustrations are especially nice. Mr. Gumpy never looks particularly upset or angry by anything that happens to him. As he poles his boat a black and white pen and ink drawing on the left pages shows the boat and it's inhabitants. On the right page is a colorful drawing of the animal(s) asking to be allowed to join. The book, despite the whole falling into the water bit, is calm and peaceful. Just the kind of fun story you'd expect to be read on a cold rainy day. Highly recommended (especially with crumpets and bit of toast with marmalade).

This book is a view into the life of a young girl forced into adult hood and is forced to cope with the trials and troubles of an adult in post WWII. It shows a very brave woman with a strong sense to survive. This book is a must read for anyone who would like to understand what people had to go through during post WWII or anyone who wants to read a captivating book. Very, very good book.

This book is a poignant account of Gertrude's childhood in Germany during and after World War II. She intertwines the historical perspective well with her childhood memories. The book is written from a young girl's perspective with amazing details. The feelings and fears of a child in an abusive situation are compelling. As a social worker, I find this to be a very realistic account of a child's life in an abusive environment.

Gertrude's story is by far one of the most intriguing true life post W.W. II experiences written. In her book, she expresses some of her most traumatic life experiences, and how she survived with the help and love from her grandmother. A well written novel, and must read.

An outstanding novel this is from the beggining to the end. A true epic bringing up emotions while forcing one to the edge of there seat. For all who have not read this fascinating book, please read it, you will definatley enjoy it.

An astonshing peice of work that Gertrude has written. One of the greatest books of this era. Very few books have been written about post German war. Many must read this novel to fufill there voidness of the time, a wonderful novel.

I don't know if I would classify this book as straight erotica as the heart of it is in the character of Bruce. Yes, it opens with a hot sex scene and has many others after that, but I think it's more of a good story with a lot of sex, which makes it very sexy. Yet, it's also romantic, too, and we see how much Bruce misses and loves his wife who left him. There's a bit of a plot twist at the end that really gives the whole thing a jump and made me happy I'd taken the time to read it. If you like sexy and romantic--but not corny!!!--books, this one might be one for you. It's no Harlequin (thank God).

Now She's Gone isn't just erotica, though it has plenty of those scenes in it. It's a highly comphensive tale about a man's love for his wife who leaves and her past, which he finds out through her diaries. The characters are so real it's like you know them and the story is fast paced and moving. I will definitely read more from this author as this is one of the best literary/erotica stories I've read in a while.

This is the second Kim Corum book I've read and I have to say they keep getting better. The weay she can intertwine two different stories together is amazing and the sex scenes aren't to bad, either. This was one of the best I've read all year.

While this book does indeed have quite a bit of sex in it, it is mostly an erotic novel with a very entertaining and intense storyline which invloves the main character's wife leaving him and him going through her journals, finding out about her past lovers, etc. It read rather quickly and once I was done, I found myself going back through the passages and re-reading certain parts. All in all, it was a nicely done erotic novel.

Now She's Gone was a very smooth read in that the story really moved the plot along. It does have a bit of sex in it as well, but I found myself more intrigued by the overall story.

I feel that this book is a very well written book. It has pictures that follow the plot of the book and this helps younger children. I know that many children would relate well to this book because they do not like to see their toys locked up in a box. When I read this book it reminded me of when I was younger and I had a bear that got put in a box and I went and got it! So I feel that this is a good book to read to younger children from toddlers to third graders.

One day, Bramwell Brown remembers his friend Old Bear who was put away in the attic. Bramwell and the other stuffed animals decide to get him back.

What follows is a series of failed attempts to reach the attic until finally one succeeds and the toys are united.

I like this story because it does show the process of thinking through a problem as well as perseverance (even when Duck thinks there is no hope). As with many children's books there are a few logic problems, but overall it reads very well.

Look for the other Little Bear stories as well.

"I knew it was going to be a special day." said Bramwell Bear to himself. -Duck, Rabbit, Little Bear, and Bramwell Bear struggle to capture their long lost, and forgotten friend, Old Bear. Old Bear has been stored in the attic for a while because the children played roughly with him.

Old Bear's friends are really caring friends, especially Little Bear, my favorite character. Little Bear climbs from the airplane into the attic and recovers Old Bear. -True friendship.

I remember reading this book plenty of times 11 years ago, and always treasuring it. If you like cute books with good illustrations and a group of brave, loving stuffed animals, you should read this book!

From the first day I brought this book home, my daughter has loved it. "Old Bear" was one of the first phrases she said. This book teaches that by trying new ideas and working together, you can accomplish anything. It's a wonderful life lesson for toddlers, with captivating drawings and warm, loveable characters. I would highly recommend this book, along with any others by Jane Hissey, to all parents.

Every morning our eighteen month old daughter starts the day by exclaiming 'Old Bear!' - the cue that one of us must read it with her without further ado. If it's not left in her cot at night, she often says, 'Oh dear, Old Bear?'. In short this book really wins the toddler vote. Our toddler learnt how to wobble by reading this. She also learnt the meaning of 'sad'. Old bear is a story of lasting friendship, teamwork among stuffed toys, and a daring airborne rescue bid. Contrary to one review, the pictures are not 'sugary-sweet', Our very discerning daughter loves them, and actually, so do I. We have found that we've read the book so often that the words are imprinted in our memories - but amazingly we don't mind. All together now: 'One day the toys were sitting by the window when they remembered their friend Old Bear...'

Sports Illustrated designated "The Sweet Science" the best book about sports ever written in the Western World and I agree with that assessment. Author Abbott Joseph Liebling was as fine a writer as American journalism ever produced and his favorite subject was "The Sweet Science" of prizefighting in its golden era. Liebling wrote for The New Yorker (not known for its sports coverage) and he renders the boxing world (including its characters, cynicism and lingo-ese) with clarity and uncommmon eloquence. Liebling gives you such "broken" (financially from hunger) fighters as Rocky Marciano, technicians such as Archie Moore and aggressive aces such as Jake LaMotta and Sonny Liston in as vivid terms as possible. He doesn't shrink from his task, either. He relates his blow-by-blow reports with the uncannny knack of one who knows the sharp consequences of a faulty defense. He's amazing, Liebling is, and his "Sweet Science" is the epitome of graceful sportswriting in a bluntly articulate age. I can't think of a more rewarding book for any sports fan. Liebling is a wonder. He was a counterpuncher. Every time you let down your guard he surprises you with a shot to the ribcage.

If you like boxing and reading, then you are truly a rara avis. But if you do happen to belong to such a tiny cohort, then this book should provide a couple hours' entertainment.

Liebling tries too hard to emulate H.L. Mencken's style, and he doesn't have the chops for it...but, at the same time, he knows how to describe the action inside the ring. (Not as well as Jack London, but well enough.) At all times, you sense the depth of his love for boxing.

Another reason to recommend this book is that Joyce Carol Oates thinks Liebling was a racist. (I know, I know...who the hell is Joyce Carol Oates?) If you read the book, you'll discover that he wasn't...and a few more things besides.

The late,great Floyd Patterson,who became the first heavyweight to regain the title after losing it,is as good a reason as any to name a book about boxing,'The Sweet Science'.In this particular case,'A.J. Liebling's masterpiece about boxing(mostly
in the fifties)was voted the best sports book ever, by Sports Illustrated.The incredibly colorful characters Liebling focuses on would be hard to beat by any writer in any field,even if he may not have gotten all of it right.For example,he seems to actually get along with Rocky Marciano's manager,Al Weill,even though evidence elsewhere suggests that Rocky may have retired to get away from him.And I think he resorted to cliche in describing Irish Billy Graham as as "good as a fighter can be without being a hell of a fighter"(p.250);Graham is a Hall of Famer who was robbed in a welterweight title fight against Kid Gavilan-and my (Jewish) uncle idolized him.But Liebling,who wrote on "serious subjects" for 'The New Yorker'and was an award winning war reporter, attended the first fight ever held in Yankee Stadium in 1923-and remained optimistic about the future through the lens of boxing,concludes,"I reflected with satisfaction that old Ahab(Archie)Moore could have whipped all four principals on that card within 15 rounds,and that while (Jack)Dempsey may have been a great champion,he had less to beat than Marciano.I felt the satisfaction because it proved that the world isn't going backward,if you can just stay young enough to remember what it was rewally like when you were really young."

I've been searching for this book for years. I'm from Brockton, MA and I certainly appreciate great boxing prose. The new intro really adds nothing to the book and Mr.Anasi even gets Ezzard Charles' name wrong--calls him "Ezra" in the intro--which also indicates poor editing. Leibling gives you the total world of a great fight--not just whats going on in the ring but the world surrounding the fight. Very real, often funny, thoroughly engaging. I want to read more of his stuff.

When asked which is the best book on boxing ever written, anyone with any inclination towards the literary side of The Manly Art will instinctively site Liebling's classic collection of essays written in the early '50s collected in this volume. On the evidence here, I cannot dispute the consensus. Liebling gives you not a history or a list of profiles of boxers but an entire world and a culture. He captures the feel of going to a boxing match in the early '50s, the crowds, the managers, the trainers and assorted characters. The best thing you can say about a piece of literature is that it places you in the action, you can physically feel that you are there and present. I have read no other book on Boxing that accurately captures this the way Liebling does in The Sweet Science. He's also an accomplished and erudite writer, a highly cultured man who brings that cultural sensitvity to something often considered, by those ignorant of these things, to be base and low-brow.

The fighters themselves - Marciano, Moore, Sadler, Robinson, Patterson, Farr - come across less as legends and more as contemporary sportsmen. It seems incredible to me that once upon a time you could just buy a ticket and stroll into the Marciano-Moore fight! For me, that fight and many others was the stuff of mythology and yet Liebling succeeds in making it real and tangible.

Final note: anyone who after reading this feels an uncontrollable lust to acquire Pierce Egan's Boxiana volumes will be enthralled to know that there is a company in Canada, Nicol Island Publishing, who have published at least three of the total of five volumes. Unfortunately, Amazon does not seem to sell any of them.