United States Books

Gaines has written a wonderful book that outlines the way to true prosperity. I have seen the basic ideas in the book before, but she does a great job of giving you practical steps toward achieving prosperity in your own life. I am now putting the laws to use, and am excitedly awaiting the results of my work!

If you are looking for a book that uses current lingo that is so easy to understand then this is the book for you. Like me you have probably read the prosperity Masters and yes, the lessons are timeless, however to read modern day examples are priceless! I felt as if I knew Ms. Gaines personally. Her stories were hilarious, thought provoking and a blessing to my life. I dare you to try the first law which is tithing and watch something miraculous happen in your life! We all have read or heard about tithing but Ms. Gaines breaks it down like its never been broken down before. I was so moved I tithed to her for writing this classic! Don't pass this book up! Every seeker needs this one in their prosperity library!

I heard it many times before - tithing will demonstrate to the universe that you trust that there will always be more.... yet I never did it. That is until I read this book. What made it easy for me where 2 things, one Edwene didn't tell you where to tithe to, other then wherever you are spiritually fed.... well that makes it easy. The second point was - try it out for 6 months - if it didn't work for you you can stop.... well I was hooked after 2 weeks. Now I receive money and I am excited about sharing it with whoever inspired me ~ fed me spiritual food... my children, my church, Edwene, a speaker, a song writer, etc. This book has touched me deeply.

Listening to this CD, with Edwene's pleasant voice along with hearing her life experiences, is a pleasant alternative to music. I'm listening to it for the third time and considering looking for more CD's from this production company.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I've been reading several books about attracting prosperity, but they were all lacking one thing. That one thing is how God is involved. This book finally connected the two for me. I now see how you can attract prosperity and still honor God. What I appreciated the most what the difference between "go" signs and "stop" signs. Sometimes I get confused on what God is trying to tell me. I recommend this to all those spiritual people that are still trying to find guidance.

Being a bit of a nostalgia freak, I have more than a few books highlighting 50s and 60s pop culture. This is my second favorite, with only Populuxe rating higher. It's a memory-invoking rush of nostalgic nosh, with plenty for your mind to delightfully delight in. You'll treasure this book. Ton of full color pictures and lively appreciative writing makes you want to read this book again and again. Holy Nostalgia, Batman!

After hearing about this both the book and the CD, both by Hal Lifson, I just had to get these. I could not put this book down. I called my mother about it and thanked her for letting me born in such a cool year! I have always been a fanatic for that type of pop culture in the '60's. My sister once told me that I was born twenty years too late! After reading this book, I couldn't agree with her more! If you know someone who was born in 1966, and looking for a birthday gift for them, look no further than this book. This book rocks, and so does Hal Lifson!

Hal Lifson took me on a journey that was so exciting, I couldn't stand it! From Batman to The Monkees to the Beach Boys song "Wouldn't It Be Nice", I feel like I've relived my childhood all over again. Now if I only had my Batman utility belt again....

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to take that journey, even if you weren't born yet!

What a groovy book, baby! I was only three years old in 1966 but I remember just about everything in this delightful scrapbook that's a time capsule for everything from that hip decade.

Hal Lifson has collected photos, ads, album covers, toys, etc. that brings back a very cool, swingin' period in American culture. The Beatles, Batman, James Bond, Playboy, Nancy Sinatra--they're all here!

Definitely a book for anyone alive at the time. Or anyone interested in what that was like.

"Hal Lifson's 1966" is, indeed, the ultimate time machine. It works on two distinct levels. First, having lived in the San Fernando Valley during that period, I found the book to be the most delightful, teary-eyed journey back to the old stomping grounds...who says you can't go back home?! To see a picture of the old Encino Bowl...the last time I even thought about it was when I was sneaking a smoke in the parking lot on the way back from ELEMENTARY school! Second, and more important (yes, important), "Hal Lifson's 1966" captures the innocence of the period...perhaps the last innocence the country enjoyed before it was forced to grow up during the Watergate hearings. Indeed, the lack of any political references keeps the journey a magical mystery tour. Honey West, Catwoman, NANCY SINATRA...many a 13-year-old boy lost his innocence "appreciating" these classically sexy women. Thanks, Hal.

I recommend this book for all little girls of color. This includes biracial and adopted girls who can also become quite conflicted about their amazing locks.

Even though they may be surrounded by friends and immediate family with similar hair, sometimes they stop seeing the rich beauty of their own hair. They start comparing themselves with their family members with different hair.

This book was perfect for us. A godsend.

I think this book should be given to every family that adopts across racial barriers and recommended to every African American and biracial family (where one parent is of African descent).

Even better it should be read in every elementary school in America. The beauties of long, straight (especially blond) hair is extolled throughout children's literature. So should people of all cultures hear the beauty of African hair extolled.

I loved Ms. Tarpley's comments about her own hair journey. I am so grateful that she wrote this book. I wish it had been around 60 years ago so that many generations of girls could have seen the beauty of their hair affirmed in print.

I have loved every book written by Ms. Tarpley. I find them educational and uplifting. This book is no exception.

My older niece loves this book, all about a black girl who, as you expect, loves her hair.

She describes it in various poetic and imaginative terms - her hair can be like a globe, or be spun into a braid; it's curly like a vine winding into space; she likes to wear her hair in "ponytails like wings".

There are some unnecessarily didactic elements - kids at school teased her, so her teacher talked to them about having Pride in Your Heritage (a good concept, the whole book is about that, but that page wasn't so well-handled, I think), and her mother starts talking to her directly about how she's "lucky to have this head of hair" when she complains that haircombing *hurts* sometimes.

Also, some of the illustrations have odd perspective - I'm thinking specifically of one where she's going down the street with beads in her hair.

However, overall this is a really great book. And my nieces (aged five and 2.5) agree. They love reading this book.

My daughter loved this book as it has vivid illustrations and really helps to promote a love for African American hair!

IF YOU WERE THINKING OF BUYING THE BOOK "NAPPY HAIR", GET THIS ONE INSTEAD. ITS BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN.

This is an excellent book for building confidence in African-American girls about the natural beauty of their hair. The pictures are wonderfully done and contribute to the feeling of pride you get when reading this book. My daughter especially related to the part where the little girl makes music with the beads in her hair, and I try to remember to be as compassionate as the mom in the book when I comb her hair.

No phase of American history has attracted such talented and distinguished historians and produced such quality scholarship as the revolutionary period. This Pulitzer Prize winning history by Bernard Bailyn is a significant proof point.

Bailyn crafts his thesis around the concept of liberty and what it meant to the colonists. He frames the issue of liberty as being a tenuous balance between power, an aggressive force that had an insatiable appetite, and law or natural rights, an inherently passive force that requires vigilant protection. Bailyn maintains that the colonists developed their worldview from four primary sources: 1) the ancients, especially Cato and Cicero; 2) the Enlightenment, especially Locke and Rousseau; 3) English common law, especially Coke and Bacon; and 4) the radical English writers after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, especially Algernon Sidney and John Trenchard. Given their reading and understanding of these authors, a number of separate events and trends were perceived by the colonists as increasing evidence of conspiracy to deprive them of liberty and this is what ultimately led to the revolution, or so Bailyn argues. There were no less than seven such warning signs.

First, in 1763 the Anglican Church attempted to establish an American episcopate. Although many colonists were members of the Church others, such as Bostonian Jonathan Mayhew, saw the proposed episcopate as a veiled attempt to root out Presbyterianism and establish greater Crown control in the colonies. And the influential Enlightenment writers, such as Locke, warned of the oppressive effects of clergy on liberty.

Second, the Stamp Act of 1765 was seen as a danger signal of encroaching monarchal and ministerial authority. Some saw it as merely a pretense to incite revolt and thus provide a reason for intervention, while others argued it was a first small step in implementing wide-ranging restrictions on colonial behavior.

Third, extension of executive patronage throughout the colonies smacked of the corruption debilitating the home government back in London. Moreover, the officials were largely an inferior lot only too willing to bend to any and all ministerial demands.

Fourth, around this time attempts were made by colonial executive governments to undermine the colonial judicial system by refusing lifetime tenures to local judges and requests to have jury decisions open to appeal by the colonial executive authority, which was part of the colonial executive patronage system cited above.

Fifth, the power and jurisdiction of the vice admiralty courts overseeing the new rules regulating colonial trade were expanded. This issue was exacerbated by the fact that appointees were again part of the patronage system and often held multiple offices in the colonial administration, thus tightening the grip of the ministry on colonial affairs.

Sixth, the prosecution of political radical John Wilkes in London had a profound affect on the colonists' perceptions of government intension, Bailyn writes. Wilkes had fought tirelessly against Parliament's infringement on liberty and he used many of the same arguments as the colonists in excoriated the patronage system. Wilkes was deprived of his seat in Parliament even though he was fairly elected several times and he was ultimately imprisoned for his beliefs. Wilkes' arrest served as a harbinger of what was to come to those who opposed the ministry's new actions.

Finally, the arrival of British troops in Boston in 1768 at the request of colonial governor Bernard was viewed as definitive proof of a governmental conspiracy against liberty. Indeed, the presence of a standing army was widely perceived as a prerequisite for the imposition of tyrannical rule. The course of events in Denmark a century before when parliamentary liberties were curtailed still shone as a cautionary tale on the danger of executive power.

Thus, unconstitutional taxes, an invasion of placemen, encroachment of the established church, multiple office-holding by non-colonists, diluting the power of the local judiciary, the forceful suppression of Wilkes, and then a standing army - it all added to a conspiracy against liberty that needed to be opposed at the risk of life and home.

For anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of the events that led to the creation of the United States, there is no better place to start than here.

Bernard Bailyn's seminal Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece is the starting point to understanding the central theme of American political thought -- the struggle of Liberty versus Power.

In particular, it demonstrates the crucial role Cato's Letters played in shaping the minds of our Founders in formenting our American Revolution.

Read Murray N. Rothbard's four volume history of Colonial America, Conceived In Liberty, as a magnificent follow up to Bailyn's beginning.

Research on a previous project provided Bernard Bailyn an intellectual treasure trove of over 400 pamphlets, written between 1763 and 1776, from which he crafted his Bancroft and Pulitzer Prize-winning The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1992). This work, first published in 1967, remains a standard volume for students of early American studies at all university levels. Bailyn crafted a pointed examination of thoughts of American colonial leaders that culminated into the Revolution. Not only is his analysis wide-ranging, but it explores the depth and fallaciousness of eighteenth-century American revolutionary rationale with force and clarity.

Bailyn lays out the basic argument in the book's sixth sentence: "The ideology of the Revolution, derived from many sources, was dominated by a peculiar strand of British political thought" (v). Around this central thought, Bailyn details the convergence of thought that formed the colonists' case for a break from the British empire; he explains the change over time in American thinking on long-held political views; he highlights contemporary issues, i.e. chattel slavery and established religion, that gained argumentative force from the colonials' complaints against the British Parliament; and he illustrates the difficulties that Revolutionary thinking posed for participants of the Constitutional Convention who sought to replace British authority with a central American government.

The first part of the book describes the vehicle, voice, and ideological basis of the Revolution. The leaders of the Revolution propagated their thoughts through newspapers, broadsides, and almanacs. The primary writing form of the Revolution, however, was the pamphlet, which allowed polemicists of all different vocations to broaden the political debate. The American revolutionary pamphlets, though a "distinctive literature of the Revolution," had roots in seventeenth-century American sermon publishing and early eighteenth-century English polemical pamphleteering techniques.

The Revolutionary crisis did not originate during the crisis period from 1763 to 1776. Elements of the discourse had been long present in the colonies, but the post-1763 turmoil fused the ideas into "a comprehensive view, unique in its moral and intellectual appeal" (22). Bailyn nods to the intellectual influences on colonial leaders from quotations of classical writers, a rather superficial knowledge of the Enlightenment, citations of English common law, and the covenant theology of New England Puritanism. One of Bailyn's significant contributions to the present thinking on eighteenth-century American revolutionary thought is his understanding that "the ultimate origins of the this distinctive ideological strain lay in the radical social and political thought of the English Civil War and of the Commonwealth period" (34). He identifies early eighteenth-century English radical writers, such as John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon, as shaping the mind of the American Revolutionary generation more than any other single group.

Change in America did not begin to happen only with the Revolution; it began a century before and progressed slowly. Bailyn constructs an intellectual chronology of Revolutionary thought that consists of three phases, beginning with the years of Anglo-American struggle before 1776, the execution of state constitutions from 1776 through the 1780s, and the crafting and ratifying of a national constitution. The final section of the book exquisitely displays the difficulties encountered by participants at the Constitution Convention to form a federal system of government in the wake of the force of argument put forth at the Continental Congress against the encroaching powers of a central government. Bailyn's discussions of imperium in imperio bookend with sheer mastery his understanding of the entangling intellectual obstacles which American colonists laboriously yet successfully maneuvered to produce the Revolution and the Constitution.

Throughout the Revolutionary period corruption served as the greatest threat to liberty, and, according the federalist view, a constitution establishing a government endowed with the separation of powers would ensure the existence of virtue, the necessary attribute for the sustenance of liberty within a republic. One area of frustration throughout the book is the use of terms like "corruption" and "virtue" that portrays an almost given denotation of such enigmatic expressions.

A true gem within the book is Bailyn's demonstration that the colonial leaders could not contain revolutionary fervor. Opponents of chattel slavery in America and proponents of religious disestablishment used the American leaders' own arguments for freedom from the British Parliament and taxation without representation to assail the continuation of the slave trade and ecclesiastical taxation against religious dissenters.

Bailyn's The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution is nothing less than a most persuasive, brilliantly crafted work that will influence the way Americans think about the Revolution for years to come.

Bernard Bailyn's Ideological Origins of the American Revolution is a centerpiece in much, if not all, of contemporary historians' viewpoints and methodologies for understanding the philosophical constructs and ideological underpinnings of the American Revolution. It was, according to Bailyn and many learned historians, after this writing first appeared in 1967, a revolution of ideas. What Bailyn did was to read prodigious amounts of writings of the time, mostly in the form of pamphlets and synthesize the thoughts that were being discussed and written about at the time. Essentially, he put the revolution of ideas into the context of the time. That was, some forty years ago, revolutionary within of itself.

Many of today's more serious readers of the period have read much of Bailyn and Gordon Wood indirectly, if not directly reading their own work. Both have been that influential in the field. The "disappointment" in this book is caused by Bailyn's own success, ironically enough. It was his work, along with select others, who began to pay attention to history within its own context - that is what was occurring in life and politics at the time rather than a chronological and linear view of the time. More of an interdisciplinary viewpoint and, as such, more accessible to the reader. Since the time of its first publication, many others have emulated its style (a good idea) but made its rather seismic effects at the time, feel much less so today. Effectively so much hype over the years (deserved then and de rigor today) makes for more than a bit of a letdown for today's readers. That said, those truly interested in the ideas, the philosophies, and their interpretations and misinterpretations of the day are well served reading Bailyn. Others should approach the read with caution as it is fairly dense but filled with moments of sheer academic brilliance.

This is a book that all students of the American Revolution should be forced to read. Without understanding Bailyn's argument, that the "conspiracy against liberty" was the main reason why America decided to break away from the British Empire, a student will be forever lost in trying to understand the roots of the American Revolution. Almost all of the books on the outbreak of the American Revolution have had to take Bailyn's argument into consideration; so, if you're interested in the study of the American Revolution, then this book is an imperative read. Read T.H. Breen's "The Marketplace of Revolution" after this book, and you'll have a decent grasp of the roots of the American Revolution.

This book is amazing, it has helped me so much. Parts of it I felt like were my biography or something. It's just so supportive, I felt like it had an answer to everything. It was this book that made me realize (for the first time in my life) that maybe what happened to me wasn't my fault after all. I'm still learning that.
This book was ten years in the making. Instantly I knew why, it truly is amazing. It helped me so much. I'm already re-reading it. I think what I like about it the best is that you managed to include everything a young survivor needs to hear in a way that is comforting and safe.
My healing would be totally different, and probably stalled at this point, if it weren't for me having this book to read.

I love the authenticity of the stories in this book. To my knowledge, it is the first book with a healing theme that has been written with a therapist's voice giving support and explaining and breaking down issues throughout. It has universal appeal and, though it continues to be the best book on sex abuse for teenage girls, it is really appropriate to anyone healing from abuse. I am a psychotherapist and I give this book to my clients of all ages, who all heal through reading it.

I appreciate what Dr. Patti is trying to do here. I do. However, this book is laden with the myths and stereotypes survivors are fighting to overcome in their everyday life. I was extremely disappointed when I read this. The author practically says that "Date Rape" (also known as acquaintance rape, which is by far the more correct term--look up statistics if you're interested in what I mean) is often preventable. This again places the onus on potential victims/survivors to make sure they aren't assaulted. So often, those wo haven't survived a rape or assault are told they shouldn't have had that last drink, or worn a short skirt, or done ANYTHING that could have potentially put them at risk. No one ever mentions that it is a perp's decision to assault someone. She seemed to say that it wasn't the survivor's fault while simultaneously contending that rape can be prevented--and that if you put yourself in a certain position, you were in some way implicitly involved in your own assault.

She also "rates" abuse and assault. While this may seem innocent (Incest, for example, is "the deepest cut"--or wound--it's been awhile since I read it), it implies that other experiences are somehow less damaging. Isn't it more important to support all survivors than to somehow rank their experience and trauma? Who can do that, and why would we want to? Also, the ONLY example of child on child sexual interaction is in terms of "playing doctor." While it is important to differentiate normal exploration and abuse, Dr. Patti fails to include in her book an example of NONconsensual sexual interaction between children. This further promotes the idea that child on child sexual abuse cannot when occur when it can and does.

I could barely make it through this one. I wish her the best of luck, but this book really didn't do it for me. There are others out there that are much better.

Invisible girls is a great book. I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and even as an adult I found it very helpful. I am also the Founder&CEO of Safe Girls Strong Girls a 501 (c) 3 committed to Breaking the Silence on Childhood Sexual Abuse. I give this book to all girls that attend our programs. It is a great resource and allows teen girls to see that they are not alone. Terrific read and a great resource. I highly recommend it.

This book turned my life around. As a survivor of rape and abuse, I had developed many unhealthy habits such as denial and isolation. After reading this book, I felt connected to a larger community and was finally able to get some help! The stories of the girls in this book are so personal and so touching that it is easy to find strength in their struggle to heal.

But the real power of this book for me is that the individual accounts of abuse and survival are used as examples to support the chapters on each kind of abuse. These chapters are filled with information about the abuse, understanding of the typical response (did you count? detach? act out? It's all ok here.), and advise on how to work through the memories of the experience.

I would recommend this book not only to any girl who has suffered abuse, but also to anyone who knows someone who has suffered. It will help you understand the pain and bring a very hidden problem into the open where it can be fought.

For years, I thought he only great city street guide was Paris by Arrondisement. Then, I found Manhattan Block by Block and it blew me away. Yes, most of the streets in the city are orderly and addresses relatively easy to find. But when you're below 4th Street or try to determine the cross streets of addresses as you get closer to the river, our fair city is a little more difficult to navigate. Yeah, you can use Google maps on your iPhone or Blackberry, but this book is faster to use includes transportation information. Use sticky notes to make it into your own city guide. Great for tourists and residents alike.

I recently took a trip to NYC and I got this and a few other maps in advance to get to know the layout of the land. This is an excellent, detailed close-up map. It would be especially helpful for those who are moving to NYC or are there on a long trip.

If your new to visiting New York or you have been there before, this is great to have on you. I found a copy at my local library, wanted one for my trip, no one else had any in stock. Needed it in a week and Amazon delivered in two days. This is a great book, it has everything you need.

In this city, knowing EXACTLY where you're going is valuable because we are on foot most of the time: it's important to be able to plan what subway and/or bus combination it will take to get to a destination without extra walking/trudging about the city aimlessly.

Having every single major building number marked on this street atlas is also helpful as I am not the type that does the "formulas" found in the tourists' books to determine cross streets based on building numbers.

I have lived in NYC over 5 years and am astounded by the value this little book has. Buy it so you know where you're going in NYC!

I purchased this earlier this year, just prior to my trip to New York City.
It was really handy, especially considering it's size.
It's really easy to read, and it makes using the subway simple.

The street numbering is also very handy.

The book is well written and entertaining. The story was nicely presented around the letters of Mary Pringle. All the similar names of the characters make it a little confusing. A nice reference chart showing the relationship of the characters should be included at the beginning of the book. Did the author hide some things to make the family look better? I wonder. It's hard for a Northerner to muster up a lot of sympathy for this family of slave owners. Perhaps Julius, who likely became a Unionist, was the real hero of the family. It's ironic that the South nearly destroyed our country in the 1860's, but is saving it today.

Mary's World helped me to understand life in the Antebellum South and the culture that thrived on slavery. But it also showed the North's response to winning the Civil War, which was anything but forgiving. It was a thrill to see the Miles Brewton House and the St. Michael's Cemetary on my recent visit to Charleston, and to feel the connection with the Mottes, Alstons, and Pringles.

In Mary's World Richard N. Cote has succeeded admirably where so many others have tried and yet missed the mark. With his succinct style and exceptional organizational skills he has laid bare the thoughts,emotions and lives of Mary Pringle, her family and their slaves, and done so in a way that has given us a book
that is informative as well as enjoyable. By putting their lives
into context with the times Mr Cote has given the reader not only the opportunity to learn what they thought and felt but the ability to understand why they thought and felt the way they
did. This book will appeal to historians and the average reader
alike.
It took me only 2 days to read Mary's World and I found myself
so absorbed that when interrupted I was momentarily confused to find I wasn't in 19th century Charleston.

FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN ANTEBELLUM CULTURE AND THE CIVIL WAR, THIS IS A MUST READ. EVEN FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T A STUDENT OF THE ERA, "MARY'S WORLD" IS STILL A FASCINATING GLIMPSE OF THE LIFE OF AN ELITE SOUTHERN PLANTER FAMILY. TAKEN FROM FAMILY PAPERS, THE STORY OF THE PRINGLES IS A FIRST HAND ACCOUNT OF THEIR INNERMOST THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.

THE READER GETS TO WATCH WILLIAM BULL AND MARY ALSTON PRINGLE'S CHILDREN GROW UP. BY THE END OF THE BOOK YOU FEEL AS IF YOU HAVE KNOWN THEM ALL. I DREADED FINISHING THE BOOK BECAUSE I FELT AS IF I WAS LEAVING OLD FRIENDS.

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND MAKE TIME FOR THIS BOOK. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU ARE AN "ANTEBELLUM-OPHILE" LIKE ME OR NOT, THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK.

I found this book in Charleston on vacation after touring this home. I loved this book! Now I want to visit again because I am so much more invested. I read this book for pure pleasure, and di it deliver! One doesn't need to visit the south to enjoy, the book takes you there. It gives such insight to the era and history the reader gets pulled right in.

On The Loose is certainly one of the most beautiful and inspiring Books ever written. It is simple and short but packed with inspiration. This book should be taught in the schools as a nature primer...children would love it and then continue their journey into the wide world.

but encountering this book again after 35 years brings tears to my eyes.

(A note on the description: If you will examine the font in the text, it's "Tang-jar", not "Jang-jar." Tang is the orange flavored powder concentrate that the early astronauts drank in space. At least that's what the commercials said. Untold thousands of ordinary Americans drank it too.)

Excellent, quick read...wide range of quotes both poetry and proes...pics are breathtaking...these two young men have infected me with their philosophy of life.

What a treasure to find that On The Loose is still around. This book is full of wonder and joy on every page. On The Loose found me in 1967 when I was an undergraduate student. It is still with me. I was wandering and On The Loose spoke to me of the wilderness as something full of awe. This is truly a beautiful book. It continues to remind me over and over that, as I can see I will keep looking and as long as I can walk, I will keep moving. I am so happy that with the reprinting of On The Loose it will now find its way into my grown children's hands as they continue to make their way and look beyond the light and dark.

There are so many wonderful and amazing photographs and quotes in this book. This book is truly an invitation towards insights gained by looking outward and beyond. Let yourself go beyond where you can barely see. Buy this book. Always ride for the high points! This is the book to take with you.

D. Budd
Edmonton, AB Canada

If I had to choose 10 books that I would bring with me to a desert island, this would be one of them.

Wow, Joy Butler has just made our lives easier. The Permission Seeker's Guide Through the Legal Jungle is a user-friendly, detailed, wealth of knowledge for authors, producers and anyone who wants to use copyrighted material. I've written 4 books and had to wind my way through the jungle of permissions on my own, which was tedious and painful (news flash, your publisher doesn't track that stuff down for you and YOU are legally responsible for any inapporpriate use of material your use in your books and productions.) Thank you Joy for making every book I write in the future a breeze with your book now on my shelf right next to my desk.

Joy Butler's The Permission Seeker's Guide Through the Legal Jungle arrived promptly and I was blown away. The guide expertly covers rights, clearance issues, how to obtain clearance, minimizing risksThe Permission Seeker's Guide Through the Legal Jungle: Clearing Copyrights, Trademarks and Other Rights for Entertainment and Media Productions (Guide Through the Legal Jungle). It also has a section at the end for resources and forms. Butler enables the reader to navigate through complex issues with ease. Her style is comfortable. You can pick it up and read straight through or skip to the sections that are of immediate concern.

This book should be required reading for all of us creative industries. Sure wish I'd had it earlier!

Shannon Grissom
Author: Monkey Made of Sockies
Television Producer: Give Your Walls Some Soul!

This book is written for publishers, writers, visual artists, muscians, music producers, film & TV producers, producers of Web sites and software, people, celebrities, and businesses. They all have or want intellectual property, and by reading this book they can learn how the commercial licensing of intellectual property works. The book has 28 chapters:

1. Guide to using this book
3. Copyright basics
4. Trademark basics
5. Common elements of privacy, publicity & defamation law
6. Right of privacy
7. Right of publicity
8. Defamation
9. Other relevant rights & laws
16. Getting organized (to seek permission)
17. Putting your own house in order
18. Submitting the request for permission
19. Negotiating the rights agreement
27. Methods of minimizing risks
28. Dealing with lawsuits

2. Checklist of clearance issues
CLEARANCE ISSUES FOR ...
10. Publishers & writers
11. Visual Artists
12. Musicians & music producers
13. Film, TV, & audio-visual producers
14. Producers of Web sites and software
15. Business
CLEARING RIGHTS AND SEEKING PERMISSION ...
20. To use books & other printed material
21. To use visual art
22. To use music
23. To use film, TV, & video footage
24. To use Web site & software materials
25. With respect to people
26. To use trademarks, products, & locations

The numbers above correspond to the chapters as they are sequenced in the book. I have rearranged the chapters in the order in which I would have liked to have seen them included in the book. Also, I would have liked the book better if it had been split into two parts instead of six. Part A would have included the chapters "1-28" as cited herein above. And Part B would have included the chapters "2-26." As a result of the way the book was organized I almost gave it a 4-star rating. But this book really is a gem and full of content.

My favorite chapters were chapters 2 & 3 (intellectual property law) and chapters 6-9 (tort law). And chapters 18 and 19 were really good, too. Clearly much of the book is aimed at topics an entertainment lawyer handles in her legal practice. But from my perspective as a SCORE small business counselor I think chapters 3, 4, 10, 14, 15, 20, and 24-28 are the most relevant to my clients' concerns. 5 stars!

Serendipitously, I received entertainment and business attorney, Joy R. Butler's "The Permission Seeker's Guide through the Legal Jungle" when a good friend of mine was in the process of designing and launching his website. Knowing that he had some trademark issues ( he had recently come up with a logo for his goods and services and wanted to protect his intellectual property) I promptly handed over this book and awaited a detailed synopsis of his first hand experience with it.

His comments exceeded my initial impression of this guide. While my reading of the book revealed a tightly crafted compendium of situations and solutions that arise during the identification and elimination of rights clearance problems in media production ----think anything through which people communicate and express themselves i.e., film, video, television programs, newspapers, magazines, posters, computer games, comic books, paintings, photographs, fine art, advertisements, websites, sculptures, books, etc.--my friend's opinion waxed practical as he followed the steps to insure that his production contained no material that violated the rights of another person.

Specifically, he wanted to use a song and CD photo on a website that he had heard on a CD and change key lyrics to reflect and promote his product and personal enterprise. Author Butler explains how to identify the rights owner - in this case the owner of the recording and the photographer of the photograph used on the CD cover----and how to seek permission to use the music and the photo. Using Butler's techniques, my friend successfully accomplished his mission and both the edited song and the photo appear on his website without the fear of kindling a lengthy expensive and tiresome lawsuit.

Butler's guide is definitely well organized; the summary table of contents, the table of contents and the index lay out with an encyclopedic precision exactly what the book contains. She presents an overall format for using the book, defines and explains relevant rights and laws, relays clearance issues for each media type, details the process of clearing rights and seeking permission, while minimizing risks and protecting oneself from possible lawsuits. Specific information is extremely easy to find within this volume; all topics are comprehensive, well documented and easy to read and comprehend with procedural information as well as examples of up-to-date cases and court rulings.

Bottom Line? On a real and practical level, Joy R. Butler's "The Permission Seeker's Guide through the Legal Jungle" provides a wealth of information that every writer and publisher should own and reference to avoid rights clearance problems in any media production. Recommended highly for all those who need to know the law and make it work in their favor.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

Joy R. Butler is endlessly impressive as she charts and details all of the legal choices, decisions and ramifications behind being a producer: that higher stage of artist which combines talent and inspiration with the realities of the global marketplace. This is, definitely, a book for the artist who is taking their craft and their lives to that next level.

The degree to which she covers virtually every subject that could be covered re copyrights, permissions, trademarks, etc. is daunting. The book in fact is so detailed and voluminous that being shellshocked or momentarily disheartened as an artist will be inevitable. Showing once again how litigious our society is, amongst her many examples of interpretations of the law--and what artists and producers must contend with in that context--include the following: a treasured Muslim friend & assistant of Spike Lee unexpectedly suing him for the right to be considered a co-writer of his masterpiece MALCOLM X; and Eminem's fourth grade bully suing him to get a share of a song written about him being overcome later in life after it broke the Billboard charts! (And we wonder why stars can be so aloof.)

Butler does say at the outset, however, that there may be big chunks of the book not designed for you, given your artistic specialty. And indeed, every artistic specialty is covered: from visual arts to computer arts; dance to drama; music of all genres to literary works; videos to commercials, TV, cinema and documentaries.

You may walk away from this book thinking as I do: I gotta hire her as my lawyer! But either way, in the end, you'll walk away from this book feeling inspired, as the wealth of information provided supplies you with new ways to approach your work--beginning with the degree to which it is or isn't dependent on the inspiration and marketable work of others. Knowing your options regarding trademarks, copyrights, and other rights to use or transform works that have either come before you or are part of your individual and unique production teaches you how to think big time--really big time--as an artist. And helps make the inevitable success associated with taking this mindset on possible.

Highly recommended.

Yosemite is one of my favorite places and I own many books on the subject and usually am there shooting photos once a year. I love this book, first it inspires me then it teaches me and then it pushes me to go again. I hike and camp constantly and have books on the many places all over the country but this one is usually out for others to play with. If you havent been go if you have go again, it is nothing less than magnificent!!

When I went to Yosemite in 2007 I saw this book at the visitor center and picked it up. But the trip was already planned so we didn't have much time to go through the book then. This year I went to eastern Sierras and chose to drive through the park (tioga pass road). So I went through specific sections of the book and could utilize my time very well, and came back with a bunch of shots (from nearby trails, lake view points, etc.) that I would have otherwise missed. For amateur or semi-pro photographers who don't have all the time in the world, but still want to come back with memorable pics from the Yosemite park, this is a very good guide. The book includes information on visiting in various seasons, where to go for the best pics, specific info on trails and sample pics from the end of such trails, etc... but also relevant info on when and how to expect moon rises and sunrises etc., dates of full and new moons, shooting rainbows in the various falls, etc. Overall, a very valuable book in a small package that I could pack in my photography backpack easily. I wish the author had books on Yosemite, Grand Canyon etc. but I guess for now I have to buy the guides by other photographer/writers.

Even though I did not really use this book for the photography information, it has great suggstions of places to visit and good directions on how to get there. I highly recommend a trip to Sentinel Dome, what an amazing view from the top.

Whether you're an amateur or a pro, this book has a lot to offer. It's loaded with information on how and when to take fabulous pictures while you're in Yosemite. It's well organized and it's easy to read. It's loaded with beautiful photographs that serve as good examples.

It's small and can be easily packed with your stuff as you venture into the valley.

A must-have for those who are visiting the park and want to take great pictures!

There are many glowing reviews of this book and it does provide the goods on how and where to go to get good shots. The maps (5) and sections are also quite simple to read. In addition, the sequential numbering of the points of interest is a help.

I was disappointed to find so much coverage of photographic technique. While some technique discussions directly relate to the unique character of Yosemite (for example talking about color and the lack of it in granite) most of it feels more like filler, and indeed makes it harder to navigate to the sections of interest.

The book also lacks an index so the only useful navigation tool is the brief table of contents. Without that table of contents it would be hard to find any particular section and even with it, you're going to have to resort to man-made book marks to find what you want. For example if Pohono Bridge and Fern Spring caught your fancy but you didn't remember to book mark it or remember its number you'll have to resort to scanning all of the maps and/or all of the numbered interest points because despite the page of content, there is no entry for this viewpoint in the table of contents (and remember there is no index).

I would prefer the maps be all together at the front or back so that it would work better as a reference book. I would also have liked to see some more examples of "out of the way" hikes to desirable vistas.

Finally, I would like the author to have provided some sort of "effort vs eye-appeal" rating to help me focus on which sunrise locations are the "not to miss" areas and which are "ok". Perhaps the author can even suggest a few itineraries. These more useful things could replace the "choosing film" techniques section and others like it that are a bit basic and detract from the otherwise good "where and when" information.

I'm tempted to get Harold Davis's book "The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite & the High Sierra" just to make a comparison.