Open Books

I loved Macan's earlier book, "Rocking the Classics". Of all the books on progressive rock, this remains the best by far. It treats the music from a serious perspective - analyzing the key changes, the odd meters, and the science fiction and fantasy lyrics so common in progressive rock. In 300 pages, "Rocking the Classics" gives an in-depth analysis of the history and music of progressive rock.

Well, apparently Macan felt that if 300 pages is good, then 860 pages must be better. Yes, I said "860 pages". This is a book about a rock band, and it is eight hundred and sixty pages long. Yes, I know that the Amazon.com statistics claim this book is "only" 704 pages, but I have it right here in front of me, and this book has a 45-page introduction and then 815 pages of text.

Why am I focusing on the size of this book? Because it's the size of this book that sets its character. For example, in one early chapter the author discusses the Nice (Keith Emerson's band before he formed ELP). The author spends 37 pages discussing the music and the history of the Nice. Add to that the 26 pages about the first incarnation of King Crimson - and a long digression about the reasons for rock critics' passionate hatred for progressive rock - and 29 pages analyzing the output of thirteen other keyboard-based progressive rock trios - and finally, some interesting thoughts about the possible future of progressive rock - what you will find is that even if you DELETED everything about Emerson, Lake, and Palmer from this book, you'd still have a substantial book about progressive rock in general! Not the best prog book ("Rocking the Classics" still is the best), but a very good one.

But if you care about ELP, this is the BEST book that will ever be written about that band. Macan analyzes every single track on every single album - yes, even the Tracks We Don't Speak Of from the Unspeakable Album of 1978. He showers praise on the great parts, and doesn't hesitate to criticize the bad parts. And Macan's musicology is as brilliant as it was in his first book. Did you know that A-flat Major is the key in "Karn Evil 9" that represents the horrific dystopian future? You might not have known it, but you probably felt it: when Greg Lake sings "Rejoice, glory is ours..." in the Third Impression, you felt immediately that this wasn't a real victory. That's because the story is conveyed by the music, not just the lyrics. ELP's musical vocabularly draws heavily on classical music, and if you want to truly understand their music, this book is an invaluable guide. I highly recommend it.

Unless, of course, you have a blanket policy against buying eight-hundred-page books about rock bands.

Edward Macan, a musician, musicologist, and teacher, wrote an earlier assessment of progressive rock called "Rocking the Classics," which looked at the culture surrounding the genre in the United States. Now Macan presents prog rock readers with a comprehensive book that looks at the work of the proggiest rock band of the 1970's, Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Simply put, this book is a must for anyone truly interested in ELP or prog rock. A step forward from his first book, Macan's ideas are explored, backed up, and explained in a clear way, giving those interested a total view of the musical activities of Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer.

Endless Enigma begins an introduction that addresses all other books on prog: Bill Martin's and Kevin Holmes-Hudson's work especially, but also Paul Stumps' books as well. Macan answers these authors and other critics with passion and solid arguments, even if I am about 165 degrees politically from his stance. Readers new to this discourse might want to skip ahead the discussion of the band and their work.

You should be aware that Macan doesn't just give the usual "ideas" or wonky uniformed analyses one usually gets in books or discussions about rock music (i.e, the Inside Rock video series), he actually discusses the music itself. If the terms bitonality, ritornello, organum, and fugue are unfamiliar to you, you might want to have a music dictionary on hand. I would not say that you shouldn't read this book if you don't understand musical terminology, but if you do know some musicology, the text is a revelation.

I always loved ELP, and always knew their music was complex, challenging, and compelling, but I never understood why until now. Macan gives us the ELP method, or rightly, the Keith Emerson method that stood him well until he and the band deserted themselves after 1975. Fueled in part by boogie-woogie, Bach, Mussorgsky, Bartok, Bernstein, and other modernist composers, Keith Emerson carved out a unique sound from modified stride piano, percussive rythyms and conflicting keys, all the while using new sounds to do it. In the company of a great drummer, and an occasionally great bassist/guitarist, Emerson created a body of work that still moves people, at least people like Macan and Me, the former who writes a tome of this epic length, and me who practically sat down and read it from end to end, neglecting my familial duties to do so. I came away enlighted, even awed by Emerson's accomplishments.

Macan also takes on the "blues-orthodox" critics who never gave ELP a chance, a Quixotic battle, but a noble one. I don't know if it's worthwhile to give space to such proghaters as Lester Bangs, Dave Marsh, and Robert Christagau, but Macan, all too fairly perhaps, does.

Macan reviews all the pre-ELP albums of each member in detail, and then all ELP albums in exhaustive detail, giving an honest critical appraisal at all times. Listening to the tracks he discussed was a great experience. This isn't some rock critic here, this a musician. The difference is some amateur telling about how great a movie is, and a director showing you how the effects and pacing were acheived. Really good stuff, and long overdue, if you want my opinion. An imporant aspect of The Endless Engima is that Macan doesn't lessen the music by dissecting it, but makes you appreciation for Emerson grow. Is it any wonder that rock critics who knew nothing about music hated ELP? The awesome thing to consider is that music this harmonically complex sold so many copies.

Macan makes some claims that are worth exploring, such as that ELP went into decline when Emerson began emulating Copland instead of Bartok; I think that Leonard Bernstein is more of a culprit than Copland here, but that's splitting hairs. I agree, on the whole, however. Macan also, in my view, rightly shows how ELP made a terrible mistake during the Works era (1977-78) and gives an alternative ELP album that would've saved the band. I put this album together, and he is right. You'll have to read the book to get the tracks and their order.

Macan also spends some time looking at rock Organ trios like Egg, Refugee, Ars Nova, and Le Orme, picking out representative albums of each band to analyze.

Get this book. Jump in. Prepare for a ride. Maybe it's my total immersion in this book, maybe it's because I love ELP, maybe its because I'm in middle-age and look back in nostalgia to a young love, but this book has emotional and philsophical force.

ENDLESS ENIGMA: A MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY OF EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER circumvents most music group coverages both in price and in scope: a $49.95 paperback packs in over 800 pages of material on not just the band itself, but the progress and history of rock music from the 70s to the 80s. Fans saw ELP as a break-taking fusion of rock, jazz and classical elements, while critics viewed them as bombastic and confrontational. ENDLESS ENIGMA's candid rock history uses the band's progress and intentions as a foundation for analyzing rock music's history as a whole and is a 'must' for any serious music library holding.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Few books are felt as much as read, but "The English Patient" falls into this category. Like the film, it is hauntingly beautiful, but for different reasons. The story of people haunted by love and war, their damaged souls converging at a villa in Italy, remains, but the focus and method in which the story is told on paper is spellbinding and stunning.

The passages are like water moving to and fro over rocks, shifting back and forth in time so that the beauty beneath can still be seen, but as a shimmering mirage in the desert. It is a strange instance where it is almost recommended that you see the film first in order to see more clearly in your mind the characters as their stories unfold.

Whereas the film focused more on the burned Almasy and his memories of the unending African desert, where he would meet the enigmatic and beautiful Katherine Clifton, sealing the fate which would leave him a charred and hollow shell of his former self, Hanah is the centerpoint of Ondaatje's lovely poetic prose in the novel. You can almost feel the ghosts hovering over each character as Ondaatje paints a masterpiece with words.

Deeply romantic and lyrical, it is the same story, but a more impressionistic and less linear portrait of love and loss. The book is like a delicate flower just beneath the waters, its beauty evident but achingly kept just out of reach. The film brought the flower into the sun so we could enjoy its texture and fragrance in a more real fashion. Both are magnificent, just a different picture of the same flower.

If you love the film, you must read the book. It is a hauntingly beautiful novel different from anything else you'll ever read. A masterwork of rich and evocative prose that will touch the heart, an organ of fire.

If you did like the movie based on this book, you'll most probably like it. As usual, the book is better than the movie, in this case not just because it goes into detail but because of Ondaatje's style of writing. Most of the people I've given this book to read said they sometimes had to give it away for a minute just to take a new breath. It really makes yoy stop and enjoy the stong effect it has on you and wonder how someone can put the words in an order with such an effect. A beautiful story beautifully written which is a rare combination.
To make this short, if you did like Alessandro Baricco's SILK (which is my most favourite book), you'll probably like this one too and vice versa. This book is a must for all people who don't mind reading lovestories but find most of them trivial and banal. This is a book about love - strong and rare, forbidden and scathing, a life-and-death love many of us wish to find. Enjoy.

At the closing of the Second World War, amongst the chaos and destruction, four people's lives intersect at a battered villa in Italy. Each individual carries a scared past. Hana is a nurse drained from war and seeking a hideaway. When the unit she is with leaves, Hana stays behind to care for a horribly burned, enigma of a man--known only as the English patient--who fell from the sky with a fiery crash into the desert. Later, a scarred thief named Caravaggio and a bomb-wary sapper cross into their lives. Each stranger unfolds and slowly is given character. Laced with the current story is that of the bed-ridden English patient; haunted by his ghosts, whose constant recanting gives light to a dazzling tale of the obsession of love for a woman and passion so strong it is worth betrayal.
Many abstract memories of each character interlace into the main tale, which many readers are discouraged by. If a reader takes the time to understand and pay close attention to detail, the story unfolds brilliantly. The characters are some of the most human and diverse that have been crafted. It is introspectively healing, but more importantly it is a tale about love and the obsession that it brings, including the human need and lust for it. This story is for meticulous, passionate readers, seeking to simply looking for the human truth about love and pain. I enjoyed this book and have granted a special place for it as one of my favorite books of all time.

This book is gold, not only did it answer a lot of my questions about some specific technologies like Red5 and Flash-Develop, but it also gave me a very detailed introduction to AMFPHP. Most of all, a new found respect for Apache Ant.

The book tried to cover so many different topics and so many different aspects of Opensource flash development that it was difficult to jump though the book. A lot of the concepts were basic and meant for a beginner, nevertheless this book will guide you in the ways of creating a open-source development environment more effectively then you would ever be able to discover yourself. Personally I would have liked to see more as3, however they kept it nice and 'open' so that anyone could learn from it.

Overall, this book is getting a 5 because even though some of the content was a little dated.(Like any book) the concepts that it offered were solid. This book was a rare one because I was able to read though it easily. It held my interest the entire time.

Open Source Flash Development is an excellent book for Flash developers that want to enhance their data-driven Flash applications. It covers the most essential about the so presently so used swfObject, AMFPHP, SWXPHP, Papervision3D, RED5 and many more! This book was indeed a must for me, therefore I strongly recommend it.
Carlos Amaral (Lusoned Interactieve Media, The Netherlands)

I saw one copy of this at Powell's Technical Books in Portland yesterday, and picked it up, figuring it was new. It was--just published in the last few weeks. I haven't delved into it as much I would like, but that doesn't matter here because I carefully reviewed the contents before purchase.

So: why buy this book? If you're working with Flash and ActionScript 3.0 currently, you know the Flash world is a moving target that changes very rapidly, and the main reason for this is the addition of open-source tools and "classes." This book gives us a needed status-check on what's currently available, how to get it and how to use it.

In my case, I was mostly interested in Papervision3D, the Google add-on that has rapidly gone from cute curiosity to must-have in every Flash developer's bag of tricks. However, you don't really need this book for Papervision3D--there's plenty of documentation available online.

Likewise, if all you really want to know is how to implement SWFObject (a popular add-in that lets you update a Flash element by updating your html or external text file), or how to make Flex work with XML, you may not need or want this book.

But if you like to read about some fun new stuff that's available and that you might like to explore--all of kinds of mashups, FUSE, HAXE, Red5 video--then grab this book right away. It's readable, fresh, and informative--like most Friends of ED books. Also like most other Friends of ED books, it will rapidly go out of date as the moving target moves on!

This is an awesome book. It's got all the songs off the album and color pictures. It's even got lyrics for all the songs printed separately. This is a must buy if you're a Evanescence fan!!

excellent! it is easy to read, and whilst it doesn't sound 100% right, its still awesome to rock out to.

Upon purchase of Evanescence's "The Open Door" album,I was startled by the sheer heights of it's imaginative force. Particularly outstanding,I felt,were Amy Lee's arrangements on the piano. So,I knew then and there,that "hey. it'd be really cool to learn this stuff." And so,I did. =]] Well,with the aid of this book I did. It's so inexpensive,just get it! It's well worth more than what you pay for it! Also,hehe,in March,I got my copy signed by Amy Lee herself after their gig in Little Rock,Arkansas. Alright,that's all. It's an amazing book. Get it.

AS "EYES WIDE OPEN: WHAT THE LIBERALS DONT WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT HOW AMERICA WORKS", IS NOT YET AVAILIBLE IN STORES AND HAS BEEN SHIPPED VIA DIRECT SOLICITATION ONLY, THE REVIEW BY JAMES SCHIFELING WAS ACCOMPLISHED APPARENTLY WITHOUT ACTUALLY READING THE BOOK. SUCH A NAUGHTY LIBERAL, YOU GOT CAUGHT !

At first glance, this book appears to be a book on philosophy. But after reading the first two chapters, I realized that this book says a whole lot about our American economy. As a former banker and current stay-at-home-mom, I find Smith's book very enlightening and am enjoying reading it. His personal anecdotes have made the book a pleasure to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in investing for their future.

This book is intense and refreshing. David Smith illuminates
everything from how the capital markets work to the sales process to
current politics using humor and easy to understand explanations. I
agree completely with him that Americans are continuing to shirk
personal responsibility and that liberals are nurturing this attitude.
I was haunted by the evidence Mr. Smith gives of the softening of
America. Although this book deals with serious subjects, I found
myself chuckling at his personal stories and cutting wit. After
experiencing the recent Presidential election I thought I had heard
every Democrat vs. Republican angle, but Eyes Wide Open provides a
unique insight into current American politics. An excellent read with
a totally original writing style!

This book opened my eyes to the current economic situation we face as Americans today. It is very logical and surprisingly made sense of the point it was moving across.

I've finished my second read of this very provocative and convincing book! It's apparent that a lot of time, effort and most notably passion went into the creation of this book. Having a young child myself and another one on the way has made me more aware and concerned for their futures. I've never been interested in politics or economics so I admittedly was very ignorant when I began reading the book. So I appreciated the explanations on terms, background information, and details throughout the book which I found imperative to fully understanding the theory and its implications. Every piece of the theory was backed up by factual information that is all publicly available to validate. Every possible rebuttal was thoroughly thought out and explained. As I was reading I would think to myself "But what about..." and on the next few paragraph the answer would be evident.

It really hit home. Currently I am involved in finding resources to complete a software development project. I first started with a reputable U.S. based company and the estimate was 1,300 hours @ $150.00/hr ($190,000). Uncomfortably I also got quotes from two other non U.S. based companies (one based in India, and one based in South America). The one in India was $25.00/hr ($32,500) and South America was $45/hr ($58,500). From my experience the language and cultural differences will make this difference negligible in the long-term but most decision makers are short-sighted when it comes to money. After reading the book all I could think of was that this is just taking more jobs away from Americans. I thought about how we are taking the unemployment/poverty of other densely populated nations that we do "free trade" with. It just doesn't "feel" right.

I live in Ohio and I do notice the overcrowding. I've noticed for quite some time and it just didn't "feel" right. I say this again because I believe the author is correct in stating that Americans should trust their gut. "We" know something is wrong but most likely feel absolutely powerless to do anything about it. But as the book mentioned the thought would soon pass and I would go on with my busy life. A very profound statement from the book that really shook me at the core was "At current population growth rates, in only 80 years the world population will have soared by 160% to nearly 17 billion people and all of the remaining land capable of being farmed will be needed to produce food, wiping out all remaining forest and woodland." Do I want my children living in a word like this? I don't.

I, for the sake of my children and their children, can only hope that that this Theory will get noticed and that we may all sound one or two short blasts passing gracefully by avoiding this apparently eminent collision. Thank you for the sacrifices you have made (especially with regard to time) in doing your best to sound the alarm!

POWERFUL!!! A provocative book that will leave the reader questioning the course of the American Dream. Pete Murphy has written a factual and intelligible book on the state of our economic future and quality of life. Highly recommended for anyone concerned about his/her future happiness. Bravo to the author and his theory.

The recent implosion of the AFL-CIO with three major unions seceding has turned this fascinating historical perspective on the Building Trades Unions decline into must reading to understand current events.

When I got a copy of "Freedom In The Workplace" by Samuel Cook, I put it aside thinking that it was a history of the Associated Builders and Contractors and that I would read it when I had the time.

I was sadly mistaken! When I finally did get around to taking a look at it, I wished that I had put it on the top of my reading list the moment it arrived.

This book is a sheer delight for anyone interested in labor unions. It is a history of the ABC but it is much, much more than that. It is a romp through the history of labor law and unionism (with a strong emphasis on construction) told by an excellent writer with much first hand experience. Sam Cook was the general counsel to the ABC during the tumultuous years.

It is lovable in parts when it quotes union bosses in dialect like, "as long as I'm da business manager ah dis Council in no way - an' I mean, in no way - will Philly or da close counties become anotha Balimore."

As if that weren't enough, almost every page has a pithy quote from sources ranging from Sophcles "Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law," to Rodney Dangerfield "Sometimes life is a bowl of pits." There must be almost a thousand of these little gems and they alone are worth the price of the book.

"Freedom in the Workplace" goes way beyond a history of the ABC. The chapter on "Bombs, Briefcases and the Cycle of Liberty" takes a broad philosophical view of the organized labor, politics and the future.

The "Freedom in the Workplace" is extensively indexed, which is a great help to people like me who start reading a book from the index. But once I got started it was hard to put it down. It is also extensively footnoted and will serve as a reference for a wide variety of scholarly, legal and political interests.

If you are at all interested in labor unions, you owe it to your self to get and read "Freedom in the Workplace." The people most in need of it, unfortunately, may not buy it so consider getting two copies and giving one to a construction union official or a lawyer who represents unions. Better yet, buy three and send one to the library at your alma matta. You can just bet that this book isn't going to be high on the list for library acquisitions for most liberal academics.

David Y. Denholm
President
Public Service Research Foundation

This piece of literary genius is a must read for students and workers in both the public and private sectors who value our free enterprise system. Mr. Cook, through personal and historical documentary, chronicles the many struggles faced by Americans in their quest for freedom in America; namely among our most precious freedoms...the right to work. A valuable lesson underscoring our fundamental rights under the constitution, this book provides exemplary leadership principles for those in virtually every segment of our society.

A remarkable description of the basic personality and family mechanisms involved in teenage mental disorders and their anorectic expression.

This book was extremely informative about the underlying causes of eating disorders. It gave me a better understanding for how they can develop in the home, how parental pressures at a young age can have a huge influence, and also supports the fact that you don't have to have a tragic up bringing to be subject to an eating disorder.

empathic portrayal of anorexia nervosa by a pioneer in the field; it has human descriptives of everything characterized scientifically in textbooks and journals.

This truly is the best novel I've read in a while. It seems dense at first, but goes fast - once I past the half-way point I couldn't put it down. The style is descriptive, but not too thick. Every point is there for a reason. The stories in this book were on my mind for days once I reached the end. I was so emotionally attached to the story line that I was quite disapointed to be finished with it. For the first time in a long time I can say that I will be reading this book again & cannot recommend it highly enough. thank you!!

This is a tense and gripping book. The characters are revealed in a paced, measured way. Brumbaugh's wry humor and sensitivity in his portrayal of the lost souls who form the subject matter of the novel makes great reading. Highly recommend it.

This is a great book. It is sometimes really funny and sometimes really sad and always beautiful. The writing and the characters (like people you might know but just a little more unique and extreme) make it hard to put the book down once you start reading.

I absolutely love every part of this book. It is wonderful! A must have for all moms or moms to be. Great baby shower or mother's day gift.

I just had the great pleasure of opening the package that contained this beautiful, beautiful book. If you get it, you'll own something you'll want to keep for a long time, and in an easy-to-reach place so you can lift your spirits often. From the photo on the cover, page after page of more exquisite exquisite photos, page after page of wisdom, the touching act of women caring for women, the enlightened act of supporting mothers in the most important job of all time... I could go on. This beautiful creation moved my heart. I can't think of a more perfect gift for anyone with or expecting children.

This book is so amazing! It makes a GREAT Mother's Day present! I sent it to a friend who is expecting and she is thrilled! The photographs are beautiful but what makes this book so special is that it gives real advice on how to go beyond "coping" and how to ENJOY the journey of being a mom!!