American Books

I just finished reading Frank Nappi's first novel after hearing about the second one, which is being released this April. I usually only read baseball novels, but I figured I'd give this WWII one a shot while I wait for the next one, The Legend Of Mickey Tussler, which sounds like a fabulous baseball classic. This book is all that everyone before me has said. It is powerful, well written, and informative. I honestly think that it reads just like a movie would play out. I saw everything so clearly in my head. If The Legend of Mickey Tussler is even half as good, I will be a very happy camper!

Yes, I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read. I don't understand all the gushing reviews. I did not find the book emotionally stirring. Nor did I find the writing that compelling. If you are looking for a great book on a soldier's journey in WWII -actually a pilot- I recommend "In the Shadow of War" by Childers. If you want a truly lyrical novel of a soldiers travails during war -in this case WWI- I would recommend "A Soldier of the Great War" by Helprin.

I decided to pick up a copy of Echoes from the Infantry. Echoes is not a genre that would typically call out to me while browsing the shelves but I was glad I was able to break away from Oprah's book club, if only for the weekend. Usually anything with war gets crossed off my reading list, but it was well worth the departure.

Nappi tells the story of James McCleary, a World War II veteran who survives the horrors of war, but he's haunted by guilt and memories for many years to come. Nappi's writing is so eloquent; I often read sentences twice, just to absorb the impact. While at war, McCleary encounters a young girl standing over her deceased grandmother which he tries to forget but, Nappi writes, "She was always there, a restless soul, just like him, sustained forever by the enduring vitality of his memory." Before reading this story, I had never considered how a sharp memory could be such a curse to a war veteran.

The story toggles back and forth between war time and present day. During war time, the character development is so rich that the soldiers begin to remind me of people I know. Although the war details are at times disturbing, Nappi weaves in enough beauty to balance out the horrors. The soldiers at one point are described as lying there, "clutching the ground like orphans seeking refuge in the maternal folds of the earth." I am reminded that, despite the historical subject matter, Nappi is indeed an English teacher. Only a master of the language can come up with image-inspiring similes like that (at least I think that's a simile).

It takes me a while to realize why this book struck such a cord with me. Beyond the beautiful language and the true to life the characters is an incredibly moving story. My husband is shocked to see me flipping through the pages of a historical fiction novel so quickly (he can't get me to watch a minute of the history channel). He smiles knowingly as I read parts aloud to him, love letters. Echoes may be historical fiction but in the end, it's a love story, not just between husband and wife, but father and son. I think it's a story about forgiveness, of ourselves and others. I wonder how many men and women returning from war have stories like McCleary's, and are now battling guilt and shame within themselves.

The only time I really think about what it must be like to be a veteran returning from war is when I see those signs hanging from the parkway overpass welcoming home a soldier from Iraq, or when we adopt a soldier at Christmas time and send over a basket of cheer. This book made me examine my conscience and think about how I will honor our war veterans, past and present, and more importantly how I will teach my students to do the same. I have always thought there is no better way to teach a lesson than through a wonderful story. This story taught me a thing or two about patriotism that will long be echoing through my mind.

James McCleary has been attempting to put the horrors of the battlefield behind him for years. Unfortunately, his sordid tries have fallen flat, and the days of battle are still ingrained in his mind, rearing their evil heads at the worst possible times. All John McCleary wants, on the other hand, is to know his father. The father who has cast him aside. Who has refused to learn more about him. Who has refused to let anyone in. Memory has left James trapped in a world of his own. A world where he is locked inside his own mind, where the only person who is permitted entry is himself. He cannot embrace his wife, nor his children, he can only sit and ponder what happened out there. Out on the battlefield all those years ago. While James is in this infirmary of a world, John is in his own place. For John is wrestling with the memories of a life with a man he calls his father. A man he is related to - flesh and blood - but who he knows nothing about, and, in return, a man who knows nothing about him. Now, the death of John's mother has begun to change things. Suddenly, the two men, father and son, are being brought together for a final exchange. As John begins searching through family heirlooms and artifacts in his parents attic, he suddenly begins finding missing pieces to the puzzle. A puzzle that will give him a glimpse into the frozen battlefields that have left his father eternally scarred mentally, and of a secret romance that kept him whole as he traveled through wartime Europe, fighting for our country.

I will admit right off the bat that I don't normally read books in this particular genre, and rarely read anything related to war - fiction or non. However, I was sucked in by Frank Nappi's ECHOES FROM THE INFANTRY from the very first paragraph. Nappi's descriptiveness is uncanny, and hard to resist, from the way that he illustrates the lasting effects of war, and how it can tear apart a family; to the flashbacks of various war scenes that can easily choke the reader up. Nappi's character development was also a shining point throughout this particular novel, as it showed the maturation of characters as realization dawned on them regarding different situations, while at the same time gave them the chance to learn more about their family's history by "digging through the past," as opposed to confronting various people to learn more about their father's heroic, yet troubled life. Whether you're a fan of war novels or not, Frank Nappi's ECHOES FROM THE INFANTRY will leave a lasting impression upon you, and have you wiping a tear from your eye once the book is complete.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

It's easy to overlook writing flaws when a story like this is so good. I can't knock this book in any way. It was a well thought out story with an unpredictable ending. I would tell you in advance that the story jumps back and forth from present time to WW2 quite often so be prepared. Some of the time the authors transitions weren't done that well and a few more narrative set ups would have been nice but I was never lost except in the comfort of the story. I would recommend and I personally look forward to reading his second book whenever it comes out. He has a lot of potential.

My book of the latest coin values arrived in excellent condition and expeditiously. The book has proven to be a practical and user-friendly reference source and guide to the most current US coin values.

There is no better guide for the novice or professional coin collector. Reliable information and up to date pricing.

This is the first book a person should buy when entering into coin collecting. It gives a base to prices and where one might start.2008 Guide Book of Us Coins Redbook (Guide Book of United States Coins)

This is a very comprehensive, filled with pictures, easy to understand and follow guidebook for a beginner, as well as a serious collector.

I ordered this book for my son as he is beginning coin collecting. He took up that interest after seeing the collection that my grandfather handed down to me. The book was perfect for showing him what these coins are worth today.

I read this book many years ago and it really hit me hard. I was a Navy Aircrewman who had been through SERE school. The courage and determination of LT Lance Sijan was incredible. I believe you can only relate to his story if you have in the Military and the sacrifices we make every day or have family or a loved one who has been in. I recommend this book for any Military Aviator.

The story moves along quickly. Its not a book you are going to struggle to finish. It will hold your attention and is a great motivational story as far as will and mental toughness are concerned.

I read this story years ago and remember being inspired by the courage of this young man. One reviewer stated that his plane was shot down, I thought that the bombs he was dropping detonated prematurely and caused the crash. Regardless, it's a great story about a guy who never gave up.

I was a young Air Weapons Controller stationed in Southeast Asia during the time of Lt. Sijan's shootdown. However , it wasn't until much later, when I read "Into the mouth of the Cat", that I came to understand what a truly amazing person Lance P. Sijan was. I have since given each of my son's copies of the book, so that they, too, could read about what the definition of an american hero really is. Some of the comment's logged in this forum question his motivation for continuing to try to escape...they need to read the Code of Conduct that those of us in the military tried very hard to live by. Many of the POW's found it almost impossible to abide by every code, and understandably so. Some of the torture tactics that were administered by the enemy, no mortal could withstand. Lance P. Sijan came as close as any human being could, and ultimately died from it. If one longs to find someone that truly lives up to the definition of "Hero", they should look no further than Lance P. Sijan. He has been my hero for many years. Mike Carbonneau, Firebase Sharana, Afghanistan, Aug. 2008

While in the USAF, back in 1987, I had first read this book. This is the type of book, that, when you begin to read it, you cannot put it down until it is finished. The author writes in a very easy to read style, no "big" words, but, is very descriptive and detail orientated in his telling of Sijan's heroism. Although, this is a war "related" story, I feel that it is not a "War Story". Malcolm McConnell, through his attention to detail, chronicles the extremely brave and selfless actions of an otherwise ordinary man from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After I had originally read this, 1987, I was so overwhelmed by the author's accurate depiction of what had been "Folk Lore" in the Bay View area of Milwaukee. Because of this book, I have always thought of Sijan, and all that he had endured, whenever an obstacle or challenge is placed before me. This is a very inspirational book. As I was driving on Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View, I passed by a Flag that is displayed right next to the road, in a little ballpark that is named Lance Sijan Field. And, every time that I pass it, I instinctively Salute. But, this time, I also bought this book, actually, four, one for my Father, two for my Brothers, and, of course, one for myself. By the way, this time, again, I had also read it in one sitting!

Superb! An excellent story based on reality. You feel like if Dr. Sharma was at your side telling. Thinking....

I was born in Burma (post independence era) of Indian Descendants. I would love to read this book but at the same time I am concern that I might get too sad for it would remind me about the Japanese Occupation era in Burma that costed my grandfather's life (for no good reason). May be I will read it someday when I can handle the pain a little better.

This book caught my attention as one of the very few books written on the traumatic events in India/Burma/Pakistan during the post ww ii era. I did not expect a lot from the faded cover and even the beginning - a somewhat prosaic/english-composition like narrative that moved but was not particularly great language wise. But the characters developed as i went along, and the writer has an amazing knack of weaving together their story, although it goes down stereotyped lanes sometimes. The essence of this book is the basic message of tolerance and simplicity of narrative on a difficult/complex subject. That in itself keeps one absorbed in it until the very last page.

Prem Sharma's story had me mesmerized from the first paragragh. I felt as though I was sitting with him as he told the story of Devi Lal and his family. Prem Sharma is a modern day freedom fighter, using his intellect and the written word instead of the fists and lathis of his youth. The effect of Gandhi's teaching is evident throughout the story. Can't wait for the sequel!

It all started when I was assigned to write a Senior paper on the little known country of Burma. In search of literature, art, history and economics I found Mandalay's Child and Dr. Prem Sharma. This book is an amazing piece which inspired a theme that I worked through my paper: suffering and hope.

In November of 2000, I had to pleasure of meeting Dr. Prem Sharma when he was in my area and visited my class at school. He talked to us about having respect for all people and their personal/religous beliefs and how important it was to realize that fighting does not help situations. Dr. Sharma, who lived in Burma during World War II, was forced to leave with his family because of the Japanense threat to the Burmese people. He moved with his family to India, but here found himself amongst the battle between the Hindus and the Muslims for Pakistan and India.

This book is truly a magnificent piece of work and something that all people, whether interested in Burma or not, should read. It gives insight into the lives of the Burmese people, the struggle for their freedom through war, and things that Dr. Sharma has witnessed in his life since the piece is partially biographical. The story is composed in a way so that the reader truly becomes attached to the family in the story. The power that this novel has over the reader is amazing -- you will shed some tears at least twice!

Dr. Sharma was a wonderful man to meet in person. He appeared very open to comments and questions about his novel and his homeland of Burma. As I correspond with him in Wisconsin through letters, I find that he is one of the most amazing people I have met in my life because of his talent and what he has been through.

As I anxiously await the publication of Dr. Sharma's other parts to the trilogy I urge everyone to pick up this novel and read it for a true experience of Burma and wonderful writing!

Reviewed by Anne Marie Medema (age 12) for Reader Views (7/08)

Mary O'Hara is an excellent author because she ties in real things that happen into a fictional family. The breeds of horses O'Hara writes about are real and it is obvious she is educated in each horse's individual characteristics. O'Hara writes using authentic western language terms. In "My Friend Flicka" the story comes alive to the reader as O'Hara writes with much description about the farm, the horses and life out West. O'Hara weaves into her story punishment and reward in real times -- the reward of a boy's joy when he finally receives his filly.

Can you tame a wild heart? The cover states it well. This question explains "My Friend Flicka" to the reader. It is a book about taming both a young boy and a horse. The storyline begins with Ken on a horse ride. While riding, Ken loses many different horse articles. Ken's father had been an army officer and thus raised Ken with firmness and strictness. He demanded respect. Ken has always been dreaming of a horse of his own.

Due to poor grades in school and a missed assignment about horses Ken must repeat a grade in school. His father requires Ken to complete an hour of homework a day throughout the entire summer. Ken's brother gets him in trouble by asking many questions that Ken must answer and tell the truth.

One day Ken scares his father's horses towards a landslide. One horse cuts the other horses off so none of them fall off and are saved. Ken's mother encourages his father to give his son a horse. Ken's father finally gives him a chance to care for a colt or filly. Ken chooses a colt that is a yearling. Since there are many yearlings to choose from, Ken anxiously awaits to make a choice.

The doctor arrives at their farm because four horses need to be gelded. Gelded means the horse can not reproduce and is done to the stallions. The procedure was so horrible and so much blood lost that one of the horses dies due to the gelding. The colts act sad after the gelding. Ken is greatly disturbed by it. This incident means Ken will choose a filly for his horse.

Rocket is a wild horse who has a filly named Flicka. Ken sees Flicka and falls in love with her and wants her. Flicka is caught for Ken. One day Flicka falls sick. After she is sick, Ken finds Flicka in a river lying down ill on a cold night. By the morning, Ken is sick and Flicka's fever is gone. Ken's father wants to kill Flicka but decides against it. Flicka turns into a well-bred horse and a companion for Ken. Flicka and Ken grow up together and learn life lessons from each other.

"My Friend Flicka" by Mary O'Hara is a great book I would recommend for young and old alike. Boys and girls who have a love for ranches, horses and the outdoors would particularly enjoy the storyline. I have read many books in my life time and I rank this one as one of the best. Break-in a book called "My Friend Flicka" and gallop away from the world.

I have to give this book 5 stars. Mary O'Hara wrote an incredibly beautiful story about a struggling family. Many of the details of the story are so true to life. As an adult reading this story, I found the details about the parents to be more interesting than the story of the horse and the boy. O'Hara really understands the concerns of a parent for a struggling child and it's very true to life in the book. Many important issues are touched upon in this book too; responsibility for our domestic animals, love for people and animals, doing our duty in our every day life are all there with out being mushy and sentimental. O'hara also paints a vivid picture of Wyoming and old-time ranch life. It makes me wish it was still like that, so I could visit it. This is another great book for a read aloud family time.

This is a very good book. My granddaughter really enjoyed it.

Although he made his audio book debut just two readings ago, stage, screen and television actor Michael Louis Wells is in full command of the metier with his narration of the classic My Friend Flicka. Many will remember the story as a film with Roddy McDowall, as a TV series or as a current film. Wells is on a par with all of the actors who have undertaken bringing this touching tale to life. The reason for the story's many incarnations is obvious - it is one of our best-loved books and well deserves its place among others that are enjoyed from generation to generation, such as Treasure Island and Mutiny on the Bounty.

Pivotal to O'Hara's story is Ken and his seeming laissez faire attitude. Where his mind is his father, Rob, certainly doesn't know. He's a young boy who would much rather just look out a window than study his arithmetic. He should have studied because his report card is so poor that he's doomed to repeat a grade. Rob undoubtedly wonders whether he'll even catch on the second time around.

Their home is Wyoming's Goose Bar Ranch and Rob is working hard to make a go of it. He doesn't need a son who seems given to daydreams. Then, along comes Flicka, a beautiful chestnut filly, with a wild streak inherited from her sire. Ken is certain he can tame Flicka, and so begins the unforgettable relationship between a boy and his horse.

O'Hara wrote a follow-up to her story, Thunderhead, but it never achieved the popularity of My Friend Flicka, a timeless story to be enjoyed over and over again.

- Gail Cooke

I am in the middle of lstening to this book. Its detailed descriptions of ranch life and horses are quite compelling. But what surprised me was the absolutely accurate description of a boy with ADD. This book was written some two decades before attention deficit disorder gained anyone's attention, but O'Hara's descriptions of Ken's behavior are absolutely consistent.

And then O'Hara answers the question of what to do about the condition: give the kid something he really wants to do and stand back. Of course, it helps that Ken has two wise and good-hearted parents; but then, maybe that is the start to solving most problems that children have.

A fine book on many levels, and a fine companion on the road for adult and child.

First, Jonathan Eig is a tremendous writer! He does have a tendency to detour along tangential lines, but that adds to the richness and backdrop of the drama that was experienced by Jackie Robinson. Eig transforms history into humanity with cameo appearances by icons such as Babe Ruth, Malcolm X, and Sidney Poitier. I felt the sense of pride that African Americans of mid 20th century America must have felt. It bolstered the idea of "Only in America". This was a civil rights story before Till, Brown v. Board.., Parks, and King. I hurt with Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, and a litany of other Negro Leagues stars born "out of season". I smelled the hot dogs of Ebbets Field. I met and loved Branch Rickey. I watched Pee Wee Reese, Eddie Stanky, and Dixie Walker and many others mature. I adored Jackie Robinson for his talent and demeanor. All courtesy of Jonathan Eig, who BROUGHT IT!

Jonathan Eig is developing an expertise at rehabilitating hackneyed young-adult biography heroes. First with Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig and now with "Opening Day", Eig takes a baseball player whose legend has become tarnished by excessive praise, and retells the story from its original context, restoring a sense of wonder.

The story of Jackie Robinson has with time become a story about the heroism of Jackie's white teammates. History now tells us that they bravely accepted and embraced him, over society's disapproval at the ending of baseball's color line. At least, that's how Eig first approaches and then rewrites the tale. In "Opening Day", the spotlight rightly shifts back to onto Jackie himself, as well as to his wife Rachel, the rock at the center of his life. We hear from Jackie himself via contemporary interviews and from his assigned beat-writer from the black press.

The discussion of Jackie's acceptance among his teammates is limited to how they did not in fact accept Jackie as one of them: Eig fails to uncover any evidence that the rest of the Dodgers tried to socialize with or befriend Jackie in any meaningful way once they stepped off the field.

Branch Rickey, who gets rightful credit as the man who integrated baseball, is also shown as the shrewd businessman he is, in both the good and bad sense. Rickey was the executive who refused to trade one of Jackie's most vocal teammate critics, realizing that his pennant hopes resided in that man's bat. He further refused to give Jackie a significant raise for 1948 even though Jackie's presence generated value in publicity and gate that far exceeded his meager rookie paycheck.

Most compellingly, Eig retells the story of the 1947 season month by month, primarily through contemporaneous newspaper accounts. We see the variable way Jackie was treated by the press, and whose agenda affected which stories. A national publication tried to anoint Spider Jorgensen, a strictly league-average third baseman, as the league's top rookie, in a veiled slap at Jackie's aggressive Negro League style of play. We also learn things not commonly told: we know, for example, that Larry Doby was the second black baseball player in 1947, but Eig goes further and tells us who came third and fourth (a cynical move by the St. Louis Browns), and which white owners opposed integration in the disingenuous name of preserving the Negro Leagues.

"Opening Day" could stand to go farther and tell a bigger story. Jackie's post-1947 career and personal life is shunted into a brief epilogue that hints at a possible second book of equal depth. Of course, the space within "Opening Day" is well used: the three chapters devoted to the 1947 World Series are well researched and lively told. Even in a book about Jackie Robinson, the other unlikely heroes and goats of that series (Bill Bevens, Cookie Lavagetto, Al Gionfriddo) still deserve their space.

A complex, nuanced portrait of Jackie Robinson, told with stunning detail and insight into the first black man to play major league baseball in the 20th century. As an historical account, this book goes beyond myth and revisionist morality to create what feels like a genuine account of a complicated man in a complicated place. As a baseball book, it is wonderfully expansive on an important era with lots of legendary players. As a literary work, it is a top-notch narrative told in an elegant, rhythmic cadence. It also gets high marks for journalistic technique and style. If all writers of sport possessed Jon's rare combination of gifts, the genre would be a lot richer.

This is the second book that I have read from author Jonathan Eig. The first, Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig, was such a great retelling of the life of the Iron Horse, that my expectations when picking up Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season were quite high.

Opening Day is the story of Jackie Robinson's first year in the majors, and the challenges he faced when he became the first black American to play Major League Baseball. Any true fan of baseball knows the story of Jackie Robinson, his importance to the game and the lasting impact he has had on the United States. But, Eig manages to provide a fresh look at this historical year, focusing not only on the challenges and bigotry that haunted Robinson, but also on the lives that he touched in 1947 and for years to come.

One of the more intriguing stories from the book was that of Jackie's teammate Dixie Walker. When Robinson's Dodger teammates were informed that he was coming up from the Montreal Royals to play with the team, Walker wrote the team's general manager, Branch Rickey, asking for a trade. There were also rumors that he led an effort by the Dodger players to get Jackie off the team. Dixie always denied the accusation, but nonetheless, he was basically a self-proclaimed bigot - worried about what his family and friends in Alabama would do if he played alongside a black man.

Like authors before him, Eig could have easily cast Dixie as the villain of the story. But instead, he details how playing with Jackie helped Walker evolve into a better man. Within time, Walker started to respect Jackie for his toughness and determination. He started giving Jackie pointers on how to improve his game, and later in 1947, he stood up for him (along with all of Jackie's other teammates) when opposing teams would hurl racial epithets at Jackie. Robinson made Walker start to question his views on minorities and Walker came to realize what he learned about blacks while he was growing up was wrong. After that, Walker played with, coached and managed black players throughout the rest of his career, and later said Jackie was "as outstanding an athlete as I ever saw."

This is just one example of the impact that Jackie had on the lives of others. Stories are sprinkled throughout the book about the significant impression he left on his teammates, other players in the league, broadcasters, league executives - and most importantly, the next generation of black Americans who would continue the struggle for equality in America.

Opening Day, definitely lived up to my expectations and surpassed them, and I highly recommend it for any fan of baseball and/or American history - and to anyone who is interested in understanding the important role Jackie Robinson played in the evolution of the United States.

Eig's extensive research and thoughtful treatment of Jackie Robinson does not vary or question the general truth of his legend: Robinson played the game well under tremendous pressure with little or no support and demonstrated in the process the skill and courage that entitled blacks to equal opportunity. But Eig does add some new perspectives that make the legend far more interesting.

First is the general unpleasantness of Robinson. He's like Pete Rose in his burning desire to win at all costs and would rub some people the wrong way regardless of his color.

Second and perhaps most important is Eig's ability to introduce more subtlety into the story. Eig destroys the legend of Pee Wee Reese publicly encouraging Robinson on the field in the face of racial abuse. That did not happen, at least not in 1947. Robinson is utterly alone in 1947 and has to prove himself to his teammates. Branca is the only guy to make a point of shaking his hand when he first appears, which adds to Branca's own legend as a man of character, but even Branca essentially ignores him for much of the season. Some of this is racial, of course. But some of it is the culture of baseball: a rookie must prove himself.

Robinson's ability to peform in these circumstances, under the most tremendous pressure possible, adds to his legend and makes his 1947 season perhaps the most admirable of all seasons. Eig is also good at introducing subtlety into the legends surrounding Robinson's oppressors. There is some rumbling on the team, but that quickly dissipates. Most interesting is the role of star player Dixie Walker. Walker felt compelled by his southern roots, and by his desire not to have his business punished in the south, to make a point of objecting and asking for a trade. But thereafter, he drops the protest. The problem for Robinson was not simply the obvious bigotry, but his freeze-out by the rest of his team until he could prove himself under the most trying of circumstances. Walker may have given Robinson a few batting tips and may have dropped his trade demands, but neither he nor anyone else took Robinson under his wing. Even in baseball's demanding culture of ritualized abuse of rookies, a rookie will eventually be taken under someone's wing. Robinson did not have that benefit.

The protests of other teams has also been exaggerated. It appears that there were some murmuring on the Cardinals to try to boycott Dodger games, but that fizzled before it started. The Phillies were grossly racist in their bench jockeying, but backed off early in the season. The Yankees in the 1947 World Series had a few nasty bench jockeys.

What emerges from all this is the pain of the gross racism aggravated by the agonizing loneliness of Robinson as he has to endure everything and prove himself. Eig convincingly shows that by the end of 1947, Robinson succeeded in proving himself and was the MVP of this team. Only then was he accepted by Pee Wee Reese, the team's captain.

All of which demonstrates Branch Rickey's wisdom in choosing Robinson as the man to break the color barrier. Robinson had mental toughness and competitive fire. The rap on black athletes was that they were not mentally tough, and Robinson was exactly the right guy to disprove that myth. Choosing a more passive personality would not have made the point, and choosing a less disciplined soul who would have got into physical fights in 1947 would not have worked either. But it is interesting to learn how Robinson sometimes crossed the line (such as spiking Rizzuto in the 1947 Series) and how close Robinson came to losing it.

Robinson emerges as a complex and truly great man in this narrative. This is an excellent book that I highly recommend.

The book provides an inside view of Star Gate, the government's secret program of remote viewing. By the time Paul Smith wrote this book, most of the information he needed had been declassified, and the program allegedly shut down, if you believe that.

The book describes the structure of how they remote viewed a target, from the fundamental to specific gestalt, and how this could be taught to anyone, since everyone has this ability.

I'd consider this one of the better books I've read on Star Gate and remote viewing in general.

This book is a great reference and historical record of the emergence and use of remote viewing from inside the military machine. A great addition to all serious remote viewing researchers library, its well written and one of those hard to put down books. There are a few good books on remote viewing and this is so far the best in trying to create a historical overview of RV and address many of the inaccuracies of the previous historical overview book (The Secret History of America's Psychic Spies).

This is also a great reference tool for anyone trying to fathom the 89,000 pages of CIA remote viewing documents released through the Freedom of Information act.

I'd suggest Paul Smith's book to students of self discovery and military historians alike. Reading the Enemies Mind provides a concise and engaging history of our nation's remote viewing program. Those seeking to further advance their potential will discover many advanced concepts that have yet to reach mainstream society.

What I most enjoyed about this book was the author's optomistic view of the future of remote viewing. The abilities to tap this newly discovered area of human potential have yet to be fully explored. This newly discovered science holds great promise and may someday lead to a cure for disease, advanced education and furthering our intelligence and understanding. Perhaps someday our political and military leaders will use this potential to advance our civilization rather than simply using remote viewing as a military intelligence gathering tool.

While various forms of remote viewing have existed since the dawn of civilization, Paul Smith carefully documents the proven effectiveness and scientific reality that refutes serious critics and encourages those with a limited understanding. I'd recommend this book to anyone seeking a more advanced understanding of their human potential.

Paul Smith has produced a wonderful book here. It captures so much detailed information that it should make a wonderful documentary source. Yet, it is written so clearly that for those who have read other books on the subject (like me) it is very easy to skim to the parts that contain new information, insights, and details (and there's a whole lot of ALL of those throughout this book!) This book is a must for anyone who wants a more complete picture of the subject matter, as well as a feeling of greater familiarity with the fascinating and enjoyable personalities of the players involved.

Reading the Enemy's Mind is a fascinating history of the Star Gate program. I've read accounts of a couple of other former Star Gate participants and they are either sensational and fictionalized (David Morehouse) or short on history (Dale Graff). Paul Smith's account is comprehensive and doesn't make wild claims. His tome is a level-headed treatment of the program. He's very upfront that for every success there are many failures.

Some of my favorite successful remote-viewing stories from Reading the Enemy's Mind include viewing Aldrich Ames - the CIA traitor, the USS Stark attack, and the capture of rogue DEA agent Charles Frank Jordan.

In 1987 Star Gate was tasked with finding the mole in US intelligence. CIA sources in the Soviet Union were disappearing or being executed and people wanted to know who was giving them away. Star Gate came up with a composite of the traitor. Among the details was that he drove a gray European car and was involved with a Columbian woman. While many of the other details were off, Smith wonders what might have happened had the Star Gate information been used:

"The fact of the car alone might have significantly narrowed the field of possible suspects in the CIA. How many CIA employees owned grey European luxury cars in 1987? Certainly some, but percentage-wise not that many. And how many CIA employees had a significant relationship with a Latin American woman, especially a Columbian?" (p. 340)

Smith remote viewed the "accidental" Iraqi missile attack on the US destroyer Stark 50 hours before it occurred. He described the colors of the attacking military ("tan uniforms with black belts and bits of red and green."), the unprofessional nature of the attackers ("they reminded me of a militia as opposed to a professional military"), and the explosion itself ("The structure/vessel shivers, shakes, quivers. 'There were a 'clang,' a 'screech,' and a 'metallic squeal...'").

A final story I'll share is that of the rogue DEA agent, Charles Frank Jordan. This agent had turned bad and escaped custody. The DEA was convinced he was in the Caribbean. A remote viewer thought he was in Wyoming. "This information was so out of line with where Jordan was thought to be, that at first the authorities were inclined to ignore it. Finally, one agent decided that it would do no harm to alert police in that part of Wyoming.(p. 384)" Jordan was apprehended shortly after that - in Wyoming!

I highly recommend Reading the Enemy's Mind.

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright was first published in 1941, and though it was written many years ago, is as delightful now as it was then. It's a story about a family who loves each other, works hard and strives to do the right thing. How refreshing!

Mona (13), Rush (12), Miranda (10 ½), who is known as Randy, and Oliver (6) live in New Your City in a brownstone that is rather shabby, but has many floors and fits their lifestyle perfectly. The Melendy children's mother died, but their father and Cuffy, the beloved housekeeper, provide the love, attention and care the children need.

Each of the children has dreams and desires for their futures. Their interests are varied and they each are independent and inquisitive about life and their surroundings.

But while the Melendy children find life generally interesting, Saturdays can sometimes be just plain boring. The children form a club they call the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (I.S.A.A.C.). All of the children agree to pool their allowances and each child takes a Saturday with all the money to do something by themselves that they really want to do.

The Saturdays are exciting, not just because of the activities they choose, but because of the people they meet and the stories they hear. Well, Oliver does make one Saturday particularly memorable, but you'll have to read the book to learn about his adventure.

In the day of the novels that glamorize the worst society has to offer, The Saturdays is delightfully refreshing.

Armchair Interviews says: Read the series and enjoy!

This book is different in a good way. It is about 4 children who decide to put there allowences to a good use. Every Saturday the add up there allowence and one of the children gets to do any thing that they will always remember.
By,
Girl With A Plan

I had doubts for this book because it didn't sound very interesting but my Mom wanted me to read it so I did-I loved it. It's original and imaginative and above all easy to read for hours without getting bored. It's original and fun like the story of Mrs. Olifount being kidnapped by jypsies, or Isaac the dog saving the family from suffocating. It's a wonderful book I can't wait to read the sequils.

When I was nine years old I picked up a copy of Elizabeth Enright's "The Melendy Family" on sale for 25 cents at my school Christmas fair, donated by some eighth-grader who evidently felt she had "outgrown" it. I wonder, does anybody ever outgrow the Melendys? "The Melendy Family" was a three-in-one volume comprising "The Saturdays", "The Four Story Mistake", and "Then There were Five". Alas, "The Melendy Family" is no longer in print, but fifty years later, I still have my copy, read to shreds, patched and repatched with scotch tape, a book to be treasured forever and never thrown away. Fortunately, the books making up "The Melendy Family" have been reissued as individual volumes available to enchant yet another generation of young readers.

"The Saturdays", the first volume in the series, introduces us to the four Melendy children: Mona, age 13, Rush, age 12, Randy, who is ten-and-a-half, and Oliver, age 6. Each is given a distinct personality and Enright modeled them on children she had known in her own life, her own children or childhood friends. The result is four fictional characters so totally believable that for years after the books were published, Enright continued to get letters from readers wondering if the Melendys were "real".

The Melendy children's mother is deceased, but they are raised by a devoted, caring father and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, who stands in as nurse, cook, substitute mother, grandmother, and aunt, and generally rules the roost. The children are funny, refreshing and unspoiled. Mona has aspirations of being a famous actress and already at thirteen can recite "yards and yards of Shakespeare at the drop of a hat." Rush is the next to the oldest, a musical prodigy with a penchant for getting into and out of trouble. Randy at ten-and-a-half (the half is very important at that age) is an endearing mixture of grace and klutziness, a talented dancer and artist who keeps falling over her own feet when it comes to manual labor. And six-year-old Oliver is the baby of the family, placid and calm, very much his own person, as his story shows.

The story opens on a rainy Saturday which finds Randy and Rush monumentally bored with nothing to do. Randy wants to see a some French paintings. Rush wants to go to the opera. Mona wants to see a play. But in the early 1940s (the approximate time in which the story is set is revealed in the opening pages when Enright tells us that the long scars on the linoleum floor were made by Rush trying out a pair of ice skates on Christmas afternoon, 1939), fifty cents a week allowance was standard, and there wasn't a whole lot you could do with that. Randy has a brainstorm. Let's start a club, she says, and pool our allowances together each week so one of us can spend them on something we've always wanted to do. This idea is adopted enthusiastically by all the children (Oliver wants to contribute his ten cents, too), and thus the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (ISAAC) is born.

Each following chapter describes an adventure that takes place on each child's Saturday. Randy goes to see an exhibition of French paintings, runs into an old family acquaintance, Mrs. Oliphant, and is treated to tea at the Plaza while she hears a delightful story of the time Mrs. Oliphant was kidnapped by gypsies during her childhood.

Rush goes to the opera, walks home in a snowstorm, and finds a lost puppy that becomes the family's devoted friend and companion from that day on.

Mona, tired of her long braids, goes to a beauty parlor and treats herself to a haircut and a manicure. The resulting uproar by her father and Cuffy seems a trifle overdone, but as Father later admits, it's hard for parents to realize that their children are growing up.

And Oliver, keeping his own counsel, sneaks out of the house when his Saturday comes and goes to the circus all by himself. An even greater adventure occurs when he is given a ride back home by a mounted policeman on a horse, after he gets lost leaving Madison Square Garden.

After Oliver's adventure the kids decide to spend their Saturdays as a group, but that doesn't stop them from having mishaps such as Randy falling overboard from a boat in Central Park, the family almost suffocating from coal gas when Rush forgets to shut the furnace door, and the storeroom catching fire. It all comes to an exciting conclusion when Mrs. Oliphant invites the children to spend the summer in her lighthouse in Long Island.

"The Saturdays" takes us back to a simpler time and to adventures that probably couldn't happen today (no parent in his right mind would allow a ten year old to go to a museum alone in the New York City nowadays), but kids are still kids, and the Melendys seem so real they could be anyone we knew when we were children, or wish we had known. The time frame may help children understand what a dollar could purchase back then (a wash, set and manicure, or admission to a museum with change to spare). The whole series is a gem for every child and every generation. I still marvel at the priceless find I picked up off a bookshelf at random fifty years ago for only twenty-five cents. It's paid me back a zillion-fold ever since.

Judy Lind

I wanted to respond to the reviews below that thought it was either implausible or dated for children aged 10-13 to wander around New York by themselves. I grew up in New York (in Manhattan, across the park from the Melendys) in the late 1980s. I turned 13, just Mona's age, in 1990. I started walking home from school alone in fourth grade (when I was nine, a year younger than Randy). Like Mr. Melendy and Cuffy, my parents' major worry was that I was careful crossing the street. (Reasonably enough, they feared that drivers would not be able to see a small child.) Many of my friends from elementary school walked or took the bus to school alone at the same age. By twelve (Rush's age), I was allowed to take the subway to visit friends from junior high school, and they took the subway to visit me. By fourteen our teachers assumed that we were competent to find the Metropolitan Museum of Art on our own for projects. None of these people were neglectful, and none of them were "horrified" at the idea of pre-adolescents wandering around the city alone. This was in the supposed "bad old days" when crime was theoretically much higher than it is now, and none of us ever suffered any accident. (Although a group of friends and I got lost coming back from the theater in eighth grade, and were pretty embarrassed that we looked like tourists.)

Anyone familiar with the geography of New York City knows that the Melendy children stay within a fairly small geographic area in THE SATURDAYS, and that the areas where most of their adventures take place are some of the richest and safest in the city. Most sensible New York parents would allow their children to wander there on Saturday afternoons with no more concern than the appropriate ones that Mr. Melendy shows. (Be careful of traffic, don't talk to strangers, and don't get lost.)

Ironically, this ties in with the review that says that Enright did not take enough "risks" with the book, by having her characters get kidnapped by gypsies or run away from home. The fact is, she wrote a fairly realistic description of the childhood of the middle and upper-middle classes of New York City....kids who come into CONTACT with a relatively diverse group of people who have had a variety of experiences, but who actually live in a fairly safe, and sheltered world.

As a New York City kid, I was thrilled to read a book that reflected MY real life experience, as opposed to yet another story about kids who lived in houses with back yards and rode a school bus, and generally had no relationship to my real life. I still love THE SATURDAYS for its loving description of a New York that has in some ways remained startingly the same, even though parts of it have disappeared (no more two way traffic on Fifth Avenue, and no double decker buses!). As other reviews have said, The Saturdays is a charming, well-written book for kids, that can also be enjoyed by adults. It's also one of the few accurate and positive stories about growing up in a great city. I would recommend it for all ages.

I go to the farmers markets at least 1-2 Xs a week. This book makes it so much easier to find recipes that work seasonally. The recipes are good and the selection is well rounded.

Simply In Season (World Community Cookbook) is a cookbook that has a section for each season. Each section includes recipes made from ingredients in season. These recipes are health-conscious and mostly frugal. If you enjoy eating healthy and cooking/baking with fresh fruits and vegetables, this cookbook is for you.

Nicely done book. The book is broke down into four seasons. Each season has a list of vegetables along the outside edge on each page with the particular vegetable(s) used as ingredients in that recipe highlighted on that page. It makes it easy, for example, if you have broccoli and want some ideas on how to use it, flip the pages until you see broccoli highlighted and then read the recipe to see if if it something you are interested in. The recipes I have tried have been good.
A few more recipes with unusual vegetables would have been good because those are the ones I don't know what to do with. But over all a nice book. I would give it 4.5 stars.

This is my new favorite !!! cookbook. I really wanted a cookbook that would help me use fruits and vegetables that are in season. Out of about 20-30 recipes that I've tried from this cookbook, I've loved all but about 2 of them which is pretty good I think. One of the pluses is that the recipes are generally naturally low in fat and in salt. I would give this cookbook the highest recommendation I can! It's even better than More with Less and Extending the Table (the other two World Community Cookbooks).

While this book has a seasonal focus, it is so incredibly dairy and wheat-centric, one might think it was the product of the Dairy and Wheat Councils. I've never seen a book before that had such a high proportion of recipes that call for milk, dry milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, buttermilk, wheat, and soy. You would expect to see these in recipes--- but not in almost everything! If you cannot have wheat or dairy, chance are that you won't be able to use a large segment of recipes in this book. If anyone in your family has food allergies (wheat and dairy being the most frequent), don't waste your money. I found the recipes often dated, unimaginative, imbalanced nutritionally, and a huge disappointment. Even their chili recipe called for sour cream. Swiss chard with milk? Good grief. So-called "Hearty Broccoli soup" has an entire quart of milk plus 1 cup cheese but only 2 cups of raw broccoli. That would be more aptly named "Milk Soup with Broccoli". I expected this book to be far more garden, fresh produce focused but it isn't. This book has been VERY over-rated.

The pineapple pie was the first to be eaten this past Thanksgiving! More recipes are slated for Christmas treats: i.e., the chocolate pudding rum cake and banana cake. I ordered two copies, expecting heavy wear.

This book is filled with nostalgic black and white vintage photos of her family which will remind you of your own family back in the good 'ol days...don't miss out on the Pineapple Upside Down Cake baked in an iron black skillet, oh my!!!

Patty Pinner, author of the recent Sweety Sweety Pies: An Uncommon Collection of Womanish Observations, with Pie, revisits the sweet desserts of her childhood in her first book Sweets, along with memories of growing up in Saginaw and of her family from Mississippi. The book is graced with vintage black-and-white snapshots of the author and her family (she has the most captivating, confident smile as a little girl) that illustrate the many down-home, Southern soul food staples: puddings, cobblers, pies, rich cakes, homemade candy, cookies, and ice cream. But the stories nearly upstage the desserts: tales of fanatically clean relatives, childhood birthday parties, the mysterious lives of grownups, and the lives of various family members intertwine with the comforting desserts of a Southern legacy (pecans, molasses, coconut and brown sugar all have starring roles).

Some of the more unusual offerings include a Dr. Pepper cake (there's Dr. Pepper in both the cake and the frosting; it adds moistness, similar to a Coca-Cola cake), a sweet potato cheesecake, a lemon rum cake, and recipes born from thrift, such as butter bean pie, mashed potato and bean fudges, and little of nothing pie (milk, sugar, flour, vanilla, butter and cinnamon).

The ingredients are items that are probably sitting in your pantry or cabinets right now, so there's no reason not to give some of these wonderful heirloom recipes a try; why not sample some old-fashioned walnut-raisin pie, black walnut brittle, old-fashioned sweet potato pone, or a slice of walnut wonder cake? If you like homemade candy, there are many recipes for nut brittles (black walnut, cashew, peanut), peanut butter candy, and pralines. Ditto on homemade ice cream: you'll find soothing favorites such as banana, an intense lemon, peach, strawberry, and vanilla ice creams, along with some tantalizing sauces (rum sauce, caramel wine syrup).

Honestly, even if you never try a single recipe, this is a beautiful tribute to family, soul food, and a snapshot of Saginaw in the 1950s-60s. Pinner's writing style is engaging and friendly, and you'll find yourself happily crowded around her family's dinner table swapping gossip with her various female relatives as you try to decide which dessert to sample first.

Foolproof recipes with entertaining family stories. Every recipe I've tried has turned out perfectly (with the exception of the slow-cooked caramel icing) so this is my new Dessert Bible!

Patty Pinner's childhood comes to life through her stories & recipes, and her "womanly" advice adds charm to her cakes and pies. I have to admit, this is the only cookbook that has found it's place on my bedside table because of the great stories and old family photographs.