Buckminster Fuller has fascinated me since my teens because of his borderline science-fictional ideas and his quest to use technology to provide for 100% of humanity -- which unfortunately is a moving target during an era of population growth. Baldwin's book doesn't quite satisfy my curiosity about the current state of Fuller's posthumous work, since he gives me the impression that it's stuck somewhere back in the post-Hippie 1970's. I certainly hope that the field has advanced further along than the dumbed-down "Whole Earth Catalogs" version which celebrated geodesic model kits and "sustainable" (i.e., voluntarily hardship-inducing) technologies.

What I would like to see in a proper review of Fuller's legacy includes (a) mathematicians' assessment of his synergetic geometry, which is more radically anti-Euclidean than non-Euclidean in that it rejects the whole Greek paradigm of "abstraction" from physical objects; (b) economists' assessment of his argument that with proper resource use and rational design decisions we really could take care of 100% of humanity; (c) a discussion of why, if Fuller's goal is indeed practical, after 250 years of industrial and technological progress we've devolved from objectively useful work -- making and moving stuff on farms, in mines and in factories -- into to a situation where we hold absurd, time-wasting and nonproductive "jobs" in "services" (which sociologist Daniel Bell characterized as postindustrial "games between persons"), while billions of other humans don't even have the basics for a materially decent life; (d) and why this goal isn't on the agenda of any major politician or other world-recognized and respected figure.

In other words, I find implicit in Fuller's work the question, "When do we declare victory in the Industrial Revolution, and go on our long-overdue vacation that futurists used to call 'The Postindustrial Leisure Society'?" Although Baldwin supplied me with some useful information on "Buckminster Fuller's Ideas for Today," it wasn't quite what I wanted.

Buckyworks is a good overview of many of Fuller's ideas. Seeing the video is a must for those who are the slightest bit intrigued by this book. For those new to Fuller, this introduction rates five stars. For those seeking to learn about Fuller in greater detail, this book earns 3.25 stars. Either way, one will enjoy Baldwins' perspective.

I haven't actually read this book but JB is my professor and a fascinating human. Everyday of class is a treat to listen to his life experiences and stories. He was a student of Fuller and clearly understands his theories and has furthered them in ways that would make Bucky proud.

I think The Amen Corner is a good play, because it's about everyday people. I think every family can relate to the family in Balwin's 1964 Broadway Hit--The Amen Corner. Many people have drinking problems of some sort. Additionally, many people can relate to the hardships of losing someone you love. Reading this play may help you focus on a relationship with God.

THIS BOOK WAS VERY TRUE TO THE ACTIONS, AND FEELINGS OF A RELIGIOUS LEADER. TO SHOW THAT JUST LIKE US THEY HAVE PROBLEMS AND ARE HUMAN ALSO. VERY BLUNT, AND STRAIGHT TO THE POINT. IT SPEAKS TO THE SOUL!

The best play I have ever read was The Amen Corner. James Baldwin's first drama would speak to anyone who can read and understand what was happening in the late 50s. If I lived back then and was black, I would have thought things were very unfair. For example, can you imagine the protagonist, Margaret Alexander, not being able to call an ambulance when she is bleeding to death and about to lose her baby, because she is black? Baldwin does an excellent job of portraying the issues black people faced in and out the church in Harlem. I recommend this play to anyone of any color.

I bought Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone still swooning over Baldwin's Another Country. To my disappointment, this book did not have the same complexity, depth, nor energy that Another Country had. I found myself sticking to the book in some hopes that I would reach the same feeling of satisfaction and rapture that I found with Another Country, or Giovanni's Room. Not a complete waste of time, but not Baldwin's best.

This is another of James Baldwin's literary triumphs. Here he weaves the deepest hopes, sorrows, fears and desires of the human condition into an unforgettable tapestry. The story centers around an actor named Leo Proudhammer and the choices he made in his life, the results that followed and the people he shared his life with. Here we read about Leo as a youngster growing up in Harlem, his struggles as a young man trying to break into showbiz amidst a multitude of obstacles and his successful rise to stardom. This is a very poignant and tender but, powerful and gripping story that will hold your attention. Also recommended: "Giovanni's Room", "Another Country" and "Going to Meet the Man".

admittedly, the first time i tried to read this book, i couldn't make it through it. i had just finished reading james baldwin's another country and tell me how long the train's been gone didn't seem as exciting, as captivating. however, i just picked it up a few days ago and i devoured it. baldwin successfully weaves together various stories, grapples with the complexity of the intersections of blackness, masculinity, and bisexuality, deals with issues of race and gender, and crafts a beautiful story about loss and longing. baldwin skillfully moves the reader through time and place constantly adding layers of complexity to the protagonist. i highly recommend this book!

biting and searing
written in 1964
if you're white--its an angry eye opener

this play is wonderful. not only does the reader come away with a deeper insight into the racist psyche that plagues our country, but also a clearer view of how racism is perpetuated systematicly in a subsconscience manner. it becomes very appearant that many of the racist characters in the play are truly unaware of the devestating effects their racist attitude is having on their growth as individuals. in fact, we find that we find that such characters are so misguided in their views, they often mistake them as being wholesome,that is, for the betterment of all people, and scripturally based. baldwin's depiction of this cancerous mentality is brilliant. the reader sees clearly how misguided premises can corrupt one's entire mentality.

I have just finished this book, and I am sorry it has taken me so long to pick it up. You start reading and you almost forget it is a play! There is a lesson to be taught in this book, and one to be learned when finished. It shows more than one reality of living in the south back in this time. There was racism, there was tolerance,there was love and there was always turmoil! A battle to do the right thing and even the wrong!. We are all a product of our surroundings but we can also try to change that, and sometimes the cost of not "wanting things to be the way they have always been" is too much for any one person. It made me sad, (hence my blues!) but I came away with a little extra something. Please read this book!

Baldwin's aim in writing this book was to provide younger (pre-college) readers with a biography of James D Watson. Watson, together with FHC Crick described a model structure for DNA in 1953. In 1962 Watson, Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize for describing the structure of DNA. Baldwin's writing style is simple and easily readable which should suit its target audience. The book covers much of Watson's life from childhood to his Directorship of Cold Spring Harbor Labs. It is unfortunate that this is the only book that contains Watson's life story as Baldwin style does not enthuse the reader with appreciation for a scientist of tremendous historical importance.

If older readers want to cover the same ground they will have to read Watson's two autobiographical books. The first of these (The Double Helix) is a very personal account of his view of events leading to the description of the structure of DNA. The second book (Genes, Girls, and Gamow) takes up Watson's life after 1953 and is again a very personal account. Both books leave the reader with a satisfying appreciation that scientists, even one of the most successful, are human; painfully human in Genes, Girls, and Gamow.

Name:James Dewey Watson
Born:April 6,1928
Parents: James Dewey & Margaret Jean Watson
Sister: Elizabeth (2 years younger) Watson
Childhood: Chicago
Enjoyed: Piano, Theatre, Birding, and Reading

James Watson was 15 years old when he entered University Of Chicago as a freshman in a program for Gifted Students. His high school teachers helped him gain a scholarship to University of Chicago and suggested skipping junior and senior years of high school. He got A's in Biology and Social Sciences, B in Math, and C in English. One day he pulled a book off the shelf that would have a lasting impression on his life. The book is called, What Is Life? The Physical Aspects Of The Living Cell, written by Erwin Schrodinger. Watson was fascinated by the idea of finding the secret of life. He thought, to unlock the secret of life would be the best accomplishment in life.

He got accepted to Indiana University to pursue his dream. He worked with Professor Luria to determine how X- rays affected the reproductive ability of bacteriophage. In the summer, the phage group met at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Long Island, New York. Then James moved to Europe to Cambridge University in England in order to further his work. It is there that he met Francis Crick. James Watson felt he was in a race to find the secret of life. The two scientists twisted and turned the double helix model that they built, trying to learn the structure that fit the data. Their discovery led to the fact that in order for the cells to copy themselves, chromosomes must replicate. Replication begins when the double helix unzips. The article announcing the discovery of DNA appeared in the April 25, 1953, issue of Nature, a British science journal. This discovery came when James celebrated his 25th birthday.

The discovery of the structure of DNA triggered a scientific revolution. It helped to create the science of molecular biology. The Watson-Crick double helix is probably the most famous of all molecular structures. What does one do for an encore after such a historic finding? James then went to work as a senior research fellow at the California Institute of Technology, returned to Cambridge University, and then joined Harvard University. It was when Watson was working at Harvard, on October 18, 1962, a reporter at a Swedish radio station called to announce that James had won a Nobel Prize. He shared the prize and $50,000 with Drs. Crick and Wilkins. James Watson decided to split his time at Harvard and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. His idiosyncrasies blocked him from gaining a top post at Harvard.

James married Elizabeth Lewis in 1968. She was a Radcliffe student. Their son, Rufus, was born in 1970 and Duncan was born in 1972. Through federal grants, private donations and an $8 million gift from the A&P grocery store chain, James said farewell to Harvard. He decided to dedicate himself to his favorite place, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

In January 1977, James received a call from the White House. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award by President Gerald Ford. In October 1988, James headed up the National Center for Human Genome Research, a $3 billion, 15-year effort. He resigns from that post April 1992 and returns to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Today, he concentrates his energies on the laboratory he loves. Unlike most scientists who die before their work is recognized, James continues to participate in the scientific revolution that followed the landmark discovery of the DNA double helix.

In August 1970 Margaret Mead (anthropologist) and James Baldwin (writer) sat down and had a long and serious discussion about race. This book is a transcript of that conversation. In the beginning of the book it's seemed as if both were agreeing just for the sake of not wanting to hurt the other's feelings. Margaret in particular seemed to sound like a black person in that she was so quick to agree with James on the fact that blacks really have it hard in this country and it represents a serious barrier. I figured that after the first few pages that the conversation would be very boring. About half way into the book however, the pace of the conversation changed and got more interesting as they started touching on sexual issues. Toward the end, the conversation begain to get quite heated. James became very adamant and Margaret begain to interrupt him and assumed what he's was going to say before he said it. The conversation doesn't get heated until the subject of Jews is brought up. After finishing the book, I can't say that I've added too much of anything to my knowledge other than the indigenous people of New Guinea speak over 200 different dialects.

I think the conversation lacked depth and has dated quite a bit. It would have been nice if they would have been able to expound more on the issues of religion and sexual selection but either one or both of them lacked knowledge in these areas or they simply shied away from talking about them. I also wish they would have talked about lynching to obtain some insight into the white southern mindset. James did talk about how he experienced a different mindset from white southerners as opposed to northerners, but he only scratched the surface of the subject. Black radicalism was also given scant attention.

I wouldn't recommend this book strongly, but it is a nice book to read just for the sake of seeing how little things have changed since the sixties and seventies.

I have always loved the way Mr. Baldwin expresses himself; in a calm yet intense manner. I think that this transcript captures that. He has so many great thought-provoking statments. (I will not quote one for I feel I will not do it justice. Nor could I capture his depth).

The Library of America is engaged in publishing definitive texts of the best-known writing in the U.S. Including James Baldwin in this series - and having Toni Morrison edit these volumes - has generated considerable critical review. It is remarkable that James Baldwin can still exercise so much hold over us. Both the fiction and the essays have a kind of raw power: it makes us realize how sensitive the nerve of "race relations" still is. "Go Tell It on the Mountain" - one of the early autobiographical stories - has already become an American classic. Baldwin's homosexuality and his ambiguous feelings towards the white establishment makes this a painful coming-of-age novel. There is no easy access to some one so at-odds with himself and his society - and no greater rewards for anyone interested in the literature of self-discovery. These are fine volumes. They are well worth owning and belong on the shelves of anyone interested in American literature. Not all collections are worth having. The Library of America - and these Baldwin volumes - are worth owning, and they are certainly worth reading.

Stagelee wonders how white folks think black folk make it and survive while they colonize, pillage, and plunder the rest of the world. Baldwin lays out with specificity, the "crimes" of the oppressor and warns with wit, sarcasm, and passion, that we hold the secret and wisdom to the world, as well as a promise of eternal life. He "prophecies" hell as the eventually resting place of the oppressor. Two other poets that seem to form a trilogy with "Stagerlee Wonders", are "A lover's Question", and "Song (for skip). I had not heard of his poetry; what a wonderful collection on passionate gems!

Go Tell It On The Mountain, the autobiography of James Baldwin, is an excellent rendition of life in New York City during the 1950's as an African American. The rough lifestyle, domestic drama, and racial clash of his childhood unfold over the course of this book. The autobiography is written in the third person, so as to interpolate black history rather than his life facts. The book is not so much about his life but rather the essence of his lifetime. His story is told through dialogue and the stories of others. He places the reader in his shoes as a witness. This is an incredibly interesting choice of the writer. Religion is also a both negative and positive influence in his family life. He faces much domestic pressure in an unaccommodating country. This is a worthwhile read and is significant to life. His view is intriguing. Life is like a mountain.

Looking over the reviews, I was surprised at how often reviewers said this books was tedious to them. I found it one of the strongest and most powerful books I have read it a long time, with language that was exalted, and often hymn-like in its quality.

Concerning the book, then, I would like to suggest a couple of things to readers and to those who suggest books for others to read:

1)Don't read this book unless you know your Bible well, particularly the King James version. Without this as your base, I would guess that you'd find the language incredibly dense, and most of Baldwin's allusive power will blow past you.

2)Don't read this book unless you have some experience in life. Again, I would think that the way Baldwin is able to put deep inner struggles and the feelings that rise from hard experience into words will remain lost to you unless you've had some hard experience of your own.

3) If you're not African American, a little pre-reading into the Black experience in America might be helpful first, looking into particularly the Great Migration, the Azusa street revival, and the rise of the storefront church.

4) Practice reading the book out loud!! Many passages were written in an almost oral form, the kind one hears in preaching, with rolling sentences that seem to go on forever. Don't let the long sentences intimidate. Rather let them sweep you along, phrase for phrase, as they're meant to.

Ok, I'll quickly comment on some previous reviewer's comments in order to frame my view of this book. First of all, I agree with some of the others that if you have little faith, then this book may not be for you. However, if you have read Malcolm X's autobiography or any other african-american novels than you will absolutely love this one. Being fond of poetry will also help. So much of this book could be considered great poetry even outside of it's story-context. This is the "door" to Baldwin for me, and I have read "Blues For Mister Charlie" and will be reading the rest of his books soon, I have already purchased a few of them. If I had to make a "level-comparison" of how high I would rate him I would say he is similar to Jack Kerouac in how he makes you truly "FEEL" the character's emotions and really draws you into the story. Try not to mis-read this review. I am not saying that Jack and James write similar novels...I am just saying that I rank them both at the top. As far as having to know the St. James Bible, I would say that you really don't need to know much about it to appreciate or understand this book as long as you're well-educated.

This short novel by Shay Youngblood, is told in the first person. It is a story of a young black woman, who, at 26, decides to go to Paris to become a writer. She's enamored with the stories of other successful black writers who have done this, such as James Baldwin and Langston Hughes, and wants to follow in their footsteps. It's 1986, and there are random bombings in Paris because of the Algeria situation but this never comes across either as a reality or as a metaphor. What does come across is her loneliness as she encounters one misadventure after another. She's penniless, but gets jobs as an au pair, an artist's model and a caregiver of an elderly lady. Along the way she meets some interesting people and even has a love affair or two. She is always aware of prejudice and the realities of living on her own.

I found the book a pleasant read but there is not much focus to it. The plot follows her adventures or misadventures and the characters come and go. It rambled too much for my taste and, and even though I learned a bit about her experience as an expatriate, I found the story too one-dimensional and soon got bored.

I'd like to start by congratulating the author for her fluid prose. This book very much reads like a dream. Ms. Youngblood has talent. And I do recommend this novel.
HOWEVER! The story line was lacking in so many ways. Dreamy-eyed Eden hops on a plane to Paris hoping to encounter her literary godfather and to become a writer herself. Apparently creativity flows freely in Paris as opposed to anywhere else on the planet. Her stay in the "city of lights" is riddled with difficulties that could have easily been avoided had she only PLANNED the trip in advance. This is not such a far-fetched idea-- Eden is a college grad. Black Girl lands in Paris without so much as a hotel reservation! She conveniently hooks up with strangers who are oh so generous. Eden is very much a co-conspirator to her misfortune.
Throughout the book the issues of race and racism are present. Eden drags her "blackness" around like a dead weight. In her mind she is a victim. It taints her thinking and her interactions with everybody.
Eden though comes across as real and vulnerable. She is easy to like. Her lover, Ving, was adorable. But the rest of the supporting characters were very much caricatures. The blasé rich white women, the go-lucky black artists, the racist poet... The portrayal of the Haitian student who is deported was a classic cliché.
Unfortunately, this little book was the triumph of style over substance-- something that Eden swore she'd never let happen in her writing. Oh, yes, Eden does manage to get around to writing after a lot of drama, soul searching (good) and self-pity (bad).

I truly enjoyed this book. But woe betide an author who dares to tread on the sacred ground of the Black Expatriate Experience in Paris! How dare she see the same sights and drink at the same cafes in your search for her own experience. The nay-sayers who have phoned in their caustic remarks about this lovely book have completely missed the point. This is not about Baldwin or Wright. They came before. Eden came after. This book addresses the strange relationship one can have to a Black History lived by someone else somewhere else. A strange relationship to your own dreams when those dreams are filtered through the experience of others. Eden comes to appreciate and understand her unique relationship to Paris partly as a result of seeking out what was cliche about it, what was presented to her as "the real Paris" and finding out how little that meant. The impression I got from Eden at the books close is radically different than the expectations she had at its beginning. Anyhow. Decide for yourself. I'm eager to see more work from this talented writer, who dares to stray off the beaten path where "Sista gurl" writers and the Negro Intellectual Elite walk their tired talk.