Readers seeking a full experience of John Steinbeck's literary style won't want to miss Harvest Gypsies, a selection of seven articles that Steinbeck wrote in 1936 about the plight of migrant farmworkers during the Dust Bowl migration. Black and white photos accompany his report on conditions and experiences, weaving a masterful selection of insights which go beyond history into personal observation.

Were the "Grapes of Wrath" published today, it may like other recent books, have been classified as historical fiction as opposed to a novel. I am thinking specifically of "Artemisia" that was published as both in different countries. How the work is classified is not critical, as either way it is one of the finest pieces of literature that has been written, and for many people, Steinbeck's finest work.

"The Harvest Gypsies" is a collection of 7 articles that Mr. Steinbeck wrote as a journalist. All were concerned with the issues he dealt with in the resulting book. This small volume is greatly enhanced by the photographs of Dorothea Lange, and the introduction of Charles Wollenberg.

One of the people the book was dedicated to was "Tom", actually Tom Collins, who was a manager of a federal migrant labor camp in California. The lines of fact and fiction are eventually blurred with him, as Tom Collins was the model for the character of "Jim Rawley" manager of "The Wheatpatch Camp" in "The Grapes Of Wrath". Ms. Lange's photographs could have been illustrations for Mr. Steinbeck's book, for when viewing them you can pick out the faces that could have accounted for the members of Steinbeck's epic.

This is a very brief book, but it portrays the migratory farm workers lives, as being even worse, if that can be imagined. A novel always offers the ultimate refuge of being fiction; these 7 articles and their photographs take away that solace. The brutality, random murder, and disease that was rampant, and the State of California that allowed the behaviors, are atrocious. In the context of one of the writings, one of the large growers who sanctioned the killing and starvation that was part of the agriculture industry stated that, "without a peon population the economy of California could not function". Steinbeck takes this statement of arrogance and ignorance, that is routinely spoken by any exploiter, and logically demonstrates that were this indeed the case, the state could no longer exist. For were it to continue to exist with its fascist policies, the most basic of Democratic rights would have to be absented.

Milk, that played so prominent a role in the book is spoken of extensively in the articles. Many of the most painful parts of the book were so common in reality, that the book may seem mild at times.

No matter how many times you have read the book, once this collection of articles are read, the experience of the book will not only change, I believe it will be enhanced.

Three of Steinbeck's social novels--In Dubious Battle, The Grapes of Wrath, and Of Mice and Men--are enhanced after reading this work. This work is the prelude to three of Steinbeck's most socially poweful novels. To fully understand what Steinbeck is striving to accomplish with Battle and Wrath, and to fully round out your history/literature lesson, it is essential to understand something about the socialist movement--birth of communisim--and the general exploitation of the fruit-pickers of California. The big businesses of that day, not much different from various big businesses of today, treated employees like machines--replacing them as needed--after being hurt on unsafe equipment, etc.--without regarding their well-being, or considering the hungry mouths of their families. The Harvest Gypsies is a crutial text in the study of California before uniouns began revolting against the machine.

John Gregory, the Georgia gold miner who saved the Pike's Peak gold rush and gave his name to the Gregory Toll Road, would have loved this book! It's all here, that terrible first road into the North Fork of Clear Creek in the Colorado mountains, the toll road tht followed, and the people who followed the roads. Full of original quotes and pictures. I was amazed to learn that the miners set the mountains on fire in order to find their way around. The fires, which were visible far out on the prairie, were called the miners' fires.

This is the only book written about the toll road named for John Hamilton Gregory. The road traveled from the prairies north of Clear Creek through the mountains to the gold mining camps in the Little Kingdom of Gilpin, in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. It was followed by thousands of goldseekers jubliant with hope. Many returned, chased away by winter and poor prospects. Theirs was a chorus of hope mingled with despair, a chorus which this book captures. I enjoyed it very much. Today's road through Golden Gate Canyon follows that old toll road.

This is a fun trip through the early days in Colorado's History. The pictures are well chosen. Anyone who has ever spent time in Colorado should pick this up! I got my copy and could not put it down.

I couldn't put this book down! The personal experiences captured my interest, and the message made me want to be a better person. It's the kind of book that makes you realize your full potential.

Fascinating and illuminating! How refreshing it is to read a book that combines the experiences of true leaders, who have lived through actual adversity. The authors do an excellent job summarizing and coalescing the experiences of these leaders into an informative and insightful guide for everyone. The leaders are candid and offer examples to all who are in the workforce. I strongly recommend this book.

Hello,
My name is Scott Neely and I liked the spot illustrations that I drew for this book. It has an X-Files feel to it and is a great supplement to the role-playing game. Enjoy!
Scott

The Conspiracy X rpg is one of the coolest around, and the Aegis organisation definitely needed a source book of its own. And here it is. It has loads more stuff on Aegis, including some cool new skils 'n professions. The stuff on Aegis rocks, and the advice on operations and tactics has helped my players get further into character. All in all, an invaluable addition to any Con X player's/GM's library.

I first purchased Mr. Bourie's annual book many years ago, andlook forward to each new and expanded edition of his work. He tellsyou practically everything you need to know about casino gaming, then describes the basic offerings of every casino in the country, and then provides coupons that will save you hundreds of dollars when you visit many of the casinos listed. What else could you ask for? Any casino player who doesn't purchase this book every year is missing the boat!

Like to gamble? Me too! This guide tells you where all the casinos are in the good old USA. There are maps, plus detailed city maps of Las Vegas, Tunica, Biloxi, and others. It has strategy tables for blackjack and coupons for various discounts and freebies. You'll find me at a video poker machine--see you there! Good Luck!

This book conveys the words of a young Union soldier who was captured and taken to the Southern prison they called Andersonville. This detailed account taken from the diary of Charles Hopkins tells a story of survival and horror. It makes you imagine trying to survive in a disease riddened prison with barely any food or fresh water. Read this book because it will be one you will never forget

This first person account provides a wealth of insight into the day-to-day rituals of "life" in one of the most forbidding Civil War prison camps. Throughout his trials, however, Charles Hopkins never loses his faith in humanity and even manages to endure with a sense of humor. His uplifting story bears testimony to the strength of the human spirit under fire. Hopkins' style of writing is descriptive and conversational, and works well with the enlightening information and photos supplied by editors Mr. Styple and Mr. Fitzpatrick. I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in the Civil War and in becoming acquainted with one of its many unsung heroes.

I was fortunate enough to have been able to borrow this book from a friend, He suggested it for research use into the figure of Marley's Ghost which I am playing in a local production. This book is full of everything you might want to know about "Christmas Carol". It is broken into five chapter's, four of which deal with each of the spirits contained in the story. Picture's and drawing abound in this text, making it invaluable to me as an actor trying to create a character. Right down to an original drawing of Dicken's on his death bed and re-prints of sketches from the very first printing of the book, it's all there and by the author himself...what could be more diffinitive? If you can procure a copy I highly recommend it.

I was fortunate enough to be able to borrow this book from a friend. He suggested it for research into the ghost of Jacob Marley which I am playing in a local production. Amazing book! All the information you could want on this Christmas Classic. The book is broken into very informative sections begginning with "Marley's Ghost" and continuing through all the spirits and other background information. I highly recomend it, if you can find it that is!

Laughlin et. al. have done a masterful job in bringing together a broad synthesis of the disciplines necessary to develop a comprehensive and far reaching understanding of the symbolic aspects of consciousness. This book is transformative for the novice and may prove to be quite a suprise for those who are familiar with the literature on the consciousness and the developmental and brain mechanisms that underly it. An excellent melding of development, evolution, neuroscience, physical/cultural anthropology, and psychology (to name only a few of the disciplines covered).

While some of the material may be subject to revisal or correction, the basic aim and structure of the book presents a powerful approach to understanding the nature of human consciousness. In particular the symbolic aspects of cognition.

To balance the "hardwired" picture created by the authors' use of concepts like "neurognostic structures", I recommend the work of Gerald Edelman (Neural Darwinism, Remembered Present, etc...) as a counterpoint. This would help provide a balance relation between genetic and epigenetic aspects. Somewhere between the two sets of ideas a rich scientific and biologically meaningful framework emerges.

If you are interested in the biological nature of consciousness and it's relation to culture, this is a must read book.

Drawing upon extensive ethnographic and anthropological research, the authors draw clear connections between cross cultural reports of transpersonal experiences and the neurological bases which give rise to them. Especially compelling is the authors treatment of symbols and their associated grounding in the cosmology of a culture. This book comes highly recommended, I only wish the publishers would reprint a hardback edition!

It's fun reading this collection of digressive informal anecdotes about famous (and some obscure) Englishmen. If you enjoyed "An Instance of the Fingerpost" (where some of thc characters appear) you'd like this. As a primary source for information it gets less reliable the further back it goes. Aubrey was born in 1626 so his accounts of Shakespeare and Elizathans are a generation removed, but he had met Harvey and Penn and had been through the Civil War and the rule of Cromwell.

Because its author never completed most of the entries for this biographical work, and never published it, what he did set down about his varied noble and ignoble subjects is uncensored, gossipy, perhaps unsubstantiated, and delightful. If you like browsing in Pepys' diary, or are fascinated by English life in the 17th century, this is the book to leave about for the occasional free moment.