Do you ever wonder how black people living as slaves described life in America? Herb Boyd, author and journalist, has been a professor of black studies for thirty years. Thus, he is uniquely qualified to distill from the reams of black thought that which might best stand as a fitting testament to African Americana. Editor Boyd has deftly woven the dark backstory to the glamorized myth on which the American Dream rests. The author establishes that blacks in America have never been that content underclass by and large depicted in this country's history books. He disputes the notion, central to American history, that Africans brought to America were docile, uncivilized, unintelligent and, thus, deserving of their lot. Culling from the words of those who did dare to speak out (often with disastrous consequences), Boyd has woven an eloquent, emotional tapestry of the black experience. Its power derives not from any self-conscious rage, but from the simplicity, the unguarded frankness of the voices. This is a timely book, sorely needed at a critical moment in this nation's history.

Twice I attempted to write this review of Herb Boyd's AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PEOPLE, with it's" three centuries of African American history told by those who lived it"

but soon realized I should finish reading it first. His collections (of excerpt) is so powerful so revealing; and each one seem to flow into the next. like a chronological change of events.

I can see how it may be differcult for some to believe (and easier to deny) the suffering and sacrificing our ancestors endured, to make possible the freedom and well being we now enjoy. Surely it'll instill pride in we Americans of African descent and Americans of goodwill..

Myself, more so being the fact that I too, made a contribution. An excerpt was selected from my Korean war memoir, WHAT'S A COMMIE EVER DONE TO PEOPLE? (Publishes by McFarland Publishers Inc.). Sure, at the time, I was politically ignorant to the reasons I was there fighting, like many others black soldiers, then we were fighting for our lives, the fight for our freedom, we who survived, was to come on our return t o America.

Hopefully, my story, alone with the many others that appears in AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PEOPLE will help enlighten other 17 & 18 year old American-American to the reality, that the freedom we now enjoy, others fought and died for it.

PS; In "AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PEOPLE" includes my favorite hero, the adventurous, explorer, scientist and author, Mr. Matthew Henson, who's life story inspired me to be an adventurer.. DARK COMPANION. It was the first book I read. I was nine years old.

Again, My Sincere Thanks to you Brother; Herb Boyd your book is a magnificent collection of excerpts. And no doubt it'll serve as an inspiration to many.

Peace & Pleasant Writing Curtis J. Morrow

Conversations with Herb Boyd

While I attended New York University in the late 80's, I majored in 18th Century Literature and minored in African American history. Hands down, my biggest challenge was being able to keep up with my reading, and retain all that was required of me by my professors. If only Autobiography of a People Three Centuries of African American History Told By Those Who Lived It, Herb Boyd's newest book had existed years ago when I was a student in college.

As I am still a student of African American history, Boyd's book is right on time. Booksellers and African American history buffs who live in Manhattan received a royal treat on Saturday, February 5, 2000 if they tuned in to "Books That Matter" with Leroy Baylor and listened to Boyd talk about his newest success. "Books That Matter," a public access program promotes reading and literacy to a diverse readership and interviews new and well-established authors. Recent guests include: Tavis Smiley, Sapphire, Johnnie Cochran, and William Loren Katz. The show airs on alternate Saturdays in Manhattan on Channel 34 at 10:30 p.m., in Brooklyn on Channels 34 &67 at 10 p.m. every Friday evening and each Monday evening on Bronx Net at 10:30 p.m.

I found Baylor's interview with Boyd enjoyable, and several times I felt like I as a student again learning about the great history of my people. The wonderful rapport between Baylor and Boyd was immediate and a treat for the viewer. The book, which is a compendium of 118 powerful African American voices is quickly being heralded as a New Classic in African American Literature --a compliment it rightly deserves.

I love this book! Why?

Well for starters there is the logical way in which the authors have approached this daunting task. They give you a list of "50 of the most common" verbs en Espanol, then they list all 550 verbs in alphabetical order. On the page in which a "common verb" appears, there is a notation that this is a "TOP 50 VERB!"

I am also impressed by the way they have conjugated each verb in an understandable manner, and the examples of usage they offer for each of the 550 verbs.

This book has gone along way toward taking my Spanish "to the next level," and I am quite certain it will do the same for you.

As cliche' as it sounds, this book is a "must read" for the serious student of Espanol.

This is truly an engaging piece of reference. Imagine walking into spanish class with all the essence of the romance language, flowing naturally off the end of your tongue without a missed beat. Use the subjunctive like it was a violin and you are a violinist. This book was all used as a self-teaching guide. Now I live in Spain as a diplomat. All from this book. I love it.

This book is a great helper in my Spanish III class. I would not recommend this book for anyone that is not going beyond Spanish II because if you are stopping there then you really won't need it. But if you ARE going past Spanish II to, say...AP Spanish 5 you will NEED it. It has a handy reference in the back in which you can look up the irregular forms of verbs and it tells you what the infinitive is. This is a must buy for any intermidiate Spanish student.

"Coach of the Century" follows Gordon Wood's remarkable career from a small West Texas school to Brownwood, where he won 7 State Championships (Wood won 2 additional State Championships at other schools). Wood doesn't get bogged down in his childhood days. He talks about football.

If you enjoy high school football in the Great State of Texas and have always admired what Wood accomplished at Brownwood, this is a great read.

Great story of the winningest high school football coach of all times. Most seasons are prefaced with a brief historical background to provide the setting. Wood's memories concerning his dealings with opposing coaches (for example, Wood accuses John Clark's Plano Wildcats of "cheating" Brownwood out of a state title game by unethically swapping suspiciously-edited game films, and he discusses the psychology of determining locations for playoff games) go way beyond the facts reported in newspapers or viewed by fans in the stands. On the book's last page, Coach Wood published his home phone number and encouraged readers to call to meet him. I hope to do so!

Even if you don't like High School football, you have to love Coach Gordon Wood. He's a "man's man" who grew up tough, but displays a great deal of respect for his family, his assistant coaches, and his players. This combination has led to one of the most successful winning records in the game. Coach Wood doesn't cut any corners on his opinions. No "politically correct" stuff here. What you do get is a great look inside what is "right" about the game. One of the most impressive aspects of Coach Wood's career isn't his win/loss record - but rather the significant accomplishments that his players went on to achieve in the business, political and sports worlds. That speaks volumes about the impact that a Great Coach and a Great Man had on some young boys in Brownwood Texas. I wish my son could play for Coach Gordon Wood.

This is the best outdoor writing I've ever read. Awesome storie

This trilogy is probably the best rendition of hunting fishing adventures that I have ever read. These stories contain no grandiose panoramic gushing descriptions of landscape or sunsets, just simple, clarity. A great read.

Most outdoor writing is a bit boring: ". . . and then he hit my Royal Coachman like a freight train,[etc.]. . . ." Not these stories! MacQuarrie puts you right in the stream or field with him, without effort and with great, subtle humor. Only when he mentions an automobile do you realize these were written in the 20's and 30's. He wrote with the parsimonious beauty of Hemmingway. Read only one story per night, lest you get through the three volumns too fast.

All of Gordon Lindsay's books are great. The visions that Marietta Davis had are so revealing of what is going on up in heaven. It is encouraging and gives you something to look forward to.

This book is a classic. I have owned this book for at least 15 years and have read it many times. I have given copies to family and friends. The experience happened in 1848, so it is sort of the "granddaddy" of the heavenly visitation events that have become so commonly uncommon these days. The language is the breath of heaven,coupled with the author's extraordinary powers of description. Shedding light on many Bible truths and touching on a few things that mortal men merely speculate about. This is the experience of a young women allowed to enter a special place in heaven called "infant paradise". Infant paradise is the place where all the babies go when they die. Which is a recurring theme in many of these type of books. She,like all of them,is taught the rudimentary elements of her redemption and learns of her Reedemers love. It truly is an extraordinary story.

After our daughter died in 1994, I was in search of some answers about why it happened and what I was to do now. My dad gave me this book to read and I had to reread it twice to comprehend it completely. I was amazed at how many questions it answered for me. It caused me to seek God and His will for my life. I would recommend this book to anyone who has suffered a loss recently.

There has never been a better time to be an Elvis fan. His record company is beginning to show his catalogue the respect it deserves. The definitive Elvis biography was written in the late 90's by Peter Guralnick. This year there was a big 600 page picture book released. I had a chance to thumb through it at Tower Records. It is filled with all kinds of things I hadn't seen before. It was interesting and totally first rate in terms of content and design. It was selling for 50 USD.

This book I received as a gift. A most welcome one at that. The text is highlights of his life. For us knowledgeable about Elvis there is nothing new here. The neat thing here is the all the removable memorabilia. So let me talk about that. Some interesting notes he wrote on the back of a press release for his upcoming 1970 season in Vegas; black tights, fix bracelets, record player for dressing room, scarves blue, etc. guitar reef (anybody know what that is?) for dressing room and new flowers for piano, gator aid for stage, a list of songs for his show; The Fair Is Moving On, The Grass Won't Pay No Mind, Without Love, This Is The Story, Only The Strong Survive. How wonderful it would have been to have recordings of these songs live and on stage. He goes back and forth from printing to cursive writing. He did not have very neat handwriting. And how about seeing the script for the karate documentary Elvis wanted to make in the late 70's - that's here too. It looks to be written in/by different hands.

Then there is the 10-track interview CD. There are many of these floating around. Included here is probably the most telling interview Elvis ever gave, clocking in at 18 minutes it must be the longest. The date for the interview is Sept. 1962 with Lloyd Shearer for Parade Magazine. He talks about sports; football is his favorite sport, karate, and boxing. Books he's read, mostly educational, some philosophy and a little poetry. His friends, his father, the death of his mother, his cars, possible future marriage, his loneliness, his own mortality, how he feels about himself, his temper. His image and how it has changed, his desire to improve all aspects of his career. It's not all serious though, he and Shearer joke and some of Elvis' friends can be heard laughing in the backround. There are interviews from as far back as 1955. The last and latest is a press conference for the 1972 Madison Garden concerts. Another noteworthy interview is the 1956 Paul Wilder Tv Guide interview. Wilder reads to Elvis selections from Herb Rowe's drag-'em-through-the-mud-review of Elvis' music, his performances, his fans and his religion. Also an interview with Elvis' parents from 1956. Glady's favorite songs are: Baby, Let's Play House and Don't Be Cruel. Vernon likes too many to name but he comes up with Hound Dog.

Someone had purchased this book for me. I was so impressed with its contents/documents/photos and information that I ordered the same book for a person I know who is an Elvis impersonator. He was over-joyed to receive it and claimed he had never come across such a great book! It is a book to treasure.

When I purchased this book, I really couldn't put it down. It has some amazing stories and literature in it. It also contains letters that he wrote, letters that were sent to him, tickets, etc. This is a perfect gift for the Elvis fans!

How can you NOT love a book with a chapter called "How to Sleep?" Believe it or not, there is zero hype here. The authors have done their ergonomic homework and the solutions they come up with will amaze you. Highly recommended!

I can see how Gordon Inkeles, the great massage author, became interested in this health-oriented subject. Co-author Iris Schencke is an ergonomics expert. Their collaboration produced a winner-a book that you will turn to again and again to make your life less stressful. Unlike so many self-help programs, the suggestions here really work.

Ergonomic Living gives you the tools to make healthful decisions. This book cuts through the mountains of adhype that surround virtually every home and office product. I would like to see the author write a sequel.

OKay, I admit it. I have a problem.
The real reason I read books like this one is that I am constantly searching for something that will bring to life my old crush on an Economics teacher of mine. I have come to consider myself a connoisseur of the teacher-student love story.

The prognosis of Flanders Point?
It is the BEST teacher-student love story I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The breakdown in the tension does take a long time in coming, but when it does... ah. It's worth it. Brian is well likable. We identify with Charlotte. And Gordon handles each side of the story with grace and reason in a sometimes dark and unreasonable cliche of a storyline.

Simply put, I loved it. I've read other teacher-student stories like it, "Innocents" by Cathy Coote, "A Kiss Remembered" by Sandra Brown, "Treacherous Love" by Beatrice Sparks, "Pure" by Rebecca Ray. But they just don't create the same emotional attachment to the characters that Gordon has accomplished with Flanders Point.
Check it out, Buy it, Just get your hands on it!!!

From the very beginning, I couldn't put this book down. When I wasn't reading it, I just seemed to keep thinking about the characters and the story. Jacquie Gordon paints a glorious picture of a forbidden relationship. This is a definite must-read if you're in the mood for a sentimentle, beautiful love story!

Jacquie Gordon has drawn an exquisitely detailed and joyful portrait of the relationship between a precocious teenager and her young teacher. The growing tension between them, set against a backdrop of life in a 1950s private school, will keep you glued to its pages way past your bedtime. I adored Ms. Gordon's sensitive biography, Give Me One Wish, of her daughter Christine and am delighted to find this wonderful fictional debut is just as fascinating.

Although this book is a memoir, it reads more like an excellent novel. Gordon Neufeld was an intelligent, caring young man who sought relief from the ache of low self-esteem and the longing for a deep love relationship. He was lured into accepting an offer of a free dinner, then cornered into one activity after another, each designed to indoctrinate unsuspecting young men and women into the "Moonies". Even his ability to question the validity of Moon's doctrine was insufficient protection from the devices of the cult. His is a story of good intentions that were so manipulated and exploited that his kindness effectively became his undoing, as he was forced to the extremes of servitude while Moon lived in luxury. Neufeld effectively de-mystifies how a bright young man could be transformed into a cult-minded cog in a very warped machine. So insidious was his indoctrination that I, for one, am greatly relieved that I never had the misfortune of meeting up with the "Moonies", since any young man or woman-- especially one who is seeking truth and meaning-- would be vulnerable to their lies.

I highly recommend this book to all those who are concerned with educating themselves or others about cult indoctrination; knowing cult methods would certainly be useful to those who wish to protect themselves from such "innocent" devices as casual dinners and invitations to lectures. I also recommend it as engaging reading for anyone who enjoys a novel, as there is a surprising love story entwined with a fast-paced account of his nearly constant travels, and the engrossing narrative of his internal struggle. Neufeld is a gifted writer with a past well worth reading.

The author chose the perfect title for his book. Also, it is very well written and detailed in its content. It's a sad state of affairs that a cult like Moon's has prospered as it has in the U.S.A. This, of course, can be attributed to his vast, and unexplained wealth that has given him tremendous influence within the Republican Party and among so-called Christian conservatives. It's time that someone in the federal government began asking questions about Moon's political connections and started following the Money Trail.

Mr. Neufeld does a public service by exposing the inner-working of the Moon political cult. Yes, political and not religious. After reading this book, one must wonder why the machinations of Moon and his brainwashed minions are kept on the back burner. Could it be because Moon is perhaps the most influential individual within the conservative political movement? Yet, no Republican politician has dared ask where his limitless wealth comes from. Or better still, why is it that an immigrant who is a convicted felon has never had his permanent residency visa questioned? Shucks, this guy has more palaces than Saddam Hussein, and certainly more wealth.

After 11 years this book remains a great resource for everyone who evaluates a starup's health or is thinking about starting a business. The book contains a very comprehensive set of really good questions that evaluate the business in every dimention critical to its success. The success is virtually assured if you have the right answers to all of the test questions presented in the book. Great resource for high-tech enterpreneurs, VCs, hires.

Word of caution though. This book isn't really about how to build a successfull business. It's more about how to tell if a given business (or a business decision) is to be successful. Most of the case studies in the book are really annotated examples of falures, as oppose to examples to follow.

Highly recommended.
--

Having worked for 4 pre-IPO companies, I've seen a lot of inexperienced entrepeneurs make a lot of ill-advised decisions. Even worse, I've watched their backers blithely sit back and believe that they will become rich on the strength of some new buzzword.

It takes a good plan and better execution to turn a startup into a real company--two things that seem to be lacking in most new ventures.

Gordon Bell has created a complete model for the stages of a startup firm. VCs, executives, and ESPECIALLY potential new hires should use these models to estimate the success factor of a startup. I think the 6 characteristics of a successful high-tech CEO are priceless. Of the duds that I've worked for, none of the CEOs could meet these stringent requirements. Are there many people who do? No. Do most startups fail? Yes. I urge anyone looking to join a startup to get this book, and even if you don't feel inclined to read it through, at least see what Bell has to say about the CEO, and then use his criteria to evaluate the leader at the team you are considering joining.

Another one of his observations that rings true to my experience is the danger of 'multiple agendas.' There is something in the nature of an entrepeneur that seems to make it almost impossible to focus on a single product or niche market, at least until it some measure of market success is achieved. I've fought this battle many times, and I've never understood why the VCs and the Board don't reign in their eager young entrepeneurs. I've concluded that it is because they are often ignorant themselves. Being able to spend somebody else's money doesn't automatically confer wisdom.

This book is almost 10 years old, but many of the author's predictions came true. I think he over-estimated the advantages of Japan, but perhaps American business actually learned something from Japan and applied it. If American management had not done that, perhaps Bell's predictions of Japanese economic superiority would have come to pass also.

I did think that it was interesting to read an engineer's perspective on marketing. An intelligent and experienced person often has wise things to say, even about disciplines where they have no formal educational background. I would strongly urge both marketing and engineering people to approach this text with an open mind.

Overall, this is a wise and perceptive book. It provides a good persective on the high-tech startup phenomenom and anyone who wishes to better understand the internal dynamics of a startup would find this an interesting and rewarding read.

This is the one book to have if you're starting a company. Theexamples are very dated but the content is timeless - and dead on themoney.