I read this book when I was 16 and I remember it still vividly in my mind in my 30's. For anyone who has ever dreamed of living in the mountains beyond civilization this is a must read. I will never for get the wolf and the bathroom scene. From the moment you pick it up you are entertained. You will not want to put it down!!!!

This book is hilarious. The things he puts his family through in this tale will have you holding your sides laughing. I remember Jack as a regular on the Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin shows. He was a comedy writer for all the biggies in the late 50s and early 60s. Another of his is "The Neighbors Are Scaring My Wolf," about life in suburban Connecticuit. I read all his books when I was a teenager in high school. I highly reccomend reading anything this man wrote, he's great.

I read it years ago when I was a teenager. I remember it to be the funniest book I've read then and is still in my top three funniest. I am buying it now at age 35 for a camping trip this May. I'll spend the evenings reading it again. If you like McManus, you will love this. Yeee-haaa

This is the first book I ever read by Mr. Douglas. It was given to me by a good friend. I read it in one sitting after work one night, when I was still young, and single and living at home. I was reading in my room, and I was laughing so hard my dad had to come in every few minutes to see what was the matter. This was only after the first paragraph. Needless to say, it has been, to date, my most favorite book ever! I made the mistake of lending it out to someone at work, and I never got it back. Understandable. When I tried to find another copy a few years later, I found out that it was out of print. When I inquired about some of his other titles; "My brother Was An Only Child", "Honeymoon Mountain Inn", I found out that they were also out of print. Through further investigation I found out that he had died and that's why his titles were out of print. If you ever get a chance to read one of his books, please do so, you will never regret it. His wit, and wisdom will keep you smiling for many years. Whenever you see something familiar to his writings you will find yourself laughing out loud. If laughter is the key to better health, after reading just this book, you will never die.

I read Jack Douglas at a very young age--found it in my mother's book collection. His humor, his work in general, has long been the inspiration for my own writing. I'm not sure what happened to Mr. Douglas, or what the last book he wrote might be, but I miss his biting, morbid satire. His books can be found in the used bookstores all over Connecticut, in case anyone is looking.

I READ THIS BOOK MANY YEARS AGO, AND I LOVED IT. WHAT HAPPENED TO JACK DOUGLAS? MOST PLACES THAT I ASK CAN NOT EVEN FIND A REFERENCE TO HIM. IF YOU CAN FIND THIS BOOK, OR RUBBER DUCK, GRAB IT. I HAVE REMEMBERED THIS BOOK FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS( AND I AM ONLY 30 NOW). -- MITCH GREENE

Radio has become such a background part of our lives, we forget just how astounding an impact it has had on our culture and psyche. Susan Douglas brings it all back to the foreground in her book "Listening In." This is not just a chronicle of the development of the media, this book takes us deep into the social impacts of radio, and how it changed how we react and interact with each other. Douglas has perfectly captured the feel and "tone" of different periods of radio listening, and explores a lot of the psychological aspects of how radio let us sample and explore different parts of our American cultue in a safe and nonthreatening way.

As a present-day radio fanatic, the book gave me hope: hope that the medium hasn't been corporatized into complete blandness. Radio will continue to evolve, just like our American culture.

Whether your're a radio technology type, an old time radio fan, or just a student of American history, you'll find something to love in this book.

Please take note that Susan J. Douglas' (Times Books, 1999) is no mere history of radio. It was triggered by a request from the Sloan Foundation that was preparing a series of books on technology and American culture; and the emphasis is not on the details but on the general effect radio has on us from its beginnings. And take another note. This is too enjoyable a read to be considered a textbook.

My favorite chapter was the one called "Radio Comedy and Linguistic Slapstick." Here only a few comics are used as examples to support her several theses, one of which is the emasculation of the American male by the use of such high-pitched speakers as Jack Benny and Joe Penner. Of course there is lots of room for argument, but she does let the facts speak for themselves (pun intended).

The other chapters are "The Zen of Listening," "The Ethereal World," "Exploratory Listening in the 1920s," "Tuning In to Jazz" "The Invention of the Audience," "World War II and the Invention of Broadcast Journalism," "Playing Fields of the Mind," "The Kids Take Over: Transistors, DJs, and Rock 'n' Roll," "The FM Revolution," "Talk Talk," "Why Ham Radio Matters," and "Conclusion: Is Listening Dead?"

Which of us has not been affected in many of the ways Ms. Douglas points out in this book? Therefore, which of us can afford to miss being shown how radio has helped make us what we are? And I do hope she produces a similar book about television.

I've got Douglas' book today for her take on ham radio (I'm part of the Amateur Radio community) and I was very impressed with the rest of the book. Though I wrinkled my nose at the over-emphasis on the gender conflict in radio, Listening In reminded me of a time when people participate in a common culture instead of idly sitting by listening to the umpteenth Top 40 hit made by over-commercialized "plastic" bands.

The ham radio chapter was simply great and I give Dr. Douglas her due for mentioning the American Radio Relay League as the national association for hams. From this chapter, I can see why hams have a nurturing touch in their approach to life! The section on radio comedy is well done (the comedy bits are good for a chuckle or two). I recommend it to those who have a deep affinity for radio and communications.

I bought Ken Geringer's Nobody Told Me as a gift for my husband, but after I heard hubby laughing all the way through it, I picked it up. And couldn't put it down.
Not what I expected-not your standard rock 'n roll litany of what drugs we did on what days-but a sensitive and damn funny tale that has what most books of today lack-meaning. The author, although he did work with Lennon's people and did include much insight on John and others, opens the book with his growing up during a time when he learned it was OK to say '---- off' to racist adults, stupid teachers, and the goody-goody kids in his housing development. I am 48 years old and I remember feeling the same way he did (and still do). Nobody Told Me would still be just as great a book even if Ken never met the rock (Lennon, Aerosmith, plus) and reggae (Bob Marley) musicians he wrote about. Sure, there are drugs, but it isn't a 'drug book.' My favorite story is where the author-age 15-and a friend are hitchhiking home holding a 6 foot pot plant after plucking it from where they had it growing in a state forest when a park police car pulls up. But the ranger says only-'this is a state park, boys. It's illegal to pull out our plants.' And he drives away.
Do you remember getting away with...everything? Remember hitchhiking--safely? Remember being 16 and walking down the street, unnoticed, puffing (how shocking!) a Marlboro? Remember those days of innocence and naiveté?
I passed this book onto my 17-year-old son. I want him to understand the world I once lived in, a world I couldn't begin to explain, a world he wouldn't recognize. Okay, cigarettes are bad and maybe pot isn't great either, but we had our freedom. We were free-and encouraged- not only to be ourselves, but we had freedom from fear.
Freedom is what Nobody Told Me is really about. I think we all have a lot to learn from this book (remember learning?) But it was so interesting, wild, and sorry, Ken-cute-it was the most fun I have had with a book in a long, long time. While reading it I got a lot of the same emotions I felt while seeing, reading or listening to: Almost Famous, The Graduate, Alice's Restaurant, Tom Sawyer, Catcher in the Rye, Cheech and Chong, The Smothers Brothers, Lenny Bruce, On The Road, To Kill A Mockingbird, Hair, The Woodstock Movie, To Sir With Love, Billy Jack, anything Hendrix, Dead, Beatles, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and, the Constitution of the United States.
Thanks, Ken, for painting such a vivid picture of a time not-so-long-gone that today's generation will see, understand, and maybe, be inspired to re-create.

Nobody Told Me: From Basement Band To Jack And The John Lennon Sessions is the true-to-life memoir of Ken Geringer, partner and close friend of Jack Douglas. Geringer recounts his own childhood, his introduction into the world of music, from playing drums in a band with Bob Marley's sister to working with Jack Douglas, John and Yoko, Aerosmith, The Who and much more. A poignant, insider's look at the world of fame and a special tribute to John Lennon and Jack Douglas, Nobody Told Me is very highly recommended reading.

those books i have been able to find by Jack douglas are among the funniest reads i have ever enjoyed. very memorable and hard to put down. his hilarious career in movie scripts and various side "projects", made up or not, is worth a look. I can only ask why they are not in print? any info on finding these books would be greatly appreciated.

I READ THIS BOOK MANY YEARS AGO, AND I LOVED IT. WHAT HAPPENED TO JACK DOUGLAS? MOST PLACES THAT I ASK CAN NOT EVEN FIND A REFERENCE TO HIM. IF YOU CAN FIND THIS BOOK, OR THE JEWISH-JAPANESE SEX AND COOKBOOK AND HOW TO RAISE WOLVES, GRAB IT. I HAVE REMEMBERED THIS BOOK FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS( AND I AM ONLY 30 NOW). -- MITCH GREENE

I would recommend this book to anyone,especially to those who know little or nothing about World War I. The Forward of the this book is excellent!! The history, causes, and effects of World War I are interesting and informative. At no time, in any history class I have taken have the facts of this War been explained and I certainly appreciated knowing more. Thank you for your insight and for writing a book from the perspective of an actual soldier and a Commanding Officer. I had tears in my eyes-of joy and sorrow- while reading these diary entries. Not until one reads actual words written by someone directly involed in any war do we really understand the heartaches of war.

I have always been a WW I buff but this is different than any historical work on the subject. You see the Great War from a personal view. By combining the accounts of a foot soldier and his commanding officer, Eisenstein has produced a work of astonishing impact. The meticulous research of all references made in the respective memoirs is an education in itself. The authors insightful commentary really helps the reader appreciate the insanity of this war. The means of mass destruction and death were available for the first time, but the ability to communicate by wireless radio and therefore control this power was absent. I highly recommend this powerful book for both the avid historian and the casual reader alike.

As a long-time reader of Beat literature, and as a man, I must say that Joyce Johnson's take on those heady, wine soaked days of poetry and madness is absolutely as good and as necessary as anything Kerouac or Ginsberg or any of the more famous (male) crew ever wrote. For my money it's right up there with On the Road.

I guess I've read this book three or four times now and it never gets old.

I also recommend Ms. Johnson's novel, In the Night Cafe, another skillful invocation of the Beat period.

Wow. This book did more for me than I expected it to. I picked it up for the same reason many others probalby did - because of my interest in Kerouac. But Johnson is not telling his story, she is telling hers. And, despite obvious difficulties and social aspects that let us know it is the fifties, it is really a timeless story, something that can be identified with today. She has put into words what every female person who feels like they don't quite belong in the society in which they grew up has difficulties articulating. I found myself talking to the book - "Yes, that's IT! Exactly." I read this book twice this month.

Her unique and fresh writing style should not be overlooked either. She wrote this book at a good time in her life as well, it is reflective and filled with the insight and intelligence of years and experience.

I picked up this book because a friend recommended it. The Beats had never much interested me except as a movement. I didn't much like the the literature or the adulation that surrounded them. But this is primarily a book about Joyce Johnson and her experience with the Beats. She has a real talent for evoking a specific time and place and giving readers a sense of what it was like to be part of this mileu. She makes going for a cup of coffee in Greenwich Village seem incredibly exciting. This is not the story of a Beat groupie yearning to hang out or sleep with famous men but rather Ms. Johnson's coming of age. The Beats are an important part of that story but not the whole story.

Set in 1854, some forty years or so after the bulk of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe books, this first entry in Kilworth's"Fancy Jack" series finds the British Army in rather dire straights in the Crimea. The hero is a Sergeant in the 88th regiment (the mainly Irish Connaught Rangers aka The Devil's Own), who is an outsider in more ways than one. Born and bred a gentleman, "Fancy Jack" Crossman has done the unthinkable and renounced his upbringing and entered the army as a ranker. While in the Sharpe series, we see a lowborn orphan rise though the ranks, here we have a highborn Scotsman in much the same situation. Mostly hated by those below for his education and manners, he's also mostly hated by his superiors for being a class traitor.

Kilworth seems to be attempting to emulate Cornwell's template in presenting an unvarnished ground-level view of historical military exploits. The book is full of details on equipment, procedures, social composition of the British forces, et., plus a parade of real historical figures. However, it's not done nearly as smoothly and seamlessly as Cornwell (or George McDonald Fraser's Flashman series for that matter). Clunky prose and exposition somewhat mars the storytelling, as Fancy Jack is sent on a few secret missions behind enemy lines with a band of misfit soldiers. For example, we're told three different times that the Allied (British/French/Turkish) forces number 55,000. We're also privy to a number of scenes of high-level commanders bickering that don't have much to do with anything other than to get across the historical reading Kilworth's on the ineffectiveness of the leadership. And in case you didn't get how devastating cholera was to the army the first time it's discussed, don't worry, you'll get several more chances to absorb the information. Kilworth has apparently written a number of children's books, and often the prose reads as if it's intended for a younger audience.

But the battle scenes are plenty gory, and there are plenty of "adult themes", and a requisite love interest. All in all, it's a decent page turner, but not nearly as good as the Sharpe books. The Fancy Jack saga continues with Valley of Death, Soldiers in the Mist, and The Winter Soldiers, and perhaps in these later volumes Kilworth touch becomes more subtle.

Excellent story line, developing characters throughout the book. Douglas keeps the reader involved with the twists and turns in the same high paced, detail as Cornwell, Cussler and MacNeill. Fancy Jack Crossman is here to stay - let's hope for a complete series to come.

if you like the Richard Sharpe novels then your going to love fancy jack

Inspired by Joe R. Lansdale and DC comics such as Weird Western Tales and Jonah Hex, Dark Highway's Skull Full of Spurs left a big ole smile on this cowpoke's face. Jack Ketchum's story Luck, about a man who continues to get himself killed over and over and the unfortunate fates of his killers was one of the books highlights. Another was Richard Laymon's story The Hangman, a great and surprisingly funny story about a vengeful ghost. The stories about the midget sheriff, a magic bullett which hangs in midair in the middle of main street and Cthulhu mythos in the old west are all also great. Pick this book up.

Skull Full Of Spurs lives up to its name: It is truly a roundup of weird Western tales that will shock you, scare you and entertain you to the uttermost degree. I had a blast reading this book and anyone who's a fan of horror fiction will, too.

The book contains 12 stories, all of them good, none of them bad. But of course, some stand out against the others. Jack Ketchum's "Luck" is a great little campfire tale, Rick Hautala's "The Screaming Head" is about a horrifying folklore legend that comes to life and Yvonne Navarro's "Divine Justice" plays with the idea of heaven and hell in a Western setting.

But there are three great masterpieces of the bizarre in this book. Richard Laymon's "The Hangman" is a classic ghost story mixed with the elements of the Western tale and ends up being a great, satisfying read. Lawrence Walsh's "The Devil's Crapper" is a funny and twisted story that will make you laugh with every word and every sentence. And Adam-Troy Castro's "The Magic Bullet Theory" (the longest story in the book) is an epic tale that is brilliantly written and highly satisfying.

And if that's not enough for you, there are also stories by Edward Lee, M. Christian, Nancy A. Collins and a very twisted, very disturbing story by Robert Devereaux. Skull Full Of Spurs has it all; horror, action, fantasy, humour... It has something to please every reader of the genre. This is one collection you'll want to come back to time and time again. So saddle up part'ner and get ready to be entertained!

I just finished Skull Full of Spurs and I thought it was great. My favorite was the story by Edward Lee. It's a real departure for him. The Brian Hodge story is also quite good. I haven't enjoyed a book this much since Razored Saddles. I'd like to see more of these weird western type stories hit the shelves.

Highly recommended.

This is a good discussion of a complex problem in Churches of Christ. I mean, just where are we going? Where did we come from? Overall, the discussion was adequate and worthwhile. Sometimes, it seems that conclusions are reached simply to be consistent with our heritage - not that that is all bad - but sometimes other conclusions are just as valid. Worth the time to read.

The authors provide a stimulating discussion of the need for reassessment and redirection within churches of Christ. Beginning with the perceptive observation that the church most of us know came of age in the 1950's, they highlight the growing sense of disorientation felt by many in an increasingly post-modern world.

Before suggesting directions and solutions, they provide helpful perspective by taking a giant step backward and tracing our modern roots from the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century through the American Restoration Movement of the 19th century. In doing this they demonstrate that at least some of our perspectives and distinctive doctrines were influenced by people and historical forces much more recent than the first century.

After that, the authors get to "the crux of the matter," retrace the current crisis of identity, diversity, and change in the church, and attempt to offer some directions for the future. Chief among these is a call to re-focus attention on the "core" of the gospel: "the story of our creator God's actions to save us from sin and death, culminating in the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Christ." This focus, they submit, provides the best platform for biblical interpretation, individual growth and congregational unity.

On the issue of biblical interpretation, for example, the authors contend that good interpretation acknowledges the core as a "center of gravity, allowing that core to govern both the reading of the text and its application." This approach de-emphasizes a search for "rules" and "patterns" and re-focuses on broader aspects of the text: purpose, theme, genre, context, and principle.

The authors acknowledge that the book is not intended as a fully-developed theology, but as a starting point for further thought and discussion. From that standpoint, I would highly recommend it as a very interesting and thought-provoking read.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this clearly written, thought provoking book. It was especially meaningful to me because I know and respect Dr. Foster. Not growing up in the church of Christ, the brief history of the church's beginnings was very helpful in bring me up to speed and the authors made clear and easy to follow conclusions about why our history is vital in understanding the crises we face today. The ideas of pre-modern, modern, and post-modern (which can be difficult to grasp, at least for me) were expained in terms that made them obvious. It was not only informative, it was challanging. The authors managed to appeal to both the "traditionalists" and the "progressives" with out riding the fence themselves. As a post-modern woman in a rather conservative church, I was surprised that the authors were able to make me see the other side of the story (that of the more traditional member) and give me a larger respect for them. Their style of writing is so easy to read and their hearts seem to flow through their words. I recommend this book highly to anyone in the church of Christ who is looking to understand the problems we seem to be facing today. The book is a quick read and is not written in an "academic" style that might seem off-putting to a layperson. It is so relevant that I am hopeful we, at our church, will be able study it in a bible class in the near future.