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Book reviews for "Edwards,_John" sorted by average review score:

Another E.E. Cummings
Published in Hardcover by Liveright (1998)
Authors: E. E. Cummings, Richard Kostelanetz, and John Rocco
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the poet who would not be refused.
E. E. Cummings is perhaps the most misunderstood poet of his generation. His verse has been decried and described as simplistic, sentimental, fatalistic, misanthropic, myopic, and just plain unapproachable, despite the fact that it has had such wide popular appeal.

No poet who has enjoyed such popularity as Cummings has been so largely ignored by the scholarly establishment. Professors scarcely mention his name, and many anthologies of 20th Century American verse simply choose not to include him, as though he were only a minor figure. In fact, there could be no statement more off the mark than one that dismisses this artist as a minor figure. If there is proof of this, Richard Kostelanetz has given it to us in this excellent compilation.

For anyone who is only vaguely familiar with E. E. Cummings, this book is a good place to begin to delve further into the mind, life, and work of a consummate artist and one-of-a-kind individual. To be truthful, the only knock against the book is that it doesn't give us enough of Cummings. But, to Kostelanetz' credit, we must acknowledge the wide and varied cross-section of work available to us here.

Here we find for the first time selections that would have been previously unavailable or largely unattainable for most readers. There is everything from poems to biography to theatre. Included are some of Cummings' letters, some of his criticisms, a ballet scenario, a film scenario, a bit from the non-lectures delivered when he was the Norton Professor at Harvard, an untitled novel, poems set to music, and much more. Hardly any aspect of Cummings' literary career goes untouched.

In addition, Kostelanetz includes small essays at the beginning of each section that are both cutting and insightful despite their brevity. In these essays, Kostelanetz comments on everything, from the fact that Cummings was an accomplished painter to the fact that Cummings was perhaps the most prolific sonnet writer of the past 100 years. Each little piece offered adds something to one's appreciation of the genius that is E. E. Cummings, even the miniscule note that betrays the convention of spelling the author's name with lower-case letters as something assigned to him by outside forces.

For those who are tired of the same old anthologies, tired of those books that won't take chances on publishing anything too far outside the mainstream, AnOther E. E. Cummings is a must have. This collection, by no means complete in itself, is nonetheless the last, necessary piece to anyone's Cummings puzzle. Indeed, no collection should be considered complete without it.

Amazing!
I was briefly introduced to e.e. Cummings in college and I loved his poems. I randomly picked this book up in a bookstore because it seemed fairly complete and interesting. It is. It has some background info. on cumming's and some hints on how to read him. The poems in this book are amazing! I would recomand this book to anyone who is fascinated with e.e. cummings.


The Artillery of Nathan Bedford Forrest's Cavalry
Published in Hardcover by Guild Bindery Press (1992)
Authors: John Watson Morton and Edward F. Williams
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The Artillery of Nathan Bedford Forrest's Cavalry
A long history/memoir by Morton, who rose to command of Forrest's artillery after the death of (my relative, perhaps) Captain Freeman. Morton was only 18 when he joined up in '62 and spent seven months of the war in Northern prisons, of which he gives some description.

Forrest wasn't happy to accept this "tallow-faced boy" at first, but Morton slowly won him over and participated in all of his campaigns.

We get a lot of observations as to Forrest's character -- including that, according to Morton, he believed one attacker superior to two defenders (this is alarming) and that he was "at times the most insubordinate of men" (13). (Greatest general of all time, eh? I can't quite feature that.)

We learn as well about the activities of Forrest's troops, and I found it interesting to observe how often his men charged entrenched opponents (cf. Morton's description of the Battle of Dover, p. 76; etc.). I would be interested to know what Forrest's casualty rates were, as compared to other cavalry commanders and as measured against what he achieved.

The death (possibly a murder) of Captain Freeman, Forrest's deadly brawl with Lieutenant Gould, Chickamauga and Brice's Crossroads all are covered, among other events. Though Morton quotes letters between Forrest and the Federal commander Washburn regarding the treatment of prisoners of war, there is little discussion of Fort Pillow and it is implied, as far as I can tell, that Morton and his artillery weren't there--which seems hard to believe, but that's what the text seems to suggest.

A detailed account, a vital source for the activities and personality of Forrest. Limited personal narrative, with Morton tending to refer to himself in the third person, but quite vivid nonetheless. For anyone wanting to understand the war in the West this would be indispensable.

Nathan Bedford Forrest was a great man and general.
This book reflects Forrest's will to win the battles, and the fights he put up in the process. He will ALWAYS be known as the GREATEST general any war has ever seen.


The Awdrey-Gore Legacy
Published in Hardcover by Dodd Mead (1972)
Author: Edward St. John. Gorey
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Hysterical parody of the mystery genre!
This book is wonderful and funny - in Gorey's typically macabre style. This little picture book cleverly lampoons the cliches of the mystery genre - leaving any Christie or Sayers fan not only admiring the artwork but convulsed over the stories! My favourite part - one method of murder suggested - labelled "Inexplicable" - a handful of confetti! Think about it... this book is guarnteed to make you do that!

One of my favorite Edward Goreys
I found this book in the art gallery. I loved it from the begining. Then we went out for Chinese food. So, in my mind, those two things are conected. D.Awdrey-Gore is based on Agatha Christie, who I'm also a big fan of, so this this book is twice as great.


Batman: Shaman
Published in Paperback by Warner Books (1993)
Authors: Dennis O'Neil, Edward Hannigan, John Beatty, and Dennis C'Neil
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Smart, suspenseful
Batman's beginnings--he received a message from beyond in the form of a bat and thereby became the Batman. This story is written excellently and the man behind the cowl came alive as I read this tale. One of the most dramatic parts is where Batman, directly in the face of a frightened thug, declares menacingly,"The streets belong to The Batman." If anyone wants to see Batman in true form, you must read this book.

Excellent!
This is perhaps the best Batman miniseries ever created. The story is chilling, featuring many twists that make you want to keep going till you're finished. If you ever get the chance, buy this book!


Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington
Published in Paperback by DaCapo Press (1995)
Authors: John Edward Hasse and Wynton Marsalis
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excellently researched book
As an old time lover of Jazz, but rather new to really examining the lives behind its great musicians, and particularly Duke Ellington, I started out with "Duke Ellington: A Spiritual Biography" by Janna Tull Steed (great book (and just 192 pages) for anyone new to the Duke & jazz). It was Steed's book that really built the interest to explore Ellington in more depth and, Hasse's book is just what I was looking for. It is a hefty book but it is absolutely and completely accessible, just what is required to approach this great man of Jazz.

A compeling portrait of one of America's greatest composers
This is a thoroughly enjoyable story of the life and times of one of America's greatest and most prolific composer/musicians. It characterises the "Duke" as a caring, people loving person with close family ties, and a quest for excellence against all odds. The Forward by Wynton Marsalis is clear and insightful. The author has accomplished an easy to follow sequence of events enhanced by photos and drawings. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the genre.


Great Tales from Long Ago: Joan of Arc (Great Tales from Long Ago)
Published in Hardcover by Chrysalis Books (28 March, 1985)
Authors: Catherine Storr and Robert Taylor
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Fantastic book... and easy to understand!
As a high school chess coach, this is the greatest book on chess that I have ever found. It unfolds like a "choose your own adventure" book, with the reader analyzing a scenario, and making a "move" by turning to a certain page. That page explains why the move was correct, or why it wasn't, in detail so that the reader can understand the strategy behind the reasoning. I picked this book up ...on sale... and immediately bought 5 more for my team! Buy this if you can find it!

Utterly brilliant gem of a book.
I own 300+ chess books, and this one is my absolute favorite. To give you an idea of others in my top 10: The Amateur's Mind by Silman, Middlegame Planning by Romanvosky, My System, 300 Chess Games by Tarrasch, Grandmaster of Chess by Keres, Alekhine's Best Games. My version of "The Game of Chess," by Lasker (which has been re-named The Complete Chess Self-Tutor in this new edition) is from 1972 (I am not famililar with the edition that is currently in print but I understand it to be superb). This book is an utterly brilliant (and very demanding) chess course. It uses a unique method of instruction. The reader is given some textual introduction to a problem, and then is presented with three options for moves to pick. Depending on which option you pick, you are referred to a different section of the book. That new section will tell you if you picked the best move. If you picked the wrong move, it referes you back to try another choice. But even on the wrong choices, Lasker goes to great lengths explaining to exactly why it is not the best move. He presents variations of likely scenarios to make his point. He does this in a style that instructs, enlightens, and informs, always referring you to general principles to follow. Then, when you finally pick the right answer, you are presented with the next problem, which logically follows from the prior one. As a result, you gradually work your way through the book. There are large sections on the opening, the middlegame, and the end game. This is the greatest chess instruction book I have ever seen. Unlike so many chess masters, Lasker is a brilliant writer as well. His style is articulate, patient, and comprehensive. He does not "dumb-down" to you, but presents things more clearly than I have ever seen in the whole history of chess literature. He published this book when he was 84 years old! It has the feel that he wanted to sum up his life's work in chess in a manner that would leave a legacy to the aspiring player. Well, he did an amazing thing for chess players: he poured himself into this work with a sincerity and devotion that is unparallelled in chess history. His career was so long that he played against Em. Lasker, Capablanca, Nimzowitsch, and Alkehine, and here he is analyzing Bobby Fischer's famous 5. 0-0! in the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. Lasker is the Bertrand Russell of chess: a man who lived for 95 years, who saw the richest epoch in the development of chess, and who knew how to assimilate it and summarize it in an instructional format that would be of maximum value to the student. This is that rare work that demands hard work of the student, but constantly inspires you to continue tackling it. You will emerge from its hallowed pages a far stronger player. This is a stupendous work, that for some reason is almost unknown. If I had one book to take to a desert island, it would be this one. I could go on and on, but you get the point. Get the book!


Colorful Introduction to the Anatomy of the Human Brain, A: A Brain and Psychology Coloring Book
Published in Paperback by Allyn & Bacon (23 September, 1997)
Authors: John P. J. Pinel and Maggie E. Edwards
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an excellent study resource
I'm a psychology major, and although I enjoy and do well with all other aspects of psychology, I had despaired of ever learning all of the brain structure and functions stuff. I finally bought this book as part of one last attempt to learn about the brain before I had to take the psych GRE subject test, and I found it to be amazingly helpful. For one thing, you get to color! That made it immediately much more appealing than my other study aids, which meant that I actually used it. In fact, I sometimes spent much more time on it than I meant to, because it is just such an interesting and fun book. It breaks the information down into small packages that are easy to learn, and moves through the material in a logical sequence. Each lesson consists of a few paragraphs describing about 3-5 structures, a column with a definition/brief description of each structure, and then a picture showing all 3-5 structures so that you can color each a different color, and see how they fit together. There are reviews and quizzes at the end of every chapter so that you can check that you've learned the material. Despite my previous cluelessness about brain structures, I found that I consistently got all the quiz questions right after working through the lessons. I would definitely recommend this book to any psych students who feel like they need to brush up on the brain, or to anyone else who is interested in learning about the brain. It's clear, easy to read, and fun!

Brain Breeze
Ever wonder why people, possibly yourself, perform the mundane to outlandish acts we witness? Ever curious to delve past surface psycho-babble and actually learn about human brain anatomy? Too deep? Not in this enjoyable reviewing workbook.

One of the main reasons I keep returning to this educational tool, is the inclusion of exercise quizzes at the completion of each chapter. In fact, because it deals with only major concepts, progresses in small, logical, easy-to-learn increments, this book is practical for non-experts, students, and professionals alike.

I majored in Psychology. However, those years are "tailights" now. Therefore, I recently found myself drawn to Chapter-10 "Brain Structures and Memory". Thankfully, the authors included answers for chapter quizzes.

This is a breezy and fun book. You actually get to "color"! A great gift and addition to medical reference collections.

Thank you for your interest & comments--CDS


How to Get Along With Others (Uplook Series)
Published in Paperback by Pacific Press Publishing Association (1964)
Author: Ellen Gould Harmon White
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Cost-Effective Diagnostic Imaging
An excellent book for teaching house-staff. However, it is now out-dated; a new edition is needed.

A great aid to the practicing clinician
I read it cover to cover. It is an excellent guide to imaging studies - I really hope they come up with a 2nd edition.


The Epileptic Bicycle
Published in Hardcover by Dodd Mead (1973)
Author: Edward St. John Gorey
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A real gem
I'm ashamed to say that I have not read more of Gorey before this. After reading The Epileptic Bicycle, however, I cannot wait to read more. The illustrations are truly endearing, the words short and sweet. You can flip through the book in all of five minutes, but will be chuckling all the while.

Just as the Title says...
This book, the first I remember reading by Edward Gorey, is hysterical!! The story follows a plot that only the author could understand, but that all readers can enjoy. This book is quite different from everything else out there and kept me laughing throughout the 20-odd pages.


Complete Idiot's Guide to Eastern Philosophy
Published in Paperback by Alpha Books (21 January, 2000)
Author: Jay, Phd Stevenson
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Not just a book of libertarian stories...
This is a book of some of the BEST Sci-Fi stories ever. With such authors as Poul Anderson, James P. Hogan, Ray Bradbury, Gregory Benford, L. Neil Smith and Dafydd ab Hugh you can't lose. The stories don't just focus on freedoms and rights, but also deal with time travel, murder and some are in the form of poems. So, come, visit Free Space and enjoy the future of mankind. Just make sure to leave your hang-ups behind and bring lots of money!

Thanks for holding out!
This book combines two things I really love: short stories and science fiction...with an added bonus - libertarian themes! Stephen King once said that if novels are like long romances, then short stories are like a brief kiss. 'Free Space' gives you tongue.


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