Welcome to the White Hart, where every Wednesday night features a gathering of scientists, writers, and interested on-lookers who come to drink tepid beer and be regaled by the Tall Tales of one Harry Purvis, a man of uncertain origins, profession, and education, who claims to know so much about so many subjects of scientific interest. These tales were originally published individually, but together they are 'bookended' by "Silence Please" and "The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch" to create a kind of frame story. Purvis' deadpan declamations of yarns that range from all-too-believable to patently absurd, combined with the fictional Clarke's own pointed comments about the White Hart, its clientele, and Purvis' overall credibility, make this perhaps the funniest science fiction book ever written. Using analogy in place of logic, Purvis posits wildly improbable advances in a number of different directions that in some cases have paralleled actual scientific developments that have taken place in the decades since these stories were written.

More serious-minded fans should take pleasure in the not-always-easy task of finding the precise flaws in Purvis' stories, which usually include just enough hard science to be credible to the casual layman. "The Next Tenants" is the only story in this collection that has any really serious message to it, and while the story is chillingly effective despite its absurdities, this book is really about laughs. From that standpoint, "Moving Spirit" is probably the best, featuring an eccentric millionaire, his illegal distillery, and a hilarious courtroom scene in which Purvis testifies as an expert witness with devastating results.

Despite the occasional slapstick moments, Clarke's humor is generally on the dry side, so this book may not please everyone. There isn't a lot of action in the traditional action/adventure sense, and female characters are usually absent or antagonistic. Still, if you're comfortable in a males-only, scientific atmosphere, there's plenty of good clean fun to be had at the White Hart.

A series of short stories, tales told in a bar (the White Hart) among a group of scientists, writers, and laymen. The central story-teller is one Henry Purvis, an obnoxious fellow with a trick of pausing at the climax for a new draught beer, whom no one has yet managed to prove a liar. He tells almost believable tales of science and wouldn't-it-be-nice science. One learns of a silencer that silences more than guns, a carnivorous orchid with a secret, a ballistic computer with a sense of humour. Much of the delight in the tales arises from the fact that they were written in the 1950's, and it is amazing how much Clarke could see of the future. I suspect Clarke may have felt he'd written himself into a corner, because the series of tales and the book end rather suddenly, with a hint for the future but no real hope that Purvis will be back. A delghtful find, to be read by all who enjoy Clarke, bar stories, science fiction, and humour.

"Tales From the White Heart" brings some true fun into science fiction reading; a break from the deadly serious which is so often the hallmark of sci-fi. Like tall tales of the old west, the stories here are almost believeable, which makes them perfect for the English Pub background. Presented in short-story form, the book makes easy evening reading. I highly recommend "Tales From the White Heart" for both serious and casual sci-fi readers, from adolescent up.

This book is the best of Jan Hart's collection. It should be made into a movie. The great illustrations are by Charles Shaw. The original story is a description of Mrs. Hart's grandmother's immigration from Russia to the USA. It is created for young readers. It is 18 chapters and 110 pages of text, with a glossary of Yiddish terms at the end.

This is a beautifully produced coffee table quality book relating experiences with Indians, nature and architecture. It has many high quality photographs taken by the owners over the years. Phillip Johnson, an architectural icon describes the architecture as the best use of rocks in a dwelling in the world...the architecture connects huge boulders without intruding on nature. Text and photographs heighten the feelings and importance of living with nature and this registered historic site, rather than just on it.

A Different Kind of Victory is - as far as I have been able to ascertain - the only biography of ADM Hart, CinC Asiatic Fleet at the start of WWII. Kept on past retirement age because of the high regard he was held in, he was then brusquely relieved of command when it became clear his task was impossible. The desire to not have an American associated with another defeat so closely following Pearl Harbor led Washington to consent to his replacement as ABDA naval commander by a Dutch admiral, who then threw away all of Hart's remaining forces. Based heaavily on Hart's own monumental diaries, author Leutze manages to salvage Hart's reputation, which had been damaged by politicians and rival US commanders like MacArthur. If any criticism of Leutze can be made, it is that his study is too reliant on Hart's diaries. That does not detract from the achievment the author has made, contributing a well-written study of one of WWII's most misunderstood and maligned naval officers.

This book gets ZERO stars from me and is, in fact, dangerous because it is SO outdated and negative! It kept me from even considering ABA therapy which, once I FINALLY got my son to see a development specialist from Children's Hospital, was the Doctor's strongest recommendation. ("ABA has been proven to work, and it is NOT experimental. I've been successful in getting some insurance companies to pay for it by writing a medical letter of neccessity," the doctor told me.) Re: ABA, Hart cites outdated negative reinforcements and aversion techniques NO LONGER USED vs. the positive reinforcements--tickling, favorite toys, etc-- that are now used by ABA therapists. The book discourages parents in every chapter with the basic message being "lower your expectations." Again, though parents are reporting vast improvements with dietary intervention and vitamin supplements, he discourages it says it just makes austic kids even more "different" and hides behind the lame "is not accepted by most in the medical community." Meanwhile, while not ALL doctors agree, the head of the childhood development department at Children's Hospital in DC DOES recommend that parent's try the casien-free, gluten-free diet. While I know I should feel the same sympathy and kinship with Hart that I feel for every parent of a child with autism, I don't. I'm angry at him for his closed mind and for the direction his book might mistakenly send parents. Especially since ALL the literature agrees that every moment counts and early intervention can make ALL the difference. I wish I had NOT read it. ...

This was the first book I read when faced with the possibility that my son might have autism. Unlike other reviewers I cried all through the reading of it. Granted, that would be a normal reaction to facing my child's diagnosis at the time, but frankly this book made it worse. I felt the book highlighted all the devastating things about the disorder and accented the "weirdness" of it.Particularly hurtful to me was how each form of therapy or treatment was profiled. The last paragraph of the section always told why that treatment could never work for long if at all. I remember the question "Is there hope?" being asked with the answer "Absolutely." However,this book did not make me feel hopeful and in fact compounded my grief. I have since come to learn that there is indeed great hope and documented scientific proof of some therapy's efficacy. I believe the author's intentions were to be helpful and informative, but I could never recommend this book.

I have read this book before and decided to re-read it now that it has been 5 years since my son was diagnosed with autism. It is interesting to note how my perceptions and understanding have changed in that time, and that obviously changed the way I read the book this time around. I still feel that this is an important book to read for any parent of a child with an autism spectrum disorder. The book is basic and straightforward and deals with issues like "What are People with Autism like?" , "What Can Medication Do for People with Autism?" and
"What's the Best Approach to Education?"

What is really interesting to me is the background that the author brings to the book, his brother had autism (long before it was even a word) and his own son was later diagnosed with autism as well. I heard the author speak at our local autism conference at the end of October and I found him to be refreshing and absolutely fascinating. I wanted to include a few of the highlights of his presentation to share here.

Mr. Hart gave an detailed history of autism and how it came to be known by that name. Although it is believed that there have been people with autism since the beginning of time, there
was not an actual term describing the symptoms until the 1940's when Kanner and Asperger both published papers on a strange combination of talents and disability that seemed to be present in some people. At this time, parents were blamed for their child's disability. Mr. Hart's brother was in his twenties during the 1940's and his family had no knowledge of these published papers. His brother was not allowed to attend school and he talked a lot about how people with disabilities have gone through their own civil rights movement for the right to obtain an education. The 1960's brought a growing belief that autism must be caused by something organic or biological and many new approaches in treatment were developed such as TEACCH, Lovaas, and Applied Behavioral Analysis. The 1970's brought great strides in genetic research and it is his belief that we currently know about as much as we possibly can about the genetics of autism and the mystery will still remain. There were a few breakthroughs in the 1980's and 1990's but they were disappointments (fragile x, secretin, etc.)

His experiences in growing up with a sibling with autism had a great impact on him. His brother was completely dependent on their mother for everything and when she died, he had to be institutionalized. This had an enormous impact on how he has raised his own son with autism. He was very sensitive to the needs of his non-disabled child and has tried very hard to give his autistic son as much independence as possible. His son is now in his thirties, works in the public library, successfully uses the public transit system, lives in his own apartment, and has an impressive collection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (I had to chuckle when I saw the slide of his son's
Ninja Turtle Collection in the living room of his apartment, because I can envision my son with a living room full of Happy Meal Toys!) He and his wife decided when their son became a
teenager that they were going to have to let him take some risks to learn to be independent. He figured early on that the best way to survive was to "hang loose" and "enjoy what he could" with
his son. He stopped worrying about if it was "appropriate" for his grown son to obsess over Ninja Turtles because it really was his son's choice. He reiterated several times that "the fewer
things you have to worry about and battle over, the better your life will be." He says the most important things we can teach our children with autism is community living skills; how to tell
time, spend money, use the transportation system and develop vocational abilities.

I realize that this is not really a book summary, but I think it is a great glimpse into the author's mindset and that helps to explain the tone the book is written in. The book is an encouragement for parents that something CAN be done to help their child, and also a warning to not fall prey to every new whim in treatments. Consider the quality of your child's life and the whole family before risking everything on some unproven course of action.

Another reviewer did not like Mr. Hart's conservative approach and I can understand that also. This book does have some sections that might seem dated but it is still very good and basic advice which is what parents need when faced with the news of this diagnosis.

"Without Reason", is not a book for newly diagnosed families. I read it when my son was first diagnosed and it put me in a state of depression I could not get out of, I actually had to stop reading before the end. Maybe I missed the enlightening or helpful part. What I read was how his autistic brother was beaten and put in a institution, with no chance of hope.

A friend of the author lent me this book out of curiousity. I applaud Charlie for sharing such an honest and personal account: the '"embarrassment" of Sumner when he was growing up, the thought of killing himself and his son after discovering there was a problem, and then realizing that things can be different for his son. The memory I will carry away from this book is that of two devoted parents who took the initiative to learn all they could about their son's condition and became advocates for his care in a society that did not know how to address/treat autism. Of course, they encountered many frustrations, but never gave up. If parents were half as devoted to their children as Charlie and Sara, there would be a lot less troubled kids in the world today. I've seen Ted on public transportation in the city (before I knew who he was) and the first time I saw him, I did think he was odd with his insistent questioning to a person on the bus. Now that I realize his background and know who he is, I commend his parents once again, and Ted, of course.

I've worked with people withe disabilities, including autism, for over 20 years. This book was strongly recommended by a family member,and gave new insights on autism, and on sibling and parents' needs and perspectives. But.. the person who recommended it seemed to mainly gain support for anti-med. feelings he already had, and became absolutely opposed to any use of medication for the autistic person. I am strongly opposed to any idea of drugging a person to make them easier to deal with, and that is illegal anyway. But sometimes (as with those of us who aren't autistic) medication used correctly, can greatly improve function and life-quality. This autistic person was wonderful and bright, though very challenging. Soon after the family member forbid medication, the person began "bouncing off the walls". He was unable to be maintained in a group home where he was loved and doing well. He had just gotten his dream job in a place related to one of his great interests in life. He had to lose the job also, because he was so wild and unable to function. The last I heard this autistic person was living with the family member,and at home all day doing little or nothing. The idea the family member drew from this book was that nearly everything about the minds of autistic people is fundamentally different; it's difficult if not impossible for us to understand their world. I got this from the book too, but this person also felt that it "proved" that they are so different, they can't help how they are and medication cannot help or change them, therefore it is wrong to give them medication. This attitude I find can sometimes be harmful