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Between 1910 and 1940, when Frank Buck, the big jungle man, did most of his work, cruelty toward wild animals was generally condoned in the name of "hunting" or "sport."

That his trademark motto, "Bring 'em back alive," made him famous, however, indicates that even in his day human consciousness was high enough to appreciate his respect for animals. Today this consciousness is so widespread that no one could become a hero of his stature by trapping jungle animals for profit.

But he understood animals and respected them, even displayed toward them the care of a mother for her child. When they were injured or sick, he personally tended them, a risky business. A 600-pound tapir he was treating almost killed him. A python saw him as a meal, and a cobra spewed deadly venom in his eyes. Attacked by another cobra, he threw his coat over the snake and pounced on it. He held it beneath him as it wriggled to get free until aides could get a grip on its head and pull it out, like a bird extracting a worm from the ground. The python that had him in its grip was one of the very few he had to kill. He managed to get one arm free enough to reach his sidearm; then he put three rounds in the giant reptile's brain.

From his headquarters at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, he operated a collecting network that spanned the lush jungles of Malaya, Borneo, Sumatra and India. Over the years, he brought back hundreds of thousands of birds and animals of all kinds for sale to zoos, circuses and private collectors. In 1922, he provided Dallas with an entire zoo of more than 500 specimens. In 1948, he returned to his hometown of Gainesville, Texas, to dedicate the Frank Buck Zoo and the Frank Buck Zoological Society.

From Mr. Buck's eight books, Steven Lehrer has selected the "best" of the material. He has fine sensibilities as an editor. However, the books are so full of good, old-fashioned, movie-serial-type adventures in wild, exotic settings, that Mr. Lehrer could have closed his eyes and picked 19 chapters that would make a good collection. The surprising thing is that, until now, no one else has.

What few could have done better, however, is write the illuminating introduction summarizing Mr. Buck's early interest in animals and birds as a boy in Plano and along Turtle Creek, and his brief dalliance with crime, marriage and other enterprises before setting out on his lifelong search for "the source of the wind, the mouth of the river, the oceans to which the fish swam, and the far lands to which the birds flew."

Free-lance writer and reviewer Tom Dodge lives in Midlothian; his new book is Tom Dodge Talks About Texas.

November 2000, p 554 History of Science & Technology

38-1532 QL61 99-86898 CIP

Buck, Frank. Bring 'Em Back Alive: The Best of Frank Buck, ed. by Steven Lehrer. Texas Tech, 2000. 248p bibl index afp ISBN 0-89672-430-1, $28.95

In many ways, this is a delightful book. Buck was a familiar and heroic figure to many growing up in the 1930s and 1940s; the numerous illustrations recapture those days. The great zoos of the day owed much to him, partly for the specimens he obtained for them but even more for the publicity he generated and shared. His exploits could not and should not be repeated today, but that should not detract from the sense of adventure his stories evoke. His persona was mirrored in the white hunter in King Kong (the Fay Wray version), but his real life adventures were even more thrilling. The comments by Lehrer (Mount Sinai School of Medicine) are interesting and useful, and his choices of episodes from various of Buck's books are well done. All in all, this is an extremely entertaining book, illustrating a different time and written in a way that brings that time to life. General readers. -F W. Yow, emeritus, Kenyon College

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The author does and excptional job on cleaning up some of the objectionable language, and brings to the readers a truly enjoyable book on early "African safari" type activities. Something that young readers as well as old can enjoy.

My daughter received an autographed copy of this book from Brother Frank, as she served him often in a popular diner she is a waitress at. She knew I was an avid reader of fact - not fiction - and said "You won't be able to put this down...". How right! This book is impossible to put down. Brother Frank writes explicitly, graphically, tenderly and most important from the heart. I would consider it a privilege to meet the author one day and shake the man of this hand whose life has been turned around by the touch of our Creator. Inspiration and encouraging. Nothing is impossible! This book, Brother Frank's life, proves this fact beyond a shadow of a doubt.

This is a True Compelling account of One persons Triumph from the streets of Newark New Jersey with its drugs, thugs and Generational Curses that plauge every major city in this world today.And How his rise to the top took him to the bottom.And as you take this Journey You see that this in many ways could be you,For Today More then ever before we need Jesus!-God Bless You Brother Frank!

Brother Frank is a true account of the life of a very remarkable man. I had no idea who he was or where he came from when we met. He gave me a copy of the book and I read it cover to cover in short order. In this day and age, skepticism comes easily to most, myself included. But let no one doubt the truth, sincerity and faith found in the pages of Frank Minucci's book. What an inspiration! Be forwarned, however, the content is very graphic, violent at times, but the outcome is the most uplifting and faith-inspiring imaginable. I highly recommend Frank's story to all floundering mortals, like me, who need a kick-in-the-butt wake-up call from time to time

The Career Portfolio Workbook is a great resource which I have used to transition into a new profession. I was able to use the ideas in the workbook to market myself and to set myself apart from the competition. I have many career books but this is the best. The system is comprehensive and easy to organize. It is a unique way to manage your career.

This book really works! It is clearly written and is guaranteed to help you put together an excellent portfolio. Only days after using the guidelines of this book to create a PEAKS resume, I got 3 calls for job interviews. It really is amazing and I recommend it to anyone, no matter how far along you are in your career.

It is well-written, clear, and extremely USEFUL. And it is very easy to use.

The book clearly presents how to create a powerful career portfolio and market yourself effectively. Very valuable tools presented in a well-written book made this one of my best Amazon buys of the year.

This book is one of the best books that I've ever read. It does not concentrate on the stats or indeed particularly on the winners of the World Championship. It takes a personal look at the people, races and years that have shaped F1 from it's very begining. It is a great read for any F1 fan as Roebuck succeeds in not only jogging our memory of the past but also telling untold behind the scenes stories in detail not to mention a tinge of humour. I trully love this book, in fact I think I've read it cover to cover at least 3 times if not more.

Nigel Roebuck, one of the finest journalists to cover motorsport in general and Formula One in particular, presents in this book a wonderful series of sharp vignettes covering the entire period of the modern World Championship. Roebuck begins at Imola in 1994, when, as he puts it aptly, "everything changed" with the tragic death of Ayrton Senna and the introduction of knee-jerk "safety" improvements which have led only to boring racing and have not, as we learned earlier this season, prevented what are, given the nature of the sport, inevitable tragedies. Hard as it is to believe, the "turbo years" of the late 70s and 80s are beginning to look suspiciously like a final golden age, which they certainly weren't at the time, but, given the emasculation of tracks, over-dominance by a few teams, and drivers who do not understand the history of the sport and drive like they're the only man on the track, they're beginning to look pretty good in retrospect. But I digress. Between the covers of this book you'll find incisive portraits of several great drivers (among them Phil Hill, Piers Courage, James Hunt, Ayrton Senna, and Jochen Rindt), car owners (the great Rob Walker, who long after his car-owning days were over wrote wonderful F1 journalism for Road & Track when R&T was still a great magazine), and others associated with the F1 scene (journalist Denis Jenkinson, F1's official doctor Professor Sid Watkins, and current F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone). He also writes of several races - the great slipstreaming duel at Monza in 1971, the first win for Renault in 1979, Dallas 1984 which ended with Nigel Mansell trying to push his car over the finish line in the blazing heat. As an added incentive, there are sections of black and white and color photographs. More and more nonfiction books seem to be doing away with illustrations, and with F1 being the visual spectacle that it is, we can be glad that Roebuck and his publisher resisted this new and unfortunate trend. Turn to the section of color plates and feast your eyes on the first photograph - Fangio in the Maserati 250F at Monaco in 1957. The greatest driver, the greatest car, the greatest race; one picture says it all. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Formula One.

When I first saw this book's title, I nearly gave it a pass, thinking it was just one more in an already well-covered niche. But Nigel Roebuck's name was enough for me to chance it. (If you've read his columns you know he's always interesting.) This book is really unique. Despite the title, it's not an attempt to condense a history of 50 years of racing. It's more like a collection of essays about people and events that are not well covered elsewhere. I've read a LOT of books about F1 (cars, teams, drivers, ...) but each chapter of this book had new and intriguing things to say. It was a really enjoyable read, as well.

When I say that Frank Senn's book 'Christian Liturgy: Catholic and Evangelical' is a monumental work, that description takes several dimensions. The book itself is very large (nearing 800 pages) and covers virtually all aspects of worship practises in Christianity from the earliest beginnings to the present innovations and continuing reformations/reconstructions both in denominational senses and a broader, more ecumenical sense.

Do not be deceived by the subtitle Catholic and Evangelical -- these words have specific meanings that go beyond denominational or sectarian confines. In a sense, every Christian group or denomination strives to be catholic, universal. 'Liturgy that is catholic is that which serves the public proclamation of the gospel in word and sacraments as celebrated by the whole people of God in Christ Jesus.... With or without bishops, the Churches of the Reformation (Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican) were also concerned with catholicity. They embraced whole peoples of territories and nations in established or state churches, and in that sense, they were not sects.... Liturgy that is catholic is that which expresses the faith and way of life (i.e., culture) of a whole people, but within an ecumenical shape by which it maintains a sense of continuity with catholic churches of other times and places.'

In another sense, every Christian group or denomination strives to be evangelical, outreaching and proclaiming. 'The evangelical content of liturgy has served sometimes as a corrective of the catholic tendency to root liturgy in the culture of a people. Words and ceremonies derived from indigenous cultures are not always shorn of their heathen connotations.'

The first section, The Prolegomena, covers aspects of the rituals in Christian worship in terms of theology, philosophy, and symbolic meaning. The roles of symbols and rituals, the roles of myth and music are explored as an underpinning for all subsequent specific discussions.

Senn early in the writing confesses the inadequacy of this or any book to encompass with equal emphasis the performance of liturgy in every time and place. Given the wide variance in history, geography, and denominational/confessional group, the history of liturgy is vast and diverse. Giving a nod to other recent scholarly efforts at liturgical development (The Study of Liturgy by Oxford Press, Dix's The Shape of the Liturgy, et al.), Senn nonetheless argues that this volume is a valuable contribution because of the breadth of coverage both historically and geographically.

In this book one can see the early developments in the eastern church come alive once more in modern liturgical 'innovation'; compare and contrast Reformation liturgies from Scandanavia and Germanic regions with the more Roman Catholic Mediterranean regions, with the more static eastern orthodox liturgies struggling to remain faithful in territories dominated not by other denominations but by other religions.

This is great resource for scholars and for those looking for liturgical ideas and innovations. The final chapters, which include social considerations to be included in liturgical development, including how to reach the 'unchurched', can be particularly useful. The Indices are arranged by Subject, Persons, and Biblical References and Documents. There is an extensive bibliography for further research and reading.

Useful for reading or for research, Senn's book is a valuable resource for anyone concerned for the art of liturgy.

I got this book "on a whim" thinking it would be good to have on hand. It has proven to be more than good. As a Lutheran teacher who teaches religion, I am able to refer to this book and get a great Lutheran view of Christian history and liturgy.

Not only helpful, but thorough and complete. Being Lutheran, I particularly enjoyed the accuracy of the Lutheran detail, but this is not to suggest that any one component is less than thoroughly and comprehensively researched. My students ordered it with no regrets! I recommend it!

If ever there were the opportunity to grasp the scope, meaning and lessons of history, The Chronicle affords the conscientious reader that opportunity. Despite divisive passions and ideologies, humankind's search for their own identity and concept of justice finds expression and definition here. In Dr. King's vivid and incisive description of our resourcefulness, creativity and developing humanity, we awaken to a transhistorical sense of universal human destiny. The Chronicle not only provides acute analyses of humankind's collective conscience, it shows humanity's capacity for intelligent survival across the millennia. To read The Chronicle is to assimilate the significance of history through the matured insights of a true historian.

This book should be on the self of every historian for a proper orientation into his research. It is a gifted work providing unknown historical details with a flowing narration, connecting the passing of people andevents. Perhaps a quote from its pages will relate its value. Who wouldthink the brutal Vikings of old would destroy the beautiful inland Paris,illustrating their long extensive game of warfare in the "dark" period:"854: the Vikings burned the new city of Hamburg and looted Paris."
Comments by D. Moore, Roman Historian

in these pages is a massive amont of information. this book can lead one to much more research in a very timely manner. if one had any idea of a date, they can find out much about the subject and then be able to research further.

The Dancing Chain by Frank Berto dvanhook 06/18/01 01:48 pm EDT rating:

An invaluable reference document for vintage bicycle enthusiasts! It is well and thoroughly researched and fully illustrated with photographs and beautiful line drawings of bicycles and bicycle parts as they have developed over the past one hundred years. It also contains a many helpful and interesting graphs and charts. This beautiful book is as complete and authoritative as is possible, but is very readable even for those with no technical background. It is certain to become a collectors item and was published as a very limited edition.

I am very glad I purchased this book. This book involves much more about the history of bicycles than the title may lead you to believe.

For over 30 years, since my freshman year at UCLA, I have been an avid recreational and utility cyclist and "gear-headed" bicycle collector, tinkerer, and restorer. Since I always enjoyed Frank Berto's technical articles and insights on the design and operation of bicycle transmissions, I eagerly awaited publication of "The Dancing Chain." I was not disappointed! This well-illustrated and well-researched tome is the only comprehensive reference I have ever seen on the history of bicycle transmissions. It is a great read for any bicycle fan with an interest in history or technological evolution. My only nit-picking gripe is that the organization of the chapters sometimes makes it a little difficult to follow the chronology of a specific product line or manufacturer, although the material is all in there. I share Berto's appreciation of SunTour's innovative slant planograph rear derailleur design, which has since been almost universally copied by the competition.

The most insightful business book since Tom Peter's, "In Search of Excellence!" Combines business acumen with Dilbert style humor. A must have for owners, managers, employees, and business students.

The Davids lay out practical alternatives to downsizing, clearly demonstrating that business success and ethics are compatible. They provide helpful guidelines to managers concerning: strategic planning, decision making, problems and opportunities, management expertise, managing the "peons", "controlling" the customer, and management theories and realities. Their Dilbert style guidelines for employees include: "beating the system", "it ain't my job", "good enough for government work", "beating the competition", "customers, the ultimate annoyance", and "job survival skills."

Very few books on business make me smile - this one had me chuckling, while it imparted excellent advice on how to run a business without losing all your friends or your self-respect.

The Davids have hit this subject right on the spot! This is the only resource one needs to succeed in business. The authors combine business savy with a humanitarian touch.

Time travel storys usually give me a headache, but this one was simple enough that my head was fine after devouring all 250 pages of this opus. This writer's strength is that he does not presume to lord over the reader in terms of intelligence. Heck, his strength seems to be the fact that the average reader is smarter than he is. F.J. knows this and uses it to his advantage. I hope to see more come from him soon.

Not since Kafka has the power of the word 'the' been tapped so well! Everytime 'the' appears in the narrative, it's as if you're reading that word for the very first time. Exciting stuff. 'The' is best used by F.J.C. to convey shock. Example,"The...the...the...machine works!" Powerful stuff indeed! Sentences begin and end with 'the' in Frank's mind. That's fine with me. If enjoying this book is a crime, lock me up and throw away the key.

I first discovered the prose and writings of Frank Carradine when I was doing time at the State Pen. Frank's book was some of the only science fiction books in the library(the others were all Frank Herbert Dune books) and most guys doing time read it at least twice. The writing pulls you in with it's verbosity. The scenes shift the reader from the future and to the past with a minimal amout of segue-sickness. What I also liked was that the characters all had multiple dimensions to them. From two-dimensional to fifth-dimensional, all seemed real to me. Even the talking dog bits were brilliant.

This fast-paced international yarn follows a vivid cast from California to the Mediterranean and back to a fine ending, and is hard to put down. But the special treat is the author's intimate knowledge of Greece, where this international chase pivots. Frost knows the food, wine, women, sunsets, villages, local phrases, even the bad manners of the tourists, by nationality. If you can't visit Greece, read DEAD PHILADELPHIANS.

All the fun and excitment of an Elmore Leonard novel, with the added flavors of mordern day Greece. This one sucks you in on page one and leaves you disapointed that it's over.

This is a thriller that leaves you with good feelings. A young Greek American commits the almost perfect crime, leading to many trials, adventures, the discovery of his heritage and ethnicity, steamy sex, and a very satisfying conclusion. The portrait of Greek village life is very warm and sympathetic (in contrast to Kazantzakis'). The dialogue is perfect.

I look forward to the movie. I might even look up the author's scholarly work.