This book originally caught my eye as an addition to another book I read called Edison: A Life of Invention by Paul Israel. I wanted a book that would cover a little more of Edison's personal life, and this book did just that. However, James Newton's close, dedicated friendships with all of these great men of the twentieth century is truly amazing, and I learned more than I would probably learn otherwise about some of these important historical figures.

The entire book is fascinating, and surely different parts will appeal to different readers. I was particularly enchanted with a poignant description of how Charles Lindbergh handled dying as he lay on his deathbed. I was also fascinated with how environmentally conscientious some of these men were, particularly Edison and Lindbergh, but also Ford. For example, Ford was very interested in making automobile parts out of soybeans in order to reduce the need for metal parts. It seems that all of these men had numerous ideas and ideas for inventions that were way ahead of their time - perhaps some of them still are.

Newton's writing is quite good, and I only have one very minor criticism: it seems that he preaches a little bit and dwells on the religious facet of his relationships with these people. Of course, I'm sure this was a very important part of his relationship with these men and their families, but it seems that there is a grand, overarching agenda he has in constantly illustrating their connection to God and religion.

If you are interested in any of these historical figures and their fascinating relationships with each other, this book is definitely the best book you will find on the subject.

This book originally caught my eye as an addition to another book I read called Edison: A Life of Invention by Paul Israel. I wanted a book that would cover a little more of Edison's personal life, and this book did just that. However, James Newton's close, dedicated friendships with all of these great men of the twentieth century is truly amazing, and I learned more than I would probably learn otherwise about some of these important historical figures.

The entire book is fascinating, and surely different parts will appeal to different readers. I was particularly enchanted with a poignant description of how Charles Lindbergh handled dying as he lay on his deathbed. I was also fascinated with how environmentally conscientious some of these men were, particularly Edison and Lindbergh, but also Ford. For example, Ford was very interested in making automobile parts out of soybeans in order to reduce the need for metal parts. It seems that all of these men had numerous ideas and ideas for inventions that were way ahead of their time - perhaps some of them still are.

Newton's writing is quite good, and I only have one very minor criticism: it seems that he preaches a little bit and dwells on the religious facet of his relationships with these people. Of course, I'm sure this was a very important part of his relationship with these men and their families, but it seems that there is a grand, overarching agenda he has in constantly illustrating their connection to God and religion.

If you are interested in any of these historical figures and their fascinating relationships with each other, this book is definitely the best book you will find on the subject.

Now in his 80s, real-estate developer Newton recalls with uncritical admiration five celebrated men with whom he enjoyed almost filial relationships. According to the author, they all shared the same philosophy of life, enouncing business principles in terms of moral precepts. Newton's bonds with Carrel and with the scientist's friend and partner in medical research, Lindbergh, were forged by their common interest in metaphysics. The narrative is studded with anecdotes about the nature of these men: Edison's assertion that his deafness was an asset; Ford's dictum that profit is essential to business vitality; Firestone's advocacy of Japanese-style ``consensus'' management; Carrel's expectation of encountering Aristotle after death; and Lindbergh's revulsion at the destruction wrought by aviation in WW II.

Ok amazing is kinda a strong word, but as far as understanding goes, this book is awesome. I mean it has everything that you would think to ask and I have read alot of books, but I HIGHLY recommend this one to be your first and I am a pretty tough critic.

This is an excellent introduction to the psychic dimension and metaphysics in general.
In part one, the author explores some universal concepts that serve to explain the nature of reality and how psychic awareness is a natural part of that reality. The work of Fritjof Capra, Gary Zukav, Lawrence LeShan, Rupert Sheldrake and Carl Jung is referred to in these chapters and it makes interesting reading.
Part two discusses some of the more common psychic experiences and how to evoke them - through intuition, dreams, meditation and hypnosis. I found the chapters on dreams and dreaming the most interesting. When we dream, our vibrational pattern shifts and we tune to a different spectrum of reality. And if you want to become psychic in a graceful manner, you must allow it to grow out of the practice of meditation.
Part three probes the role of the body, mind and soul in psychic awareness. It discusses the hologram, morphogenetic fields, the conscious, subconscious, superconscious and infinite mind. It also includes a "second verse" to the children's bedtime prayer "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep" in these words received in trance:
"I thy child forever play, about thy knees at close of day, within thy arms I now shall creep, and learn thy wisdom while I sleep."
Part four provides some experiments for the reader that wishes to venture into this exciting realm, and discusses the ultimate purpose of psychic awareness. It includes planning, dream recording, using a pendulum, mental telepathy, open channelling and cultivating one's spirituality. The book concludes with a discussion of psychic awareness as harbinger of global changes, followed by a bibliography and index.
This is a highly impressive text, dealing with all the relevant aspects of the psychic realm and how to cultivate one's psychic powers. The style is engaging throughout and easy to understand. I highly recommend it as a sensible guide to those who are interested in metaphysics but confused by the large number of disciplines and books available.

This is really a good book. It gives a very lucid explanation on how amazing intelligence and psychic abilities can be. It covers a lot of material and is written with an holographic overtone. Learn how to awake from hypnosis - as it were a sugar cube in your hands.

This is not a review, but I don't know any other forum for asking this question:

Does this book feature photographs of the key players?

As the great grandaughter of Ada and Jim LeBoeuf, I really appreciate the job done by the author. He presents the facts of the case. When reading the newspaper accounts during the time of the trial, it seemed as if the media was anxious to just print dirt and rumor which may have had a great deal to do with the outcome of the trial. Thank you Mr. Hargroder for a well written book on my family history.

Charles Hargroder has accomplished something that few writers can claim. His "Ada and the Doc" is a little gem in the world of non-fiction.

He has written about an unusual case, and it turns out to be a very accurate accounting of the events that form the basis for this non-fiction book. His credentials as an outstanding reporter for The Times-Picayune (New Orleans) and all the awards he has garnered for his work make him more than qualified to compile this type information and write a book about it. As far as documentation, it is definitely the best.

As a regular book reviewer for several major newspapers, I found this work to be one of the best to come out of Louisiana in quite some time. There are many writers who claim New Orleans as their base of operations, and they use the atmosphere of this historic city to illustrate much of their material.

Hargroder actually grew up in the area where these people lived so he knew where to get the records and where to find the people who knew of the case. It's a part of Louisiana that you seldom read about but yet it is one of the most historic parts of the state. He also made it a point to ignore all the heresay surrounding this case. He did not pad the book with this kind of personal opinions and "old tales," which, by the way, are still circulating today. The relatives he interviewed gave him an accurate accounting too.

With access to The Times-Picayune files, courthouse records, and the interviews, he has pieced together a very interesting story, factual and entertaining from the reader's viewpoint. Even current Governor Mike Foster, who also hails from this area, complimented Hargroder on his work.

It isn't every day that you pick up a book of non-fiction and read it as if it were fiction. This is one of those books. It holds your interest, and you can almost feel the sweltering heat of the courtroom. The people are real, and the events surrounding the case are still discussed to this day.

Hargroder has done his homework. The end result is a factual look at one of the biggest trials of the century. "Ada and the Doc" should be on every collector's shelf, especially those individuals with Louisiana ties.

This is one of if not the most beautiful book of nature photographs I have ever seen.

All photos are done in the field---No staged photos. The patience required to obtain these photographs is hard to believe. This book has the finest nature photos I have ever seen.

Not only were the images beautiful, the descriptions and articles on the photographs were very informative. As a nature lover and artist this is a book that I would recomend having for reference

Aztecs Under Spanish Rule is an in-depth study of the evolution of the historical relationship between the Native Mexicans and the Spaniards in Colonial Latin America. The story begins with the cultural differences between the two groups after the Spaniard's conquering effort over the Aztecs, 1519-1521. The social-cultural alterations and reorganizations that took place during the process of their co-existence within the Mexican mesa central from that point until Mexico's bid for independence, in 1821, are the general themes within the topics of each chapter. Gibson begins with a brief historical sketch of the landscape and human occupation of the Valley of Mexico, and each following chapter covering such historical topics as settlement patterns, land use, politics, religion and social structures literally has the potential of being its own disquisition. The author unleashes a flood of data, references and Indian names that cascade over the pages; unless the reader is in firm command of the Mexican Indian terminology, the glossary will become a welcomed reference bookmark. The overall effect of subjugation by the Imperial Spanish over the once Imperial Aztecs is visible in nearly all facets of life. This transformed society becomes the foundation for modern-day Mexico City and the greater Mexican society. The typical form of the chapters is a chronologically based essay. Beginning at or close to the point conquest, and traversing through the next three centuries, stopping at important junctions, at which point Gibson provides connecting vignettes that illuminate this region and inhabitant's path of history. Thus the scholarly Aztecs Under Spanish Rule is not overwhelming and is a quite digestible text that lay persons with interest in Mexican or Latin American history will find most agreeable. Even though the structuring of the chapters and their content is consistent and readable, Gibson's work is essentially a historical text that suffers from a lack of narration. The people and their situations do not come alive; they are presented in a flat, matter of fact manner, negating Aztecs Under Spanish Rule's potential as a page-turner. The most commendable list of primary sources permits the author to introduce an enviable texture, however, the fine combing does not occur, which would have produced a more human connected story. It is hard to imagine that the plethora of letters in the bibliography did not allow for the inclusion of longer, more personable and illuminating quotes. The very strength of each chapter as its own tractate, in this reviewer's opinion, becomes the book's undoing. At the conclusion of each topical chapter, we are back in the starting gate once again. That is not to say that Gibson's work is anything less than exemplary, rather simply that its topical structure somewhat takes away from author's ability to maintain the reader's imagination and focus as the story begins, unfolds, begins then unfolds, and begins and unfolds yet again and again. Once transported back in time, a connection is made, and an anticipation of the unfolding of the story builds. Severing this association repeatedly disconnects the reader from the flow of history. This could however be a matter of personal taste. Gibson states in his preface that he spent nearly twelve and one-half years researching and assembling this extraordinary piece of historical scholarship. His extensive appendixes, notes and bibliography speak well of his not brief dedication in compiling this work. For those aroused by the subject and feel the need to go deeper, this is a great starting point. The selection of maps and plates further illuminate this recommended history of Mexico. Try to remeber as well, that this work really stirred the waters when it came out, portraying the Spanish Conquest as, well, what a conquest is really all about.

Aztecs Under Spanish Rule is an in-depth study of the evolution of the historical relationship between the Native Mexicans and the Spaniards in Colonial Latin America. The story begins with the cultural differences between the two groups after the Spaniard's conquering effort over the Aztecs, 1519-1521. The social-cultural alterations and reorganizations that took place during the process of their co-existence within the Mexican mesa central from that point until Mexico's bid for independence, in 1821, are the general themes within the topics of each chapter. Gibson begins with a brief historical sketch of the landscape and human occupation of the Valley of Mexico, and each following chapter covering such historical topics as settlement patterns, land use, politics, religion and social structures literally has the potential of being its own disquisition. The author unleashes a flood of data, references and Indian names that cascade over the pages; unless the reader is in firm command of the Mexican Indian terminology, the glossary will become a welcomed reference bookmark. The overall effect of subjugation by the Imperial Spanish over the once Imperial Aztecs is visible in nearly all facets of life. This transformed society becomes the foundation for modern-day Mexico City and the greater Mexican society. The typical form of the chapters is a chronologically based essay. Beginning at or close to the point conquest, and traversing through the next three centuries, stopping at important junctions, at which point Gibson provides connecting vignettes that illuminate this region and inhabitant's path of history. Thus the scholarly Aztecs Under Spanish Rule is not overwhelming and is a quite digestible text that lay persons with interest in Mexican or Latin American history will find most agreeable. Even though the structuring of the chapters and their content is consistent and readable, Gibson's work is essentially a historical text that suffers from a lack of narration. The people and their situations do not come alive; they are presented in a flat, matter of fact manner, negating Aztecs Under Spanish Rule's potential as a page-turner. The most commendable list of primary sources permits the author to introduce an enviable texture, however, the fine combing does not occur, which would have produced a more human connected story. It is hard to imagine that the plethora of letters in the bibliography did not allow for the inclusion of longer, more personable and illuminating quotes. The very strength of each chapter as its own tractate, in this reviewer's opinion, becomes the book's undoing. At the conclusion of each topical chapter, we are back in the starting gate once again. That is not to say that Gibson's work is anything less than exemplary, rather simply that its topical structure somewhat takes away from author's ability to maintain the reader's imagination and focus as the story begins, unfolds, begins then unfolds, and begins and unfolds yet again and again. Once transported back in time, a connection is made, and an anticipation of the unfolding of the story builds. Severing this association repeatedly disconnects the reader from the flow of history. This could however be a matter of personal taste. Gibson states in his preface that he spent nearly twelve and one-half years researching and assembling this extraordinary piece of historical scholarship. His extensive appendixes, notes and bibliography speak well of his not brief dedication in compiling this work. For those aroused by the subject and feel the need to go deeper, this is a great starting point. The selection of maps and plates further illuminate this recommended history of Mexico. Try to remember that this work was groundbreaking in its time.

It's fun reading this collection of digressive informal anecdotes about famous (and some obscure) Englishmen. If you enjoyed "An Instance of the Fingerpost" (where some of thc characters appear) you'd like this. As a primary source for information it gets less reliable the further back it goes. Aubrey was born in 1626 so his accounts of Shakespeare and Elizathans are a generation removed, but he had met Harvey and Penn and had been through the Civil War and the rule of Cromwell.

Because its author never completed most of the entries for this biographical work, and never published it, what he did set down about his varied noble and ignoble subjects is uncensored, gossipy, perhaps unsubstantiated, and delightful. If you like browsing in Pepys' diary, or are fascinated by English life in the 17th century, this is the book to leave about for the occasional free moment.

Most writers of history - even the commercially successful ones - make the same mistake. They write books that are mere chronological recitations of fact and minutiae, with little regard for narrative. But Charles Slack deftly avoids this trap. His subject is seemingly arcane - the discovery of the vulcanization process for rubber. But, perhaps because he is a former journalist rather than an academic, Slack never loses his grip on the storyline that makes the life of Charles Goodyear so compelling. Goodyear, we come to realize, is a true American hero, who worked doggedly to solve one of the greatest riddles of the industrial age, triumphing in the end over charlatans who fought to deprive him of the money and recognition he deserved. This is a great read about an overlooked chapter in US history.

Charles Goodyear's do-or-die quest to solve the riddle of vulcanization is a compelling slice of history and an American industrial triumph that will now not be forgotten. Among other things, Charles Slack should be commended for recognizing the value of Goodyear's contribution to society and for bringing the inventor's 19th-century to life so lucidly and with such good humor. Among the fascinating camioes here is that of the great lawyer and orator Daniel Webster, who represents Goodyear and helps him claim his rightful place in history against greedy usurpers in the U.S. and Britain. As Slack cleverly observes, "Webster the actual man rattles around in the attic of our national memory as a famous but oddly hard-to-place New England statesman, who gave important speeches on matters that . . . have long since receded into the historical haze." Slack has proved here that he is one of the fine new writers of serious but popular history who are helping to clear away that haze, and helping America to better appreciate its national heritage. The Wall Street Journal called Noble Obsession, "utterly absorbing." Add to that remarkably edifying. Well done!

Most writers of history - even the commercially successful ones - make the same mistake. They write books that are mere chronological recitations of fact and minutiae, with little regard for narrative. But Charles Slack deftly avoids this trap. His subject is seemingly arcane - the discovery of the vulcanization process for rubber. But, perhaps because he is a former journalist rather than an academic, Slack never loses his grip on the storyline that makes the life of Charles Goodyear so compelling. Goodyear, we come to realize, is a true American hero, who worked doggedly to solve one of the greatest riddles of the industrial age, triumphing in the end over charlatans who fought to deprive him of the money and recognition he deserved. This is a great read about an overlooked chapter in US history.

The Charge of the Light Brigade on the 25th October 1854 was one of the three famous engagements that formed the Battle of Balaklava. The Charge, the most famous of all military blunders, was barely over before the process of transforming it into myth began. Accusations, counter-accusations, legal actions and patriotic poetry created more obscuring smoke and dust than the infamous Russian guns. Cecil Woodham Smith traces the careers of two of the major players: Lords Lucan and Cardigan, the brothers-in-law from hell, whose vanity, arrogance and (at least in the case of Cardigan) incompetence, inexperience and crass stupidity, contributed to the fatal Charge. Almost 40 years of peace, and the reactionary influence of the Duke of Wellington, had left the British army in a parlous state of unreadiness and bureaucratic confusion when the call came to defend Turkey against the Russians. The choice of the aged, gentle, inexperienced and unassertive Raglan, as leader of the expeditionary army, only made a bad situation worse. (For a rather more sympathetic portrayal of Raglan, as victim of an inefficient military system, criminally disorganised commissariat and unreasonable government, see "The Destruction of Lord Raglan" by Christopher Hibbert.) A more recent study, "The Charge" by Mark Adkin, provides a detailed and well-illustrated account of the events leading to the Charge of the Light Brigade. Adkin challenges traditional views , including parts of Cecil Woodham Smith's account. Particular attention is given to the role played by Captain Nolan (the messenger). Adkin suggests that Nolan may have deliberately misled Lucan and Cardigan as to Raglan's real intention. Whatever the truth, which is of course unknowable, "The Reason Why" is a genuine classic and an excellent introduction to a fascinating subject.

Woodham-Smith presents, in minute detail, the wages of placing social rank over experience, and even competence. British military history follows a disturbing trend. War starts, Brits get trounced upon, influx of fresh talent and new ideas comes (along with, sometimes, timely intercession by allies), British return to triumph. Woodham-Smith attributes this pattern to the notion in the higher ranks of the army (a notion espoused by the Duke of Wellington himself, pip pip!), that nobility ensures, if not competence, at least loyalty.

The price of this notion, is, of course, massive death, but because the massive death does not happen to the nobility, nobody important really minds. This is one reason the Charge of the Light Brigade, with which _the Reason Why_ primarily deals, was so different, and worthy of eulogizing in prose and song (Alfred, Lord Tennyson, by the way, appears absolutely nowhere in this text)--those dying, those paying the price for the Army's obsession with aristocracy, were aristocrats themselves.

Woodham-Smith manages to trace the careers of two utterly unsympathetic characters--Cardigan and Lucan--in a fascinating manner. This is no small feat, considering the reader will probably want, by the end of _the Reason Why_ to reach back in time and shake both of them, and maybe smack them around a bit.

Again, Cecil Woodham-Smith proves herself a master of the historian's craft, and produces a well-researched, thorough and driving account of what is probably the stupidest incident in modern military history.

The Crimean War changed so much about how war is waged--the treatment of prisoners and wounded being tops on the list of reforms brought about in the wake of the debacle. _The Reason Why_ is an excellent account, and should be required reading for anybody with even a remote interest in military history, or European history in general.

The Reason Why remains the classic study of the intriguing and sadly ludicrous episode in military history known as the Charge of the Light Brigade. The author, coming from an Army family and relying heavily on the writings of officers, largely neglects the experience of the private soldier and concentrates on the main characters in the drama. The story is dominated by these extraordinary personalities, serving as a reminder that war is an inherently human drama. On a second level, it is a criticism of the privilege system of the British Army of the mid-nineteenth century. In retrospect, one is hard pressed to believe such a purchase system could have ever won a victory at Waterloo. Intolerant aristocrats with no experience in battle, paltry leadership skills, and maddening unconcern for the soldiers under their command, bought their commissions. The Charge of the Light Brigade illuminated all of the faults of the system and proved that bravery alone was insufficient for victory. While human blunders led to the debacle that was the Charge of the Light Brigade, the British military system was intrinsically to blame.

The heart of this book concerns the relationship between society at large and the military. Military leaders feared nothing so much as public scrutiny, for widespread discontent could lead to political interference and, indeed, political control of the army. Whether in dealing with the incorrigible personalities of Lords Lucan and Cardigan or in covering up the series of blunders that resulted in the sacrificial ride of the Light Brigade, the military leadership acted with the overriding principle of preserving the Army from governmental control.

The embarrassments of the Crimean campaign proved uncontainable. A great source of difficulty was the incompetence of the Army staff; rank and privilege were held to be superior to actual experience. When these difficulties led to humiliation and defeat, the commanders' concern was not with the men they had lost nor the future of the war effort; to the exclusion of these, their main concern was that bad publicity would appear in Britain, that the public would hear of the lack of success, that the House would begin to ask questions of the military leadership, that the press would begin to criticize the Army. This great fear of political interference was realized in the aftermath of the Crimean War. The author portrays this as the one positive effect engendered by the War effort. A new era of military reform was born in Britain, Europe, and America. Experience now became a prerequisite for command, and officers were trained in staff colleges. The author's final point is that, above all, the treatment of the private soldier changed as the military system was humanized to some degree. Her assertion that at the end of the Crimean War the private soldier was regarded as a hero seems rather bold, but it is clear that he was no longer seen as a nonhuman tool of his commanders' designs.

Padre Pio, one of the most renowned modern-day Blesseds, was a very holy man loved by many people. The charisms he was blessed with by the Holy Spirit are truly amazing to read about, including bilocation, the odor of sanctity, as well as his most famous gift, the stigmata. The accounts of miracles attributed to his intercession are unbelieveable, and I'm sure they're just a small amount of the great deeds this man has done. This man seems MORE than a man, forgetting to eat meals, having great favor with the Lord, and sometimes being invisible from others. He comforted many dying souls in their last agony. This is a great compilation of the wonders of the great Blessed Padre Pio.

This was an excellent book, Examples of many, many miracles, Many insights to the wisdom and knowledge of heaven. Wonderful book.

Padre Pio was canonized St. Pio of Pietrelcina on June 16, 2002. There are many books written about him, and this is one of the best and most complete. He was a Capuchin friar born in southern Italy in 1887 and died in 1968. He bore the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, for 50 years. He also possessed other unusual qualities, such as bilocation, odor of perfume, the reading of hearts, miraculous cures, remarkable conversions and prophetic insight. Because of his ability to read hearts many people sought to confess their sins to him. Although he heard confessions for 12 to 14 hours a day, it was necessary to register 10 days in advance because so many people desired his spiritual direction.

I highly recommend this book and also "Stories of Padre Pio" by Madame Katharina Tangari.

I used this for a class in creative writing. Anytime I got writers block I would read a few of the stories in Sudden Fiction. It didn't always help but all the stories are highly entertaining and from time to time the stories inspired me to pen up my own experiences in their voice or mine. All in all, whether you're using it seriously or not, you'll enjoy this book's short stories. There's a wide variety for all moods and writing styles. It'd be hard not to like at least some of the stories and if you're a writing student or pro I'd think this type of material would be essential for those lean times.

This is priceless collection of very short stories from all over the world.In this cosmopolitan range of stories many known authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez,Julio Cortazar,Heinrich Boll,Nadine Gordimer and Mrozeck are joined by those we will come to know better later by reading their well crafted short short stories.
I have translated 37 of these collection into Farsi.The Farsi title is Dastan e Nagahan meaning Sudden Fiction.
Thanks to the talented authors of this anthology and its fine predecessors,Sudden Fiction and other titles like Flash Fiction and Sudden Fiction Continued.
I recommend the readers to buy this book and enjoy its taste in discovering a world wide scenery,multi cultural surprises and find new friends.
The stories are indeed perfect for bed time reading

A great book for those with short attention spans, short story writers (or aspiring short story writers), and those who want to see the variety of short shorts available. These stories are short but they have a sharp impact on the reader. The Afternotes section provides extra information about the author, which is often not included in short story collections. It also provides interviews with the authors on their inspiration for the story of theirs included in this volume and occasional interviews with translators on how they set about getting the most accurate translation of the story.