This informative book really opened my mind about child-rearing practices. It's so important to remember that Western culture is not the only one in the world and that we would do well to learn what other cultures have to offer us. Gusii parents in Kenya use what the authors call a "pediatric" way of raising children, contrasted to the "pedagogical" way Western parents tend to raise children. Many of the Gusii practices, which are generally concerned with protecting the comfort and health of the child, could be used by American parents beneficially.

I especially liked the vignettes of the families towards the end of the book.

This book is more appropriate for the person who is academically interested in the subject - it's not really soemthing the average person would sit down with for a good read.

The author uses rare photographs by a North-American camerman who maintained a studio in Havana during the 1850s. Although the photographs are not crisp (they were taken during the infancy of photography!) they ae very interesting. The background provided by the author is excellent.

This book is made mostly from second sources such as already printed books, but uses very few primary ones. In fact, it is missing key authors such as Hakluyt, he uses only the 1724 edition of Captain Johnson book (neglecting the 1726 which is the most complete), and it seems he used only a resumed version in one volume of Labat's massive work of more than 6 volumes, among other shortcomings. Then he puts in his bibliography the __Don Quixote__, but this novel has nothing to do with piracy in the Americas. I bought this book because it was advertised as being composed of many Spanish sources. But sadly, it has very, very few. In fact he only uses _one_ primary Spanish source (Alsedo), and about two or three books written by Spaniards of our time. His "select bibliography" is very short (68 books in all), and I doubt he read any more. In general terms, the information he provides is okay, and he is carefull not to make mistakes. Problem is, it is not an original book, nor it keeps up to what it promises. Readers that expect to find in it a rich quantity of Spanish references, archives, chroniclers, etceteras, do not be misleaded.

Kris Lane apparently grew up with the same wide-eyed awe of pirates that most of us grew up with. His "Pillaging the Empire" does it's best to reshape our opinions of pirates as a fun-loving bunch of misfits and saucy rogues, but like many recent works on the subject of piracy, he doesn't quite do it. One can't help but retain a skewed view of pirates, despite the unpleasant tales of how dirty ships were, how rotten the food was, how murderous the population was, etc. Like David Cordingly's excellent "Under the Black Flag", the pirate myth is largely debunked, the truth is revealed to be stranger than fiction, but you can still tell that at the end Lane (like Cordingly before him) still gets a kick out of recalling the pirate lifestyle.
The book itself tells the story of American piracy in a fun manner, but everything is presented scholarly; sources are cited and there are enough annotated footnotes to keep dorks like me happy. The sidebar pieces are handy, and cover related topics like gambling in the 17th century, a typical pirate's diet, etc. Interesting stuff for the curious and a good awakening to those who think pirates are all guff-talking, one-eyed parrot owners with scurvy and gangrene.

Not exactly a groundbreaker in the biographical art, this book nonetheless gives an adequate account of the work of maestro Levine, if in the end very little of his real personal life. Why these books inevitably tend toward the mundane baffles me; Mr. Marsh plays the sycophant to the very end, and while controversy is not required to make interesting reading, it would seem to be a given, wouldn't it, that such unvarying adulation becomes a kind of flatulance after page 200-and-something. How often this kind of nonsense spoils what might have been an interesting look at a certainly worthy musician of our time! And Marsh is a relatively competent critic- one really expects more. This book however does manage to rise above the painful because of an extended interview section in the middle; Levine is a thoughtful and indeed a most decent chap, qualities that come through in his own comments, if not through his biographer's. Marsh is no David Dubal, however, and Levine is left pretty much to his own devices with respect to exploring his art in any substantive way. I should think he would be better served by an autobiography; Levine seems more inclined toward genuine experience than the fluff of Marsh's tiresome throes of ecstacy suggests. Not for the casual observer, but anyone with an interest in the history of the Met will find it at least not without some compensation for one's efforts.

About a third of my way through this book, I double-checked the back flap of the jacket cover. Was the author Robert Marsh the Chicago Sun-Times music critic, or another Robert Marsh who happened to be James Levine's publicist? The question was prompted by the persistently adulatory tone of this book - which continued right up to the last page. Indeed, much of the book reads like an expanded version of blurbs on Maestro Levine's PR copy in record advertisements in Carnegie Hall programs - "Perhaps the greatest conductor of our century..." - "A concert to enter the realms of legend..." - "A legendary recording, an instant classic, sheer perfection..." - that sort of thing.

Now, James Levine is without question one of the leading conductors of our time, and certainly the most important musical force at the Metropolitan Opera since Toscanini. Whether one likes or agrees with everything he does is beside the point; his stature as a musician and an orchestra builder is beyond dispute. I have admired the maestro since I first began attending the Met in the mid-1970's, and his Ring cycle in New York was one of my great experiences in the theatre. But much though I admire James Levine, this book is a bit much. Avering (as Marsh does) that Levine is a greater conductor than, among others, Toscanini, Furtwangler, and Bruno Walter does service neither to Marsh's credibility or Levine's reputation. Marsh really lost me when he treated the "Three Tenors" circuses as serious musical events, and his judgment that Domingo is a greater tenor than Caruso will no doubt raise some eyebrows among voice afficionados.

Most of this falls in the category of critical opinion, and Mr. Marsh is certainly entitled to his. And, as one would expect from a critic of Marsh's reputation, his opinions are generally well-informed and articulate. But readers should be aware that this is not really a "critical" look as James Levine, in the sense that it considers his positives and negatives (yes, he does have them). Of negatives there is here nary a whiff, nor would one be aware, after reading this book, that there is a significant amount of critical dissent about some of Levine's work from other quarters. (For example, look at Gramophone magazine's review of Levine's recording of "Der Fliegende Hollander," or Kenneth Furie's review of Levine's "Parsifal" in High Fidelity some years back.) And for a completely different take on the 1996 "Cosi fan tutte" at the Met, one should read Manuela Holterhoff's "Cinderella and Company." No rosy glasses here.

The best parts of the book are the "dialogues" between Marsh and Levine. Levine is an articulate and insightful commentator on matters musical, as anyone knows who has heard him in interviews. I could have done with more Levine and less Marsh in these dialogues. Unfortunately, much of the rest of the book too often resembles press-agent puffery.

Worth a read. But put your critic's hat on first.

Robert Marsh does an excellent, if tedious, analysis of conductors. His prime focus is on the development and accomplishments of James Levine which are many and praiseworthy. Mr. Marsh is obviously a critic of extraordinary talents as well. (He tells you so.) The book is well worth reading.

This book is bad. Aside from being historically inaccurate in several areas, the authors quote newspaper clippings and "anonymous", uncorroborated, negative citizen comments as fact. The authors "preach" their perspectives and beliefs based on their "theory" of how minorities have been abused or mistreated over generations. Very little, if any, of the information presented as factual is substantiated by historical evidence. Ninty percent of the book is pure speculation, conjecture, and biased opinion against law enforcement. It is a very slanted and liberal writing. I do not recommend it unless you are mandated to read it. For a better perspective on the real world of managing in law enforcement, try Proactive Police Management. It is also a liberal slant of view, but a much more accurate and interesting read.

Authors give insightful ideas on how to police with a variety of different cultures now facing America. The book offers almost a "how-to" for Departments considering a need to implement a more culturally sensitive process for their city. Cultures considered include the obvious African American, Hispanic, Asian, Indian as well as "lifestyle" cultures.

vraisemblance takes a beating when jake lassiter resorts to show tunes & psychological tap-dancing to stave off certain death at the hand of an uzi bearing reincarnated hawaiian god.not levine's best, though still entertaining. average.

The average middle or high school student knows 90 % of the word in Courses II and III. For maximum effectiveness, it should be as a way to have 5th graders build a vocabulary base for their middle and high school years.