I have never written a review of any book that I liked. However,I recently purchased and used Laurent Martres' "Photographing The Southwest" volume 1, and I found it to be simply the best photo guide book I have ever used. In fact, This guide book would also be ideal for non-photo purposes like touring and exploring this enchanting area. There are many locations, suggestions, and details that were not included in any of the other area guides I used. Martres' love of this wonderful part of the world is evident in the plentiful images that grace the pages. However, what really sets it apart is the fact that he has spent years in the area, and has come to know it intimately.If he suggests a particular route or location, you can be sure that he has been there. The access information and detail is indespensable. If you are planning on visiting the Southwest, you owe it to yourself to take Laurent Martres' book along to increase your enjoyment.

My husband and I have always enjoyed our annual trips to the desert, but this book has not only awakened the sleeping photograpy bug for us, but also given us a new appreciation for all four seasons in the desert. The book has good photography tips, but like the author says, you need to have an appreciation for the desert to make your photos shine (and to enjoy yourself while you are not taking pics). I would highly recommend this to any photographer and to those who enjoy desert landscapes without taking any pictures.

Photographing the Southwest, both volumes one and two, are absolutely wonderful. The information is accurate and completely reliable. I had occasion to call Mr. Martres with a few questions and he could not have been more helpful. He was very friendly and most knowledgeable. These books are two of the first of their kind that I felt really lived up to their advanced booking. My hat is off to Mr. Martres for the valuable service he has rendered to photographers.

I must admit when I ordered this book it was for a friend. I received it and just thought I would glance through it to see what was there. I got so involved, so quickly, that I read it from cover to cover with great interest.

Watchman Nee was a true man of God. He held onto his conviction and his faith through the very worst of circumstances. He was strong in his faith and God kept him strong and he did not faulter.

This book is for ANYONE that wants to learn about true LOVE FOR GOD. Watchman like so many others was a martyr for his faith. He is one of few who have lived a life of faith and died for their devotion. Although he is considered now a man of history, there are people who suffer through this same fate and faith today for their love of God. **See Jesus Freaks Vol. 1 & 2 or Extreme Devotion**

Watchman Nee was a man of conviction that kept his focus on Christ above all things. He faithfully discharged his callings as an apostle, evangelist, and teacher while often being betrayed, reviled, and under threat from communist China. One can be moved greatly by reading this book.

I started reading this book while I was in the process doing a research paper for school. Being familiar with some of Nee's writings, and being curious about his life in general, I put my research paper on hold in order to read this book. My paper might not end up being as good, but that's ok :)

I originally read this book because I didn't know much about Watchman Nee and only knew that he wrote a lot of hymns. However, when I started reading about his life, my respect and awe of him grew so much. His lifestyle is so real and so encouraging. This book was an easy read and I read it in one sitting because it is impossible to put down. While I read this book, I was reminded of Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." By reading about Watchman Nee, I was blessed by the radical lifestyle he lived. He ran the race and persevered in even the most difficult of times and now he is cheering us on in our race to the end! Go and get this book and be inspired and blessed!!

Hatha Yoga is generally form based. Elephants need to know the "proper" position for their trunks while they perform asanas. The author shows where the trunks should be positioned for maximum effect.

Humans can also follow the book's pictures, sans the trunk positions, and perform a nice hatha class.

As Babar earnestly tells us on page one, archaeololgists recently discovered drawings on cave walls of elephants in yoga positions. After much research and study, these scientists came to the conclusion that "not only were elephants capable of performing yoga, it seemed they had invented it." Unfortunately, over many millions of years, this ancient art was forgotten. But now, yoga has once again become popular among elephants, especially in Babar's home of Celesteville. "The life of a modern-day elephant is stressful and complicated. Yoga turned out to be exactly what we in Celesteville needed, offering calm and control in days that were busy and demanding..." Join our friendly and endearing pachyderm as he explains in detailed, easy to follow, step by step instructions and pictures, fifteen yoga exercises. And then join Babar and Celeste on their many travels and adventures as they demonstrate just how they use them. Often they try and match their yoga positions to the things around them. "I think it is a nice way to meditate. This allows us to connect to the world around us." At the Metropolitan Museum of Art Babar posed in the Arm Balance position and looked just like a skyscraper. Paris' Eiffel Tower inspired Proud Warrior, and Venice's Piazza San Marco was the perfect setting for Standing Head to Knee. And at the Golden Gate Bridge, he and Celeste enjoyed doing the Cobra together..... Laurent De Brunhoff's engaging and humorous text begs to be read aloud and shared and is complemented by his playful and entertaining, signature illustrations. Together word and art create a clever how-to picture book, that will have youngsters out of their seats and on their mats, practicing yoga poses and breathing exercises, stretching, and improving their balance and strength. Perfect for kids of all ages, Babar's Yoga For Elephants is a timeless treasure and a sure classic in the years to come. As Babar reminds us on the last page..."Do a little yoga every day. At first you may not notice any difference. But keep it up, and after a few weeks I believe you will feel better in body and spirit. All of us in Celesteville hope that Yoga for Elephants will bring you peace and inner harmony."

After teaching Yoga for 30 years, it's wonderful to have my favorite character Babar, as an aide. I'll use his book as a humorous textbook for my practice.
Thank you dear Babar, I've always admired you.
SUSIe

Our first acquaintance with the Prinzhorn Collection of psychotic art at the University of Heidelberg was in the paperback edition of Ernst Kris, Psychoanalytic Explorations in Art (New York: Schocken Books, 1967), a book it may help to refer to while reading this one. This is the full-color catalog of a 1996-1997 exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London of more than 200 examples of artÑdrawings, paintings (some using "body color"), collages, and sculptureÑproduced by mental patients in European psychiatric hospitals. The full collection, which includes nearly 5,000 items from the period of about 1890 to 1920, was named after Hans Prinzhorn (1886-1933), a German art historian and psychiatrist who did not initiate the collection, but was largely responsible for its promotion, use, and preservation. He became famous overnight when he published a book in 1922 titled Artistry of the Mentally Ill, which praised the "authenticity" and "primordiality" of psychotic self-expression. It attracted the attention of many Modern artists, especially Surrealists and Expressionists, and was used by the Nazis as proof of the underlying sickness of what they condemned publicly in 1937 as "degenerate art." Suppressed but thankfully not destroyed, the Prinzhorn Collection was stacked in a cupboard until the early 1970s, and has now been restored. These haunting yet fascinating inventions, all beautifully reproduced, are prefaced by scholarly essays about Prinzhorn, psychotic expression, and social conditions in Europe between the wars. (Review from Ballast Quarterly Review, Vol 14 No 1, Autumn 1998.)

I first discovered the Prinzhorn Collection in late 1996 when selected paintings and drawings were put on display at the Hayward Gallery in London. The experience was extremely memorable.

More than just an art exhibit, "Beyond Reason" represented a provocative view into the inner workings on the human mind. (This is especially meaningful if you accept the argument that an understanding of the ailing mind can elucidate the functions of the healthy one.)

As you view the entire collection, patterns begin to emerge. "Circular" thinking, fear of being "trapped" in one's mind, and the desire to "escape" mental illness are common motifs. The cover of the book shows a great example. Painted by a schizophrenic, he successfully depicts his irrational fear of weightlessness; here, he must wear a blindfold and use hand-stilts to prevent himself from floating away.

Needless to say, I purchased a copy of the "Beyond Reason" book. Nearly 200 (mostly color) high-quality reproductions are presented, and the commentary is wonderful. I highly recommend this book.

An excellect selection of schizz-flows and machinic couplings, looking at this book is like watching a film by the Brother's Quay (and I believe the Brother's have made a new film based on one of the artists in this book, "In Absentia"). A beautiful and fetishistic stroll through the "Outside" of those who were locked up "inside". Take flight!

"Common Fire" is a scintillating work--but I'm not sure it's (ENTIRELY) aptly named. The "Fire" part seems to me entirely appropriate, for this book is positively pyrotechnic in its passion and pizzazz! On the other hand, its approach and content are FAR FROM "Common." This book is a masterful synthesis of wit and wisdom. It combines impeccable intellectual and academic credentials with a profoundly spiritual sense of consciousness. It taps and appeals to both the heart AND the mind. In other words, it plumbs the depth of our souls. Citing scholars as diverse as Ronald Heifetz (of "Leadership W/out Easy Answers"), Robert Kegan (of "In Over Our Heads"), Nel Noddings (of "Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics & Moral Education"), Robert Bellah et al. (of "Habits of the Heart"), Robert Putnam (of "Bowling Alone"), Lev Vygotsky (of "Thought and Language,"), Cornel West (of "Race Matters," etc.), Erik Erikson, Thich Nhat Hanh, Peter Senge (of "The 5th Discipline"), and Garrett Hardin (who wrote the seminal essay: "The Tragedy of the Commons")--as well as MANY others, "Common Fire" touches its readers in remarkably nuanced and incisive ways. The book chronicles the lives of actual people who are extraordinarily committed to serving the common/public good. These (auto)biographical sources lend the book an air of practical, non-fictional, personal authority. The "subjects" of the authors' study thus come across with all their human subjectivity, diversity, and individuality intact. But the book is also carefully enough researched, and thoroughly enough informed, that it conveys a more sweeping sense of "objective truth," as well. Perhaps that's because its authors understand and appreciate paradox, mystery, etc. Dialectiticians at heart, they see the world thru' a subtle lens of dialectical sophistication & perspicacity. Moreover, their lyrical, compelling prose makes it a veritable page-turner. This book is engrossing. Once it entranced me within its seductive clutches, I couldn't put it down. When I finally finished it, I felt CHANGED, renewed, inspired in a way books rarely make me feel. "Common Fire" demonstrates the power of "constructive engagement with otherness," of the transcendent joy and possibilities of "living within and beyond our respective tribes," of "developing critical habits of mind, a responsible imagination," and "struggling with human fallibility." SOMETHING has made you investigate this book thus far. I recommend your continuing to follow WHATEVER cosmic force is drawing you thither: So now you have only to go get your hands on this book in order to feel its promethean spark!

Common Fire is more than a book. It is itself a vision and an inspiration. If you're looking for hope and innumerable practical tips about how to create more possibilities for compassion and creativity in our schools and communities, then you'll love the incredible stories that this brilliant, care-full group of four author/educators has put together. Common Fire introduces us to a vision of what our good country can be when we re-envision ourselves as citizens rather than mere "consumers." I find it unbelievably heartbreaking to see America play darkly at the edges of cynicism, despair and violence, all of this supported by a daily barrage of TV and newspaper stories that hold out the lowest possible standard for what we humans can be, individually and in our communities. We are capable of so much more! Each one of our children should grow up in a safe home, surrounded by adults who know how to deal artfully with differences and potential conflict. Each one should grow into a visionary neighborhood of people who help one another and speak well of one another. These courageous Common Fire authors of have really gone out to the edge of what is possible for us as a nation, grounding their vision in the real experience of over one hundred extraordinary, visionary, incredibly committed leaders who refuse to take despair as the answer. As someone who has done professional interviewing, I know how difficult it is to ask good questions, to sort through masses of material for the gold. The Common Fire authors have done a superb job. These are good stories, real pearls of wisdom from mature American citizens who know what they're talking about. I am inspired by their stories, by their tenacity and creativity in situations where so many of us have given up. Common Fire is food for our hungry imaginations. Please read this book and present it as a gift of enkindled love to friends who are teachers, parents, college students, mental health professionals, politicians, community activists, business leaders, priests and ministers. I for one want the new life that these authors and their interviewees offer for us all. And I humbly thank them for all that they have already accomplished for my neighbors and for my country.

The book was astonishing in pinpointing the hearts of our "miracle workers" who have been able to elevate the conscious of those people who have either lost hope in the restructuring of our social fabric.

Both at work and at home, we function either as a mentor or as a student. And in some situations, as both. We provide or receive information, suggestions, criticism, etc. This is an on-going process. How can we help others to learn more? How can we can learn more from others? These and other key questions are posed and then addressed in this book. Daloz focuses primarily on the mentor (or teacher) whose "partnership" with each student "finally determines the value of an education. In the nature of that partnership lies the mentor's art." Those who share my high opinion of this book are urged to check out Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline [bold face] and The Dance of Change bold face]. I am reminded of a situation years ago when there was a tuition increase at Harvard and parents vehemently protested. Then president Derek Bok responded "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." The value of the mentor's art may be incalculable (I believe it is) but, as Daloz carefully explains, it is an art worthy of those who practice it with passion, competence, and commitment.

Daloz explains that this book "is directed to all those who seek a fuller understanding of the life changes accompanying adult learners as they go on to postsecondary education. But it does more than simply describe or dramatize those changes....It goes on to suggest how we can work more effectively with the new learners to enrich their educational experience and decrease the likelihood that they will drop out." That is to say, the primary purpose of this book is to "offer new perspectives for understanding adult learners and to suggest concrete and practical ways based on developmental theory how we can work more effectively to improve the quality of their educational experience." At the heart of Daloz' book are the interviews and personal descriptions needed to ground the principles, concepts, and theories. For it is in what Daloz calls "the living tissue of conversations between real students and real teachers" that we can best apprehend the developmental advising and instruction.

Clear explanation of developmental theory in a readable format. I found the dialogues with Daloz's "non-traditional" students to be the strength of the book. Most existing developmental theory seems to end with college students. Daloz takes a look at adult learners (returning students, those older than the "traditional" 18-22 year old residential students) to find whether current theory is adequate to understand these students' experience and learning needs. Reading the book makes me personally consider what my role should be as an educator, a mentor in higher education to meet unique needs and life experiences of the growing non-traditional student population. Are their developmental needs different than traditional students? Will current programming for traditional students be adequate to meet needs of adult learners? If these are questions you are asking or NEED to ask, pick up this book.

Daloz takes us on a journey through the wastelands and orchards of the educational experience. Through insights on developing learners through humanistic relationships, personal vignettes, and the best explanation of Perry's theory of intellectual growth I have ever read, Daloz leads us to the heartlands of transformative growth, for both teachers and learners. I highly recommend this soulful book to anyone who teaches, whether it be mentoring adult women learners as Daloz does, or lecturing in a traditional classroom. It is unusually readable, and you will find it hard to put down both times through.

This book, combined with Photographing the Southwest: Volume 1, which covers Colorado and Utah, is an absolutely essential tool for serious photographers who are looking to spend time photographing some of the most spectacular natural sights of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
I own both books, together with the accompanying cd roms, and I can honestly say, as a serious advanced photographer, I have never made a better investment. Since aquiring these guides, I have returned to the Southwest three times in three years, and each time have returned home with memories and photographic images that I had never known existed. These books are well written with great attention to details and chock full of black and white photos which excite the imagination. The cd roms provide hundreds more photos of these and nearby areas in vivid color. Together, this is a must have collection.
These books are not mere travel guides; they are an indispensable aid to photographers looking for the most photogenic spots in any given area of the Southwest. After spending hours enjoying these volumes, you will learn exactly how to get to each of these awesome spots, the best time of the year to travel to them, the preferred time of day to arrive for ideal lighting, suggested lenses and equipment and even the best spots (literally) to stand for ideal camera angles. Laurent Martres pretty much does it all for you; however, you will have to put on your own hiking boots and do your own walking, climbing, scrambling and whatever else it may take to get you to some of these hidden and often out of the way places. The rewards are great for those willing to follow his suggestions which will often include getting up well before dawn, hiking a few minutes or a few hours in some cases and a few days in others, scrambling over bolders or squeezing thru narrow canyons, wading thru waist high water or four-wheeling over back roads that will challenge the most adventureous among us.

Since getting hold of these books I have done all of the above and have always come home with more than my share of wonderful memories and prizewinning photos. I have discovered spots that I must return to over and over again because I just can't get enough of their jaw dropping beauty. I have spent time in locations you won't find in travel books or just about anywhere else for that matter. Many of these are places you would drive right by, never realizing their existence were it not for these books. A good number of the places featured in these books are generally not well publicized or often written about.
If you have interest in photographing or seriously exploring the lesser known and less often visited scenic wonders of America's Southwest, then I can't recommend both of these books and their accompanying cd roms enough. They should be on the bookshelves and in the backpacks of all serious lovers of the Southwest. They are invaluable in planning my photo trips; before I leave home, I pretty much know where I'll be going each day and what I can anticipate along the way. I have yet to be disappointed in any of the places I've spent time hiking to; quite the contrary since I am most often overwhelmed upon experiencing these spots in person. I expect to spend many future years searching out and exploring the great number of wonderful places Laurent Martres brings to our attention in both of these volumes. Thanks, Laurent; I'm looking forward to your future works.

Have you ever been in "The Southwest" without looking at Laurent Martres two guide books Vol. 2 and Vol. 1, than you really have to visit the place again.
If you see landscape-pictures in magazines, calenders, on postcards or posters and you think: "Whow, this is something I want to see with my own eyes.", than you will surely find it in Martres' two books "Photographing the Southwest".
He not only shows beautiful pictures from things you have never seen before and I'm sure you like to, no, additional he gives very good way descriptions (including needed time) and a lot of tips how to take the best pictures and at which time of the day.
I visited the area and the National Parks (and the visiting tourists) in more than one vacation. Laurent Martres was able to lead me to the places I ever dreamed of, "behind the tourists".
Planning your next trip? Best buy!!!

Laurent Martres' Volume II has been the most valuable and most helpful guide book for me during my last trip to Arizona in November 2002. He describes all those locations and viewpoints, I was always looking for, and never found in any other travel book. In addition, he gives tons of detailed advice about shooting professional photos. I also recommend his separately sold Comparison CD Rom with hundreds of Martres best photos in high resolution. They are a great source of inspiration, too. While viewing the pics on my PC, I could "pre-visit" the locations and choose my personal favorites.
Karsten

Pauline Laurent's Grief Denied: A Vietnam Widow's Story is a compelling, memorable, superbly written, candid, and intimate account of her coming to terms with the grief of her husband in the Vietnam War when she was 22 years old and pregnant. Grief Denied is a simply wonderful book, the writing as compassionate as it is sincere. From first page to last, Grief Denied will prove rewarding, insightful reading on the human condition and what we can do when inevitably confronted with loss and pain in our own lives and families.

Reading Pauline Laurent's book, Grief Denied, A Vietnam Widow's Story has helped me painfully yet better understand the denied grief that is within me - grief and fear that colors my values and lends a dark skepticism to my personality in ways that my own psychiatric training has failed to enlighten. It hurts to have our darkness exposed to the light of Truth. I don't like hurt. Pauline's text has inspired me to "flow on", not to worry about the tears! After all, tears like rivers were meant to flow. It is the stuff of life. When we try to stop the flow...stagnation! I still want to work with patients, but in a different way, a way that is more spiritual, more meaningful for both of us."

Pauline Laurent's beautifully written "Grief Denied- A Vietnam Widow's Story" is a brave gift to a country that needs to look at the long-term traumatic effects on loved ones of those who answered the call to Vietnam. As a former wife of a Vietnam veteran who physically survived the war, but was scarred mentally and emotionally, I have longed for books that tell of the trauma behind closed doors on American soil, long after the end of the Vietnam war. Sadly, I have found very little written on the subject. I used to think I was alone in the madness of grief and confusion. Thanks to Pauline Laurent, I know there are many others out there who have suffered similar experiences, with no recognition. It is time for America to wake up, look at the ugly aftermath and acknowledge it. There has been too much shame born by those of us directly affected by Nam. I thank and applaud Pauline for adding a most important work to the "women on the homefront" point of view. It is high time we give credit to those women who have paid a high price for loving Vietnam vets!

My husband, my 15-yr.-old daughter, and I were fortunate enough to pay a visit to historic Brattonsville. Aside from the fact that we were completely enamored of this being one of the sites for the film, "The Patriot"--which is how we found it in the first place, we were fortunate enough to have an excellent and enthusiastic young woman who is a history major (and has been active at Brattonsville since she was 15) as our guide. I had only recently discovered that my family tree goes back to the Revolution. I have always loved historical fiction, but this story thrilled me as I knew I'd be able to use it to finally start (and fuel) those same fires in my 8th grade students. I teach in the Drop-Out Prevention program for unmotivated students, and feel it to be fast paced, therefore interest holding, and easy to read. (I read it in the car on the way home.) My daughter read it and loved it as well. I've asked our reading specialist to order a class set. It's an excellent tool for "Bridges" between Language Arts and Social Studies, either in the middle or high school. ***** Please write more!*****

I am a 14 year old Revolutionary war novel writer in sc. I personally met Cristine Swager; and have a signed Copy of Black Crows and White Cockades. I continually read the novel and enjoy it. Finally some has had the initiative to write a novel about S.C's role in the Revolutionary war. Thank you Mrs. Swager.

I am a 16 year old Revolutionary War re-enactor from South Carolina, and I live about an hour and a half away from Camden, SC, where the story took place. Black Crows and White Cockades has been the best book written about a Southern Rev War family I've ever read. Not only was all the information about the various battles mentioned in Dr. Swager's book extremely accurate, but the characters in the book, particularly Ann, were easy to relate to, which brought the story to life. Black Crows kept me reading and interested until the very last page. Masterful!

One great way to gauge the popularity of the original Star Wars trilogy: just check out all the different versions of the movies' scripts that have been published over the years. First, there were the original Art of Star Wars books. Then, there were the updated Art of Star Wars books. Then there were the Premiere Magazine Movie Script Library editions. Then yet another updated Art of Star Wars series (this time with the Special Edition stuff). And that's not including the NPR radio drama scripts!

Out of all of these, however, my preferred SW script book is the "Star Wars Trilogy Annotated Screenplays". It has the lines to all three flicks all in one convenient 320-page-long paperback. But, there's more to like about this particular paperback than mere convenience and saving of shelf space. It also includes various footnote/endnote comments by George Lucas, Joe Johnston, Irvin Kershner, and other folks who worked on the movies and influenced the screenplays. Most of the discussions regard the genesis of various scenes, how the characters evolved from their original incarnations to what you see on the screen today, parts that were altered, what the alterations were, and other little-known behind-the-scenes bits. Also included are the Special Edition revamps, highlighted in grey. So not only do you get the complete screenplays, you also get insight on what it took to evolve, create, and eventually realize this legendary cinematic trifecta. This one's definitely a must-have for both Star Wars geeks (especially you live-action-adventure RPG types out there) and Hollywood history buffs.

There are a few downsides to this book, however. Being in paperback format with plain novel-grade paper, this book isn't quite as durable as some of the other screenplays. Also, the print is rather small (especially the scripts), and is likely a real bear to read for folks who lack perfect eyesight. You might have to break out the magnifying glass for this one!

'Late!

With all three screenplays from the original Star Wars trilogy, this book pays for itself.

But more than just screenplays, this edition takes you behind the scenes of the movies, giving you lots of information about how the series came to be.

In the beginning of each script, you get a rundown of the drafts and revisions the screenplay moved through. Intercut between the scenes, you get lots of commentary from the creators (George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, Irvin Kershner, Phil Tippet, and more), plus notes about how the story evolved from earlier drafts.

What really adds value to this edition is the exclusive commentary from the creators. Hearing George Lucas talk about mythology and how he came to invent the Star Wars universe; hearing Irvin Kershner talk about the directorial innovations he brought to Empire Strike Back; or hearing about how the story of Return of the Jedi came together--this stuff is priceless.

And the stories--they're as fresh and exciting as ever in screenplay form. A definitive resource for film students, fantasy fanatics, and Jedis-in-training.

The Star Wars Annotated Screenplays are a must have book for all Star Wars fans. It is filled with wonderful information about the formation of the Star Wars Saga.

Of interest to some readers will be early draft information relating to Episode II. Other readers will delight in learning about cut scenes and characters. For some, the description of the whole Force idea by George Lucas will be invaluable.

A great read and highly recommended.