Artist Julia Warwick falls from a horse, resulting in the loss of her eyesight. Doctors find nothing physically wrong with Julia. They conclude that she suffers from hysterical blindness though no one knows what psychologically caused this. Julia's mother brings her twenty-nine year old daughter home to Ridge's Race, Virginia to heal.

At about the same time, Julia's former lover, wrongly convicted Christian Carve, is released from prison. Reluctantly, he goes home where employment awaits him. Christian wonders who really killed Fidelity, the homicide he was incarcerated for, and why did Julia desert him. He soon wonders who sired her nine-year-old daughter. As Christian and Julia "see" each other for the first time since his trial, the sparks erupt, but too many crisis have befallen them for any hope of a future together.

FOX RIVER is a superb drama that works because the plight of Julia and the anguish of Christian seem so real. The story line is exciting and never slows down even when Julia's mother provides excerpts from the novel she is writing. In fact, those sidebars actually add depth and propel the plot forward. Emilie Richards shows why readers appreciate her works with this powerful tale that focuses on people in crisis.

Harriet Klausner

This was my first book by Richards, recommended to me by a reading group. I love the way she incorporated the characters into one wonderful story. She made me wish Maisey was my mother, what a interesting life that would be. The ending was a total suprise!

This was a beautiful story, very exciting, riveting at times, I wish it would have gone on and on! This was my first Emillie Richards book and I have ordered many more of hers. This book wove a web of many stories within stories about a Virginia family and their good times, bad times, sad times and happy times. There was never a lull in the story like some books I've read. The ending was just right also. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book today!

So many people are turning to faith since September 11, looking for reassurance, trying to find answers to hard questions. This remarkable book skips the banal platitudes; instead, it gave me real, solid guidance to begin to face those hard questions and try to make sense of it all. The variety and depth of this astounding collection of essays is breathtaking. I was astonished by how many different faiths are represented. Especially moving, to me, was a New York parish priest's account of ministering to victims. We also get to eavesdrop on the Beliefnet community as they helped each other cope in the days following the attacks; the personal interactions are riveting. Only Beliefnet could have created this book. This is a gift that truly will help us all rise "from the ashes."

Picked this book up at an airport just before
my flight and was unable to put it down during
the entire flight! It is filled with healing
words, inspirational thoughts, and wisdom from
some of the greatest spiritual leaders of our
times, at a time when so many are desperately
seeking answers to questions regarding this
horrific tragedy against mankind. I strongly
recommend this book --- a must read for all of
us who care deeply about what happened to our
nation on September 11.

This wonderful, heartwarming book comforted me not just with inspiring words, but with the profound spiritual wisdom of a multifaith array of religious leaders. It is heartening to know that people of all faiths both condemn violence and believe that the human family can move beyond it. The community discussion part of the book -- in which computer users post messages of fear and suspense on Beliefnet.com as they realize what has happened with the crashed planes -- is gripping. These users' interfaith prayers and concern for each other show an Internet community at its best.

If you only read one Christmas book this season, make it "The Light of Christmas" by Richard Paul Evans. This is a beautiful, well told story for children of all ages. "The Light of Christmas" pulled at my heart strings and brought tears to my eyes. This is a gift that I will share with my family and friends for Christmas. Thank you, Richard Paul Evans, for helping bring the meaning of Christmas back into my life.

This beautiful book caught my eye as soon as I walked in the bookstore. I was extremely touched by the message that it contained. The illustrations were also beautiful. This book will be the beginning of a great Christmas tradition in my family. It falls right in the catergory of "The Polar Express". I would recommend this to everyone who finds a greater meaning in Christmas.

This book tells a simple story about a boy who makes a hard decision that is both kind and generous. This story was read to a staff of adults at our annual Christmas party and all of us sat enrapt and charmed as we listened and watched each page turn. The pictures are beautiful and the story is something that all ages will enjoy. A delightful find and one that I will give as a gift each year.

This thought-provoking book is of interest not only to Jewish people seeking to manifest their faith in a progressive manner but also to anyone looking for concrete ways to live a more ethical life. Schwartz is not afraid to go ahead and say that global survival hangs in the balance between the options which face each of us every day. Will we choose actions which are consistent not only with ethical considerations such as humane treatment of animals but also with pragmatic issues such as the importance of preserving scarce resources for future generations? Or, will we turn our backs on our fellow beings and, in so doing, condemn ourselves as well? In his treatment of urgent issues such as world hunger and environmental crisis, Schwartz provides key facts along with persuasive arguments. Read this book if you're striving for a more ethical and satisfying life. Or, if you're already in synch with the ideas Schwartz promotes, read this book for facts and arguments you can use in discussions with friends and family members. Or, just read this book to come along for the ride as a learned and empathic man navigates the currents of ethical thought in our increasingly complex and dangerous world.

JUDAISM AND GLOBAL SURVIVAL by Richard H. Schwartz Ph.D.

Readers familiar with the classic volume "Judaism and Vegetarianism" by Professor Richard H Schwartz will be delighted to learn that its sequel, "Judaism and Global Survival," has recently been revised and updated.

The publication of this new edition could hardly be more timely, seeking as it does to explore the vital issue of protecting the earth from the many threats it faces. The solution, according to Professor Schwartz, is not necessarily to be found in current technology, but rather by applying Jewish mandates related to protecting our imperiled planet. He reminds us that as
Jews, not only are we obligated to carry out the mandate of Tikkun Olam (to repair the world), but also that we should pursue peace and justice, feed the hungry, conserve resources, and love our neighbors as ourselves. The book's message however is not only for Jews but for people of all faiths, discussing as it does the practical measures that can help reduce global warming, world hunger and rapid population growth.

The book is divided up into sections addressing many important themes, such as energy, social justice, and human rights. Each section is illustrated with appropriate Biblical quotations and examples of Jewish teachings. As Professor Schwartz points out, however, it is not enough simply to know about these Jewish values. In order to achieve a beneficial and necessary change,
we must apply them. To this end, he provides us with an appendix listing some effective and practical ways that we can help improve the environment: for example, by writing letters, displaying bumper stickers, and organizing events on the theme of global sustainability.

One of the most important sections is the one which argues that a shift toward vegetarianism is an essential factor in improving theenvironment. Indeed Professor Schwartz points out that both vegetarians and environmentalists have similar goals: "The aims of vegetarians and environmental activists are similar: simplify our lifestyles, have regard for the earth and all forms of life, and apply the knowledge that the earth is not ours to do with as we wish. In view of the many negative effects of animal-based agriculture on the earth's environment, resources, and climate, it is becoming increasingly clear that a shift toward vegetarian diets is a planetary imperative."

"Judaism and Global Survival" is an important book for anyone who cares about the environment and who would like to learn the appropriate Jewish values which could make all the difference to the future of our planet.

I have had the pleasure of reading prior books by the same author. This book goes far beyond the excellence of his earlier works. With all the curiousity of Muslims and the Koran, people should be equally curious about Jewish people and their Religious principles. Does anyone truly live up to their religion on this planet? Dr. Schwartz provides timely, important information about the true beliefs of Judaism, calling out to not only Jewish people, but people of all kinds who are interested in stopping the Armageddon scenario on the planet today. Exceptional book, a must read. ...

I read this book about three weeks ago, and reviewed it for[another source]. Rather than reinvent the wheel, here is the review I posted there (reposted with permission from VegSource):

"Judaism and vegetarianism? Can the two be related? After all, what is a simcha (Jewish celebration) or holiday dinner without gefilte fish, chopped liver, cholent, roast beef, chicken and chicken soup? And what about passages in the Torah referring to Temple sacrifices of animals and the consumption of meat?"

This question, quoted here from the preface to the first edition of Richard Schwartz's seminal work Judaism and Vegetarianism, has often plagued Jews considering a switch to a vegetarian lifestyle, as well as vegetarians considering Judaism. CAN one be Jewish and vegetarian? Don't the Scriptures sanction...indeed, appear to command...the consumption of meat? What is God's will regarding His people and their relationship with the animals, the Earth, and with other peoples? How does vegetarianism fit in (or does it?)?

In this book, Professor Schwartz demonstrates that, not only is vegetarianism wholly consistent with Judaism, it may even be considered an imperative in this day of factory farming, environmental depletion, degenerating human health and worldwide hunger. Beginning, as is fitting, with the Scriptures (particularly the Torah), Schwartz takes his readers on a tour of the Bible from a vegetarian point of view. He then goes on to address specific issues, such as "Tsa'ar Ba'alei Chayim - Judaism and Compassion for Animals"; "Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Health"; "Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Feeding the Hungry"; "Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Ecology"; and "Judaism, Vegetarianism and Peace"; supporting each not only with quotes from the Scriptures, but also with insight from Jewish sages and scholars from virtually every age and tradition, as well as with substantial and timely factual material gleaned from leading authorities on animal welfare, human health, the environment and the world hunger situation. He then proceeds to address even more specific questions regarding Judaism and vegetarianism (such as "Don't Jews have to eat meat to honor the Sabbath and to rejoice on Jewish holidays?" and "If God wanted us to have vegetarian diets and not harm animals, why were the Temple sacrificial services established?") and vegetarianism in general (such as "Can't one work to improve conditions for animals without being a vegetarian?" and "If vegetarian diets are best for health, why don't most doctors recommend them?"). Finally he offers solid advice on how to make the switch to vegetarianism, including information on holiday observances and information on Jewish vegetarian groups, activities and resources, as well as an interesting and informative biographical section on famous Jewish vegetarians. He closes with this question, respectfully addressed to Jews who plan to continue to eat meat: "In view of strong Jewish mandates to be compassionate to animals, preserve our health, help feed the hungry, preserve and protect the environment, conserve resources, and seek and pursue peace, and the very negative effects animal-centered diets have in each of these areas, will you now become a vegetarian, or at least sharply reduce your consumption of animal products?" It's hard to imagine, in the face of Professor Schwartz's well-reasoned and well-documented book, that anyone could reasonably answer "no."

I highly recommend Judaism and Vegetarianism to any Jew who is considering vegetarianism (or who has already made the switch and is seeking support and advice), as well as to those who are not vegetarians themselves, but who may be concerned about vegetarian friends and loved ones. It should be required reading for any rabbi who may encounter questions about vegetarianism or find himself ministering to vegetarians. Further, I would strongly recommend this book to vegetarian Christians and Muslims, who also accept the Hebrew Scriptures as authoritative?you will find information here that will both challenge and support you, and perhaps a common ground upon which the work of peace can be built.

I wrote a review on this book for the newsletter for the winter 2001 newsletter for the animal rights group, Last Chance for Animals. I am including my review here:

Richard H. Schwartz's Judaism and Vegetarianism is a useful reference for refuting claims that humans and animals do not deserve equal consideration. It effectively explains and elaborates upon the Bible's stance on vegetarianism and explores other moral and societal issues with which non-religious people can identify; Schwartz even includes a section on how vegetarianism can promote awareness and ultimately resolve these issues. The book also contains answers to common questions, nutritional suggestions, discussions of Jewish vegetarian groups and their activities, biographies of famous Jewish vegetarians, an annotated bibliography, ideas for promoting vegetarianism, and a detailed index. In sum, Schwartz has produced a well-documented, well-reasoned, and very convincing work which ends with a query to Jews who plan to continue eating meat: "In view of strong Jewish mandates to be compassionate to animals, preserve our health, help feed the hungry, preserve and protect the environment, conserve resources, and seek and pursue peace, and the very negative effects animal-centered diets have in each of these areas, will you now become a vegetarian, or at least sharply reduce your consumption of animal products?".

ORANGE COUNTY PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS (OCPA) creating a compassionate, healthy and peaceful planet

June 18, 2001

Review of JUDAISM AND VEGETARIANISM by Richard Schwartz, Ph.D.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt it was sequentially well organized, clearly written, educational and inviting. Some publications encouraging veganism or vegetarianism tend to lean toward superiority or scare tactics. However, the style of this author and text leaned more toward informative humility.

I enjoyed the ways in which Dr. Schwartz established justications and relationships between quotations and teachings from the Bible and/or the Torah in favor of a vegan/vegetarian life as they relate to: agribusiness, environmental destruction, human starvation, debilitating hunger-related diseases, heart disease and obesity, civil unrest, political/petrochemical devastation and disregard for life and, of course, the barbaric treatment of farmed animals.

All questions and answers sections were absolutely wonderful! Those sections alone could be invaluable pamphlets that could address those "Things you always wanted to know about vegetarianism/veganism but were afraid to ask." All answers were succinct and yet detailed, passionate and yet humbling.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in any of the myriad reasons to be vegan and/or vegetarian. And for people whose lives are intertwined with Judaism, it offers explicit and thought-provoking rationale from that point of view for a cruelty-free lifestyle.

For ALL living beings, Veda Stram Outreach for OCPA

The Mission of Orange County People for Animals is to have our guiding principles present in the everyday fabric of society: * Every being has the right to live free from exploitation. * By educating people, we will create a compassionate, healthy and peaceful planet. * There are consequences to every individual's actions. * All life is interconnected.

As a life-long fan of The Little Rascals and owner of the complete set of "Cabin Fever" videos from the early 90's, this guide is an indispensable source of information and nostalgia.

I was fascinated by the background information, particularly the biographies of EVERY ONE of the Little Rascals and how they lived the rest of their lives. Be prepared for some tragic, tear-jerking stuff! The information makes viewing the classic episodes even more poignant in hindsight.

I am not familiar with ANY of the "silent era" episodes, but I appreciate the information nonetheless. It was interesting to see how so MANY ideas for later episodes were either inspired by or directly picked up from the silent era.

I also appreciated Maltin's candor as he reviewed the declining later years of the Our Gang franchise. What was obvious to any fan, Maltin confirms with honest (yet never mean-spirited) criticism.

Highlights: The information-packed episode guides, the aforementioned actor biographies and the wonderful collection of Our Gang photos (I only wish there were MORE)!

Warning: If you are only a casual fan of the Rascals or if you're someone who's only watched the 90's "Little Rascals" motion picture, you should probably skip this book. Devoted "Our Gang" fans need only apply!

This is the most exhaustive treatment available of the Our Gang comedy shorts. The synopses of each episode, the biographies, and the photos are excellent. If you want an entertaining and informative read about this excellent series, this is the book.

The bigger accomplishment is the picture Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann paint of the early days of Hollywood. Hal Roach oversaw some of the comedy greats...Laurel and Hardy, Harold Lloyd, and of course Our Gang. We can almost feel what it must have been like to work on the Hal Roach lot in the new and burgeoning film industry. Maltin and Bann are able to evoke the atmosphere, the family of Hal Roach studios. So, more than being just an excellent history of the long running Our Gang series, it is a Hollywood history. Our Gang successfully bridged the silent and talking eras of film, and had as its creator one of Hollywood's seminal geniuses. For this reason, Our Gang is particulary suited to serve as a segue into great film history. This book accomplishes much more than its title implies.

This is the first real book to take a look into the creation,development and success of a popular movie comedy series:"The Little Rascals!".Noted film historians:Leonard Maltin And Richard Bann give the readers insight into the creation of the earliest films,the choosing of the kids that appeared in the series.Plot synopsis,Air dates,behind the scene facts about the incidents that occured during the filming of the shorts and biographies of the cast members.the book also looks at the creation of the other film series that were shot at the studio and about the Man who started it all:Mr.Hal Roach.Maltin and Bann also include a look at "The Our Gang"series successful revival on local and network kids tv shows and two new chapters that were not in the original l977 manuscript:A look at the merchandising of "The Little Rascals"that occured long before the series tv revival and a bio about the series other guiding genius:Robert McGowan. Along with an entire new collection of rare photos and an updated of the book's text."The Little Rascals:The Life & Times Of The Our Gang!" is a must for fans of movie comedies,kids tv and for the history of truly talented and funny kid actors.

Richard Garfield is the creator of Magic The Gathering card game. This book gives the reader an in-depth look into the game and shows the beautiful illustration that each card contains. This is a must have for all players and collectors of the card game.

If you are currently collecting or playing Magic cards, I suggest buying this book if you dont have it NOW! It is filled w/ information, fully illustrated cards, interesting facts, playing tips, etc. Also, buy the Magic Encyclopedia Volume 1.

Great book of pictures of Mirage, Visions, 5th Edition, Weatherlight & Portal. Helps alot with viewing the cards for collecting.

This is an awesome and compelling book on the cruelty and harshness of the Nazis during WWII. The heroics of Sasha, Shlomo, Toivi, and other Jewish prisoners helped the escape of more than 50 Jews from the death camp. Well written.

The release of Claude Lanzmann's new documentary about the escape from Sobibor may cause readers to flock to this book, first published in 1982. (Lanzmann this week won Israel's highest cinematic honor for his film). It should.

As Richard Rashke noted in his 1982 introduction, even then almost no one had ever heard of Sobibor, although it had been the scene of the biggest prisoner escape in World War II, on October 14, 1943 at 4 p.m. Why? Millions of pages of Nazi records included only three documents on Sobibor--like Treblinka and Belzec, a top secret death factory. These 3 places, unlike Auschwitz and Dachau and thousands of other camps, had no satellite labor camps.

Here, virtually everyone was sent immediately to their deaths. The handful of survivors were those enslaved to process transports. Even these laborers, if they did not die of exhaustion or starvation, were largely murdered after a very short while.

Poland's pre-glasnost Commission for German War Crimes estimated that the Nazis gassed at minimum 1.65 million Jews (25% of all those murdered in the Holocaust) in these three camps alone--250,000 of them at Sobibor, which Rashke called Heinrich Himmler's "best-kept secret."

This book was perhaps the first lengthy expose of such a place. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Rashke interviewed 18 of Sobibor's 30 survivors, who warmly welcomed his inquiries because he is not Jewish. He interviewed escape co-leaders Alexander (Sasha) Perchersky (in the Soviet Union) and Stanislaw (Shlomo) Szmajner (in Brazil) and spoke for more than 10 days with Thomas (Toivi) Blatt, who survived Sobibor for six months and made it his business to know everything about that hell. Rashke's subjects also included Chaim and Selma Engel in the U.S. and Eda and Itzhak Lichtman in Israel.

What resulted from this extensive research was not any old oral history. Rashke made a valiant and largely successful attempt to check and cross check all the information he was given. The book contains 335 footnotes and an extensive bibliography including many primary sources.

But this is high drama, not academic work, the more so because many of the survivors are still (even now) living. In fact, the book was in 1987 made into a television docudrama starring Joanna Pacula, Alan Arkin and Rutger Hauer.

After reading it in the mid-1980s, I discovered family members were acquainted with some of the survivors. And a close friend's grandparents had been murdered in Sobibor.

This is a book you will never forget. Alyssa A. Lappen

I am so glad the people whose lives are told about in this book were willing to share there personal histories with us the reader. I am also greatful for Richard Rashke for the time and energy spent researching this book to bring it to life. The people in this book will touch your heart and you will find yourself thinking of them as people you know and care for and cry for and pray for even still. Even though many books have been written of holocaust survivors,every one deserves to be read,no matter. They speak out for the living as well as the dead. We must never forget,and we must read books such as this one to keep them alive in our memories.

I thought only cats were supposed to have nine lives, but this donkey has at least that many. This book is great fun, I couldn't put it down for too long, and it is incredible that something written so long ago (18 centuries?) can be so accessible, captivating, and hilarious to a modern reader. The events in The Golden Ass resemble the ribald, bawdy exuberance of the Decameron, and no doubt Boccaccio was somewhat inspired by the writings of Apuleius. According to the introduction, the adjective "golden" in the title implies "the ass par excellence" or "the best of all stories about an ass." The story follows the misadventures of Lucius, an enterprising young man who gets far too close to the world of magic, is transformed into a donkey and is constantly thwarted in his attempt to procure the antidote to his assness. It's human mind trapped in donkey bawdy! Totally imaginative, classically written, hilarious fun. As a writer, Apuleius was MILLENNIUMS ahead of his time! (Note: my review is based on the Robert Graves translation, rather than the William Adlington).

I consider myself a connosieur of the classics, so when I heard of an ancient novel concerned with sex, illicit sex, and illicit donkey sex, I decided to take a closer look.

And I'm glad that I did. At the back end of the classical Western literary tradition of silliness, which includes such hallowed humorists as Chaucer, Bocaccio, Rabelais, Cervantes, and, in its divine form, Shakespeare, we find the one tale that may have excited them all--Lucius Apuleius's Golden Ass.

The Golden Ass is filled with adventure, suspense, humor, and nonsense. I had a grin on my face most of the way through, and I got the feeling that the author did too. Tip o' the hat to Robert Graves for delivering an authentic translation that brings us Apuleius in his bawdy best.

The only thing I found occasionally irritating was that, like Cervantes, Apuleius has a tendency to digress. Big time. He inserts the entire myth of Cupid and Psyche right into the middle of the narrative, for example. Does this add to the mythological message of the whole? Probably, but it subtracts from the fantastic flow of the story. My urgent plea to Apuleius, were he alive today, would be, "Stick to the ass!"

There are a number of reasons that traditionally bring people to this book: to study Classical Rome, classic literature, mythology, psychology... maybe you're curious about the intimate lives of donkeys. Whatever has brought you to this novel, now that you're going to read it, perhaps the best thing to do is to take the advice of the author himself, who says, "Read on and enjoy yourself!"

I read The Golden Ass for a Classic art course I took while at university I loved it! It is fun, entertaining and comical- not your typical dry Roman read. It is a great story and a great look into history.I highly recommend this tale to anyone who not wants to laugh but is interested in an important text from antiquity.

Professor Weaver, writing in the late 1940's, clearly analyzes the cultural trends of his day. Furthermore, he translates the form of those trends into the logical consequences they would embody if left unchecked. Read this book;you will find yourself pausing ever so often to ponder the current state of our culture, as it mirrors these words written over 50 years ago. His writing and style are clear and profound. I often would find myself trying to strectch my reading times because the ideas expressed were so compelling.

The Great Stereopticon is not the latest in digital CD player technology, but the latter is a medium of the former. Prof. Weaver's book, written in the late 1940s, with a Muse of fire, is still current, because the crisis in our civilization continues, and of that he wrote. The 'Great Stereopticon' is the term that Richard Weaver uses to describe the prevading noise generated by our culture, which nearly drowns out the still, small voice of truth, goodness, and virtue. The main point of the book is that ideas, in this case bad ones, can start in motion a train of events, which as they emerge from the world of thought, produce nasty and often unintended consequences. The author traces the decline of the core vision of Western civilization to the progressive divorce of Man and Nature that began with Bacon, and which has continued, as Scientism replaced Science. The momentum of the centuries has given this set of ideas great power and unthought acceptance that is prevasive in our society. The result is the rising tide of barbarism that is engulfing us. Technological progress has done great good, but has not made us better. Without wanting to summarize the author's arguments further, this is one of the seminal works in the Conservative canon, in the Southern Agrarian tradition. The book is not long, and is arranged in stand-alone chapters, which advance Prof. Weaver's argument and form a coherent whole. It is also a quick read, and is done in a superb, flowing style that does the treasurehouse of ideas contained in it justice.

Weaver was a professor of rhetoric at the University of Chicago. Ideas Have Consequences, like Weaver's other books, is small but deep. It brilliantly diagnoses what ails modern man, tracing the illness to its root, the flight from faith.

        According to Weaver's friend Russell Kirk, the publisher imposed the title, which Weaver hated, on this book.

        My one problem with the book is that its title is used as an incantation by some conservative intellectuals who insist that being right, in the sense of being correct, is sufficient to win. To support their position, they utter the words: "Ideas have consequences," thinking that by so doing they have enlisted Richard Weaver on their side and thereby obsolved themselves of any obligation to take effective actions.

        Once you have read the book, you will know that Weaver didn't believe that ideas in and of themselves have consequences. He believed that skillful actions, when based on good ideas, have good consequences.