This is a fairly good book on the subject of Yoruba masks and drumming. Contains good pictures of masks (Gelede) and is very informative with regards to ceremonies performed at the Gelede.

Is recommended reading for any of the followers of the Yoruba religion and to students as well.

I would have liked to have seen a more in depth review of the ceremonies and religious aspects of the Gelede, therefore I have not rated it a 5 Star.

Nonetheless, I would still read it all over again !

I do recommend this nice book to all those engaged in the practice of the Yoruba cult. The author gives a good persp- ective of what is behind the cerimony. Mo juba Iyami Osoronga!

A friend lent me a copy of "The Healing Power of the Eucharist". I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. If you are interested in deeping your connection with God, this is a must read! Thank you Father John for writing this book!

I came across this book and have read it and reread it and have also shared it with a number of friends. This is truly an inspiration book and will further your faith and intimacy with the Eucharist - the most wonderful gift from God. If you ever had questions about the Eucharist, your answers are here.

Overall this book is a great textbook. The author explains many of the topics clearly although it falls short (only one short chapter) in the subject of incorporating fiber optics into communication systems. There are a lot of errors in the book and the student must always turn to the errata. The problems at the end of the chapter are a bit easier than most technical textbooks. Good examples to show how equations are used.

This text book is very good for beginner who interest in fiber optics

A book called Rethinking Camelot by Noam Chomsky introduced me to the importance of this book. While the United States had suffered a number of defeats in countries in which we had chosen not to fight (China being gigantic compared to France), most of the people involved in maintaining American policy on Vietnam had accepted the idea that a way could be found to win in Vietnam. John M. Newman considered the importance of that idea "like going to church" for the people whose actions would be based entirely on the strength of such convictions. My father (who was not mentioned in the book being reviewed) was a minister who had been ordained during World War II, possibly a good excuse for not actually fighting in that war, but not good enough to convince me that God would always give us perpetual peace out of the goodness of His heart for having saved the world from the domination of anyone who actually wanted to rule here. Chomsky's book was based on the premise that American policy was the desire to win in Vietnam, an aim which Kennedy couldn't have deserted until this country had extracted the last full measure of devotion from everyone concerned. In the present, it should be much easier to admit the tendency to waffle, as all things have been twisted into a psychotic multiplicity in which our deepest desires take part in the constant attack on the facts. As much as those like Chomsky, who believe that Americans should maintain a certain level of belief in policy, might differ, I am inclined to think that some real dirt can be dug up on this issue, and this book shows what the official record looks like when its secrecy has been stripped away.

As one who has both read Newman's book and as one who served in Vietnam myself, (1970) I can only say I feel a deep sense of betrayal by my own Government, that I have served so well in two wars in a military capacity and as a Civil Servant in a civilian capacity. The document's that Newman publishes in his book were classified "Top Secret" at the time of Kennedy's Assassination. Thanks to the "Freedom of Information" act, that is no longer the case and we can now see the behind the scenes moves that led the US deeper and deeper into Vietnam. We can also see Kennedy's efforts to reverse course before it became too late.

My grandmother who is now dead and millions of other Americans never saw JFK's NSAM - 263 classified Top Secret. Nor did I. That NSAM was quietly shelved by Lyndon Johnson two days after Kennedy's Assassination and his own NSAM implimented. NSAM - 273 freezing everyone in place. Today, thanks to Newman's book we can now see who was the real culprit responsible for America's slide into Vietnam. And it certainly wasn't that awful Roman Catholic President (in the eyes of anti-Kennedy bigots) in the White House, John F. Kennedy.

Instead the REAL culprit was Lyndon Baines Johnson and THAT is how History will eventually record it. Hats off to John M. Newman for bringing these Document's into public view for future generations to "learn" from. That is IF, people are now willing to learn.

William P. Urban

Sgt US Army
PO2 US Navy

If you are desperately seeking information about John of Gaunt, then this is one of the few sources for it. The book does have a lot of information, but it is incredibly boring to read. Not really surprising, since most of the info seems to have been gotten from account books and inventories. The majority of the book reads along the lines of "On December 6th, 1373, he was at Pontefract castle with his wife. He wore a red shirt with silver buttons. Two months later he was back at the Savoy, apparently without his wife. He wore green hose and a black tunic." (It should be noted that I just made up that passage, but by my truth, that is how it sounds.) If you have a deep interest in John of Gaunt, then I recommend this book for you.

John, Duke of Lancaster, was the son of Edward III, father of Edward IV, uncle of Richard II, and himself the pretender to the throne of Castile. He was also the richest and most powerful subject in England for most of his life -- and probably the most deeply and widely hated. He was certainly the principal target of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. A key player in the Hundred Years War, he was also on close terms with John Wycliffe and Geoffrey Chaucer. John's controversial career is thus at the very heart of English society and European politics during one of the nation's most turbulent periods, and this semi-scholarly and authoritative examination of the duke's mental processes, institutional goals, and dynastic ambitions is very useful to the understanding of England on the brink of a three-generation civil war.

This book is very significant for Johannine studies. As well as documenting telling connections between Johannine Christianity's religious commitments against their Roman backdrops, this book demolishes the naive view that because Roman persecution of Christians is not documented in Roman historical records until the third century one cannot infer the Roman empire was a source of hardship for Christians in the first and second centuries CE. Cassidy builds a convincing picture, based on the events between the reigns of Vespasian and Tatian, of what interactions with the empire may have been like for Mediterranean residents of the early Christian era. All it takes is some local enforcement of empirial clout for the Roman presence to have been experienced as problematic for Christians and Jews during this era.

Paul N. Anderson

Visiting Associate Professor of New Testament, Yale Divinity School

This was a really interesting book and covered aspects of the New Testament period and early Christianity that usually is not considered adequately, namely the setting of the Roman Empire and what effects this might have had on Chrsitianity and the early Church. The book is thoughtful.

Bourdieu's point is not to explore linguistics but rather to explore the larger impact that language has on shaping symbols, meaning and power in the social context. Symbolic interactionists and conflict theorists would probally find this book to be a great read.

This book will most likely not appeal to US students in linguistics. Because Bourdieu deals with rather abstract concepts which cover a lot of social ground (e.g., symbolic, cultural, economic capital, field, etc.)and not enough linguistic ground, some linguists will have trouble applying concepts to the actual production of speech at the phonological, morpho-syntactic, pragmatic and discourse level. He never really deals with actual production of language by speakers, so it creates a lot of work for the reader to fill in the details of what, for example, an actual linguistic habitus might look like, what its dispositions might be, and how they might be coordinated in their habitus set.
However, unlike many US linguists, he assumes there is an empirical connection between language use and larger social domains; furthermore, he is able to explain the way power often operates through exclusion and devaluation (dialect analysis). One of the less abstract chapters, the chapter on Searle, is excellent. Bourdieu accurately locates the efficacy of the speech act, not in the functional form of the utterances, such as christening, ordering, requesting, etc., but in the recognition by all involved that the agent who produces the speech act has the right to be obeyed and that the material circumstances of the speech act are appropriate. Mary Jane down the street and the mayor of NY may christen a new warship using the exact same functional words, but the power of those words depends on our recognition that, in this example, the mayor, not just anybody, has the authority to name. Bourdieu masterfully argues this point, and I would recommend reading that chapter first for its accessibility and accuracy in pointing out that the extra-linguistic is as much linguistic as the linguistic.

The Paradox of Power has actually transformed the ideas about a leader. Pat has mentioned of seven paradoxes, most important of which are certainly absolute love for your followers as Jesus had for his twelve non-schooled disciples, a vision and preparedness to 'accept inaction as the best form of action' and 'silence as the most powerful speech' at the appropriate time.His examples selected from the life of John F. Kennedy (talking to a mines worker), Robert Lee make his musings on desirable traits of a true leader as given in the book, more acceptable and laudable,

At a time when America can use it most comes a perspective on leadership delivered by someone who has lived his own words and succeeded. While many influential leaders throughout the ages are cited as examples and role models in this book's 230+ pages, the central figure is a man who would not be seen as power figure by today's definition. Yet his methods, when sought with sincerity and applied as though part of our reasonable responsibility, always work. The author has spent his professional life in the world of professional sports, but this book is not just for sports fans or corporate leaders (although that latter can and will certainly benefit from the wisdom of Mr. Williams). Anyone in a position of influence over others (who doesn't qualify there?) will find life-changing advice from time well spent in this book. Read slowly for more effective processing!

I gave this book 4 stars because, while it was refreshing to read and I definitely learned quite a bit, it wasn't a paradigm-shifting book, which is what I am increasingly moving towards for my 5 star books.

The Power of Attitude is one of my favorite quick reads (short book) with very useful and inspirational quotes from some of the world's greatest businessmen and politicians. This book is one of my favorites for inspiration but Power of Leadership by Maxwell is another must read if you are looking for motivation / advice on leadership. If you are looking for a full-blown book try his book, 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader or 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

They key to getting any long-term value out of Maxwell's books is to highlight the quotes you love and integrate them into your daily life. Practice what you read essentially.

Maxwell has written about two dozen books in which he examines various dimensions of human development within professional careers and personal lives. He tends to recycle the same ideas from book to the next but all of the ideas are sound. In this volume, he assembles a wealth of quotations which directly or indirectly affirm the power of attitude; by implication, they also suggest the implications and consequences of what is generally referred to as a "negative attitude." In terms of its design and length, this is a "small book" but in terms of the quality of material provided, it offers substantial value. There are several reasons why I urge executives to purchase this book. First, because many of the quotations may be unfamiliar to them and thus help to stimulate some new ideas, perspectives, etc.; also, it is desirable to have the book near at hand to consult when drafting a speech, letter, e-mail, report, or presentation of some kind; also, to provide a copies of the book as gifts to associates, customers, prospective customers, etc.; and finally, when professional or personal circumstances are especially stressful, to be nourished, comforted, and perhaps even reassured by the values of those who are quoted. Maxwell inserts his own observations throughout the anthology whenever and wherever appropriate. Reading and then re-reading this book will help to create and then sustain a positive mindset, just as regular exercise will ensure physical fitness. Now more than ever, we need both.

I gave this book 4 stars because, while it was refreshing to read and I definitely learned quite a bit, it wasn't a paradigm-shifting book, which is what I am increasingly moving towards for my 5 star books.

I love these small books full of great little inspiration and motivational quotes. I believe John Maxwell's book, The Power of Leadership, is an even better read for those looking to better themselves and get a peak at how the world's greatest businessmen and politicians think.

The key to ranking this book depends on what you are seeking to get out of the book.

They key to getting long-term value out of a book like this is to highlight the quotes you love and integrate them into your daily life. Practice what you read essentially. Hope this helps everyone.

This is a good book of brief quotes and sayings about human relationships. Since I found it listed as a management book, I thought that's what it would be about. Actually, it begins in that vein and goes on to include marriage, parenting, and friendship. The overall theme is that you have to improve if you want your relationships to improve. As Mother Teresa said (and is quoted in the book), "It is by forgiving that one is forgiven."

The authors of the sayings include John C. Maxwell (the author), the Bible, outstanding people, philosophers, business people, and politicians.

In some cases, it wasn't clear who was the source of the quote. That was the only drawback I saw here. Unlike some books of quotations, this one had a consistent theme that was intelligently developed through the many quotes in the book. I especially liked the lead-in on page 4 which is a list of 10 commandments of human relations (best practices for copyright law suggest that lists like this not be quoted in reviews or I would give it to you in total).

Here are some of my favorites from other parts of the book:

"Ninety percent of the friction of daily life is caused by the wrong tone of voice." -- John C. Maxwell

"Ninety percent of the art of living consists of getting along with people you cannot stand." -- Samuel Goldwyn

"People aren't sales resistant -- they are salespeople resistant." -- Mark Hebenstreit

"I will pay more for the ability to deal with people than for any other ability under the sun." -- John D. Rockefeller

"We cannot forgive another for not being ourselves." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The only way to have a friend is to be one." -- Emerson

These are good reminders of things we all know, and forget to do. So overcome your procrastination stall by reading and applying a few of these bits of good advice daily! You'll certainly like yourself better if you do. It's not a bad idea to have a valid reason for thinking better of yourself.