Read this book and you will see why the incomparable Miss Waters was a force to be reckoned with in her day. The writing is honest and takes the reader into a show biz world that mirrored the complexities of the segregated and racialized society at large during the first half of the 20th century. Rather than a rags to riches, this is more of a from poverty to success to survival story. I laughed out loud more than once at her candor and sharp observations. As a fan of Ethel Water's singing - before I found her memoir - I felt privileged to also read her own words on the life she lived.

This is one of the best autobiographies I have ever read. Ethel Waters was a great singer and reading this book is very inspirational! I found myself howling with laughter several times, her writing style is incredible! I couldn't put this book down and I devoured it within a day! I highly recommend this wonderful book!

I once had a non religious friend ask how could the poor live in such squalor, and yet be "religious". We live on a cultural divide, where we live upright and logical lives, and don't see the squalor around us and dismiss such families as "dysfunctional". Ethel Waters clear eyed yet loving view of her family and her culture will be an eye opener to those who think this way. From her childhood in the slums of Philadelphia and Chester PA to her rise in Harlem to her life as a singer, she apologizes for nothing, and unapologetically defends her culture to those condenscending to her race. Put into the context of the early 50's, when she wrote this biography, it gives an insight into racial relations that angrier books lack. One wishes that this would be re released with a Forward explaining the context of those times so that those born after the civil rights struggle will better understand not only the racial divides that few questioned only 50 years ago, but also to help them understand the importance of the black church and religion in the lives of those times.

Charles Ludlam was, hands down, one of the most brilliant innovators in postmodern theatre. At a time when many radical theatre-types were resting on their laurels (or regurgitating works they created decades earlier), Ludlam and his constant collaborator/companion, Everett Quinton, were experimenting with new forms, keeping things fresh. Unfortunately (or perhaps not), he's been pidgeonholed by theatre historians as working exclusively in gay theatre; in point of fact, though, while his audience was largely "downtown" and therefore predominantly gay, his influence was felt throughout theatre community.

That's not, however, to say he was a benevolent gay genius. On the contrary: secondhand stories about his professional habits and beliefs are enough to curl the toes of even the cruelest tyrant. That, of course, is why this book is SO enjoyable--and important. Part autobiography, part manifesto, it explains Ludlam's ideas about art, life, and theatre in his own words. And while it's certainly polemic at times, it's very enlightening and always entertaining.

Ridiculous Theatre : Scourge of Human Folly : The Essays and Opinions of Charles Ludlam is a true treasure for anyone ridiculous enough to consider a career as an artist. Ludlam, the actor/director/writer/artistic director of the Ridiculous Theatre, knows a lot about creating art and as a result of his experience, has some very strong opinions on the subject. Ludlam writes about what he knows and what he loves -- the theatre. The essays included in this anthology are extremenly insightful and thought-provoking as Ludlam proffers his opinions on every subject from critics to drag to opera (and everything in between). In the end, the reader comes to an understanding of the utter ridiculousness (in a truly wonderful way) of a theatrical life.

Charles Dickens wrote a detailed log of his trip to America--from the boat in England to his travels on early American trains. His style is very light and entertaining. If you are familiar with his novels about the dark side of London and the social problems that Dickens himself grew up with, this book is quite a contrast. He is writing the book as an Englishman for other Englishmen.

I was expecting to find a lot of satire against Americans. (His comic piece "Martin Chuzzelwit" had this). However, Dickens was very positive toward the social reforms that he saw in America. He also makes some interesting comments on seeing black slaves for the first time.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to travel far, so his impressions of America are limited. Nonetheless, this is a book that I enjoy reading and re-reading.

In this novel, Richardson presents the ideal male - the answer to what eighteenth century women and society (should) want. It is impossible not to be drawn to the character of Sir Charles and to root for the success of his affairs both worldly and personal.

Contains everything from world travel to duels, and presents all with gentle digs at the social conventions of a world that is, after all, not so different from our own.

Senates is one of the best books that I have ever read about upper chambers around the world. As I am myself employed by the Senate of Canada, I feel that the book truly reflects not only the history and workings of that particular chamber but also of the other bicameralist systems in the countries which the book examines. The issue of Senate reform is a touchy issue, particularly in Canada, but the author of the section on the Canadian Senate offers viable and excellent options for potential models of Senate reform and his theories certainly deserve further investigation- not only by Senators and their colleagues but by the electorate of Canada as well. Any one who is interested in international politics should definitely add this book to their library and I give it five stars.

Cheape has written a superb biography of Walter Carpenter, one of the key figures in 20th century corporate America. Walter Carpenter led Du Pont through the World War II years and left a record of profits and an enhanced coporate reputation. Cheape gives an even handed portrait of both Carpenter and Du Pont allowing the reader to reach his or her own conclusions about the meanings of their respective accomplishments.

Dr. Menefee, a Maury Fellow, has clearly described the trends in shipping / piracy and the international response to the disturbing facts that he and the other contributors have carefully documented.

The book is written in a language foreign to most legal scholars: English.

A superb reference; an excellent baseline for assessing future trends and a disturbing report of the ongoing threats to shipping.

America's post-Civil War years brought a renewed interest in the European scene. Journeys
known as Grand Tours led tourists to take ship to the Continent. They fanned out across the
landscape with the intent to "know Europe." Their return home resulted in a flurry of
published accounts. Twain satirizes both the tourists and their writings with delicious
wit. Ever a man to play with words, his "tramp" refers to both himself and the walking tour
of Europe he purports to have made. By the time you've reached the end of the account of the
"walking tour" incorporating trains, carriages and barges, you realize that the longest "walk"
Twain took occurred in dark hotel room while trying to find his bed. He claims to have
covered 47 miles wandering around the room.

Twain was interested in everything, probing into both well-known and obscure topics. His
judgments are vividly conveyed in this book, standing in marked contrast to his more
reserved approach in Innocents Abroad. A delightful overview of mid-19th Century Europe,
Tramp is also interlaced with entertaining asides. Twain was deeply interested in people, and
various "types" are drawn from his piercing gaze, rendered with acerbic wit. Some of these
are contemporary, while others are dredged from his memories of the California mines and
other journeys. He also relished Nature's marvels, recounting his observations. A favourite
essay is "What Stumped the Blue-jays." A nearly universal bird in North America, Twain's
description of the jay's curiosity and expressive ability stands unmatched. He observes such
humble creatures as ants, Alpine chamois, and the American tourist. Few escape his
perception or his scathing wit. This book remains valuable for its timeless rendering of
characters and the universality of its view. It can be read repeatedly for education or
entertainment.

All these volumes are self-recommending except, perhaps, to those poor, misguided people who continue to pigeon-hole one of the world's great writers. Yes, Twain was a humorist who virtually invented modern American English as a literary language. But the sheer range of his achievement is staggering. And the best way to experience it is altogether. And the best "altogether" is this magnificent 29 volume set from Oxford. Other people can speak with more authority about Twain the author. I want to speak a little about how delicious it is to encounter him in these books. They are reproductions of the original American editions and the facsimiles are beautifully rendered. But this isn't important in itself; we're not about to spend [...] for a little bit of nostalgia. Rather, just open any one of these 29 volumes and see what a difference its admittedly antique printing style makes. White spacing between the printed lines is generous to an unbelievable degree, as are the page margins. Your eyes don't tire. You can savour each page at whatever pace you want to set for yourself. Worlds open and invite. This is how people read books a hundred years ago. This is the way to read books!

I have not read Twain since High School twenty five plus years ago but a friend on a newspapers book forums got me to read him again and A Tramp Abroad is the first book I picked. For the current generation this book may drag but for those of us who grew up reading books instead of playing computer games this is Twain at his best. One has to actually read into his writing to appreciate a lot of the irony but when this book is really on like the mountain climbing near the Matterhorn ,Twain makes Seinfeld seem like he's talking about something. A brilliant travel essay and by the way the Penguin Classics edition of this book in paperback is 411 pages long, not 670 pages .

The Spirit of Laws is a passionate and eloquent statement of liberalism. But it is only that: a statement. It is not a defence. Montesquieu rails against despotism and carefully spells out the separation of government powers. But, unlike Locke or Mill, he gives little argument for why liberalism should be accepted. And those few sketchy comments he does give (e.g. despotism is bad even for the despot) are unconvincing.

Montesquieu doesn't really put forward a unified philosophically based political system here, so don't read it expecting something like The Republic, Leviathan or the Two Treatises. Stylistically this is very like Machiavelli; that is, no overiding system, rather just a long series of pithy pieces of advice for people actually in (or intending to make their own) government. If you've read Machiavelli's Discourses, you'll know what to expect.

I recommend you read at least Locke's Two Treatises and Machiavelli's Discourses before this, and then you'll get the theorectical background behind many of Montesquieu's points. Like Locke he thinks of liberty and republics being fine things, but like Machiavelli he cautions that circumstances should always be taken into consideration, and there is no one form of government that is always the right one for every people at all times, even republics. Because of this most of the book is spend enumerating various circumstances that might come up and appropriate reactions. For example, an early section is spend discussing the effect of climate on the people of that area, and given this, what form of government suits them best.

What this means is that while his work may not stand at a level with The Republic or Leviathan in terms of philosophical merit, if you are looking for knowledge that will be useful in the real world, this book is probably superior to those.

I definitely recommend you check this book out. It's imposing length is split into much easier to digest mini-chapters, so it doesn't seem as long as it is, and the use of examples makes it more interesting than many of the other drier works of political philosophy you might come across.

an understanding of Montesquieu is critical for today's emerging democracies, in that he was one of the first to recognize the importance of securing the liberty of the governed with the aid of reason, such as by constitutional design and by the rule of law. The probelm is that there is a caveat to his theory: democracy may not be the best form of government for every country.

I was initially attracted to this book by its promising title, but it is really very slow getting off the ground. One could easily skip way ahead to the useful chapters on self-observation and self-remembering, and the ties to the Gurdjieff work. He actually covers alot of the same ground but much much better in Living the Mindful Life---a book I highly recommend for those interested in mindfulness and Gurdjieffian self-development.

If you were only to have one personal growth book, this would be the one. Charles T. Tart can articulate deep issues very clearly and he does not force anything on you. He presents the ideas and you run with the knowledge. After reading "Waking Up" I've purchased every book published by this author.

This book is more like a text book than a casual read; but don't be put off. Every page has knowledge and ideas distilled from Gurdjieff's teachings. But the book is pure Charles Tart. I recommend starting right at the beginning and enjoy. Get your highlighter and pencil to write your own comments in the margin and highlight passages of pure wisdom.

There is a logical method for each chapter and if you follow it through, it will really open your eyes. This was a break-through book for me. The book talks about how we are put in a conscious trance since birth and own true essence is suppressed in order to fit and cope in our culture. And how this creates a false personality in ourselves that we have to feed and thus takes energy away from our true selves. Tart talks about how we have created a simulation of the world as we se it and not how it is. There are chapters on Emotions and Defense Mechanisms we employ to protect our conditioned self. Then Tart moves into chapters on how we can self-observe ourself and start to wake from our sleep. There is just too much here to talk about in a few paragraphs.

It is one of the few books I can truly say that I reference in my life on a frequent basis. It was originally published in the late 1980's then went out of print. I am so glad to see it available again. The people of the world need this book. Buy it and you won't regret it.

"Waking Up" by Charles Tart was a book read ten years ago which has stuck with me since and I have referred to him in countless conversations with my W. Va. peers since. Such was my original zeal for this book that I bought two copies but, unfortunately, gave them both away and now have none - but I do have sublime memory of its insights. I remember being particularly pleased when Tart referred to one of my all-time favorite philosopher/psychologists Gurdjieff. If I remember correctly, Tart, like Gurdjieff, said we are all in a concentric trance due to our conditioning. But we *think* we are awake. Rather like the recent Jim Carrey film, "The Truman Show," where, to his horror, the protagonist wakes up to the fact that he is living in a 24-hour soap opera bubble. Tart would have no trouble envisioning such a thing. Tart spoke of levels of objective reality and higher levels of introspection which almost no one reaches. I liked this book because it pointed out the hopelessness of trying to communicate with the "rats in their mazes" who, utilizing defense mechanisms that operate at levels below conscious awareness, will never develop sufficient insight to "wake up" to any degree. Tart recommends meditation, going within, similar to Zen. But since so few people are even intellectual and can question their culture and "think about their thinking," it's no wonder these books get lost. Tart's depth of insight is profound. For the intellectuals seem to think they can to the instinctuals and emotionals and hit home - but you must, as Tart says, get beyond even the philosophical level to realize there is no communication. As Gurdjieff pointed out, you can only understand one level above you - and that is extremely difficult. I like books on the hopelessness of the human race because it's a waste of energy and time to have hope where there is no hope. Schopenhauer spoke of the "uselessness of striving and the inevitability of defeat" and how "only youth is happy, youth who cannot see..." It's not that Tart doesn't pint to the possibility of WAKING UP!, it's just that most have no idea they're asleep and victims of false maps of reality by the media, groups, institutions, corporations, etc. It's only when the robot realizes it's a robot and becomes skeptical and questions its conditioning and thinking that there is any hope in finding Truth and Reality. Tart lights a candle in the darkness but it must quickly go out. For the masses believe they are all right and doze on forever. Heaven help anyone who tries to wake them up! For those like Tart who light the candle will be consumed in its fire.