Related Subjects: Author Index Reviews Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Book reviews for "Proujan,_Carl" sorted by average review score:

The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious (Collected Works of C.G. Jung Vol.9 Part 1)
Published in Paperback by Princeton Univ Pr (01 August, 1981)
Authors: Carl Gustav Jung, Michael Fordham, and R. F. C. Hull
Amazon base price: $20.97
List price: $29.95 (that's 30% off!)
Used price: $15.00
Collectible price: $29.65
Buy one from zShops for: $19.88
Average review score:

An Essential Work by Jung.
This work, along with _Modern Man in Search of a Soul_, is one of the best places to start if you are new to reading Jung. It is also the companion piece and predecessor to _Aion_, which is another spectacular and groundbreaking work. If you want to read _Aion_, it would make sense for you to read this one first, since it is part 1 of volume nine, while _Aion_ is part two. Overall, I would say that both parts 1 and 2 of volume nine are absolutely essential reading for any Jungian, and if you're going to buy one, go ahead and buy both.

As for the actual content of _The Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious_, I would describe it as an overview and recapitulation of many of Jung's key concepts. As the title implies, the main concepts are archetypal images (as revealed in to people in dreams) and the collective unconscious. These are trademark Jungian concepts, and Jung devoted a large portion of his writings to explaining what he meant by Archetypes and the collective unconscious. If I could explain it to you right here I would, but Jung spends a the first two hundred pages of this book simply explaining and defining "archetype" and "collective unconscious". These are key concepts in understanding the human mind, and may help unlock the mysteries of conscious existence; it is by no means superfluous to devote such rigorous study to these ideas. _The Archetypes and the Collcetive Unconscious_ is NOT a narrowly focused, specialized, or jargonistic work. It deals with ideas that are central to understanding the human psyche or soul, and applies universally to all of mankind.

There is also a pictorial section of the book in which Jung actually shows examples, in the form of paintings, of archetypal images that were seen by his patients in their dreams and subsequently drawn by the patients themselves. Some of these paintings are very artistic, and there are uncanny similarities among many of them. This pictorial section occurs about 200 pages in. After the pictures, Jung goes into a detailed explanation of each one, which I found to be somewhat tiresome, especially considering many of the paintings were extremely similar. Overall, the final, brief, section of the book in which the paintings are described is quite boring, and I would recommend that the reader simply look at the paintings and forego the final explanations, which are extremely redundant. In other words, read the first two hundred pages, look at the pictures, stop, and then move on to _Aion_. The weakness of this final section is not enough to justify removing a star from my ratings, however, simply because of the utter profundity and potency of the first 200 pages, which represents the majority of the book anyway. Keep in mind that the vast majority of Jung's writings consist of essays not more that 100 pages long each. You will find that most of his complete works contain numerous profound and insightful essays, occasionally laced with the odd, specialized, highly esoteric essays. When you come across one of these rare but unreadable essays the best idea is to just skip it rather than get bogged down. This is not to take anything away from Jung and his great, prophetic works; I am just trying to give you the heads up on how to avoid some of the rough patches.

From Rebirth to Fear of the Dark... CG JUNG explains all !!!
This intriguing study of the archetypes of our collective human unconscious is FASCINATING. Here we confront the fountainheads of the hypostasis of dreams and the active genesis of fecund mythology. The collective unconscious differs from the personal in that it is not constituted of repressed or forgotten complexes but of inherited archetypes that were never a part of your conscious life. Anyone who plans to study mythology should be required to read this book... ignorance of it would prevent your comprehension of the primitive man and tribes' living mythology and religion. (Also would be an essential tool in exploring dreamwork or human nature) The archetypes are felt in our most personal life and encountered in dreams. Unconsciously, unprojected, it turns out that our own minds have a "sea of possibilities", and that they assume definite forms only in projection. The archetypes are vessels that we can never empty or fill, having only potential existence, taking shape they become no longer what they were. They need be interpreted anew throughout the ages. They are the imperishable elements of the unconscious, but they change their shape continually, being the "treasure in the realm of the shadowy thoughts" which Kant spoke of, and among the highest values of the human pysche. They are the simple solution of how archaic myths, far from being merely historical remnants or allegories of physical processes, still grasp us with profound effect in all levels of society and eras. Awareness is needed of these jewels to understand the unconscious' interconnectedness with our conscious life and the fact that the human pysche is not born tabula rasa. This is a classic work, that some may not adhere to, but far from being a philosophy, and me far from being a pyschologist, I would not take the bold step here to criticize Jung's work. Jungian or not, I give it my stamp and seal of approval guaranteeing your utmost interest.

Typically Archetypical, CW9, Part 1
My previous review of CW9, part 1 was really for part 2 and was posted in error. Here is the review for CW9, part 1:

Jung used the word archetype to represent a concept about unseen, powerful influences that result in predictable psychological states. An archetype is a psychic format in which instinctual and conditioned behavior plays out in human activity. They are best seen in action, and their actions are recorded in so-called fairytales and in religious symbols and stories.

Jung spends most of this volume discussing archetypes by using examples found in fairytales and religious imagery. The remainder of the book discusses the process of individuation, Jung's term for a process of psychological "wholeness (which) consists in the union of the conscious and unconscious personality." (p.175)

If you are a reader of Jung you will need to grasp his concept of the archetype in order to fully understand his theories. If you have not yet been able to experience yourself in the grip of an archetype, this may help you, should you become aware during an archetypical experience, which sometimes happens intermittently during an experience with the Archetypes Venus and Cupid. Knowing how archetypes work can help you stay above the waves they cause.

Recommended to those who want a deeper understanding of their experience, and need some tools with which to explore the unknown. It is intellectual and dense reading and not recommended to a casual reader of Jung.


Cracker; Florida's Enduring Cowboys
Published in Hardcover by Longwind Publishing (02 January, 1999)
Authors: Jon Kral and Carl Hiaasen
Amazon base price: $39.95
Used price: $21.18
Collectible price: $31.76
Buy one from zShops for: $22.49
Average review score:

CARL, WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?!?!
I have read every book Carl has written and I keep waiting for the next one, the new novel to come out. Carl, I miss you! Please put a new book out for us. No one does it better. Do you hear me, Carl? HURRY please because I'm going through Hiaasen Withdrawal!

A picture of Florida forgotten...a must have!
Having had the forune of being born and raised in Florida's...pre theme park era, I have had the luxury of experiencing an evolving FLORIDA.

Jon Kral's photo journalistic approach to capturing a little known, and almost forgotten quality of Florida is remarkable. Not only for the absolute thought provoking images, but what they represent...where we are from...and where we are going.

From the images of the Kissimmee round up and cattle drive, to those of a lone horseman at the end of the day...one is left with a new sense of what the true Florida was...and remains today.

The images range from brutally honest, to surrealistic, yet each conveys it's message clearly...provoking the human spirit and emotion.

This approach to a "land forgotten" should be high on one's list to view. Jon Kral touches not only the meaning of the past...but how it drives the future.

Great Review in Dec. 15,'98 BookList
"Kral captures (the cowboys) laboring and relaxing in rich monochrome photos that, when meticulously focused and organized, sometimes echo the sculptural quality of Ansel Adams' work, and when more softly focused and granier, resemble impressionist paintings in-oddly enough-black and white." Ray Olson, BookList


Dark Wing
Published in Hardcover by Encore Editions (1979)
Author: Carl West
Amazon base price: $2.29
Used price: $7.98
Average review score:

memorable
an exciting and very enjoyable book. first read this as an olderperson and loved it. it crosses the age zones just like harry potter. have re-read it many times over the years. the premise of the book looks at health care of the future. food for thought! what will our health care system of the future be like?

MEMORABLE
A WONDERFUL BOOK I DISCOVERD IN MY LOCAL LIBRARY YEARS AGO AS A TEENAGER. HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT RE-READING IT . RE-READ IT MANY TIMES AFTER READING IT INITIALLY. I BELIEVE IT CROSSES ALL AGE ZONES, JUST LIKE THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS. VERY MOVING AND LOTS OF INTERACTION AMONG THE MAJOR PLAYERS. I ENJOYED IT IMMENSELY AND RECOMMEND IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY. FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!! HOW WILL OUR FUTURE SOCIETY REGARD HEALTH CARE?

I covet my "borrowed" copy!
I checked out a copy of "Dark Wing" from the public library over 10 years ago and, because I could not find a copy to buy, "lost" the library book and had to pay the fine. I treasure that book and am now looking for another copy. I am afraid that I will wear this one out. I hope that Amazon can help me find another. It suprises me that anyone else has even heard of this book!


The Declaration of Independence: A Study in the History of Political Ideas
Published in Paperback by Random House Trade Paperbacks (1958)
Author: Carl Lotus Becker
Amazon base price: $8.80
List price: $11.00 (that's 20% off!)
Used price: $1.49
Collectible price: $13.89
Buy one from zShops for: $7.29
Average review score:

Terrific insights...
In high school, kids spend time reviewing the Declaration of Independence and learning its meaning. This book goes well beyond that to inspect the thoughts and ideas that were prevalent in the late 18th century and how they influenced the document. Becker goes into great detail about natural rights theory according to John Locke and explores the ins and outs of its implications. This to me was the strongest and most enjoyable part of the book. He also explores the thoughts and ideas that were circulating Britain at the time.

Building on this foundation, he weaves a tale as to why certain things were worded as they were (like Britain being run as a ruthless tyrant), and why certain things were left out altogether (like slavery). He also closely examines the changes that took place in the drafts and attributes them to individuals who proofread Jefferson's draft. I really could have done without his granularity in this area.

In all, this was a fascinating read. For those of you who want to extend your knowledge beyond the simple presentation of the document you received in high school, I highly recommend buying this book!

Vital...
I have read this book, off and on, several times. It never ceases to amaze me. I tend to be a controversialist and rely upon this book often to help those who seem convinced that the Founding Fathers were of a particular religious persuasion. While foundationally on a personal level this may be true, in general they bowed down to a higher power: Reason. Yet this was not new to them nor were their political theories. Their roots came from somewhere else and that somewhere else was from the European soil they had left.

Becker does an awesome job dissecting the Declaration and its influences primarily from Jefferson through Locke. The natural rights philosophy chapter is awesome. This book is over seventy five years old and its arguments have been revisited and even countered but the book is still foundationally necessary for anyone who seeks to study the Declaration of Independence. In terms of studying the Declaration, there is before Becker's book and there is after.

There are many revealing insights and oddities that appear when Becker displays the lines that have been cut from the original draft (e.g. notice there is no mention of slavery in the final version; the reasons for its excision are included in the book). These little tidbits opened my eyes a bit to the relatively benign history of this document that I had been taught. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing so have a little fun and check this book out.

Even though dated, still one of the best on the subject.
Carl L. Becker's book on the Declaration of Independence first appeared nearly eighty years ago, and yet it is still a valuable and stimulating study of its subject. It is dated now, for two large reasons:

First, Becker wrote before the revolution in studying the history of ideas, and thus unavoidably predates the close-focus examination of the controversy between Great Britain and her American colonies in the years from 1765 to 1776. Two recent books should be read alongside Becker's monograph -- Pauline Maier's AMERICAN SCRIPTURE: MAKING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (New York: Knopf, 1997; Vintage paperback, 1998), and John Phillip Reid, CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, abridged ed. (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1995).

Second, Becker focuses on Jefferson as *the* author of the Declaration, neglecting that he was actually the draftsman selected by the Continental Congress and his colleagues within the drafting committee. Thus, the Declaration -- no matter what Jefferson said about it in later life -- was not primarily a window into his own thinking about natural rights and democracy, but rather the final statement by Congress as to the reasons for breaking ties with Britain. To be sure, later generations have read it as an expression of Jefferson's mind -- rather than of "the American mind," as he put it. But, as Maier shows in AMERICAN SCRIPTURE, Jefferson's thinking was nowhere near as unique or advanced on these subjects as later hero-worshipping biographers have suggested.

In particular, as Maier has shown, the age-old dispute about whether Jefferson was or was not influenced by Locke is somewhat beside the point. Even so, Becker's fine book is indispensable for deciding whether we should read the Declaration through Lockean or Jeffersonian lenses, and whether we should regard it as a codification of American aspirations or as a hypocritical catalogue of principles we cannot live up to.

R. B. Bernstein, adjunct professor of law, New York Law School


Eye of the Albatross: Views of the Endangered Sea
Published in Hardcover by Henry Holt & Company, Inc. (14 May, 2002)
Author: Carl Safina
Amazon base price: $19.25
List price: $27.50 (that's 30% off!)
Used price: $16.50
Collectible price: $57.80
Buy one from zShops for: $18.75
Average review score:

A Glimpse at Nature's Wonders
From time to time, Safina does tend to anthropomorphize, but it does make the book more accessible. And at other times he steps back just a little too far from the role he has written for himself. But there is nothing else to criticize in this excellent book.

Five hours northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands by propjet there are series of islands and atolls that are the breeding grounds of tens of thousands of sea birds. Of the many species of birds that breed there, the largest, the one that must be wrapped in the most superlatives, is the Laysan Albatross. And one Laysan Albatross, that Safina names Amelia, is the principle subject and unifying thread of this book.

From Coelridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" to the horrifying pollution of our ocean, Amelia is the eye through which we view her astonishing world. Amelia is tagged with a small satellite transmitter, and Safina includes maps showing the travels Amelia makes to feed herself and her chick. The distances beggar the imagination. Through her eyes and her journeys, Safina touches on the host of issues and breathtaking wonders of the the fauna of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.

It's a tour de force, and I recommend it to you.

it soars
from the May 16, 2002 edition - [...]

By Colin Woodard

Humans and albatrosses have a lot in common. We both live for many decades, possibly a century. Our reproductive patterns are similar. Albatrosses take as long as 13 years to mature, engage in courtships that can last two years or more, and raise a single chick every other year (or three to four years for some species.) Albatrosses, like ourselves, are found from the Antarctic to the Far North and most places in between.

Of course, we spend our time on earth very differently. Albatrosses spend 95 percent of it at sea, usually in flight. They come ashore only to breed and nest, and even then they are constantly flying off on 2,000- to 3,000-mile foraging runs to collect each feeding for their chick. They can fly for many days without stopping, sleeping on the wing, wandering from tropical to subpolar seas in the course of a single foraging run.

Carl Safina wondered what we might learn about the world if we could see it from their perspective. Now, after shadowing these great birds by foot, ship, and satellite, he has painted a beautiful, awe-inspiring tableau of our world as you've never seen it: an interconnected universe of wind and waves, sun-blasted islands, teeming polar seas, broad-winged birds, and the far-reaching effects of civilization.

"Almost everything about the albatross is superlative and extreme," Safina writes. They're huge, with an 11-foot wingspan. Masters of long-distance flight, they use less energy soaring over a stormy sea than they do while sitting quietly on their nests. They endure equatorial heat and ferocious Arctic storms, sometimes on the same feeding trip. And they travel far: By 50 years of age, a typical albatross has logged nearly 4 million miles.

Tracking them, Safina journeys to beaches covered with egg-laying sea turtles, crystalline Pacific waters filled with prowling tiger sharks, and island tern colonies so vast they're likened to "a white-noise cyclone of sound."

But today, albatrosses' lives are tangled up with those of humans. Though their world is far removed from civilization, they're inundated with pesticides, antibiotics, and hormone mimics. They swallow bottle caps and cigarette lighters, become entangled in drift nets, or drown after seizing one of the millions of baited hooks dragged behind fishing vessels every year.

"Eye of the Albatross" relates some unforgettable scenes. At one point, Safina watches an albatross chick feeding from the mouth of its mother, just back from a 2,000-mile foraging trip. The chick gulps down globs of regurgitated squid and fish eggs, but then the mother has difficulty retching up the next serving. "Slowly, the tip - just the tip - of a green plastic toothbrush emerges from the bird's throat," a sight Safina describes as "one of the most piercing things I've ever experienced." The mother, unable to pass this bit of trash, wanders away from her squawking chick.

The lesson, Safina writes, is that there are no longer any places on earth unaffected by man. "No matter what coordinates you choose, from waters polar to solar coral reefs, to the remotest turquoise atoll - no place, no creature remains apart from you and me."

Fortunately, in some places people are starting to correct the situation. Safina visits Midway Atoll, where the military accidentally introduced rats, which bred voraciously and extinguished entire nesting colonies. But since control of Midway passed to the National Wildlife Service, the rats have been eradicated, and the birds are recovering. In Alaska, Safina goes to sea with Mark Lundsten, a commercial fisherman leading the effort to save albatrosses from hooks. Lundsten has found a simple and cost-effective way to reduce albatross mortality by 90 percent with a combination of weights and streamers.

Safina, who earned a PhD studying seabirds, established himself as a leading voice in marine conservation with his first book, "Song for the Blue Ocean," which drew attention to the environmental catastrophe unfolding beneath the waves. "Eye of the Albatross" is an eloquent sequel, a moving depiction of how interconnected life on this planet truly is.

• Colin Woodard is author of 'Ocean's End: Travels Through Endangered Seas' (Basic).


from the May 16, 2002 edition - [...]

Good Air Days
BOOK REVIEW
Good air days
Carl Safina's portrait of a seabird named Amelia
By Bill McKibben, 9/15/2002
Eye of the Albatross: Visions of Hope and Survival
By Carl Safina
Henry Holt, 377 pp., illustrated.
Until very recently, Samuel Taylor Coleridge could have passed as a scientific authority on the albatross. We knew that they flew a long way, but beyond that the bird was basically an enigma.
No more. Working with field biologists who have begun strapping tiny global positioning units to the birds, Carl Safina has produced a truly magnificent biography of a single bird, Amelia, a Laysan albatross who nests on a small islet northwest of Hawaii. As it turns out, though, to call that islet her ''home'' would be a great exaggeration. As soon as her solitary chick is hatched, Amelia roams far and wide, 25,000 miles through a quadrant of the North Pacific that stretches from the tropics to the Aleutians, as she searches for food to carry home and regurgitate for her growing youngster.
And that is only the beginning. Albatrosses turn out to be remarkable in an almost uncountable number of ways. They are long-lived (the oldest banded birds are at least 60 years old - but it's hard to keep track because they tend to outlive researchers). They can commute in a matter of days between sunbaked equatorial waters and snow-filled Arctic skies without it causing them a problem. And, with wings that lock in place like a switchblade, they are most relaxed in the air. How relaxed? Safina says juveniles appear to ''fly continuously for five years'' before they land to make their first nesting attempts.
As with any great biography, Safina provides plenty of detail about the other creatures that populate Amelia's life. We learn of the monk seals that share her nesting island, of the tiger sharks that prowl its lagoons, of the squid that provide her diet, and of the small band of people that study her species, the academics and volunteers who spend five months at a stretch on these most remote specks of rock anywhere on earth. These are people so devoted that they arrive at the islands wearing clothes freshly pulled from the freezer lest they inadvertently bring ashore some alien grass or ant. It is, in a word, inspiring, a Jacques Cousteau special brought even more vividly to the printed page.
It is also, at times, very depressing. It almost goes without saying that something this beautiful and ancient is embattled. For a long time humans killed albatrosses and other seabirds on purpose, wiping out many species in the search for food. Now, we kill them mostly by accident, but in great numbers: They are pulled beneath the sea to drown when they go after bait attached to the hooks of long-lining fishermen; their nests are washed away when rising seas, pushed by global warming, sweep across their islets; and perhaps most insidiously, they are increasingly hard pressed to find food, perhaps because humans are mining so much of the oceans' protein. Our species already uses 40 percent of the earth's ''primary productivity,'' the plants and animals produced by the solar energy hitting our globe - this book brings home in stark fashion just what that number means.
Safina is no doomsayer, however. As the director of the Audubon Society's Living Oceans program, he has done as much as anyone save Cousteau to change our relationship with the aquatic world. Here he memorably describes a fishing trip in Alaskan waters with a skipper who has developed both strategies and attitudes necessary to prevent hooking the great birds - he and his crew share Safina's wonder in the face of the birds, and make it clear that much, though perhaps not enough, has changed with our species in the last century.
This book should accelerate that change, at least regarding albatrosses, for Safina's picture of the birds is one of the most delightful natural history studies in decades (and one of the most beautifully produced, with the maps and photos necessary for a complete understanding of the text). In the end, what sticks with you is less the birds' athletic feats, but their ... depth. Safina writes that these long-lived animals mate year after year with the same partner. In the first few years, their courtship is exuberant, filled with long and wild dancing sessions meant to demonstrate commitment and fitness. As the years go on, however, and the pair become used to each other, the language of courtship is stripped down to a lovely, regular preening. He describes one pair sitting on the beach ''for many long minutes, nibbling tenderly around each other's faces, taking turns preening each other with extraordinary gentleness, each bird soaking it up as though this is the greatest luxury. ... You sense that is immensely pleasurable for them - something anyone who has ever been tenderly touched would recognize.'' Much the same could be said of this tender, touching volume.
Bill McKibben is a visiting scholar at Middlebury College and the author of ''The End of Nature.''
This story ran on page E8 of the Boston Globe on 9/15/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.


Go, Cat, Go!: The Life and Times of Carl Perkins, the King of Rockabilly
Published in Paperback by Hyperion (Adult Trd Pap) (1997)
Authors: Carl Perkins and David McGee
Amazon base price: $13.95
Used price: $4.74
Collectible price: $9.95
Buy one from zShops for: $7.93
Average review score:

What a man; what a life!
I'll admit it -- I'm biased toward Carl Perkins. I lived several years in his hometown of Jackson, TN and met him many times. Having those experiences, I was curious how this book would portray Mr. Perkins. After reading this book, I have more respect for Mr. Perkins. True, he wasn't perfect (who is?), but he had reason to be bitter about his career and his life, instead he never gave up. He pulled himself up after each setback and kept on striving. When you think about it, what would be the alternative? He was not only a great musician, but an active humanitarian. His work with children and their causes is nearly as impressive as his musical career, yet most people don't know of this. I went to Carl Perkins' funeral, and in the little city of Jackson, TN you would have thought time stood still. This book will give you the feeling of getting to know a true American success story . . .

Inspiring!!
What a story!! This should be a must read for all of us who get to feeling sorry for ourslves. Carl Perkins came from abject poverty,a racially discriminating South,was known as "white trash",wrote one of rock n rolls seminal tunes,was on the brink of superstardom,lost it all,became a sideman to another Sun records stablemate,delved into the pit of addiction,rose again,had alot of his early work recorded by a group known as the Beatles,played with the likes of Eric Clapton,loved performing with his own family,lived his life humbly,nursed somewhat of a grudge against Sam Phillips,Jerry Lee Lewis,and Elvis,made peace with himself,and left behind the legacy of a man who had seen the beast within and had conquered it.
This is a must read for anyone who has any interest in music,or for that matter,the sociology of the South during the late 1940's and 1950's. It is also ,quite simply,one of the most inspiring books that I've ever read,Thank You, Carl Perkins!

Go Carl, Go!
Much has been made of the tragic events in Carl Perkins' life, but in the end his values and personal strength stood him in much better stead than most of his Sun contemporaries (see Escott and Hawkin's book on Sun Records). Pretty good for a kid who, with his brothers, were skinny from undernourishment as children. This book follows Carl from childhood until near the end (he passed away shortly after publication). The section on the Tennessee tonk scene in the 40's and 50's and "tush hogs" is especially colorful.


Nothin' Left to Lose
Published in Hardcover by Summerhouse Press (1999)
Author: Carl T. Smith
Amazon base price: $22.00
Used price: $0.79
Collectible price: $7.04
Buy one from zShops for: $0.88
Average review score:

You've Got Nothin' to Lose
If you want to read a book by an author that writes like he probably talks, grab a copy! Not too many authors would even attempt Smith's style of writing. No King or Koontz filler or fantasy. And ultimately, more fact than fiction. "Nothin' Left to Lose" is a must read for any music lover and mafia dissident!

Customer Review
Carl T. Smith's NOTHIN' LEFT TO LOSE is a breath of fresh air. A good story with an exciting cast of characters and all of the other elements missing in so many other contemporary novels. As he goes from Nashville janitor to a semi-successful performer/songwriter, John Ryan Stone passes all of the high roads and low roads of the music industry. Smith is careful not to make the path easy nor to sew the story up with major stardom and an unrealistically happy ending. The book is a story of people who work and play in the music industry, yet it is not a music novel.Unlike many of the light weight 'sex, drugs and rock and roll (country music?) novels, Smith's characters are real and touchable. The author's style and characters remind me of the works of James Lee Burke. A great read and definitely movie material.

Nothin' Left To Lose
If you like music, intrigue, mystery, romance and powerful endings - this is the book for you. The lyrical writing and skillful handling of characters make it hard to believe this is Carl Smith's first novel. A must for any avid reader's Christmas list.


The Poetry of Robert Frost
Published in Audio Cassette by Dove Books Audio (1996)
Authors: Susan Anspach, Roscoe Lee Browne, Elliott Gould, Joel Grey, Arte Johnson, Melissa Manchester, Kevin McCarthy, Jean Smart, Michael Tucker, and Alfre Woodard
Amazon base price: $12.95
Used price: $9.95
Buy one from zShops for: $10.88
Average review score:

Still wonderful after all these years
I first owned this volume of poetry in 1978. That book simply fell apart after more than 20 years of reading and handling (sometimes roughly by my children). I replace this book with a new one just last year.
The old favorites are all here; Fireflies in the Garden, The Road Not Taken, Fire and Ice, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, and a hundred more. In my opinion this is the definitive volume on Frost.
I have always been awed by the number of poems Frost wrote about the stars. A Star on a Stoneboat, The Star Spitter, Stars, Canis Major and many others. Truly Robert Frost is the astronomers poet.
Also in this volume is perhaps my favorite Frost poem, Brown's Descent.
If you love reading Frost on a crispy fall evening, then you'll love reading him when the crickets chirp. You'll need to own this book.

The Poetry-Lover's Definitive Frost
Robert Frost was and is America's greatest poet. Excepting, perhaps, W. B. Yeats, he may be the greatest poet to write English in the twentieth century. (To me, it's a toss-up.) To read this volume systematically or desultorily is to become convinced of that. But Frost is, above all, accessible, so the casual reader may not appreciate the difficulty of what he does. Like much of the greatest art his looks easy, even inevitable.

All of Frost's poems are here, plus his two dramatic Masques. When this book first appeared (in 1969) it caused a furor: the editor, it was angrily asserted, presumed too much. He dared to clarify - inserting a hyphen here, excising a comma there. That furor has since died down, as people realize that he did not do away with the sacred texts (any emendation was noted), but simply performed his job as editor. He regularized spelling and the use of single and double quotes (though not Capitalization, which can legitimately be thought of as integral to the poet's expression (think of e.e. cummings!)), and corrected other obvious errors. The notes give the published variants for each poem, so if you wish you may make your own call on some of these finicky issues.

I cannot emphasize enough: BUY THE HARDCOVER! After all, you will be reading this book for the rest of your life. It is a beautifully-built volume, of an easy size and heft for use, with understated appealing typefaces and an exemplary design. Put out by Frost's long-time publisher, this is one of the few essential books of American literature.

The Road Less Traveled
"It is absurd to think that the only way to tell if a poem is lasting is to wait and see if it lasts, The reader of good poem can tell the moment it strikes him that he has taken an immortal wound-that he will never get over it...The proof of a poem is not that we have never forgotten it, but we knew at sight we would never forget it."

Robert Frost

I have to admit it! When I first met Robert Frost's poetry in Freshman English class I took an immortal wound-that I will never get over it. Perhaps the then recent memory of the white haired poet who inaugurated Camelot that cold, January day conditioned me to receive the wound. Maybe Fr. Sheridan's teaching opened these poems for me. Most of all, I think that it is the words themselves which have made the poetry of Robert Frost such an important part of my life for almost 35 years.

This complete collection complemented the high school text book to which I had so often referred over the years. Here is the source of lines which I have often quoted. Many family vacations have begun with: "I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep" (Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening).

When my son tries to silence his sister's singing he is reminded that "Of course there must be something wrong In wanting to silence any song" (A Minor Bird).

Here we find philosophical reflections. "Good walls make good neighbors" counters "Something there is that doesn't like a wall" (Mending Wall).

Here "The Death of a Hired Man" challenges us to reflect upon how we value and treat others while "Christmas Trees" reminds us that not all things have prices. Here we are invited to follow the road of the poet who wrote "I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference" (The Road Not Taken).

I have writen just a sampling of the treasures to be found in this collection, but I have written enough. It is now time to indulge again with words I have never forgotten. "I shan't be gone long-You come too." (The Pasture).


Back from the Deep: The Strange Story of the Sister Subs Squalus and Sculpin
Published in Hardcover by United States Naval Inst. (1994)
Author: Carl Lavo
Amazon base price: $31.95
Used price: $2.23
Collectible price: $16.50
Average review score:

Excellent Story of the Squalus and Sculpin
This is one of the best submarine books I've read. Mr. LaVo writes with the style of a novelist and keeps the reader on edge throughout this exciting story of the Squalus and Sculpin. He starts his story with the ill-fated test dive of the Squalus. A valve is mistakenly left open, although it shows as being closed on the control panel. Thousands of gallons of sea water pour into the open hatch and the sub plunges to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Thirty Three men survived the sinking, but they are trapped on the ocean floor. "Swede" Momsen, inventor of the submarine rescue chamber, and his crew are summoned to the sunken submarine. Thanks to incredible human effort, the thirty three crewmen are successfully rescued and the submarine is rasied and refitted.

Perhaps the best part of this book is the story of the war patrols of the Squalus (now re-named Sailfish) and Sculpin. Mr. LaVo does an excellent job telling about the numerous war cruises of each submarine. Both ran up an impressive list of enemy ships sunk or damaged. The testimonies of the crewmembers are skillfully blended into the author's narrative and they give the reader a sense of actually being on the submarine.

An ironic twist of fate will forever seal these submarines together in history. The Sculpin was sunk by a Japanese destroyer, who picked up the survivors from the submarine. They were taken to the Japanese naval base at Truk, where they were transferred to the aircraft carriers Chuyo and Unyo for transport to Japan. The Sailfish intercepted the Chuyo and sank her with torpedoes. All but one of the Sculpin survivors was killed. Twenty survivors were aboard the Unyo and made it safely to Japan, where they were interred, under horrible conditions, for the remainder of the war.

Written with great knowledge and a true sense of suspense, this book belongs on any World War II or submarine enthusiasts' bookshelf. I also recommend "The Terrible Hours" by Peter Maas for more reading about the Squalus.

Diesel Boats Forever
Historians normally get most of the facts and dates right - that is no great accomplishment and the easy part of history. But for this author to leave me with the idea that he MUST have been a diesel boat sailor to describe the selection, training and life aboard an old fleet boat is quite an accomplishment. In fact I am sure he was not a submariner at all! Life as a submariner is so unusual it is hard even for us to describe properly.
I served on a fleet boat (USS BARBERO SSG 317)for three years and I was stunned at Carl Lavo's insight and the knowledge of life on a diesel boat. He is up there with Ambrose in my opinion.

14 year old reader loves this book
Since seeing the movie U-571, I have loved reading about submarines. This book is great. I couldn't put it down. It is about the sister ships, the Squalus/Sailfish and the Sculpin. Carl LaVo did a terrific job on this book. Anyone who enjoyed Tom Clancy's SSN or U-571 will love this book.


A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm's Wilke's Clavis Novi Testamenti
Published in Paperback by Baker Book House (1977)
Authors: Joseph H. Thayer and Carl Ludwig Wilibald Grimm
Amazon base price: $27.99
List price: $39.99 (that's 30% off!)
Used price: $3.00
Collectible price: $26.95
Buy one from zShops for: $27.74
Average review score:

Very helpful
I am simply beginning my journey with NT Greek, and am loving every minute of it while using this resource. It is very extensive, yet easy to understand. I would highly recomend it.

The classic
Great, classic book on NT Greek words and their usage. He gives a good deal of derivation information, which is very valuable. Note to fellow Greek students: even though your book may include all the vocabulary you need, you should still get this book right away. One of the hardest thing about learning languages (at least for me) is memorizing vocabulary, and having the derivations makes it much easier. Example: the word PROSWPON (face). Mounce gives the memorable phrase "Pour soap on" as a mnemonic; but even more helpful to me was Thayer's explanation that PROSWPON is derived from PROS+OPS="what's in front of your eyes." Another one: ENOPION (before). Thayer explains it comes from EN+OPS="in the eyes of". Beautiful.

Another thing I especially like is how he relates many Greek words to words in other languages, not just English. For example, "IDE" could be defined as look, behold, etc; but Thayer would give the helpful hint "Latin: ecce". Where useful, he also lists equivalents for some words in German, French, etc.

The only drawback is that it's an reprint of an old (1880?) text, so some of the print is a little hard to read, and some of the references are hard to figure out and then to find. But, especially for the money, it's a great tool.

What do those words really mean?
A simple but in depth reference book that lets us look up any word in the new testament and find out it's meaning, or meanings, it's pronunciation and Greek spelling, it's roots, and derivations, places it is used in the Bible, and all kind of other interesting thing in a paragraph or so. The only other thing you should know before you do buy this is you have to have a Strong's concordance to work with to know which English Bible words correspond to which Greek word.


Related Subjects: Author Index Reviews Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Reviews are from readers at Amazon.com. To add a review, follow the Amazon buy link above.