Sign me up to the above review. This guy is smart, has a great ear, and writes with an uncanny sense of form. Raise your hands if you can name five other American poets of whom that could honestly be said.

James Richardson ought to be much, much better-known than he is. His last book, "As If," was one of the most beautiful poetry collections of the Nineties. Let's hope that "How Things Are" gets him the recognition the world owes him. He is among the wittiest poets writing today -- just read his animal poems, especially "For the Squirrels" and "Mothy Ode" -- these are laugh-out-loud funny poems (a rarity in any historical age.) His longer "How Things Are" (Suite for Lucretians) and "Under Water" are both excellent -- if you read the Yale Review or the Quarterly Review of Literature you may be acquainted with earlier versions. And the final section is both majestic and precise, doing for New Jersey what some of Robert Hass's poetic sequences have done for Northern California. Every era has its great unknown poets, and there's no doubt in my mind that James Richardson is one of ours.

A good range of essays about Richardson's key films. Most of the essays are easily read (not overly academic)--the work with TOM JONES is especially solid. Recommended as an overview of a talented man's career

Richardson has produced a masterly synthesis of Andean prehistory. The book is well-written, without jargon. Professional and layperson alike will find it a fascinating story and the source of many ideas to be tested in the coming decades. It is superbly illustrated with color maps and many photos, all in color except for old archival shots in B&W. Although some scholars might object to the overtly environmentalist perspective, this reviewer finds the approach convincing while providing coherence to the panoply of the Andean past. And all of this for under $20--for which the Smithsonian Institution should be roundly applauded

This is simply a great book. It deals with the Cree living in northern Quebec near James Bay and how in the late 1960s and early 1970s there traditional livestyle, already negatively affected by the workings of the Canadian government, was under attack again. This time it was the government of Quebec led by Robert Bourassa; they had this grand idea that they would turn northern Quebec, which they viewed to be barren and useless land, into one major power generating station. This meant daming rivers and flooding huge tracts of land, land which happened to be the traditional hunting ground for several thoudand Crees, who, despite facing years of injustice and discrimination, continued to subsist to a large degree off of the land. Prior to this period, the Quebec government would likely have been able to proceed unhindered, but by the late 1960s the Native people of Canada were beginning to assert their rights, and Bourassa soon found himself facing very strong opposition. The issue went to court and after a long legal battle, the courts ruled in favour of the Cree. It was a victory that was, however, very short-lived, as within days the ruling was overturned. The Cree intended to continue the fight, but it soon became evident that nothing would become of it; it would take years before the matter would be resolved, and by that time the James Bay project would be complete. So the Cree reached a settlement with the Quebec government.

Although the book's central focus is the struggle between the Cree and the Quebec government over the James Bay project, the book also provides the reader with a very intimate and compelling portrate of the Cree people and their lifestyle which was then dying out. It should be noted too that the author was also responsible for several documentary films about the Cree: "Job's Garden" and "Cree Hunters of Mistassini" both of which provide an excellent visual account of the Cree people and the "barren" land that they inhabited and were fighting to save.

This book was reprinted in 1991 with an additional chapter updating events since the book was initially published in 1975.

Now this is an interesting book. If you're a writer, artist or both, this book will help you link and synthesize symbolic thought in the form of text. The Forward is by Marvin Minsky and it, as well as the Preface and Table of Contents are on the publishers webpage.

An expended version of this review can be found on my website, with links to the Publisher, the Forward, Preface, Table of Contents and some of the papers the book references.

The writings themselves are excellent. The print is often hard to read and the typeface varies from section to section. The introductions and footnotes show the editors biases and are best skipped -- let the writings speak for themselves.

This 10-volume set is a treasure trove of the writings of the early church translated into English, from the Apostolic Fathers to the Nicene Council. The problem with it is that it is only a reprint of a collection originally published in 1885. Because of this it carries over many of the pruderies Alexandria's Miscellanies (in volume 2 of this set) is printed only in enters upon the refutation of the false-Gnostics and their licentious tenets. Professing a stricter rule to begin with, and despising the ordinances of the Creator, their result was the grossest immorality in practice. The melancholy consequences of an enforced celibacy are, here, all forseen and foreshown; and this Book, though necessarily offensive to our Christian tastes, is most useful as a commentary upon the history of monasticism, and the celibacy of priests, in the Western churches. The resolution of the Edinburgh editors to give this Book to scholars _only_, in the Latin, is probably wise." In other words, because it may corrupt our Christian morals, we won't print it in the venacular, but instead keep it only in the hands of professors. This editorial decision was disgustingly illiberal; a scholar should make all information accessible. Besides, Clement of Alexandria isn't considered a heretic; he's one of the official Church Fathers. Now a decision like that may have been acceptable in 1885, but it can scarcely be defended today. I do not see what could have kept this set's reprinters from providing a translation of Book III, if only as an appendix. I have not noticed any other example of suppression in these volumes, although the fact that there is even one instance is disturbing. This only serves to convince me that a new, fresh edition of these writers is needed. Many new writings have been discovered in the century since, including complete books by Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Melito of Sardis - this alone makes a new collection desirable. In the late nineteenth century all kinds of collections of these early writers were being published - why not now?

This is the (basically) complete set of the Early church writings up until 325 A.D. These 10 volumes contain quite a lot of material. Volume 10 is actually an index of all of the earlier books. The complete works of Justin, Clement, Athenagoras, Ignatius, etc are found within. I agree with the other poster that there are some problems. The issue of new texts discovered is a big one. Since the time this series was published many new texts have been found, such as the Gospel of Thomas and 2 works by Origen. So that is an issue. Also the way they put Clement of Alexandria's third book in Latin is silly today. Luckily I managed to find another translation that had it. The third problem is the English is pretty stagnant at times. Its very stiff and complex at times, but I actually have come to like it (don't ask me why!). But I am still giving this 5 stars because the set is fairly affordable, and there is a lot of great stuff in here for the price. Virtually every pre-Nicene writing, from the Didache to Alexander of Alexandria's letters to Arius, is in here. I would never be without this set.

Parts of the book are overly detailed, yet some parts are quite sparse. The portrait of Brown's hometown of Mineola, Texas is riveting yet there are few details of what Brown was like as a child -- readers wanting to find out what books, philosophers or anything that inspired Brown will be left wanting. We must settle for the unsupported statement that he was a voracious reader. Also, there seems to be a mismatch in focus -- over half of the book is devoted to Brown's career before becoming speaker when he really was a marginal figure. Perhaps a dozen pages are devoted to obscure delegate credentialling details about the '72 convention that could have been covered in a fraction of the space.

On the objective side, the book does call Brown to task for several ethical and race-baiting missteps, and he largely accepts the common view of Brown as a fixer extraordinare who made the trains run on time in the legislature at the expense of an agenda. The author also perceptively highlights why Brown succeeded tactically in holding his Speakership for so long, sometimes by pulling absolute political miracles. This is when the book is at its best, showing how Brown has become one of the most powerful, savvy figures in California political history.

On the minus side (for those who prefer their history unfiltered by the author's personal politics) references abound throughout the book to "ultra right conservatives", "hard right conservatives" and the like but there are no similiar references to figures on the left; Jesse Unruh and Ronald Reagan have "cronies" while Brown has friends.

While clearly critical on occasions, at other times the author blatantly bends over backwards to make Brown look good. When Brown made some vicious personal public remarks about then Governor Duekmajian (sp?) the author criticizes Brown yet excuses him by saying he was just doing so to satisfy the Democrat Assembly members who disliked the Duke, yet its impossible (for me at least) to believe Brown's Assembly delegation ever included people who demanded hateful comments from the Speaker. Throughout the book, Brown is portrayed as a consummate, off-the-cuff showman who's unmatched with his rapier-like comments, yet we're expected to believe this one was done calculatingly to satisfy people who insisted that Brown engage in brutal personal insults. This doesn't hold water.

The author also uncritically accepts Brown's assertion that he went to law school on a whim and says if he hadn't seized this seemingly random impulse, he never would have gone into politics. This seems a stretch to say the least, largely because the author paints a quite vivid picture of Brown the showman who lives for thie limelight -- it's virtually impossible to imagine this truly unique personality not in politics. That, and the fact that he was running for office by the time he was 28 indicate to me that like Bill Clinton, Willie Brown was intent on being a politician at an early age.

In the "give Willie the benefit of the doubt" category, outrageous remarks that can be fairly categorized as inciting violence are excused because Brown, according to the author, was so personally devastated by RFK's assissination a few weeks before. Yet the author provides nothing to support this strange assertion. It seems reasonable to conclude the author is going to extremes to excuse some of Brown's most inexcusable conduct.

At the end, the author drops all pretense of objectivity and discloses that he was a McGovern delegate at the '72 convention (which explains why, although doesn't justify, the excessive focus on that convention's minutae) and highlights Brown's greatest achievement as stymying the agendas of numerous Republican governors during his Assembly career.

The book was enjoyable largely because the subject is so fascinating. Parts of it are extremely well written, filled with strong analysis and the author undeniably did a tremendous job researching the book, but even more, in landing firsthand interviews with the major participants. Nonetheless, the book is unevenly focused, lavishing attention on Brown's flamboyance at the expense of personal insights. There is also a sometimes subtle but unmistakable bias from beginning to end in favor of Brown's leftist politics and Brown himself.

I found this book to be very interesting and informative. Without a doubt it gave me a look into the life and times of Willie Brown and the state of California. From growing up under the repressive laws of Jim Crow and segregation to becoming one of the most powerful men in California,Willie Brown is a courageous and complex figure in California's history. In the tradition of "showmen politicians" like Adam Clayton Powell, Huey P. Long, and Lyndon Johnson, Brown is a part of a by-gone era. With term limits well in place, we will never see the likes of such a powerful and personable politician. President Clinton could not have said it better when he arrived in Sacramento and met Willie Brown in person for the first time. He stated, " now i have finally met the real slick Willie". Whether demon or devil, Willie Brown changed the face of legistlative politics in Califonia and paved the way for the state to expand in many other areas. After reading this book, you wonder how California can survive without Willie Brown.

Willie Brown is a politician regarded as both a political reformer and a modern political boss, a sometime political progressive and sometime defender of corporate interests, and a man of humble background who flaunts a flashy lifestyle. The book, "Willie Brown", presents a study of a man's contrasts and complexities.
This biography neither glorifies nor lambastes its subject. The reader is allowed to thoroughly understand the gray areas between the good and evil which is the human nature of most public figures. We learn about Willie Brown and the events shaping his life and histroy.
We learn that Willie Brown sought being the center of attention from childhoold and how this trait was internalized through lifelong quests for leadership. Willie Brown emerged from a life of gambling and nightlife into a life or politics and nightlife.
Controversy has followed Willie Brown's life. Branded as both a radical liberal and a conservative coalition builder, Willie Brown has learned that power and personal feelings can change and that these changes can be used for advantage. Readers learn how Willie Brown, upon becoming Speaker of the California House of Representatives, was adept at maintaining power.
The author demonstrates that Willie Brown enjoyed political power games more for the sake of power than for setting policy. Willie Brown played the legislative power game very well for a long time. When he finally lost the power game, he exited the legislature by becoming a big city Mayor. This book presents a remarkable study of one of America's most resilient politicians.

In this petite 85-paged beginner's guide to yoga, "Yoga for Bears" demonstrates 31 various yoga positions, each posture interpreted via two drawn bears. (The master is on the left; the beginner is on the right.) Although the bear drawings are cute and unique, I found some of the positions slightly more confusing and inaccurate by using the illustrations rather than human subjects. It was hard to tell what goes where (especially on the Triangle and Sitting Twist exercises), but at least there's a descriptive paragraph on every other page that tries to clarify the yoga position.

There's also additional information in this tiny book (which, by the way, is easy to take with you almost anywhere), such as a recommended reading list, a brief intro to yoga (including the Sanskrit names of each exercise), hints and advice, and some useful addresses and telephone numbers for finding a yoga class (though they may be out of date by now).

"Yoga for Bears" was given to me by my sister a couple years ago when she had gotten over her yoga craze. Although I've only used it once or twice (I'm not really into yoga), I'd still recommend this book to beginners, particularly ones who love bears; after all, these furry creatures detail the entire book. However, I'd still follow the bit of advice on page 14 if you're serious about approaching yoga properly: "find a good teacher and go to a regular class." You may run the risk of injuring yourself by practicing alone.

How sad it is that this little book has gone out of print! Yoga for Bears is a sweetly illustrated users' guide for yoga practioners. Cartoon bears, accompanied by brief explanations, demonstrate a variety of asanas.

I'm in 12th grade and we had to read this book for our Law and Government class. This book was really good. It helped me really understand what our court system is like. Like when Steven Philips discribes everything that he did in his case how the jusry was selected. What the Public Defender was basing the whole case on. What he thinks happend in the shooting of Skeagen. If you want to know more about our court systems. This is the book to read. Very interesting

W. James Richardson's Misbegotten is an intriguing story of the lives of two police officers - one African American, the other White - in the city of Detroit. They each learn a lesson in racism when their lives become intertwined in a rape investigation, bombings of three African American churches and several apparent racially motivated murders.

Richardson overdoes it with the cursing and use of racial slurs. The fabulous thing about Misbegotten is that the key characters are transformed and covertly the author gets the reader to judge himself and his view of others because of the color of their skin. Despite the editing mishaps, the pace is quick and perplex.

Richardson's story has a very unexpected ending that neatly ties all the loose ends. He also sends out a strong message: we should be careful how we treat others, one day that person may be your saving grace or the answer to your prayers.

Every now and again I pick up a book and am not sure if I like it or not.

The reasons may vary from excessive foul language to obscene behavior. Like or dislike also may come from poor grammar, design or layout of the manuscript and/or ease of read.

While W. James Richardson's Misbegotten is an intriguing story of the lives of two police officers - one African American, the other White - in the city of Detroit. They each learn a lesson in racism when their lives become intertwined in the rape of teenaged White girl, bombings of three African American churches and several apparent racially motivated murders.

Richardson overdoes it with the cursing and use of racial slurs. The fabulous thing about Misbegotten is that the key characters are transformed and covertly the author gets the reader to judge himself and his view of others because of the color of their skin.

In brief... Tommy Williams opens this tale of woe; he has served a prison sentence for various crimes and wants the reader to believe that he is struggling to stay out of jail in the early chapters of the book. His actions - theft, assault, and the rape of a young girl - paint a different picture. When he is killed attempting to flee the scene of a murder he's just committed, as bad as it sounds, relief is what the reader feels.

Unfortunately, Tommy's deeds don't stop there. The young girl becomes pregnant and her racist, retired police officer father and his friends set out to avenge her honor. What he doesn't expect is that his lifestyle and that he holds dear to cause him to lose control of his family and his own life. The outcome was surprising. Who would have thought?

Richardson, in our opinion, ties the ends of this story well and sends out the following message: a message you've heard a many a time - be careful how you treat people, one day they may be your saving grace.

Blatant bigotry, racism, abortion, adoption, murder, understanding and healing are the ingredients of the novel Misbegotton. The author, W. James Richardson, presents the tale of a young college student brutally raped and impregnated by her attacker, hence the "misbegotten" child. What happens in the aftermath of this crime is the basis of this story.

Emily Heiderberg, a college student, is raped one evening while attending a country and western jamboree in Detroit. Her father, Hugo, a former police officer and known bigot, wants her attackers brought to justice. The only problem is, he wants to inflict his own type of justice and with the assistance of his associates, he does just that. Ullyis Washington, the police sergeant, has no tolerance for bigots and he remembers Hugo when he was on the police force. Following the rape, drama breaks loose in Detroit and the surrounding suburbs and Ullysis is assigned to a task force to assist in solving the crimes. What is revealed is amazing in and of itself.

What becomes of Emily's child? How does Ullysis behave when his son becomes engaged to someone outside of his race? Those are some of the many questions provided in this story. The friends and family of the main characters are highlighted and the children provided the healing in this story. The children have a special gift of understanding that forced the adults to stop and look at their behavior and the overall affect. The results were healing and understanding among four families. Some of the characters definitely reaped what they sowed.

This was an entertaining, drama filled and fast paced story. The only problem I had with the novel was the editing. Thought patterns tended to shift to different characters and time periods without indication. Other than the editing I truly enjoyed this story. Provides for a lively discussion on race relations.

Reviewed by Dawn