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Book reviews for "Roberts,_Michael" sorted by average review score:

The Empress Is a Man: Stories from the Life and Times of Jose Sarria
Published in Paperback by Harrington Park Pr (1998)
Author: Michael Robert Gorman
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Biograghy at it's best
This book is one of the best biographies I have read in years. Mainly because it captures Sarria not as a dry historical figure, but captures who he is and the way he remembers his life and his rich and eccentric personality as well. Gorman tells about his personal struggles and views while writing this book in an article that can be found at http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/mattsmind/gorman.html

A Profile of a Remarkable Man with Lots of Humour
This semi-autobiographical story of Jose Sarria, the founder of the Imperial Court System in San Francisco CA in 1965, is a remarkable read. Jose has been aware of his Gay identity since childhood and never had a problem with it. In this book we learn of his many experiences from World War II to several World Fairs to the history of the Imperial Court system. Throughout the book, Jose's voice is clear and to the point. Reading his quotes is like having tea with him. You laugh and cry and learn to love a remarkable man. He's Gandhi in a dress and still going strong! Perfect reading for the beach or for gift giving.

Princess DaisyMae Imperial Court of New York


The Ern Malley Affair
Published in Hardcover by Faber & Faber (1994)
Authors: Michael Heyward and Robert Hughes
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A great book about a fascinating poet who never existed
The Ern Malley affair is still something of an embarrassment to literate Australians. Ern Malley was the creation of two poets, James McAuley and Harold Stewart, who wanted to show up what they regarded as the insufferable pretensions of an Australian literary magazine called Angry Penguins. They concocted the fictitious Ern, gave him an irresistibly romantic biography, wrote a dozen supposedly awful poems under his name, and sent off the result. To their glee, the editor Max Harris swallowed the bait and published a special issue in Ern's memory. Then the facts came out, and avant-gardists all over Australia were made to look stupid.

That would be it, except for the bewildering irony that the Ern Malley poems aren't nearly as bad and incoherent as their authors suggested. Well, not all the time. (Heyward helpfully reprints them as an appendix so you can judge for yourself.) They oscillate in the strangest way between genius and gibberish; I have one highly-educated Aussie friend who thinks that they're the most genuinely avant-garde poetry Australia has ever produced, and Heyward is inclined to agree. The Angry Penguin crowd claimed as much, saying that the authors had surpassed themselves in their attempt to turn off conscious control over their own work. They certainly contain some haunting, extraordinary lines ("I am still / The black swan of trespass on alien waters", "I have split the infinitive. Beyond is anything.") The fact that these lines were never meant seriously by their authors raises important questions about the usefulness of discussing intention in matters of literary criticism.

Heyward's story is lucidly and wittily told. There are no clear-cut villains and heroes. Max Harris comes across as appealingly open-minded and imaginative, as well as gullible. The hoaxers weren't cynical hacks but talented and serious poets in their own right. Amongst those taken in by Ern was Australia's greatest modern painter, Sidney Nolan, who (perhaps rightly) said that it didn't matter whether the poems were "authentic" or not, so long as they worked on some level.

A remarkable book, not only in its picture of mid-century Australian cultural history but also in the tricky questions it asks about sense vs. nonsense in art and the motives behind cultural battles.

A Legitimate Deception
A brilliantly researched and wittily written chronicle of a great literary hoax. In the nineteen forties Australia's avant-garde arts magazine ANGRY PENGUINS received a package of poems from a woman calling herself Ethel Malley, purportedly the work of her recently deceased brother Ern. The magazine's editor was so overwhelmed with the poems that he published the entire oeuvre in a special edition of the magazine. Then word began to get about that neither Ethel nor Ern Malley actually existed, and that the poems were a hoax. The hunt for the culprits was on. The is a great read: a literary detective story, an intriguing picture of the cultural landscape of postwar Australia, and a book which confronts the reader with crucial questions about the elusive nature of aesthetic judgement.


Essentials of Emergency Care: A Refresher for the Practicing Emt-B
Published in Paperback by Prentice Hall (1995)
Authors: Daniel Limmer, Robert Elling, Michael F. O'Keefe, and Edward T. Dickinson
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Excellent resource
For anyone who used the AAOS's "Orange Book" for their EMT-B course, this book is an excellent choice because it gives you a different perspective on the same things. Of course, the Brady series is solid reference material anyway.

Excellent reference
For anyone who used the AAOS's "Orange Book" for their EMT-B course, this book, under the Brady name, is a good book to have because you get a different perspective on the same things. Of course, the Brady series has always been solid anyway.


False Papers: Deception and Survival in the Holocaust
Published in Hardcover by Univ of Illinois Pr (Trd) (2000)
Authors: Robert Melson and Michael Berenbaum
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A True Story--Life and Death Gamble
This book gripped me from start to finish. Melson draws you in to this suspenseful story using the voices of his mother and father to narrate this unbelievable tale of a young couple, baby in tow, outwitting the Nazis and surviving the holocaust while posing as a Count and Countess! I can't believe it's true. A must for anyone interested in WWII, or in a great love story for that matter...

False Papers and the Search for Idenity
Many books have been written about the holocaust both by impartial observers and intimate survivors. False Papers: Deception and Survival in the Holocaust by Robert Melson will stand out among them because it is more than observation and personal reflection-it is a psychological study of a young man's search for identity and meaning in a world that keeps changing the rules.

False Papers tells the story of the Melson (Mendelsohn) family's escape from the Nazi ovens by posing as Polish royalty, a feat they are able to accomplish because Nina Melson, the author's mother, was able to buy false papers. What is unique about their life during the war was that they not only lived openly among the Gestapo, but also became quite friendly with their neighbors. The story of their deception and survival as told through the eyes of Nina, Willy (the author's father) and Bobi (the author's reflections through his own youthful memory) is compelling enough to keep the reader involved in the book. This is only one dimension of the book-an incredibly true adventure story.

Bt there is another important dimension to the book that cannot, and must not, be overlooked: the search on the part of the author-first as young Bobi and later as American Bob-for his true identity in a world that is constantly changing for him. First he knows himself as Count Boguslaw Zamojski the Catholic; after the war as Bobi Melson the Jew until he is enrolled in Le Rosey, an exclusive Swiss prep school, when he must again become Catholic; next to America where he settles in New York as a young Jewish immigrant; then against his deepest wishes he is dragged to Japan where his father has set up a sewing machine factory. Each time young Melson must learn to survive and question "Who am I this time?". Fortunately, he is clever enough to pick up environmental clues to guide his behavior and survival, but the reader feels his sense of pain as he struggles to find his true self.

What makes this a deeply probing psychological exploration of one's search for identity is Melson's ability to step back from the action to view his family dynamics-his father's struggle with his compulsive need for adoration, his mother's deepening depression and her inappropriate use of the young Bobi as her personal confidant, and the parent's obsession with appearances.

It is in the Epilogue that everything comes together. We are told about the deaths of Willy and Nina, how Bobi becomes Robert the MIT PhD, and how Robert finally realizes who he is. The reader feels at peace at the end of the journey.

Of all the writers on the holocaust, his writing style is closest to that of Primo Levi. However, there is a difference: Levi always keeps the cool distance of a scientist in his descriptions of behavior and events while Melson uses warm, personal description of the behavioral scientist that he is. It is a must reading for those who want to know more about the holocaust, family dynamics or a young man's search for self. No matter what your reason is, False Papers: Deception and Survival in the Holocaust is a book you will read, reread, and pass on to others.


Foundations for Osteopathic Medicine
Published in Hardcover by Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins (15 January, 1997)
Authors: Robert C. Ward, John A. Jerome, John M., III Jones, Robert E. Kappler, Albert F. Kelso, Michael L. Kuchera, William A. Kuchera, Michael M. Patterson, Barbara A. Peterson, and Felix J. Rogers
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Great for beginning and experienced osteopaths.
This is the long awaited basic textbook for osteopathic medicine. It is surprisingly complete, covering philosophy, history, research, and manipulative techniques. The beginning osteopathic student may find it most useful for its practical discussion on the techniques--high velocity, myofascial release, etc. I believe it is also helpful in standardizing our terminology, which will make it easier when taking board exams or talking with colleagues from other osteopathic schools. It includes contributors well known within the osteopathic community, including Michael and William Kuchera, Melicien Tettambel, Eileen DiGiovanna, and many others. As a family practice resident I frequently turn to this textbook first when I want to know more about how to treat a patient or when preparing lectures for students and housestaff.

The osteopathic manipulative therapy bible!
This text is actually required reading for most if not all osteopathic medical students. It is a 'textbook', however, and hence completely (sometimes exhaustively!) comprehensive. But it is easy to read so that anyone with an interest in OMT will get a methodic how-to for myriad techniques, also a thorough history of osteopathic medicine to boot! One of my OMT professors at the University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine wrote or co-wrote a few of the chapters so of course, I think those are the best! If you are looking for an educational approach to learning manipulation and the reasons behind it, this is a valuable resouce.


Fourth Genre, The: Contemporary Writers of/on Creative Nonfiction
Published in Paperback by Allyn & Bacon (31 August, 1998)
Authors: Michael Steinberg, Robert L. Root, and Robert, Jr. Root
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Keeper Text Book
I've been using this book in a career writing class where we have been focusing on learning how to write creative non-fiction. It is a great book full of incredible selections and is a great introduction to the field of Creative Nonfiction. Let me tell you, after years of writing academic essays, this has been a blast. The book, and my instructor, has helped me understand the difference between an autobiography and a memoir or a personal familiar essay and a personal critical essay.

All of that being said, I found this book to be more of an introduction into the world of Creative Nonfiction than an instructional 'how to' book. I have enjoyed being introduced to such a large host of, for me, new writers and will definitely keep this text book for reference, enjoyment, and inspiration.

The Guideline for Creative Non-Fiction
Finally the genre of Creative Non-Fiction is gaining recognition as a valid art form. Critics are finally starting to realize what the puplic has always known; real people have valid and intruiging stories to tell. The Fourth Genre collects an overview of the best non-fiction writers writing in and about their genre. I had the privilege to study under a contibutor from this book and discovered the joys of writing about my life and reading about the lives of others. This book is a necessity to those interested in Creative Non-Fictions. I would also recommend Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, Writing Life Stories by Bill Roorbach, and Take the Cannoli by Sarah Vowell.


From Far Away
Published in Paperback by Annick Pr (1995)
Authors: Saoussan Askar, Michael Martchenko, and Robert N. Munsch
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I loved this book!
I could really relate to this book because when I first read it, I was in a new environment too. The story is really real, and Munsch is one of my favourite authors.

Incredibly touching!
I am a teacher in a daycare and I work with children who come from different backgrounds and cultures all over the world. I have probably read this book fifty times and it still makes me cry. The kids think I'm nuts


The Good Earth: Three Poets of the Prairie
Published in Paperback by The Ice Cube Press (31 October, 2002)
Authors: Robert Dana, Scott Cawelti, Denise Low, and Michael Carey
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The Elders Speak-Three Poets of the Prairie
Excerpts from the Wapsipincon Review (2002/03 issue), book reviewed by Floyd Pearce. "This book is an excellent sampler and, for many, could provide an introduction to these distinquished poets. You don't read poetry? Try these poets! If you are as tired as I am of swagger and irony a la mode of so many modern poets, welcome to the farm."

Additional Information From Publisher
This book features the poetry of Paul Engle (Robert Dana), William Stafford (Denise Low) and James Hearst (Scott Cawelti) with a foreword by Iowa farm poet Michael Carey. This book is a companion edition to the 5th Harvest Lecture held October 17th, 2002 which dealt with poetry, landscape and popular spirituality.


A Guide to Designing and Implementing Local And Wide Area Networks, Second Edition
Published in Paperback by Course Technology (08 October, 2002)
Authors: Robert Bruce Sinclair, Michael J. Palmer, and Bruce Sinclair
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Great book for beginners! Very comprehensive
Although outdated in some areas (minimal) this book is great! We use it for our Networking Essentials class. One of the advantages of this book is that is is cross-platform. The terms apply to networks and technologies irrelevant of the vendor or operating system. The case studies and the projects provide a great opportunity for developing hands on experience in each of the chapters. I highly recommend this book since it complements very well the Cisco Academy Semesters 1-2 Book!!

Good beginner's book
Great book and explains all elements of LAN and WANs fully. Good diagrams to illustrate network topography. Authors have done great work putting together such a great book. Highly recommended.


Handbook of Clinical Child Psychology
Published in Hardcover by John Wiley & Sons (15 January, 2001)
Authors: C. Eugene Walker and Michael C. Roberts
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Handbook of clinical child psychology
This is indeed the "Bible" for the clinical child psychologist. As a pediatrician, who through all my professional life have worked closely with child psychologists, permit me to review this very serious and professional handbook. It is edited by C Eugene Walker from Oklahoma and Michael C Roberts from Kansas with 114 contributors (all from United States). The first edition of the handbook was published 18 years ago and it has since turned into a reference and guide for students, adademics and clinicians in the field. The book is divided into seven sections with a total of 55 chapters. The first section deals with child development and the first chapter with families and children in history with a focus on American history, but I especially liked the chapter by Judith A Chafel and Kathryn Gold Hadley on poverty and well-being of children and their families. This is a new addition to this edition, but a very important one. Poverty and hunger are old phenomena, but only recently become a subject of research and interest to politicians. They should be interested, because poverty is a major public health problem in many developed countries. Data from 1996 in the United States estimate that 20.5% of the children were living in poverty. This well researched paper will give you information on definition of poverty, effects on development, health and psychosocial risks, resiliency and implications for clinical intervention. Section two provides different diagnostic assessments of children and adolescents, section three deals with problems of early life and clinical problems of birth, neonatology, infant and preschool period and section four about problems of childhood. This last section has 16 chapters with some interesting entries. I especially liked the chapter on mental retardation, which takes into account the 1992 American Association on Mental Retardation (AMMR) definition of mental retardation, where not only IQ, but multidimential classification was used as a novel way to look upon mental retardation. I would have liked an entry on the use of the word "mental retardation", which is very much debated (sometimes very hotly like at the last international conference in Seattle in August 2000) and at all not in use in many parts of the world, where instead the term "intellectual disability" is preferred. Section five has nine relevant chapters on adolescence, but I would like to see a chapter on teenage pregnancy in the next edition, because that is especially a problem in United States and United Kingdom, where we are talking about potential psychological risks for the next generation also. Section six conveys intervention strategies with good chapters on hospitalization and pharmacotherapy among others. The last section has special topics like cultural issues, divorce, grief, ethics and forensic evaluation. The chapter on impact of a parent chronic illness is very interesting and I would also suggest a chapter on chronic illness or disability in the child for the next edition. This topic is mentioned in another chapter (on contemporary issues), but deserves a full chapter. The words disability and intellectual disability are not mentioned even in the index. In this section I especially like the chapter on child maltreatment by Barbara L Bonner and collegues, which is a good review of the field of child abuse and neglect, but again the focus in on the United States and international work in the field not mentioned. A chapter on research in child psychology and the use of internet should be added for the next edition. The effects of the internet on children and adolescents should also be added. We recently had a case here in Israel, where an internet connection between two adolescents (a Jewish male and Arab female) were used by terrorists to capture and murder the 14 year old boy. I would have liked to see a section eight with chapters on the future of infancy, childhood and adolescence both in the United States, but also a chapter on international work and research in the field of child psychology. All in all a very positive review for a very useful handbook that can be used by both psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and physicians and thanks for a good editing job. It was a pleasure to read and use this handbook.

Professor Joav Merrick, MD, DMSc Medical Director, Division for Mental Retardation, Box 1260, IL-91012 Jerusalem, Israel. E-mail: jmerrick@aquanet.co.il

An Important Text on Clinical Child Psychology
Although this text could use a new edition, it remains one of the more complete collections of reviews of literature in the clinical dhild psychology. The Handbook of Clinical Child Psychology stands as the standard reference guide for practitioners, students, professors, and researchers in the field, and likely will until it is replaced with a third edition.


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