I puchased this for my dad's birthday because my parents grew up in Santa Ana (I was raised there as well). They had a ball looking through it-we spent the evening listening to their stories about places in the book. Great book!

I'm amazed at all the great images of early Santa Ana -- commercial buildings, residential, Pacific Red Car, downtown business district, churches, schools, even the 1933 Earthquake. The captions are equally great. What a wonderful resource for those interested in a bit of history - or just to see what life was like 40, 50, 90 years ago.

Like Justin, below, I first read this book in my early twenties in the sunny climate (NOT!) of Grimsby, England. Fifteen years later, as I strive for some company during my commute into Chicago I recalled the belly laughs of this book which have remained lodged in my memory ever since. It was as good as I remembered and prompted me to read as much of his stuff as I could get my hands on. Like Nick Hornsby, a generation later, his style is unpretentious with a keen eye for what really makes relationships tick.

I found this in the family bookshelf when I was about 14.

Basically what you have here is a man writing a story about life, and lost loves, and betrayall, in a padestrian and tollerant delivery.

You never get to know about the author, ( i.e. " the first person delivering the dialogue"), in any other context other than that of the story. So thats what it is - a story.

Sounds boring doesnt it - its excellent (any book that has a pub called the planet of the apes - [nick named after the social standing of the clientelle] - has to be a classic.

And this book is!, - (not because i say so, but because if you know any 50 yr olds who read it - and many did in thier time - they will smile and tell you it is).

I think I might read it again actually - its been about 20 years and I still remember it enough to waste my time writing a review for the hell of it.

Look - if you are 55+ get it from the frigging library. You will buy a copy after reading it. Ple! ase email me if youve read it.

Justin

SIMPLE SCIENCE SERMONS is a wonderful book to use not only for some great children's sermons, but also for some delightful science experiments. The book illustrates how one can use science and turn it into a teachable moment about God and His creation. The kids at the preschool I taught at loved the "A Balloon, A Book, Pressure, And Satan;" and did their best as Satan to pop the balloon. My particular favorite was the electric pickle experiment, though I could never get the pickle to light up very well in class. A great book for any educator of children to own.

its about time to have a fun way to teach kids (big and small) some science nolage and also a bible verse or two. This Guy Stewart shows you dont have to believe in either the bible or science.

As a writer and researcher in the area of Hinduism and Yoga, I read and review a number of books everyday. This work successfully opens the field for study in sacred sound in the Hindu Tradition.

Although a number of works deal with mantra in relation to the various soteriological traditions of India, none have truly brought all of the knowledge together as efficiently and decisively as he has. His comparitive approach and weaving together of helpful, contextual historical information make it a valuable study. His treatment of the grammarian traditions and their theories on language, meaning and mantra are insightful.

I heartily recommend this work for those interested in learning more about the role of sound in soteriology. As India's legacy is its oral tradition, this book provides a unique perspective into the Indic spiritual traditions. Beck's approach has reset the perspective and opened a doorway to the heart of Hinduism. As one of my mentor's stated, "Only a fine musician could have written such a book."

Tip** If you want a starter book on the topic, look up Harold Coward and David Goa, Mantra: Hearing the Divine in India.

Guy Beck's Sonic Theology is a superb introduction to sacred sound in Hinduism. He covers a great deal of material including shabda and nada brahman. It is well written and covers a lot of ground.

A thoughtful collection of Native American proverbs that gives pause to consider the meanings of life and important values. We can learn much from these old proverbs. It is interesting how some of them have similar counterparts in other cultures and ethnic groups, including the white man's! For example, "It takes a whole village to raise a child." Where have we heard this recently? Where did it actually originate? Who knows, but there is a similar Native American proverb in this interesting book. Each has the tribe of origin listed below it. A wonderful springboard for discussion and thought, and basis for research on the Internet on Native Americans. Use selected proverbs in my teaching.

This book contains the wisdom of many Native American tribes. Through these reading we find meaning to some of lifes mysteries.

This book will be of interest to the independent minded adventurer looking for interesting, out of the way places to visit.
I learned of this book while I was staying at one of the "special places" described. Earlier, I had stayed at two others described in the book. Each of the three was intially found by searching the www. To my amazement, I discovered each description of each of the three "special places" to be very accurate in all respects. I suspect that the remaining descriptions are lkely to be equally reliable.
The book provides brief descriptions of each place's life style, surroundings, and of the hosts' personal interests. In many cases a brief history is provided. A marvelous accomplishment considering the brevity yet completeness of each description.
I find it to be an excellent guide for independently planning my coming 3 month excursion to the south of Spain. My copy is now well worn and well marked.

I used this book to plan a 10 driving day vacation to the south of Spain from Malaga to Granada, Seville and Gibraltar. Alastair gives a very good (and truthful) description of the houses/hotels/villas/flats on offer. The prices are (almost always) correct and the places listed are truly amazing. From an Aristocrats elegant town house in the Jewish district of Seville to a Victorian mansion house overlooking the bay of Gibraltar...not once was I disappointed in Alastair's definition of a "special place". If you are planning a trip to Spain and you want to get away from the beaten track, then this book is the one for you.

No one plays with the assumptions of a reader in terms of genre, plot, image, or even sentence structure like Davenport. This book is one of his best. And in terms of the general American literary scene, this book is one the greatest!

The line above, taken from a Davenport story, perhaps suggests the sense of vibrance flowing through a "typical" Davenport story: one not only gets to go to market, but there are Gypsies there as well! Arguably the most striking and unusual stories in this collection are those that pivot around three famous men: Lawrence of Arabia [disguised as Airman Ross] in "August Blue"; Thoreau in "The Concord Sonata"; and Soren Kierkegaard in "Mr. Churchyard and the Troll." But Kafka reappears here as well, sending postcards to a young girl whose missing doll is, according to Mr. K., embarked on a world tour. And in each of the two long stories we meet a just-adolescent boy, discovering his own sexuality and that of the world around him, with--in one case--tragic and heart-breaking results. Can every story be "the best"? Maybe not, but in this collection, Davenport comes very close

"Therese and Lisieux" is an iconography of Therese which has delighted her friends. A marvel of precision and incomparable photographic work, combining scholarly detail with popular appeal, it shows the friends of Therese pictures of many scenes, objects, and documents never previously available. The English text explains the significance of all the photos and places them in context. You can follow Therese month by month in this powerful visual pilgrimage through her life. Don't miss this work of art, which opens the Lisieux Carmel to all of us.

The unbelievable photographs in this book chronicle the life of Saint Therese. It is a veritable scrapbook of authentic photos, relics, handwritten documents, and personal items that any devotee of Saint Therese will treasure. For those who are familiar with her autobiography and the story of her life, it is the next best thing to a pilgrimage to Lisieux.

This first hand account of Mr. Freeman's experiences in a Navy PBY squadron during WWII is riveting. His descriptions of the months of training and a few mishaps are told with a large dose of self-deprecating wit, the quiet accounts of the darker times are told without any maudlin overtones. The reader is invited to share well-told memories that flow like much anticipated letters home from a friend; a friend who obviously loved those old PBY flying boats. Well worth the read.

Not your typical dry (just the facts) type of account. Reading this book gives you an terrific incite into what it must have been like to fly in a PBY squadron with the greatest guys in the world. Elmer A. Freeman was there AND can write one hell of a good book.

He is without a doubt one of the Coolest Cats to Ever be on the Big Screen.I have seen many of His Movies&He had a Edge to His Craft.this Book Explores His Rise&the way He went about things.some very Interesting things are mentioned.I enjoyed all the info.

I guess Jack Nicholson is the closest thing to him today. But if you're hoping that this book might serve as a how-to-be-Bogart book, you're mistaken. There's much more to Bogart than a cigarette and Fedora. I guess it's something you either have or don't have. It's what makes each of us unique. He wasn't exactly a handsome man, but he sure had presence. But if there was a how-to-be-Bogart book, this would be it. It's like the Bogart almanac. It has all the dates, the statistics, the quotes, the films, the radio programs, the plays, and the television appearances in glorious detail. If you're a Bogart fan, this book's for you. If you aren't a fan, this book will make you one. Oh, and you should also see Casablanca.