Vishnevskaya's reputation for forthrightness AND the sub-title she chooses here --A Russian Story-- indicate strong intentions for this book. Not 'MY Russian Story', but 'A Russian Story', because Galina Vishnevskaya tells an epic Russian story, honoring with a severe truth the Russia of sorrows of which her story forms but a unique part. This is no prima donna's idle tableau of a curtained career. Vishnevskaya's art comes of suffering, & she doesn't head down that road. She divulges her art generously, but her attitude never self serves. Her aim is always higher - she's interested to say not only what HAPPENED in Soviet life, but what WAS. and WHO!--- Vishnevskaya regularly excoriates with galvinizing abandon the soviet lackeys with whom she had to deal! She names names and motives, because it's the damned truth! The West in general and artists in particular owe a huge debt to Rostropovich and Vishnevskaya for the willing sacrifice of themselves in exile for the simple truth. Rostropovich garners the commentary in the West with the cello & conducting, but Galina is the heart of genius, and THAT seems the telling component in this book. Her depiction of Solzhenitsyn is heartrending, and stands as the book's axis; everything leads to it, and derives from it. Her friendship with Shostakovich, her brilliant feelings toward him-- an almost daughterly reverence informed by the highest artistic aesthetic. It's also through the part Shostakovich played in her life that we meet a musically learned Galina as well. She was a musician FIRST, singer second. How rare and wonderful - no wonder Slava fell in love! Galina dances with the shadows of Shostakovich throughout, & it's one of the book's endearing aspects. There are wonderful stories too of Britten and his music, & a surprisingly frank exposition of Furtseva, soviet Minister of Culture, whose enigmatic machinations both helped and ill-served Galina more than once. Vishnevskaya can sing AND write! The book ends when you don't want it to, leaving Russia... it's ultimately a love story -- Galina and Russia. Maybe she'll yet write her American story.

Galina, né Pavlova, has many interesting stories to tell about her remarkable life: as a baby abandoned by her parents, an army officier and a polish/gypsy mother, she was raised by her paternal grandmother. Galina overcame so many difficulties in her life, surviving the blockade of Leningrad during the war and so many hardships such as tuberculosis and starvation. Unlike so many singers' biographies, this intelligent artist shares more than anecdotes about the opera world and her many successes in the theatre. She speaks of her personal friendships with people such as composer Shostakovich her neighbor, scientist Andrei Sakarov, also a neighbor, and writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn, a live-in guest in her dacha. There is much commentary written with not a little bitterness about the Soviet authorities who so often thwarted her career and blocked free expression in the arts within the Soviet country and in other countries where she was invited to perform. She writes very well and with much insight into philosophy, human relations, personalities, etc. I found the book very absorbing and hard to put down. Her close friendship with British composer Benjamin Britten also yields many stories of their memorable times together both at Aldeburgh and on vacation in Armenia and Russia. Her remarkable and at times stormy marriage to cellist/conductor Mstislav Rostropovich, her third husband, brought about big changes in her life, and their mutual courage and boldness to stand up for freedom against the Soviet regime cost them their citizenship.

"...We were actors in real life and human beings on the stage."

Thus spake Galina Vishnevskaya, in interviews she and her husband, Mstislav ("Slava") Rostropovich, gave in Paris in 1983, captured in a companion book ("Russia, Music, and Liberty: Conversations with Claude Samuel.") to this one. The quotation barely begins to suggest the Kafkaesque world in which they lived, when they were musical artists of the highest order in the Soviet Union.

Vishnevskaya was a "prima donna assoluta" at the Bolshoi Opera during her prime, arguably the finest Russian soprano of all time. And, as her prime overlapped those of Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi, one can only wonder what her international reputation might have been had her career been entirely in the west; the first two-thirds (and best) part of it was largely away from the gaze of the international music community.

This is, as she subtitles it, her "Russian story" covering her life up to the final hours in 1976 when she left the Soviet Union, eventually (two years later) as an exile. And it almost ended before it ever started.

Born in poverty to parents who abandoned her to her grandmother, she possessed an incredible voice as a child. Largely self-taught, and then - at age sixteen - improperly taught - she didn't learn proper voice technique until after she had established a beginning career in operetta. Then she contracted TB, and the doctor caring for her offered that the only cure - which she refused - was to collapse the infected lung. It was only by mortgaging her future singing fees for black-market purchase of scarce antibiotics that she recovered.

In 1952, in her mid-twenties, she auditioned for the youth group of the Bolshoi Opera Theater, was instantly accepted, underwent a meteoric rise through the Bolshoi ranks on her voice and talent, and soon became the prima diva of the troupe. In 1955, she met Rostropovich, whose courting of her is one of the few lighthearted sections of an otherwise chilling tale of intrigue, deception and lies in the intelligentsia circles in which the pair of them existed and performed.

The next two decades (1955 - 1975) of this journal focus largely on one person, and the special relationship that they had with him: Dmitri Shostakovich. As artists, it was only natural that their paths would cross and thereafter, for the rest of Shostakovich's life, intertwine. But this was more than acquaintanceship; it was friendship based on trust during Shostakovich's years when it was virtually impossible for him to trust anyone. And Vishnevskaya defended that trust with the ferocity of a tiger. One anecdote of her ferocity will suffice as an example.

In the early 1960's, the poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko was well-published in "accepted" Soviet literature journals despite his "rebelliousness." His famous poem, "Babi Yar" (1961) about the German slaughter of Ukranian Jews during WW II, gained overnight success, and Shostakovich, moved by the poem's message, placed it at the core of his Thirteenth Symphony with Yevtushenko's warm agreement. The work received its Russian premiere "as is" on December 18, 1962, and was tumultuously received by the audience but not by officials of the state, who read into it a message of Russian complicity in the matter of anti-Semitism, a subtext of Yevtushenko's that was undoubtedly accurate, as he revised the text shortly after the premiere without consulting Shostakovich. Some years later, in London where Vishnevskaya and Rostropovich met up with Yevtushenko, Vishnevskaya gave Yevtushenko a tongue-lashing over his "revisionism" that runs several pages.

In an act of supreme political courage involving another Russian writer, Rostropovich provided refuge, for four years in the early '70's, to Alexander Solzhenitsyn, whose writings on conditions in the Soviet Union were officially banned. Solzhenitsyn subsequently went into political exile, but this act of courage was to have its effect on the careers of Vishnevskaya and Rostropovich, particularly the latter, who for all intents and purposes had his abilities to perform and conduct stripped away from him. Only by "pulling in markers" were the two of them able to secure permission from Brezhnev to go abroad on a two-year "artistic leave."

"Galina" ends on a note of uncertainty and apprehension, as Vishnevskaya, in 1976, boards a plane with her two daughters to join Rostropovich in the West, eventually (1978) in exile when their citizenship was revoked for the Solzhenitsyn matter. But this is merely the end of her "first" Russian life and the beginning of another, more international, one. Her own career as a diva continued for nearly another decade; Rostropovich went on to become an internationally-known conductor while continuing his career as a preeminent cellist; with "perestroika," they made an historic return to Moscow in 1990 (after Gorbachev restored their citizenship), at which Rostropovich conducted what is to me the finest performance of Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony (immortalized on a Sony CD that also included Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" and William Schuman's orchestral arrangement of Charles Ives's "Variations on America").

Nowadays Vishnevskaya loves to brag about her six thoroughly-Americanized grandchildren. They oversee the Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation, a charity for immunizing Russian children against disease. She recently founded the Galina Vishnevskaya School of Opera in Moscow, for providing master classes to promising young artists. All in all, a rather remarkable "follow-up" for this peripatetic pair of seemingly perpetually-young 75-year-olds.

But the clock cannot be turned back. "Galina" serves as a gripping reminder of how things were over the fifty years that the two of them spent in the Soviet Union. And, at least as important for me, it serves as one of the most honest and accurate appraisals of Dmitri Shostakovich the person as one is likely to find, from one who knew and loved him as a true friend.

Even in a totalitarian society, supreme artistry can sometimes carry clout. For Vishnevskaya (and Rostropovich), there was enough clout - barely - to get out and "live to tell about it." Thankfully.

Descriptive words of Ghost Dancing, joined with the timeless wisdom contained in the words of Native America. Couple this with the paintings of JD Challenger and you have an opportunity to not read about but really feel. This is not a book just narrating the past but speaks volumes to the future. This book called to me from the library shelf and I have ordered to place in a prominent place on my shelf. This is a book to share with others and come back to often.

JD challengers work was the first original art that I have purchased. When I saw his work in a gallery in Santa Fe, I was mesmorized by the character of his subjects. Ghost Dancing provides a good overview of many of his prints that are available.

The text of this book is extremely informative on the Ghost Dance Religion of Native Americans. It covers the origins of the religion, its climax and the results thereof. Adding to this educational context is the Beautifully compelling work of artist JD Challenger. His riviting paintings jump from the pages virtually reaching out from the book and pulling you in. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Native Americans and most assuredly to anyone who loves art that emits emtional impact. I constantly go back to this book as a source of inspiration and to gain understanding of Native American's plight.

This book is nothing short of captivating. The author provides brief explanatory narratives to connect entries from Edwards' diaries, beginning with flight training, then combat in North Africa, and the early post-war years in America.

Just ferrying his airplane from the States to North Africa was a big adventure, considering the rather primitive nature of navigation aids and weather forecasts in that era.

Combat in Africa and Italy is described in detail, some of it surprising. For example, a military advance had a down side. Moving forward to a newly captured air field meant that the American aviators were subjected to more ground attacks by German aircraft.

The second half of the book covers the early post-war years, when American factories were building new airplanes almost faster than the Air Force could flight test them. Many exotic, one-of-a-kind vehicles are described here.

To some extent, the reader has a sense of foreboding at this point, knowing that this story is destined to end as unhappily as the maiden voyage of the Titanic. Yet this knowledge serves to accentuate the daily events described here.

There are many memorable tidbits in this book, such as tales of a man who actually intimidated Chuck Yeager!

Glen Edwards is portrayed in these pages as so heroic, embodying so many virtues, yet so modest and unassuming. This is someone you would want to know and to spend time with. Through this book, you can.

A superb book about Glen Edwards. I thoroughly enjoyed and empathized with his career. The pace was like reading a literary version of Ravel's "Bolero" with the crescendo building to the final flight. The description of the crash was wrenching, superb.

A pilot's read! Bravo Zulu!

Paul M. (USN Ret.)

"The amount of reseach Ford wove into Glen Edwards: The Diary of a Bomber Pilot" is remarkable. The result is a wonderfully readable tale of one man's contribution to freedom and flight. Nice to 'know" such a man as Edwards and to have Ford, a historian/author who brought him back to life."

Reading Victoria Greenleaf's book is a fascinating and eye-opening experience. It is as compelling as a well-written novel, yet it has the added value of being true, provoking readers to ask themselves difficult questions about loopholes in socialization our culture has left open, and where the responsibility lies for those who, through cunning and guile, craft a life within them only to eventually become everyone's unackowledged problem. Dr. Greenleaf paints a comprehensive picture in which the social mechanisms we have created to deal with this problem are woefully inadequate. The agencies are understaffed, underfinanced, and undervalued. Because of the prevalence of this character disorder, we are losing a significant portion of the best of what we have. Her character, Daniel, eventually becomes a moderately productive member of society, but contributes perhaps only a fraction of what he might have. The part he will never manifest is a devastating shortfall, especially when one considers how prevalent this condition is. Greenleaf makes the point well that as a society we can not afford to continue ignoring this problem. We are losing too much of our most vital resource at a time when it is sorely needed: the full commitment to our mutual problems by not only the best and the brightest but by every member of our community. This book gives us an Erin Brockovich heroine who stands up for saving our children by taking on every possible task to try to correct her son's personality flaw. It is an honest statement in which she willingly opens herself to possible criticism by telling her story the way it actually happened. It took years of her time to put this together, a task she performed because she felt this is a story that should be told. She deserves more than our gratitude; she deserves to see a general awakening to the extent of this problem and an increased resolve to do something about it. This is a brave, compelling, and much needed book.

In A Handful Of Ashes: One Mother's Tragedy, psychiatrists Victoria Greenleaf maintains that children can be born with negative personality traits that even the most exemplary upbringing will be unable to overcome. Dr. Greenleaf makes a convincing case that childhood personality disorder do not necessarily stem from flawed parenting or parental abuse. She asserts that genetics may be equally influential and supports her remarkable assertion with a personal account of the agonizing impact a child with Antisocial Personality Disorder can having on loving parents who, despite professional expertise and tireless efforts, were unable to reverse their son's condition. A Handful Of Ashes is highly recommended reading for child psychologists, family counselors, and parents who are trying their best to effectively and lovingly nurture an antisocial child.

This book is very well-written, a brutally honest account of the author's struggles with her wayward son. However, all through the book, one vacillates between having sympathy for the author, and being enraged with her for her arrogance, and bewildermment for having such a son. She seems to be totally naive to the fact that even "good" parents can raise "bad" children, and her methods for trying to "help" him are questionable at best. She seems to be unable to show motherly love to her children, and instead appears to raise them as a scientist conducting an experimment. Additionally, after reading the book, the reader is left with more questions than answers. For instance, what has become of her 2 younger children? How old is "Daniel" now, and what is he doing? And why, in God's name, hasn't she divorced "Peter?"

After listening to a lot of opinions about bible prophecy I came across this book I was very impressed with the author for backing all of his writing with the word of God.I would recomend it for new belivers as well as longtime believers. As with any biblical commentary I urge you to pray and examine its contents and compare it to God's word. You will find that this book not only hits the mark it will open your eyes to a new understanding of bible prophecy, and help you to share the gospel of CHRIST. Most people have a stong curiousity about bible prophecy. By understanding it better you will be able to use it as an effective tool for witnessing to the lost. As God's word has told us always be ready to give a reason to those who ask of the hope that is in you.

I totally enjoyed this book. Daniel is one of the hardest scriptures to read in the Bible, yet Jeremiah makes the character so much easier to understand. He has a great syle of writing. Daniel was so loved by God and its no wonder why. Anyone who wants to know what our future holds and wants to learn more about Daniel definitely should read this book

Dr. Jeremiah reads just like he sounds on Turning Point. I've read a lot of books on Biblical prophecy but so much more is offered here concerning Daniel than in thicker readings. I intend to re-visit the book of Daniel and pay closer attention to what I've already read so many times before. Super book!

Henry Luce, the cofounder of Time Magazine, decided to launch Fortune after the market crash in 1929. He priced it at a dollar a copy (about ten dollars in today's currency value), and set out to make it the best possible magazine.

In the publisher's eyes (as taken from an advertising brochure), American business "has importance -- even majesty -- so the magazine . . . will look and feel important -- even majestic." " . . . [E]very page will be a work of art." Luce went on to say, "[T]he new magazine will be as beautiful as exists in the United States. If possible, the undisputed most beautiful."

Early staff members often later became famous poets and authors (such as Archibald MacLeish and James Agee) who worked just enough to earn a living, and then went back to their poetry. Luce found it easier to teach poets about business than to teach those who knew about business how to write.

The essays contain many rewarding stories. One of the best is how Thomas Maitland Cleland designed the first cover by sketching it upside down on a tablecloth in a speakeasy for the editor, Parker Lloyd-Smith. The original tablecloth, complete with drawing, is still mountained in the Time-Life building.

Some of the famous cover artists included Diego Rivera and Fernande Leger. In those days, the cover was independent of the stories in the issue. The cover was simply to attract attention and to encourage thought. If you remember early Saturday Evening Post covers by Norman Rockwell, you will get the idea.

By 1948, the vision changed. Luce wanted Fortune professionalized. The new concept was for "a magazine with a mission . . . to assist in the successful development of American business enterprise at home and abroad." By 1950, the artful covers were gone.

Now I must admit here that I found the covers displayed to be primarily of interest as reflecting social attitudes toward business. So I found these images to be like Monet's Gare St. Lazare, except without the appeal of Monet's technique. Frankly, the art did not move me or appeal to me except for one Leger cover. Perhaps the art will speak more to you. I graded the book down one star accordingly.

A value to me in this book was stopping to think about how much business has changed in the last 71 years, since Fortune was founded. That was "before Social Security, . . . the sitdown strikes of the thirties, . . . the creation of the SEC." " . . . [D]isclosure requirements for public companies were virtually nonexistent." As a result, companies didn't tell anybody anything. So it was a pretty bold idea to write about business. Contrast that with out information overload of data about every possible business and economic angle. What a difference!

How much time do you spend obtaining business information now? How can that be reduced while increasing your effectiveness? Perhaps, like the Fortune art, you can get an overview that will connect with what needs to be done . . . and found a great American business in the process like Fortune Magazine did.

When was the last time a bunch of 20-somethings started a new business that featured art and majesty, as Luce and his colleagues did? Aren't we overdue for some quality again?

Take in the big picture!

Fortune magazine, for many years, had the luxury of using eye-catching graphics on its covers unrelated to the contents inside. This rather unusual arrangement was because most copies were on subscription to the folks who ran the nation's business and any newsstand sales were a bonus. The fact that it did not have to use its cover to compete with other magazines for sales allowed the various Art Editors to go for great illustrations from the leading graphic artists of the day.

All the covers from the first issue in February 1930 to December 1950 are shown in this lovely designed and printed book, either one to a page or four to a page (I felt the four to a page ones could have been a little bigger) and each year starts on a page with a few news items and some stats about business. The magazine's owner Henry Luce chose Tom Cleland to art edit the first issue and he came up with a rather ugly format for the covers, a double frame devise, the logo was in one and the illustration in another, I think this heavy framing design rather spoils the early covers and fortunately by 1942 it was dropped.

Daniel Okrent explains in his short introduction that cover artists were chosen for their creativity, some of the best graphic artists commissioned included Fred Ludekens, Erik Nitsche, A M Cassandre, Joseph Binder, George Gusti, John Atherton and Lester Beal. Although artists from the fine arts were also used, such as Ben Shahn, Fernand Leger, Charles Sheeler and Diego Rivera I don't think these covers work as well because their work is not suited to the constraints of commercial graphics.

By 1950 Fortune, now a very successful business monthly and making Henry Luce even richer, changed its editorial focus into a magazine that Luce said should "...assist in the successful development of American business enterprise at home and abroad." Covers now had to work harder as other business weeklies and monthlies all competed for the CEO's time and the luxury of a stunning cover image for its own sake had gone. This lovely book shows you the best of Fortune covers.

Fortune: The Art Of Covering Business is a compendium of cover art drawn from past issues of Fortune magazine in celebration of its 70th anniversary. These covers are reproduced in full color and span the magazine from 1930 to 1950. Informatively enhanced with a Foreword by John Huey and an Historical Essay by Daniel Okrent, Fortune: The Art Of Covering Business is a welcome celebration drawing from a spectrum of artistic talents who provided visual symbols of America's burgeoning industrial society on the cover of one of the nation's most influential and prestigious magazines.

This is easily the best organized grammar reference among the five I have collected over the years. I guess I keep purchasing grammar books in the hope that one will actually make sense of the subject. In sum, I find I have two other French grammar books in English (Berlitz French Grammar and "The Ultimate French Review & Practice") plus two more texts in French.

The French grammars (Sorbonne, McGraw Hill) are fine, but not if you are in a hurry for an answer.

This book, French Reference Grammar, is thick and comprehensive, with a superb index. It also makes good use of tabular presentations.

If you have a specific problem in mind, you can find the answer fastest in the book. But once you locate the explanation you may find it pretty hard to understand. The text is so utterly codified, such an exercise in verbal algebra, that it is often difficult to follow.

I sometimes wonder why these books do not diagram sentences. Grammar is a machine. Verbal descriptions of machines are often gibberish. A picture might work better.

The most helpful French grammar book in English, in my experience, is "The Ultimate..." perhaps because it does such a good job of integrating examples from everyday speech with formal grammatical rules. But it wouldn't hurt to pick up both of these books.

Berlitz's French Grammar is more compact and very good, full of short cuts and keyword hints, but it uses a few terms peculiar to the Berlitz teaching method, and the organization is not at all clear.

This reference sets an example for logical organization.

I had Dr. Calvez for advanced French grammar at Clemson University. He is a great professor and his text lives up to its title as "A Complete Handbook of the French Language."

This book is a true masterpiece of clarity. I recommend this book for anyone struggling to learn and master the intricacies of the french language. The explanations will quickly clear up any ambiguities you may have and set you on the path to fluency. As an adjunt, I suggest you take a look at "side by side, english and french grammar" also available here at amazon. Learning french is hard work. remember, the best way to increase fluency is to practice, and practice more! Speak as much as you can, and most importantly...READ! Reading is the ONLY way to build vocabulary and aids you greatly in becoming familiar with language patterns.

With a format that reminds of Bram Stocker's milestone, The Gelwick Faxes is, to some extent, an updated version of the classic, as Jonathan Harker's sense of dread once again takes center stage, now in the form of journalist in the wrong (or right) place, Allan Gelwick.

Though at first giving the impression of a screenplay, the payoff comes swiftly, heralded by the sense that you are really there during this hotel ballrom siege. As well, one of the terrorists, "The Colonel," a female, has a thing or two to say about the DC culture.

You know a writer has done something right when he expeditiously exctracts Stockholm Syndrome-like feelings from the male reader regarding said Colonel.

In the end, we are left with a great thriller, and an interesting tour of Washington. Recommended.

A brillaint book with some loose ends some great characters some not so good .
All in all a real great book.A Must Read .

The Gelwick Faxes was a compelling page turner. I found myself reading it in one sitting, far past the bedtime I had intended. The unique storytelling idea of faxing to interested parties outside of an ongoing hostage situation was innovative. The faxes to obscure parties made this story more realistic and gave the main character many layers. I found myself recognizing characters, trying to guess their next move, and then being surprised by the next plot twist. The author has some very insightful observations that can be frightening if one thinks this fiction probably has a ring of truth to it.

Rabbi Gordis describes this book as an attempt to answer the question, "Why be Jewish?" But the question he really addresses is, "Can living a traditional Jewish life of study, prayer, ritual and mitzvah lead one to a spiritual life that is meaningful in today's world?" To this question, his answer is a resounding "yes," and he is largely successful in describing how traditional Jewish practices can lead one to the sense of connectedness and commitment -- here equated with spirituality -- often missing in our lives. His approach is largely psychological: study validates our struggles to believe; ritual takes us away from the mundane world; keeping kosher brings an aspect of spiritual discipline into the mundane world. Although this approach has inherent limitations -- the persuasiveness of some of his arguments may lie in the psyche of the individual reader -- it is well-suited to his target audience of people who are already seeking a deeper Jewish spirituality.

If you are looking for a book that demonstrates that the prayer services, rituals, study and observance of the mitzvot really can lead you to a more spiritual life, then you have come to the right place. Rabbi Gordis is eloquent in his belief that traditional Jewish practice can provide spiritual sustenance. If that thought is a sufficient reason for you to "be Jewish," then you will find that Rabbi Gordis has also answered the first question posed above. The problem for me, however, is that Rabbi Gordis does not really address why it should be *Jewish* study, prayer, ritual and discipline that leads one to spirituality. Most of the arguments Rabbi Gordis provides apply equally, at least in general terms, to other religions I have studied. Prayer, ritual, discipline and ethics, in one form or another, are shared by Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Why one should adopt *Jewish* forms of spirituality -- and what sets Jewish forms apart from other religions -- are questions not addressed in this book.

Rabbi Gordis includes a *very* helpful section of "Suggestions for Further Reading," which is arranged by the themes covered in each chapter and provides a brief comment on each of the books, instead of just the usual unadorned list.

Reading R'Abraham Joshua Heschel's meatier works such as God in Search of Man is a significant undertaking - not as tricky as Talmud, but nonetheless, not for the faint of heart. R'Gordis has managed to extract from R'Heschel's works a truly elegant and easy to grasp distillation of most of R'Heschel's most critical works. Nonetheless, this is not the "Cliff's Notes" version of his work. R'Gordis captures the essence of many difficult concepts beginning with the central idea of "God in search of Man". Through this he works illustrative texts from Scripture, Aggadic literature and Talmud to make R'Heschel's work much more accessable to the novice. Having read, at this point, many of R'Heschel's works, I can truly appreciate the thought and care with which R'Gordis has produced this wonderful book.

My only complaint is that R'Gordis opens with a number of theological questions which he implies will be resolved in the course of his book - Not surprisingly, they are not. However, this is a minor quibble as he has plenty of great company in this stretching back over 3000 years.

For persons considering conversion to Judaism, especially those bothered by the public perception of Judaism as being dogmatic, this book offers much enlightenment with regards to the Jewish view of the meaning of Torah & ritual in Jewish life.