No one has written with more verve and authority about the awesome and frightening capabilities of man than the late C. Wright Mills, a prominent and controversial sociologist who wrote such memorable tomes as "White Collar", an exploration of the emerging American Middle class in the early 1950s, and The Power Elite", a provocative examination of the nature of power, privilege, and status in the United States, and how each of these three critical elements of power and property in this country are irrevocably connected to each other. At last look, both books were still in print and are still used in both undergraduate and graduate sociology courses throughout the world. After fifty years, that in and of itself is powerful testimony to his enduring value as a scholar and an original thinker.

Here Mills focuses memorably on the qualities and uses of the sociological perspective in modern life, how such a scientifically based way of looking at, interpreting, and interacting with the larger world invests its user with a better, more accurate, and quite instrumental picture of what is happening meaningfully around him. For Mills, the key to understanding the value in such a perspective is in appreciating that one can only understand the motives, behavior, and actions of others by locating them within a wider and more meaningful context that connects their personal biographies with the large social circumstances that surround, direct, and propel them at any given historical moment. For Mills, for example, trying to understand the reasoning behind the sometimes desperate actions of Jews in Nazi Germany without appreciating the horrifyingly unique existential circumstances they found themselves in is hopelessly anachronistic and limited.

On the other hand, one invested with such an appreciation for how biography and history interact to create the meaningful social circumstances of any situation finds himself better able to understand the fact that when in a country of one hundred million employed, one man's singular lack of employment might be due to his persoanl deficiencies or lack of a work ethic, and be laid at his feet as a personal trouble, it is also true that when twenty million individuals out of that one hundred million figure suddenly find themselves so disposed and unemployed, that situation is due to something beyond the control of those many individuals and is best described in socioeconomic terms as a social problem to be laid at the feet of the government and industry to resolve. To Mills, it is critical to understand the inherant differences between personal troubles on the one hand, which an individual has the responsibity to resolve and overcome, and social ills, which are beyond both his ken or control. Indeed, according to Mills, increasingly in the 20th century one finds himself trapped by social circumstance into dilemmas he is absolutely unable to resolve without significant help from the wider social community.

Thus, for both psychological as well as social reasons, a person using the sociological perspective, or invested with what he called the "sociological imagination", is more able to think and act critically in accordance with the evidence both outside his door and beyond himself. Fifty years later, such a recognition of "what's what" and "who's who" based on the ability to judge the information within the social environment is as valuable as ever. This is a wonderful book, written in a very accessible and entertaining style, meant both for an intellectual audience and for the scholastic community as well. While it may not be for "everyman", any person wanting to better understand and more fully appreciate how individual biography and social history meaningfully interact to create the realities we live in will enjoy and appreciate this legendary sociological critique and invitation to the pleasures of a sociological perspective by one of its most remarkable proponents some half century ago.

A customer review on this site states that the editors have changed the word "men" to "people" in the letters. As the publisher, we would like to place this statement in its proper context.

The unmarked edits only occurred in the Tovarich letters, those that were written to an imaginary Russian correspondent. Mills "made it clear [to his agent] that he wanted the Tovarich writings to be edited before they were published . . . his marginal comments included these instructions: 'very good, use it,' 'can't use this,' 'cut somewhat.'" And so, unlike for the rest of the letters, the editors "did not mark deletions with ellipses and occasionally changed the location of paragraphs, shortened a heading, or relaced a heading with a phrase that Mills had written in the text. Although we usually left the original references to men, boys, women, and girls in these essays, we occasionally changed 'men' to 'people.'"

In the rest of the letters, the only editorial changes were spelling corrections and occasional deletions (the latter are always marked with brackets).

I have been eagerly awating the publication of these glimpses into Mills' 'personal' life. The book is organized, for the most part, chronologically. Its contents are mostly letters written by this most influental radical intellectuall of the cold war period. The letters (and autobiographical writings disguised as letters) reveal Mills to be as intense, focused, and dedicated to his social analysis as I, a student of his work, have imagined him to be. The writings are beautifully composed; Mills was indeed both a scientist AND an artist. His musings are inspiring for any student, scholar, or critical minded person who wants an insight into Mills "private" reflections. This book could also serve as a wonderful guide to a study of Mills' life-work, as we are given insight into his concerns and struggles during his writing process. I do have a complaint...his daughters, who have no doubt taken painstaking efforts to compose this work, have been so bold as to alter the language of his personal writings... "we occasionally changed 'men' to 'people'" (p. xiv). I think we are wise enough to realize that Mills language is a reflection of the social and historical context in which he lived...Regardless, we are lucky to have this invaluable resource that provides endless reflections into the life and though of C. Wright Mills. END

This is one of the few books I've encountered that I wanted to read or listen to as soon as I had finished. The stories show the miracles that are common and uncommon in lives of all types of people. It felt like a collection of stories from family members about their lives and part of my heritage. Our humanity connects us with more than flesh and blood. We are spiritually connected in a way that this book reveals through the sharing of a special part of peoples' lives. I'm looking forward to making my own list of miracles and seeing how long it will be.

A must read for all who wish to be inspired about the positiveness of life. We need to hear more about the good in the world and this book does that very well.

This book made me want to start a small writing group of my own. In a class such as this I could talk about that which is most important to me, and which is usually taboo to discuss. The author included many examples of the results of the writing exercises. These were based on eight sessions, focusing on childhood, adolescence, a friend/mentor/guide, and a roadmap of one's spiritual journey. The first four sessions involve drawing exercises that evoke memories and lead to discussion, writing and reading of brief papers about spiritual experiences. The last four sessions involve reading and hearing full 8-10 page spiritual autobiographies. The author insists the most important qualities the leader can have are: respect for the individuality and worth of each participant; humility before the awesomeness of each person's life process; and appreciation of the gift of sharing it. I read this book in anticipation of writing the story of my spiritual journey with our son with Down's Syndrome. Jeff had a profound effect on those who knew him. I believe I could build my chapters following this blueprint.

If you are a fan of Indiana-bred novelist and spiritual writer Dan Wakefield, then make sure that you don't pass up this book! Although the title does not acknowledge any "Part 2", this book is actully a follow up to Wakefield's earlier spiritual autobiography "Returning". But whereas "Returning" dealt with the story of Wakefield's coming to faith in God after years as an atheist, this book deals with the up ever-winding Christian journey that Wakefield has lived since then. If you are fan of Wakefield's novels, then this book will give you some real insights as to what he was thinking and living when he wrote "Selling Out" and "Under The Apple Tree" in particular. This book also tells the story of how Wakefield's first novel, "Going All the Way", was made into a movie, with much involvement and enthusiasm from Wakefield himself. The book is quite episodic in its narative, and each chapter seems to move from one crisis and/or triumph to another. My favorite chapter deals with the time that Wakefield attended a supposedly Jung-ian "Post Christian" retreat, which in fact turned out to be nothing short of an anti-Christian brainwashing camp! The way in which Wakefield wisely deals with the pushy "Post Christian" group leaders, and verbally defends his faith in Christ along the way (under the worst of adversity and peer-pressure!), makes for some real page-turning moments! Some traditional Christian readers may be put off by Wakefield's almost brutal honesty in places. He admits to alcohol and drug abuse (although he has since gotten sober). He recounts several unhealthy sexual releationships, with a variety of diverse and willing women, and he is not above using occassional profanity. But if these things do not scare you away, then "How Do We Know When It's God" is well worth your time and money!

As always, Dan Wakefield offers us an interesting, engaging, honest portrayal of his spiritual hunger--a craving that both leads him to places of darkness as well as hope. Without self-pity, Wakefield offers his mistakes and shortcomings as part of the pilgrimage of growth. This book, like his others, are candid and refreshing--the perfect read for imperfect pilgrims searching for an authentic voice in the world of spirituality.

Wakefield described this book as "how not to do it", an extremely accurate description. In addition to being very informative, it is an extremely enjoyable read. He leads the reader through all of his victories AND his (many) mistakes and defeats. Although this book doesn't contain all "the answers", I felt so much better just knowing that the spiritual wilderness I am currently traversing has been survived by someone who lived to write about it! Thanks Dan!

I wanted to write a review of the Going All the Way audiocassette to clear up one of the major questions I had when I considered purchasing this item. My question was, "What exactly does abridged mean?" How much of the book is cut out? Keeping in mind that I haven't read the novel, only seen the movie, I can say that the abridged audiocassette develops almost exactly like the movie. I give it only 3 stars because I think it is a good story, but I am very disappointed that it is missing the "extras" you don't get from the movie. The total running time is about 3.5 hours. If you think about how long it would take to read a novel aloud, this indicates that perhaps the majority of the book was cut. If you have seen the movie, you will gain very little from this audiocassette.

Despite these negative comments, the audiocassette has some good points, which is why I went no lower than a 3 star rating. The narrator does an excellent job of bringing all of the characters to life and putting the listener inside Sonny's head. This would be a great purchase for someone who has neither read the book nor seen the movie.

Finally, some potential customers may be worried that Going All the Way is something only people similar to the characters (20-something white males) can enjoy, but Dan Wakefield has done such a wonderful job with the characters that anybody can find something with which to identify in both Sonny and Gunner.

This novel captures the underlying unease that two young men face when they return home from the Army in the early '50's. It sketches their growing perception of all the boxes and groups that they were in before they left, like the jocks, what today would called nerds, and the sorority girls.

As they go through their first summer of freedom they begin to realize that the old home town has gotten too small and confining for them, and that it is time to go see what's over the hill. They begin to realize that they do have many choices, and the freedom to pursue them, and they try to sort out what some of them are.

Along the way there are some pretty accurate and painful descriptions of the social and sexual hangups of your average Midwestern male at mid-century.

Good stuff.

This is one of the most pitilessly honest and funniest books you'll ever read about early adulthood -- late high school, college and just after. The sexual preoccupation. The social striving. The uncertainty about one's future. Along the way, Mr. Wakefield captures a time and a place (Indiana, early 1950s) perfectly. You could draw a straight line connecting the art of J.D. Salinger, Dan Wakefield and Nick Hornby. Thank you, Mr. Wakefield!

If you are an artist who has turned to alcohol or drugs in your struggle with creativity, if you feel that being creativity requires you to be alienated and irresponsible, then this book is definitely for you. However, if you do not have any such problem, then half this book is for you. Wakefield has taken at least half the space in this work, or so it seems, to deal with the Dylan Thomases and the Ernest Hemingways of the artistic world who subscribe to the myth that an artist can not be at their best unless they are completely engulfed in misery. Wakefield, who himself had to deal with this tragic myth, shows how it is a total fallacy by contrasting these artists with others who are fulfilled, widely-accepted and seemingly content.

But this is not a critical work by any means. There is a very practical side to it as well. Wakefield draws upon the experiences of these fulfilled artists to get at the heart - or rather the spirit, as the title imples - of creativity. And not only artists, but people from all walks of life including clergy, atheletes, business executives and secretaries, who believe their lives are creative. And to Wakefield's credit, he steps out of the way and lets each of these tell their own personal story in their own words and reveal methods they use to unleash that mysterious well of energy residing deep inside each of us - our creativity. No doubt anyone trying to get in touch with their creative faculties will find this section of the work interesting to say the least and can regard it from that standpoint as a valuable resource

If you are an artist who has turned to alcohol or drugs in your struggle with creativity, if you feel that being creativity requires you to be alienated and irresponsible, then this book is definitely for you. However, if you do not have any such problem, then half this book is for you. Wakefield has taken at least half the space in this work, or so it seems, to deal with the Dylan Thomases and the Ernest Hemingways of the artistic world who subscribe to the myth that an artist can not be at their best unless they are completely engulfed in misery. Wakefield, who himself had to deal with this tragic myth, shows how it is a total fallacy by contrasting these artists with others who are fulfilled, widely-accepted and seemingly content.

But this is not a critical work by any means. There is a very practical side to it as well. Wakefield draws upon the experiences of these fulfilled artists to get at the heart - or rather the spirit, as the title imples - of creativity. And not only artists, but people from all walks of life including clergy, atheletes, business executives and secretaries, who believe their lives are creative. And to Wakefield's credit, he steps out of the way and lets each of these tell their own personal story in their own words and reveal methods they use to unleash that mysterious well of energy residing deep inside each of us - our creativity. No doubt anyone trying to get in touch with their creative faculties will find this section of the work interesting to say the least and can regard it from that standpoint as a valuable resource

Acclaimed novelist and "inspirational" author Dan Wakefield has created a nice volume about the creative process, titled "Creating From the Spirit". Wakefield basically gives tips on how to utilize the creative spirit to its full potential, using the ins and outs of everyday life as a springboard to greater artistry. As a writer of poetry myself, I see a lot of value in Wakefield's simple hints and suggestions. As the title would suggest, Wakefield writes with a decidedly "spiritual" slant, but some traditional Christians may be put off by his rather all-encompasing "Unitarian" theology, as he quotes everyone from liberal-minded Catholics, to feminist extremists, to new age-y "self-help" gurus, treating all with equal vigor! Wakefield also quotes from several artists from varying worldviews and creative mediums, who give their own theories on creative inspiration. One of the most interesting chapters deals with what Wakefield calls "the myths of creativity", as he convincingly debunks the oldest "myth" of all...that drugs, alcohol, and self-destructive behavior somehow enhance an artists creativity! As a reformed alcoholic (which he admits openly), Wakefield obviously speaks from experience, and makes a great case for a clear-headed, drug-free approach to art and life. This book is highly recommended to anyone seeking enlightenment about the creative mind, but some readers will no-doubt have to take Wakefield's "open minded" theology with a grain of salt.

Although younger than Wakefield, I was around NYC, especially the Village, in the '50s & I was really looking forward to "looking back" at a unique time & place. This book was a real disappointment, unfortunately, with little more to offer than big (& not so big) names & parties. I found it very superficial & self-promoting, in effect light weight *gossip*, which in the end is very shrewd on the part of author & publisher, but oh so cynical.

There's a time-honored prerequisite for living the if-I-can-make-it-there life in NYC -- you, and your friends, and the 'hood/bars/restaurant/flats/local characters, etc. assume, by default, all the criteria for being a legitimate 'Scene' or 'Movement' save one: Time. But that one you can ignore because one of your mind's eyes has alreayd projected itself far into the future, so that it can look back and watch you watching yourself and your chums making glorious History!...

That said, I found the title of this book misleading... Wakefield has written an eminently personal memoir, not a history. The telling plods on and on in his cranky, cracked little voice, fusty-bachelor-to-the-core, praising the bygone zany antics of Westvillagers yet falling back (with a literary blush, no less) so repetitively on an unnecessary "but we were from the 50s, we didn't do that" mantra each time his narrative requires the mention of some "beatnik" act -- "free" love, pot, psilocybin, etc. -- so unsure of himself, so inextricably mired in that same narrow, embarrased, small-town midwestern ethos he spends most of the book trying to convince us he had escaped from in the headily free atmosphere of the Village, that he comes across like a stuttering prude. I was ultimately left unconvinced. Wakefield never quite seemed sure of what he wanted to say -- especially in the case of a character like Kerouac. He hems and haws and sidesteps the issue.

It's nice to read about those people, his friends, sure, but in the end, none of them came across as nearly as interesting as others (and other memoirs) from/of the same era. Another old fart jumping on the memoir bandwagon -- another memoir of 50s New York -- truly as innovative, as challenging and as necessary as another Rolling Stones album and/or tour. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I thought the Fifties were a dull, dead backwater until I read this marvelous book. Wakefield's writing is so vivid, visceral and impassioned that you feel what it was like to be suddenly set loose in a place of magic and endless possibility. I particularly loved his account of sexuality and psychoanalysis, of the dance between male and female in those hours just before the revolution. This book made me wish I'd been in New York at that time, but reading about it from Wakefield is the next best thing.

In this small, brief book, the late Earl W. Count and his widow Alice tell the story of how the celebration of Christmas evolved from pagan winter festivals in ancient Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and northern Europe. In their narrative, the Counts write in passing about the origins of Christmas customs and symbols (just a few are covered, actually), including Santa Claus, who may have evolved from a Norse god as well as from the real-life St. Nicholas. I got the impression that the authors did not make the point of exalting Christmas more strongly against its pagan ancestors; based on the book's title, the Nativity of Jesus Christ appears to be treated as just another winter feast in a series spanning 4000 years of recorded history (considering that Earl Count was an Episcopalian priest, the authors should have known better). Now, there is nothing problematic about time-honored Christmas customs and symbols that, while pagan in origin, are wholesome and do not contradict Christian teaching; that certain pre-Christian elements were adopted as part of the celebration of the Nativity is a historical fact. However, implying that what was celebrated in the pagan world before the birth of Christ somehow equates with Christmas itself simply misses the point; to a Christian, celebrating the coming of the Savior far outweighs and supplants any pale imitations of ages past. The book does not enjoy the benefit of a bibliography, yet a listing of other titles by the publisher includes selections on apocryphal Gospels and controversial theories about Christ.

I bought 4000 Years of Christmas because I'm very interested in the history of Christmas and winter solstice celebration and wanted some background on where it all began. Carl and Alice Count's book, 4000 Years of Christmas, answered much for me. It linked the pre-Christian Mesopotamian 12 days of merry-making and their need to have a rebirth of their king each year to fight the old gods who were reclaiming the earth in order to renew the land. The Counts then explained how these celebrations were adopted by the Greeks and Romans, and how separately these early Mesopotamian celebrations moved north via trade routes up the Danube River to an emerging Northern culture. The Counts further reveal that Christ's birth day was not celebrated for nearly 400 years, and that the Roman Saturnalia celebration -- a celebration developed out the Mesopotamian one, was held at the winter solstice to honor the renewing of light and the end of the long nights -- and that 4th Century Christians chose the finale day of Saturnalia (December 25) as the day of Christ's birth in hope of garnering peasant support. The interesting tie they make is that of the change in the perception of Gods -- from ones that are abitrary and sometimes vindictive to one like Jesus Christ who offers love, grace, kindness to all -- including children. After exploring the Christian development, the Counts explore the development of the Germanic god Woden and the Scandinavian god Odin, explaining how they evolved into Santa Claus and mixed with the Christian celebations, and how the history of St. Nickalus was developed. In short, this is good reading and it offers a nice, short synopsis of the development of our familar winter Christmas celebrations and how Christian and early pagan celebrations evolved.

This is a delightful, well-rounded explanation of the development of the holiday we know as Christmas. Readers interested in learning about the origins of our celebration will likely be well pleased with what these authors have to offer. Those who seek reinforcement of their own viewpoints or advocacy of particular religious interpretations of the season might look elsewhere.

Spiritual memoirs tend to follow the same plot line. It's the boy meets girl story with God substituted for the girl. There's nothing wrong with the formula, the author's job is to make it fresh and interesting. Dan Wakefield doesn't get the job done. The structure of "Returning" is linear, the pace is ponderous, and the insights only moderately interesting. In fact, the entire book is an exercise in moderation, written by a moderate talent, who, on the evidence presented, has lived a moderate life. It's no wonder Bill Moyer's, a paragon of moderation, liked this book. There are parts of this book where the author could have revealed more. The account of his nervous breakdown is scary, but all too brief, and on too many occasions - bouts of adolescent [activity], unsuccessful psychoanalysis, addiction to alcohol - Mr. Wakefield seems like a kid in a confessional. He rushes through his sins in order to be unburdened, but also undiscovered. It doesn't work. If we give the penitent the benefit of our attention, he should give us the benefit of a compelling story.

I started reading this book while Comet Hale-Bopp was at its brightest. I quickly came to understand that journalist/novelist Dan Wakefield's journey was the spiritual version of a comet. He begins with a fairly typical midwest Christianity, then moves to agnosticism, then moves to atheism, then moves to attending a Unitarian church, within which he moves back into Christianity.

His journey, like that of a comet, took him far from his home, his roots, his faith, his God, to the cold and darkness that filled his life. But when the return journey began, like a comet, his life grew brighter as he came nearer to the faith that he found to be the center of his journey.

As he looks back, Dan Wakefield sees the ways that God has been with him throughout the long journey. Like the gravity that calls a distant comet to make its journey back toward the sun, so was God pulling on Wakefield. Reading the story of his return was more stimulating than watching Hale-Bopp on its journey.