This is a non-fiction book you can actually read! It's funny, truthful, revealing, exciting and fun. Max approaches this book the way he approaches his music--with vigor and enthusiasm. The pictures have depth--you get to know Max through the photography. Would highly recommend it!

In all of the mass of literature about American entertainment, there are only a few books that give you an accurate idea of what show business is really like -- ACT ONE, by Moss Hart, THE TROUBLE WITH CINDERELLA, by Artie Shaw, ALL OF MY BEST FRIENDS, by George Burns, and the occasional passage in a star's autobiography (Sophie Tucker, Billy Rose, Little Richard).

Now, THE ROAD TO RAGTIME has joined that select company. Thanks to Max Morath and Diane Fay Skomars, we have a document that shows what real American show business is like in the late 20th Century trenches -- the one-man show, the community concerts circuit, the roadhouses and honky-tonks, radio, television, and anywhere else there's an audience ready to be entertained.

Max Morath is one of America's greatest entertainers. He's one of those magical peformers who's able to get the audience in the palm of his hand the moment he takes the stage. What's extraordinary is that he's been able to be so successful without ever compromising the integrity of his music.

He's a national treasure -- and this terrific book helps us unlock it.

-- Murray Horwitz National Public Radio

Max Morath and Diane Skomars have created a handsome book celebrating Max's career as a channeler of American popular culture. Max loves the American present as much as he loves its past. He's been stirring the melting pot for fifty years now, mixing musical styles, fact, fiction, humor, and social observation. This book is much like a Morath concert--that is, it is sweet, funny, and wise. Skomars' photographs gorgeously depict the world of "Present Max"--a world of fast food, lookalike motels, freeway signs--as he travels to take "Past Max" to audiences everywhere. A beautiful evocation of Max at work and on his way to work.

I have always been amazed at the work of Meatyard. I gained more respect for his work and understanding of the man behind the camera in the work published by James Rhem. To know the feelings of all involved in the creation of Meatyard's work adds a greater understanding of this complex man. James Rhem has gone the step beyond to make all who read the book understand the creation of the Lucy Belle Crater Series!

EXCELLENT!

In James Rhem's book Meatyard's well-known Lucybelle Crater photographs are reproduced in the family album setting that the photographer himself planned they should have, but never got during his lifetime. The photographs are printed on black pages, with handwritten captions underneath; the images are arranged in groups, & the groups are themselves sequenced. For those who like Meatyard's photography, or acknowledge his significant position in American photography, this new presentation is reason enough to want this book.
But there's a lot more being offered here. First, in an authoritative introduction, Rhem presents an overview of all of Meatyard's photography. This essay is a prelude to and a setting for Rhem's real (and groundbreaking) work: thoroughly researched, original & penetrating elucidation of Meatyard's Lucybelle Crater photographs.
Personally I have had difficulty in understanding what the Lucybelle Crater pictures were about since first seeing them in an earlier version 25 years ago. From comments by friends & other photographers I realized that I was not alone in having this difficulty. We faced page after page of photos of two people, one wearing a hag's mask, the other a mask of an old man. These figures are posed most often against suburban backgrounds that are familiar and mundane. Some pictures are visually interesting, others dull. As you turn the pages the images accumulate, asking be "read". But how? "What's going on here?" was my nagging question. I knew I was missing something important about these pictures. What was it?
Rhem's essay is valuable in answering that question. And what's striking is how he does this and how well he does it. Not with scholarly jargon (though he has the thorough-going mind of a scholar). Not with flights of imaginative "interpretation" based on his own subjective feelings and opinions. And certainly not by calling attention to himself as a critic, biographer or insider (all of which, by the way, he is).
James Rhem works from a dense gathering of factual information about Meatyard--some unknown until now (thanks to Rhem's wide, and thorough investigations into primary sources.) This factual information provides the basis for a conceptual approach to the Lucybelle pictures that is both lively with anecdotes and rich with insights. Rhem has a sincere desire (you can sense it in his sentences) to tell you what he thinks Ralph Eugene Meatyard's photographs are about. He approaches the photographer not as a subject for a thesis but as a man whose pictures continue to have something important to offer us. Rhem has taken up that offer and made it his job in this book to understand and interpret it, using the considerable (and considerably generous) means that he's accumulated for that very purpose.

27 oct 2002

At last someone has written an extremely intelligent, well researched, and accessible book on Meatyard. Rhem takes on this complex and poignant piece of art, and reveals its mystery to us. As an artist, tired of reading badly written criticism and art-writing, I found this book to be a real gift. I've read most of the available writing on Meatyard and nothing approaches this. A must-buy.

In considering Ralph Sawyer's translation of "The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China" one must look at the work from two angles. First, one must consider the quality of the translation, and how well the author has set the historical stage for the piece. Second, one must consider the pieces themselves, and their pertinence to modern strategic thinking.

Regarding the first issue, Sawyer has done a superb job in both his translation, and in his historical research. The prose is easy to read and understand, but the essential, almost poetic, essence of the original language has not been sacrificed. Furthermore, each piece is prefaced by a brief, but detailed, overview of the work including a biography of the author, or possible authors, and a synopsis of the historical context in which the work was created. In addition, the book is heavily footnoted, which allows the reader to fully comprehend each piece, without the primary texts being chopped up.

Regarding the second angle, I was genuinely astonished by how pertinent theses works are to modern military thinking. For such primitive (chronologically, not intellectually) works, they do a superb job of capturing the key elements of strategic thinking: maneuver, logistics, terrain, combined arms and command hierarchy. Moreover, they are extremely sophisticated in their consideration of Grand Strategy and the mobilization of the population. While these works are by no means a blue print for a modern army (the codes of conduct are draconian, to say the least), they undoubtedly provide a framework for the analysis/planning of modern operations.

This is truly a superb work that captures both the philosophical and the practical aspects of some of the most ancient books on the planet. Furthermore, it is a fascinating look at ancient Chinese history. It is truly a must read for anyone interested in military theory or international relations, particularly with China once again ascendant on the world stage.

Ralph D. Sawyer's translations is a must have for anyone studying military thought and theory or martial arts. This translation brings to the Western reader the ideas set down by these wise men of the past. My friends who do read Chinese say this translations is one of the best English versions. Many business professionals like to say how "Business is war" and use these warriors' thought, but here the Saywers show that the ideas set down in these classics are for the warrior and especially for peace. A lost business deal pales in comparison to what a warrior faces when he/she looses in combat. These seven classics are a wonderful guide to one who wishes to live a martial and peaceful life.

Sawyer translates seven of ancient china's military classics and does it in a very thourough, informative, and highly readable way. I have read translations of the Art of War from Griffith, Cleary, and Sawyer and I found Sawyers version to be by far the most readable, as well as the most informative. If you want to study the ancient military texts this is simply a must read. To complete your collection I would also recommend Sawyers translation of Military Methods by Sun Pin.

Kept me guessing right to the very end, what a brilliant read, a must for anyone who likes whodunnit novels. Full of twists, turns and red herrings the Ultimate whodunnit

It's a very good book though I don't recommend it for young people. It has some disturbing scenes in it. Other than that.... Read it...it's worth your while!

An excellent all-round suspense book. Were many tips throughout, but never figured out "whodunit" until the last few pages. An excellent read, I was glued to the pages. The characters were interesting and full of substance. Interesting that the other self was aware of him but that he wasn't aware of the "evil" twin. Nice all around group of victims.

While this book is written for a Young Adult audience, I just love reading about writing (of course hoping to jump in someday and do it) and this is a very good book to get you going.

Fletcher takes you step by step into the hows and whys of creating and keeping a Writers Notebook, and discusses the birth of great ideas from little notes on life. He also touches on great tips like writing with honesty, including about things that hurt the most.

While I believe this to be an inspiring book for all (I now have 2 notebooks for my writing observations) I see it as an impressive gift, along with a small nice notebook, of course, for that little someone in your life who may have the gift to see, and write, life as it is to them. If you enjoy the idea of writing your self, this is a great place to start.

This little gem has genuinely helped me to unlock the writer inside me! It is full of practical advice but most of all it is from the heart. If you are experiencing writer's block or are looking to expand yourself or even have some unresolved issues with yourself, I highly recommend this book!

I began the school year by reading Ralph Fletcher's A Writer's Notebook aloud to my fourth grade class. This book details how writers get ideas through keeping a notebook-- a place to record and respond to events we observe in the world. We have set up our own writer's notebooks and add to them each day after reading a chapter of Fletcher's book. This is the first year my students are actually excited about writing! One of the biggest hang-ups for my young writers is thinking of ideas about which to write. Fletcher's book provides many "seed ideas" to get my students' brains churning. Now, even my less motivated students look forward to writing time each day. I even have students ASKING to take their writer's notebooks home to work on during their own time! Fletcher's book is a great motivator for young writers. Its ideas are practical and easily applicable to the classroom. I recommend it to any young writers, ages 8 and up!

I've always loved fairy tales, and I've never found a better version of Grimm's Tales. Why? The translation! Other versions tend to gloss over the details, taking away from the richness (and occasionally, gruesomeness) of the original. Manheim stays true to the spirit of the work in his translation, and the character of the original really shines through.

The best example I can give is one of the stories -- "The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers." Other versions translate this as "The Boy who left home to find out what fear was." Why is this wrong? Well, the story is really about the physical effects of fear -- shivering. He didn't actually leave home to find out about fear itself. The gist of the story is that the main character never understood why his brother would "get the shivers" when he heard a scary story, so (among other reasons) he leaves home to seek his fortune. No matter what scary things he encounters, he never gets the shivers. Finally, at the end, the princess he married gets fed up with his whining about the shivers, and while he's sleeping, dumps a bucket of cold water full of minnows on him. He wakes up happy, saying "I'm shivering, I'm shivering!"

To this day, I use this story as a test of any translation of the Brothers Grimm.

What a great read! As an adult reading this to myself I am enjoying these tales! Contrary to what most people think these tales truly are meant for adult ears and are of interest to all ages.

Manheim explains that in early translations these were incorrectly labeled fairy tales and mistakenly assumed they were stories for children only. Over and over I am shocked by the gruesome content and punishments. Punishment by entrapping someone inside a barrel lined with the nail heads and then rolling them down a hill, father cutting off his daughters hands to avoid harm to himself, etc.

The reason I began reading these was to get a purist idea of what the Grimms' tales were: having grown up on the Disney version I was curious about the real thing. I was surprised at what I found, and happy! I was hoping to retell these stories to my 3 year-old but I have yet to find one that is tame enough to retell to him, but that is okay.

The storytelling nature of this is truly captured and I am entranced by these tales. The translator explains in his preface that this was the first time that the tales were translated from German to English by one person who was reading the original Grimms' manuscripts. This was first published in 1977. Manheim explains how earlier translations by other translators were muddled and errors made which changed some words, and at worst enough of the content was erroneous that the reader was really missing out on the true flavor and intent of the story. Manheim claims his edition is the most pure English translation. I compared this with my copy of the Pantheon edition edited by James Stern, as I was reading both copies at the same time. I found that the Manheim edition made more sense, that is, that some words were correctly translated to English while the other book had some words that I had just never heard of and could not understand. What fun to read these tales! Reading this book has been more fun than reading some recent fictional works. I have a renewed interest in reading about the old folk tales and fables now. Indulge yourself and read this book!

This book contains the stories and fairy tales presented by the Brothers Grimm in their original form (translated from German). There are 210 tales in this book, and some of the more well known of these stories include: Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel & Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, Rapunzel.... And the list goes on.

These original stories contain undertones that are lost with Disney-like euphemisms and euphemistic adaptations. This also means there are some ghastly contents to children, so be attentive. As well, it is unillustrated, and may be more difficult to relay to children, but any effort will be well worth it, in my opinion. At any rate, it could be good reading for adults who wish to discover the original version of some of the fairy tales they might have heard as a child.

If you've bought a house before, some parts of this book may seem somewhat elementary. And, admittedly, a lot of the information about how much you can afford is available on the web on various home-buying sites. On the other hand, I found the location-specific information very helpful, and the advice in the book is solid and reliable.

The real winners are those who are preparing to buy a house for the first time. This book will take you through pretty much all the steps, from thinking about what you want in a house and finding good neighborhoods, through figuring out how much you can afford. It's an excellent reference guide for somebody who's just starting to think about buying, and will be useful all the way through closing. IIf I had to choose just one book on buying a house, it would be this one.

I used the Nolo Press tenants' rights book in the past to (successfully) sue my deposit-greedy/law-breaking landlords. I just used this book to buy my first home in the competitive Bay Area (yes, it's still highly competitive even in these "tough times"). Nolo's book is accurate and insightful, written in a voice that's accessible and, at times, fun and tongue-in-cheek. The organization of information, as usual, is right on. And the links and helpful sidebars are fantastic! Don't waste your money on other books. I swear this one is the only book you'll need.

This book was recommended to us by a friend who bought a home in California. Since then, we've bought it for other friends and family. Nolo Press publishes excellent books, and this is no exception. If you only read one book on buying a home (in California), this should be it.

In this partly autobiographical novel, we find Celine on the run through Baden Baden, a bombed out Berlin, and finally a small village at the outskirts of the remains of the Third Reich capital, on his way to what he hesitantly calls a refuge, during the chaos and total insanity of the final stages of the second world war.

Celine does not really complain the misery of his fate. In his cynical manner, he merely records his incredible encounters with seemingly all the renegades and twised characters of a scorched Europe and willing or not he witnesses the atrophies and deformities of human mind. Ironically, the author somehow manages to turn his characters into hillarious and amiable, even entertaining figures.

Celine writes like no other writer you have read. His truncated sentences, in bits and pieces all over the place, remind of a rather maniac mind spinning thoughts at the speed of light in an incohomprensive, bordering to delirious babble. That's Celine all right throughout North. In poignant remarks, making fun, laughing at himself, expressing same anxiety, bitternes, and cynical observations as in his other writings, Celine moves on, weary but undefeated. Life goes on.

North is the second book in the "trilogy" that begins with "Castle to Castle" and ends with "Rigadoon"...again, Celine tells us a fascinating story of all the people forming a train of endless death after World War 2...

The only novels I've ever read that are better are "Huckleberry Finn" and Celine's "Death on the Installment Plan." This book is far better than "Journey to the End of Night" and slightly more endearing than "Castle to Castle." A masterpiece of "social criticism," set against the dying days of Nazi Germany, but applicable to anywhere, any time. Read only the Manheim translation.

I am not a very successful CPAP user. I find this book easy for reading and technical material is converted to an interesting and well-organized book. The negative side is that it is too positive and optimistic, giving a wrong impression that CPAP is the ultimate panacea. If it can say more about the numerous and various problems that CPAP users encountered, and give more practical though not perfect advices, this book will be much better. Hope also it talks more about smart CPAP.

Like my title says, this is the best book around on sleep apnea. The authors do a superb job of describing the symptons and treatment of sleep apnea. They also dispel common misconceptions about sleep apnea- like "thin and young people can't have it"-something which, most dr.s still believe. Unfortunately, most dr.s are very ignorant about sleep disorders, and often, it's the last thing they check for.

My only problem(s) with this book are: that it doesn't elaborate on Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome, a close cousin to apnea and hypopnea; and while it states that UPPP surgery can eliminate snoring w/o treating the underlying apnea, it doesn't explicity state that it's possible (albeit admittedly less common) to have apnea w/o snoring in the first place. Finally, IMO, the authors should have stressed the importance of heated humidifiers in CPAP treatment (a breathing machine, which is the most common treatment for apnea).

This sounds like a lot of "complaints" but the overall excellence of the book doesn't keep me from giving it the 5-stars.

Although my dad was a champion snorer, I never suspected that I myself had inherited a tendency toward sleep apnea. However, I've got it (moderately), and Pascualy's book has been a big help in allowing me to navigate this new medical field in which I am now an unwilling participant.

Before I went to a sleep clinic for a formal test, I read this book. It prepared me for what was to come, which was not particularly pleasant, despite disclaimers which say that the procedure is painless and non-invasive. That largely was true, but the same might be said for most enemas, and they, too, are not particularly enjoyable.

I was prescribed a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) device, and I currently am in the midst of trying to adjust to it. To be blunt, I loathe the thing. Were I not married, I doubt that I would have the willpower to try to solve my moderate problem which, though annoying (that is, a gnawing and nearly constant fatigue), is livable. But to please her (who has endured my snoring for years), and because she does have my best interests in mind, I will persist.

The three chapters on CPAPs in this book are essential for anyone who wishes to truly solve his/her sleep apnea problem with one. There is no chapter of the support group AWAKE in my area, so Pascualy's words of encouragement and wisdom on the subject have been transformative for me. If I succeed with a CPAP, it will be because I read this book and took it to heart. Otherwise, without question, I just wouldn't bother.

I am a high-school teacher, and I have at least three colleagues who have got sleep apnea and either are undiagnosed or are in the midst of trying to troubleshoot/solve the condition. When I mentioned my dilemma to my current classes, a substantial number of students had fathers who used a CPAP. I acknowledge that this truly is a widespread problem in America and that the CPAP doubtlessly is the best solution currently available.

Read this book if you, too, are a sufferer (or the spouse of one); but be prepared for a substantial period of adjustment to the CPAP and its "magic"!!

I was constantly reminded of "The 48 Laws of Power" as I read this book. The author used laws (80 compared to 48), as well as historical and political examples to make his point. This book is much shorter, making it an easier read. I enjoyed reading this book, but should have had a dictionary handy, as there were a lot of big words. If you like "The Prince", "The Art of War", or "The 48 Laws of Power" you will like this book as well.

In this book, Siu applies the philosophies of Machiavelli to the subject of power in the modern-day corporate and government realms. I learned a great deal from this book. In particular, it provided me with a lens through which I can identify and deal with the power plays that occur in every day life. While few will want to follow the recipe provided by Siu to obtain personal power through his methods, all can learn from them.

An ingeniously crafted book, Siu explores modern-day Machiavellian philosophy as it applies to the corporate and political realms. I found this book to be extremely educational, providing me with the information necessary to recognize and deal with the power plays that happen in every day life. Few will want to follow the recipe given in this book to pursue power, but all can learn directly applicable insights from this book. It is a real shame that it is out of print.