A neglected classic by a writer who some consider equal to Ralph Ellison in importance. One fascinating aspect is its fictionalized treatment of some of the century's famous black literary figures. It's a portrait of the post-WWII-through-mid-sixties period as seen through the eyes of a black writer as he establishes a career as a novelist, journalist, and Presidential speechwriter in New York, Paris, Washington, D.C., and Lagos, Nigeria. The main character, Max Reddick, is shaped by anger, at the crux of which is indignation at the hypocrisy and hostility that black people and writers faced during this period. It's a historical novel which provides some insight into the social and political ferment of the sixties, and has an Afrocentric perspective that's somewhat reminiscent of Walter Mosley's work. It includes an intruiging fictionalized version of a mythic encounter between Richard Wright and James Baldwin ("Marion Dawes") in a Paris café, and according to James Sallis's biography of Chester Himes, it describes the essence of Wright's expatriate experience and his relationship with Himes. Ishmael Reed has said that the cartoonist Ollie Harrington is depicted, and although I didn't recognize him, Malcolm X is unmistakable and I suspect that "Time" Curry is modelled after jazz drummer Kenny Clarke, who was living in Paris at the time. According to the author's biography of Richard Pryor, Motown explored the possibility of buying the film rights to the novel as a vehicle for its star, Marvin Gaye, until the idea was abandoned in favor of Lady Sings the Blues.

The story begins near the end as Max, who's dying of cancer, sits at an outdoor café in Amsterdam where he's come to investigate the mystery of the death of his friend, Harry Ames, "the father of black writers," a few days earlier in Paris. What he eventually discovers is mind-blowing.

Throughout the novel, Max opines on a multitude of subjects like: Marxism, African independence and African attitudes towards Americans, sexuality and interracial relationships (he works past some of his homophobia too), the different styles of reporters from 5 major NYC newspapers, the theory of the rich president and other political theories, the "lie" of Christmas ("the rich man's chance to dissipate the image of Scrooge"), American cars (with their "long, buttock-smooth lines"), existentialism, and Alban Berg's atonal opera, "Wozzeck" (whose climax, a child's scream, punctuates Max's argument with his woman). Max interprets bebop's message as, "we can not be contained," and modern jazz becomes the avatar of his literary aesthetic: "He wanted to do with the novel what Charlie Parker was doing to music -- tearing it up and remaking it; basing it on nasty, nasty blues and overlaying it with the deep overriding tragedy not of Dostoevsky, but an American who knew of consequences to come: Herman Melville, a super Confidence Man, a Benito Cereno saddened beyond death."

and this is a great book...read this and you will see why the black man feels the way he does; why interracial relationships remain the enigma that no one wants to unravel and the the battles that black people fight in general...also read " one for new york," by williams

One of the greatest novels of its time or anytime. It brought me to tears, jeers, and fears.

Great book to read for inspiration in a comfortable style. Pat Williams writes as if he is speaking with you in your living room. The stories he recounts make for easy reading with a message and lessons for all.

Pat Williams is able to untangle a web of questions that many have been asking for centuries. He defines success with 16 rules that were modeled for him by a man who's life truly counted for something. These secrets unlocked many doors for me as a manager and affirmed what I believe to be our purpose in life. His stories, rational, and honesty are challenging and may cause you to reconsider your philosophy of leadership. It's a must read.

Thank you Pat, for taking time through the years to preserve the rich heritage of this wonderfully gifted and dedicated Christian businessman. Mr. R.E. never fully knew what he meant to some many people. He gave great counsel on frequent occasions and help considerably hundreds of others.

This is a superb book for any practitioner working in primary care. It covers all important subjects completely and concisely. I used it to review for my boards with the review book that goes with it and I was very prepared. I highly recommend this text.

I found this review book an excellent source of knowledge and simple to understand. This book by passes all the intricate biochemical details and present the meat and potatoes so to speak. The wisdom of the pearls make this book unique. I recommend this book to any professional in a primary care setting.

This is the most comprehensive and concise medical text that I have ever used....so reader friendly. It has over 70 contributors from all over the country.

In 1892, Alexander Berkman burst into the office of Henry Frick, an overseer at Carnegie's steelworks, and attempted to gun him down to foment a revolutionary uprising. Frick survived. Berkman went to jail. Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist is Berkman's account, not only of the revolutionary ardor which drove him to assault Frick, but also of the horrors of incarceration and the transformation of his own thinking while behind bars.

We get plenty of revolutionary and anarchist theory from Berkman. He opens a door into the thoughts and feelings of people struggling for economic and social justice 100 years ago. More than that, he opens a door into the mindset of a fanatic, one which may help us understand the motivations of those who flew their planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9/11/2001:

"Could anything be nobler than to die for a grand, a sublime Cause? Why, the very life of a true revolutionist has no other purpose, no significance whatever, save to sacrifice it on the altar of the beloved People." (p. 12)

"My own individuality is entirely in the background; aye, I am not conscious of any personality in matters pertaining to the Cause. I am simply a revolutionist; a terrorist by conviction, an instrument for furthering the cause of humanity." (p. 13)

"True, the Cause often calls upon the revolutionist to commit an unpleasant act; but it is the test of a true revolutionist-nay, more, his pride-to sacrifice all merely human feeling at the call of the People's Cause." (p. 12)

Berkman, the purist, disdains his fellow prisoners. He sees himself as better than they are, a Servant of Humanity, not a petty criminal, a predator on the poor. But, life in prison, although it does not shake his revolutionary and anarchist convictions, does bring him down from his ivory tower. Berkman begins to see that:

"The individual, in certain cases, is of more direct and immediate consequence than humanity. What is the latter but the aggregate of individual existences-and shall these, the best of them, forever be sacrificed for the metaphysical collectivity?" (p. 403)

His revolutionary understanding also shifts. He begins to differentiate between the autocratic despotism of Europe and the despotism of republican institutions:

"The despotism of republican institutions is far deeper, more insidious, because it rests on the popular delusion of self-government and independence. That is the subtle source of democratic tyranny, and, as such, it cannot be reached with a bullet. In modern capitalism, exploitation rather than oppression is the real enemy of the people ... the battle is to be waged in the economic rather than the political field." (p. 424)

This is not, however, a political manifesto (for that, one can read Berkman's ABCs of Anarchism). Berkman reveals his inner processes during fourteen years of incarceration. We discover, not only the horrors and corruption of the prison system, but also wander intimately through Berkman's mind. We visit his childhood, soften at unexpected gentlenesses behind bars, and begin to appreciate something as simple as the sunrise.

Although Berkman did not write the memoir until after he left prison, it has a sense of surreal immediacy. He wrote in the present tense, but that alone does not account for the way his text grips, and drags the reader into the maelstrom of his experience. We run with him through childhood memories, daily brutality, fantasies of escape and suicide, and the ideals that keep him sane. His longing for Emma Goldman shines through the text. He enthrones her almost as the guardian of his sanity through the years. Little can compare with the poignancy of his fantasy of mailing himself to his beloved Emma, escaping prison and finding himself with her again. (p. 135-137)

Five stars. Absolutely brilliant work, as relevant today as it was nearly 100 years ago. In her autobiography, Living my Life, Emma Goldman recounted how Berkman saved his sanity and his life by writing this memoir. The deep introspection, the flights of fancy, the accounting of prison life-all deeply illumine the best and the worst of human nature. This book is required reading for anybody who wishes to understand the fanatical, terrorist mindset, for Berkman describes that aptly. Far more importantly, he shares the experience of survival and transformation. He, who entered prison a fanatic, left those iron gates more committed than ever to his cause, but no longer a fanatic. His story tells of graduating from terrorist to humanist, from monomaniacal fanatic to a deeply committed human being. If you read nothing else this year, read this book.

(If you'd like to dialogue with me about this book or review, please click the "about me" link above and drop me an email. Thanks!)

"Is there anything higher in life than to be a true revolutionist...?" - From Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist

This is an incredibly moving and detailed account of an activist's experiences in early industrial America. As an Anarchist, Alexander Berkman recounts his observations of the era's struggle for decent living standards and fair treatment from fat cat industrialists. In prison for attempted assasination of a steel magnate who was responsible for firing and killing striking steel workers, Berkman eloquently describes his reasons for acting on behalf of the working poor and exploited. His experiences in prison are gut wrenching and very human. Not much fluffy language - very straighforward observations, which are emotionally piercing in their social significance and human truth. An exceptional read for anyone interested in the American history that is usually left out of school text books. Berkman's experiences are painful but very motivating and inspiring as they illustrate human love, the will to survive and continue to work for an ideal under the most horrendous conditions. This book is an extraordinary powerful testament to human goodness and strength.

This book was one of the most inspiring books on, not only Anarchism, but also on the human will to survive. Berkman's tale of the attempted assassination of one of this country's greatest scoundrels is awe inspiring, comical at times, and admirable. His triumph over the Pennsylvania Correctional system is also to be noted, especially in times of political struggles our modern day political prisoners, like Mumia Abu-Jamal. Prison memiors of an Anarchist is a glimpse into the hell of the prison system, and a reminder that things haven't changed that much. His book tells us that his message is still valid today. Berkman's message is just as true today as it was 100 years ago and I am glad this book is back in print.

Just for the record there are MORE than 12 books. Furthermore, yes, they are incredible. It's an ongoing adventure with a fantastic plot. I've used them to get my students into reading allowing them to DO something with their reading. But yes, there are more than 12, I DO in fact have them all and am NOT in fact interested in parting with them.

The Lone Wolf series is a great series. I have all 12 books and am going through them all again. Get this book.

The book basically brings you right smack into the surreal world,whereby evil and good fight for control.I can say joe dever moves you with all the vivid memories of how lone wolf journeys through the land to arrive at durenor to get the sommerswerd.The book made me think about life in fact and could even control my feelings[angry,sad,etc.]with the vivid descriptions of the situations.UNFORTUNATELY the books are all out of print.I just wish joe dever would actually consider reprinting new issues,as i never had a chance to find out how lone wolf developed in the later issues.PLEASE DO REPUBLISH THE BOOKS.

John Thorn is one of our great baseball writers and his skills make this book the best of its kind. It is loaded with fascinating anecdotes that I've seen nowhere else. In addition, the illustrations are outstanding. "Treasures ..." will give you the most enjoyable history lesson you'll ever find.

This will serve until I get a chance to go there. Being far from any major metropolitan canter, getting there requires a great deal of effort. This is a great book which shares some of the riches of the hall. A must have book for all baseball lovers.

This volume should be considered an excellent addition to any baseball library. Every fan of the game will find something new and interesting. While the text is excellent, the large number of intensely detailed photographs provide a fascinating insight into the history of the game. There is no other such collection available for the fan or scholar to enjoy. This volume is highly recommended.

This is what I dream about commercial aviation book! I have detaild deskription of each aircraft, technical data (although it's not a complete as I expected but it's okay), cutaway and three-view drawing. The articles are well written and very usefull and quite up to date on the date it published.
Sadly, there's a minor but signifiant error on page 126, the article on that page was cut out half and wasn't finished. There's also some errors on the airlines section, which some photos and the caption are not correct. Despite of those mistakes, it was not reduce the value of this book.

I also have the successor of this book (ISBN 0760311250), but it was quite dissapointing. I hope that the next edition will reverted into this format again.

This is an illustrated book with substance and very informative. Full of pictures and info about the fascinating aircrafts of the world, and has also the history of the foundation of the different airlines of the world and fleet data of every country which are covered in combination with pictures and section on orders, deliveries, numbers in service makes this book a must buy for any aircraft enthusiast.

This is an incredible reference to just about every commercial aircraft in the world. With superb color photographs, cut-out drawings of the major planes, and a great amount of info on the planes this is just about the best you can get in this subject. This jam-packed commercial aircraft encyclopedia even has special sections on the anatomy of a flight, the flight deck, the cabin and accomodation, design and manufacture, engine technology, future developments, and the major airlines. The reason why I feel that this book is so fantastic is the cut-out drawings that are so incredibly detailed and that show almost every tiny feature right down to the overhead compartments. I recommend this book to any airplane enthusiast and anyone who just wants to research airplanes and see the technology and details of them.

If you want to read a military book that many senior defense and defense-related leaders would not want anyone to read and openly discuss, then read this thought-provoking gem from John Poole.

This book is a well researched analysis of the American (western) approach to and conduct of war, and its moral, physical, and political consequences. Accurate and powerful historical examples complement this analysis. Poole argues that despite all the claims of American military superiority at all levels, the U.S. military has grown so dependent on technology and massive ammunition expenditures that it has let its individual and small-unit skills and experiences atrophy and be lost.

If you believe that the U.S. military is by far the best in the world, then Poole's perspectives will challenge your beliefs. Read what he has to say about our World War II adversaries, think about what he says happened to us in Korea, follow his logic about what happened in Vietnam, remember our approach to and conduct of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, reflect on his discussion about our efforts in Somalia in 1993, and then see if you notice any common trends extending into our operations in Afghanistan. Scary stuff.

Fortunately, Poole also gives some common-sense advice to reverse the dangerous course we are following to tactical inferiority. This advice is exactly what many senior defense and defense-related leaders fear the most, for it would shatter the status quo in which they rose to power and have fought so hard to maintain.

Poole packs a big and important message into a small book that is as thought-provoking to the American taxpayers as it is to the American fighting men and women.

John Poole is a man with a mission-to raise the level of skill of American fighting units-and he has made me a disciple. Poole is well known in infantry circles for his thick manual of small unit technique called _The Last Hundred Yards: The NCOs Contribution to Warfare_. I have seen well-thumbed copies lying about in a battalion at Camp Lejeune, so I am not just taking the author's word for it.

This book, _One More Bridge to Cross: Lowering the Cost of War_, gives the ethical, religious, psychological, social, and professional military underpinnings of the above-mentioned practical handbook of ground unit technique. Gunny Poole is an original and an inspiration. I call him Gunny Poole in our e-mail and phone conversations, even though he left the Marine Corps for the first time at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He then re-enlisted as an enlisted man, retiring finally as a Gunnery Sergeant-a role and rank held in reference throughout the Marine Corps.

I need to tell you that Gunny Poole is a deeply religious Roman Catholic. The religious dimension of this book is probably its most significant and persuasive aspect. His religious teaching on military matters-which I agree with 100% coming from a different, but non-Catholic Biblical tradition-is that our religious ethics teach that the point of fighting in a just cause is *to win, not to kill*. Not only are the lives of our own service members precious, according to our religious teaching, but so are enemy lives, both civilian and combatant. The irreplaceable key to winning with minimum casualties, both ours and enemy, is SKILL. So small unit skill and small unit leader skill are religious imperatives. In almost any fight, especially one that goes on for a while, skill trumps technology. (See _Joint Forces Quarterly_, Summer, 1999.)

The author's other book, _The Last Hundred Yards: The NCOs Contribution to Warfare_, describes the elite-level small unit skills that ANY American unit can attain, if allowed to train properly under NCOs empowered to conduct this training. One More Bridge to Cross gives the maneuver warfare rationale for these practices that engage the intelligence and initiative of the lowest echelons. Poole puts before our eyes a vision of the lowliest infantryman as tactically expert in planning his moves for the next 50 meters as his battalion CO should be for the next 5,000.

I could go on and on singing the praises of these two books by John Poole, but far better for you to read and absorb them, than for me to convey the false sense that just by reading my review you get the "gist."

Jonathan Shay, M.D., Ph.D. Author of _Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character_ [in print as a Touchstone paperback] and _Odysseus in America_ [forthcoming from Scribner]. Dr. Shay speaks frequently to professional military audiences on cohesion, leadership, and training as the keys to preventing psychological and moral injury in military service.

One More Bridge to Cross is a must read for anyone interested in learning more about serious soldering at its most basic level. John Poole has very accurately broken down old military or for that matter conflict theories down to the level that does make a difference - the individual soldier and the things he fights for. When reading the book I kept nodding my head in consensus and admiration for the exact, precise and yet simple way Mr Poole discusses and tries to teach us common sense. Because that's what it is all about. No-nonsense and common sense. I as a captain in the Swedish Army recognize much of our (Swedish) way of training, leading and using our limited military assets in the Common-Sense Style. My current assignment is as an instructor at the Army Combat School. Therefore I will make this book mandatory reading for the young Swedish Army Cadets that I'm responsible to train in small-unit tactics.

I am convinced that in time every military institution will include John Poole's work in their teaching and training, just as well as we learn from Sun-Tzu and Clausewitz. He might even be one of our times great military theorists.

Never having had any experience or knowledge on the basis of this disease, I got the book to help me understand my father's disease. I have gotten a fuller understanding of the causes of the disease, the symptoms, the treatments (and making decisions regarding the selections of the treatments), and the progression of the disease. I feel much better informed and feel I can support my father better because of it. It was definitely written to help support the patient and family supporting that patient.

The author of this book did a great job in explaining what Parkinson's Disease is and giving information for the patient and the caregiver. I am a dental hygienist and I learned just an overview of the disease in school. After having my first patient with the disease I decided to learn more about it. I learned alot from this book that I should of already known for my patient. The book tells you the symptoms and the side effects of the disease and advice on drug therapy, diet, and exercise. Some people don't even know that they have the disease for a couple of months or even years. They think it is just old age or arthritis. The book also states what kind of medical advice to seek.
I have never met a patient with Parkinson's Disease until a couple of months ago. I didn't know what to expect. When the patient walked in I was shocked. She looked normal and wasn't shaking. She was the sweetest patient I had met. She explained to me her life and how she lives with the disease. She said that she sometimes gets embarrased to be seen in public when she has her tremors because she thinks that everyone is staring at her. But she said she is the same person as all of us. She just has to take medication and she gets tired alot more than you and me. When I was cleaning her teeth she only had mild tremors so it wasn't that difficult to work on her. But one day I will probably get a patient who has severe tremors but I am ready thanks to this book in guiding me with the knowledge of what I needed to know. I think that if you know someone who has Parkinson's disease or if you would like to learn more about the disease buy this book and you will be filled with all the information you need to know about Parkinson's disease.

Very informative. This books explains in PLAIN ENGLISH what the Dr's look for when making a diagnosis. Also it explains what the average PD. patient goes through in stages. I give it 5 stars!

Excellent book focused on the Longitude act's of the 1700's. The primary emphasis is on the two technologies Lunar-distance and chonometer for determining longitude with a precision under 1 degree. The relative percentages are: 50% chonometer, 30% lunar distance, 10% Jupiter's moons, 10% general history pre-1600's. I gave it four stars instead of 5 because I thought the book was going to be a balanced discussion ( i.e. equal time)encompassing all methods of determining longitude irrespective of a 1 degree precision. All that said, I would still recommend the book to anyone interested in the topic.

This beautifully presented large hardback is actually a series of essays covering the story of the search for Longitude from the 16th century to the 19th. The essays deal with a range of subjects from the mathematical to the absurd, from astronomy to cartography and has 4 excellent appendices. The book is well laid out with both black&white and color photography in a manner that means you don't need to be a student of the sea of chronology to understand it. A good book to have on the shelf.

This review is top notch and comprehensive. It's the book of choice to cover the background and the technology. I'm not a watch or clock fanatic, but I slam dunked this whole book in just a couple days; a 15 hour Qantas flight kept me captive. I wish there was more discussion on the nature of astronomy and how the clocks were calibrated. I want to read up on octants, sextants and basic navigation now. This book deserves five stars. The A&E four hour documentary, "Longitude", this month also deserves high marks. If someone knows of a good read on navigating with astronomy that's more layman oriented, please email me (thanks).