Rhubarb in the Catbird Seat

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His voice was instantly recognizable. Red Barber's languid drawl was so familiar to baseball fans of the '30s through the '60s that it seemed like he'd single-handedly invented the art of play-by-play announcing. The truth is, he pretty much did: the old redhead sitting up in what he called his catbird seat, telling stories as integral to the game as the sound of horsehide on leather. His autobiography is, in a sense, the story of American sportscasting, but it is also much more than that; it is also a story of triumph over prejudice, and integrity over comfort. A son of the Old South, Barber grew up in a racist world, and took that world with him when he moved north to Brooklyn, and he experienced first-hand its head-on collision with what would be the new world of integrated baseball. Barber was the Dodgers broadcaster when Branch Rickey decided he would smash the color line; Barber was one of the first he informed of his plans.

"I believe," Barber recalls in the most moving section of a wonderful memoir, "that he told me about it so far in advance so that I could have time to wrestle with the problem, live with it, solve it ... I set out to do a deep self-examination. I attempted to find out who I was." This is remarkable candor in a sporting memoir, more remarkable for the way Barber brings us in to his own confrontation with himself, and his conclusion that Jackie Robinson ultimately did far more for him than he, as the voice that introduced Robinson to baseball fans, ever did for Robinson.

Barber is helped throughout by his magnificent ability to tell stories, remember details, and turn past into present. Just as he painted full, rich, compelling pictures with his words over the airwaves, so he does on the page, bringing another series of steps in the long march of baseball to life. Barber witnessed plenty of rhubarbs from his perch in the catbird seat; fans of baseball--and autobiography--will revel in the insights Barber brings to sorting them out. --Jeff Silverman

Book Description

For more than fifty years Red Barber was the voice of baseball. The game was broadcast sporadically until the late 1930s, when Barber burst into prominence by bringing it home to radio listeners, play by play. More than half a century later, he could still be heard, broadcasting over National Public Radio from his retirement home in Tallahassee. Announcing for the Brooklyn Dodgers and later for the New York Yankees, he became a legend long before his death in 1992. Red’s story reveals the growth and changes in baseball over the years, the demands of sportscasting, and the difference between radio and television reporting. Here is Red giving major play-by-plays of his own life and career with characteristic wit and integrity.

Customer Reviews:

AN INTERESTING LOOK AT A BROADCASTING LEGEND.......2003-03-16

THIS IS A GOOD SOLID YARN ABOUT ONE OF THE BEST RADIO MEN IN THE HISTORY OF BROADCASTING. RED BARBER WRITES ABOUT HIS LIFE AND BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE BROADCASTING INDUSTRY. HIS HONESTY AND DETAILED RENDITION MAKE THIS A GOOD READ. WISH HE WOULD HAVE WRITTEN MORE ABOUT THE GAMES HE COVERED BUT THAT IS THE ONLY REAL THING I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THIS. FOR ALL FANS OF BASEBALL AND BROADCASTING HISTORY BUFFS. RECOMMENDED.

Shotgun Wedding.......2000-11-14

Problem here is that it isn't Barber's book. Creamer, about as southern as Halifax, slicks matters. Skip this. Look at Barber's work without Creamer on 1947 or actual NPR broadcast transcripts, edited, but not intruded upon by Bob Edwards.

Page turner.......2000-04-20

While you are reading this book you can feel the breeze coming through the open windows of a warm summer afternoon. The curtains are billowing and the radio is crackling with excitement. You can hear the crack of the bat, the sing of leather hitting wood. When on the road, going from city to city you are jostled by the motion of the train. Mr. Barber writes such a descriptive story, that you feel that you are right there as part of the story. This takes you back to a gentler time in life. I read this book at the start of every baseball season and never tire of it. I take it out of the library, I love the feel and the smell of the old yellowing pages, the black and white photographs. It puts me in the baseball mood. Sometimes, I feel as though Branch Rickey is going to join me for lunch.

Average customer rating:

Catbirds & Dogfish
Bernard Most
Manufacturer: Voyager Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Have you ever imagined what an animal would be like if it looked and acted as its name implies it should? Bernard Most does just that. He has created laugh-out-loud images that show how creatures such as antlions, fox snakes, and elephant seals might look if they were a cross between the animals they’re named after-and he reveals how they do look, and act, in real life.

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Bach and a Catbird

Manufacturer: Roth Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0879570067

Average customer rating:

Catbird
Stephen March
Manufacturer: The Permanent Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JDQKF2

Average customer rating:

A Great Read

Catbird
Stephen March
Manufacturer: Permanent Press (NY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Psychological & Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1579621260

Customer Reviews:

A Great Read.......2007-03-15

This novel is a real page-turner. I had a copy for several months before I got around to reading it. Once I picked it up and started reading, however, I couldn't put it down until I finished. If you lived in the rural South in the early Seventies, the characters in this novel will seem like old friends. All the characters are finely drawn, but the main character, Zeb Dupree, is simply unforgettable. His struggles and perseverance are vividly chronicled in this fine novel.

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Catbird
Ellen Galinsky
Manufacturer: Coward McCann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000G3HFUO

The Catbird Caper (Mysteries of Sparrow Island)

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The Catbird Caper (Mysteries of Sparrow Island)
Kristin Eckhardt
Manufacturer: Guideposts Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000VIPE8O

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The Catbird Sang
Barbara Brooks
Manufacturer: Finishing Line Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1599240122

Product Description

A book of poems.

Catbird's calling and other animal stories

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Catbird's calling and other animal stories

Manufacturer: Highlights for Children
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Catbird's Song
Richard Wilbur
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Essays | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Criticism | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0151002541

Book Description

The Catbird's Song is a selection of prose pieces, on a variety of topics, by one of the most distinguished poets and translators of our times, Richard Wilbur. These lectures, letters, reviews, addresses, prefaces, and interviews-what Wilbur calls the "prose by-products of a poet's life"-not only reveal the ideas and concerns that inform his remarkable oeuvre but also offer fresh takes on the works and lives of poets we thought we knew, poets we ought to know, and much more. Here, then, are his appreciations of Poe, Milton, Tennyson, and Longfellow; paeans to his contemporaries Elizabeth Bishop, Mae Swenson, and John Ciardi; an introduction to the work of the neglected poet Witter Bynner; his comments on some of his own poems; and thoughts on the art of translation. Throughout all, Wilbur's voice resonates with clarity, reason, and authority.

Book Description

For five young people born with extraordinary powers, a climactic battle against Evil seemingly brought an end to their nightmare. But as they will discover, the nightmare has only begun.Imprisoned for thousands of years, an ancient, malevolent force-The Bringer-awaits the moment when it can break free and wreak its revenge upon the world. Only one force can stop it: the power of the five.

Customer Reviews:

Its Awesome!!!!.......2003-09-10

WOW! This book blew me away!!This is a great sequal to Scorpian shards- a real page turner!!!
I highly recomend this book. If you like fantasy/sci-fi/suspense then you would llove this book, i dont think there was one moment i didn't want to read this book. You wont want to put it down!!!!

An Average Follow-up.......2002-12-23

The first book in the trilogy, Scorpion Shards, was a much better book than this. Although the story of The Bringer is well thought out, the oringal book held more feeling and character development. This reads more like an addition on to the first book, a psuedo-sequel of sorts, rather than a true sequel.

The Reciew.......2000-09-22

Theif of Souls is one of the best books I have ever read. The beginning of the book throws a whole new twist on the theory of Greek Mythology when we are first introduced to the Bringer. I read this book in less than two weeks, normally it would take me three or four months to read a book this size. The book truly is an amazing story and I would definitely recommend it to anybody, because this book would be interesting to just about anybody.

A fantastic sequel to a fantastic book.......2000-08-14

This second book in the Star Shards trilogy, possibly even better than the first, continues the adventures of the five living shards (one died at the end of the first book) and adds great new characters to the mix. After returning home after the events of the first book, the shards find their lives very different, but they don't stay home long. The shrards must gather again to fight a new enemy, while at the same time they are moving farther apart. This book is highly captivating in a can't-stop-now-must-read-more sort of way. I highly recommend it and eagerly await the next book.

Good Book.......2000-07-19

I really enjoyed this book and how it revealed the darker side of humans. It portrays how "absolute power corrupts absolutely." The characters are well developed, revealing the temptations and weaknesses they are prey to and their attempts to overcome it. It reveals their humanity. I recommend this book to be read, and I can't wait until the next book of the trilogy comes out.

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DOC SAVAGE OMNIBUS #11 (Doc Savage)
Kenneth Robeson
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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DOC SAVAGE OMNIBUS 6 (Doc Savage Omnibus)

ASIN: 0553283898
Release Date: 1990-01-01

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Doc Savage Omnibus, Volume 11
Kenneth Robeson
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBKL1U

Book Description

Although the popular literature concerned with Billy Graham as an evangelical icon is vast, there have been few serious academic considerations of his religious views. "In America's Preacher and His Message", Timo Pokki provides the most extensive systematic analysis to date on Graham's theology, paying particular attention to views surrounding conversion and sanctification. The study not only provides a detailed analysis of Graham's thoughts on these topics, but also investigates the impact of Calvinism and Arminianism on revivalism and evangelicalism in general.

Book Description

To go to any market in West Africa, where the women are swathed in brightly patterned wraps, is to experience an assault on your visual senses. This book, too, is a visual feast, illustrating the richness and diversity of the African textile tradition, and providing designers at all levels with inspiration for their own work. Over 30 textiles from the British Museum's renowned collection are explored in detail: magnificent blue-and-white, indigo-resist-dyed cloths from West Africa; "mud cloths" from Mali; the unique warp-striped weaves and ikats from Madagascar; "adinkra" blockprints and painted "calligraphy" cloths from Ghana and the "adire" cloths from Yorubaland. In his enlightening text John Gillow provides the background information to bring the pieces to life and clearly explains the full range of principle techniques employed. In addition, brief commentaries highlight the design features and a technical glossary supports the main text so you can rely on the book for eye-catching patterns as well as refer to it for specific information.

Book Description

This book invites colorists to bring imaginative and inventive coloring to a selection of dazzlingly deceptive designs. 30 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

If You Love Detailed Art Work.......2005-01-20

This coloring book is recommended if you like detailed artwork and can follow abstract patterns. You have to possess patience to do some of these. Lines are close together, and it requires some thought to work out your coloring scheme. Some of the designs are real "mind benders". Well worth the time for me, and I enjoy the challenge. Dover did a great job on this one.

Great coloring for ages 8-adult!.......2000-05-01

This is a wonderful non-objective coloring book. The print of the lines is very clear and the intricate shapes to color are a nice size-- even for children. There are 30 sheets to color with a nice variety of simpler forms to much more detailed (and time-consuming) forms. For what you get, it's a good value for the money.

The Triad Optical Illusions Coloring Book (Dover Coloring Book)

Average customer rating:

Cant see the optical illusions

The Triad Optical Illusions Coloring Book (Dover Coloring Book)
Harry Turner
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0486448614

Book Description

For coloring book fans partial to optical brain-teasers — 29 triad designs that play tricks with your eyes. The versatile design modules include small triads inside larger ones, triads with holes in the center, triangular triads centering around a star, and many other illusions. Add color to the reality-defying shapes and voilà!

Customer Reviews:

Cant see the optical illusions.......2006-11-28

I can't see the optical illusions when I color my designs. I can see the one on the front cover though. I conclude that maybe I'm just not coloring them right, and I need to use shading techniques or light and dark hues, like the one on the cover.

Overall, interesting designs but I don't like how some of the designs cut off kind of awkwardly. For example, theres a pattern and it just cuts off at the margins instead of completing the figures/lines so that some lines just lead nowhere. It's a minor issue, it probably isn't something that would bother most people.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book.......2000-04-19

Excellent book! Well laid out and thought out plans. Now if only we could have Norm to run the band saw for us and cut out those curves for the chair.

Good, detailed, and well explained plans........2000-01-22

He's got this book laid out so that each chapter is it's own project. That's a good way to do it to make sure there's enough info to do it right. However, That means that in this relatively fat (expensive) book there are only 10 projects or so. The only project I really liked was the Adirondack chair, the others were too specialized for my simple tastes.

Good content and informative.......1999-02-08

I enjoyed reading and studying some of these projects. Each one of Norm's books have something new and interesting to learn about. My only question is when will there be a next issue? The TV projects are great and it would be nice to review the available plans and be able to order them on the net.

A great book, just like the series........1998-08-16

I bought this book at my local book store the other day. I must say it is excellent. It is mostly for non-amateurs, but they can give it a try. It says on the book, a companion to the series. I totally agree. Though you can probably make the projects from the book, it will be much easier to follow along with the specific episode. Nice illustrations. Scaled down plans are included.

If you are a fan of the New Yankee Workshop, then you have to get the book.

Average customer rating:

Norm does good work!

A good book, but with a few problems

Pretty good

Errors in Blanket Chest Plan

Great book that is easy to misinterpret

The New Yankee Workshop
Norm Abram
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Woodworking | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Classics from the New Yankee Workshop

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The New Yankee Workshop: Outdoor Projects

Making Authentic Shaker Furniture: With Measured Drawings of Museum Classics (Furniture Making)

ASIN: 0316004545

Customer Reviews:

Norm does good work!.......2006-07-24

As always and as expected if you have watched his shows, Norm Abram has done a really good job explaining how to put together really nice pieces of furniture.

A good book, but with a few problems.......2002-10-15

I think others have gone over this before. A few of the projects have some errors in the lay out. Kind of bad IMO, but is made up for in the very pleasing aesthetic of these items. I have made a few of them and all I can say is they look very nice when done. They have a clean Shaker style that works well in most homes and IMO is fun to make. Most items are not difficult to build and while they have some fun design elements that can make you work a bit, are not hard for the average woodworker to finish. As others have noted, Norm like the power tools. That is not a big deal, in that just because he uses them does not mean that you have to. I approached this book is like most "how to books". You look at the pictures, take what you like and discard the rest. How you put it together depends on the type of tools you have and what techniques you like to use in the shop. I do not think the average woodworker will have much problem with these projects and the beginner will have lots of fun building very respectable things that will look nice in the house.

Pretty good.......2002-09-25

I've built the blanket chest, bookshelf and chest of drawers. The only problem I had was with the chest of drawers. The dimensions allow for only an eigth inch overhang on each side of the drawer front. By adding one eigth to each side of the drawer width, you only get the width of the opening, not an overhang, and a lot of side-to-side play in the drawer. You need to make the drawer about 1/2" wider than the plan. Other than that (which should of been caught by Norm's general caveat of measure twice, cut once), I really like the book and the narratives that go along with the project. Compared to the measured drawings that you can buy directly, you are better off buying the book and interpolating a few measurements.

Errors in Blanket Chest Plan.......2002-02-03

So far, I have built 1 project from the New Yankee Workshop plan book. While building the Blanket Chest project, I found several dimensional errors in milling set up and finished parts. If the plans were followed as written, one would be unable to do the final assembly. These errors may have been corrected in later editions.

As the other reviews state, this book is not for those who are new to woodworking.

Great book that is easy to misinterpret.......2001-12-28

After reading some of the other reviews posted about this book, I felt as if they were misinterpreting the original purpose of this book and rating it based on their expectations.

First, this is not a "do-it-your-self" step by step book in the traditional sense, nor does it pretend to be. Anyone who has watched the television series knows this. During each episode, Norm mentions a materials list and measured drawing is available for purchase. By calling a telephone number or visiting the website, you can purchase the half hour episode that shows Norm working on a project and a measured drawing, or just the measured drawing. This book was meant to be a companion to the first year's episodes. Essentially, if you watch the episode, look at the materials list and still need help, this book will hopefully help you get the project done.

Many other reviewers have stated this book is not for the amatuer woodworker and they are right. Unless you already have a working knowledge of woodworking or have studied the episode in which Norm builds the project, it would be difficult to take the information in this book and complete the work. Again, this is reiterating my earlier point that this a companion book to the television series.

Norm does rely heavily on power tools, so if you are a traditionalist, this is probably not the book for you. Additionally, I agree with some of the other reviewers that the chapter on staining (all two or three pages of it) is very limited in scope. The information is not detailed and should only be read as an introduction or summary.

Customer Reviews:

A necessary book for the wood worker with a back yard!!.......1999-04-09

This book has a fantastic collection of outdoor projects for the wood worker. Each step of each project is clearly explained and illustrated. Norms personality is certainly carved into these pages which makes it easy to understand and enjoyable to read. If you are a fan of The New Yankee Workshop, this is a must add book for your collection.

Average customer rating:

Home-building from a master craftsman's point of view
GREAT BOOK, LOTS OF BACKROUND INTO THREE GENERATIONS OF NORM
Norm's shows the pride of craftsmanship
An excellant look into Norm, his family, and his new home.

Norm Abram's New House
Norm Abram
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (P)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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Buildings & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0316004103

Customer Reviews:

Home-building from a master craftsman's point of view.......2002-03-23

A charming and informative look at the process of building a house by someone who understands the process all too well. The book has lots of good information about decision-making and building techniques, but what really shines through is Abram's admiration and respect for the craftsmen who built the house with him.

GREAT BOOK, LOTS OF BACKROUND INTO THREE GENERATIONS OF NORM.......1999-08-12

GREAT TO READ ABOUT NORM'S PROBLEMS AND THE FACT THAT EVERYTHING DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK RIGHT. THE BACKGROUND ON NORMS FAMILY AND THE FACT THAT 3 GENERATIONS WORKED ON NORM'S HOUSE MAKES THE PRICE WILL WORTH IT...I HAVE READ IT TWICE AND MEASURED IT ONCE.

Norm's shows the pride of craftsmanship.......1999-02-27

If you are a follower of Norm Abram since the beginning of PBS "This Old House", you would enjoy this book. He has taken all the lasted innovations from all his shows, and built a beautiful home for his wife and family. The barn restoration where they had timber frame construction, used that method for the great room with the carvings up in the beams has allowed Norm to express his talent. Then the eyebrow window placed over the wing, had to cut each and every roof shingle to fit the angles.

An excellant look into Norm, his family, and his new home........1997-12-24

This is an interesting look into television's most famous remodeler/woodworker, his family, his new home, and his thoughts and feelings about what should go into their new living space.

This book deals with the conflict of a craftsman that can do a great deal of the work himself, but faces the external pressures of everyday life, and the pressure of celebrity status with it's commitments. He shares his thoughts and feelings about who should be "allowed" to build the house of their dreams, since time does not allow him to accomplish as much as he would like.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Quebec Studies, published by American Council for Quebec Studies on March 22, 2003. The length of the article is 5215 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Toward defining a postcolonial Quebec cinema: the films of Claude Jutra.
Author: Mary Jean Green
Publication: Quebec Studies (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2003
Publisher: American Council for Quebec Studies
Volume: 35 Page: 89(11)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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