Fightin' George Light Infantry

Book Description

This book is a non-fiction account of the Korean War from the view point of a frontline infantryman of the 31st Infantry Regiment. The story begins with his struggle to enlist and continues through basic training and war experiences.

Customer Reviews:

The Best Book.......2001-11-09

If you are seeking a book that will make you feel all warm and cozy while you get ready for bed... this isn't for you!! If you like real life experiences, intense action, and actual historical facts then this is all you need. I have read this book very intently and it will definatly keep you on the edge of your seat. I believe that you will recieve something very special from this book, an understanding of something much larger than a date in history. Perhaps a newfound respect for those brave men who faught in this War and the initiative to make sure that their memory is not forgotten.

I love ya Grandaddy. We'll Get That Coffee Soon.

PATROTISM IN THE MOST DYNAMIC WAY.......2001-10-31

MERELY WRITING THIS BOOK WOULD BE MORE COURAGEOUS THAN I COULD BEAR. LIVING IT?? AT A TIME IN THE USA WHEN ALL ENJOYED A CARE FREE LIFESTYLE, IT SHOULD HUMBLE ALL OF US WHO DID NOT SERVE OUR COUNTRY. BUY THIS BOOK AND YOU'LL HATE THE TIME YOU ARE NOT BEING ABLE TO COMPLETE READING IT. I BOUGHT THREE ADDITIONAL BOOKS AS GIFTS FOR MY RELATIVES AND THEY COMMENDED ME AS THEY TOO, DID NOT WANT TO PUT IT DOWN. PERSONALLY, I THINK IT SHOULD BE MANDATORY FOR EACH NEW U.S. CITIZEN TO READ "GEORGE" TO BETTER APPRECIATE WHAT OUR SOLDIERS HAVE DONE FOR OUR RIGHT FOR THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA.......

Truly the life and times of a soldier!.......2001-10-30

I read a lot and, I've read a lot of war books and western novels. However, I have not read one before "Fightin' George" that was so discriptive I almost believed I was there with the author! Once started, I could scarcely put it down. I rushed through my studies just so I could pick up the coveted book once more! I often wondered what it was like to fight for your country and now I know. What an excellent true to fact book of a soldier on the frontline. Mr. Justice has done history a great favor by discribing the human element of warfare. I congradulate him on a superb job well done!

A must read for those interested in military history.......2001-09-12

This book is a great story of the daily life of a single soldier's (Mr. Justice) time in Korea. It is not a blood and guts dime fiction novel and it's not a dry history lesson. I just couldn't put this book down. The book truly makes you feel the experience of being there. A few times I left the house after reading and just expected it to be cold outside, september in Houston is never cold. There are a number of photos that really helped visualize what I was reading. I recommend looking through all of the photographs first so you can put faces to the names as you read the book. I would think this is a must read for anyone interested in military history, anyone who was there or anyone who had family there. Thanks to God for letting this man survive and giving him the courage to write his story.

Book Description

These letters, translated into English here for the first time, provide extraordinary insights, both personal and philosophical, into two major thinkers of the twentieth century. Martin Heidegger and Karl Jaspers met in 1920 at a celebration marking the sixty-first birthday of Edmund Husserl. Recognizing in each other a shared vision of what philosophy should be, they struck up a friendship, which continued through correspondence carried on over four decades and which weathered intellectual, social, and personal struggles.

While the first thirteen years of their acquaintance were marked by a collegial exchange of views on philosophical issues of mutual interest, their relationship changed significantly in 1933, when Heidegger publicly supported the National Socialist revolution, and, as a party member, implemented the National Socialist agenda as rector of Freiburg University. By contrast, Jaspers, whose wife was Jewish, was forced into retirement. After the war, during the Freiburg de-Nazification process, Jaspers sharply criticized Heidegger's conduct but nonetheless stressed the lasting value of his philosophical contributions. Despite this conflict, the two men continued to find common ground and correspnded until 1963.

The letters touch on many points of philosophical interest to both men, yet only hint at the political turmoil that swirled around them. They discuss how they came to see themselves as personally connected but publicly misidentified as "existentialists." There are also many illuminating exchanges concerning Hannah Arendt, Karl Lowith, Max Weber, Edmund Husserl, and others. Editors Walter Biemel and Hans Saner provide a wealth of references and annotations that make these personal letters accessible to contemporary readers.

This first English translation of the correspondence between two giants of twentieth-century German philosophy will be of great interest to philosophers, historians, and anyone intrigued by the Heidegger controversy.

Customer Reviews:

They Were Giants Then.......2003-08-09

The history of 20th century German philosophy can be neatly summed up in three words: Husserl, Heidegger and Jaspers. They were the giants of the rich philosophical tradition and most of 20the century thought is influenced by them, either as followers who adapted their thought to other paths or as opponents, deriding what was seen as a preponderence of metaphysics over "clear thinking."

The emphasis on Heidegger in recent years has expanded into an investigation of his personal life, intertwined as it was with the Nazi regime during the '30s. We have access to the Arendt-Jaspers correspondence, but only get to know Heidegger second-hand. That is why the release of the Heidegger-Jaspers correspondence is a tresure for every student of philosophy. Not only do we gain valuable insights into the workings of each author's conception of existentialism, but we also get to soak in the atmosphere of German university life, and its view of scholarship, so different from our own universities today, which now serve as little else than extensions of high school.

The letters also give us the opportunity to see how the Heidegger-Japsers friendship fared over the years. (The letters are from 1920 to 1963.) During the '20s, the two are very close and share critiques of each others philosphy. During the '30s, with the rise of the Nazis, we see a cooling off due to the fact Heidegger sides with the Nazis and Jaspers, whose wife was Jewish,was appalled by what was happening to Germany. Very few letters are exchanged during the period from 1936 to 1948, when Heidegger, by now defanged by the Allied occupation, once again ventures into the public eye. The letters of this perios lack the warmth of the letters from the '20s, with Heidegger wishing to forget what happened in the '30s and Jaspers wanting an explanation.

Average customer rating:

Information From East & West Re: Hep C

A Groundbreaking Treatment Program

Excellent coverage of an important topic

A must read for anyone with hepatitis C

One of the best books available on Hepatitis C today...

The Hepatitis C Help Book: A Groundbreaking Treatment Program Combining Western and Eastern Medicine for Maximum Wellness and Healing
Misha Ruth Cohen , Robert Gish , and Kalia Doner
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Hepatitis | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Abdominal | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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General | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Healing Hepatitis Naturally (Doctors' Prescription for Healthy Living)

Herbs for Hepatitis C and the Liver (Medicinal Herb Guide.)

Hepatitis C Cookbook: Easy and Delicious Recipes

Living With Hepatitis C For Dummies

Healing Hepatitis C with Modern Chinese Medicine

Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device

Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 0312263368

Book Description

Hepatitis C has been called "the emergent and preeminent public-health problem of the twenty-first century--surpassing HIV." It has also been dubbed "The Shadow Epidemic," because it is one of the most clandestine of viruses and infects healthy people who have no idea they are being attacked by something they can't even detect. Now, two experts on Hepatitis C have teamed up to write a complete guide to orthodox and alternative treatment options. The book includes programs for self-care, nutritional and fitness plans and a comprehensive Western and Chinese medical treatment program.AUTHORBIO: Misha Ruth Cohen, O.M.D., L.Ac. is clinical director of Chicken Soup Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, co-founder and Research and Education chair of Quan Yin Healing Arts Center and Research Associate at the University of California Medical School, all in San Francisco. She is a pioneer in the use of Chinese Medicine for treating Hepatitis C.Robert G. Gish, M.D. is an internationally recognized liver specialist, Medical Director of the Liver Transplant Program of the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California in San Francisco.Kalia Doner is a seasoned journalist and author of some 20 books on wellness and healing.

Customer Reviews:

Information From East & West Re: Hep C.......2005-09-19

This book is a pleasent blend of information from both methodologies. I have found it to be informative and enlightening. I recommend anyone dealing with the subject of Hep C to check it out.

A Groundbreaking Treatment Program.......2005-01-01

This book has one unique advantage. It is a combination of Western and Eastern Medicine combination for the maximum benefit of the patient. Usually it is very difficult to combine these two treatments as they are different like day and night. But here we see these two go like hand in glove. Authors have thoroughly studied this subject. It is very evident from their explanation of certain conditions and its treatment. It is an absolute life saver for people diagnosed with Hepatitis C and even doctors can learn a lot about this silent killer.

I did like the authors' suggestion for caffeine-free beverages. I've been off coffee after my doctor told me it caused me acid indigestion. He recommended a coffee replacement called S o yfee made from soya beans and it taste great. I found it on the net at www.s oycoffee.com.

Excellent coverage of an important topic.......2004-08-31

This book provides lots of practical and informative content concerning Hepatitis C. The book covers the subject from both the traditional and alternative medical points of view.

Included are discussions of treatment options, lifestyle recommendations, and a good overview of the disease.

The book is readable and well researched.

If you or someone you know has this insidious and widespread disease this book should be at the top of your list of readings.

Because Hepatitis C progresses with hardly any symptoms..it is important to take steps as soon as possible to deal with it. If you have been positively diagnosed...DO NOT WAIT. There are many things you can do from implementing simple lifestyle changes to undergoing severe chemotherapy that can influence the course of this illness. At the very least you can read this book!

A must read for anyone with hepatitis C.......2000-06-27

The Hepatitis C Help Book is a collaboration between two of the best known and most knowledgeable practitioners working in the hepatitis field today - Misha Cohen O.M.D.,LAc. and Robert Gish, MD. This is a well-rounded and comprehensive guide that should be in the personal library of anyone dealing with hepatitis C, and can easily be used by both patients and health care providers. Highly Reocommended.

One of the best books available on Hepatitis C today..........2000-06-18

I have read all of the other books on Hepatitis C. This book is wonderful, informative and easy to read. The Hepatitis C Help Book is the first guide that offers comprehensive programs that include both Western and traditional Chinese medicine treatments for hepatitis C. The book is designed to inform people who are infected with the virus, as well as health care practitioners, about how these two medical systems can be used together to achieve the most effective treatment possible. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The Hepatitis C Help Book, Revised Edition: A Groundbreaking Treatment Program Combining Western and Eastern Medicine for Maximum Wellness and Healing

Average customer rating:

The Hepatitis C Help Book, Revised Edition: A Groundbreaking Treatment Program Combining Western and Eastern Medicine for Maximum Wellness and Healing
Misha Ruth Cohen , Robert Gish , and Kalia Doner
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Chinese Medicine | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Hepatitis | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Abdominal | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Diseases | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0312372728
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Book Description

A fully updated and revised edition of an important health guide, including the latest information on optimum interferon protocol.

Hepatitis C has been called "the emergent and preeminent public-health problem of the twenty-first century--surpassing HIV." It has also been dubbed "The Shadow Epidemic," because it is one of the most clandestine of viruses and infects healthy people who have no idea they are being attacked by something they can't even detect. Now, the two experts on Hepatitis C who teamed up to write the first comprehensive guide to orthodox and alternative treatment options have revised and fully updated the book to include recent findings in the field. Along with programs for self-care, nutritional and fitness plans and a comprehensive Western and Chinese medical treatment program, the revised edition also includes important new self-help information for the growing number of people who are considering or undergoing interferon treatment, including updated information on vial load and the optimum interferon protocol.

Average customer rating:

Chocolate Fun!

The utlimate book for people like me

Ultimate Chocolate (and more!)

Hershey's Best-Loved Recipes (Favorite Brand Name Recipes)

Manufacturer: Publications International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Chocolate | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Best-Loved Hershey's Recipes (Best Loved)

Hershey's Easy Baking

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Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars

ASIN: 0785349588

Customer Reviews:

Chocolate Fun!.......2006-03-17

Have had this compendium of chocolate for a few years now and I can honestly say that this is one book I won't be getting rid of! It contains all the Hershey recipes that you've grown up with, but would take forever to compile on your own. All the recipes are relatively easy and foolproof, and are all festive for any occassion. You can't go wrong adding this little treasure to your library. Enjoy!

The utlimate book for people like me.......2004-06-20

As a 750 lb gargantuan speciem of a man, I have used this book to great effect.

After embrasing my all chocolate diet I have been to increase the size of my abs, love handles, and waistline. I have also almost obtained almost complete buoyancy in my backyard pool no small feet for a man of my considerable girth.

Got to Go. Best to the Greens(Reds) Go Ralph Go, Win Ralph Win!!!!

Ultimate Chocolate (and more!).......2004-04-09

I was having chocolate cravings, and things had been busy enough lately that I didn't want to pull out Marcel Desaulniers' "death by chocolate" series. So instead, I picked up a copy of "Hershey's Best-Loved Recipes." I expected them to be fun--but I never expected them to be amazing!

First, the ingredients are inexpensive and easy-to-find. I find it's easy to whip up many of these recipes with what's already in the house. If you really want to make sure, just look through the book for pantry ingredients that show up repeatedly (like sweetened condensed milk, toffee bits, or sweetened flaked coconut, as well as chocolate of course) and be sure to have some on hand. The book of course uses brand names, but it's easy enough to extrapolate to your own favorite brands or store brands. These recipes also tend to be inexpensive because they rely so heavily on simple pantry goods like chocolate chips, flour, and oats.

What truly amazed me, however, is how reliably these recipes come out. They don't just come out looking nice, or tasting good; they come out perfect every time. It's clear to me that these recipes were very thoroughly kitchen-tested. And beyond that, every single thing we've made so far has tasted so good that we simply couldn't keep it around the house! The oatmeal toffee bars were to-die-for. The butterscotch cheesecake bowled us over. In fact, if you care about your weight, I have this piece of advice for you: before you make any recipe from this book, invite a few friends over! Otherwise you'll almost certainly gain some weight.

Average customer rating:
Best-Loved Hershey's Recipes (Best Loved)

Manufacturer: Publications International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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hershey's best loved recipes
hershey's
Manufacturer: hershey's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound
ASIN: B000TK431S

Average customer rating:
Hershey's Best-Loved Recipes

Manufacturer: Hershey Foods Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 078533579X

Product Description

Countless classic treasures and new treats that will satisfy chocolate lovers of all ages from the Hershey kitchens.

Average customer rating:

Hershey's Best-Loved Recipes

Manufacturer: Publications International, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0785333053

Product Description

Hershey's Best-Loved Recipes cookbook is devoted to chocolate lovers. The recipes featured are representative of our best chocolate recipes that you can make with the extensive line of Hershey's baking products. This book is hard-cover, 94 pages and has full color illustrations.

Average customer rating:

A Great Tutorial on Knitting Orenburg Lace

Shawls that weigh 80 grams and look like fairy wings

great, but sometimes stumbles

A beautiful introduction to a neglected regional craft

Gossamer Webs: The History and Techniques of Orenburg Lace Shawls
Galina Khmeleva , and Carol R. Noble
Manufacturer: Interweave Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Lace & Tatting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1883010411

Book Description

Readers are led step-by-step through the history and techniques of creating beautiful and rare Russian heirloom shawls with this detailed guide.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Tutorial on Knitting Orenburg Lace.......2006-06-09

This book is extremely detailed in the art of knitting Orenburg Shawls. There are charts for basic patterns used in the traditional shawls and at the back a full shawl is charted for practice knitting Orenburg Lace. There is even a small sampler shawl you can knit to learn the techniques of the full sized ones. A great book, necessary for any lace knitter.

Shawls that weigh 80 grams and look like fairy wings.......2001-01-29

There are directions here to knit Orenburg-style shawls, but unless you are an experienced knitter, you may find that the instructions are a bit frustrating. Orenburg shawls look a lot like Shetland cobweb lace shawls (but which came first? Orenburg shawls are mentioned in writing at least back to the beginning of the 18th Century.) The technique starts with an edging, then corners are turned and the body of the lace shawl is knitted together with the side edging.

The best part of this book is the history and story of the life of the Orenburg knitters, who even today support their families by knitting gorgeous works of art out of handspun silky mohair yarn. This book is a must if you are a lace knitter.

great, but sometimes stumbles.......2000-04-16

My problem with the book is pretty small. For the most part I think it is a very beautiful and special book. The shawls are beautiful and the text is interesting. My only problem is that the instructions for the full-size shawl are a little iffy in points, like telling you to knit in the "corner stitch" without once ever explaining this maneuver. Mostly a beautiful book, though

A beautiful introduction to a neglected regional craft.......1999-05-25

While all lace knitters are familiar with Shetland lace, this book will take you to less familiar territory and introduce you to women who have been carrying on the tradition of glorious lace for a few hundred years.

While as much an introduction to the microculture of Orenburg knitters than a "how-to", the authors nevertheless succeed in stirring the creative juices with page after page of pictures of absolutely gorgeous shawls. Some directions are written out, some are in chart form. Recommended for the experienced lace knitter.

Book Description

Based on both research and practical experience, the authors of the book offer an alternative methodogical approach to landscape design and planning. The book focuses on issues arising in the Mediterranean region but the principles of the approach can be used as an appropriate theoretical foundation for ecological design and planning elsewhere leading to better sustainable practice and development.

Customer Reviews:

My aunt is amazing and i am so proud of her........1999-08-31

I love my aunt and i think this book is the best book in the world...who cares about being biased.

Book Description

If you're like most brides, you've spent more time pondering wedding favors and exotic honeymoon destinations than considering all the ways marriage will change your relationship. In HITCHED: The Go-Girl Guide to the First Year of Marriage, Julia Bourland provides the ultimate insider's guide to the joys, hopes, challenges, conflicting emotions, and endless compromises of the year that follows the "I do"s.

Drawing on dozens of interviews with newly married women, plus her own real-life experience, Bourland offers wise answers to crucial post-knot questions about sex, finances, friends, in-laws, and everything beyond, including:

• What to do when your libido soars (yay!) or sinks (eek!)

• How to keep important friendships -- and nourish new ones

• The pros and cons of name changing

• How to carve out personal space within marriage

• The best ways to divide household responsibilities

• How to start planning for your financial future

Candid, witty, and wise, HITCHED will steer you through the ups and occasional downs of newlywed life and set you on the path to a loving, happy, and secure future together.

Customer Reviews:

Cute, quick read........2004-02-28

Very enjoyable book. Being newly engaged, I enjoyed the pre-wedding/engagement sections. If you are looking for a serious book about relationships and marriages, this isn't the book for you. It's a fun, entertaining book.

Waste of Time.......2004-01-25

What a waste of time this book is. Bourland tells you nothing you don't already know. The first third of the book, for instance, informs you that you may be stressed-out, teary or hungry (from pre-wedding diets) before the big day. No kidding! Or how about this gem of advice: if you can't afford the honeymoon you want, just charge it...never mind that financial difficulties are a leading source of stress for newly married couples. The worst part is when (quite unnecessarily) she injects her own political views into the book (same-sex marriages are civil rights! virginity before marriage is out-dated!). I returned this book within three days.

Great guide for newlyweds!.......2004-01-23

My only complaint with this book is that the first couple chapters are about the engagement/wedding part. Other then that, I thought the book was great. It's mostly geared for couples who didn't live together beforehand. I'd been married 3 months when I read the book and it's helped alot with the transition. Before reading this book I didn't really understand our conflicts or some of my emotions, but this put them all into words. It was a very easy read and I'd recommend it to all new brides (or even before the wedding since there are those few first chapters....).

Some useful information appropriate for younger newlyweds.......2003-11-08

As both a newlywed and an avid reader, I've been searching for books to provide some witty and amusing insights into marriage. However, given that I'm in my mid-30s and that I lived with my husband for almost 9 years prior to our recent marriage, I recognized that most of the books out there won't really apply to me. I was hoping that HITCHED would be different: the author, Julia Bourland, is in her 30s, and she also lived with her husband for several years prior to marraige. Sadly, while I did find her book to be humorous and engaging, it wasn't what I was hoping for.

My first disappointment about this book was that Bourland spent the first fourth discussing the pre-engagement, engagement, wedding, and honeymoon periods. This seemed somewhat unneccessary and even dishonest to me: after all, the subtitle of the book refers to the "First Year of Marriage," so that's what I had expected to read about. This section really offerred nothing that I hadn't already via various other books on marriage. Eventually, Bourland turns to the marriage itself, but even here, she spends too much time focusing on issues which usually come up immediately after the wedding (eg, the paperwork involved in the name-change process). She goes on to review some of the factors involved in setting up a household; given that my husband and I already owned a house, I found this section to be completely inapplicable to my situation. She also talks about topics such as time management, division of labor, and negotiation. Although there was some useful information here, again, couples who lived together before marriage are likely to have worked through most of these issues already.

More successful was the next chapter, as Bourland goes on to discuss changes that you can expect in yourself. Given that I recently went out and got my own post-wedding chop (haircut), I found I could relate to the more universal types of issues described here. Similarly, the chapters which follow address marital problems related to sex, money, and in-laws, three areas of difficulties with wide-spread application to young newlyweds and veteran couples alike. Although the suggestions provided were often fairly common-sense, Bourland's down-to-earth style keeps the writing interesting. Chapter 8, titled "On becoming a 'smug married'," was exactly what I had wanted from this book--a discussion of the factors which change due to the marriage itself rather than to the fact of living with someone in an intimate relationship, such as a change in status, separation from single girlfriends, etc. Bourland ends the book with a review of her six gospels of marriage (flexibility, friendship, faith, fantasy, fecundity, and farsightness) as well as some tips for anniversary celebrations.

Although this book was not exactly what I had hoped for, it was still an enjoyable read. As mentioned previously, Bourland has a likeable writing style, and the book has many funny moments. In addition, to prepare for writing the book, she interviewed 60 married women about their experiences during the first year; the various quotes and insights from these women truly enhance the final result. This is definitely a good book, but one that is not necessarily applicable to all newlyweds.

Funny and Entertaining.......2003-09-03

I enjoyed this book. It's well written and really hit the nail on the head on many subjects a new wife faces. Many of the issues she writes about are things that EVERY new married woman will have to deal with at one time or another. This book covers everything from the emotions you may feel after the wedding day to options of how to handle finances and investments.

This is a fun book to read after you've been married a few months to a year.

Book Description

Mendelson Joe believes that speaking out can make a difference, that women are the only hope for the future, and that there’s truth in a good blues song; he doesn't believe in God, compromise, or schmaltz. Bringing together some of the best of Joe’s artwork, along with extensive interviews with the man and the people who know him, this book explores the world of this unique musician, artist, activist, and avid writer of letters to Canadian politicians and editors. Some of his writings extol that which fascinates him—the female body, motorcycles, rabbits, nature, art, and music—while others deride that which angers him—the stupidity of humans, the treatment of women by men, and racism. Joe also tells of touring the world with his blues-rock band, Mendelson McKenna Mainline, in the early 1970s, sharing stages with burlesque strippers, and discovering a passion for art after rescuing a set of acrylic paints from a garbage can.

Customer Reviews:

the gentle and cranky genius of mendelson joe.......2004-10-23

I first encountered Mendelson Joe when he was with his group Mainline back in 1972; at the time, they had 2 hit albums (Stink and Canada: Our Home and Native Land) and a hit single on the charts ("Get Down To"). They were already legendary as being both a serious hard blues-rock band and for having raunchy lyrics. They surprised me that night for sitting down- and immediately all the high school kids sat down to- thereby defining the evening as a concert and not a dance. They stunned with their intensity (especially a 20 minute "Going to Toronto",) and I've never forgotten the eccentric precence of MJ that night: the way he talked, sang and played- his thinking- was like nothin I'd ever heard before. As the years went by, Joe left the group and struck out on his own- becoming increasingly feminist, humanitarian, stubborn and quixotic along the way. He also began (around 1976) to paint- in a completely natural, untrained way. I visited his first show and was impressed with the intensity of his vision- some were portraits, some were self-portraits, and some were landscapes. And from the beginning, a srong sense of social and political justice was present. Since that time, Joe has greatly developed his technique, both in clarity of vision and also in colour- and to see his canvasses in person is to be shocked by the intensity of the whole presentation- the colours and the thought of the art. For many years Joe has painted a series called "Working Women" which includes working women from all walks of life, and a book of this series will soon be released (around Novenmber 2004). This present book, Alien, is the combined autobiography/ oral biography of Joe, and like the man, it's stunning in its directness: Joe always tells the truth as he see it, calls a spade a spade, and damn the consequences; how many of us can say the same? He has remained true to his art, his principles, and his ideals. It has cost him: he lives alone, a virtual "hermit" (in his own words) up north in a log cabin; he paints, writes music and writes letters to newspapers: he is a hermetic social activist, and one of the country's artistic geniuses. It breaks your heart when Joe says "nobody has cared for the last 10 years whether or not I paint or do music", and he has been forced to make his albums available on his web-site, as tapes, and cds burned on a computer. But he still makes wonderful, uncompromising music, and unique intense art (a recent portrait of Dick Cheney may be the most incisively damning political painting he has ever done) and remains (along with artists such as Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and Neil Young) an exemplar of the Canadian 60's generation who have stuck to their principles, dreams, and ideals, even as they become battle-worn. But Joe is special in that he is so direct and honest that people are often offended, and view him as cranky and condescending. However, I don't think this is quite true. Joe has a finely tuned "bullshi# detector" and won't tolerate fools, but I've spoken to him on a few occasions, and he was always unfailingly polite, direct and, strangely, a little shy. At an event in Huntsville (near where Joe lives) arranged by his art dealer, Karen Armstrong, to launch this book (Alien) I drove through a snowstorm from Toronto to get there, and as Joe singed my book, he asked where I had come from: when I told him, he said, rather sweetly, "You're crazy". At that time, I felt Joe may be the shyest guy I've ever met.

He's a bundle of contradictions: overbearing, shy, direct, polite, stubborn, sweet, intellectual, anti-intellectual, and much more. And all his art (his music, his painting, his interviews, his letters) contains all these characteristics, combined in a seamless whole. Missing him is your loss: there's not another like him.

Not warm and fuzzy.......2001-09-24

Calling Mendelson Joe a curmudgeon doesn't really get to the heart of him. He's spent much of his life in perpetual outrage over what he sees as gross injustices in the world and, as one acquaintance puts it in this book, he'd even find Mahatma Gandhi's virtue wanting. Mendelson Joe is a severe critic of humanity; he's also a steadfastly honest man who speaks his mind and lives his life as close to "walking the walk while talking the talk" as he can. As editor and co-writer of this book, Nadia Halim manages to present Joe, his friends and his detractors in as fair and forthright a light as possible. Those who don't live in Canada are probably largely unfamiliar with Mendelson Joe, so suffice it to say that he'll confound your expectations and may tick you off initially. He also just might win you over to his way of thinking.

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