The Midshipman Culture and Educational Reform: The U.S. Naval Academy, 1946-76

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating autobiography of a famed meteorologist.......2006-07-27

After reading several books about the Sept. 8th, 1900 hurricane that decimated Galveston, Texas (The Windows of Heaven, Weekend In September, The Great Galveston Disaster, Death From The Sea, Isaac's Storm and Through a Night of Horror) I found this book, an autobiography of Isaac Cline. It is an interesting look at a man who was at the forefront of understanding the need to accurately predict weather phenomenon in order to protect people whose lives could otherwise be lost and whose homes and businesses were imperiled.
Isaac Cline was born in a log cabin on a small farm in Tennessee. His favorite book to read was the Bible, followed soon after by the writings of Jules Verne. Isaac wanted to one day write a great book on a matter of science, although in what area he was not then certain. He attended college through a combination of hard work and generosity, and was encouraged to become a preacher but realized that this was not truly in his heart.
He flourished in the science and math classes. In 1871 the U.S. Weather Service was formed and this gave rise to the opportunity to chose a scientific career where he could indulge his passion for science and research. Isaac Cline would eventually be known as the Weather Service man on Galveston who realized what was happening and put himself in danger to warn residents to flee. His personal losses were high.
He was also sent for a time to New Orleans where he realized that the potential for disaster from a hurricane in that region was all but inevitable.
His research into tide tables, wind velocities, the storm surge, and figuring out the spiraling pattern of hurricanes are just a few of the advancements that can be credited to this fascinating man.
Isaac Cline was also a collector of art in several forms, having some personal collections that were at times unrivaled for their quality and quantity.
Some of the chapters in this book have a provincial feel to them, due to the fact that they were written in a different era, but the wide variety and experiences that Isaac Cline relates show his unique personality and depth of character.

PLUNG'D IN THE FOAMING BRINE.......2001-07-21

Isaac Monroe Cline, writing of a storm he weathered off the coast of Veracruz, Mexico, made the prescient comment that "This was my first experience in a tropical cyclone, but it was not to be my last." Prescient, that is, for native Galvestonians who have listened to stories of the fateful, terrible Great Storm of 1900 from their forebears. I myself am a descendant of a survivor of an event that binds people together like Pearl Harbor survivors. Every B.O.I. (Born On the Island), it seems, had someone in the family or knew someone who made it through the night on September 8 one century ago.

Storms, Floods and Sunshine is one book that will be indispensable to storm descendants and Texas history aficionados. It is the autobiography of Isaac Cline, the weatherman who followed the storm as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico after its birth under the sweltering West African sun, traveling thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean, cutting a swath of destruction across Cuba before turning its fury directly on the industrious city of Galveston, the Wall Street west of the Mississippi and number one cotton port in the nation.

The chapters are short and the sentences are spare of the sentimental, flowery rhetoric one might expect of a Victorian-age Southerner born at the cusp of the Civil War in 1861. His life was one of Masonic diligence, Franklin-like in his pursuit of science and the betterment of mankind, shunning distractions like strong drink, gambling, even the company of women, until he could convince himself that perhaps the soft touch of a woman's hand could help him in social advancement.

Predictably, the longest chapters concern the development of weather technology, from its infancy under the Signal Corps of the U.S. Army., the political undercurrents, the infighting, and the agricultural aggrandizement. There are some snippets of humor, such as one forecaster who typed up the forecast for the week, submitted it to the newspaper, and took off fishing.

"History does not record a greater disaster in the United States, than that which occurred at Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900."

The one chapter that stands out, of course, is the one which changed the lives of thousands of residents and the course of a city. It materially changed Cline's life as well--he lost his wife in the disaster. Curiously, he is very silent about her other than a short description of how they met. Perhaps the memory of her death was too painful to relate in the wake of a hurricane that took at least 6,000 lives.

Some of the asides and anecdotes may strike the modern reader as a little bizarre. To put it in perspective, the writer is, after all, a devout Methodist who put aside a promising career as a preacher to study medicine and the weather. For example, a whole chapter is devoted to the novel idea that the ark was actually built in America--near the swamps of Florida and North Carolina, to be exact. Yet even here he marshals evidence he considers scientific, such as wood type and ocean currents. Plausible, maybe. Unusual, certainly.

It is a firsthand account of someone who helped a neglected branch of science become an essential part of our understanding of the natural world today. As Cline writes, "The slow progress made in the study of weather is surprising. The barometer was not invented until 1643, and the special study of weather and its changes did not receive much attention until two hundred years later."

Well-written autobiography by a meteorologist...who knew!.......2000-01-20

In a field of science where writing can be used more as a weapon than as a tool for understanding, Isaac Cline still shines as a meteorologist who knew how to write in a way most anyone can understand, without "dumbing up" the prose. The only thing missing are pictures, charts, and diagrams, if for no other reason than as a necessary break from all the text. His short chapters work to the book's advantage.

Even after 49 years, the spirit of the author comes alive in his writings. He was in a unique situation - witnessing the birth of the National Weather Service, and leading to its eventual acceptance from a public unable to believe anyone could make a one hour forecast, let alone one for two days!

He expanded the role of the NWS in his 55-year career, and now has an award named after him, long after his demise. He lived to a ripe old age, doing what he loved most. His personality is in full effect - he comes across arrogant at times, and uses shameless self-promotion in order to get everyone to know all the contributions he has made to meteorology and Early American Art. It was, and still is, well deserved, however.

He goes over his role in the Galveston Hurricane, the 1915 New Orleans Hurricane, and numerous Mississippi River Floods, including the great crevasse of 1927. He put most of the pieces of the hurricane puzzle together, and advanced the science significantly. He raised a family, and still found time to restore old paintings and make great contributions to his community in Galveston and New Orleans throughout his life.

The lessons he learned in life were hard, but it helped make him the man he was. His story is still fresh, even after all these years. This book is well worth owning, and is valuable in its historical information. Meteorologists and local historians could do worse than do read/own this work.

Book Description

In this poignant and heartfelt book, a young boy anticipates the arrival of his new baby sister. She is coming from China to be adopted into his American family.The story describes, month by month, the boy's participation in the long adoption process. Finally the waiting for May is over—she meets her new family, and it is the boy who makes her smile. The child narrator's point of view distinguishes this book from others on this topic and makes it immediate and accessible. Beautifully rendered, sensitive paintings augment the text.

Customer Reviews:

another good adoption story.......2007-01-20

We read every adoption story we can get our hands on. This is a neat one. Our adopted chinese daughter enjoyed it.

A wonderful book for siblings of adoption!.......2006-03-09

This book is just wonderful. It is a great preparation for any child who is waiting for a sibling to be adopted. It is a heart-warming story that talks about the adoption process, the waiting, and the emotions that go along with it, from a child's perspective. I love that the little boy can't wait to go to China and get his sister- many other books I have found on this topic show the waiting sibling with a jealous attitude towards the adoption. Jealousy is an important emotion to address, but many kids ARE very excited about adopting a sibling. This book is uplifting, sweet, and really gives a waiting sibling an idea of what to expect throughout the process of adoption. I highly recommend it!

Helpful for explaining adoption process to children........2005-09-11

My husband and I are in the process of completing paper work to get on a list to adopt a child from China. I happened upon this book at a bookstore and loved it immediately. We have already read it to our almost-3-year-old biological child to help explain the process of filling out paperwork and then waiting to hear about our new child. It has been a good way to introduce the topic of adoption. Our daughter asks for it often and has requested that we name our new child "May." :-) The pictures and story are simple enough to interest a very young child but have enough depth to interest a child in the early elementary grades (or even older).

I highly recommend this book to anyone waiting to adopt a child internationally (especially from China).

ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION - Volume 22, number 5 - May 1998: Get Me to the Church on Time; Lemuria Will Rise; The Shortest Night; Crucifixion Variations; Wading River Dogs and More; Wild Minds; Waiting for the Grief Fairy

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ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION - Volume 22, number 5 - May 1998: Get Me to the Church on Time; Lemuria Will Rise; The Shortest Night; Crucifixion Variations; Wading River Dogs and More; Wild Minds; Waiting for the Grief Fairy
Gardner (editor) (Terry Bisson; Kage Baker; Ian Watson; Lawrence Person; Michael Kandel; Michael Swanwick; W. Gregory Stewart; William John Watkins) Dozois
Manufacturer: Bantam Doubleday Dell Magazines
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J5SBKW

An end to waiting: The story of South Africa's elections, 26 April to 6 May 1994

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Wonderful reminiscence!

An end to waiting: The story of South Africa's elections, 26 April to 6 May 1994

Manufacturer: Independent Electoral Commission
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful reminiscence!.......2004-02-13

I worked for the Independent Electoral Commission as a Senior Mediator in the Eastern Cape, and remember these events. Reading through this book ten years on, it is a wonderful reminder of those heady days, and very accurate in its capturing of the mood of the time. The major players are all there, and wonderfully evocative pictures of places with names like Committee's Drift, dustbowls in the middle of nowhere, polling stations flapping in the wind.

Book Description

IF I CAN DO IT ANYBODY CAN!!! THAT'S MY PHILOSPHY ABOUT MAKING ACCOMPLISHMENTS. GO AHEAD, CLAIM YOUR SUCCESS IN LIFE. IT'S OK TO MAKE "YOU" HAPPY FIRST, EVERYTHING ELSE IN LIFE WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.

Time Magazine May 15 1989 Waiting for Washington: The US Dithers While Moscow Woos Europe * Should Ollie go to Jail?

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Time Magazine May 15 1989 Waiting for Washington: The US Dithers While Moscow Woos Europe * Should Ollie go to Jail?
Time Magazine Collection 1960 - 1986
Manufacturer: Time Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LDNO0O

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Waiting for May
Thyrza Davey
Manufacturer: Doubleday Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

General | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0385247990
Release Date: 1989-09-01

Watching and Waiting: Light for Perilous Times (May - June 1974)

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Watching and Waiting: Light for Perilous Times (May - June 1974)

Manufacturer: Sovereign Grace Advant Testimony
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: B000UCWFCE

Disabled workers may solve void in employment: Business finds resource waiting to be tapped. (Special Report: Insurance).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data ... An article from: San Diego Business Journal

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Disabled workers may solve void in employment: Business finds resource waiting to be tapped. (Special Report: Insurance).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data ... An article from: San Diego Business Journal
Carol Harnett
Manufacturer: CBJ, L.P.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from San Diego Business Journal, published by CBJ, L.P. on February 11, 2002. The length of the article is 1036 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: Disabled workers may solve void in employment: Business finds resource waiting to be tapped. (Special Report: Insurance).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Author: Carol Harnett
Publication: San Diego Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 11, 2002
Publisher: CBJ, L.P.
Volume: 23 Issue: 6 Page: 17(1)

Article Type: Brief Article, Statistical Data Included

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Disclosing information about patients waiting for transplant may encourage donation, study finds.(Michelle Singh, PhD, University of the Pacific, Stockton, ... ): An article from: Transplant News

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Disclosing information about patients waiting for transplant may encourage donation, study finds.(Michelle Singh, PhD, University of the Pacific, Stockton, ... ): An article from: Transplant News

Manufacturer: Transplant Communications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Transplant News, published by Transplant Communications, Inc. on January 31, 2003. The length of the article is 439 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: Disclosing information about patients waiting for transplant may encourage donation, study finds.(Michelle Singh, PhD, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California )
Publication: Transplant News (Newsletter)
Date: January 31, 2003
Publisher: Transplant Communications, Inc.
Volume: 13 Issue: 2

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Esperando abril como agua de mayo. (la industria bancaria española)(TT: Waiting for April like rain in May) (TA: Spanish banking industry): An article from: Epoca

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Esperando abril como agua de mayo. (la industria bancaria española)(TT: Waiting for April like rain in May) (TA: Spanish banking industry): An article from: Epoca

Manufacturer: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00096QGWG
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Epoca, published by Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA) on February 19, 1996. The length of the article is 674 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: Esperando abril como agua de mayo. (la industria bancaria española)(TT: Waiting for April like rain in May) (TA: Spanish banking industry)
Publication: Epoca (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 19, 1996
Publisher: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
Issue: n573 Page: p25(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Reviews:

A Culinary Treatise of the First Water. Buy It........2006-01-22

`Country Scrapple, An American Tradition' by the esteemed culinary writer, William Woys Weaver is the kind of book which every major food technique deserves to have written about it. It glorifies a humble, truly American product with scholarship and a respect rarely seen outside the rarefied worlds of wine and cheese writing.

This should come as no surprise to anyone who has read Weaver's best known book, `Sauerkraut Yankees' on the more general subject of Pennsylvania Dutch culinary traditions. Weaver has a touch that rivals the very best culinary scholars such as Elizabeth David, John Thorne, and Paula Wolfert. He is the mid-Atlantic answer to Thorne's New England perspective and the Southern culinary voice so loudly heard from Jim Villas and others.

The most revealing statement I found in this book is that scrapple can easily be seen as simply a `black polenta', as two of its most important ingredients are corn meal and a meat stock. To back up this perspective, Weaver begins with the story of scrapple's European beginnings in northern Germany and its strong similarities to another high-falutin' food preparation, liver pate. Unlike polenta and pate', scrapple has never lost its humble associations as a poor man's dish, garnered from the very last remains of hog butchery.

Part of the great charm in my reading this book lies in the fact that much of the action takes place within a 65 mile radius of my home in Bethlehem, the land of the Moravians, Quakers, Mennonites, and the Amish, and the site of scrapple central, the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. On top of this is the charm and interest of Weaver's linguistic research, citing one of my major personal heroes, the bard of Baltimore, H. L. Menchen. This is also a clue to the fact that scrapple, under several other names, has a much broader range than southeastern Pennsylvania. It has also gone under the name of Panhas, Pon-hoss, and Panhaus in the lands beyond Lancaster County and while grits has entered the pantheon of classic American foods, scrapple and its close relatives such as Pashofa have been a staple of low-cost eating in the south for as long as hogs have been raised and slaughtered there.

The book is so rich in detail that I even picked up an obscure fact about hog butchery in that the pig's viscera are actually divided into `haslet'; the heart, lungs and liver and `offal', everything else in the viscera. This is probably not arbitrary, as the heart, lungs and liver are probably the three most blood rich organs, and blood is a common ingredient in many types of German sausage, of which scrapple is a close relative.

About half of this book is dedicated to this scholarly introduction. The second half is dedicated to recipes for cooking and making scrapple. Being a native of the Pennsylvania Dutch outskirts and a fairly able home cook, one would think that knowing the right technique for cooking scrapple is in my genes. It isn't. I follow James Beard's recipe whenever I make it and wonder why I'm unhappy with the result. The natural instinct is to fry it as if it were a veal cutlet. Unfortunately, it simply doesn't have the backbone of even a very thinly pounded cutlet. The secret is in bringing the thinly greased pan to a high heat, turning the heat way down, and then adding the scrapple. Unlike Beard, Weaver makes no mention of flouring the scrapple, which, if his low heat technique is used, is probably unnecessary.

Now we get down to the business of making scrapple and its condiments. Weaver provides twenty different recipes, fifteen of which are for scrapple and five are for scrapple condiments, leading off with the all time Dutch favorite, apple butter. The fifteen recipes for scrapple include both vegetarian and kosher recipes so everyone can get into the act. While about half are from scrapple central, several are from the south and the mid-west.

The book ends with a set of notes and a bibliography that would make John Thorne envious. It also has a list of suppliers for both scrapple and scrapple making supplies that make most books on oriental cooking look stingy.

This book may not be for everyone, but if you are a serious foodie with an interest in American cuisine, this book is easily the equal to better than Villas works on Southern cuisine.

Very highly recommended.

Mmmm, I loves me some tasty scraps of pigs!.......2005-07-10

I once heard someone describe scrapple as "scraps of pigs."

Sure, that may sound disgusting to some people, but if you haven't tried scrapple than you really don't know what you're missing out on. It's great stuff!

Honestly, I don't know the first thing about this book I'm reviewing - but I sure know scrapple. Any book about scrapple is okay in my book (not that I have my own book, but I think you know what I mean.)

Viva Le Scrapple!

A lively, easy read.......2004-06-06

Whether the reader has had Philadelphia scrapple once, twice or never, Country Scrapple's survey of an American tradition and its history and recipes is unparalleled in the cookbook world. Food historian William Woys Weaver provides a surprising look at the long and European-rooted foundations of Scrapple, adding a wide variety of Scrapple recipes from around the world. Fans of American culinary traditions and history will find Country Scrapple a lively, easy read which is nicely supplemented with excellent dishes.

Customer Reviews:

I had a knif that was stabed by someone.......1999-03-15

It was a hot day. Me and Dally and Johnnycake went run and chaseing little kids.

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I guess Very Easy doesn't mean what I think it means

Very good book for a new knitter

Classic knitting.

Harder than the Title Would Imply

Very easy, but not always very attractive

Vogue Knitting: Very Easy Knits: The Best of Very Easy Very Vogue

Manufacturer: Sixth&Spring Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fashion | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Knitting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Vogue Knitting Quick Knits: Over 50 Fast & Easy Styles (Vogue Knitting)

Knitting Without Tears: Basic Techniques and Easy-to-Follow Directions for Garments to Fit All Sizes (Knitting Without Tears SL 466)

The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns: Basic Designs in Multiple Sizes & Gauges

The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques

The Knitting Experience: Book 1: The Knit Stitch (The Knitting Experience)

ASIN: 1573890294

Book Description

“This collection...many from well-known designers like Norah Gaughan, Christian de Falbe, and Lily Chin, will appeal to the beginning as well as to the experienced knitter who would like to start a fall sweater that is actually finished in time for the season....Recommended.”—Library Journal.

Customer Reviews:

I guess Very Easy doesn't mean what I think it means.......2007-07-12

A couple things surprised me about this book, and not a good way. One was that it's ALL sweaters. Easy Knits sounds like me like it might be several types of projects---maybe some hats, some scarves, some washclothes even...but no, all sweaters. Nothing against sweaters, but they use a LOT of expensive yarn and take a LOT of time.

Then, there was the Very Easy part of the title. I guess everyone has their own idea of very easy, but for me it doesn't mean cables, it doesn't mean hoods, it doesn't mean zippers, etc. It's not that those things are THAT hard, but this is not called Easy, it's called VERY EASY, and I didn't find anything here very easy. I guess they mean very easy if you have been knitting a while and want a break with a simpler project, not very easy for beginners. Oh, well.

The sweaters look fairly nice. Most of them look like something you would like to wear, although a few have a real 80s look, even though they weren't created in the 80s. I always wonder why the models have to look so high fashion, though. I don't think most knitters are really high fashion types. Would it kill the models to smile and look a little happy?

So, it all depends on what you are looking for. If you like knitting sweaters and you are a pretty good knitter, this might be a good book for you. If you are like me, sort of an advanced beginner who is not really ready for a lot of sweaters, I would look elsewhere.

Very good book for a new knitter.......2007-06-27

This book has patterns that can be accomplished by a new knitter and that are practical to wear. Generally the styles are classic and not trendy. A few patterns speak to the decade but are still beautiful (everything old is new again). Teenagers may not find many patterns cool, but the patterns are definately good for work, church, diner and a movie. Anyone 25 and older will be pleased. I would recommend this book confidently.

Classic knitting........2006-08-25

It's Vogue! How more classy can one get, regardless of what year it may have originally been from.

Harder than the Title Would Imply.......2006-08-11

The thing about a book of sweaters and things calling itself VERY easy is that it just isn't. For the most beginning of knitters (your's truly) this book is still rocket science. Knitting a sweater (on your own without an accomplished knitter friend to guide you) is HARD and calling it EASY doesn't help.

Very easy, but not always very attractive.......2002-06-20

Like all the Vogue Knitting books, _Very Easy Knits_ begins with a really excellent set of instructions, combining the necessary detail (a half-page list of knitting terms and abbreviations) with a conciseness which does wonders to prevent the beginning knitter from feeling overwhelmed. One should note that unlike the Vogue Knitting on the Go series, this one does not offer diagrams and instructions on how to knit (knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, binding off, and so on), instead assuming that the reader is already familiar with these basic techniques.

Like the Vogue Knitting magazines in which these patterns first appeared, each of the garments is photographed in vivid color. The photographs, unlike those in many knitting books and magazines (sad to say), represent a very productive compromise between the knitter's desire to see what the knitted fabric actually looks like, and the fashion photographer's desire to make the finished piece look, well, as fashionable as possible. No soft-focus shots here, thankfully.

Yet these patterns, some dating back to the early '80s, utilize the original magazine photographs, and the hairstyles, makeup, and accessories often accentuate just how dated the styles have become. While some are fairly timeless in their simplicity, others, like the scoop-back crop top and the drop-shoulder striped pullover (paired with a long pleated white skirt!), are almost embarrassingly outdated. Moreover, while this may be my own strong reaction to some of the designs, some of the more recent pieces, even those from, say, 1997, are already showing signs of heading down the same path. The more experienced knitter will find much here to be adaptable, and may want to use some of the designs as templates of sorts, but the book's intended audience--beginning knitters who seek simple, yet fashionable designs--may find much to be disappointed in here.

I've only recently acquired my copy of this book, and haven't yet knit any of the designs, but there are several designs here which make the book worth the money. Then again, I bought it used. On the whole, I found the Vogue American Collection and Vintage Collection books to be much more attractive, albeit much more complex, than the set shown here.

Book Description

Featuring:
• Over 120 orchid species found in Southeast Asia
• Contains more than 130 color photographs

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HANDY POCKET GUIDE TO ORCHIDS
DAVID P. BANKS
Manufacturer: PERIPLUS EDITIONS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KV6BC0

Book Description

First published in 1983 when it won the MIND Book of the Year Award, this best-selling book has help thousands of people leave behind the prison of depression. Dorothy Rowe gives depressed people a way of understanding their depression, which matches their experience and enables them to take charge of their life and change it. She shows that depression is not an illness or a mental disorder, but a defense against pain and fear, which we can be used whenever we suffer a disaster and discover that our life is not what we thought it was.

Depression is an unwanted consequence of how we see ourselves and the world. By understanding how we have interpreted events in our life, we can choose to change our interpretations and thus create for ourselves a happier, more fulfilling life.

Depression: The Way Out of Your Prison is for depressed people, and for all professionals and non-professionals who work with depressed people.

Customer Reviews:

An unhelpful read.......2005-11-03

This is probably the worst book on depression I've ever read. The author spends most of it explaining how you've caused your own illness, with no acknowledgement of biochemical or genetic factors. While it's important to face up to the ways we may have contributed to our depression, this book was lacking in compassion, and full of unhelpful generalisations. For example, Rowe states that people stay depressed because they believe depression is somehow virtuous. That certainly wasn't true for me - I believed my inability to cope with life must make me a terrible, evil person.

After struggling through most of the book, I reached the chapter on "getting out of your prison", hoping that at least here I'd get some practical advice. Not at all. Apparently, once you understand how you've built your prison, it's easy to just walk out and never be depressed again. Maybe this would have worked for me if I'd believed Rowe's theories in the rest of the book - unfortunately, I didn't.

Although many people swear by this book, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who's severely depressed. Instead, try Mind Over Mood by Greenberger & Padesky or Feeling Good by David Burns. Those books are full of practical advice and actually helped me overcome my depression.

Admittedly, I am a CBT fanatic - Rowe's books may be more useful to someone who favours the psychoanalytical approach.

A book to take to bed.......2005-09-11

For those long nights of sleeplessness, this book is the good friend you need. The insights are presented in a calm and supportive way without medico-babble or the promises of instant cures nor a push towards medication. It needs to be read reflectively over and over again for true insight and is the most useful book on depression I have ever read.

If you really want to take control of your depression, read this book!!!!.......2005-09-03

Dorothy Rowe's book on depression is different and brilliant. It is the clearest and most insightful book that I have ever read. With a wealth of knowledge behind her on the history of psychiatry and psychology, Dorothy knows how to explain depression in consumable fashion, straight through the usual mystifying psychobabble and chemical imbalance theories. As a therapist, I am conscious of how many people Dorothy's book has helped. They come back with passages underlined, words that are full of wisdom and truly heal. She knows how people feel in the prison of depression and they begin to be allowed to be depressed and eventually make the choice to heal.

insightful.......2003-02-19

This is the very best book I have read about depression, and as a psychotherapist, I have read many. This book is written in a style that is both accessible and scholarly, so it can appeal to sufferers of depression and to mental health professionals alike. The author builds a metaphor throughout the book in which she discusses depression as a prison, which is built brick by brick by experiences and thoughts. The prison both protects and isolates the depressed person, and the depressed person wants to change, but feels helpless to change, thereby remaining in the prison. The author conveys a deep understanding of the pain of the depressed person, the beliefs that perpetuate depression (e.g., being depressed=being good, only bad things will happen to me) and then rationally disputes these self-defeating beliefs. This book provides much food for thought; as such, I appreciated reading it slowly so that I could reflect on it between chapters.

good overview but lacks solid advice.......2002-04-08

As a former sufferer of clinical depression, my most effective tool for recovery was self-help books. Although I would say that Dorothy Rowe writes in a very creative and understanding manner about the nature of depression and the binds which keep us in it, the book doesn't really venture beyond the abstract. Unlike the excellent "Overcoming Depression" by Paul Gilbert or "Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway" by Susan Jeffers, there is actually very little advice on how to practically integrate these ideas into your life, as well as how to cope on a day to day basis with the condition.

Depression: The Way out of Your Prison - 2nd Edition

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Depression: The Way out of Your Prison - 2nd Edition
Dorothy Rowe
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J2K5YA

Book Description

Bruce Bairnsfather's cartoons were to the general public during World War I what Bill Mauldin's cartoons were to be in World War II. His "If you know of a better 'ole - get to it" may be the most famous cartoon of all time. His humorous portrayals of ordinary soldiers in the trenches were a great morale booster and were still serving as an inspiration years later during the dark days of the Second World War.

Over the years, particularly in Britain, a vast array of Bairnsfather collectables have appeared, such as plates, cups, mugs, car mascots and ashtrays. Renowned World War I tour guides Tonie and Valmai Holt provide a heavily illustrated guide to the world of Bairnsfather collectibles, and a detailed account of the man behind the legend.

Customer Reviews:

Bruce Bairnsfather Biography.......2003-06-20

This book is the original and only biography of Bairnsfather. The edition here is out of print. It has now been updated by the same authors and republished in 2001 in hardback by Pen and Sword Books with additional information about the original Old Bill. A memorial to Bairnsfather will be unveiled on 13 December 2003 at St Yvon in Belgium where he drew his first cartoons

Customer Reviews:

A Unique and Revealing Story.......2007-08-11

"And Then a Rainbow" is an intimate journey with a Japanese family as they made new trails from Japan through California, and then back to Japan and back to California.
The recollections of Ms. Shimonishi-Lamb are like the kitchen conversations that many third and fourth generation Japanese Americans yearn for with their own grandparents or parents. Personal family stories about internment and other wartime events are few and far between, which makes this book a treasure in Japanese American history.
The Kubota family came from Yamanashi Prefecture to San Francisco. They first settled in the Sacramento area building a successful rice company. Later, they traveled south to the hills of Palos Verdes and farmed near the Pacific Ocean. The children attended school in San Pedro, the Los Angeles Harbor District.
Mili married Toshio Shimonishi, from Hiroshima, and they lived in the Los Angeles area for a short time until the war broke out. They were interned in Cody, Wyoming, at Heart Mountain Relocation Camp. There, they grappled with issues of citizenship, loyalty, and family values. They were repatriated to Japan after the war and the author gives a unique account of an American rebuilding her family life in post-war Hiroshima.
Many years passed and her desire to return to America became a reality. And once again, she was rebuilding her life but this time, it was in Long Beach, California. Mili finally got her rainbow.
Of all the books I've read on Japanese American history, this is one of the most interesting and is one of my favorites.

Straight from the author.......2001-03-04

It is a true story of my life during that time. It is a history that cannot be repeated. I wanted my children and friends to hear about it from me. Readers have commented that they laughed and cried while reading my book.

Rainbows After the Storm: When Someone You Love Becomes a Memory, Then the Memory Becomes a Treasure

Average customer rating:

Rainbows After the Storm: When Someone You Love Becomes a Memory, Then the Memory Becomes a Treasure
Sherry Boyd Neu
Manufacturer: Tate Publishing & Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1598862928

Book Description

These pages consist of a realistic, truthful guide on how to survive through the grief, how to deal with inappropriate comments and actions from people who are trying to comfort, and finally having the will and strength to live a new life.

Average customer rating:

Transport Then and Now (Rainbows Blue)
Helena Ramsay
Manufacturer: Evans Brothers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Rainbow 3: Cities Then & Now
Ramsay
Manufacturer: Evans Brothers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 023751561X

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