A Marine From Boston: A first person story of a US Marine in World War II

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A Marine From Boston: A first person story of a US Marine in World War II - Boot Camp-Samoa-Guadalcanal-Bougainville
John Carey
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1403367205

Book Description

This first full-length biography of Edward Emerson Barnard tells the remarkable tale of endurance and achievement of one of the leading astronomers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. As "a man who was never known to sleep", Barnard scoured the heavens endlessly, leaving an astonishing legacy of observations that make him one of the greatest observers of all time. This book traces Barnard's life from impoverished origins to status as an internationally recognized astronomer. His success as a professional astronomer unfolds in 1842 as he discovers the fifth satellite of Jupiter (the first since Galileo) and pioneers wide-angle photography of the Milky Way, which leads to the recognition of dark nebulae--clouds of dust on the galactic plane. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this book provides a complete history of Barnard's fascinating life and work, based largely on previously unpublished archival material, that will be of interest to astronomers and historians of science.

Customer Reviews:

An absolutely wonderful book!.......2000-08-23

This is a meticulously researched and well written book about one of the most celebrated astronomers of the turn of the last century, who is unfortunately almost forgotten today. As was the case with many well known scientists of the 19th century, Barnard started life inauspiciously and came to science as a result of his considerable amateur achievements. Poor and virtually uneducated as a child in Nashville, he distinguished himself as a photographer's assistant, and developed a lifelong interest in the night sky. After becoming fairly well known as an amateur astronomer, he attracted the attention of the officials of what would eventually become Vanderbilt University. The regents were persuaded to build an observatory, and installed the young Barnard as its director, even though he had no college education (not even high school!). Barnard was aware of his limitations, particularly in mathematics, and began to audit courses at Vanderbilt in math, astronomy, and physics. When he finally left several years later to take a position at the new Lick Observatory in California, he had the equivalent of a bachelor's degree, though a degree was never officially conferred.

Barnard's life in astronomy is marked by greatness. Comets were his early passion and he discovered many, but he was equally please to make detailed observations of any comet, regardless if it was "his" or not. He was also a passionate observer of the planets. His discovery of Jupiter's fifth moon was the event for which posterity usually remembers him, but he also made ground breaking observations of Mars and Saturn. Though he never publicly said so, he was one of the earliest skeptics of his good friend Percival Lowell's "canal" observations of Mars. Barnard's sketches in the early 1890's revealed details of what would later be called Valles Marineris and the volcano calderas of Olympus Mons, Arsia Mons, and Ascraeus Mons, but showed no evidence of canals. Later, Barnard pioneered the use of wide field photography and made some of the earliest and best photographic studies of the Milky Way, and eventually authored the catalog of dark nebulae that bears his name. He also did considerable photographic work with comets and put forth some controversial (and mostly correct) theories about the nature of the mysterious coma and tails. His pioneering work in stereoscopic photography was done with comets as well, where a special viewer allowed the viewing of two sequential shots of a comet, making the comet stand out in relief against the background stars. Barnard's penchant for closely studying his photos was rewarded by his discovery of the great looping nebula in the constellation Orion that bears his name, as well as the faint star of fast proper motion in Ophiuchus (Barnard's star).

Sheehan's writing is marvelously clear and interesting, and his documentation is thorough. He lays bare Barnard's decade long quarrels with Lick director Edward S. Holden, and follows Barnard to Yerkes in Wisconsin where he spent over 20 years and eventually ended his career. Sheehan is a psychiatrist by training and makes an occasional conjecture regarding the psychology of various characters. I found this distracting at first but he never went overboard with it. By the end of the book, I found myself wishing he would be even more adventurous with his psychohistoriagraphy in the case of George Hale's well known struggles with mental illness, but Sheehan didn't take the bait beyond a few general comments.

Overall, I found this book virtually impossible to put down, and was almost depressed that it had to end. Dozens of wonderful pictures of Barnard and his companions, astrophotos, and sketches litter its pages. A detailed index is supplied making cross-referencing the many names and places easy.

E.E. Barnard was a pivotal figure in the history of astronomy, straddling the breach between observational work of the 19th century, and the "new" astronomy (astrophysics) of the 20th. Barnard never ceased being an observer to the end of his life, and in many ways it is his spirit that lives on in the form of amateur astronomy at the beginning of the 21st century.

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Coping with Grief

Solace and Wisdom When You Feel No One Understands

Invaluable, infomrative, comforting, encouraging.

Sensitive and useful

Understanding Grief: Helping Yourself Heal
Alan Woefelt
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Death & Grief | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Grief & Bereavement | Death & Grief | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Counseling | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Developmental Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Understanding Your Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart (Understanding Your Grief series)

Healing Your Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas (100 Ideas Series)

The Understanding Your Grief Journal: Exploring the Ten Essential Touchstones (Understanding Your Grief series)

The Understanding Your Grief Support Group Guide: Starting and Leading a Bereavement Support Group (Understanding Your Grief series)

Healing a Spouse's Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas After Your Husband or Wife Dies (Healing Your Grieving Heart series)

ASIN: 1559590386

Book Description

This classic resource helps guide the bereaved person through the loss of a loved one, and provides an opportunity to learn to live with and work through the personal grief process.

Customer Reviews:

Coping with Grief .......2007-05-12

I learned about this book when I attended a hospice sponsored grief group
after the death of my father to cancer. This book combines good reading,
excellent guidance, and a way to do some journaling of thoughts.

I have given this book to family and friends who have lost loved ones to
cancer. It does make it easier to share feelings. A great tool in the
journey of grieving.

Solace and Wisdom When You Feel No One Understands.......2002-01-28

This book has been a great comfort to me during many moments of extreme loneliness and pain. Grieving can make you feel misunderstood, misplaced and lost -- and this author truly understands. Reading this compassionate book helped me realize that all of the extreme feelings one experiences while grieving are completely normal. The many written exercises in the book can be tough to work through, but they are healing. You could easily skip all the exercises and find comfort in reading the text alone. I also found this book very helpful in understanding and dealing with people who expect you to just "pick up the pieces" and get on with life right after the funeral. The book makes the point that Western society in general is guilty of encouraging those of us who mourn to cut our grieving process short. This book is perfect for the person grieving a loss, as a gift for a family member or friend who is grieving, or as a primer for those who are walking with someone through grief and would like some insight into the process and experience of grieving.

Invaluable, infomrative, comforting, encouraging........2000-04-06

Understanding Grief is a compassionate, effective guide to coping with the death of a loved one. Alan Wolfelt presents more than 100 workshops a year for hospices, schools, funeral homes, community groups and service organizations and shared his expertise in helping bereaved people move toward healing by encouraging them to explore their unique journeys into grief and mourning. Understanding Grief covers such issues as common myths about grief and mourning, what to expect, taking care of oneself in the grieving process, when additional help is needed, helping guidelines for support groups, and helping a friend in grief. Readers are asked specific questions about their personal grief journeys and encouraged to thing about and write down their responses. Understanding Grief is an invaluable, informative, comforting, and encouraging book that is highly recommended for personal, counseling center, and public library grief management collections.

Sensitive and useful.......1999-10-20

If you liked this book, also try "The Healing Journey Through Grief" by Phil Rich. This is a self help journaling book that will help you to understand, work through, and write about your bereavement. There are other books in the "Healing Journey" series too that are worth checking out. including books (all called "The Healing Journey" and all by Phil Rich and other co-authors) including a books on journaling for individuals (The Healing Journey) and one on journaling for couples("The Healing Journey for Couples") and others ("The Healing Journey Through...") divorce, menopause, job loss, retirement, and addiction.

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Wonderful book!

Summer's Around the Corner

Great Cook book

Complete Grilling Cookbook (Williams Sonoma Kitchen Library)
Williams Sonoma
Manufacturer: Time-Life Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Barbecuing & Grilling | Outdoor Cooking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Outdoor Cooking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Culinary Arts & Techniques | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Williams-Sonoma Mastering: Grilling & Barbecuing (Williams-Sonoma Mastering)

The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Grilling

The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Roasting

The Everything Grilling Cookbook: From Vegetable Skewers to Tuna Burgers--300 healthy recipes for any grill (Everything: Cooking)

Essentials of Grilling: Recipes and Techniques for Successful Outdoor Cooking

ASIN: 0737020636

Book Description

Become an expert at the grill, serving delicious outdoor meals with style and ease. The Complete Grilling Cookbook puts at your fingertips all the advice and instructions you need, along with nearly 240 home-tested recipes for hot-off-the-grill foods and other dishes to round out your menus. The Williams-Sonoma Complete Grilling Cookbook, is a compilation of recipes originally published in the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library and Cookware series-plus original recipes created especially for this volume. Special sections on salads and accompaniments and on fruit desserts, cookies, and ice creams offer a range of recipes, from Creamy Red Potato Salad with Celery Seeds to Boston Baked Beans, Three Berry Cobbler to Dark Chocolate Gelato, that can be made ahead to complement a grill menu

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful book!.......2004-12-17

THis book has many delightful recipes to help you enjoy summer grilling season. Additionally, it has helpful hints such as how long to cook various thicknesses of meat, and the most amazing side dishes! Also has plenty of vegetarian recipes for both on and off the grill. My favorites are the stuffed mushrooms and squash (on the grill) and the pasta salad (side dish).

Summer's Around the Corner.......2002-02-16

This cook book offered a wide variety of grilled items and practical sauces, rubs and accompanying dishes. It will definitely be used all summer long at our house.

Great Cook book.......2001-05-26

This is a very good cookbook. The directions are awesome and it has high quality pictures of everything so you know what it should look like when you are done cooking. Lots of good recipies. A+

Complete Grilling Cookbook (Williams-Sonoma Complete Cookbooks)

Average customer rating:

Unusual recipes, excellent grilling basics

Complete Grilling Cookbook (Williams-Sonoma Complete Cookbooks)
Williams-Sonoma
Manufacturer: Oxmoor House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Barbecuing & Grilling | Outdoor Cooking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0848725921

Customer Reviews:

Unusual recipes, excellent grilling basics.......2007-06-30

ALthough some of the preparations are unusual, there are none I don't intend to try at least once. THere are plenty of recipes for grilling all types of meats and cuts -- pork, chicken, vewal, beef, lamb -- and a good fish section as well. The pointers on the art of grilling are thorough and easy to follow. All told, a staple in my house!

Book Description

In the last 50 years the tiger population in Asia has plummeted from 100,000 to about 5,000. The number of tigers is dangerously low, and the conservation of the world's remaining tigers is of global concern. Now, in this volume, 40 world authorities on tigers, from Asia, Europe, and North America have summarized and identified the management, conservation, and research needs for this endangered species. A new discipline - conservation biology - is emergeing and this book is an early contribution. It spans and unites theory, laboratory and field studies with management practices of both the wild and captive populations. The book is based on the international symposium held in Minnesota, discusses the tiger's systematics and taxonomy, its status both in the wild and captivity, reproductive biology, management and conservation strategies. In addition, an entire section is devoted to a discussion of the white tiger. The tigers of Indonesia, Nepal, Siberia, and China, as well as captive tigers are discussed. Finally, the information in this book places real numbers on the remaining tiger populations, their habitat which is protected and probabilities of these populations surviving an extinction.

Tigers of the World: The Biology, Biopolitics, Management, and Conservation of an Endangered Species

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Tigers of the World: The Biology, Biopolitics, Management, and Conservation of an Endangered Species

Manufacturer: Noyes Pub, Park Ridge NJ
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I9HR7M

Book Description

This beautiful new book guides readers with intermediate to advanced level sewing skills toward the successful creation of costumes for theatrical or dance performances, and for re-enactments and interactive fiction. Nearly 250 beautiful color photographs and detailed line drawings of many types of costumes, along with solid design principles, provide a wealth of easy to understand information and how-to instructions. Practical tips concerning theatrical production teams, lines of authority, budgets, scheduling, and post-production storage of costumes are included. An annotated bibliography and a resource guide are both useful references.

Customer Reviews:

For experienced sewers only, mostly dance costuming needs will be met by this book.......2006-10-19

While this is a good resource for those of us who are experienced sewers, there is not much helpful information on theatrical costuming. Starting about 1/3 of the way through the book there are chapters on ballet, irish dance, ballroom dance, etc. and are very useful if that's the type of costuming you're involved with. The photographs of the costumes used in historical re-enactments are simply, amazing, and probably useful if that's what you're looking for. I would say this book is very light on theatrical costuming, and while I've gotten some good tips from the book that I've actually used (an easy way to make a 9 gore skirt w/o a pattern), it mostly gets ignored.

Requires intermediate to advanced sewing skills.......2002-08-06

Mary Burke Morris' The Costume Book requires intermediate to advanced sewing skills and a prior interest in costume creation, but any working with theater or dance productions who regularly sew such costumes will find it an invaluable reference. Chapters come packed with photos and line drawings, overviews of basic design principles, and instructions which quickly lend to production efforts.

Amazon.com

Psychologist David Anderegg has written a fascinating book about the worries that wake parents up at night. His confrontational premise is, "Worry reveals very much about the parent and very little about the child." Rather than view a child through the prism of a parent's anxiety, Anderegg focuses parents on their child's unique temperament. He surveys our culture and child-development literature, asking searching, nettlesome questions. For example, why do Americans feel so invaded by their own cultural products? Among his targets are parents who read too much and those who view their children's college acceptance as a parental final exam. Each chapter outlines how parents may be overreacting to issues such as school violence and offers insightful ideas for parents to try at home. Anderegg is at his best in a brilliant chapter about drugs. Here, he explores the unresolved authority issues of boomer parents who are grieving about their current "uncool" state. Although the subject of sexuality is curiously underplayed, Anderegg's prickly ideas and practical suggestions will gain this book a wide, well-deserved readership. --Barbara Mackoff

Book Description

A much-needed book for parents about themselves.

In the tradition of Dr. Benjamin Spock, who in 1946 revolutionized parenting with the famous opening words of his classic child-rearing guide, "You know more than you think you know," child and family therapist David Anderegg reminds contemporary parents that "parenting is not rocket science. It's not even Chem 101." So why do those of us with children worry so much?

Whether they're thinking about school violence or getting a child into the right college, American moms and dads are a pretty worried crowd. Even though most American families are safer and healthier today than at any other time in our history, studies show that parental worrying has, in recent years, reached an all-time high. In Worried All the Time, Dr. Anderegg draws on social science research and his more than twenty years' experience as a therapist treating both parents and their children to clarify facts and fantasies about kids' lives today and the key issues that preoccupy parents. In the process, he offers a comforting and useful message: Parents are suffering needlessly -- and there are things they can do to take the edge off and focus on what their children really need.

In Worried All the Time, Dr. Anderegg identifies some of the causes of worry in contemporary American families, including fewer children, exaggerated fear of competition, and overblown media reports of children at risk. Anderegg calls this the "tabloidization of children" and critiques the fashion for media portrayals of "children in crisis." One at a time, he takes on the hot-button issues of our times:

• the use of day care and nannies
• overexposure to media
• school violence
• overscheduling
• experimentation with drugs

and looks a little closer to see the facts and the fantasies beneath the hysteria. Calling himself a "crisis agnostic," Anderegg persuasively argues that needless worry has negative consequences for families and for our culture as a whole. The cardinal rules of good parenting -- moderation, empathy, and temperamental accommodation with one's child -- are simple, he says, and are not likely to be improved upon by the latest scientific findings. Anderegg helps parents to understand the difference between wise vigilance and potentially crippling anxiety and to gain the confidence to trust their own common sense.

Customer Reviews:

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT BOOK FOR OUR TIMES.......2003-08-27

I wish all parents would read this book! Both they and their children would be happier if they did. I am an older adult whose children are grown, and I see my younger friends with children making life much harder for themselves than it needs to be. I am sorry the negative term "overparenting" is in the title, because I want to buy a whole bunch to give away but am concerned it could be seen as a criticism.(Couldn't it just be: "Worried all the Time: Being a Parent in an Age of Anxiety"?) However the content of the book itself is incredibly generous and reassuring to parents who just want the best for their kids. Nowhere have I seen such an interface between the personal aspects of childrearing and the specific challenges presented by today's society, such as drugs, TV and video games, school violence, etc. Anderegg cuts through all the confusion generated by the conflicting messages the media sends us every day and is clear about the ways parents can choose to make their lives--and their children's--easier and more satisfying. "Worried all the Time" is also a compelling read for those without immediate childrearing interests because of Anderegg's perspective on our current culture.

I loved this book!.......2003-06-19

Considering that my youngest child just graduated from high school, it's too bad that Dr. Anderegg didn't write this book 15 years sooner! Nonetheless, his discussion of the emotional dynamics of the college application and college choice process was itself worth the price of admission. With that topic as well as others, Dr. Anderegg does a particularly good job of getting the reader to admit to sometimes acting on less than flattering motivations -- without feeling like a bad person! The payoff for these perhaps painful insights is that one pole of the emotional magnet that keeps many an inner conflict spinning can be thus be identified and - horray! -- turned off. His discussion of the three principles of good parenting - moderate firmness, empathy, and goodness of fit - was an enlightening roundup of theory and research, and enormously reassuring. Dr. Anderegg is especially skilled at distilling recent academic research -- for example, regarding drug use, school violence, adolescent sexual behavior, substitute child care -- and bringing that knowledge to bear on the day-to-day dilemmas and arguments that we all have with our kids, our spouses, and with ourselves. He does an especially good job of pointing out how a given statistic could be and often is interpreted to support opposing positions, and noting when the research data are firm and when the academic jury is still out. All of this is accomplished with a wonderful dry wit and a clear sense of fellowship with us parents.

I only wish I had had Dr. Anderegg whispering in my ear -- and felt his hand on my shoulder -- long before this as an antidote to the cultural messages screaming in my face through the media and the constant chattering of my fellow parents in the other ear. About the only downside to reading this book is that I have probably acquired more smile lines around the corners of my mouth (Anderegg does have a great sense of humor) - not a bad price to pay for losing some of the furrows in my brow.

Almost forgot: the Notes section at the end of the book that provides references to the sources of statistics and studies cited in the book is very cleverly done. In addition to the page number from the text a brief tag phrase (typically a few words or a phrase from the book) is also provided. This makes it very easy to find the primary source for the issue you want to pursue further -- a very nice touch. This Notes section is in addition to a more traditional index.

right on the money.......2003-06-18

I felt like Anderegg was talking directly to me and all my friends and relatives. We have become so worried about every little decision, torturing ourselves over choosing the right school, choosing the right sports team, choosing the right pediatrician, not to mention whether our children are smart enough/athletic enough/social enough/successful enough to succeed in this terrifying world. Enough already! I'm ready to spend some time just enjoying my kids, and I really like the advice the author gives about how to take a deep breath, give our kids some sorely needed independence, and give ourselves a break!

Highly Recommended for High-Strung Parents.......2003-06-14

I've already decided that, when my blond-haired, blue-eyed, most adorable five-year-old in the world hits 12 or so, she's going into a Carmelite nunnery. I mentioned this to a friend of mine a few days ago, who pshawed, "Oh, but you'll miss her!" to which I said, "Yeah, but I'll be able to talk to her through a screen!" There are days when I really mean this, but only on those days that end in 'y'.

I never really thought I was the only parent who felt this way, and now that I've read WORRIED ALL THE TIME, I know I'm not. In fact, if David Anderegg's reports are to be believed, I'm probably at the low end of the anxiety scale. Anderegg reports that one dad was concerned about his son's self-esteem because the lad told a joke at school and nobody laughed. Dad actually went to the teacher to see how this could be remedied. My advice would have been to encourage sonny boy to find better material, or a better audience, and faghettaboutit. And that basically is what Anderegg's advice was, in addition to gently telling the parent to butt out.

Anderegg has some interesting ideas and raises some interesting points. He looks at over-scheduling activities (what I call "Camp Runamuck"), daycare centers, school shootings, the influence of the media, and the potential for drug and alcohol use among children. His basic message can be condensed to "Lighten up, Mom and Dad." While WORRIED ALL THE TIME isn't a "Don't Worry, Be Happy" book, Anderegg's conclusion is that things aren't quite as bad as they seem to be.

Anderegg is a soothing voice of reason, and I have recommended this book to a couple of sets of parents already, just because of the issues it raises. Anderegg isn't totally convincing, but he does an excellent job of discerning issues of concern and discussing them. He has a balanced take on daycare centers, raising some interesting points pro and con, and makes some obvious but overlooked comments about au pairs. Anderegg's evaluation of the media reveals that he does not know much about how popular entertainment finds its way to the market, but his conclusion as to how much --- or how little --- movies, television and music affect children seems, in the end, on the mark. Similarly, he avoids the hysteria that surrounded the wave of school shootings a couple of years ago, demonstrating fairly conclusively that the safest place for most children continues to be in school. Anderegg even gets into the biological whys and wherefores about why we are more worried and why the world seems to be a more dangerous place for children than it used to be.

Statistics and the like do not help when your child is one of them, obviously, and possibly this point of understanding isn't stressed enough in WORRIED ALL THE TIME. There is also not much that WORRIED ALL THE TIME has to offer to parents of less than modest economic means, who are raising their children in dire situations. There may ultimately be no answers that fit every situation. However, WORRIED ALL THE TIME at least makes the attempt to identify those areas that may be of concern, and those that may be a source of unnecessary aggravation.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Book Description

Jewish achievement in the sciences? Celebrated.Jews in literature?Lionized. But until now, there's been no record of the massive contributions of Jews in Rock n' Roll.Jews Who Rock features 100 top Jewish rockers, from Bob Dylan to Adam Horowitz, Courtney Love (yes, she's half Jewish) to John Zorn, with a concise page of essential data and a biography of each one."People who are into our music have mentioned to me that knowing we are Jewish has helped them feel more comfortable in their love of hip hop and sometimes even more comfortable and reassured in their own identity.If someone reads Jews Who Rock and feels empowered to make music or be creative because they identify with our being Jewish, that to me is a very positive thing."--Beastie Boy Mike D. AUTHORBIO: Guy Oseary is one of the hottest executives in the music business.He started working with Madonna when he was just seventeen, and is now her partner at Maverick Records.He lives in Los Angeles, and is definitely a Jew who rocks.

Customer Reviews:

best b'nai mitzvah gift! Jews Who Rock.......2005-07-28

finally found a great B'nai mitzvah book that all kids like. This little book is really packed with info on famous musicians who happen to be Jewish. Our whole family enjoyed it!

TIME FOR AN UPDATE?.......2004-10-25

Thanks to Maroon 5's Adam Levine and superstars Evan & Jaron...isn't about time this book gets updated? HAPPY HANUKKAH!

Mixed-Up Confusion!.......2002-09-21

After having received this book as a gift, one wonders how much griping is allowable. Nonetheless, after having skimmed through the book and after having read the entry on Bob Dylan, it gave me good pause. Since there were multiple errors on Dylan's one page, it naturally made me ask the question, "How many other errors might abound?" I am not proposing that the book should be error-free (no book is), but after having read some of the reviews, it's clear that someone should take the responsibility (Guy Oseary? or maybe his editor or researcher? or maybe the publisher?) for the many errors that fill its pages.

I'll simply point out the errors on the Dylan page. The singer did not graduate from the University of Minnesota in 1959 (nor any other university). He graduated from his high school, Hibbing High, in 1959, and then merely attended the Univ. of Minn. for a few semesters. And Dylan's second album, "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" didn't come out in 1962 (it was 1963). Additionally, to say Dylan's songs "extolled the use of certain drugs" and to use "Rainy Day Women #12&35" as an example ("everybody must get stoned"), oversimplifies things; the lyrics to this song are actually quite rich (despite them being made almost cliche because of radio overplay and overplay in concert) but Dylan has denied--on more than one occasion--writing "drug songs." In one interview he mentioned it was hard enough to write songs without making it harder [through drugs].

After referencing the 1966 era, we're then told that Dylan "toured and recorded tirelessly" for the next 30 years. Really? Most fans will vividly recall when Dylan did not embark on a single tour from 1967-1973; he also abstained from touring in 1977, 1982-1983 and 1985.

And the "Never-Ending Tour" is listed as "1988-1996" which is odd. Dylan's touring didn't stop in 1996 (this book was published in 2001), it has continued to this day, i.e., "1988-2002."

As for the book's statement that "Bob took his adopted name from poet Dylan Thomas," this too isn't factual. Dylan has denied this on a number of occasions and others close to Dylan have corroborated his denial although the exact origins of the name are not entirely clear (typical Dylan).

We are also informed that Dylan was involved with the Lubavitch movement in Jerusalem in 1984. But this is the wrong location, and year. He studied with the Lubavitchers in Brooklyn in 1983.

And then there's the matter-of-fact statement that Dylan "explored various religions outside of Judaism, to which he ultimately returned." In 1979-1981, Dylan did more than "explore" Jesus (and he still sings about Jesus, for whatever reason, to this day). He also has never announced his departure from or return to Judaism. In typical contrarion fashion, Dylan quoted a biblical passage from the Hebrew Scriptures on his 1980 album, "Saved." And then in 1984, the year after he studied with the Lubavitchers, Dylan was asked if he thought the Old and New Testaments were equally valid. He replied, "To me." (Rolling Stone interview with Kurt Loder). Dylan has participated in the Lubavitchers' Chabad telethons (1986, 1989 & 1991) but has also continued to sing songs from the "Slow Train/Saved."

Even with all the religion hububb aside, it seems that for all I've pointed out it could've been a case of my having scoured through a full-length book...but it was, again, only a one-page entry on Dylan! And there were many errors, so buyer beware.

Maybe one day we'll have an updated, mostly corrected edition and some quotes from the artists on the significance of their rich cultural heritage.

Iggy isn't Jewish........2002-05-24

I have not read the book. I leafed through it in a book store. What can I add that others haven't already said. The one page bios are superficial and there are many mistakes and omissions.

I response to the reviewer who said that Iggy is Jewish. Well he isn't. I read his autobiography about 12 years ago. I think he said his father was an orphan who had been adopted by a non-practicing Jewish family. But he wasn't brought up Jewish. Iggy isn't Jewish by decent, upbringing or in any other way except in name (James Newell OSTERBERG) You can hear various anti-Semitic remarks in live and `unofficial' recordings of the Stooges.

Sparse.......2002-04-18

This book has short profiles of Jews in rock n roll. One reviewer accurately set forth many serious omissions including two great Jays, Jay Segal of the Tokens and Jay Black of Jay and the Americans. I also noticed that the great producer for Atlantic Records, Jerry Wexler was not listed. This book includes very short profiles with little substance. Therefore, this book is not much more than a list.

Book Description

Jurek Becker is one of the most important post-war German authors. His first novel, Jacob the Liar, already has the status of a classic of post-1945 European literature about the Holocaust and has been widely translated. This timely book traces the main events in Becker’s unusual personal history: his childhood experiences in the Lodz Ghetto and in the concentration camps of Ravensbrück and Sachsenhausen, his life in the GDR, and his move to the West. The author reflects both on Becker’s quest for his Jewish identity as well as on his achievements in terms of narrative technique, formal innovation and style. Examining Becker’s treatment of the Holocaust in his novels and stories, the author highlights their central themes of hope as resistance to barbarity, the idea of memory, the inability of a survivor of the camps to overcome psychological scars, but also the provocative portrayal of Jews as oppressors who take revenge on their former persecutors. Becker’s portrayal of life in former East Germany, the role of gender relations, the problems facing a writer under a socialist regime, and East-West German relations are also investigated.

As the first comprehensive assessment of Becker’s life and work, this book will be essential reading for those interested in German and Holocaust literature, critical theory and German studies.

Jurek Becker: A Jew Who Became a German?(Book Review) : An article from: The Modern Language Review

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Jurek Becker: A Jew Who Became a German?(Book Review) : An article from: The Modern Language Review
Jefferson S. Chase
Manufacturer: Modern Humanities Research Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Modern Language Review, published by Modern Humanities Research Association on July 1, 2002. The length of the article is 575 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: Jurek Becker: A Jew Who Became a German?(Book Review)
Author: Jefferson S. Chase
Publication: The Modern Language Review (Refereed)
Date: July 1, 2002
Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association
Volume: 97 Issue: 3 Page: 767-768

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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