Fast Track to Manhood

Book Description

FAST TRACK TO MANHOOD is recommended reading by Larry Kerkow & Associates.

Fifty-five years after World War II, a B-24 Aircraft Commander who flew thirty missions against heavily defended targets throughout Hitler's Europe, relates the story of his "FAST TRACK To Manhood" as bomber pilot and prisoner of war.

Lieutenant Thomas P. Griffin and his ten-man crew were on their thirty-second bombing mission over Germany on 24 May 1944, when their B-24 Liberator received battle damage from German Messerschmitt 109 fighters. They were forced to parachute from the burning aircraft at an altitude over 20,000 feet. As part of the 450th Bombardment Group, the "Cottontails" as they were known because of their distinctive white-painted rudders, were participating in the United States Fifteenth Air Forces assault against Hitler's Eurpoean Fortress.

Griffin and his crew came under intense fighter and ground-fire time and time again. He flew against the heavily defended Ploesti oil fields of Rumania on 5 April 1944 when scores of B-24s were shot down in flames. Lieutenant Griffin witnessed many parachutes as survivors of crew after crew bailed out of stricken bombers.

He relates the sometimes tragic, sometimes comedic incidents associated with flying heavy bombers as well as his experiences being a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft #3, which was an allied flying officers camp located at Sagan, Germany. He shares the jubilation of his liberation by forces of the United States Third Army commanded by General George S. Patton.

"FAST TRACK To Manhood" documents the bravery of the young men called upon to fly the heavy bombers against staggering odds including the airmen of the 450th Bomb Group, and specifically the crew flying the Liberator named Little Lady Joyce.

Customer Reviews:

OUTSTANDING BOOK.......2003-09-23

Once again a member of the Armed Forces steps forward to face and defeat the enemy. Where do these men and women come from who confront and perform daily life threatening duties?

Book Description

A uniquely revealing biography of two eminent twentieth century American women. Close friends for much of their lives, Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead met at Barnard College in 1922, when Mead was a student, Benedict a teacher. They became sexual partners (though both married), and pioneered in the then male-dominated discipline of anthropology. They championed racial and sexual equality and cultural relativity despite the generally racist, xenophobic, and homophobic tenor of their era. Mead’s best-selling Coming of Age in Samoa (1928) and Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies (1935), and Benedict’s Patterns of Culture (1934), Race (1940), and The Chrysanthemum and the Sword (1946), were landmark studies that ensured the lasting prominence and influence of their authors in the field of anthropology and beyond.

With unprecedented access to the complete archives of the two women—including hundreds of letters opened to scholars in 2001—Lois Banner examines the impact of their difficult childhoods and the relationship between them in the context of their circle of family, friends, husbands, lovers, and colleagues, as well as the calamitous events of their time. She shows how Benedict inadvertently exposed Mead to charges of professional incompetence, discloses the serious errors New Zealand anthropologist Derek Freeman made in his famed attack on Mead’s research on Samoa, and reveals what happened in New Guinea when Mead and colleagues engaged in a ritual aimed at overturning all gender and sexual boundaries.

In this illuminating and innovative work, Banner has given us the most detailed, balanced, and informative portrait of Mead and Benedict—individually and together—that we have had.

Average customer rating:

The End of Stress As We Know It by Bruce McEwen

End of Stress As We Know it

Very user friendly book on the impact of chronic stress!

A Dry Read

Data-packed to inspire change for those who are data-driven

The End of Stress As We Know It
Bruce McEwen
Manufacturer: Joseph Henry Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Stress Management | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Clinical Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, Third Edition

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The Stress of Life

ASIN: 0309091217

Book Description

There's a whole new way to think about stress. Sure, some stress is inevitable, but being “stressed out” isn't. In fact, we can learn to rechannel the powerful stress activators in our lives to make us even more effective.

Hamlet spoke of “suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” These days we simply use the word “stress” to describe that feeling. And if you ask 10 random people if they feel stressed, chances are that at least 9 will reply with a resounding, “Yes!” Indeed, the very way we use the word implies that we are its victims—as in, “I'm under so much stress” or “I'm completely stressed out.” There's now a better way to look at this picture, a way to move from victim to victor. The first step is to look to the science behind it all because in the science lies a whole new message about stress. Science allows us to understand what the stress response is and why our bodies react the way they do. Like all living creatures, we're mapped to respond instinctually in certain ways, and generally for good reasons. We know, for example, that in times of emergency, we effortlessly shift into a different biological mode. Based on our perception of the crisis, our brains initiate the “stress response” or the “flight-or-fight reaction.” Our attention becomes keenly focused. Our heart and lungs accelerate to ready us for action. Our glands mobilize extra energy resources and summon the immune system to battle stations. This whole process is Nature's way of empowering us to respond swiftly, sometimes dramatically, to sudden events, while remaining mentally alert and physically prepared to meet a challenge.

But what if the crisis situation does not present us with a foe to be fought? Or if fleeing is not the answer? Too often in modern times, the situations that bring on the stress response require neither the fight nor flight response for which our bodies are genetically programmed. The stress response is nevertheless likely to kick in—just as it's programmed to do—even though it cannot help speed us toward a resolution. Deprived of its natural successful result, the very system that's designed to protect us begins to cause wear and tear on our bodies—actually bringing on illnesses as diverse and severe as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, ulcers, and increased susceptibility to colds and infections.

The good news is that there are definite things that we can do to prevent this process from ultimately taking this wrong turn. New research in brain functioning allows us to understand the reactions our bodies have to various stressful circumstances. That knowledge is power—the power to harness the energy stored within us and to channel it in positive ways. The End of Stress as We Know It leads us to a new appreciation of the mind-body connection so that we learn how to reduce stress and increase our overall sense of health and well-being—and even turn aside the slings and arrows of life. Co-published with the Dana Press.

Customer Reviews:

The End of Stress As We Know It by Bruce McEwen.......2007-03-10

This is an outstanding work on a most topical issue. Dr. McEwen, of Rockefeller University in New York City, has the gift of communication, articulating the work of neuroscience and behavior to all, particularly accessible to the public. This kind of work serves the public, an extremely important audience, very well. It led me to invite him to speak at the upcoming symposium of The Foundation for Human Potential (FHP), Mental Health and the Brain:Implications for Lifelong Lifelong Learning, Nov. 15-16, 2007, in Chicago., which will include presentations by many outstanding scientists and others with like communication abilities. I recommend it to all and have bought it for everyone I know!
[...]

End of Stress As We Know it.......2006-11-11

Bruce McEwen, a brain researcher, combines the big picture, stresses of life in our society, with a very thorough background of supporting research. The book explains how stress normally sets off adrenaline first, and afterwards, cortisol. These are healthy reactions, but later, when they don't know when to shut off, they become detrimental. This book is both informative to the layman, and also college text book material. For this reason, it has earned its way into my stack of books that I plan to reread at least once again.

Very user friendly book on the impact of chronic stress!.......2006-11-07

This is a very thorough and easy to understand book on the effects of chronic stress on every major body system, memory, mood, etc. It presents many of the same concepts as Dr. Sapolsky's excellent book, "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers." However, this resource is aimed more at laypeople.

Dr. Sapolosky's book is very dense for most people without a background in biology, however, he has an excellent sense of humor and goes more in-depth than Bruce McEwen. In short, if you didn't like taking science in school, you will probably get more out of the "The End of Stress As We Know It."

I also found that Bruce McEwen took more time and space to explain essential physiological concepts such as allostasis. This a key concept and Sapolosky seems to take the reader's understanding of this basic concept more for granted.

Overall, this book is well-organized and does a good job explaining the "fight or flight" response, the role of the endocrine system in stress and the impact of chronic stress. It does not, however, have much to say about how to overcome chronic stress that most people already don't know. For this, I would turn to other sources such as "Full Catastrophe Living."

Although this book does not address how to combat stress in great detail, I think it provides essential context for anyone trying to change their lifestyle. In fact, I think it should be required reading for anyone who works in a high stress environment.

If you want to read another good book on the societal and psychological factors that lead to being chronically stressed, then check out "American Mania" which was written by a UCLA psychiatrist and is complimentary to this book in some very good ways. If you read "American Mania" and this book, it will probably change your attitude toward the damaging effects of stress forever!

A Dry Read.......2005-04-19

Through his research, Bruce McEwen has made great contributions to our understanding of stress and health. His work has inspired a lot of progress on the social causes of illness. I will use some of his material to explain the connection between stress and diabetes in my new book, "Diabetes as a Turning Point."

Unfortunately, I did not find "The End of Stress as We Know It" to be as valuable as the research that inspired it. It's pretty dryly scientific, a lot of "studies show this," and "studies show that," without many examples or stories to illustrate his points. He says we can do a lot to prevent stress-related illness, but mainly repeats "low-fat diet, exercise, and social support" as his advice. These may be useful suggestions, but people would need a lot more specifics to be able to use them effectively in our toxic environment. Those are the kind of suggestions they'll get from my book.

The main new point here is the terms Dr. McEwen coined to replace the word stress. He talks instead about "allostasis" to mean our bodies' natural stress response, and "allostatic load" to mean the problems that arise when the response gets overloaded. Some social scientists have started using these terms, because the term "stress" does mean a lot of different things. But this new terminology, IMO, does not require a whole book to explain it.

I'm grateful to Dr. McEwen for his important research. His book is worthwhile, but there's nothing here that isn't done better in Robert Sapolsky's Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers.

David Spero RN, author of The Art of Getting Well: Maximizing Health When You Have a Chronic Illness (Hunter House 2002).
Nurse at davidsperoRN dot com

Data-packed to inspire change for those who are data-driven.......2003-08-26

For any person who is under stress and who wants real data to support the theory that stress really does impair your performance, make you feel bad, and make you downright stupid, this book could be the influential force that sets you on a journey to turn your life around.

For as long as you are breathing, you are experiencing some level of stress. Knowing about the stress hormones constantly circulating through your body and bathing your brain, the naturally-occurring chemical balance that generates the sensation that stress really does make you stupid, can make the difference between a life lived on the edge or a life lived in that peak performance zone that we all desire.

As a psychologist,I have traversed diverse terrain. Whether I was working street corners with juvenile offenders, providing peak performance mental training for elite athletes, or consulting in manufacturing plants or Fortune 500 corner offices, stress has always been a constant force in my clients' lives. No matter what the setting--moguled ski slope, Courtroom, or Boardroom, slippery pool deck or muddy sports field--my hard-driving clients have sought strategies to learn to thrive even under the most stress-full conditions. Usually that entailed making strategic changes. To enlist their hearts and minds in order to get their legs moving in the right health-promoting directions, most of them responded to persuasive information. But few had the time to read through lengthy full-blown research reports (though, rest assured, some did).

Dr. McEwen's research on how we respond to stress and the debilitating effects of chronic excess stress is state-of-the-art and compelling. However, you have to really love neuropsych to plow through the original pieces (I have, as a self-proclaimed nerd, and I really did love them.) Now Dr. McEwen has distilled compelling research into a book format that provides a quick read for those who want you to show them the data if they are going to consider shifting from the fast-pace-high-stress lane where time rarely allows for a perusal of the research surveyed in this book.

A useful book, it is a fast sprint for the fast-paced stressed-out person who will benefit the most from just such a read. And it is a great first step to move you to take some health-promoting stress-reducing actions to keep you at the front of the pack and in it for the long run.

Average customer rating:
The End of Stress as We Know It
Bruce S./ Lasley, Elizabeth Norton McEwen
Manufacturer: Dana Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OT0LIS

Average customer rating:
The End of Stress as We Know it.

Manufacturer: The Dana Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I3DY9I

Book Description

Tofu can be cooked in many ways, with a variety of flavors. This book contains 46 tofu recipes, including salads and cold plates. The cooking methods range from frying, stir-frying, cooking in soy sauce, deep-frying and steaming. Each recipe is accompanied by a full color photo, plus 17 small demonstration photos for making tofu, preparation of soy beans and the use of special ingredients.

Customer Reviews:

Best Tofu Book I've Found!.......2005-03-05

If you're a vegan or vegetarian and love Chinese food, this is the best cookbook around. The recipes are just delicious! And relatively simple. Be prepared to find some dead animal ingredients, but a highly satisfiable experience in general. All of my favorite tofu recipes from Chinese restaurants are in here.
To the reviewer who poo-poos tofu in cheesecake, you haven't had a good tofu cheesecake!

Tofu is not a meat substitute.......2000-02-25

As an Asian-American I grew up with tofu and loved it, and I could never understand why my American friends thought it was disgusting. Then I tried tofu recipes from American cookbooks that used it as a substitute for meat (among other things) and I realized where they were coming from. Tofu is NOT a meat substitute, and should not be used in cheesecake, milkshakes, etc. Using it in that way is setting yourself up for disappointment.

That said, this tiny cookbook is a good basic cookbook of (mostly) traditional chinese tofu dishes. Quite honestly, if you are not used to tofu you probably won't find this book very appealing. However, if you are like me (a second generation Chinese young adult who can't read Chinese cookbooks but who wants traditional - not Americanized - dishes) this tofu cookbook probably fits the bill. The other Wei-Chuan cookbooks are pretty good bets too.

Average customer rating:

Leather Tooling & Carving

Good addition to your leather working library

Leather Tooling and Carving
Chris H. Groneman
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0486230619

Book Description

Concise, extremely clear introduction to the art of leathercraft. Learn to make fine leather handbags, belts, watchbands, billfolds, and more. Complete description of tools and techniques, profusely illustrated with photographs and diagrams. An enjoyable craft that anyone can learn. 148 photographs and diagrams.

Customer Reviews:

Leather Tooling & Carving.......2003-09-28

Upon receiving the book, I was NOT too impressed. Although the book had some good "tid-bits" of information, it did not stand-up to it's title. (TOOLING & CARVING). About 1/5th of the book covered "tooling & carving" VERY LIGHTLY, and the rest were leather-working projects. As a matter of fact, keep in mind that this books copyright date is 1950 - so you can guess at some of the projects. But it is a decent book, and does cover some of the topics "lightly". I wish I could find something else to help me raise it to a rating of THREE STARS...but I can't. But as a helpful hint, you cannot go wrong with any of the "Al Stohlman" leather-working books. (Look for these, invest in these, be pleased with these). So to end, it's an OK book, but you can invest in a better product. Support your local leather-craft distributers, as they should carry the above mentioned books. (Hey...I bet Amazon.com may carries one or two of "Al's" books).

Good addition to your leather working library.......1999-04-02

This is a good book of project and design ideas for those still mastering the skills of leathercraft, as well as, the accomplished leather worker looking for different ideas. Projects are on a basic to intermediate level of accomplishment.

The art & craft of leatherwork;: A detailed & practical guide to the tooling, modelling, carving & other means of decorating leather & to the making & ... in that material; (The new art library)

Average customer rating:

The art & craft of leatherwork;: A detailed & practical guide to the tooling, modelling, carving & other means of decorating leather & to the making & ... in that material; (The new art library)
Cécile Francis-Lewis
Manufacturer: Lippincott
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00085XLW6

Average customer rating:

Getting Started in Leathercraft
Maria M. Di Valentin
Manufacturer: Collier Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HFIQSQ

Leather Tooling and Carving (Craft book)

Average customer rating:

Leather Tooling and Carving (Craft book)
Chris Harold Groneman
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: B000OF6ALY

Product Description

Craft Book

Average customer rating:
THE POCKET ENCYCLOPEDIA OF INDOOR PLANTS IN COLOR
Age Nicolaisen
Manufacturer: Macmillan Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JWFUW2

Average customer rating:
The Pocket Encyclopedia of Indoor Plants in Color
Age Nicolaisen
Manufacturer: New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1975
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LVNEME

Average customer rating:
The Pocket Encyclopedia of Indoor Plants in color
ed. Eaton Jerome
Manufacturer: Macmillan & Co Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000T5NXR8

Average customer rating:
The pocket encyclopedia of indoor plants in color
Age Nicolaisen
Manufacturer: Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006CU692

Average customer rating:
The Pocket Encyclopedia of Indoor Plants in Color
Age Eaton, Jerome; editor of the American Edition Nicolaisen
Manufacturer: Mcmillan Pub. Co. Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GWVMXQ

Average customer rating:
Pocket Encyclopedia of Indoor Plants in Color
Age Nicolaisen
Manufacturer: MACMILLAN PUBLISHING
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PX5DFY

Average customer rating:
The Pocket Encyclopedia of Indoor Plants in color
Jerome, ed. Eaton
Manufacturer: Macmillan & Co Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GWZZPM

Average customer rating:

A unique little journal

Good News For New Parents

Little Steps for New Parents: A Weekly Guide for Developing Your Baby's Intelligence
Sandy Briggs
Manufacturer: Personhood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 1932181040

Book Description

Organized into 52 weekly lessons corresponding with a baby's age, this guide teaches parents about their baby's brain development as it happens. Each week's activity combines building a child's intelligence and emotional control with natural parenting instincts. These activities support a baby's strong motivation to learn and teach parents how infants learn, allowing parents to create more fun and instructive activities on their own. Feeding, safety, and health are addressed in the appropriate weeks. Parents can also record fun things the baby learned or did that week, creating a personalized keepsake.

Customer Reviews:

A unique little journal.......2007-02-17

I love this book and I religiously do all of the exercises and write in the journal every week. It will be a nice keepsake when my daughter is older and makes for a unique way of remembering her first year (as compared to a typical baby book which records the same old stuff -- baby shower gifts, date of first tooth, etc.) My only criticism of this book is that it tends to be unrealistic at times and I sometimes wonder if the person who wrote it is actually a parent. For example, at seven months or so it starts talking about what to do when your baby points at something -- but most of my parenting books tell you not to expect your baby to use gestures until at least 10 months. It also talks about giving solids at four months though most pediatricians recommend waiting until six months. And some of the exercises are a little too time consuming for the average new mom; for example, who has time to sew velcro all over an apron and attach toys to it? A cute idea, but not very practical. Other than that, I do really like this book and look forward to doing the activities with my baby every week.

Good News For New Parents.......2001-06-10

Of all the dozens and dozens of books on the market, this should be required reading for new parents. First of all, it's quick and easy to read, which is crucial for people with a baby. Who has time to slog throught thousands of pages of advice when you're sleep deprived? I like the way the information is presented, too. I learned a lot about infant brain development, and the simple things that parents can do to help their child grow. Most of all, I felt like I was treated like an adult, who already knows some of the most important things to do, like holding and playing and singing. There's also a place to write a weekly update, so it makes this a journal as well as an information book. This will be around long after all the other baby books are collecting dust on the shelf.

Book Description

One of a handful of Jews in the WASPish enclave of Greenwich, Connecticut, and undersized at that, George Tabb was routinely kicked around by the other kids — one blind, another one with one arm — as well as by his father. Playing Right Field refers to an early experience of the author and his brother, Lloyd, who played Little League together; they were forced to share one team T-shirt because their father the multimillionaire was too cheap to buy one for each of them. George and Lloyd chose right field because hardly any balls ever got hit out there and they thought it would be safe and provide them with lots of space. This book is a series of vivid remembrances — morality tales with an absurdist edge — that trace Tabb's growing sense of isolation and rebellion. Each is illustrated by noted underground cartoonist Fly.

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely loved this book!!!.......2006-04-02

I first met George Tabb at a club one night last year and found out we had some old friends from the past in common. He said he had a book out called Playing Right Field that I might like and another one, Surfing Armageddon, that will be coming out in a few months. The first one was a childhood memoir, the second is about his high school and early college years. I found George really interesting to talk to, so I was determined to look up these books, and read about this guy. As my friends and I were leaving the club, he said if I was interested, I can check out his web site. So the next day at my office, I found the site and glanced at a few of his blog entries. This guy was very funny. And I thought anyone who loves their little Yorkie that much clearly has a big, big heart. So I looked up his books on Amazon, and read their descriptions.

Now, being the Jewish child of Holocaust survivors, and having emigrated to the U.S. with my family when I was five, from communist Romania, where a Jew was a second-class citizen, I related to his painful daily abuse at the hands of those fascist little Greenwich aryan bullies who had it in for him and his little brothers for nothing but their ethnicity. But his home life wasn't any safer. Yet the stories themselves sounded hilarious. I was intrigued, so I ordered the first book. The second one wasn't out yet at the time.

The guy sitting in the cubicle next to mine asked what book I was ordering and I told him Playing Right Field, a childhood memoir by a guy called George Tabb whom I met last night. He says, "George Tabb? You mean the guy who wrote those hilarious columns for the New York Press?" I said I don't know, he just told me about his books, and they sound really funny from their descriptions on Amazon. He says Tabb's columns were his favorites. He'd been a big fan of his writing for years, since he first saw his columns in Maximumrocknroll, a publication I'd never heard of. He says, "Hold on a minute," and emails me a bunch of links to George Tabb stories.

And after reading them, I'm just blown away. One after the other, they're all clever and witty and sweetly self-deprecating. And laugh-out-loud funny. So I couldn't wait to read the book.

I was not disappointed! It is one of my favorite books ever. It breaks your heart while cracks you up laughing, and in every bizarre story (all of them are bizarre) there's a lesson learned. And you find yourself smiling. After finishing the book, I emailed him that I really enjoyed it, as did my teenage son who generally doesn't like to read, but he loved this book. So did his friends who borrowed it. So I ordered it for friends and family for as holiday gifts. And in that email, I also told George I was really sorry that I didn't know any of his writing or his music when we met.

The funny thing is, for a writer so well respected and so well known in the music scene, he's anything but a snob. He is the nicest, kindest, most approachable person you'd ever want to meet. It's surprising, considering he grew up so filled with rage at his abusive sadistic father, that he didn't turn out to be a serial killer!

By the way, I just finished his new book, Surfing Armageddon, in which George's family leaves Greenwich for Tallahassee FL, where Jews are appreciated as much as, if not more, than they were in Greenwich! But now teenage George with hormones raging--inspired by the bad-ass music of a little band from Cleveland called The Dead Boys and that lovable NY punk band that leveled the playing field for outsider everywhere who thought they couldn't be cool, The Ramones--is on a quest to do what any healthy, red-blooded, sex-obsessed teenage boy is after. Lose his virginity. But like everything else in George's life, the road is filled with a few hilarious bumps along the way. Another gem. See my review of that one.

George's dad sure as heck wasn't mr C think his dad may of been my dad too............2006-02-03

Ahoy, if you're looking to buy this book you're proboly already familier with George Tabb's style of writing. And, so this book is more or less compiled as his column's tend to be written. Most of the stories are in proper order with a few a bit out of place but, no big deal. This is more a book to read here and there on one's lunch break not a sit down and read it from cover to cover. George reminds us what it's like to be on the receiving end of childrens cruelity and dealing it out mostly on the receiving end though. Arn't most punks the rejects of the so called norm children? George also shows the era for them young punks what kids did before they had video games and all that crap. They beat the crap out of each other had crazy adventures avoided their crappy parents and more or less just pain flat survive the bs years. This book would've been a five cept the first few chapters are rather ackward.....They seem to be structed rather oddly. They offer an early peak at George and that's perhaps why they're ackward cause they're from when he was 6 and a bit under while other chapters are 6th grade up to high school so, i think his memory is a bit hazy to add his style of humor to the story whilst keeping it on the tab or real. If you like George's writing overall you'll not be disappointed. Or, if you or someone you know's just likes to read stories about others that aren't really famous than this is also a good book to pick up. So, stop reading those F'n opera books and pick up a book about real life adventures from the Seventies. See George shoot his pop, see George puke at carney island, read about his adventure of killing the tortise that ate goats and kittens, also why one should avoid the left hand of the blind child and is wrestling a fag sport?!? Find out first hand from George if it is indeed and what the hell is Fourth Trumpett!!!!! All these wonderments and questions are in this book! After you're done reading this book you'll feel like drinking and being lazy. Or just like why the hell am I still working this crap job......

George Tabb Is A Genius........2005-08-10

I had never heard of George Tabb until my friend Jenni recommended that I read his book, it was all of $8 including shipping so I figured, why not?

It was seriously one of the best books i've ever read, and I cannot wait for his new book to come out.

The book really makes you feel for young George as a character and absolutely abhor his father.

I reallly regret saying as a character since it's based on the real events of George's life.
I plan on collecting all of George's writings that he's ever done for magazines now.

I read it in one night!.......2004-09-17

George rules! This book rules! It's great to know that other people are pussies too, and that they are proud of it. I don't think I've laughed as hard as I did at the crucified frog in ages. It really brought all those scary uncomfortable primary school memories back to the front of my mind. I even remember the name of the bully I concussed in fourth grade for the first time since I whacked him one. Thanks for the great read George.

effort is sweet, bittersweet, and never self-pitying.......2004-09-01

George Tabb is a man of the people. That is to say, he knows a heck of a lot of people and a heck of a lot of people know him. He is an approachable, likeable guy and when I began reading his Maximum Rock 'n Roll columns back in the late 80s I had no idea that he was actually such a friendly person. Due to his long-standing punk rock celebrity/credibility he doesn't have to be. The fact that he IS such a great person is a testament to his character, glimpsed here in "Playing Right Field: A Jew Grows in Greenwich."

This book is a collection of essays that span Tabb's early childhood and teen years. It is all at once heartfelt and heartbreaking. When I finished it I felt the urgent desire to seek out and brutally punish anyone who'd ever been mean to George, and believe me when I say that would be a time-consuming process!

The bottom line is that this book is full of poignant, bizarre, and sometimes upsetting memories presented in amazingly rich detail. Tabb's capacity for recall is the mark of a great writer and a true talent.

I believe this book is an incredibly valuable manuscript that takes the reader back to the sometimes cruel state of childhood, all the while reminding us that back then we always strove to remain optimistic in our belief that Tomorrow would be a better day. I believe that George Tabb is still optimistic - despite everything - and that this both confusing and inspiring characteristic distinguishes him as a complex man with an important voice.

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