A Twentieth-Century Life: The Memoirs of Arthur Larson

Customer Reviews:

Excellent life.......2000-02-03

Arthur was a great man - I think everybody should read about his life

Amazon.com

They Went Whistling is Barbara Holland's account of history's outstanding, and largely forgotten, females. The women revealed within these pages were driven by passion--for religion, humanity, adventure, politics, and knowledge--that couldn't be curtailed by convention. They were witty, defiant, and, more often than not, beautiful. Shamefully, most of us are unfamiliar with their accomplishments. Holland brings such faces as Joan of Arc, Daisy Bates, Stagecoach Mary, and Mary "Mother" Jones into the same light as Napoleon, Lawrence of Arabia, Billy the Kid, and Frederick Engels.

These women lived fascinating lives. Often it is not their virtuousness that is prized, but their gall and utter disregard for living within societal lines. In the chapter entitled "Menswear," we learn that as a young woman George Sand found that when "dressed as a man, she was treated as a man, and allowed to argue and speak her mind." She henceforth lived a life of androgyny, holding "the peculiar idea that she could be a man as well as a woman, alternately and simultaneously." Then there is the story of Grace O' Malley, an Irish pirate who commandeered her own fleet of plundering ships. And who has produced more rumors and speculation than Amelia Earhart, who "for over two weeks was the most famous person in the world"? Holland also divulges obscure facts and personality traits. For instance, few know that Bonnie (of Bonnie and Clyde) was an avid romance reader and writer who wrote poems about her adventures. "For Bonnie, crime was the epic ballad she was weaving out of her life."

While the histories are straightforward and detailed, Holland spices these pages with witty and satirical interjections. This book is long overdue and goes far in leveling the historical field of recognition. --Jacque Holthusen

Book Description

Women weren’t supposed to take their lives into their own hands, light out by themselves, have independent, off-the-beaten-path adventures. Nonetheless, throughout history there have been women who cast off the shackles of expectation, stepped out of the cave, and slashed their way into history. Elegant, witty, sometimes hilarious, sometimes moving, always perceptive, Barbara Holland tells us the stories of women, famous and infamous, celebrated and unsung, who have stepped over the edge. Here are Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Bonnie Parker (of Bonnie and Clyde), Amelia Earhart, George Sand, Isadora Duncan, Mata Hari, Belle Starr, and their lesser-known sisters in adventure and spirit–Gertrude Bell, uncrowned queen of Iraq; Daisy Bates, Victorian anthropologist of the Australian aborigines; American pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read; Queen Jinjun of Angola.

These irrepressible adventurers, who reveled in the limitlessness of possibility and desire, are brought irresistibly to life by Barbara Holland in a book that will entrance and delight readers.

Customer Reviews:

Celebrating difficult women.......2007-10-21

"A woman strolling down the street on a splendid morning might feel like whistling, but whistling in a dress would be absurd. Whistling implies and requires pants, and the swagger that goes with them. Ideally, it calls for pockets to thrust the hands into, or at least a sturdy waistband for the thumbs." - Barbara Holland

Thus it is in THEY WENT WHISTLING that Holland provides thumbnail biographies of a number of women in history that kicked over the traces and, while literally dressed in pants or not, did what the male of the species does routinely, i.e. pretty much what they wanted without reference to society's expectations or rules.

There may have been a method to Holland's choice of subjects and her categorization of them, though, to me, the former seemed somewhat arbitrary. The categories, and examples of whistlers in each, encompassed Warriors (Cleopatra, Queen Boudicca), those donning Menswear (Joan of Arc, Calamity Jane, Amantine-Aurore-Lucile Dupin, a.k.a. George Sand), Outlaws (Grace O'Malley, Bonnie Parker), Exiles (Jane Digby, Daisy Bates), Wayfarers (Isabella Bird, Mary Kingsley, Dervla Murphy), Renegades (Mary Fields, Belle Star), Grandstanders (Belle Boyd, Lola Montez), Seekers (St. Mary of Egypt, Alexandra David-Neel), and Radicals (Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, Emma Goldman). I'd never heard of most of these, and a value of the volume was that they were introduced to me at all. I wish there was a photo section as it would have saved me several trips to the Web; there isn't, and for that I'm knocking off a star right up front.

The author's wryly humorous writing style, never mean or petty, isn't as prominent a feature of THEY WENT WHISTLING as it is in her other commentaries on times, social mores, things and places as found in Endangered Pleasures: In Defense of Naps, Bacon, Martinis, Profanity, and Other Indulgences, and Wasn't the Grass Greener?: Thirty-three Reasons Why Life Isn't as Good as It Used to Be and Bingo Night at the Fire Hall: Rediscovering Life in an American Village, though it still shows through, as in the following observation about the Roman Triumvirate:

"The Romans were still tinkering with the notion of the Triumvirate, or three equal rulers, which, considering the testosterone content of your basic Roman male, was an ill-starred concept. Antony ruled with Octavius and someone named Lepidus, who prudently crept offstage early."

Although I personally don't regard THEY WENT WHISTLING as one of Holland's best endeavors mainly because it seems but a collection of cobbled-together stories, it deserves a place on the bookshelves maintained by her dedicated fans. I'm left wondering, however, why Barbara didn't include my favorite female historical figure who more than held her own vis-a-vis the powerful men in her life, Henry II's troublesome consort Eleanor of Aquitaine. I'd love to see what Holland could do with that story.

Pirates and other heroes.......2006-07-21

Last night my 6-year-old granddaughter Emily and I hugged each other close, and watched "Eight Below" for the first time.

Emily loved all the `dog parts' (we kept fast forwarding to those) in this amazing story of eight, Antarctic sled-dogs, abandoned in 30 below weather ("based on a true story"). Left to their own devices, they managed (most of them) to find food, surviving against all odds, for 152 days -- in weather that looked almost cold as Winnipeg. (As it should: Most scenes were filmed up here, in "Hollywood North" apart from some impressive snow mountains, and iceberg-laden inlets around Greenland).

But Emily said something revealing - right after the movie's scariest moment: "Maya," the de facto Leader-of-the-Pack, gets one of her paws nearly bitten off, when she and her Siberian Husky dog-team `brothers' battle a Sea Leopard ("more dangerous than the land variety," the film's male protagonist tells a visitor).

I might have missed what Emily said - had I not just been reading (an hour before) the opening passages of this book --- Barbara Holland's whimsically titled -- "They Went Whistling: Women Wayfarers, Warriors, Runaways, and Renegades." At least TWICE Emily referred to "Maya" as "HE." She did it a couple of times, and I thought of this book's premise, in its "Introduction."

"Browsing through literature (you) plainly see that each man is DIFFERENT from all other men, singular by reason of what he DOES, while women differ only in hair color, beauty and chastity . . . and the less they do the better.

"The youngest reader learns this basic lesson: the protagonist is male. Babar is a BOY elephant. Stuart Little is a boy mouse, Peter is a boy rabbit, the Black Stallion is a stallion, and even the Little Engine That Could, is a boy engine.

"Sometimes a female hovers, wringing her hands in the background, like Kanga among Christopher Robin's friends, but she doesn't get to do anything. Girls, even girl kittens or ponies, don't do things . . .

"Acceptable hero women should be driven not by dreams of glory but by a nurturing concern for others: The Virgin Mary, Florence Nightingale . . . Harriet Tubman, Mother Teresa - mothering their way into history.

"In the index to Kenneth Clark's definitive `CIVILIZATION' . . . what we've done since the dawn of time . . . we find the names of 395 men and eleven women, including the Virgin Mary, several lesser saints, and Dorothy Wordsworth the poet's sister."

-----

In fact, Barbara Holland introduces readers to a woman saint (one I'd never heard of, though it's my favorite subject) - "St. Mary of Egypt" desert "Mother" and hermit for 40 years who lived alone, but not far from the famous "Desert Fathers."

One of those "fathers" Saint Zosimas sought her out -- he left a desert monastery, crossed the Jordan River and walked for 20 days into the desert to find her living alone. Mary, at his request, came to visit him on the opposite bank of the Jordan (his side) walking on water, there and back. "St. Mary of Egypt" who died soon afterwards, performed for Zosimas miracles that raised the hair on the back of his saintly neck.

After Zosimas embraces Mary's feet, overcome by her sanctity, saying God had obviously sent him there so he could report her story, Mary lifted him up with the words that she was ashamed of her "story" which, she says, "may cause you to run from me as from a snake, for your ears will not be able to bear the vileness of my actions" (as a teenager).

"She tells him of running off to Alexandria as a child, where she `unrestrainedly and insatiably gave myself up to sensuality . . . I was like a fire of public debauch . . . often, when they wished to pay me, I refused the money . . . so as to make as many men as possible try to obtain me, doing free of charge what gave me pleasure.

`Do not think I was rich . . . I lived by begging, often spinning flax, but I had an insatiable desire and an irresistible passion for lying in filth. That was life to me.'

"Then one fine summer day she noticed great crowds hurrying toward the port . . . off to Jerusalem for the `Exultation of the Precious and Lifegiving Cross' . . . (and) "without money or food for the trip, she decided to join the pilgrims" on their voyage, "deciding the journey would be a fine chance for a few extra flings with the pilgrims."

God it seemed, had other plans for her! The story of "Mary of Egypt" (this "fine saint for sinners") is one of the best in this book and, for "kindred spirits," an utter delight to read!

----

An afterward "about the author" states,

"Barbara Holland was born in Washington D.C., produced three children, worked for many years in advertising and now lives on a mountain in the Blue Ridge, where her closest neighbors are bears and there's nothing to do but write. She is the author of a dozen books and countless magazine pieces. If she had it to do over, she'd be a pirate instead."

Herstory with plenty of Girl Power!.......2002-06-25

Barbara Holland's book "They Went Whistling" is a delight! Holland uses wit, sarcasm and a vast knowledge of many incredible women. This book highlights not only well known women (Cleopatra, Joan of Arc) but also remarkable lesser known women. These ladies were not the "fairer sex" by any means. Their stories exude courage, brawn and too little glory. For those looking for some herstory this book is a MUST read. I found myself laughing, gasping and making list of women who I wanted to read more about. The stories blend together beautifully in a easy and smooth flow. Holland's wit is so catching and real I soon felt like she was a good friend or relative telling me stories of the past. Thank you Ms. Holland for the education and experience.

No Glass Ceilings Here.......2002-03-02

The women in Barbara Holland's latest book are so refreshing in their feminism simply because they would not even know what the word means. They never looked at a label in their lives and had absolutely no idea there was a glass ceiling much less that they crashed through it. The feminist cliches of today would bore them silly. This is what makes this book so wonderful to read. These women simply did what they wanted to do, when they wanted to do it, and most were over-achievers in the creative and interesting departments. Barbara Holland's dry wit supplies the reader with an ample supply of everything from chuckles to belly laughs. Holland reveals the often unseen heroism and strength of these women and shows everyone, men and women, what true individuality is all about. The brief biographies delve into the lives of Cleopatra, Queen Boudicca of Britain, Dr. James Barry (A woman who shall forever remain anonymous since no one knew until 'his' autopsy), Joan of Arc, Lizzie Borden, Isabella Bird, and Bonnie Parker. There really are too many to mention since Holland discusses some in passing and others in greater depth. She does this always with humor, respect, and a no-nonsense-myths-and-rumors-be-damned attitude. This is a world and an attitude, a writing style and an intelligence, one hates to see end on page 268. I only hope Ms. Holland will decide to write a second volume. We all need the intellectual adrenalin.

She's Done It Again.......2001-07-28

Wow! She's done it again. "They Went Whistling" is a fantastic read. Barbara Holland consistently amazes me with her incredible ability to find even the most obscure facts in her research and then distills them into a most delightful, informative and humorous book. Ever since I read "In Private Life" at least 20 years ago, giggling out loud alone in my kitchen, I wouldn't miss anything she writes.

In her book, "Hail to the Chiefs," Holland dug up facts and anecdotes about past presidents of the United States and served them up on a delicious dish of hilarious humor. In "They Went Whistling," she has managed to do the same, but this time she has chosen, along with famous women, some we would never have heard of without Holland's wonderful and descriptive tales. I loved learning that Cleopatra was not the "ultimate siren" or the "pure sexual temptation" that the Romans and Hollywood made her out to be. Instead, "according to Plutarch, she spoke nine or ten languages," and, as Holland says, "Cleopatra knew a thing or two about pharmaceuticals...she'd written a book on cosmetics full of ingredients unknown to Estee Lauder."

And then there's Daisy Bates, in her Victorian garb, running around with the Australian Aborigines, learning "a hundred and twenty-nine languages." Bates also "had a son that didn't particularly appeal to her," but, Holland says, "as a general rule the whistling women made absentminded mothers."

Indeed, I agree with the accolades Russell Baker and Dave Berry offer to Holland's books. I believe she is one of the finest writers of this century. She writes with a grace and style unmatched.

Average customer rating:

Agree or Disagree .. it is a page turner

A love story for bibliophiles!

Hello, I am a recovering bookaholic!

Collectors of anything will love this book

A quick read and a quicker write

Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World
Lawrence Goldstone , and Nancy Goldstone
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Amazon.com

After years of competitive extravagance at birthday time, Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone decided to limit themselves to $20 each, which is how they came to be in possession of a $10 definitive translation of War and Peace, complete with maps of the major battles and fold-out color illustrations. It is also how they eventually came to be the owners of a $650 edition of Dickens's Martin Chuzzlewit. Used and Rare, the Goldstones' tale of the journey from point A to point B, is a joyful celebration of their love of books. Rare-book dealers are a quirky lot; while one might invite you to caress an Adventures of Tom Sawyer worth thousands, another might turn you away altogether for no apparent reason. The Goldstones' enthusiasm is infectious, and, besides offering a lesson in used-book parlance, the pair remind us that for every book there are at least two stories: the one between the covers, and the one beyond the covers.

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Agree or Disagree .. it is a page turner.......2007-09-02

I discovered this book quite by accident years ago. I was in a used bookstore for a long time, and eventually I shyly inquired about a Limited Editions Club book. It would have been my first purchase of a used book that was nicer - and more expensive - than a new book. The shop owner helped me, and then suggested that I might get a kick of this book. Much like another reviewer, I devoured it in less than 24 hours.

Sometimes, I felt the authors were making me more comfortable in a world new to me. At other times, I felt I was being made fun of, for loving old books, and my willingness to consider paying a lot of money for them. To disagree with another review, I don't think it was mean spirited, but rather the authors candidly reveal their emotions as they evolved during the narrative. Sometimes they felt truly excited, and sometimes they felt a little embarrassed and obsessed. Even scared - as when they first bid in an auction. All book lovers have friends that don't understand the appeal. I love the book because I often feel alone in alternating between those same emotions. Even when the authors came on a little strong, and I wanted to come to the defense of some of the characters, I kept reading. The book pulls you in, even when you might disagree.

A love story for bibliophiles!.......2007-04-06

I first read this book a decade ago, and have re-read it many times since, that's the appeal of this book, especially if you're a book lover or book collector. Reading the Goldstones' adventures as they journey through the marvelous world of antiquarian, rare & used books, I got the feeling that I was going along with them on their journeys, and being a book collector myself, truly empathised with their vacillations on whether to purchase a book or not. In the end, it is a love story: between two people who are brought even closer by their love of books, and for the love of collecting books. Its a warm, funny, and witty book. I look forward to re-reading this book for many more years to come!

Hello, I am a recovering bookaholic!.......2007-01-22

In "Used and Rare", the Goldstones are a kindred spirit. Reading along with their discovery of the wonders of the used book and the stores you experience in the pursuit of their acquisition was an experience in self actualization.

With a simple rule about limiting the value of gift exchanges, husband and wife Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone started their used book adventure with simple purchases such as a definitive edition of Tolstoy's War and Peace that features fold-out color illustrations and maps acquired for a mere $10; from there, the Goldstones embark on a journey of discovery and book worship that leads to large expenditures of hundreds of dollars of single volumes. This book is a loving tribute to those of us with a disease - bibliophilia; bibliophilia is the unhealthy love of books (unhealthy when they take up too much space, cost a big chunk of our paycheck, are too much work to move, and can cause serious issues in an otherwise loving relationship when only one has the disease).

When I originally read this book more than seven years ago, my love of books had mimicked the journey of discover that the Goldstones relate in this book: finding that awesome used copy of a book that seemed more worthy than the price implied - a bargain! The search for better version of the books I already owned - a paperback isn't good enough, you need the first edition hardcover! Searching for a copy of a book long since read, but not owned - you must own everything that has been read! Reading along with the Goldstones, I was thrilled to read about people just like me!

This is a wonderful travel narrative for the world of books, bookstores, and book lovers.

Collectors of anything will love this book.......2006-08-06

This is the first book I have picked up and read from start to finish within 24 hours, I was so engrossed. I listen to books on tape usually so I can do more than one thing at a time, but this was recommended by a list serve for book makers and book artists, but was only in hard copy.

What I enjoyed was listening to their growing "obsession" which I have experienced with collecting, their astute analysing of the market after they got the lay of the land, their emotional connections to the books, and their decisions about what part of the used and rare book market they wanted to collect based on type of writing, authors, condition of books, price of books, and even the purchasing experience they liked best.

In the end we collectors all decide for ourselves just what we can collect based on some emotion, and enjoy the thrill of the hunt, whether it is $1 junk or million dollar paintings.

A quick read and a quicker write.......2005-07-09

The number of books written in our society is huge and getting huger. Everyone recognizes that far more books are being written and published than can be read. Why are people so anxious to be authors in such a market? One reason, apparently embraced by the Goldstones, is that it is so EASY to write a book! All you have to do is write down some reminiscences of your experiences. They don't have to be particularly interesting experiences. You don't have to do any research into your subject. If you describe what all the people you encounter are wearing, if you go into details of how you found a babysitter for each trip you took, if you quote verbatim phone calls from relatives and shop keepers (even if they are not interesting or witty), and if you describe the hotel rooms you stayed in, you can finish the book in a couple of weekends! And readers can finish the book in a couple of hours with little harm done.

The book does accurately represent the travails of beginning book collectors, and I recognized some of my own experiences in the stories the authors tell. However, the book does not take the effort to educate readers so that they can skip over common early errors, nor does it attempt to answer many of the questions that the authors themselves raised when they first began collecting. What determines the price of old books? Why are first editions important? Why should Tarzan books cost more than great works of literature? These are good questions that anyone might think of when getting into book collecting, and you will find the questions but not the answers here.

The book is written in a breezy style that is easy to get through, and if you have two hours at an airport to kill, you could do worse than to read it. But by the time you arrive at your destination, you will have likely forgotten most of what you just read, because so much of it is ephemeral details of the authors' own lives, transportation problems, and experiences. If you are really interested in book collecting, it would be wise to read one of the many books that describe what one should look for, how prices are determined, different styles of book collecting, and so on. Fragments of this knowledge are transmitted in this book, but they will leave you with more questions than answers.

To be sure, not every book about book collecting needs to be a font of wisdom. But the entertainment value of the authors' experiences was weak, and did not make up for the absence of useful content.

Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World

Average customer rating:

Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World
Lawrence / Goldstone, Nancy Goldstone
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTIDGU

Average customer rating:

Used and Rare : Travels in the Book World
Lawrence; Goldstone, Nancy Goldstone
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTGXV2

Average customer rating:

USED AND RARE = TRAVELS IN THE BOOK WORLD
GOLDSTONE LAWRENCE AND NANCY
Manufacturer: ST.MARTIN PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PGP5O0

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Sew Much Fun: 14 Projects to Stitch & Machine Embroider
Oklahoma Embroidery Supply & Design
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Fresh new ideas for embroidery and beyond! Make the most out of an embroidery machine with this wonderful collection of designs and projects for everyone in the family. You'll find 10 fun craft projects, including a cozy lap quilt for dad, colorful cloth chalkboard for mom, flower potholders, picket fence place mats, and more! Plus, a bonus CD-ROM contains dozens of designs that can be imported into any embroidery or sewing machine with an embroidery module.

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Launched in 1991, award-winning Architecture in Detail books focus on individual seminal buildings, celebrating their exceptional character, innovative design or technical virtuosity. Each volume contains a text by a respected author, a sequence of colour and black-and-white photographs, and a set of technical drawings and working details. The Farnsworth House is a seminal Modernist glass-and-steel house by Mies van der Rohe, one of the greatest twentieth-century architects.

Customer Reviews:

Best of Mies .......2006-01-16

I bought this book to have an idea of the Farnsworth house, but it is much more detailled that i ever imagined. An essencial Mies.

Mies van der Rohe Farnsworth House: Weekend House/Wochenendhaus (Mies Van Der Rohe Archive)

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Mies van der Rohe Farnsworth House: Weekend House/Wochenendhaus (Mies Van Der Rohe Archive)
Werner Blaser
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ASIN: 3764360895

Book Description

Mies van der Rohe erbaute 1945–50 das Wochenendhaus "Farnsworth House” in Plano, Illinois. Das Glas- und Stahlhaus liegt an einem Fluß in natürlicher Umgebung und besticht durch seine klaren Proportionen und die Reduktion auf das Nötige. Es nimmt unmittelbaren Bezug zu der umliegenden Landschaft. Werner Blaser, Mitarbeiter Mies van der Rohes, liefert eine sorgfältige, von persönlichen Erfahrungen geprägte Beschreibung dieses Hauses. Neben Erläuterungen zu Architektur und Technik werden persönliche Erlebnisse mit Mies van der Rohe und Eindrücke Peter Palumbos, ehemaliger Bewohner des "Farnsworth House”, eingebracht. Teilweise unpublizierte Fotos, welche über einen Zeitraum von mehreren Jahrzehnten hinweg von Blaser aufgenommen wurden, vermitteln einen umfassenden Eindruck von diesem Gebäude.

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Mies Van Der Rohe's Farnsworth House
Paul Clemence
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Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois, 1945-50 (Global architecture ; 27)

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Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois, 1945-50 (Global architecture ; 27)
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
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Mies van der Rohe: Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois, 1945-50 (GA detail)

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Mies van der Rohe: Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois, 1945-50 (GA detail)
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Many people who have headaches, back pain, heart palpitations, stomach acid, and muscle spasms are experiencing sensations unconnected to disease. Though 60 percent of visits to doctors' offices reveal no underlying health problems, what the author calls “health anxiety syndrome” can seriously disrupt work and personal lives. This book, with tested cognitive-behavioral strategies that reduce anxiety about health, helps readers identify the cause of their underlying worry, counteract irrational thoughts, and redefine their perception of symptoms.

Book Description

Raga Mala is an unprecedented look at Ravi Shankar, master of the sitar and one of the most enduring and inspriational performers of the twentieth century.

Customer Reviews:

wonderful! writing styles, details, photos, insights.......2004-12-23

wonderful! writing styles, details, photos, insights all
excellent. It is like reading a national geograohic article
(so many pictures to go with the stories). The depth he went
into to talk about his ideas and thoughts is really
a treat.

Fascinating.......2003-06-14

This book is a fascinating account of the life of Ravi Shankar. I was a little reluctant to pick up this book at first- -I thought to myself, "Ravi Shankar- pop star, a musician who lives on hype - who wants to read a fan book? If George Harrison hadn't stumbled across him, he would have been just another sitar player." But after reading this book, I have a much greater understanding and respect for Shankar and all that he has accomplished.

Shankar's early life was simply amazing. His first tour of the US was in 1932, when he was all of 12 years old. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense for Shankar to be the leader in bringing Indian classical music to the West, since he spent so many of his formative years in Paris and on tour throughout Europe and the US. During this time, he became familiar with Western audiences and their expectations, as well as with Western music traditions. It is this familiarity that has enabled him to be so successful at explaining Indian music to Westerners. But as this book details, Shankar was not only popular in the West, but long before George Harrison met him, he had built a very successful career in India. For example, he was the one who did the music for film director Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy, among so many other projects.

Shankar's influences on music in both India and the West are enormous and far-reaching. He was one of the first musicians to gain a following in world music, and he fought strongly against the marginalization of world music as a field only fit for ethnomusicologists. As described in this book, in India, he helped change attitudes towards musical performance and performers by demanding full attention from audiences and formal venues, much like classical performers in the West expect.

Interspersed throughout Shankar's text are short interludes from friends such as Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison. The book includes hundreds of pictures that span Shankar's entire career, including the pre-World War II tours with his brother Uday. There is also a very informative glossary at the end, as well as a chronology and index.

The Jewel of India.......2002-01-12

Raga Mala is destined to be a classic of literature.
It is a biography, history, diary, and a basic primer
of Hindustani (North Indian) music.
As a beginning Sitar student under a Guru myself.
I appreciate Raviji's journey from student to master.
The life covers so many memorable moments of history.
His triumphs and pain are an inspiration to all who
are open enough to see it. There is not enough that
can be said to fully explain the depth of this book.
It is fair to say that most will not fully understand
it in one reading.
In closing, Raga Mala will be the textbook to be used
by all interested in Pandit Ravi Shankar, Indian music,
and how it has gained popularity in America since the
1960's. I recommend this book as in the top 5 of my
all time favorite books.

A colorful life story from a wonderful human being.......2001-11-13

Regardless of how you come into this book, as a Beatles fan, as an admirer of Indian classical music, or someone who studies the Indian culture, you will come out of it thinking of Ravi Shankar as someone very special, but who shares the same passion for life as many of us. "Raga Mala" is his story through his words, from his days as a dancer to traveling out of India for the first time, and eventually setting a goal to spread his music and culture around the world. With celebrity comes fame, and with fame comes admiration, and there were many women who admired him, only for he to admire them back. His love of women is at times overshadowed by his love of food, which is something I never knew before this.

But he talks about his music as his core (at point during the book he compared the sitar to his wife), and gets in-depth about his mission to enlighten people with his music. He loved the hippies but hated their lifestyle, and felt that he could make them high, and higher, with his music.

"Raga Mala" shows a well-traveled and cultured man with the utmost respect for his culture, his people, his music, and life in general. At 81 years old, he knows his "old junk of a body" can't do the things it did when he was 15, but he refuses to slow down for anyone, including himself.

A Beautiful book, to read,hold look at. Simply lovely.......2001-07-27

Raga Mala is the autobiography of pandit Ravi Shankar,told in story,profusely illustrated{some in color}], beautifully bound {with luxurious endpapers], on high quality, beautiful papers. It tells his story{introduced by George Harrison} from his early childhood, stage[as a dancer in his brothers famous troupe] to his study of sitar and Hindustani music with a master{Khan},to his gradual emergence in the west. I had no idea, that he had performed at Carnegie hall in the 1930's, that John Coltrane's son ravi was named after him, ot that he was well known BEFORE the Monterey pop or woodstock concerts[he called woodstock"terrifying'}. This is a wonderful book, it tells the ENTIRE ARC of the life of pandit Ravi Shankar{including his apparent heir and pupil, his daughter Anoushka}, and does so with such a well put together volume. The papers, the binding, the photographic reproductions are exquisite. The publisher has done a remarkable job. A classic book, both in form and content.

Average customer rating:

RAGA MALA Ravi Shankar an Autobiography
Ravi / George Harrison Shankar
Manufacturer: Welcome Rain Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JV5NS4

Raga Mala: The Autobiography of Ravi Shankar

Average customer rating:

Raga Mala: The Autobiography of Ravi Shankar
Ravi; Harrison, George (editor) Shankar
Manufacturer: Welcome Rain
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KE6TPG

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