Ray Nitschke is now a center piece on our bookshelf...
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For an old diehard Packer fan, having a model of Ray Nitschke is a real
fun thing. There was no one like him and in the 50's and 60's we would watch him on the field as much as Starr, Taylor or any other Packer star. Though you may be taken aback by the 'thinness' of his left arm in the
model, you can adjust the arm so that this 'flaw' in the design will be minimized. The colors are good; he is realistic and it is virtually indestructible. The wife even likes it on the bookshelve! Well, I guess a better word is 'tolerates'.
4635136
Bob Raczka's books take the readers adventuring for sure. His latest title is a provocative survey of America & Freedom. By studying his choices of art to portray America we find ourselves thinking of some works of art we might have selected.

How we would describe our country in WORDS is also a useful exercise ~ for Americans of all ages. It would be a good classroom project to stimulate thoughtful weighing of what are the most important aspects of Freedom, as well as appreciation for an array of artists and different art forms, not necessarily  those that young students are commonly exposed to in school. Three favorites of mine from Raczka"s book are "Cradling Wheat" by Thomas Hart Benton, "Brooklyn Bridge" by Georgia O'Keefe, "Action Party II" by Mark Tansey. The latter, new to me, is a tongue-in-cheek view of artists painting a space shuttle lift-off.

Enjoy the book, then indulge in making choices from your own inner gallery. Have a family discussion; there might be less resistance to visiting museums during your next family vacation, thanks to another Art Adventure with Bob Raczka.  And be sure to look up these other titles:
"UNLIKELY PAIRS" (#0761323783); "HERE'S LOOKING AT ME"
(#0761234041); "3-D ABCs" (0822564742).
3919863
This is the second one of these books I have ordered. The first was a pre-order for my husband, who was thrilled to have the updated version, as his first edition is dog-eared, tabbed and highlighted. Now, this one is, too. At knife club meetings, the two are passed like holy texts  fitting, my husband reminded me, because this is the "bible" for Case knife collectors. One friend finally had an epiphany and decided to treat himself to an early Father's Day gift, so this edition is his. Mr. Pfeiffer's work is, as I mentioned, revered in Case collector circles, and the more times my husband shares his copies, the more converts Mr. Pfeiffer gains.
4966901
Sportswriter Jerome Holtzman (1926-2008) compiled this remarkable collection of baseball fiction by such notables as James Thurber, Ring Lardner, Bernard Malamud, etc.  This entertaining book contains both short stories and excerpts from novels, and should be of interest for both baseball aficionados and fans of good fiction.  I particularly liked "Alibi Ike," about a ballplayer who mouthed excuses for every occurrence, and "You Could Look It Up," a humorous piece by James Thurber about a pinch-hitting midget written years before Bill Veeck sent up midgit Eddie Gaedel in a real-life 1951 game in St. Louis.  There are other humorous and interesting pieces here as well, most of which were written decades ago. Fans of baseball and of good fiction should enjoy this entertaining book.

Note: Holtzman was the sports writer who came up with the Save as a baseball statistic.
2234923
We received Stargazers: Galileo, Copernicus the Telescope and the Church by Alan Chapman last year from the publisher, Lion Hudson Plc(Full review on CJLeger.com). Stargazers centers around the history of astronomy and its relevance to the precarious position science found itself in under the wings of the Catholic Church, which was strongly opposed to advancement and the freedom of information for the general public. While the title states it actively addresses the contributions made by Galileo and Copernicus to the study of astronomy, the book actually does a well-rounded and broad review of astronomical history as a whole with a strong concentration on the Renaissance Era between the years of 1500 and 1700.

Galileo's contribution represent about 14% of the book;  it goes on to cover the revolutionary and controversial stigma Copernicus' astronomical views had upon the Catholic Church and society at the time.  Also addressed in the book is Aristotle's view of the universe, the role Protestants played in the advancement of science at the time and the Jesuit missionaries telescope.

Kepler's laws of motion and Tycho Brahes view of the Earth being the center of the universe, which was in direct contradiction to Copernicus view of the universe, is also covered in the book, as well are historical references to Francis Bacon, the Royal Society and International Fellowship of Science.

What I specifically like about this book, which I always make an effort to highlight, is the thorough research the author has done into the history of astronomy for this publishing. Being a well qualified professional in the field, he has every right to write the text based upon his own knowledge, yet he chose to present ample references for his writings.

Something I believe that many authors that write within the history genre should do, which I do when referencing books or topics in the nonfiction genre, is include relevant reading suggestions. Ive done this for my latest book analyses for Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev about the 1996 Everest Disaster. The author offers quite a few suggested readings, and there are many historically sourced illustrations in the book to provide a complete index that makes this book a true reference source for any project.

In our final review, we give this book a 5 star rating.

We recommend this book to people who enjoy the following genres:
-History
-Astronomy
-Biographies
-The Renaissance Era
-The Catholic Church
-Religious History
-Reference Books
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Excellent! We originally checked it out of our local library, but after reading it we knew we needed to own it!
536575
The book is full of psychology material and the new method found called NVC and some personal experience of author.
Its worth noting down or highlight the point.
3560611
In Lexicon Urthus, Michael Andre-Driussi compiled an encyclopedic reference work, invaluable to the serious reader of Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, one of the high points of speculative fiction.  The Lexicon identified the denotations and connotations of the many real but unfamiliar words that Wolfe used.  Additional brief essays on major characters and themes made the Lexicon a must-read for serious readers of TBotNS.

Wolfe went on to publish The Book of the Long Sun and The Book of the Short Sun, both set in the universe of New Sun, but more closely tied with one another than either is with the original series.  The challenges here are different: in Long Sun, we must decode the relationships, including kinship, among numerous key characters, and follow the fast-paced course of Silk's path from simple priest to revolutionary leader.  In Short Sun, while it's clear that several different characters are in fact the same person, the sequence of events requires substantial parsing, and the exact nature of several characters' interactions require a couple of reads and substantial reflection.

Andre-Driussi tackles these challenges for us Gate of Horn, Book of Silk, another tremendous effort of scholarship.  The format is again encyclopedic, with separate sections for Long Sun and Short Sun.  I would say his most valuable contributions this time lie in the detailed timelines that he has assembled for each series; these allow the reader to see the sequences of events more clearly, understand just who is involved at different points, and have a much clearer idea of what Wolfe is up to and why.  He also provides explanations of the expressions used by numerous characters as well as speculation on how they are related and why it matters.

Silk and Horn are among the most well drawn and fascinating characters in speculative fiction.  Their combined story is complex and laden with symbolism.  The exegesis provided in Gate of Horn, Book of Silk goes a long way toward helping the reader who has puzzled over Wolfe's novels to solve several mysteries and make more sense of these fine novels.  Highly recommended for anyone wanting a better understanding of Wolfe's work.
3773252
At first glance, this is nothing more than a typical soft cover fanzine loaded with pics. But authors Lester Bangs and Paul Nelson, two of Rolling Stones best writers in the 70s, make this something much more than a quick bio filled with myths and facts. Instead the two give their opinions on Rod's career from its beginning through 1980. (Nelson actually worked with Stewart at Mercury records in the early 70s). What makes this such an unusual animal is that for the most part, the pair really hate Rod Stewart's 1975-80 output, so much of the book is a criticism of what happened to Rod Stewart,--they often ponder if his selling out was something he could recover from and why it happened in the first place.  (Thank God the pair are not around to see Rod's 2006 complete sell-out called "Still the Same....Great Rock Classics"). Such a book was destined to fail as fans really don't want to read a book criticizing their hero. But anyone with an open mind, and anyone with a desire to read great rock critics bemoaning the loss of one their favorite rock stars will find this a great book. I've read it about ten times and absolutely love it. Good luck finding it!
3542542
What a fascinating effort this book is, over 300 large size pages full of extremely rare photographs and fascinating behind the scenes stories of Rock's life.  As the author says, this book is an "Un-Corrected Proof," meaning there are typos and mis-spellings (i.e., Bette Midler's name is spelled "Middler") but that's part of the charm.  This is obviously a labor of love.  The author was an insider in Rock's life for a long period of time.  He knows, and tells, what really went on, and illustrates the text with rare photos and memorabilia he inherited from Rock himself.  As paperback books go, it's pricy, but worth it.  You just don't see books like this.  It must have a fairly limited print run and the color printing on so many pages couldn't have been cheap.  If you're interested at all in Rock Hudson or Hollywood inside stories this book is a must-have and probably will become a collector's item.
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A fantastic resource whether you are looking for book club suggestions or ideas for your own reading.  I have just begun on the journey to increase my knowledge of contemporary authors and their novels by reading the  starred books --the ones the editor considers to be "the best" by  each author included.  I'm sure anyone will "discover" unfamiliar  authors or novels not yet read.  It makes a terrific gift for the book  lovers on your list.
3055473
As a schoolboy playing football in the late 1970s I read Bill Curry's One More July, and it was then and there I learned firsthand what it was like to be in the NFL, to have Lombardi as a coach and Ray Nitschke snarling across the scrimmage line from you.  Or what it was like to face Dick Butkus, the linebacker who appeared as if God had made him, who was so startingly gifted and would run from sideline to sideline with no letup and single-handedly dismantle your running game.  One More July was written in 1975 in Curry's final year as a Pro.  This book, however, is written from the perspective of a 60-something  man more than 30 years later.  Ray Nitschke is still Ray Nitschke, even if only clad in a t-shirt, sandals, and a jockstrap, holding forth in the locker room with a cigarette: fearsome, vulpine, intimidating.  Curry makes an effort to come to terms with him and succeeds, in my view.  He tries to be fair and balanced in his assessments of the Packers versus the Colts and the different styles they took towards practice and game preparation.  Curry also mentions how things have changed for the better - water breaks are now allowed in practice, players are no longer allowed to be "tested" after suffering concussions (a Ray Nitschke forearm smash is NOT the way to do it!), and so on.  Coaches no longer have absolute power over players to the point of withholding necessary medical treatment.  One wonders how Lombardi would have fared in this day and age with the required transparency.  All in all, a good book, but I recommend readers also get a copy of Curry's previous book, One More July, for valuable added perspective.  If one reads the first, then reading this book is a natural and logical progression.
896325
Yesterday, I returned from a visit to the Ophthalmologist with fully dilated eyes. On the stoop was a Mail Delivery of Bruce Kimmel's latest tome" Album Produced By"

With my eyes, I was not about to read a book - but I couldn't resist a peek.
So I peeked, and peeked, and peeked some more...I peeked till I could barely peek at all.

And was I surprised!  No "Poor Little Me" litany, no "Misunderstood" Creative Artist, no dish-the-bitch memories - just page after page of fast-paced re-creation of the creative (and in one noteworthy instance, destructive) process. And, most of the "dish" was that the bitch was charming.

You know how when as a kid you'd go to a Saturday matinee horror film and find yourself wanting to scream "Don't go down the cellar steps!" - well that's how you feel when you see the best laid traps of Madam Machiavelli and her hench-husband bring about the bloody abortion of a very special creative enterprise aborning. That our intrepid author continued what became eventually a lost cause for redemption (I'm right dammit!) makes us pause and reconsider our measure of the man.

It's fun to find all sorts of unexpected references to folks we know from other places - Lea Michele, from Glee. (of course there's Barrett Foa, with nary a reference to his current high-profile status as a leading supporting character in the top rated NCIS-LA - an omission I attribute to the author's not being familiar with every new show on TV). But the author is no fancy famous-name dropper - the book is filled with kind professional references to all sorts of great supporting cast behind the record business.

Any reader will move the author a few points up on their admiration meter.

To learn more about the makings of an album, and the makings of a man, read "Album Produced By".

WARNING - reading this book with dilated eyes will make one teary.

Bruce Albert
4262997
Gasp! What's this? A non-fiction book? In The Horror Fiction Review? Now, hold on, hold on, it's all right ... it's about the works of Stephen King, and Stephen King is a big part of why we're where we are, right here and now as a certain Wolf might say.

So, close enough, right? This is a gathering of essays from experts and academics, King's colleagues and peers and some mega-fans, all looking at the monumental impact he's had on the genre as a whole. Not only through his writing, but through the art it's inspired in various forms -- movies, paintings and illustrations. They look at his influences on younger writers, on wider-world media as a whole. They look at him as not only a literary powerhouse but a person and a friend.

I mean, just look at some of the contributors here! Jack Ketchum, Clive Barker! Bev Vincent, Richard Chizmar, Frank Darabont! Look at some of the essay titles! "Reading the Lost Works of Stephen King." "The Politics of Being Stephen King." "The Adventure of Reading Stephen King." Topics such as how writing is telepathy, religious aspects, twinners and twinning!

Herein are reviews and criticisms and retrospectives, academic analyses and heartfelt messages. Herein is a lot to think about and a lot to enjoy. Maybe some issues to debate as well; we each have our own opinions, occasionally fiercely divided. But that's a good thing, a thing we need more of.

Reading these essays did make me want to go back and re-read the books, re-watch the movies, re-experience everything that's helped shape my life since I was ten years old picking up a shiny silver paperback from my grandfather's garage bookshelf. More, and perhaps more importantly, it made me want to strive harder with my own craft.

You don't have to be a scholar to get a lot out of this book. All you need to be is a Constant Reader, no matter how casual ... or maybe even a new reader looking to become Constant ... and this will prove a vital addition to your King library.
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My name is Michael Erlewine, founder of the All-Music Guide (allmusic.com), the largest collection of music data (biographies, discographies, tracks, ratings, reviews, and what-not on the planet. I have published many books on music, including several just on blues, of which "Blues in Black & White: The Landmark Ann Arbor Blues Festivals" (2011) was picked as one of the top 20 books published in Michigan, where I live. I am also the producer of the Michigan Music Project, a feature-length video documentary of important Michigan music artists, venues, and experts, which is now being compiled.

This second outstanding volume of the Paramount materials, for me, is even more important than the first, because it concentrates on material I am more familiar with, in particular, many of the blues recordings.

Although not inexpensive, this is a bargain price for what is essentially priceless, some 800 tracks, most that you or I have probably never heard or would hear without this collection, much less have it available on our hard drives! Of less importance to me (but nice to have)is the vinyl and the case (which is excellent) and contains very detailed information (2 large books) on the artists, track listings, and all kinds of visual materials, both printed and digital. It is overwhelming.

In reviewing the first volume, I came across a small amount of carping about this or that feature of the product, which I feel was unwarranted and in bad taste. As an award-winning archivist of popular culture (allmusic.com, allmovie.com, ClassicPosters.com, and etc.), I well know what such an undertaking involves. I can only thank Jack White and his team from the bottom of my heart for this kind of diligence, this gift from the heart of American music.

Such generosity of spirit is rare these days.

Michael Erlewine (SpiritGrooves.net)
1311766
I absolutely love the book and use it as a discussion point when I teach my introductory psychology students about brain and behavior relationships.  The case of the color-blind painter is especially helpful at getting students to understand how consciousness and memory and perception all tie in together.
A brief aside on the hardback and the somewhat cryptic title to this review.  The power went out in my apt this morning and as I was stumbling about looking for matches I noticed a glowing line on my bookshelf.  I touched it and realized that one of my volumes had a glowing dust jacket... sure enough the publisher (or maybe Dr. Sacks?) really wanted us to know that this book **IS** illuminating.  It seems that the front cover has been treated with some kinda florescent material.  Trivia at its best!
Z
3571495
If you are looking for a good reference book on old time radio and there's any Tune In Yesterday's available here,stop what you're doing and order it immediately. Just be glad that you even found a copy! This book has been out of print for years. I was lucky enough to find mine at a used book sale for pennies. By the way, Don't forget to patronize your local used book sales,they're a great place to find incredible bargains on books,dvds,cds,etc.
 Once you have this book be prepared to be lost in it for days. The work that John Dunning put into this is staggering. Each program listed is given as much loving care as he could provide. My words here cannot describe how much this book means to me, and I'm sure,other OTR fans.
I think I just noticed a copy now available for $6. Grab it,NOW!