I don't think I've ever seen a better piece of journalism.

I didn't expect too much from this book. I bought it for the usual tourist reasons (we were in Stockbridge to hear Arlo sing in the church). Published by Berkshire House, it graces the "local shelves" tables of every local bookstore and gift shop.This book didn't actually need to be GOOD. It just needed to have some scraps of fan information about Arlo and some old pictures of the Church and Officer Obie and so forth...

I cannot begin to describe how surprisingly satisfying this book is. It is really a first-rate job. It is so much more wide-ranging and thoughtful than might have been expected.

And Laura Lee covers the exact range of topics I was interested in, with just the right balance.

For example, about a quarter of the book is devoted to the "pre-Arlo" era. It's more than a lick-and-a-promise, interesting both in itself and as a jumping-off-point for musing on How Things Change. I never realized that the little fork-in-the-road Van Deusenville area of Housatonic was once a significant industrial town... At the same time, a quarter of the book is just about enough. I didn't want to wade through monograph on Great Barrington history, and after paying proper respect to the Bostwicks and the Van Deusens, we get to Ray and Alice Brock by page 65.

The thing that makes this book so splendid is Lee's sympathetic attention and reporting of _mild_ differences in opinion. I'm not sure I've ever seen a better piece of journalism. You see events refracted through different peoples' eyes--NOT a big-deal Rashomon conflict, just, well, different people saw things a little differently.

For example, Arlo's guru, Jaya Sati Bhagavati Ma, is seen through Arlo's eyes. She is also seen directly and with respect through Laura Lee's. However, Lee also reports the Berkshire Record's description of her as "a spiritual Ethel Merman wielding a Brooklyn persona" and Alice Brock's remark "Here is this dame, she's my age, she's from Brooklyn, she's Jewish, just like me, but she had this giant scam."

Thoroughly satisfying, absolutely first rate.

I finished Laura Lee's lovingly crafted book over the Labor Day weekend, having enjoyed it immensely. It becomes obvious that Laura Lee has a special love for the Trinity Church (now the Guthrie Center) because the history of The Church is exhaustively recorded in the first half of her book. I think it's safe to say that if you need more information about the history of Christianity in colonial Western Massachusetts than what Laura provides, you're likely well out of the general audience this book aims at. I think Laura hit the highlights as it pertains to the Housatonic/Lee/Van Deusenville area, and the Trinity Church.

The book springs forward in the second half to chronicle the uniquely strange and humorous events surrounding the Alice's Restaurant Massacree, the film "Alice's Restaurant" (itself a baffling blend of truth and fiction) and the subsequent history of the Church, having fallen out of the Brock's hands and ultimately into Arlo's. Lee closes the loop on all these wonderful events and brings us right into the modern era of the Guthrie Center, leaving the reader with an intimate feeling of hopefulness about the renewed Church and the lives surrounding it.

I suggest reading the book, listening to the song, watching the film, visiting arlo.net, and visiting Great Barrington. These are all the pieces of the puzzle. Thank you, Laura, for providing such an informative, entertaining, and loving overview of the Church that was, the Church as it is, and the Church that will be.

- J. Dock, Sept 2000

Ms. Lee has really captured the enduring spirit of a community and a time in this book. The history of a church in the Berkshires seems like an unlikely topic, but add the fact that the church is the same one from "Alice's Restaurant" and an element of interest is added. What was a nice surprise was how interesting the history of the church and its surrounding community really is. Ms. Lee has given a slice of American life through the church from its beginning to its famous showing in the saga of Arlo Guthrie in the '60's and now. I sincerely hope that this book will help others to see the importance of understanding of our history and will help the Guthrie Center.

The principles that this book discusses: Release, Collaboration Ensemble and Play are extremely relevant to creating effective software teams. The principles are inspired by observing how theatre companies work, but they also have a basis in lean manufacturing. If you work as a software developer or manager and have ever worked on a theatre production (community theatre or at school) a light will go on immediately. If you haven't The data that the authors provide about lean manufacturing practices and software development will convince you that there is a lot that we can learn from this metaphor. The theatre examples will be helpful in explaining how the principles work if you need to communicate them to a manager who does not understand software development. Buy this book and place it along side your books on agile software development; you will want to read it and refer back to it frequently.

I have had the privilege of studying under Prof. Rob Austin, and I this book continues the dialogue that has always informed Rob's intellectual search--how do two seemingly disparate disciplines, in this case theater production and knowledge based business, converge to inform processes that are virtually identical thus providing a path where each can improve the results of the other.

Both he and Lee Devin have written a concise, powerfully convincing narrative that offers a new approach on how to manage complexity, embrace ambiguity and uncertainty and innovate reliably under strict deadlines. Managing "release", rapid iterative development, and creating the right "ensemble" are some of the key concepts explored in the book.

Highly recommended for anyone presented with the challenges of how to innovate and perform reliably under deadlines.

For those who need to innovate in a world of change, reduced cycle times, and demanding customers. Austin and Devin provide a management framework for delivering innovation reliably and effectively. Concepts in the book--Artful Making, Reconceiving, Low cost iteration, and working on the Edge--all resonate with my experiences in the Agile Software Development movement. "Artful Making" will go on my must read list!

Like being scared???? If so the read Ashes of The Innocent by Lee Jordan.....Fear is the main emotion in this book.....So if you are of the weak kind then stick to fairy tales..I guarantee, you will not put this book down....Rock & Roll & the colours of life take on a whole new meaning..then prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster.

The characters in the book will stay with you & the storyline will definatly get you thinking..This book is not you average horror book, many authors have fleeted across this sort of thing before but none have touched it until now.For me it was all my nightmares rolled into one,even though it got my heart racing & no matter how scared I got I could not put it down...Sleep with the lights on if you DARE & hope your power supply does not get cut off...........

I have written a dark, spiritual tale of a small southern town in the 1950s, where faith and racism are the powers of the day in an era when rock'n'roll is bursting through. It's a classic story of light and darkness, heaven and hell, demons and religion. I've been fascinated by the stereotypical South for years, the characters that always seemed to be there in the mid 20th Century: blues players, a wise woman and bigoted locals. They are all here in the small town of Deville. It's a horror but so much more, I hope you enjoy.

This book is a really good read. Take your time and immerse yourself in the characters.

The ATL Server library is the perfect addition to ATL, adding the ability to create web services and web applications with the light-weight model of ATL. I found this book very useful for getting new members of my development team up to speed on the basics of ATL Server development (both those with previous ISAPI experience and those without).

I also found this book very useful when tackling some of the more difficult problems that our application faced. In particular the Advanced sections on SRF files, Request Handlers and Web Services provided a number of useful techniques that we were able to apply in our application.

The book also outlines some techniques for using parts of the ATL Server library in non-web applications, which we are finding very useful as we update some of our existing code.

This is an excellent book on the definitive technology for VC++ developers wanting to write web applications. ATL Server is the evolution of ISAPI; better, faster and much easier to write. If you are comfortable with C++ template programming and attributed Visual C++, you will find this framework a joy to work with. Just like ATL, ATL Server is streamlined, high performance and easy to extend.

Written by the ATL Server team, this book will guide you through the different parts of ATL Server, giving you not only reasons for why certain design decisions were made but also real-world examples.

If you're a hardcore C++ developer wanting to do native web development, ATL Server is a great library to work with. If you've done ISAPI extensions, you'll find ATL Server to be a natural, flexible and very performant extension of that model, which makes development a *lot* faster.

And if you like that, then this book is a great way to get you up to speed on ATL Server. It is, after all, written by the people who wrote it. The book is wonderfully easy to read, covers both the basics and plenty of advanced ATL Server topics, and has tons of examples. Plus, it has the advantage of being written with real applications in mind.

On the other hand, if the profile above doesn't sound like it fits you, then this book is probably not for you :)

Being a science fiction and fantasy fanatic I was quite impressed with the worlds and characters that Lee Garrett has to offer in "The Awakening"! This is a story that stretches your imagination and takes you in an adrenaline fenzy! ~Marc Phoenix/Author of "Tashar City of Mystery"

Garrett has authored a novel that literally wakes the reader up! "The Awakening" has action, visuals like none other, and non-stop movement in this amazing novel. Garrett's command of the language is impressive and the creativity blows the reader away. I recommend this book to all who love fantasy that is "real" which makes little sense, but is the best way I can describe the author's refreshingly unique style. Movie producers need to be eyeballing this book. "Wake up!" And read this book!

This is a wonderful book. Never dull, never tedious, it keeps an energy rarely seen in any of today's writing. So few authors can keep the reader's interest as raptly as Lee Garrett can, and I'm proud to say that I never once put the book down. Cover to cover, never tiring, and ending with the satisfaction of a truly enjoyable experience. This is definitely worth not only a look, but a second and a third.

This book is a treasure. I was so pleasantly surprised that it wasn't "weird" and un-southern like "Booklist" led me to believe. Now I can almost cook like my great-grandmother did. (I need more practice.) Not only is this a great cookbook and reference, it's full of very enjoyable reading. I find myself picking this up for my recreational reading and getting hungry. It also tells me all I want to know about the vegetables themselves, like how to choose a ripe cantalope, and why sweet potatoes are sometimes called yams. However, it's very well organized and laid-out if you need to get a recipe and skip the conversation. (But that's not very southern of you.) I can't get enough of that braised cabbage!

Damon Lee Fowler's "Beans, Greens, and Sweet Georgia Peaches" is a follow-up to his successful "Classical Southern Cooking", concentrating this time on the Southern cook's way with fruit and vegetables. It is, however, much more than merely a book of recipes. Instead, Fowler serves up a delightful treatise on the philosophy and outlook of Southern cooking, in which the recipes act more as examples of his principle arguments, rather than the book's main raison d'être. It is clear that the author is more interested in explaining the 'why' of Southern cooking than the 'how' - something that is very useful when you find yourself needing to make substitutions because of problems of availability! In addition, his enthusiasm for his subject shines through on every page. In all, this makes for a fascinating read. The book also contains some really wonderful recipes!

Throughout, Fowler concentrates on Southern traditional ways, always aiming for the authentic touch to his dishes and methods of preparation. Consequently, even though this book is mainly about vegetable dishes, prepared Southern-style, it is by no means a vegetarian cookbook. Traditional Southern pork dripping or ham, as well as seafood features prominently throughout the book. Nevertheless, Fowler remains sensitive to the fact that its title and subject matter may well draw the attention of those seeking vegetarian recipes and so he thoughtfully (and tastefully!) provides true vegetarian (and even vegan) alternatives wherever possible. While these may not be totally true to their origins, the results are every bit as tasty.

My copy of this book was given to me by my wife, as a memento of our first trip to Atlanta. Even though some of the ingredients are a little hard to come by the UK, it has nevertheless come to be one of my favourite sources of inspiration in the kitchen. And it is a wonderfully mouth-watering way to be reminded of the hospitality the Southern States!

Southern cooking is more than pork fat and collards (though these are good things). Southern cooking is--like any other important cuisine--making the most out of nature's bounty. Damon Lee Fowler knows that. He takes the natural abundance of Southern gardens and creates (or in many cases) recreates recipes that make eating your vegetables the best part of the meal.

If you grew up in the South and/or (like me) had a Southern mother or grandmother who cooked lots of seasonal vegetables. This book is chock full of recipes and memories.

I have tried about 2/3 of the recipes so far and I haven't found one that I disliked.

If you're looking for an intriguing, informative, and overall enjoyable reference work on both noir fiction and film, look no further. The Big Book of Noir, co-edited by Lee Server and Ed Gorman, is chock full of terrific pieces on great directors and writers including Cornell Woolrich, A.I. Bezzerides (writer of the classics Kiss Me Deadly, On Dangerous Ground, and Thieves' Highway), Harry Whittington, Peter Rabe, Fritz Lang, Leigh Brackett, Gil Brewer, Mickey Spillane, and many more.

One of the best things about the book is that several of the above-mentioned pieces are actually interviews; Lang and Bezzerides fall into this category, as do Daniel Mainwaring (writer of Out of the Past), Abraham Polonsky (writer of Force of Evil), Peter Rabe, Charles Willeford, and Donald Westlake.

Several of the non-interview pieces are written by some of the best known writers in suspense fiction around including Stephen King (on Jim Thompson), William Nolan, Ed Gorman, Barry Malzberg, Bill Pronzini, and Max Allan Collins. Other pieces are firsthand accounts--by Leigh Brackett and Malvin Wald (writer of Naked City).

There's an interesting checklist of 100 favorite noir films (including a few by Jean-Pierre Melville, one of the all-time great French directors--a powerful inspiration for Tarantino), another checklist of 100 noir novels, and even a section on noir comics!

The Radio and TV section goes into Peter Gunn, of course, but also mentions the lesser-known (and by all accounts, far more interesting) Johnny Staccato which starred John Cassevetes who was infinitely edgier than Craig Stevens' Gunn character.

These guys have done their homework and more, and it definitely shows. It's a shame this book is out of print; it's terrific!

A wonderful collection featuring some of the world's best noir scholars and historians. There's a wealth of information between these covers, but the book is worth its weight in platinum for the magnificent, definative essay on Gil Brewer written by Bill Pronzini.

As the lowly web guy behind The Thrilling Detective Web Site, I'm always looking for good reference books, and this one's a keeper! It collects some of the very best articles, essays and critiques in one handy volume, covering everything from film and fiction to radio, television and comics. Passionate, diverse, opinionated, cranky, illuminating and enlightening, it's like a Greatest Hits of Noir Criticism.

This book is very handy and helps organize my beanie collection. Now I'm waiting for more supplements for the new beanies and teenie beanies. Can't wait to get them into my binder.

Very easy to organize my beanies. Now we need the updates for the recently retired beanies and the new beanies that just came out.

Tried four other books before I found this one. Best book to keep track of your beanies

I have used WinZip for a number of years but I never knew that it could do 1/2 the stuff that this book points out. For example, WinZip can create files that can actually unzip themselves. It can also protect your ZIP files with passwords and even test file integrity to make sure your ZIP files are not corrupt. One thing I really like is that it turns out you can set up your anti-virus program to scan the contents of ZIP files to make sure that they do not contain any viruses before you open them. On top of that the author does a really good job of keeping things short and sweet and yet making sure that everything is explained as much as it needs to be. I'll give this one 2 thumbs up!

Zip files can be easily opened and organized by those who understand the basics of managing them, and this covers the standard WinZip software which is usually used in the process. Beginners as well as those already familiar with WinZip will find Jerry Lee Ford's Book Of WinZip to be an invaluable guide to the program's useful, often hidden features; from file compression types and upgrading to modifying archives or printing a contents list. An invaluable guide to a popular, much-used program.

Ever have to send someone several files and rather than send them one at a time you want to send them as one complete file? You think that some sort of compression utility would be the answer but are not sure of which one. Well after 13 years and trying just about all of them I found WinZip to be the best and this book is an extremely helpful resource to making sure you are using WinZip to the maximum potential.

With only 160 pages you might think that everything you need to know couldn't possibly be in this book, think again. As the pages unfold you'll be amazed as to how much and how much detail is actually included.

With a starting point of the basics of WinZip you begin to find out what exactly can be done. Then comes the wizard, either the classic mode or the wizard mode to you the choice of how to handle the files you are working with.

From there you'll find out how to work with virus software, setting passwords and for those still in the DOS age you to have the option to work on the command line. The book has included a number of keyboard shortcuts that should make things easier for everyone.

I like the outline at the beginning of each chapter to let you know what is being covered. I also was pleasantly surprised and pleased with the step-by-step instructions with screen shots to help you along the easy. Overall this may be the one go to reference for all of the WinZip questions you have.

Just received the kit. It is much more beautiful than I expected, with a neat box (including almost secret drawer), nice tools, more supplies than I expected and a very well designed and written book.

I don't know if I will ever actually get around to repairing my books, but this kit is worth the price just for the beautiful organization. It even smells nice.

PS, I always have buyers remorse, so I am surprised how much I like this.

I got an issue of a German women's magazine Freundin and theyfeatured this Booklover's Repair Kit. I'd been looking all over for a proper set of materials to repair some old bindings. This is simply brilliant.

It would take me many trips or orders by mail, phone or internet to assemble all these necessary items. Not only is everything you need in this kit, but you can also use it to make your own bookbindings (you need some kind of press, but that can be a piece of wood and some clamps, and a bone folder which can be found in craft stores that carry scrapbooking items.) If you like to scrapbook or do your own journal OR if you collect old books, this kit is a must.

At last someone has grasped the depth of personal sentiment attached not merely to content but to the medium, the books themselves, those volumes with their loose covers, cracked bindings and torn pages. Thank you, Ms. Ellis and Messrs. Wiggins and Lee.

As I have watched my niece graduate from Ramona and Harry Potter to Judy Blume, I have wondered how I could give her my adored but crumbling copy of Gone With The Wind, worrying about her rejecting it for its evident decay, or worse, the book's ability to withstand another reading. Now a talented trio has put together a kit which will allow butterfingered me to repair the novel before passing it on. The Booklover's Repair Kit doesn't just tell me how to do it, in straightforward terms with helpful diagrams. Much more in fact, since everything I may need to fix the book comes with it.

If you give a damn about the books on your shelf, you will want the Booklover's Repair Kit to join them with its handsome packaging and enough supplies to fix a dozen or so tattered books, be they Proust or Mitchell.