How this woman was able to take on the voice of a 13-year-old kid from the inner city just amazes me. This book deserves to get a lot more attention that it has. It stayed with me long after I was finished, and I shed more than one tear along the way. Teresa McClain-Watson had me wanting to adopt this kid!

I am a teacher who plans on teaching this book to high school students. When I read an excerpt from Chapter Two to 10th graders, they were hungry for more. Though this book may be scorned by some parents because of its use of profanity, it is a raw revelation of a young teenager's inner feelings towards a dad who rejected him. The protagonist's feelings are complex and often he is torn by an inner conflict that must infect most boys who yearn for their daddies' love. A MUST!

I thought Plenty Good Room was magnificent. The characters made me laugh, cry and remember. Poor Bay Dawson tried so hard! But, alas, his reunion with his father was not as he had hoped. Teresa McClain-Watson is an excellent writer. I enjoy the book thoroughly!

Two Sister is a unique volume of poetry where the sisters Sheila Wade and Maureen Brown collaborate to present a compelling memoir in the form of candid, revealing, and inspiring biographical verse that tells of their upbringing, marked by poverty of spirit as well as substance. The sisters deal with emotional issues ranging from personal security to self-esteem to coming out of poverty and rising a prosperity of spirit. Growing Up Too Fast: When I was so very young,/Into adulthood I was flung./To grow up very quickly,/Even though I was often sickly.//My family was dirt poor,/Our house was an eyesore./Our clothes and hair were unclean,/Life in many ways was very mean.//My father had never learned to read,/Yet he was a good man, everyone agreed./He worked so hard at his trade,/We never lived on welfare aid.//Many bills were left unpaid,/Of a better life he always prayed./Until he own life finally did fade,/And at peace at rest he was finally laid.

"Two Sister" is a poignant account of two sisters' journey through the rigors of a childhood spent in poverty. They highlight the gamut of emotions that anyone in their situation would experience: from the embarrassment caused by others' comments or stares to the utter joy found in the simple pleasures of life, like taking a drive with the family. I was moved by the feelings of compassion toward others and gratitude for my own childhood memories that were elicited by reading these simple, yet moving poems.

A mosaic of short poems laden throughout with deep, strong colors and hard-edge shapes of tears. Yet, the entire layout induces with gentle hues and soft graceful movements of laughter. There is no poetic expertise lacking. Dignity, humility and the true meaning of life became the achevements of the authors. Clearly, if any reader remembers "THE GOLDEN RULE", then this book will find its way to the lips and hearts of many parents, teachers and my three sisters. This one gets five rose-cut diamonds from me!

The way this book reads is a direct analogy to the Jaguars. A quick and powerful example of how to write and how to win correctly. The Andre Rison anedote and Tom Coughlin's use of fear to gain respect were excellent. With the Jaguars poised to make a run at the Super Bowl, I look forward to seeing a following on this model franchise by these two gifted writers.

Anyone who regularly reads the Florida Times Union sports page would expect that John Oesher and Pete Prisco could provide this fascinating and sometimes provocative story of how this world class franchise was put together. The pair's sensibility and willingness to force Coach Coughlin's respect lends to a short but compelling read.

I am moving to Jacksonville and was looking for some information. This book provided basics and then some. Unlike most travel books, this one is designed to be read straight through, but is divided into specific sections for those who are looking for certain information. A lot of information in a very easy to read format. Would gladly purchase more in the series when moving again!

This rare book, out of print for over 25 years,depicts the southern Oregon pioneer frontier as never seen before. Rare pictures of the rogue river valley's stage coaches and steam locomotives are seen along with rare crater lake pictures. Over 50 photographs of every day life in Oregon's early days. Originally a portrait painter Peter Britt went into photography with the skills necessary to produce fine art, composition,design,color sense, etc. His photographs of over 50 years record the birth and transformation of one of America's last frontiers.

...To me a five star book is supposed to be illuminating, exceptional, and something you'd consider coming back to and occasionally rereading. This isn't that type of book for me and therefore I give it three and a half. Although it has some poignant moments, overall I consider it significantly flawed.

The story focuses on the relationship between the lead character Pete Butcher and Sarah Leemer. This relationship is handled with delicacy and insight by Crews and takes on spiritual qualities by the end of the novel. As Pete comes to terms with his guilt Sarah unfolds as a strong, tender and courageous woman who helps Pete through the process of healing. In and of itself this relationship offers the reader an opportunity to observe the regeneration of a man from one weighed down by tremendous suffering and isolation to one who's willing to open up and confront not only his personal demons but also have them exorcised. There's certainly an element of human understanding in this book and it's through Pete and Sarah's relationship that we experience it.

The problem is with the characters that surround this relationship, some of whom often seem implausible or cartoonish and at times even irrelevant to the validity of what's going on with Pete and Sarah. The absurd and grotesque are elements of Southern fiction which in the past have been used to effectively demonstrate qualities of the human condition, but here they fail to do so. While encountering some of the characters in this book I found nothing in them in which I could identify some substantial idea or human trait. They more often obscured or hindered the story rather than enhancing it, their superficiality conflicting with the grander aims of the book.
I'm sure this isn't what Crews intended but nonetheless it's how I viewed it.

Although I thought the book had its problems I still think that Harry Crews has talent and therefore I intend to read some of his other work.

I have been a fan of Harry Crews for a long time, and this novel is one of my favorites. Alot of folks don't like it as well as some of his earlier work as it doesn't really fit into the catagory of redneck lit or grit lit that some many of the others do. Still, this novel, which on one level is a love story, has plenty of grit in it and more than enough of Crew's beautiful writng to offend those who don't know true literature when they read it.

Pete Butcher, for my money, is Crews' most accessible character. You can identify with him right from the first page and on to the very last. His guilt over an accident involving his little brother is acurately and painstakingly shown to the reader by Crews. And the supporting cast of characters, well, let me say there is no way you could be left disappointed by them.

If I had to rate Crews' five best novel I'd put them in this order: 1- A Feast Of Snakes 2- The Knockout Artist 3- The Gospel Singer 4- Scar Lover 5- All We Need Of Hell

That said, I should probably add that everything written by Crews is worth your time. With the exception of The Mulching Of America, which is merely all right, and even Crews said "That one got away from me" in an interview.

now, get Scar Lover and read a real piece of American fiction.

'Scar Lover' is one of Harry Crews's best works. With his eccentric characters and off-beat humor, he weaves this tale of an emotionally lost man finding his way slowly back to life and love. Pete Butcher is a loner, living in a boarding house in Jacksonville, Florida. He avoids contact with people for deeper reasons than we first suspect.

Seemingly against his will, Pete is pulled into the lives of the strange neighbors next door. The first one he meets is Sarah Leemer, a tall, beautiful, mysterious girl with a few problems of her own. She lives with her parents who are equally strange. As she draws Pete into her life, we begin to see the changes she affects in him. His life which was empty soon begins to fill again.

Crews introduces us to his usual array of odd southern folks and a Jamaican couple George and Linga find their way in as well. The story is often touching in little ways, and we never stop hoping that Pete somehow finds some happiness. The title 'Scar Lover' is very fitting, as each character has been scarred in different ways, emotionally and physically. Harry Crews is an accomplished writer who deserves more recognition.

I liked this book and its characters, though I had a hard time keeping up with their names. Usually when this happens to me, I blame it on the author not protraying them in such a way that they are memorable in my mind. I loved the premise of them living in the giant screen and the juxtaposition of classical music and a library beneath a raging dog kennal. It was a priceless visual! I just never got emotionally involved in the story to the point that I hated to put the book down. Bottom line.......it was an okay read on the airplane (I travel 200 days a year and read about five books a week!) Each time I found a gem of a chapter, it was followed by some disjointed and disappointing one...like a roller coaster.

This book was a good read but not quite in the can't-put-it-down category. It's about a 1960's nuclear family who operate a massive drive-in theater along Florida's Atlantic coast south of Jacksonville. The cast of characters grows to include a Scatman Crothers-type black handyman (only he's very short) and a part terrier/part wiener dog (who becomes unforgiveably vicious). Most of the doings concern the interplay between the lurid but fun cinema and the staid but necessary funeral chapel next door, especially the Romeo-and-Juliet substory of the narrator and his girl. The prose style hit the right buttons: it was neither too colloquial nor too U-of-Iowa-Workshop, if you know what I mean. Unfortunately, though, there was often some heavy-handed foreshadowing of events to come. Anticipating one tragic scene, we witness it through the eyes of a 16-year-old boy, the adult he has become, with symbolism, and with ironic detachment. In this sense the novel is over-engineered. Baker is too good at his craft; he's already experienced enough to go for an effect once and get it right. I look forward to his next book.

This is a delightful book with vivid characters that you want to meet! In fact, this book is so original and fun to read, I had to keep looking at the picture of Larry Baker and wonder -- how does he come up with these people and situations? It's easy to try and compare Baker with John Irving...since both have Iowa City roots...but I'd compare this book more to "The Shipping News" -- you actually LIKE the characters and care about what happens to them. Yes, yes, yes -- give it a try! Let's encourage MORE first time authors like Larry Baker.

I live in this area of the country and truly enjoyed the local pictures, flavors, and recipies. This book lists many exquisite recipies from famous local restaurants - what a bonus! This book is my favorite to give as a gift.

I, like many students at the University of Akron, bought this book for my United States History since 1877 class. This was an idiotic move on my part since, as you can see, the price is astronomical and I never had to read it. Whatever you do, do not buy this book. It is completely unnecessary. By the way, I currently have a high A in the class (I just have to take the final) and I never opened a text book or read any of the other books he had us buy. Just pay attention in class, take good notes, and use an encyclopedia to define the I.D.'s when He gives you the review sheet. It's an easy A and you'll save [money].

Keeping the Faith is an excellent read. In the beginning I thought it might be more of a tale of simple history and dates, but the author tells a compelling story that demands your attention and takes you back 50-60 years to Jacksonville, Florida. The history of our nation has never been a simple one but for me this book was clear and uncluttered. If you are an historian or just a lover of books this is a great choice.