Last night I planned to read this book for just a few minutes before going to sleep. Hours later, instead of sleeping I was transformed into the world of the Balkan Roma musicians and their incredible culture! I simply couldn't put this amazing book down. I love the stories and interviews with the old musicians, the informative history of the Roma people and their culture, the full-of-life photos, and the CD with soundscapes. All these pieces combine to give the reader a great view of a people and their heritage, and one that has been largely overlooked in the past. I found the work ethic of the musicians described in this book to be very inspirational. To be able to play all kinds of requests for days on end is really something to admire. Musicians of any genre could learn a whole lot from reading about the musicians in this book. Years ago, these authors turned me on to the subculture of polka in the USA (and made a polkaholic out of me) with their super "Polka Happiness" book. They have clearly done it again - informed the world about an incredibly rich culture that was largely hidden from view.

This book responds to my interest in the social context of folk music and dance. The focus was on the lives of the people who make the music, in this case the Roma of Jumaya (Iriklia) in Greek Macedonia. The writers give you quite a rounded view, describing how the music is performed, at what kinds of events, how people relate to the music and each other, how the musicians see themselves and their occupation and how making a living as a Roma musician fits into Greek society. There is also a strong sense of history and how things have changed over time in many ways - the history of Roma in Greece and other Balkan countries, the specific history of Roma in Jumaya, and the stories of individual musicians and their families. The consistently positive way that the writers approach their subject is also refreshing - they describe how Roma have used music to survive and, in some cases, prosper, and how in doing so they have contributed to the multi-layered fabric of Greek-Macedonian ethnic identities.

What is especially interesting to me is the authors' view of how multi-ethnic society works in Greek Macedonia as compared to Bulgaria or Former Yugoslavia, and how the strategy of Roma musicians is different in these different countries. In Greek Macedonia the musicians play the music of all ethnic groups in order to maximize their flexibility and income. During multi-ethnic celebrations the musicians follow a strict policy of playing everyone's requests in the order requested, so that no one feels that they have priority. There is a fascinating description of an ethnically mixed wedding where the families have to adjust their various wedding traditions to accommodate each other, making it up as they go along to some extent.

The authors compare and contrast this with the approach taken by Roma musicians in other areas of the Balkans. In Kosovo in the 1980s the Roma musicians are said to have purposely selected music from traditions from other than Serbian and Albanian in order to avoid conflicts. In Bulgaria the wedding band tradition is described as leading to a new pan-Balkan "fusion" style which borrows from many cultures but still feels Bulgarian. Ultimately the motivation behind each strategy is the need of musicians to make a living.

The book is interesting reading from a North American perspective as well. Keil contrasts the multi-ethnic consciousness of Greeks, where the same person may have several types of ethnic and national identities simultaneously, with the concept of "multiculturalism" which he describes as slices of a pizza in which there are lots of ethnicities but everyone is either one thing or another. This raise the question of what is really going on in such immigrant nations as Canada and the United States.

The accompanying CD is a potpourri of sounds, including music of various types, and there is a section of the book describing the contents of the CD. Some of the track titles are Market Day in Jumaya, Afternoon at a Mahala Café, At Home in the Mahala, New Year's Party in Serres, Taverna Party at Nikisiani. The combination of the text, the many high quality black and white photos and the soundscape are successful in putting you into the experience, as much as this is possible. There was also a nice balance between Angeliki Keil's straight-forward and very readable reporting of the lives of the musicians and Charles Keil's more theoretical musings about ethnicity, the music and the role of the musicians. My only complaint about the book is its weight - it's printed on very heavy, glossy stock, no doubt adding to the quality of photographic reproductions, but it is so big and heavy that you pretty well have to read it sitting up. An alternate title could be, "Your Big Fat Roma Music Book."

When you get Bright Balkan Morning you are likely to open it up and then leaf through it, looking at the photographs. After a few minutes of this you'll remove the CD from the inside back cover and put it on. Then you continue looking at the photos while listening to the sounds.

That in itself is a rich and satisfying experience. But don't stop there. Read the text!

It tells of Roma (aka Gypsy) musicians who have cornered the market on live music in polyglot Greek Macedonia. While they are at the bottom of the social order, anyone who wishes a proper wedding, festival, or party of any kind hires these musicians. The musicians generally perform in trios, one playing a bass drum while the other two play the zurna - a double-reed woodwind found throughout Eurasia and Africa. Their repertoire is drawn from the peoples who live in the area, or passed through at one time, and is sometimes more Oriental, sometimes more European - whatever the customer wants.

Keil and Keil give detailed accounts of several performances - a baptism, a wedding, and a saint's day festival - tell the life stories of a dozen or so musicians & family, and recount the broad history of the Roma in the Mediterranean as well as presenting a more focused account of their sojourn in Greek Macedonia. Blau's photographs range from intimate portraits, to dancers in full party whirl, through street scenes jumbled or measured, to serene landscapes. Some of his shots are so strikingly composed - the cover image, for example - that the effect is both subjective (Blau's aesthetic) and objective (we're looking at things, out there, in the world). Steven Feld's soundscapes give us the living flow of sound. Not only do we hear the twin zurnas flying through drum rhythms, but dancing feet, shouts of joy and exertion, motors churning, sheep braying, and Stevie Wonder piped in through a tinny sound system.

Bright Balkan Morning is a milestone. See it, hear it, read it. Take pleasure in it.

What an amazing book! The way that Josephine has interpreted things in this book is just amazing! It brought me to tears! I would recommend this book to everyone. It is a book to keep on your nightstand forever!

Amor y ternura de Josephine Powers, la hilandera de las espigas del trigo. Miscelanea literaria de poemas, prosas líricas, citas literarias y poemas an prosa que fluyen como lava volcánica por las landeras de sus recuerdos. El cántico espiritual que nos ocupa es una poética autobiográfica no adscrita a ningún género literario. Su espíritu (el desierto ) recibe la palabra de Dios (el chubasco ) y se transforma en las espigas del trigo(los frutos de su poética) gracias a que "lloran las nubes" y "el milagro se hace" mudándose "en sublime verdor de luz inapagable". Y Dios le dijo: "ESCRIBE MIS PALABRAS, SIEMBRALAS POR TODO EL MUNDO, SE DISPERSARÁN COMO LA LUZ MISMA; BAÑARÉ DE AMOR, TERNURA, CONOCIMIENTO Y PODER AL QUE LAS PERCIBA".

Escribo esto para cualquira persona que busca inspiracion. Este libro solo puede estar inspirado por nuestro Senor, Jesu Cristo. La autora usa sus palabras benditas para darnos su fe....

I know Yeung and have taken a number of classes with him. At first, I was surprised to hear that he was writing a book on power tools. He is the master of hand work skill and sensitivity. His philosophy of furnituremaking is one of respectfulness and thoughtfulness about the wood, the design of the peice and the process of creating it. This book on using power tools carries this philosophy through in the directness and clearity of his discritptions, explaination and instruction. His familiarity of the process of joinery is so complete that the information flows to the reader as if they are having a friendly converstaion with Yeung about the ins and outs of what to do and how to do it. I recommend this book fully.

This book is logically organized so that it's easy to find the information you need. The clarity of the text is amazing - no extraneous stuff, just a simple, clear description of the how to make the joint and why you would use it. The drawings and photos are EXCELLENT and really help support the text info. Yeung Chan is an excellent teacher!

This is the book that 'The Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery by Gary Rogowski ' should have been. Clear and concise photos, clear line drawings and a logical scheme of organisation. The book covers using table saws, routers, bandsaws, drills, morticers and plate joiners to make general and specialised joints.

Interestingly it's edited by Andy Rae who also writes for Taunton Press.

Whether you're new in sales or a seasoned veteran, this book is a treasure. The publisher had to use smaller print just to fit it all in! It's amazing how much information is here-the traditional stuff that you find in most sales books, plus a lot more. And it's all focused on helping you make the sale; the title of Part VII is You Must Close the Sale in Order to Go to the Bank. The message can't be any more clear!

Let's start at the beginning. There are three sections at the start of the book that caught my attention right away. You know there's something special going on when you see sections titled "Why You Need This Book," "Why You Will Love This Book," and "Why an Intelligent, Sophisticated Person Like You Will Appreciate a Simple Book Like This." Simple book? In the fundamental principles that are presented, yes. In the depth and strength of the material, I wouldn't call this book simple. Sales professionals will spend extra time with each section to draw out all the value for themselves. It's just that kind of a book . . . the kind of tool that can be used for reference as well as straight-on learning.

Stewart starts his substance with Position Yourself for Success presented in six chapters. The last chapter of the section is focused on closing. Part II: Develop Rapport and Build Relationships of Trust and Confidence: four chapters ending with emphasis on closing more sales. Continue through sections on pre-call planning, prospect involvement, discovery, presentations, and handling objections. Want more? A good resource section and an index complement the powerful content.

If you want to close sales, not just make sales calls, make friends with this book. Renowned sales trainer Mike Stewart has stuffed all of his seminar material into 250 pages for you to absorb and apply for higher achievement.

In one form or another, every one of us is selling--ideas, services, products, maybe a combination of those three. If you want to read a book that presents, in simple language, the contemporary approach to selling, then I recommend CLOSE MORE SALES. The author: Mike Stewart, an international speaker, professional sales trainer and consultant, based in Atlanta.

Far from being an armchair advisor, Mike Stewart spent many years learning salesmanship as a professional sales person. Additionally, he works with a variety of clients, training their sales professionals.

In the preface, he laments that "Almost never are effective selling skills being taught." With this book, he addresses that problem. The book has the approval of the American Management Association, his publisher. I recommend that you get a copy. . .and close more sales.

The best books are the ones that get right to the point and show you step by step what works. This book delivers. I got so many insightful new ideas that I bought copies for everyone in my sales office. At our sales meetings we discussed a different chapter each week. I like Mike Stewart's candor, too. He tells it like it really is.

Richard Langston's book is best summed up by the title of this review. His historical and informational references are effused
with his personality and wit. I enjoyed reading the beginning of this book so much, it left me wanting for more. The early days
of the cutlery industry in the United States, and Upstate New York in particular, were a fascinating time. To read about this
history from the perspective of someone who has been an enthusiastic student for most of his life, is a gift not often discovered.

In The Collector's Guide To Switchblade Knives: An Illustrated Historical And Price Reference Richard Langston draws from his immense expertise and personal collection to present a fully updated and completely reliable history of the switchblade knife in American history. This comprehensive, "reader friendly" guide will enable novice and experienced collectors alike to identify all kinds of automatic knives from museum-quality antiques to the knife in the back of the bureau drawer gathering dust for the last decade. Using a dual grading system, dealers, owners, and collectors are provided with a reference offering an honest appraisal of more than 160 automatic knives based on manufacturer, tang markings, condition, availability, functioning, opening mechanism, hand, and blade materials. The Collector's Guide To Switchblade Knives is especially recommended for switchblade enthusiasts, collectors, dealers, historians, and writers seeking background authenticity for their stories involving an form of automatic knife.

Considering the enormous popularity of switchblade knives, there is a pathetic dearth of credible literature on the subject. Nearly all the books, and certainly all the major ones, were written long ago and have been out of print for many years. Not only has Rich Langston corrected this, he has surpassed his predecessors in doing so.

Beginning with the premise "that automatic knives are a definite part of history and deserve to be studied," Mr Langston thoughtfully explores and elaborates upon that history. His well-documented, friendly style facilitates that deserved study. Actually, friendly is understated. This book is a labour of love, yet the author's love of the subject is disciplined, not indulgent. His presentation is as clear and objective as it is enthusiastic.

The largest section of the book is the illustrated gallery of over one hundred fifty automatic knives. From the modest to the magnificent, with values of from two figures to four figures, each knife is shown, photographed in close detail, followed by its description, commentary and value. The particular knife, the one pictured on the page rather than that model in the abstract, is graded and valued. This approach is inspired and will prove especially helpful to collectors.

This book compensates for the lack of extant material on switchblade knives, easily filling that void. In relative terms, it is the best work of its kind. In absolute terms, it is an excellent book, written by a man who has an uncanny understanding and appreciation of his subject and who succeeds splendidly in sharing his knowledge with the reader.

I found this book to be very enjoyable. The relationship between a mother and daughter is extremely complex and changes through out ones life. She handles each stage masterfully addressing what is going on with each member of this union. Her style, humor, and knowledge make this easy to read. She uses real life examples that makes her descriptions to flow easily. I found the book to be not only heartwarming, but very endearing, in what is often a love-hate relationship in our lives. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to explore the complex nature of a mother/daughter relationship.

Dr. Manning uses literature and her own personal experiences as she explores the mother/daughter relationship from pregnancy to old age. She helps you to understand this sometimes challenging connection. What I like most about Manning's work, is her humor that shines through, particularly when dealing with difficult circumstances. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a mother or a daughter.

I've always been drawn to works of fiction, not psychology, to try and understand the human psyche. But Martha Manning has won over my heart with her new book, THE COMMON THREAD. Yes, it's a book that delves head-on into numerous psychological issues that are born out of the mother-daughter journey. But she uses literature and stories from her own life to make these issues come alive. Manning is such an exquisite (and breezy) writer that you forget you're reading a serious nonfiction book. I got the same pleasure out of reading THE COMMON THREAD as I do reading a favorite novel. I also have an entirely new understanding of my current realtionship with my mother and a new set of tools for navigating our future together. Thank you Dr. Manning for such this truly special book!

This is a practical book. It offers easy-to-read text and plenty of illustrations. It is a good book for anyone wanting to understand what Christianity, discipling, and worldview have to do with everyday life. I have seen high school students and theologians discuss it with equal excitement.

It is written decidedly from a biblical perspective. If you want a book to make plain what others seem to muddle -- buy this book. Darrow Miller does an admirable job of unraveling 25-cent words used by others while never expecting the the reader to learn them. At the end of the book are a glossary, endnotes, and suggestions for additional reading to provide clear background to the book, and where to find more. If only it had an index.

Discipling Nations: The Power of Truth to Transform Cultures uses small words to provide plenty of historic truth. It might be the next best thing available to help Christians, churches, and schools understand why life is as it is, and how to explain it to others.

DISCIPLING NATIONS is an excellent analysis of worldview issues, connecting the glory of God with the development of nations. I found DISCIPLING NATIONS wonderful, delightful, incisive...using excellent graphics and charts, and rich quotes from many other sources.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough for teachers, leaders, for Christians imvolved in world missions, for people who care about how to move people from glory to glory, out a culture of poverty, into a culture of development and wholeness. Yes, the glory of God is central to it all. Darrow Miller's DISCIPLING NATIONS shows why and how.

In Discipling Nations, Darrow Miller walks us through the ever-unfolding nature of the relationship between God and man-the Scriptures-revealing a very clear, evidential and logical Development Ethic that can only be understood, and therefore, realized, in the context of the Biblical worldview. Unveiling the other prevailing world views, Miller exposes the inevitable implications and consequences they have on human development and boldly builds a case for intolerance of these lies-lies that impoverish individual souls and entire nations.

Having implications not only upon Relief & Development, Discipling Nations is a must-read for every Christian! Pastors, Counselors, Educators, Scientists, Mathematicians, Physicists, Astronomers and Technologists, as well as Christian Fundamentalists and Apologist, can all derive benefit from the continuity and comprehensiveness of this book. I think they will find many ground-breaking, certainly thought-provoking, and, hopefully, transformational, Truths and ideas, that, to this point, and for many reasons, have not yet had the impact that God intended on their lives and/or their vocations. Such has been the case for me. For others, especially those already engaged in Relief & Development work, it will be controversial-challenging their worldviews and calling for the transformation of their own minds before even considering developing others.

This is my second time through this material, yet I feel I've only scratched the surface of processing through Miller's ideas. As a talk radio show host recently commented to Darrow during an interview, "this book could just as easily have been five-it's just packed with value and insight!"

My sentiments, exactly!

Double Your Creative Power has done more to jump start my writing than any other writing book I've read. I used to use writer's block as an excuse; now I know that it truly doesn't exist. Mr. Stebel has proven to me that there are a myriad of exciting and meaningful story ideas just waiting to be let out, and his fascinating exercises are designed to do just that.

This is not your typical "how-to" book. It is full of unique insights, fantastic examples, entertaining vignettes, and real concrete advice as to how to unleash the story-teller inside. I recommend Double Your Creative Power not just to other writers, but to anyone who is interested in the creative process. This book is a gem!

Mr. Stebel's discussion of the secret story technique for mining story ideas was especially intriguing. Whether you decide to adopt this technique or not, he drives home the point that you have to access what's inside you in order to find stories that resonate universally.

The book is clear and concise, and owning it is like having a reliable compass by your side. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

S.L.Stebel's book "Double Your Creative Power!" is a must-have guide for any person who is serious about writing fiction. Don't read it just once and put it on a shelf! Keep it next to your computer, your desk, or reading chair and use it on a regular basis. This book should be read in full every six to twelve months; with each reading it teaches new techniques and insights to the creative process and how to use it, it reminds writers about what they already know, re-energizes their imaginations, and stimulates the creative juices. S.L.Stebel really knows how to tell a story. I agree with Ray Bradbury that Sid Stebel is the best writing teacher there is.

Senkbeil stands at the forefront of writers in Confessional Lutheranism. While often a sharp critic of many perceived sins, evils, and errors in modern society and Christendom, he is still at heart a parish pastor with a pastor's heart for those in need. While not a "how-to" book, ~Dying to Live~ certainly shows how a true Christian lifestyle flows from a life of forgiving and being forgiven.

Senkbeil begins this engaging book by showing the loneliness and worry that faces us in today's world. Written in a down-to-earth manner, Dying to Live opens with an examination of our society's desperation for life. Our frantic lives are lived in constant pursuit of happiness, and are full of communication. But all too often we seek happiness in materialism, and our communication is superficial, leaving us feeling empty and lonely. Instead of this, Senkbeil points us to the often over-looked simple answer. Christ offers forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation freely. Rather than "a crutch to escape reality," Christ is the eternal life present in this dying world (p.28).

Pastor Senkbeil continues the book by explaining the amazing reality of Christ's coming into the world as both God and man, facing our same trials and sufferings, and enduring the punishment for the sins of all humankind at the cross. Yet our glory and hope is in the knowledge that Jesus Christ did not remain dead, but overcame the grave and promised the same resurrection to all who believe. Senkbeil shows us how this grace is carried to the church through the Word and Sacraments (the tangible means by which we receive God's forgiveness), which equips us to face this earthly life.

In the last section of the book he overviews the fellowship we have in the church and how it is centered around God's word. This builds the way we worship, as God serves us (God's service=divine service=meaning of "liturgy"). He also shows the implications for our prayer life and for our daily life in the the world. Overall this book points us to the comforting truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His gift of forgiveness and salvation. Dying to Live would be an excellent read for any Christian or even a non-Christian interested in learning about this hope that we have.

Senkbeil has blessed the body of Christ by penning for us in his own tight, creative style, what should become a basic, classic work for Christians. The problem and solution are quickly laid out for the reader, then all the other elements of a believer's life are revolved around this center. Explains concerns that many pastors have with the "hot tub" christianity that so permeates our times. His sections on sacramental focus and liturgical shape are brilliant!

For the basics, this is an excellent writeup and you SHOULD have it. What is NOT covered is LE and object programming. Intrinsic functions are slighted but you can figure them out.

The author is very upfront about not covering the object extensions - I can almost forgive him. But these are the future - our top management is very object/web oriented.

I think there is a slide on the LE coverage. After we went through the Y2K conversion, our programs are loaded with language environment calls. Section 3.13 is a listing only of what should have been a great amount of detail on using LE calls and intrinsic functions.

In defense of the author I did find an example of the function used with a date (on page 384) MOVE FUNCTION CURRENT-DATE (1:8) to WS-GREGORIAN which is close to our shop standard MOVE FUNCTION CURRENT-DATE (1:14) TO WS-DATE-TIME.

This book is the third in the series of power programming with COBOL. The first was for COBOL II, then COBOL/370, and now COBOL/390. The book was never designed for novices, but for professional programmers. The book does not explain basic syntax of statements or other organizational aspects of a COBOL program. I wrote the book for the professional programmer who already knows COBOL and wants to move that skill to a higher level. To my knowledge, there are no other books that focus on the advanced techniques of COBOL in the IBM enterprise environment. This book introduces new techniques for program structure and memory management and explains the major components of optimizing programs within the IBM enterprise environment.

Covers how to improve coding techniques along with the differences in COBOL versions. Great for seasoned programmers too.