jan/10/01 I am also an athlete who has suffered many career threating injuries. Unlike Brian Piccalo i do not have a terminal disease. I can understand his determination of never wanting to quit playing the game no matter how bad he felt or how bad the news was. This goes to show one how great mind over matter really is. This book also reflects how important frienship and family really are, who will stand by you when the chips all come falling down.

I recommend this book to any athlete who suffers an injury or illness that causes one to be removed from the game. One cannot ever forget where they came from , how many lives they have touched, and who you can rely on .. Death plays a big issue in this book although it is depressing you know with cancer it is coming Brian piccalo also shares his love of the game and his friends and family.

I am too young to remember Brian Piccalo he died before i was born, he wasn't an outstanding player, no super bowl hero, just an average good athlete like me.

In books like these his memory doesn't die, but his life will be remembered in books.

This book was great, althouhg Brian had a short seson he did much with his life and the story of his firendship with Gal Sayers was great. I loved the movie, Brians song, the book, I am Third, and this book, A short Seson. Every1 should buy this book. i find his life very important on reading about.

Brian Piccolo: A Short Season was marvelously written by Brian's close friend, Jeannie Morris. This book gives the readers a detailed view into his existence while still being discrete enough for the Piccolo family to remain happy with the biography/autobiography. Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo lived to be only 26 years of age, dying on June 16, 1970, from liver cancer. While his stay on this Earth was a brief and trying one, Piccolo made it count every single day. His story is of highs and lows, heroics and disappointments, comedy and despair, and, ultimately, tragedy. However, Piccolo lived his life ideally, paying tributes to various foundations while enjoying and loving life to the fullest. The book includes the entirety of this great man's life, from his young baseball-playing childhood to his record-setting career at Wake Forest College to his last days as a father, husband, and Chicago Bear. Piccolo was a spirit-lifting person among those he spent time with, before and after he was diagnosed with the fatal cancerous disease. His charm and wit grabbed his fellow players, his coaches, and, most importantly, the general public. While 'Pic' started only a handful of games for the Bears, he rarely if ever complained despite a burning desire to play the game he loved so dearly. Piccolo was a favorite among Chicago Bears fans, and although he backed up the legendary Gale Sayers, his team-first attitude and love for the game kept him afloat until that day when the prospect of a lifetime would arise and give him the opportunity to start. Even on his deathbed, Piccolo never gave up his hope for a miraculous recovery and return to the football field. After all, Brian Piccolo's heart was never the question; it was his liver which was diagnosed with cancer. Former Bears-teammate and close friend Johnny Morris summed up Pic's life in the foreword, remarking "Brian Piccolo made it to the top at 26."

Glenn Morris picks up where he left off in his first book, "Path Notes of an American Ninja Master" (1993). This is not an instructional book on ninjutsu per se (no pictures), although it is chok-full of Morris's further journey on the martial arts /ninpo path (Bujinkan style under Masaaki Hatsumi), anecdotes and interpretations of philosophy, both Asian, Occidental, and other. I found it similar in some ways to Robert Smith's book, "Martial Musings". Some of Glenn Morris's most interesting views he presents in Chapter 9, "Characteristics of Shugyosha Across Cultures" (page 169). Shugyosha he defines as a person who is searching for the truth...I have a feeling that this is what Morris is doing with his series of books.

There is also the enjoyably opinionated Chapter 11, "Mud and Water, Purity and Power" where Morris allows his biases against other well known (sometimes questionable) martial artists of our time, to hang out in the wind. Among them Harunaka Hoshino (originally known as Chi Yuan) who created his own ninpo art from Japanese karate and kobudo during the ninja boom, Choi Hong-hi of Taekwon-Do whom he lambasts as having earned only shodan (1st black belt) before his return to Korea from Japan (now, now--nobody promoted Hatsumi sensei to 15th dan), and Genbukan Ninpo's Shoto Tanemora, once a student of Ninja Great Masaaki Hatsumi (and others) whom he dismisses as "...another cop..." with robotic movements (page 244). Some of the criticisms are fair, some are not...Morris doesn't bother to share his sources.

I don't accept Glenn Morris's interpretations and claims concerning the many things supernatural/psychic which pepper his writings--but if I only read things I agreed with, I wouldn't be living! I am, I admit, a cautious skeptic. I find Morris to be overly generous in the way he doles out his faith, often optimistic in accepting theories and studies which have not been scientifically counducted or checked, although even he draws the line at things like Alien abductions (see Chapter 13, pages 312-316). On the other hand, his insights are honest, and personal. In sharing his beliefs, he hides nothing, holds back nothing. Reading between the (esoteric) lines without any adaptation or interpretation, I find much of the advice he offers on this volume to be homespun, and often sensible.

Morris seems a cross between a scholar-warrior and a pseudo-intellectual hippy. This book is entertaining and fun to read. You don't have to share the man's opinions or beliefs to enjoy his adventures. If you enjoy martial arts autobiographies, or reading the personal thoughts of other people, this volume is just the thing.

Glenn Morris furthers the subjects he originally touched on in his book "Path Notes," and also gives even more insights into his experiences with meditation, things that go "bump" in the night (as well as the mind!), and his experiences in the martial arts. His insights are useful in exploring the inner workings of the mind, the body, and the spirit, as well as expanding your knowledge of your OWN martial art, whether it be aikido, kung fu, karate, ninjutsu, or whatever.

And, to make matters even better, check out his reading list / bibliography for an even more intense mind screw! :)

This guy is just amazing. He comes back to answer all of the questions you had from the first book. If you miss these you are missing the chance to improve every aspect of your life. It makes it easier to laugh at all our demons. Mr Morris is uncanny in his observations and ability to relay such amazing information. Definate must for any one interested in martial arts, self-improvement or self-exploration.

This is a interesting series about the Wakefield family. I would have enjoyed more depth to the Wakefields as well as more romance. There is ALOT of historical information and detail. If you can skim past some of it, it is a good read. If you are a romance reader though, you may want to skip this series.

My father gave me this book to read after he finished it, and it BLEW ME AWAY! I have since finsished the second, and look forward to polishing off the rest of the series! Mr. Morris is truly an amazing writer. My definition of an excellent book is one that not only tells a story, but puts you there. You feel as if you can see everything in detail, even the things not described, because the author puts so much feel into it. Well this book series does it for me. NO ONE would ever regret buying this book, the others in this series.

This is a wonderful beginning to a great series! Gilbert Morris truly ties together true history with the fictional families beautifully. A good read for teens on up.

I think all the DK series books are interesting to read. Sailing is such a varied topic that illustrations are important to help the reader quickly grasp the concepts. I read and enjoyed Sailing for Dummies, but wish I had bought the DK Complete Saiing Manual first. I used it to supplement my sailing lessons. Although it is not as in-depth as Chapman's, I feel this is a great book to introduce beginning sailors to the many areas of sailing such as sailing basics, weather and cruising. Once a reader has the overall basics from this book, then learning the extensive details offered in a volume such as Chapman's will seem more easily digestible.

"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." -The Wind in the Willows

Ok, life being short and all, there is not enough time to sail the world in one lifetime. Actually, Washington is a beautiful place to sail, yet, my soul longs for the beach life in Florida. The water is warmer for sure!

This book seems more sophisticated than the KISS series by DK. I'd say you could use both. This has a nice easy to use Contents section which lists all the basics so you can find information faster.

First Essentials is a chapter about safety, it lists the parts of the boat, essential equipment, how a boat sails, main controls, etc. I found it to be quite good.

Then they divide the sailing information up into Dinghies, advanced dinghy sailing and cruiser sailing.

The navigation section is rather good with information on charts, compasses, plotting equipment, navigation instruments, buoyage, pilotage, tides and tidal streams, plotting a position and passage skills.

Weather, Practical Boat Care and Staying Safe are the last three chapters.
Highlights include:

Great diagrams of the parts of a boat.
Learning to tie the six basic knots
Capsize Recovery
Trapeze FUN!
Catamarans
Cruiser Ropework - more advanced
Daily Changes - how to read the sky

The author taught himself to sail at age 10 and was teaching others by the time he was age 14. He has taught daysailing, cruising, and competitive racing. Some people sure know how to live the good life. Jonathan McKee was born in Seattle, Washington where he began sailing at the age of 10. I'd imagine this book is a favorite in Seattle.

In the case of sailing, knowledge really is freedom.

Essential!

Here is one that stands out among the many. Steve Sleight's book "The Complete Sailing Manual" takes no chances at overstatement. The design and layout of the subject from the most elementary to the most sophisticated is managed with charm and grace. Each section teaches and inset boxes confirm. A glossary aids short memories. Little by little the reader is delighted into learning a great deal about sailing in a little space. The illustrations are clear and entertaining. The photographs well selected and nicely shown. It was a pleasure reading the book. I'll read it again.

This book offers an entirely new, and fresh prespective of the simple things that we take for granted in life, like smiling, hugging, and patting on the back. Noticing similarities from childhood intimacies in adult behaviour, the book provides a reason for many of the things we do.

However, this book lacks evidence from which he draws his conclusions, and the author has focused more on Western civilization rather than the human population in its entirety.

In conclusion, this book is a great read if you are interested in understanding why we do some of the things we do.

Although the book dates back several decades, with only a short updated prologue, the subject ,human intimacy, does not lend itself to change as quickly as technology or medicine therefore the information and opinions are still valid today. Desmond Morris captivated me with his zoological perspective on human behavior, viewing us as we are, animals; but with social restrictions and norms that artificially restrain our natural urge for intimacy.

I found it a fascinating read but found the last few sections not in line with his zoology background but rather from a ridiculous psychoanalytic perspective. This perspective is not based on scientific fact or reason but formulated by Freud from unrecorded observations that he recounted by memory of case studies he had saw. Having Desmond Morris try and convince me that I indulge in the occassional cigar, which represents a "super nipple", as a substitute for intimacy that I recieved as a child made me crack up rather than stop and reflect on his brilliance. This type of opinion seems to me out of Zoology's domain.

I rather enjoyed the sections concerning parental, sexual, and social behaviour as they were told from a zoological perspective, while the later sections had the sour flavour of Sigmond Freud. I do recommend this book to anyone interested in the behavioural sciences particularly in the ways we touch and do not touch each other. So dont be scared to 'touch' this book and become 'intimate' with its pages as you will learn much from it.

If science is regarded as a dry and boring matter Dr. Morris' Intimate Behavior comes to prove it wrong. In this delightful book the scientist states that "man is a social animal and the ordinary healthy human being finds prolonged isolation a severe punishment.

According to Dr. Morris the very beginning of our lives is replete with intimacy in our contact with our mother. After a brief while our quest for independence launches us toward the unknown world. If this urge for independence and exploration is the base for the development of human society it also weights heavily on the individual that loses the so needed intimacy. During puberty when the young couples start to form the intimacy returns and with it there's usually a certain return to infancy. That's when young adults cuddle each other and call each other babies usually using high pitch voices.

Dr. Morris warns us about the crescent overcrowding found on the "Human Zoo", the modern megalopolis. The overcrowding creates a high level of stress that helps to separate people. This creates a positive feedback link: elevated stress level reduces intimate contact that in turn increases the stress.

This 19971 book although covering fast changing subjects like human behavior and human evolution is still surprisingly up to date. As in his other books Dr. Morris presents the topics based in precise scientific propositions backed by his observations, historical analysis and by the painstaking study of over 10,000 magazine and newspaper pictures.

This book is a must read for everyone interested in human behavior. You will be surprised to learn why do we do the things we do. Other fantastic books by Dr. Morris include the revolutionary "The naked Ape", the "Human Zoo" and the recent "The Human Animal" that accompanies the TV series and summarizes his work.

I first read the Tale of Genji and became fascinated by the Heian time period and I recently reread this book because I wanted to know more about it. Morris does a really good job of defining and describing the government and other functions that are necessary for understanding the Heian times and the Tale of Genji. Unfortunately, I found this book to be extremely dated in its outlook. There's an implicit understanding of how very exotic and strange these funny Japanese people were. While this may have been and still may be acceptable in some circles, I found that it hindered my understanding of the times and my empathy with the characters in the Tale of Genji and also the historical figures today. It's too bad that Morris wasn't able to step away from his time and see the Heian Japanese as real people not just strange exotics.

I liken the experience of reading this book to a childhood memory of peering through the glass into a Victorian automata musicbox. Through the protective glass cover, the moving birds and scenery of the automata evokes a strange mix of fascination and mystery. Near enough for you to appreciate the delicate beauty it engenders but far away enough that the poetry of motion is not intruded upon by the sounds of the mechanism that made it possible.

Portrayed in great detail but not mired in it is the cultured and time-obscured world of Heian Japan. All the things associated with "traditional" Japanese culture like Bushido, shear-walled castles, geishas and tea ceremonies were clearly absent in Heian Japan. In their place were values quite alien to our image of modern Japanese history with its martial ethos culminating in the apocalypse of 1945. Heian high society held up ideals for the courtier so diametrically opposed to the samurai that I re-read many of the passages again to relish the contrast in my mind.

The author successfully conjured images of Heian architecture and the characters that peopled it Utopian landscape, a major feat since so little material from that period actually survived the ages. Yet it was in its very fragility that the essence of Heian aesthetics is ascentuated. Later ages of Japan, the bakufu governments of the Kamakura and Tokugawa periods are comemmorated by menacing suits of armor and brooding castles. The Heian period is best remembered by the elegant prose of courtly ladies, as colorful and fleeting as butterflies.

I recommend reading this book together with the Tales of Genji to achieve a more profound understanding of Murasaki Shikibu's masterpiece.

Social/historical study of various *aspects* (not a true "history") of Heian Japan that really, REALLY helps one understand the behavior/attitudes of the characters in "Tale of Genji"! The "Genji" genealogical charts & character listing in the appendices - by themselves - justify the price (keep it at your side when reading Genji!). Furthermore, the book is entertaining to read as the author actually knows how to write well. I would also recommend this book to anyone that didn't plan to read "Genji" but was curious about that period of Japanese culture.

AND - if you are a student that has an assignment to read GENJI and don't have time to read all of the 900+ pages of the original - you could probably fake your way through any exam after reading this! (And will later be curious enough to slog through the original).

I will probably read this book a second time.

Well.
I heard this was a good book.
You heard that? You heard about Allen Morris Jones?
I heard.
And you think I should read it? You think it's worth my time?
I say it is.
Well. Cough.
All right then.

Does this writing style remind you of anyone? How about Cormac McCarthy, Kent Haruf, or Annie Proulx? "Last Year's River" is an impressive debut novel and one that will appeal to a large audience. It is full of amazing passages about the West (specifically Wyoming and the fringes of Yellowstone), dialogue that leaves you wanting (to throttle the various characters at one time or another), and thankful to live in present times (versus back when an out-of-wedlock pregnancy meant social death). My only criticism (and reason for the three-star rating) is that the plot is somewhat predictable -- especially with the flashbacks told in Virginia's voice at the beginning of the chapters. That said, this is a hugely readable story -- gritty, closely observed, and vivid. Add Allen Morris Jones to your list of serious western novelists!

I enjoyed this book, but expected more from it than I got. The characters were well developed but seem to sleep walk through the story. There was no real heat between the main characters, they seemed to seek each other out for warmth and comfort not because they truly cared about each other, which is OK, I guess, if you're into that sort of thing. Some of the scenes in the book were brutal, like the West is (was) back then. But the characters seemed to hold back their emotions from everyone, including us.

Last Year's River contains an excellent use of contemporary thoughts blended with an honest and accurate representation of yesterday's 'pioneer' culture. Like Shakespeare's best works, this novel's base is one of love, drama, spite and hate and will warmly accomidate the interests of male and female readers alike. A real page turner based on feelings of personal involvement and attachment, by the reader, to the characters. This no doubt stems from excellent writing and an obvious concern for detail. The overall structure of the novel is meticulously broad-based that allows the reader to mentally expand and explore beyond the book's cover. A very fluid novel that I recommend to other readers looking for a change from the standard 'stamped and printed' novel. I am looking foreward to this new writer's next novel.

Ok, this book is quite eloquent in places and borderline brilliant, especially when writing about Mississippi. The second section of the book focuses on obscure 1960's Texas politics and gets rather dry and stretches on and on and on. The third part of the book focuses on New York and is depressing in that Morris reiterates over and over about how horrid the city is, ie the traffic, the dirt and grittiness, the noise, etc. Then he cuts on surburbanites who decide to commute to the city from farther up in N. England. Later, Morris does the same thing.
I guess my main concern with this book is the fact that Morris was only 30 years when he wrote his autobiography. Who knows enough of the world at age 30 to do such a thing? I question Morris for thinking he has lived some unique life by that age; I know the author passed away and all the reviews and tributes and obits were glowing and nostalgic, but I can't get over the fact that long stretches of this book were agonizing to get through.

These days, people are probably more likely to know of Willie Morris as the boy in the movie, "My Dog Skip." So if anything, they know he grew up in a small town in 1940's Mississippi. They mostly wouldn't know that years later, after an education at the University of Texas, he was a Rhodes Scholar in Oxford, a controversial newspaper editor in Texas, and the youngest editor of America's oldest continuously published magazine, Harper's.

Throughout his adult life he was a writer. His memoir "North Toward Home" is a recollection of a boyhood in pre-integration Mississippi, the rough and tumble of state politics which he covered for the Texas Observer, and coming to terms as a Southerner with New York City, which he liked to call "the Cave."

As a writer, Morris saw both the humor and sadness in the circumstances of daily life. He was fascinated by people and politics, and deeply committed to social justice. Growing up in the rural South, he also had a strong sense of how people are shaped by their history, traditions, and the terrain of the land they call home.

His many books include an account of school integration in his hometown in 1970, a tribute to his friend James Jones, author of "From Here to Eternity," and an account of the making of "Ghosts of Mississippi," Rob Reiner's film based on the murder trial and conviction of the man who shot Medgar Evers. One of the best introductions to Morris' style and favorite subjects is a collection of essays and exerpts from longer works, "Terrains of the Heart and Other Essays on Home," which was published in his later years and is currently in print.

A great companion volume for "North Towards Home" is "From the Mississippi Delta: A Memoir," by African-American writer Endesha Ida Mae Holland. Her book is a compelling account of growing up poor and black in small-town Mississippi and coming of age during the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. Together, these two books provide a fascinating look at both sides of the racial divide in the Deep South of the mid-20th century.

After seeing the movie My Dog Skip, I bought this book to learn about a educated man who grew up in the South. I anticipated a recollection of why the South is great. What I read was a man recalling growing up in the South when it was a lazy, great place to grow up in. The first part of the book covers this and provided a perfect synopsis for the movie, My Dog Skip.

The second part of the book covers his time in Texas where he attended college and stayed to become an editor of a local liberal paper. He also was the school paper editor who became famous for his liberal stances taking on the administration. While this section gets long, it is the most interesting section as Morris is thrown in a foreign environment, becomes quite intimidated as many freshman do, and then grows in the process. This growth culminates in his acceptance as a Rhodes Scholar competing against many Ivy League namedroppers who once again intimidate him. He graduates and eventually writes for a liberal paper in Texas covering politics which allows him to see this magnificent state and challenge the beliefs of politicians and himself as he has grown into a full liberal in a very conservative state. Significant time is spent coloring the political landscape of the time and it's quite interesting to view this from 40 years hence. Anyone remember the John Birch Society?

The final section was an evolution as he moves to New York, goes through the humiliating first job search before he finds a low paying job working for Harpers Magazine. He describes what it's like working in New York, which he calls the "Cave", and living in substandard conditions where the sun never hits his building. He describes his first literary party and the pompous attitude of these intellectuals, particularly about the rest of the country. This becomes the fascinating introspective part of the book as he parallels his life in the South and his existence living in the "Cave".

This book covers the 40's,50's and 60's so clearly race was a central theme as the civil rights movement was in boom causing him to challenge so much of what he knew growing up. I think this culminates when he asks a German woman to leave his apartment after she makes some mild racist Jewish remarks. Morris really struggled reconciling the race issue given his background in Mississippi and at one point when he was introduced, he said he was from North Carolina as he had become embarrassed to mention being from Mississippi.

It's a fascinating story of personal growth that any reader will learn from. The book closes with him moving out of the Cave to a 70 mile, 4 hour commute daily to the city. And the last paragraph states the title "North Toward Home". I think many people will take the close differently but to me he was accepting his new home and turning over the page on the South which he would always appreciate and remember fondly.

This book will be of interest to Southerners looking to learn about their heritage and what living in the South in the segregated 1940's was like. Also, people with interests in journalism and political history will enjoy the book. But this book is also good for anyone looking for personal growth through the writings of others. I recommend books on whether they are entertaining and whether I learn much. I was pleasently entertained and learned a great deal. I strongly recommend this book.

As a resident of McNairy Country, I have grown up with the legend of Buford Pusser. I remember watching Walking Tall in my high school class. The movie made me sick. I hate the hero status that Buford Pusser has taken when he is the farthest thing from it. When people hear where I am from, they always say "Buford Pusser is the greatest: and I have to refrain from telling them all the horrible details. Although this book really didn't center him, it touched on the fact that he wasn't the greatest lawmaker to ever live. I would love to see a book that told the real story about Pusser.

...this is a book that once you start you can not put down. it has lots of history about corruption and how it was in the older days, with prostitution and boot legging.
good book to read

In this book, W.R. Morris provides an excellent account of the nature and activities of the persons who, despite their attempts, would inable Buford Pusser to become the legend he is now held to be by many. For any fan or admirer of Buford, or anyone interested in " Mobster " crime stories, this is a good, real account of the true battles held on the TN / MS state line.

I agree with the reviewer who said this book does not meet expectations.

I had hoped for a book that would help me manage my technology career and what I found was a book aimed at people who knew nothing about computers and introduced them to topics in Computer Science.

That's fine for students but not for professionals who need to know how much training is enough, where to get it, and how to manage their careers at their companies, or as independent consultants.

Use this book while working on your resume. Great for identifying skillsets required for various tasks in positions throughout the industry.

As a 3rd year student interested in the computer field, I found this book extremely helpful in identifing which classes to enroll in and how to educate myself to be more competitive in the modern work world. It is nice to hear from leaders in the technology field giving advice to students on how to better educate themselves. I would recommend this book to any student who is interested in a "cybercareer."

The book was easy to read and the little notes they posted out to the side to offset certain important points were helpfull and easy to follow. It was much similar to a textbook in that students can use the index and read only the chapters or topics that apply to them. While technology is changing and some topics in this book will become out-of-date, there are still some good fundamentals to be gleaned from this book.