Outstanding. As an Old Skool writer from back in the early 80's, I can only commend Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfont on such an informative and exceptional guide to the culture behind Graffiti. The book has great photos and is a must have for any up and coming writer or anyone who is interested in the origins of graffiti art on the subway in Newyork.

SUBWAY ART does not only inspires a new generation of"Graffiti Artist",but also shows that Graffiti IS an ART..all in it's own.It can not be taught,it is a self taught art that has been greatly overlooked...once the book is read you will have a different look at the"Underground Art"

The epitome of classic NYC graffiti, Subway Art has become the veritable Bible for this particular subculture that has exploded around the United States, and also the world ( just to name a few: Germany, Iceland, Denmark, Amsterdam, France, and Japan ). Contained herein are the masterpeices by the Kings of the Line, Dondi ( R.I.P. ), Blade, Lee, Kase, Seen, Lady Pink and a host of others. The pictures are large and there are some fold-outs, capturing the SIZE and LENGTH of what are basically moving steel masterpeices. There is a brief line or two about tags and throw-ups, but the book concentrates more on top-to-bottoms, window-to-bottoms, and whole cars. What is important about this book is its documentation of an up and coming subculture that basically gave a big EFF YOU to an environment that was comparable to some 3rd world countries by creating an art that was not only dangerous ( in its execution ), but creative, and beautiful. The message that "we are here, and WE SHALL BOMB", in SPITE of Transit Authoriy and the indifferent system which placed them there is characteristic of adversity which spawns creativity ( the same adversity that created Hip-Hop ) . An important peice of work, and a must for art afficiandos and graf & hip-hop heads alike.

J. California Cooper is a very talented writer. I enjoyed the first book,(In Search of Satisfaction), of which I recieved as a gift so much, I had to buy the rest.

Homemade Love is a very good set of stories that I enjoyed very much. I laughed a lot and felt sad. Although the stories are fictitional, they all had a life lesson. The last story "Spooks", was the funniest. I guess she sort of saved the best for last.

I now have all of her books, but I will have to read them slowly to make them last for awhile. Who knows, I may just read them twice.

If you have not read any of her books, you are really missing out.

Heres to J. California Cooper: Much success to the author of such great stories and future ones as well!

This is my favorite book in the world. J California Cooper is my favorite author in the world. The characters in her books have a triumph of the spirit. Her words invite you into the lives of the people in her stories. She captures your heart with real life lessons and common sense. Most of all, I love her honesty. Life is best served warm, with tears, smiles, and truth and she serves it up just right.
The best gift given is that which is a part of you. So, in that spirit, I've given this book away to so many people that I have lost count. Last October I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Cooper at a book signing here in New Orleans and she was gracious enough to sign my copies of her books; (I own and have read them all). What a Blessing her words are! Read Homemade Love, and all of her books, and you too will become a fan for life.

I received this book as a graduation gift in 1992 and have read it at least five times since then. This book is a collection of warm, sad, funny, deep stories. Homemade Love is about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. One particular story of a country born and raised man who becomes fascinated with the lights and sights of the big city, teaches the lesson that we often don't know what we have until we don't have it anymore. Yet while teaching this lesson, the story will have you laughing out loud. Other stories have lesson to be learned but do it in such a hilarious and sometimes emotional way that you forget you're learning something in the process.

In preparing our list of Christmas books to share with others, we had to search far and wide on amazon to find this particular book, a paperback edition of the classic Night Before Christmas.

This is the book I've used for years when reading this story to my own children, passing on Tasha Tudor and other illustrators. Why?

Although we can find the same poem and pay a lot more, with award winning illustrators, the illustrations provided by Douglas Gorsline are surely the best. They are quite colorful, and offer details little children love looking into...cats lie sleepily on the window sill, we see an overview of the town, the presents spilling from the open sack are intriguing and plentiful, and Jolly St. Nick is -- well, quite Jolly (as you can see by looking at the cover!)

The story is an "abridged version" - I'm not sure about other parents, but we read this on Christmas Eve, and we only have so much time and energy. Everything we remember from the classic poem by Clement Clarke Moore is in this version.

(From "'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse" to "He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!" In between we have everything, from the names of the eight tiny reindeer, to a belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly, including dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky".

In other words, don't be scared off by 'abridged'!)

Perhaps a hardcover edition might be more appropriate if you're giving a gift (unless you're giving to more than one child), but this book is one of the best offers we've found!

A classic done simply and inexpensively!

We have an inexpensive paperback version (see our reviews) of this classic poem, and we said that's enough for us. That was before we looked through this beautifully illustrated (by Bruce Whatley) edition of The Night Before Christmas.

The lyrics are the same, from book to book, but the fanciful illustrations in this one are enough to engage adults and children as they read this book together.

The perfect gift for any family whose Christmas tradition includes reading this classic!

This beautiful book was in my family as a hard cover edition for many years and was a Christmas Eve tradition for my four sons when they were growing up. It's poor battered body disappeared some time after the last of my little ones went off into the adult world. I am so delighted to see it back again, though this time as a nicely affordable soft cover. Clement C. Moore's enchanting story poem already provides an atmosphere filled with warmth and joyful expectation and with the addition of Tasha Tudor's quaint, nostalgic water-colors from an antique New England the Christmas magic is complete!
The winter landscapes fill our senses and Tasha's own gray tabby cat and Welsh Corgi welcome us into this charming world.
Tasha's Santa that you will meet in this book has been portrayed as the poem describes him...a right jolly old elf. He's not that much larger than the corgi and his team really consists of eight "tiny" reindeer. His pointy ears and his Eskimo mukluks add to the delightful ambiance of the book. He dances with the toys and with the happy animals and we can truly believe it will be a happy Christmas for all.
I hope this book becomes a Christmas Eve tradition for many, many more families.

I have read everything Ms Cooper has written and everytime I think she has done her best work she has proven me wrong.I learned a long time ago that reading can take you to new places and sometimes make you understand where you have been. In The Future has a Past I find myself wondering how she knows me so well when we have never met. The stories are real no matter what time or place they are centered around. As in the Matter is Life I related to the stories because I had lived the stories or knew someone who has.From her first novel Family to Wake of the Wind, Ms Cooper has again brought reality to real situations by telling a fiction story. The future has a Past will take you inside yourself and make you think about what life and love means to you. The women have all been friends of mine. Louella in the Filet of Soul makes you look at yourself and wonder how many times have someone told us something about ourselves and we believed it. How many time have you thought of yourself as worthless or unloveable. This book is a great read and the stories are fictional but the characters are so very real. Again I must wait for something even more amazing then The Future has a Past. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Ms. Cooper.

I have completed one of the stories in The Future Has a Past, and I am still reeling at what an amazing story teller this woman (J. California Cooper) is.

Yes, tears did flow a bit after completing her first tale; I have never seen anyone write so simply but with as much feeling as Ms. Cooper does. EVERY tale she relays will cause you to pause for a moment (or two) and think about your life and how you run it. You end up analyzing the way you handle your business--and everyone else's. There is no story without a gentle, yet intensely powerful moral. I love Ms. Cooper, she cares about what she places in her reader's souls; I have never read another author's works that were able to touch me in the way her writing does. She is purely magnificent.

It seems to me that when this lady writes something, it is so good that you feel that possibly, she can't top it, and then she does. J.California Cooper must be one of the most underrated African American writers there is because outside of her fans, you don't hear much about her. But in my opinion, she is one of the best writers out here. Anyone that could take a story and just make you enjoy it as though you enjoy a good meal or a good movie, that is Ms.Cooper. I enjoyed especially "A Filet of Soul". Luella may have had a self-esteem problem, but she sure wasn't a total fool. And in the end, she triumphed. The story about Vinnie and her self-centered children will come next. These stories are about ordinary folks whose life become a bit sweeter or in some instances, worse (like Cool in "The Lost and The Found" though I tend to feel he was set up for his own undoing).And in them, you find a lesson, and feel better for it. I only hope that more would recognize the talent that Ms.Cooper has and read her works. You won't come away disappointed.

I read everything I can get my hands on - from classics, to fantasy, romance, technical publications, and best sellers. This is my favorite book of all time. I find Jilly Cooper's writing style fast, sexy, and enthralling. I read this book for the first time over 10 years ago and have just re-read it. It's mesmerizing. Rupert, Jake, Fen, Billy and company will keep you glued to the pages. Add to that horses and show-jumping, this book just couldn't get any better.

Attention all Anglophiles! Riders is one book in the saga of life with the horsey set. Jilly Cooper is utterly addictive and keeps you reading for more. Have you ever started reading a really great book and gone into a complete panic over the thought that this is the only book this author has ever written, and you are destined to live your life searching for other books as good? -- that's what I mean when I say "READ IT"

Jilly Cooper finds it hard to take much seriously - which is great for us as her novels are a rollicking good reads. I suppose if you were to get deeply meaningful and analyse her books then you would find some serious themes underlying them - guilt, betrayal, loyalty, and love - but Jilly Cooper sets out to seduce us with great verve and fun - and she definitely succeeds

Riders is the first book in her series of six books (so far) and begins the career of Rupert Campbell Black - rake and world class show-jump rider. He is up against the part Gypsy Jake Lovell his arch rival, who has our initial sympathy. Around them are a cast of dozens major and minor characters all inextrciably linked in the quest to win a gold medal at the upcoming Olympic Games. - oh yeah, and her characters are all the glamorous people of the British Upper class.

It is hard to know at times who one ought to feel sympathetic with because above all else Cooper provides us with very likeable but wildly flawed characters. Rupert, as she is has much frustration in his life but little self doubt. Jake is suspcious, dark, and deeply superstitious.

I just love Cooper's writing style, it is full-bodied, funny, stacked with puns and totally tongue in cheek - but it is rather explicit sexually so if you don't like 'bonk-busters' then this probably isn't for you. Her next book, Rivals, I think is her best.

Plato, Complete Works is a must for the bookshelf of anyone interested in philosophy. Cooper's and Hutchinson's edition contains all Plato's known works and even some that might not be his, but are associated with him in some way. The translations are generally well-written and their style more up-to-date and readable than some older translations. As reviewers said before, this book is necessary if you want to understand philosophy and its history.

Except for some of the shorter works, (Euthyphro, Apology, Symposium), Plato's works are not easy to read. Some works are so dense and difficult that you can't see the point of his argument (e.g., Parmenides). If you need some help interpreting Plato, a good introduction to his work is G.M. Grube's Plato's Thought. It provides clear exposition on a number of subjects, including the theory of ideas, the nature of the soul, education, and statecraft.

One needs to decide whether Plato's thought is vital today or just historically important. Those who treat Plato as important today fall into one of two groups. There are those who think he is the source of that evil called Western Civilization. Post-modernists see modern philosophy as a series of rhetorical tropes started by Plato. They hold him responsible for the metaphysical nonsense espoused in philosophy today about reality, objectivity, and knowledge. If you think Plato is total nonsense and think his characters Protagoras (man is the measure of things) and Thrasymachus (might makes right) are largely correct, you might want to compare his work to Derrida or Nietzsche.

Then there are the Hellenists. They think that Plato said it all and nothing (or not much) more needs to be said. You usually get Alfred North Whitehead's quote here about philosophy being a series of footnotes to Plato. If you are so enthralled, you might want to try Allen Bloom, Stanley Rosen, or Leo Strauss.

Personally, I think both readings are wrongheaded for the same reason. In the 19th and 20th centuries especially, philosophy has made conceptual advances on Plato. Frege's logic, Kuhn's history of science, Peirce's communitarian pragmatism, and Wittgenstein's later language theory step beyond Plato.

If Plato is important today, it is for what he started, not what he says. He began the philosophical fields that are still popular areas today, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and politics. And he invented the character of Socrates, through which he developed the notions of dialectic and definition. For these reasons alone, Plato's works should be read carefully and often. The fact that you get all of them here in one relatively inexpensive book (at least in terms of price per work) should be incentive enough to buy it.

In ancient times, Plato was regarded as one who writes most beautifully, and even in translation his mastery comes forward.

Reading this book, you are at the beginning of philosophy. There are beautiful dialogs concerning the most profound questions anyone can ask.

An advantage of this particular book is that for a reasonable price you can own Plato's complete works in modern scholarly translations. The volume is skillfully edited and there are handy notes.

Plato is one of the few philosophers who can be read for pleasure. His influence on Western thought is immense. As Whitehead says, subsequent Western philosophy is just footnotes to Plato.

Here are some of the works collected in this volume -

Apology - Socrates defense of his life

Phaedo - a defense of the immortality of the soul

Euthyrpo - a criticism of the Divine Command theory of ethics

Republic - the ideal commonwealth, what is justice, theory of ideas

Meno - the recollection theory of knowledge

Timaeus - Plato's story of the creation of the universe, his cosmology

I have not read every narration and account in this huge book yet but so far I am extremely happy with it. First, Plato's works are wonderful and somehow maintain a freshness even after reading through several in a row. The threads of logic woven through these works are a delight and I have found myself laughing aloud occasionally at the near sarcasm I feel I'm reading - Socrates often comes across as a quick-tongued smart-A**.

The translation is free-flowing and up-to-date. If you can read English, buy this book. If not, learn to and then buy this or have someone read it to you. It is that good and that important.

When the Dark is Rising, Six shall turn it back, Three from the circle, Three from the track. Wood, bronze, iron, Water, fire, stone, Five will return and one go alone.

I am 32 now, and first read The Dark is Rising when I was 11. I am now buying the set for my 9 year old daughter. I can still remember the poems better than any I learned in class. The writing is so multi-faceted, so defined. Like Will being the seventh son of a seventh son, and Merriman Lyon being Merlin. Although I applaud JK Rowling for the way she has turned kids onto books with Harry Potter, this is far, far better, and was ahead of its time. If Susan Cooper had had the marketing clout that JK Rowling has, this book would be better known and more widely read. In a time when Celtic music and influences are at their height (think River Dance, the Corrs) these books are in their prime. As an adult, read this series before giving to a child. The magic and the writing will never leave you, they are truely classics. Start with The Dark is Rising, and read Over Sea..... as a prequel afterwards. Equally suitable for girls or boys.

I first read The Dark is Rising as a child, and was ensnared by Susan Cooper's enchanting story of Will Stanton and his quest for the Six Signs, ensnared more deeply than any other book I had read before it. This book introduced me to fantasy and the wonder of the Middle Ages--the author uses a unique blend of fact, fantasy, and history in this series, with some Celtic lore, some proven facts, and just enough pure magic to make it enjoyable.

The books related the quest of six people to stop the world from being taken over by the Dark after the Light has reigned in peace for so long. The series begins with the three Drew children, Simon, Jane, and Barney, who are set upon a quest under the guidance of their forbidding Uncle Merriman, in Over Sea, Under Stone, in which their quest is to find the Holy Grail. In the Dark is Rising, Will Stanton is introduced and, again under the guidance of Merriman, initiated as the last of the Old Ones, the guardians of the earth. His task is to find the six Signs. In Greenwitch, a traditional Celtic tradition is brought to light by Jane, the only girl in the group, that befriends the lonely spirit and asks for her help in deciphering the inscriptions on the grail. The Grey King is the fourth book, and perhaps the most powerful, for it introduces Bran, a freakish albino who has never been accepted. Will befriends Bran and finds out that Bran is not only part of the prophecies, he is key to their plans, for they must awaken the Sleepers, warriors who will aid them to fight the Dark. And finally, the last book, Silver on the Tree, in which all of them are reunited: Simon, Jane, Barney, Will, Bran, and Merriman. In it they discover how far the reach of the Dark is--and how powerful the Light can be.

All of the books start with poems that prophesize the actions in the books and give convoluted clues as to what will be needed to stop the dark forces of the earth from taking over the world. Mentioned are the Holy Grail, the Six Signs, Pendragon, the Greenwitch, Sleepers, harps, an entire verse in Welsh--don't try to understand them; just enjoy them in their beauty. When you finish the books, you'll look at them again and suddenly understand everything.

This series of books made me want to be a writer when I grew up. I remember distinctly reading these books and realizing the power that authors have to create a world and populate it with living characters. Ms. Cooper has created a universe in which magic lives just under the surface of the "real" world--her theme, that the power of magic is accessible to believers, and that we have a responsibility to fight against evil in both the real and magical realms, continues to resonate with me and many other readers.

I highly recommend The Dark is Rising series to children and adults. It's for a slightly older audience than the Harry Potter series, and makes a nice next level for kids who want more.

I am thrilled that the series is still available and I am adding it to my collection in the hope of passing it on to the children in my life. That, and I'm going to re-read them myself-- they're just too good to pass up!

Of course we've all grown up with so many fiction characters from DC/Marvel comics, Disney, Archie's`etc., each of them with its own appeal and flavour ...

What sets Tintin apart from all the rest, I feel, the brilliant quality of the artwork. The level of detail, right from the wheels of flight 714 about to land on that tiny island (flight 714), to the shadow effects of walking in a hidden passage to the Inca empire (prisoners of the sun), to the shape of the waves on which Tintin in a coffin is floating (cigars of the pharaoh), or the jaguar in which Tintin chases the gangsters (the calculus affair), the details are just fantastic and the right amount, without creating too much noise and distraction - as is the case with many of the DC comics - iron man, the incredible hulk, etc.

The stories range from contemporary to looking ahead in the future - swing wing planes, rockets to the moon, hidden cameras/espionage. The subject matter is political, and in my opinion slightly controversial at times. Especially the way Herge stereotypes native people in India (Cigars of the Pharaoh, Tintin in Tibet), or in the jungles of Amazon (The Broken Ear). But even here, Herge is way above the shady and simplistic plots of the like of Phantom and Flash Gordon.

The collection is more readable towards the later comics, some of the earlier ones contains situations which are too improbable and rely far too much on luck for Tintin to get himself out of danger.

I loved Tintin books when I was a kid, and I love them now at age 37. I know I'm not alone, because a Tintin store in San Francisco sells Tintin coffee cups and ties and key chains (grown-up's items!) I myself have a Tintin tie and key chain! THE LAND OF BLACK GOLD is my favorite Tintin book. It has all the best characters, humor, and an intriguing plot. (That's why adults can like them, because many of the books have reasonably sophisticated James-Bond type plots.) Tintin forever!

I am only 11, and I have only read some of the Tintin books, and the reason I'm at Amazon.com is to buy all the others. Out of the one's I've read so far, I think "Red Rackham's Treasure" was my favorite. I loved the way Herge made Calculus, and thought he was extremely funny, even when he did get annoying! I love the Tintin books, and look forward to reading every single one again! If I could go over 5 stars, I would, definatly!

In Control is the best piece of business fiction I've read all year. With Harry Kramer as your guide, get ready for a wild, visually exciting, and heartfelt ride through the world of corporate intrigue. You'll be sucked into Harry's world (and make no mistake, it's Harry's world) through Mr. Cooper's precise, elegant prose. In Control is well-researched and exacting, but that only adds to the reader's pleasure. A great read.

Ethan Cooper provides a rare look at the closed country club and boardroom world of upper class Midwestern society. Cooper's main character and narrator, Harry Kramer, the CEO of a major regional bank, faces the challenge of his career when a high profile real estate project unexpectedly begins to fail, threatening to become an unmitigated disaster. This crisis gives Harry the opportunity to reflect (rather smugly) on his relationship with those around him who play their expected roles, business associates, employees and social peers. When it comes to his wife and two adult children, however, Harry's obsessive need to be "in control" collides with their unwillingness to be treated as mere supporting players in Harry's well-ordered life. Harry's self absorption is sometimes comical, sometimes maddening, even appalling, but always fascinating. In Control is a real page turner--you should read it , you'll be glad you did.

This is a deceptive book. At first you think you are simply reading the flat-toned musings of a Midwest patrician banker who tells of his current business successes and reminisces about his climb to the top. Okay as far as it goes. But soon In Control draws you into something much more special - a compelling plot dealing with a business crisis and, even more so, the mind of one of the most remarkably manipulative, self-absorbed, amoral and dark characters imaginable. This vision of control exerted by the main character over employees, family members, strangers and events reveals itself - gradually and relentlessly -and will stay with me for a long, long time. So, too, will the observations on commerce and human nature that I, as a business person myself, found true, revealing and disturbing. Deceptively powerful stuff.

You will laugh, cry and be confused when you read this book. This book can teach you that what you think is good is not always good.

There is a boy named Peter Pan. He sprinkles fairy dust in Wendy and her two brothers. Then he shows them how to fly. He takes them to Neverland and shows them to the Lost Boys who live there. Wendy becomes their mother. She makes up rules, like any other mother would do. The boys have to follow these rules. Everything was fine until Captain Hook came with his crew to where the boys and Wendy were. While Wendy and the boys were at the lagoon, where they go every day after dinner, they see a girl named Tiger Lily, princess of her tribe. She was captured by Smee, one of Captain Hook's men. Then Peter saved her. A few days later Wendy and the boys were on their way to Wendy's house when they too were all captured by Captain Hook. Then Peter saves them. Then the lost boys, Wendy and her brothers go home. All except for Peter.

It is mostly about what the people in the book think is right with childhood. The kids in the book think that if you grow up it is bad, but in our case it is actually good.

Peter Pan is a violent book not really made for children under the age of 10 but people 10 and up can read it. It is violent because of the language that is spoken and the idea that killing could be fun. Also, the vocabulary is very difficult for children under 10 to understand. Even if you're older it is difficult to understand.

Overall, it is a good book but watch out for the violent ideas if you are reading it to little children.

When talking of literature, people tend to look solely at books they read today but forget what they used to read, namely the ones we read as children. It is a common misunderstanding that children's literature is to be read by children and children only, but when we come to think of it, which one of us are not children, at least in our hearts?

One of the best books any child, young or old, can read is Barrie's Peter Pan. Although written in the past century, it has something for any generation at any time. Its humorous views at the world from a child's mind left me rolling over the floor, laughing; the exciting storyline kept me busy with reading until the end; and the serious undertone made me think of whether the world wouldn't be a better place if we realised that deep down, however deep, we are in fact all children. So if YOU are a child, which you most certainly are, get yourself a copy and enjoy your ongoing childhood.

This is an utterly charming work. It has been retold myriad times, but nobody else has done it as well as the original teller, J. M. Barrie.

It's difficult to know what to say about a book like this... everybody knows the story. But I guess that unless you've read this book (not just seen a movie or read a retelling), you don't really know the character Peter Pan, and without knowing the character, you don't really know the story. So read it.

By the way, if you enjoy this, you probably would also like "Sentimental Tommy" and its sequel "Tommy and Grizel", both by Barrie. There are differences (for one thing they're not fantasy), but there are also compelling similarities. Anybody who found Peter Pan a deep and slightly bittersweet book would be sure to enjoy them.

-Stephen