The mark of a truly great memoir is how deeply it allows us to look into a life. The actual events may be mundane, but if seen with great clarity and understanding, even an "ordinary" life story can be enlightening. Latham's story had this quality. He holds nothing back--even in circumstances where we might wish that he had. But there was nothing mundane about Jay's life. He lived life full-throttle, pedal to the metal, from Marine boot camp to his treks to the Himalayas to find God.
To find God--the phrase is ripe for parody. But Jay did seek God. And I think he found Him, not in the exotic Shiva temples of Uttarkashi, but in the temple of his own heart. We flinch as we read of his trials--his experiments with drugs, his failed love affairs, his disconnection from Western civilization where, more than anywhere else, it is the God of Money that is worshipped. Once, in Rishikesh, a poor man, who was riding with his family on a bus, asked Jay what he was doing in India. Jay told him that he was on a pilgrimage. The man exclaimed that Jay was a lucky man because poor men such as himself could seldom afford such a pilgrimage. He wondered what it could be like. Jay observed the harmony and love the family exuded, and remarked, sadly, "What it is like, sir, is like searching for what I think you already have."
That in a nutshell, is the story of Jay's life. Not fitting in the Marines, not fitting in the drug culture, not fitting in the church in which he was raised, and ultimately not fitting in the TM organization, to which he devoted nearly three decades of his life. He found solace in Nature where, at last, he discovered, "God (in actuality, my own highest Self) has never let me down whenever I have shown courage and sincerity in regards to seeing my path and walking it."
This is the man Jay Latham has revealed to us: as sincere as the jet stream above Annapurna, as courageous as a galaxy of fire. RIP.

This is a powerful book by a true spiritual warrior. It is a shame that lacking promotion by the mainstream publishing industry, it may languish among a million
Amazon titles. The author died before his book was published, but anyone who can appreciate his journey from VietNam era Marine boot camp, through sex-drugs-and rock & roll, to God-realized experiences in the high Himalayas, will find inspiration in Latham's story.

This is a really cool book. The story is about a guy who, through the course of his life, finds his true nature while among the peaks of the Himalayas. Jay came to manhood in the US Marine Corp., and chronicles his story as a marine during the Vietnam conflict. Man, this story itself is a trip, and is worth the price of the book (they should make a movie of this).

But it gets better. After an experience such as the marine corp., what's left for a young man to do? The world of hometowns and the life of a young man are too small after seeing what the wide world has to offer (check out the stories of Okinawa, they will blow your mind). Jay's adventure of self awareness leads him into the heart of the TM movement (remember them? Maharishi was the guru of the Beatles.....don't ask "who are the Beatles"...if you don't know, then you don't belong here....:) :) Continuing, Jay spent many years as a teacher of TM, and made many friendships along the way--many of which are documented in the book. The latter part of the book follows Jay and others on their various journeys of discovery to the "holy" sites of northern India and Nepal. The descriptions of the landscape and vistas conjure up very real imagery for me, it's almost as if I'm there seeing it with the author.

Jay is a very down-to-earth writer, and his style is more conversationsal--almost like sitting around a fire and being told some great adventure stories, and you think to yourself...."damn, I wish I could have been there...". It's really that good. Jay has a great story and tells it like he's telling it to you personally, no hold barred, nothing held back. It's a hell of a lot more refreshing to read someting with such a spritual message and not have to wade through the pretension of some swami .... Jay is the genuine article, man. READ IT.

It took me years to find a copy of this, but "LET IT RIDE" is one of my favorite movies. Finally, only 3 weeks after requesting it at my local library on an inter-library loan, here it was! I was not disappointed at all. Most of the best bits and lines in "LET IT RIDE" originate in "GOOD VIBES", and though the ending differs somewhat from the film, it's not a huge difference(like The Natural, for instance). I've never read any of Jay Cronley's books, but if they're all this funny... ... If this is reprinted, I'll definitely snap up a copy, & until then, I'll keep looking for a reasonably priced used copy, & keep wearing out my video. It was worth the wait

This book is the basis for the movie "Let It Ride" with Richard Dreyfuss. It is the story of an unlucky gambler who has a very good day.

This is the ultimate cavallo cavalcade. I loved it before I lost everything at the track. Jeff Cordtz

"Great Neck" is one of the most distinctively creative books I have read. Cantor brilliantly interweaves, and depicts a quite plausible interconnection between the impact of the civil rights movementand the Students for a Democratic Society of the late '60s/early '70s as a reaction to the search for sanctuary from anti-semetism, and the Holocaust specifically, in the affluent oasis of Great Neck, Long Island. However, in his tale the author indicates that this quest was quixiotic, that in fact the legacy of the Holocaust cannot be escaped and that their religion's heritage of ethics and responsibility eventually compells Jews to venture from what is safe to advocate for social justice. The irony of the book (in Cantor's rendering) is that as a response to persecution Jews won hard sought after success and moved to Great Neck as a sanctuary to savor their achievements, only to find peace elusive.

To those familiar with the actual Great Neck, LI, the book may come as a surprise. It in no way validates stereotypes of shallow self absorbed exceedingly affluent suburban New Yorkers. This is a complex book that attempts to depict the angst of the experience of a group of the now Jewish upper middle class in a segment of Long Island, who find their tortured heritage impossible to escape. "Great Neck" is an engrossing, substantive and thought provoking book.

Great Neck is one of those few big novels that comes along and simply sweeps the reader into a world that is radical, idealistic, naive, romantic, and scary as hell. The 60s were tranformational, and somehow Jay Cantor has managed to write with authority and eloquence in the mulitiple voices of that time. How Cantor knows so much about SDS 'kids', drugs, Black Power, and Holocaust survivors, for just a start, is remarkable. The book is not an easy read but it is written so well that you cannot put it down. For anyone who wants to go deep into the sociology of this American Generation,Great Neck is a must read.

In Great Neck, Cantor displays not only a masterful grasp of language, but also of personality, wit, and style. It is a full and beautiful novel, seeped in humanity, with all the passion, pain and pleasure therein. Encompassing much of the turbulent 60's and beyond, Great Neck is part fiction, part fact, and as gripping as it is intricate. We are treated to absorbing, layered, and nuanced glimpses into a mixed cast of intellectual revolutionaries and civil rights activists, drawn primarily from the privileged elite of Great Neck, Long Island, burdened with a sense of guilt over their wealth and opportunity, and driven to find a way to make things right in the world. Stories sometimes told in parallel, sometimes asynchronously, Cantor's prose is woven together with a masterful sense of style and timing that can only be accomplished by great authors and auteurs. Admittedly, Great Neck is neither a light read nor a whimsical journey, but give it the time and attention it deserves and you will be richly rewarded.

Five well deserved stars.

The military culture Hatheway reveals in "Guilty As Charged: The True Story of a Gay Beret," isn't the idealistic world of the posters. There are a lot of things the military isn't telling Pres. Bush (but what would he know about military life, anyway?) This is a place where soldiers routinely get drunk, many smoke hash or even shoot drugs, and heterosexual promiscuity is rampant. And may you find mercy if you're even suspected of being gay.

Even so, Hatheway felt relatively safe for a time as he met other gay men discreetly for sex at his unit in Bod Tolz, Germany, and elsewhere. Homosexual activity, he found, was more common than he first thought. Gays still had to be careful: there were several really gung-ho men who got wacked out about them. But if you didn't get caught, it wasn't all that bad.
Unfortunately, that's what happened to Hatheway. Just days before he was due to be discharged, an enlisted man invited him to his room for a drink. A bottle of scotch later, they found themselves in a sexual situation. Nothing unusual, until one of the man's roommates barged in. Hatheway's entire future blew up before his eyes.

His careful recounting of the subsequent ordeal is fascinating, particularly his allegations of military misconduct in the prosecution of the trial. If true (and we have no reason to believe they aren't), they're deeply disturbing. Hatheway was lucky he didn't end up at Leavenworth. Instead, he became a successful professor of German history at a college in Wisconsin.
Someday America's gays and lesbians will be able to serve their country without having to sneak around. Look for it to happen in about 2025. But it may take a couple of generations after that before the American military stops treating them like it did Hatheway. The monster of homophobia isn't going to die an easy death in that super-macho atmosphere. I know.

Jay Hatheway served with distinction for four years in the Army as a Green Beret -- the army's elite combat force. Jay was indistinguishable from his fellow Green Beret's in training, ability, dedication, and service. But there was one difference that the military establishment could not abide and which overrode all other aspects of Jay Hatheway's military career and performance -- he was a homosexual. In Guilty As Charged: The True Story Of A Gay Beret, Jay has candidly recorded his experiences while in service, including his court-martial, and his dedicated work in behalf of lesbians and gays concerned about their civil rights as men and women serving their country through military service. Guilty As Charged clearly and persuasively details the first constitutional challenge to the prohibition against homosexuality in the armed forces. Enhanced for the reader with footnotes and index, Guilty As Charged is a welcome, articulate, and much needed contribution to the on-going national dialogue on gays in the military and the constitutional issues involved with respect to one of the last bastions of state supported, federally sponsored discrimination. Highly recommended reading, Guilty As Charged puts a human face to a hot-button social issue, and in doing so well serves the entire military community, gay or straight.

Riveting. This is author Jay Hatheway's story of the nation's first gay Green Beret court martial. Compelling. It happens to be a first person account, as defendent Hatheway, who survived those dark days, remembers the events surrounding the tragic injustice. Transcripts from the actual trial add immediacy to the "you are there" narration.
     There is an inclination to think of Jack Nicholson's despicable character in A Few Good Men, but Guilty As Charged is especially vile in that it lays bare the military's bent for public degradation and humiliation of a gay man -- by innuendo and inference. Hatheway's chiling story just quite possibly could have been our own. The telling is painfully detailed.
     Hatheway never denies to the reader that he has engaged in homosexual activities; the focus here is on the trumped up charges brought against him two decades before the Clinton compromise of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." In the military, fraternizing with subordinates is one matter of concern; sex between men -- actual or presumed -- is tantamount to treason.
     Now it's Hatheway's turn, and he takes us from the cool marble of boyhood infatuation to the companionship of flesh without fatigues that also defines "Special" Forces. Except for names and places, his story could be mine -- or yours.
-- Stonewall News Northwest

As they say, you can't judge a book by its cover but when I saw the title, I had to read it. As I was checking it out of my local library, the woman in line behind me saw the cover and was disappointed that I was taking it out instead of returning it. This all speaks volumes about the need for someone to explain how some families get so dysfunctional in the first place and more importantly how to counteract their negative influence and hopefully recover from it. I've known for years that the root of my depression was in the family dsyfunction I grew up with but I couldn't quite explain how. We didn't become dysfunctional by the classic things like alcoholism or drug abuse but by something more insidious. Reading this book helped me at least start to unravel the tangled mess of my depressive family relationships. It's not a cure-all but it's a great start!

Dr. Michael Yapko, a leading expert on depression, has written a book on depression that offers sound advice for people who are depressed and their families. If you, or a loved one, is depressed, this book is must reading. Yapko surveys the myths of depression and offers solutions on how families can help one another. This book should be must reading for any family that is experiencing depression

The many endorsements from his colleagues enticed me to buy Dr. Yapko's book. It lived up to and even surpassed the high expectations! It was easy to read and totally engrossed me as I finally came to understand how my family created the environment in which I learned what Dr. Yapko would probably call "faulty patterns" of thinking and relating. I've been depressed, and I've been treated with antidepressants, and I now understand much more about why the drugs never improved my ability to handle my family better. I learned a lot from the many stories he provides that illustrate his key points, and I often felt he was talking directly to me. There's no doubt he knows what depression is about, and he inspires the confidence to learn to do things differently. I give this book my highest recommendation!

I originally had to buy this book for a death & dying course. Now, after the class ended, I refer to it constantly. It presents the information on death & afterlife beliefs of about 20 different religions in a very easy-to-understand, easy-to-grasp manner. Each religions death beliefs is prefaced by a concise background or history, putting the information on death beliefs into context. You don't have to struggle through pages of difficult-to-understand concepts to comprehend why each faith has its beliefs. Anyone interested in the subject should not skip this book. It is a superior resource!

Drs. Johnson & McGee have provided the perfect avenue for exploring and understanding different views of death and the afterlife. This is a very complete and easy to read resource which I highly recommend.

This book is the best of the best in presenting a fair, unbias representation of what different world religions and christian faiths believe about death and the afterlife.

Hugh Nibley is one of a kind - and this book shows that. He is a living example for the rest of us; he has inspired us by calling us to repent. I have always seen Nibley as a prophet more than a historian - no matter what he writes about you end up feeling the need to repent (in Norwegian repent is "omvend" which means to turn around). Nibley is constantly telling us to turn around, change directions and look to God. He has been amazingly consistent in his long life - its fascinating reading. I can recommend this book along with all the many books Hugh Nibley has written.
Boyd Petersen did a good job in presenting Nibley's life by alternating chapters on history and on different topics. I only wish Boyd Petersen had had more of a dialogue with his father-in-law, on many of the topics and events in Nibley's life. Even though Boyd Petersen said early on in the book that he will not focus on Hugh Nibley's life from the prospective of his children - I wish he had included this perspective. For many of us that respect Nibley's life we realise that at times it might be hopelessly impractical two live with somebody that so clearly see and react to this world and all its trappings. All in all this is an excellent book.

Boyd Petersen has done the world a favor with this book. It is not perfect, but, except for minor errors, I cannot think of any suggestions for improvement. I felt inspired and grateful for the life of this brilliant, yet humble man who is so completely honest and also deeply good. Thank you, Boyd Petersen and thank you to Hugh Nibley for his countless good choices which make up his good life that is an example to all of us.

This book is simply amazing. I couldn't put it down. This book tells a story of possibly the greatest LDS scholar who ever lived. I recommend this book.

Japan Inside Out is special. The Glucks know practically everything about Japan. Japan Inside Out is comprehensive (over 1300 pages written telegram style to save space) and every page has obviously been written with tender loving care. The Glucks, who have been in Japan since 1951, truly love the country, but have been here long enough to see through the cliches and truisms that other guidebook writers fall for. Their book is truly a labour of love, and is indispensable for anyone who really wants to see more than just Kyoto and Tokyo. Japan Inside Out is the only guidebook that will help you find the Grave of Jesus Christ in Aomori, explain those funny hand positions on the Buddha statues, or tell you where you find the snake shop in Tokyo. Japan Inside Out gives you background about everything. Armed with Japan Inside Out, you won't have to wander around a temple thinking, "Gee, I bet this place might be interesting if I knew something about its history, architecture, or its religious importance." There are interesting anecdotes and stories about everywhere you might want to visit. For the budget traveller, Japan Inside Out is full of good information about cheap places to stay and eat. Although it was written in 1990, making its information about accommodation and restaurants untrustworthy, I will never travel without it again.

This book was invaluable in planning both of my trips to Japan. Wonderful reading on it's own, it is without peer in planning a trip which includes the hidden magical places that are the essence of the old and new Japan. Before and during the trips the breadth and depth of the information increased my understanding and appreciation of this fascinating culture a thousand fold. Additionally, the practical information, cultural customs, day to day "how to" suggestions, made the whole process of traveling richer and easier. I would never want to travel without it!

Jay Gluck, author of the acclaimed "Zen Combat," has here provided an almost priceless service to the potential visitor to Japan. In this massive volume, Gluck salts each page with information not usually found in a travel guide: info that can actually be used! His winsome, approachable style (and that of his wife, Sumi, and son Garet) makes "Japan Inside Out" a joy to read, and there is literally no wasted space in the book. Gluck's original illustrations add much to the book's atmosphere as well. The strongest point about "Japan Inside Out" is the intimate approach to the individual's travel goals. The Gluck family's love for and exquisitely detailed knowledge of Japan gives the book a flavor of immediacy and authenticity (along with piercing wit and humor)which is glaringly absent from more recent volumes on Asian travel. Anyone planning a trip to Japan MUST read this book. Perhaps my most powerful praise for "Japan Inside Out" is that it would entertain and edify even those who never plan to visit the Land of the Rising Sun.

Jay Maisel is probably the greatest photographer of New York City. He is not only an accomplished photographer, he is a real New Yorker who "feels" and "lives" the City. I enjoy his capturing ordinary and spontaneous moments of New Yorkers and his playing with contrast of colors. My only regret is that there is unfortunately no technical information about each photograph (equipment used...) A great book by a great photographer.

New York history and culture has been covered so often before, who can offer a different perspective on the city? Photographer Maisel does, in Jay Maisel's New Yorkm a title which captures both unique urban sights and ordinary days in New York activity, from immigrants on a rooftop to Gay Pride Day celebrations. Full-page color photos are vivid and striking whether they be of oddly-brilliant building paint jobs or individuals.

Jay Maisel's New York is the single richest and most alluring photo book about my city that I have seen. It is especially satisfying because my New York is captured and served up by a true photographic genius.

Going through the pages, I find myself gasping and smiling all at once.

Jay has that rare ability to hit your eyes with a one-two punch. First, he serves up a moment or fleeting gesture and frames it with a simple stunning composition made with colors.

He is able, page after page, to make a reader's stomach flutter in recognition of moments of light that most of us only "thought" we saw.

He's a master in the profession.

Gary Gladstone

I recently read "Graphics Programming with SVGALib" by Jay Link and I have got to say this book is an extremely well written book on SVGAlib and general graphics programming. I would like to congradulate Jay on writting such a wonderful book and also suggest that anyone that is wanting to learn graphics programming or how to do graphics programmming with SVGAlib should pick up a copy. It will be a valuble resource/referrence to anyone who does graphics programming.

Excelent book, I wanted to get a Linux Gfx Book and i found it, Excelent explanation of SVGALib and many Gfx technics to success. I was able thanks to this book to create my own GUI Engine for Linux.

Thanks Jay Link, Nice Work! .

This book is an excellent tutorial, not just for SVGAlib, but for graphics programming in general. I wish I had this one 3 years ago. Oh, well.