Glenn Dickey, sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, is the writer that many fans "love to hate." Mostly, this because he is never afraid to present perspectives that are highly critical of hometown teams and personalities. In taking this iconoclastic perspective, occasionally he has committed memorable gaffes--for example, his suggestion years ago that Joe Montana and his wife should have foreseen that Jennifer's January due date for giving birth would be a distraction for Joe during the playoffs. Such displays of poor judgment aside, however, Dickey remains a highly insightful and skillful writer whose column is practically always a good read.

Aside from writing columns, Dickey has written fifteen books, including works on the Raiders and the 49ers. *Glenn Dickey's 49ers* is an all-too-short but still highly valuable recent history of the Bay Area's most successful franchise, and I recommend it to all fans of the red and gold.

Over the years, Dickey has spent time one-on-one with many of the principal personalities involved with the "rise, fall, and rebirth of the NFL's greatest dynasty," and consequently has had access to insights and information that make for fascinating reading in this book. Although Dickey has a reputation for being harsh in his judgments and appraisal of people, he actually is careful here to present both the strengths and weaknesses of the "heavies" in 49ers history, including Walsh, DeBartolo, Policy, Seifert, etc. Only that jerk of legendary proportions, Joe Thomas, is portrayed in an unrelentingly negative light.

On the basis of reading this book, fans will come to realize that Eddie Debartolo's ultimate self-destruction as an owner and as a person was almost inevitable from the start and, in fact, reflected the flip side of the very human qualities that made him such an endearing and generous team owner. Dickey is also careful to point out that the recent downfall of the team was really inevitable, and should not be blamed on any particular decisions by anyone, including former team President Carmen Policy.

Overall, then, Dickey presents a balanced and realistic view of the team's recent history, one that all fans of the franchise should enjoy. The book is flawed, however, in being a bit on the brief side--by expanding somewhat on the book's 262 pages, Dickey could easily have presented more highlights and information about the team's past twenty years. Perhaps more important, however, is his inexplicable inclusion of numerous silly factual errors, errors that careful editing or even proofreading should have caught and eliminated. A previous reviewer has presented some of these mistakes. Others include identifying Roger Craig as the Most Valuable Player of the Superbowl played in January 1985 (it was actually Joe Montana), and the misspelling of the name of 49er defensive lineman Kevin Fagan as "Fagen." He also misquotes Eddie DeBartolo's memorable exclamation at the news conference anouncing George Seifert's resignation and Steve Mariucci's hiring as head coach. When asked about the fate of then offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, DeBartolo blurted out, "He's gone!" Dickey writes that DeBartolo said, "He's toast!"

These are small errors, to be sure, but cumulatively they leave the reader with an impression of carelessness that detracts from the overall impact of what otherwise is a fine book about the San Francisco 49ers.

In this book, Glenn Dickey provides an insightful and objective view of the 49ers' history during the ownership of Eddie DeBartolo. In the process, he revealed information about DeBartolo, other team executives, and players that was generally known only to insiders and reporters but not the public.

Dickey has never been one to pull punches in his opinions - anybody who read his book "Just Win Baby, Al Davis and his Raiders" would know that Dickey writes about sports figures' character flaws as well as their virtues. This book is full of praise for players, coaches, and executives who deserve it, but it also contains many criticisms of the same people. Consequently, this book is likely to anger obsessed 49er fans who still think that Steve Young should have been traded in order to keep Joe Montana or that all would be well with the 49ers today if Eddie DeBartolo remained the owner. In my opinion, the real strength of the book is that it takes a critical view of the 49ers and isn't written like a marketing brochure or a team press release.

Among other things, this book recalls just how badly Eddie DeBartolo blundered during the initial stages of his ownership, especially by hiring the mercurial former Colts general manager Joe Thomas (at the recommendation of Al Davis). Thomas badly mismanaged the drafts and trades. The only thing he managed well was alienating everyone including the players, the media, the fans, former 49er players, SF politicians, and the entire SF community. Had Thomas remained more than two years, he would have surpassed Davis and Charlie Finley as the most despised sports executive in Bay Area history. Dickey showed how DeBartolo wised up and hired Bill Walsh, effectively rescuing the franchise.

49er fans knew of DeBartolo's generosity in terms of paying high player salaries. Few knew, as this book reveals, that DeBartolo had a penchant for excessive drinking, gambling, and womanizing and that it took a combination of his father, Edward DeBartolo Sr., and Carmen Policy to effectively babysit Eddie and rein in his behavior. The fans and the community might not have been so charitable had they known of DeBartolo's behavior as well as the fact that during several alcohol-induced rages he ordered Bill Walsh fired only to have Policy "forget" until he sobered up.

Dickey wasn't shy about criticizing other flaws in the organization such as head coach George Seifert's meddling in the offense even though he knew little about offense or Vinnie Cerrato's poor judgement with the 49er drafts in the post-Walsh era. Dickey also stated that Steve Young was superior to Joe Montana by 1992 when 49er fans were calling for Montana to start despite not playing for two years. Even Walsh does not escape criticism since his personnel decisions since returning as GM have been less than stellar. There is an obvious implication that Walsh's time as a top NFL executive has passed.

The book is not without some errors. In one instance, Dickey referred to Vikings WR Chris Carter as having a great game in Minnesota's win over SF in the 1987 playoffs. That, of course, was Anthony Carter; Cris (without an 'h') still plays for the Vikings. He also referred to Chris Bahr as having kicked the winning FG in the NY Giants 15-13 playoff win over SF in January, 1991 - actually, it was Chris' brother Matt. Chris kicked for the Raiders and had retired by then. Those are minor though and this book makes excellent reading for fans who are not mere cheerleaders for the 49ers.

Glenn Dickey has written for the San Francisco Chronicle about San Francisco sports for the better part of at least three decades (if not longer), and is probably more qualified than most in writing a book about this prominent team. He takes us on a behind the scenes look at what went on inside the 49ers' organization while Montana, Craig, Lott, Rice, and company were on the field leading the team to victory every fall Sunday afternoon throughout the 80's and most of the 90s.

He starts off with Eddie DeBartolo buying the team in the mid 1970s, through the terrible times of the late 70s, the hiring of Walsh and the rebuilding of the team, Walsh's early innovations, "The Catch" in 1981 that sent the 49ers to their first Super Bowl, the struggle to stay on top through the 1980's, the turmoil that eventually motivated Walsh to quit coaching in 1989, the Seifert era of the 1990's to the disaster that was the 1999 season.

What I found especially interesting was the portrayal of Edward DeBartolo, the 49ers former owner. I had always thought he seemed like a true gentlemen, always gracious to the media and generous to a fault with 49er employees and players. Dickey paints a much different and truer picture of him behind the "facade." Here was a man who raged after every defeat, and whose vices eventually landed him in trouble.

Dickey has written several books about the 49ers and at least one I know of with Bill Walsh. If they're as good as this one, they're all well worth reading.

Tom Sawyer is the first great coming of age American novel. In addition, Tom Sawyer is one of the most endearing characters in American fiction. This wonderful book deals with all the challenges that any young person faces, and resolves them in exciting and unusual ways.

Like many young people, Tom would rather be having fun than going to school and church. This desire to enjoy life is always getting him into trouble, from which he finds unusual and imaginative solutions. One of the great scenes in this book has Tom persuading his friends to help him whitewash a fence by making them think that nothing could be finer than doing his punishment for playing hooky from school. When I first read this story, it opened up my mind to the potential power of persuasion.

Tom also is given up for dead and has the unusual experience of watching his own funeral and hearing what people really thought of him. That's something we all should be able to do. By imagining what people will say at our funeral, we can help establish the purpose of our own lives. Mark Twain has given us a powerful tool for self-examination in this wonderful sequence.

Tom and Huck Finn also witness a murder, and have to decide how to handle the fact that they were not supposed to be there and their fear of retribution from the murderer, Injun Joe.

Girls are a part of Tom's life, and Becky Thatcher and he have a remarkable adventure in a cave with Injun Joe. Any young person will remember the excitement of being near someone they cared about alone in this vignette.

Tom stands for the freedom that the American frontier offered to everyone. His aunt Polly represents the civilizing influence of adults and towns. Twain sets up a rewarding novel that makes us rethink the advantages of both freedom and civilization. In this day of the Internet frontier, this story can still provide valuable lessons about listening to our inner selves and acting on what they have to say. Enjoy looking for fun in new ways!

This is the classic tale of a boy's life in St. Petersburg, Missouri (based on Mark Twain's [Samuel L. Clemens] home town of Hannibal, Missouri), on the banks of the Mississippi River (I believe the time frame is pre-Civil War). The original manuscript of "Tom Sawyer" was the first American novel to be submitted to a publisher in typewritten form. Tom is living in the house of his Aunt Polly with the irritating Sid, who turns him in for playing hooky from school. Tom's punishment is to whitewash a thirty-yard fence, nine feet high. With legendary skill and deviousness, he is able to get his friends to complete the onerous task! Later, he and his good friend Huck Finn go to a graveyard to swing a dead cat (to get rid of warts). They witness Injun Joe murder the town doctor and see Joe set up the evidence to appear that the drunken Muff Potter is the assailant. The boys hide out on Jackson's Island and the town believe them drowned. Of course, at their funeral they appear, falling right into the middle of the ceremony. At the trial of Muff Potter, Tom proves Potter innocent; but, Injun Joe escapes. At a town picnic, the boys (as well as Tom's girl Becky Thatcher) get lost in a cave, find Joe's treasure, are rescued, and become heroes. And, unfortunately, respectable. Tom and Huck represent typical boys, having their own adventures and dreams. It is sad to think that, in today's world of behavioral psychologists, counselors, and some teachers, both Tom and Huck would be considered abnormal and some physicians might even prescribe certain drugs to "calm them down." And, they are just being boys. The adventurous spirit of Tom and Huck should be celebrated, not repressed! Not enough adults read "Tom Sawyer" or "Huckleberry Finn."

I would recomend Tom Sawyer to anyone around the ages of nine to twelve years of age.The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a book best for children. This is a book best for children because it is about a young rambunctious boy who gets into trouble all the time. Tom Sawyer is a normal boy.
Many exciting things happen in the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In the beggining of the book Tom tricks his friends into white washing the fence for him.Tom falls in love,gets engaged with Becky Thatcher,and chases a box of gold. In church a dog makes a bad choice to bothera pinch bug and gets pinched and the dog runs around the church howling. And much more.
I learned that back then kids could be kids. Not like now when everyone expects you to act like you are twenty-five when your only twelve.The Adventures of Tom Sawyer tought me many things.

I knew James Dickey at the University of South Carlolina, and I later spent 14 years living in the interior of Alaska. His last novel is a stunning achievement, missed utterly by anyone hoping for "Hogan's Heroes." Critics who wrote at the time that the protagonist is "a sick puppy" were probably also offended by the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan." If you want standard Hollywood, and you buy Dickey, you will be disappointed.

To be a hunter, keen and alert, raised to know the life of the wild and the ways of the hunted, and then to be placed, as Muldrow was, into a world of aliens, each one a hunter, and to have all the usual means of becoming inconspicuous stripped away: that is the story. That was Muldrow's lot; what exactly was he supposed to do?

No one who hates this book can admit to even a vestigial smidgen of the feral in mankind. Dickey's unlikely and unwilling hero had it, and so when he appears to be camouflaged at the book's end, he really is: no one in the crowd who sees him understands what he is seeing--and that includes some readers.

This is one of the leanest stories I've ever read about such a complex character. The central conflict is simple and immediate and it doesn't let up until the very last sentence of the book. Dickey's prose is lyrical and captures the mind's eye better than any action/adventure novel I've found. There's virtually no dialogue as Dickey focuses on action, page by page, revealing the protagonist's nature along the way. You'll read this book in a matter of days if not hours.

I found To the White Sea to be better than Deliverance - the book Dickey will always be remembered for. It's both fitting and sad that Dickey's last book was his greatest.

This novel operates on myriad levels, and there is enough here to make you think for years. Multiple readings will only raise more questions, and/or cause you to rethink the conclusions you've previously thought solid. Merely for the fact that this is a book that makes one think and ponder and consider, it is a great book.

The basic story is that of a WWII bomber crewman shot down over Tokyo immediately prior to the great firebomb raids of Spring 1945. He is utterly alone on a hostile foreign island, likely listed as missing, presumed dead, with the book's opening pages promising a superior adventure as our protagonist struggles to stay alive and eventually repatriate. But, as the story matures and we gradually learn more about Muldrow, we see that repatriation has been only a fleeting inspiration. Mudrow has been freed, and he pushes north toward a place that is much more imagined than real.

As he struggles north Muldrow changes from serviceman to fugitive, from survivor to predator, from endangered hero to questionable protagonist to a perplexing and difficult-to-like principal character. To my reading, Muldrow is an unpredictable, dangerous psychotic, with only the regimen and discipline of societal interaction and military service having kept him in check during brief periods of his life. When in his element, out in the wilderness relying only upon himself, he is a nation unto himself, free to make any choice which suits his needs and his whims. We see it in the flashbacks to Alaska, and we see it in his maniacal odyssey to Hokkaido and the White Sea, and to a mental and physical place which of course does not exist.

In the end where does Muldrow go? This is as debatable as the nature of his character, the origins of his actions and thoughts, and his motivations. Dickey takes us from a strong, pulsing adventure narrative in the opening pages to a lyrical, poetic, almost mythical climax as Muldrow finally dies/transforms/transcends. It is a fascinating transformation for the character, for the narrative, and for the experience of the reader. I wholeheartedly recommend this riveting, expertly written book.

When I first heard about this book, I ran out and bought it on it's release date. I thought this was going to be a great compilation of stories by four great authors but I was so wrong.

The first story in the book is by Eric Jerome Dickey and it's his second worst story/book I've read by him. The story lacked substance, reality and it didn't keep me drawn to it like his previous books except awful Liars Game.

E. Lynn Harris was definitely not a disapointment. He definitely did his thing on this one. I liked the whole lonely guy and escort concept. He truly is a brilliant author.

Marcus Major didn't disapoint either. I've read his first novel "Good Peoples" and his story is a retrospect of that book. It's a story of how a couple Kenya & Amir met and conquered love. It's also humorous.

The last story in this book is by Colin Channer and I just couldn't get in to this story. Others might like it, so I'm not going to rule it out and say it's bad because I couldn't get into to it.

Overall the book could've been better and I wouldn't recommend anyone purchase it. This is the type of book you get from the library or borrow from a friend.

Peace....

I picked up Got To Be Real because I am a fan of E. Lynn Harris, Eric Jerome Dickey, and Colin Channer. Marcus Major has just been added to that list! I like the romanticism in each story; each author shines in his own way. The resulting collaboration is like a buffet: a li'l sumthin' sumthin' for everyone!

EJD's "Cafe Piel" was OK, but a bit drier than his books. "Money Can't Buy Me Love" by ELH was very sweet, but a bit more in-your-face than I expected (woo chile!). I really enjoyed "Kenya and Amir" by MM; I ran out and bought his first book, Good Peoples, after reading this story (I wrote a review for that one too). My favorite of them all is "I'm Still Waiting" by CC; the man is simply a genius with metaphors!

Overall, this is a book to read and reminisce, perhaps with that special perfect one, perhaps not. Makes a great gift,too, especially for someone who has not had the pleasure of being introduced to these four fine authors.

These stories where excellent! Each and every one of these authors brought something fresh and good to the table, making "Got to be real" a true feast for books lovers everywhere. First with EJD's story it was both exciting and capitivating. I was also memorized by the writing skills of Colin Channer and Marcus Major, both whom I had not read before. I look forward to reading their solo projects now! E. Lynn Harris has always been my favorite author, and he definitely kept up with his reputation of excellence with his novella, "Money can't buy me love." I have to say though, when I got tot he end of his story, I was on the floor screaming, "No he didn't go there!" You guys have to read his story to know what I mean, lol All in all, if you are a reader, BUY THIS BOOK! ASAP!!!!!

Thieves' Paradise has to be my favorite book by Eric Jerome Dickey. I did enjoy his others tremendously and I think he's an excellent writer. But I really enjoyed Thieves' Paradise because of the dangerous edge and the other books didn't have that element. Chalk it up to my being an 18-year-old male and not knowing all the in's and out's of romantic/real love. Although, the other books were without a doubt entertaining and well written as well.

Dante and Jackson were working for this dude named Scamz. Scamz was the big dawg, running the whole con-game show.

Dante was the narrator and somewhat of a protege to Scamz, although he really wanted to be an honest man. Dante was sweatin this chic named Pam, until he eventually broke her down after he convinced his Scamz to let her (a rookie)participate in a con where she almost got everybody killed.

Dante also got Scamz to put his friend Jackson on because he caught a $16,000 child support case. Jackson had a woman who loved him and a baby mama causing mad drama. He needed fast cash to get her off his back so he could be with his lady, Robin. He went into panic mode and like Pam, almost got everybody killed (including himself).

Now that I think about it, everybody in this book almost got everybody killed, or tried to kill everybody themselves.

Oh, and the sex scenes were tight - and plenty. Thieves' Paradise is a damn good book in my opinion. Also, his characters had depth. I guess that's what the professionals would look at.

Keep up the great work Dickey. 5 stars!!

to make sure that you weren't somehow beamed into the pages of Thieves' Paradise without your knowledge or consent or got conned on your way out at the end by that sweet talking Dante Black. Eric Dickey always takes us in a different direction than most writers, yet he keeps us grounded in reality. He even keeps us off balance by writing novels that don't resemble each other in any shape, form or fashion. Who have you read lately who tells the story of a bodyguard's life and makes you enjoy it? Dickey's "got jokes" galore and snappy jargon. Always expect Dickey to be unique. Now he's telling the story of a thinking bodyguard/hustler and we can even like this con artist without thinking about the stereotypical muscleman image that characters such as this usually conjures up. That's because Dickey catches us before we start those preconceived notions and tells us the heart wrenching story of Dante Black's adolescent trauma.

And who else have you read lately (male or female) who can write... (not love) scenes that makes you sweat! I've read all of the major male African American fiction authors, but nobody and I do mean nobody can whip it on you like Eric Dickey. Just ask Pam (Dante's love interest/... actress/partner in crime) who is much older than Dante, but admits that even with her experience with men she can't keep up with Dante's 25-year-old sex feasts. Many women would die tryin'!!

The other cast of characters become someone you've met before but can't remember where. They are just that familiar and comfortable, but don't let me convince you. Just read the first chapter and then try to put the book back on the shelf. Betcha can't read just one!

Thieves Paradise was no doubt a five plus! This story was full of action, drama and hot sizzling [scenes]! EJD sure does know how to create a sex scene. [Those] scenes are always THE BOMB!

I thought I had this book figured out, but it ended in a totally different way. I can't choose any favorite characters with this story because I loved them all!

Dante- main character that was constantly haunted by his past.

Jackson - Dante's best friend. He got a whole lotta problems and often turns to Dante who is younger than him for advice.

Robin- Jackson's girlfriend

Sabrina - Jackson's baby momma

Scamz- the one man that could get you out of trouble and in trouble at the same time. He was like God to some people...they looked up to him. The women worshipped the ground he walked on.

Pam- the older woman that Dante fell in love with too fast.

Sierra- One of Scamz's women (watch out for this lady)

Arizona- One of Scamz's women (watch out for this lady)

Big Slim- An old man with a nasty attitude who has a closet full of secrets.

Nazario- Dante's worst enemy. (HATED HIM WITH A PASSION)

My mouth flew open at some of the crimes they got away with in this book. Even though I knew they were doing wrong I was hoping they wouldn't get caught. The crimes they committ will have you sitting on the edge of your seat biting your nails.

If you haven't read Thieves Paradise yet...what you waiting on?! It was SOOOOOOOOOO Good! Loved it from the first sentence to the last.

Ok, this might just be me, but I found this book extremely boring. The author did an OK job on making it bearable for girls, yet I would definitely classify this as a "boy book." I found it impossible to enjoy, although guys may like it. I don't like reading about animals. I like reading about people, and how they react to different situations, a position no animal could fulfil. My favorite books are The Phantom of the Opera and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. If you like those books, you will probably not like this one.

I have to admit that I have not really given Jack London his proper due up to now. Perhaps it is because I don't by my nature like outdoor adventure type stories, or perhaps it is because I associate White Fang and "To Build a Fire" with my youth. The fact is that Jack London is a tremendously talented writer. His understanding of the basics of life matches his great knowledge of the snow-enshrouded world of the upper latitudes. The Call of the Wild, despite its relative brevity and the fact that it is (at least on its surface) a dog's story, contains as much truth and reality of man's own struggles as that which can be sifted from the life's work of many other respected authors. The story he tells is starkly real; as such, it is not pretty, and it is not elevating. As an animal lover, I found parts of this story heartbreaking: Buck's removal from the civilized Southland in which he reigned supreme among his animal kindred to the brutal cold and even more brutal machinations of hard, weathered men who literally beat him and whipped him full of lashes is supremely sad and bothersome. Even more sad are the stories of the dogs that fill the sled's traces around him. Poor good-spirited Curly never has a chance, while Dave's story is made the more unbearable by his brave, undying spirit. Even the harsh taskmaster Spitz has to be pitied, despite his harsh nature, for the reader knows full well that this harsh nature was forced upon him by man and his thirst for gold. Buck's travails are long and hard, but the nobility of his spirit makes of him a hero--this despite the fact that his primitive animal instincts and urges continually come to dominate him, pushing away the memory and reality of his younger, softer days among civilized man. Buck not only conquers all--the weather, the harshness of the men who harness his powers in turn, the other dogs and wolves he comes into contact with--he thrives. The redemption he seems to gain with the fortunate encounter with John Thornton is also dashed in the end, after which Buck finally gives in fully to "the call of the wild" and becomes a creature of nature only. While this is a sad ending of sorts, one also feels joy and satisfaction at Buck's refusal to surrender to nature's harsh trials and his ability to find his own kind of happiness in the transplanted world in which he was placed. This isn't a story to read when you are depressed. London's writing is beautiful, poignant, and powerful, but it is also somber, sometimes morose, infinitely real, and at times gut-wrenching and heartbreaking.

The other stories are also powerful tales of survival (or demise) in the face of nature's harshness. I feel I am not alone in saying that I cannot recall most of the stories I had to read in school in my younger years but I distinctly recall "To Build a Fire." London's real, visceral language and description is hard to forget, as is the human pride and stupidity that characterizes the protagonist--London seems to be saying that we must respect and understand nature in order to survive and prosper. The protagonist's demise is more comical than tragic because of his lack of understanding and appreciation for the harsh realities of his environment. All of the stories bear the same general themes as the two I have mentioned. In each, man or beast is forced to battle against nature; survival is largely determined by each one's willingness or freedom to recede into primitiveness and let the blood of his ancestors rise up within his veins. Those who refuse to give in to their lowest instincts and who do not truly respect nature do not survive. I feel that London sometimes went a little overboard in "The Call of the Wild" when describing Buck's visions and instinctual memories of his ancestors among the first men, but his writing certainly remains compelling and beautiful, an important reminder to those of us today who are soft and take nature for granted that nature must be respected and that even her harshest realities are in some ways beautiful and noble, and that the law of survival applies just as much to us as it does to the beasts of the field.

The Call of the Wild is about a dog and his adventures. The writing of it and the action that takes place is excellent.

Simply put, you could look at the outside of the book instead of reading the inside to get the moral of the book. The outside cover shows you the 4 primary foods which are wheat, salt, honey, and powdered milk. The first half of the book is nothing but info on these 4, only she stated that she was humiliated for not knowing the nutritional values of these foods. The rest of the book gives you a little advice on survival skills, but doesn't go in depth. This book focuses on short term survival, if a disaster were to happen. She talks about how you can have fun with these 4 foods by creating necklaces, and doll houses. Not realistic if a disaster were to happen if you ask me. As far as the "cookbook" section goes, you need an oven for most of these things which wouldn't be practical in the event of a doomsday-scenario. I recommend the book Back to Basics if anybody wants to know how to start from the beginning and improve on it. A survivalist must-have book.

The prudent person prepares. He saves money, invests wisely, carries medical and life insurance, subscribes to a retirement plan, draws up a will. For normal living, all this is important.

But the preparation advocated in Esther Dickey's book is geared to a more elemental urge - the instinct for survival. Raising the warning voice that emergency conditions can be expected to arise - from unemployment, sickness, strikes, civil strife, famine, or war - the author urges families to prepare now, while there is still time, and tells us how. While touching on other aspects of survival preparation, Passport to Survival is predominantly concerned with food preparation, preservation and storage. With over 100 recipes and a multitude of other hints, it shows how the principal foods recommended for a survival diet-wheat, powdered milk, honey and salt may be used in normal times to provide experience for the cook and to supply the family with nourishing and appetizing meals. As a bonus, those meals turn out to be considerably less expensive than the customary American diet. A book with such a grim premise might be expected to be somber in tone. Not so with Passport to Survival. Filled with creative, cheerful thinking, it reflects the author's faith in the power of the human heart and will. Thus it is not only a reasoned warning of future difficulties but a ringing challenge to make physical and spiritual preparations to surmount them. This combination will make the book appeal to perceptive people everywhere.

This is the Grandmother of all books that started the trend of "the basic four." An honest search for foods that are adaptable, long term storeable and nutritional. Includes over 100 recepies for the use of these basics. Extends itself to cover 40 additional foods for storage. An excellent primer for beginners.

I HIGHLY SUGGEST THIS FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE GREAT A'S TEAMS OF THE PAST AND PRESENT. I ADMIRED AND RESPECTED THOSE THE TEAMS OF THE EARLY 70'S. THEY TRULY WERE ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS IN MODERN HISTORY. THE TEAMS OF THE LATE 80'S AND EARLY 90'S WERE AWSOME WITH THE BASH BROTHERS. THE TEAM OF NOW HAS GREAT PITCHING AND TIMELY HITTING EVEN WITH THE LOSS OF THE GIAMBINO. THE AUTHOR DOES DOES A GREAT JOB DESCRIBING THE EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THE DYNASTIES AND SOME FACTS ABOUT THE PRIVATE LIFE OF THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS. ALL IN ALL IT IS A VERY DETAILED AND INTERESTING READ. ALL BASEBALL FANS SHOULD READ THIS BOOK.

I consider myself not only an avid baseball fan, but a die hard Oakland Athletics fan. I have read numerous books about the A's, but never has there been a book as thorough, original and entertaining as Champions. The detailed account Dickey provides of the three dynasties, from Finley to Henderson to Giambi, is both informative and enlightening.

Champions is easy to read, easy to follow and impossible to put down. I recommend this book to all baseball fans, particularly those with a soft spot for the Oakland Athletics.

I bought this book specifically to read the D. Gabaldon chapter, but found that I enjoyed the entire book. The chapter Diana Gabaldon wrote with her son was a very enjoyable short story. I would recommend this book as a light read - especially for women with sons.

I bought the book specifically to read the Diana Gabaldon chapter, but have found that I have enjoyed the entire book. I would recommend it for light reading, especially to women with sons.

This book was really really borring

Bartram's "Travels" is an odd, idiosyncratic, and highly original book. There is really nothing else like it in all of English or American literature. Certainly there are scads of chatty travel narratives by later explorers who wrote of more exotic regions and more dangerous adventures, but there are none I can think of that rise to the level of Bartram's. Its rich and colorful images, the poetic quality of its language (in places), the strange juxtapositions of prosaic discussions of the habits of certain animals or features of certain plants with profound analogies between the physical world and the spiritual realm, and the narrator's frequent speculations on the meaning of human existence and humanity's relationship to nature and the creator mark it as distinct a contribution to American letters as Melville's "Moby Dick."

The world Bartram writes of is late 18th-century (just after the American Revolution) Southeastern America: mostly East Georgia and East Florida. Some of the places he visits, if you are a Floridian or a Georgian, you will recognize: Augusta, Savanna, the St. John's River, the area around Gainesville, Archer, and Micanopy; the Suwannee River and its tributary springs (specifically Manatee Springs). Below Savanna, it is a sparsely populated wilderness inhabited by various Indian tribes (such as the Seminoles and Muscogulges) and where whitetail deer, racoons, black bears, rattlesnakes, alligators, turtles, and various species of bird and fish grace the fields, woods, lakes, rivers and streams.

If you love good descriptive writing infused with a passionate appreciation for natural beauty, you will be moved by Bartram's descriptions of Florida, which comes off in the book, quite convincingly, as a sort of prelapsarian paradise. Bartram entering Florida is like Adam going back to the garden of Eden before the fall (I am admittedly a little biased, being a native Floridian): he sees seemingly endless vistas of sawgrass and sabal palms under amethyst skies, crystal-clear springs of the purest water bubbling up out of the forest floors, emerald hammocks of palmetto, sweetgum and cypress; groves of massive liveoaks and wild orange trees. All of this is taken in and recorded in an attitude of childlike wonder, and a deep awe and respect for the mysterious but benevolent power that fashioned all of it. Bartram is a scientist (botanist), able to engage (sometimes, to the detriment of the book) in detailed discussions of biology, so his effusions about the majesty of the deity seem all the more genuine and sincere.

Lastly, what endears the book to many of its readers, I suspect, is the personality of the author. The "William Bartram" of the book is a kind, gentle, reverent, simple, generous, tolerant, and quiet person. The great thing is, he doesn't really tell us about himself--we get an idea of what he is like mainly from his observations on the people and things he encounters. His Quaker faith in the wisdom and omniscience of God undergirds all of his observations and speculations.

Regarding the book's place in literary or intellectual history, it stands at one of the turning points when one episteme is giving way to another. In the "Travels" we can see the influences of the Enlightenment: an emphasis on empirical observation and data-gathering, and the emphasis on the role of reason in securing man's betterment--but at the same time we can see the influences of the then-ascendant Romantic worldview: a belief in the "noble savage," that all people are basically good but corrupted by institutions, and a pantheistic sense (looking forward to Wordsworth) of God as immanent in nature.

Belongs on the shelf with Jefferson's "Notes on the State of Virginia," Thoreau's "Walden" and "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers", the "Journals" of Lewis and Clark, and Melville's "Typee."

This Dover edition is the best buy out there. It has an attractive cover (some unknown artist's rendition of a Florida hammock) and has all the illustrations included, plus Mark Van Doren's short but helpful introduction. It's also a very durable volume--you can keep it in your rucksack to pull out and gloss over choice passages as you hike the wilderness trails of Florida.

This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in the nature, landscapes, Indians, and early settlements of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee around the year 1775. I haven't read this book in about 10 years, but I do remember checking it out of the library about 3 times, and I'm going to buy it for my birthday. The landscapes the Bartram describes will by and large never be seen again. Bartram described seeing a 45 square mile forest made up of nothing but magnolia, and dogwood trees. He saw forests that were covered by grapevines for miles. The trees were sometimes 20 feet thick, and the grapevines were so old that the vines were more than a foot thick. He saw canebrakes that covered miles, and some of the bamboo cane was 40 feet high. Canebrakes are practically extinct as an environment. He saw virgin forsts, abandoned Indian fields, overgrown Indian villages, open pine savannah forests, and uninhabited swamps. He saw wildlife which today would be scare, or extinct. He reported seeing a bobcat stalk a turkey. He pleaded with a market hunter not to kill a mother bear, and lamented the reaction of the bear cub to it's mother being killed. Bartram also reported seeing wolves, and bison skulls from recently killed buffulo. Bison were just rendered extinct in eastern Georgia at that time. Bartram took literary licence with some events. He exaggerated his encounters with alligators in Florida. After enjoying a meal of fish, rice, and oranges from the Spanish missionary orchards, he battled "fire breathing dragons." Bartram had many encounters with the Creeks, and Cherokees, and most were friendly. He feasted with Indian cattle raisers. Bartram also gives a good account of early settlements. If you decide to get this book, also get a copy of a tree guide with the scientific names, because Bartram tells exactly what kind of trees he came across in each forest. What I wouldn't give to see what Bartram saw?