This one of my favorite books. It is an excellent resourse for information on Native American peoples of the Southwest conveniently divided into three parts and includes personal as well as scholarly information on the Pueblo, Navajo, Pai, Yavapai, Apache, Ute, Southern Paiute, O'odham, Maricopa, Mojave, Chemehaevi, Quechan, Cocopah, and the Yaqui people. The writing of such a book by one author must have been a huge undertaking but the author pulled it off exceptionally well and as other noted authors have declared, "it will probably become a classic in Native American studies." If you have an interest in Native American culture - past/present/and future - this book belongs in your library!

Stephen Trimble's The People is an excellent account of Southwestern Native American history and culture. Trimble outlines the history of the several groups inhabiting these three divisions of the Southwest: the Pueblo people, the Upland people, and the Desert people. His ten years of ethnographic field research have given him personal relationships with many Native Americans, allowing him to share the words and emotions of the people he studies. Trimble's well-taken photographs also add to the understanding the reader gains of the cultures of the Southwestern groups. This ethnography does more than outline history and bring the reader up to date with the most recent accomplishments of the people, but also illustrates the strong traditions of the culture that are still practiced today.

The Southwest is an area with a diverse environment, and the groups of people living in the many areas practice different lifestyles to coexist in harmony with their surroundings. Trimble's photographs are helpful in giving examples of these varied environments, some so surprising that they could not be equaled in the reader's imagination. By seeing the places that these people call home, the reader has a greater understanding of lives that Trimble describes. Trimble approaches this extremely varied area by describing one group at a time...After fully describing their history up to present living conditions, he moves on to the next group. For example, when studying the Pueblo people, Trimble first describes the Anasazi, the people who first practiced the ancient Archaic tradition of adobe and masonry building. As time went on, the Anasazi became several groups of Pueblo people practicing the same traditions. As Trimble says, "The Anasazi grew corn, Pueblo people grow corn" (47).

American movement into the Southwest is the single force that most drastically changed the lives of these Native Americans. Trimble not only states the facts of the events involved in this history, but also gives accounts of the highly emotional attitudes of these people when recalling such events. Thus, the reader is presented with accounts given by the people whose lives were radically changed in our country's history. The Quechan are one of the Colorado River Tribes that used to thrive on the rich farmland around the river...Trimble describes decades of poverty suffered by these people. Harold Chaipos, a Quechan, is quoted by Trimble, saying, "I really miss that big river. Those were good old times" (410).

Personal accounts are also important in Trimble's description of the present status of the Southwestern groups. In his conclusion, called "We Are The Land," Trimble emphasizes the connectedness that these people have with the land. This is something that most Americans do not understand...The attachment that these people have to the land makes attempted relocations and constant environmental threats that have come along with the spread of American inhabitation all the more devastating. According to Trimble, many Southwestern Native Americans feel that they live a life in which they practice a balancing act. In order to survive and protect their land, the groups need to be able to interact with Americans while still upholding their traditional culture...[T]he Southwestern Native Americans continue to live rooted in their homeland, while taking what they know from their cultural traditions and applying it to modern American culture. They say, "We are the people. We are the land. We will persist" (457).

Trimble provides a wonderful source of information about the widely diverse groups of Southwestern Native groups...In The People, Trimble captures the attitudes of the native people of the American Southwest and presents them in a form that educates the rest of the world on aboriginal lifestyles and present Native American values.

I have been reading the author's newspaper columns for several years and they have always offered sound advice on teamwork, success, hard work, dealing with coaches and officials, and numerous other sports relates topics. This book is perfect for young athletes, coaches, and parents. I've never written a review before but, belive me, this is a great Book!

I co- authored this book with Steve Czekalski, and feel this is the complete book on performance motivation. Think of it, for years we have been searching for the keys to motivation, and finally they are located in this super book. Repeated time and again since 56 BC, the common threads of motivation have been carried over from book to book, tape to tape, speaker to speaker, and generation to generation. Steve and I have uncovered how simple the concepts of performance motivation truly are. This book details the keys to success in a very understanding fashion. Anyone who has ever put the athletic hat on will see the value in this book, and will continue to refer to it as long as we are on the practice fields preparing for competition!

Your youngsters will ask to hear this story over and over, especially the wonderful sounding name of this adorable ladybug. The pictures are beautiful in the pastels and blues and each one has small details that will keep the little ones busy looking at them. The story of getting lost and returning home again is bound to reassure them. Persephone is a ladybug sure to enter the realm of Thumbelina, Heidi and other favorite heroines for children.

Written and illustrated by J. Moria Stephens, Persephone The Ladybug is a charming anthropomorphic picture book about a young ladybug - pictured as a girl with ladybug antennae and a red-and-black spotted dress - who is traumatized when her tulip home is taken to a proper tea shop; in the process, Persephone is separated from her beloved mother. Her trials and conflict with a wicked rat gang and her struggle to return home form the heart of this inviting tale. Persephone The Ladybug is especially recommended for young readers ages 3 to 6.

Stephen Vicchio embraces the notion of lifelong learning both in his writings, teachings and way of life. If words ever had the power to make you stop for a moment only to realize that you are happy, those are the words captured on every page of this book. Read, reflect, and marvel at the wonders of life that our 80 hour work-week society so easily looses sight of.

According to the Greek philosopher Socrates, "The unexamined life is not worth living."

Stephen Vicchio agrees.

In Pieces of an Examined Life--his latest collection of essays and stories--Vicchio embraces this Socratic notion, examining the world about him with sparkling clarity and reverent wonder. But Vicchio, professor of philosophy at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, is no ivory tower theoretician. His essays are spun from contemporary issues and everyday events--the things we all think about and experience. Whether exploring relationships, nature, tragedy, the complexities of "God," or the simple pleasures of taking a walk, Vicchio is at his sharpest and most thought-provoking here.

When asked about why Vicchio's writing strikes a nerve, Josephine Jacobsen, former poetry consultant for the Library of Congress, commented: "Stephen Vicchio has...a finely tuned sense of style, perceptiveness, wit, and intelligence."

Vicchio is in his element when working with the essay, wherein he masterfully defuses perplexing subjects by infusing the text with a storyteller's gift for words and narrative. These fifty pieces in eight chapters weave through the human condition: finding the mystery in what seems ordinary, family and fatherhood, love and suffering, morality (from Dr. Kevorkian to Bill Clinton), and the compulsion to teach (inside the classroom and out).

"He has changed the way I think," said Cpl. Scott Canter, Baltimore County Police Department, "not only in my police work, but also at home dealing with my kids."

Stephen Vicchio has taught philosophy at the College of Notre Dame for twenty years, and served as the department's chairman. He also teaches in the Johns Hopkins University Robert Wood Johnson Fellows Program, the Johns Hopkins Police Executive Leadership Program, and at the Ecumenical Institute at St. Mary's Seminary and University.

Vicchio has authored fifteen books--essay collections, scholarly monographs, and two plays--most recent of which is the drama Ivan & Adolf: The Last Man in Hell. He is currently working on a three-volume scholarly examination of The Book of Job, a play about capital punishment, and a "best of" collection of his writing.

I am leading a group of 48 people to the Holy Land and originally intended to compose a liturgy/sacred reading book for the group to use at each of the sites of our visit. I began to research all the relevant Scripture passages; for example, Elijah's battle with the Baals for our stop at Mt. Carmel; the Capernaum passages, etc. Then I discovered Fr. Doyle's book and Hallelujah! Saved me a ton of time. All the relevant Scripture references etc. and passages for all the key sites, along with appropos reflections, suitable hymns etc. This book is not an exegesis nor a history nor archeological text, but an excellent liturgical accompaniment.

I ordered 4 copies of this book last Sunday and paid for shipping next day air. You needed 1/2 days for handling. The books have not arrived and I'm leaving tomorrow (Sunday) for Israel. Please note: I'm not paying and will need to send these books back due to delay in arriving

There's a lot to love in this sumptous serving of conartistry and viliany. Lovers of "Gangs of New York" and "Catch Me if You Can" will find pieces by Herbert Asbury (author of Gangs) and Frank Abaganale (author of Catch me); lovers of 19th century lit will find the Russian and French masters; and lovers of the down and dirty will dig the pieces by David mamet, Nick Ppileggi. JOhn Ridley and Nick Tosches. Mr Geno Zanetti does it again!

This baroque , shady and very entertaining book is an epic tour of the gilded and subterrean world of con men, hustlers and gamblers. What surprised me about this book is despite the narcissism and aggression of many of the characters portrayed here, they (and the book) have a artistic and poetic pedigree too. A lot of great writers are in this book --Borges, Baudelaire, Dostoevsky, Luc Sante, Runyon, Brecht, Saul Bellow, Nick Pilegg,i. Hunter Thompson, David Mamet, Nick Tosches and Martin Amis. BUt for my money, the gem or the jewel in the crown is John Molyneux's mini-memoir of gambling in London in the sixties, which, apparently, is a piece written especially for the book.

I read this book and was spellbound. The creation of each character and all of the details make this one of the best books you will ever laugh at, think about and wish that it never ends. The world is so perfectly created that you feel like everyone in the book was either a friend or enemy that you knew in high school. Mr. Dueweke hits growing up on the outside right on the head. Please share this book with everyone you know because it one of the few books written in today's media that is not only entertaining but enlightening too.

This novel is not a quick read. This is a book about a would-be poet clearly by a poet who likes to slow you down, who likes to force you to think about what's being described. The characters are compelling; the story is real, amusing, and terribly painful for those of us who have been through the coming-of-age experience where they didn't quite fit in. This is my life, and maybe yours, too. Read it

World War II is still turning up troves of fresh material, and here is a good example. This journal covering the European campaign from D-Day to the surrender of Germany is not only fresh but a pleasure to read. Pogue was one of the outstanding historians of World War II, author of the definitive biography of George Marshall and of The Supreme Command, an account of Eisenhower's leadership.

Raw diaries contain stretches of boring material, and this is no exception ('Topete and I went to Aywaille to see 1st Division people. The 16th Regiment had moved up near Aachen to go into the line. Then went to 1st Division (rear)...'). Fortunately, Pogue later set out to flesh out his entries into a publishable memoir, a task ninety percent accomplished at his death in 1996.

A Sorbonne graduate in history, Pogue was teaching college in Kentucky when drafted after Pearl Harbor. With its usual acumen, the army made him a clerk where his PhD skills were employed in 'calling the roll of recruits when there was an unusual number of foreign names....' It was early 1944 when he finally transferred to Washington to join the Army Ground Forces historical section. Readers may be surprised to learn that the U.S. army in WWII employed historians in all major commands. For their benefit, units in the field were ordered to render periodic after-action reports and preserve important documents. While the object was to learn battle lessons, the result was a flood of priceless historical material that is still being mined. This required historians to follow on the heels of combat units, interviewing participants as the fighting proceeded.

Pogue flew to England in the spring of 1944, where he spent two months experiencing the privation, attractions, and confusion of England on the eve of D-Day. Sailing in an LST to Omaha Beach, sleeping in the back of a truck piled with K-rations, (beds were reserved for infantry) he watched his units embark on D-Day plus one. Landing soon after, he spent the remainder of the war following the troops. Although rarely in as much danger as the infantry, he was almost as uncomfortable. Intermixed with gossip, combat anecdotes, and cameraderie are the author's frustrating struggle to keep clean and dry. Readers will learn how long he went between baths, laundry, and changes of shirt.

His miseries were interrupted by an idyllic two month in newly liberated Paris. Fluent in French and popular with former professors at the Sorbonne, he gives an entertaining picture of a city recovering from four years of oppression and poverty. Every Frenchman he visits records his opinion on the future of France, and the author adds his own. Mostly they're wrong, overestimating the communists and suspecting De Gaulle was a lightweight. In November 1944 he returned to the front to resume recording his struggle for personal hygiene while covering the army's bloody attack on the Huertgen forest followed quickly by the German Ardennes offensive, the crossing of the Rhine, and victory.

Interviewing soldiers is fun but only a small first step in writing history, Pogue explains early in the book. Battlefield testimony must be taken with a grain of salt. Soldiers paid no attention to the clock and rarely knew their location ('...we went a couple miles to a turn in the road at a little town...'). All fire directed at them was 'heavy.' Asked about support on their flanks or rear, soldiers invariably considered it inadequate. 'The average infantryman was...certain that everyone else had quit the war except his platoon.' These insights occur regularly throughout the book and place it among the dozen or so best individual memoirs of the war. One paragraph summing up a bull session among soldiers should be committed to memory by every schoolchild. 'Too many people expect the war to settle everything... The winning of a war merely means that we avoided the disaster attendant on losing it. It does not mean that we have peace...'
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Forrest C. Pogue was the first historian of D-Day and documented "up-close and personal" the most gristly and significant clashes of World War II including Omaha Beach, the Huertgen Forest, Normandy, and the Battle of the Bulge. He kept his notes and interviews in a series of battered journals, hoping one day to publish his own wartime observations. Many years later, Franklin D. Anderson (Forrest Pogue's nephew by marriage) transcribed those journal entries as Pogue's War: Diaries Of A WWII Combat Historian and in doing so, has made a unique and welcome contribution to the growing library of World War II eye-witness literature. As a combat historian, Pogue lived with the infantrymen and interviewed them only days after they had engaged in life-and-death battles with the enemy. The result was one of the most vivid "windows-in-time" perspectives available to World War II buffs and students of 20th Century American military history.

This amazing dramatization of the Pooh books is performed by a marvelously talented group of British entertainers who truly bring the Pooh characters gently and lovingly to life. As for this tape, I finally got this figured out. This is part of a four-tape program that represents the complete two-book Winnie-the-Pooh story collection, except the stories are out of order (probably so that they would fit equally on the tapes). Book 1, "Winnie-the-Pooh," is represented by "Pooh Goes Visiting" (stories in order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10) and "Piglet Meets a Heffalump" (stories: 5, 6, 7, 8). Book 2, "The House at Pooh Corner," is dramatized by "Tigger Comes to the Forest" (stories in order: 1 2, 4, 3, 9, 10) and "Pooh Invents a New Game" (stories 5, 6, 7, 8). When stories that depend on previous information are out of order, it gets confusing. My suggestion: Get the "Winnnie-the-Pooh" / "The House at Pooh Corner" gift pack, which is also four tapes (the same recordings), but in the proper order.

[This is a review of the Hodder/Headline audiocassette version] I learned to read by listening (again and again and again and again) to a pair of well-loved and well-worn LPs of the Pooh stories read by Maurice Evans. I always considered them the finest Pooh audiobooks ever recorded. Up until now! Now there's this wonderful series of fully-dramatized adventures of Pooh featuring a brilliant cast of wonderful British actors: Stephen Fry ("Jeeves and Wooster") as Pooh, Geoffrey Palmer ("The Madness of King George") as Eeyore, Judy Dench ("Shakespeare in Love") as Kanga...and best of all, the *incomparable* Jane Horrocks ("Little Voice" and Bubbles from "AbFab") as a squeaky, alarmed, and altogether adorable Piglet. You don't have to be a kid to appreciate these fine recordings (and there are plenty of adult Pooh fans out there who will *love* these versions). Accept no substitutes: this is simply the finest Pooh audio series yet created, beating by a *far* distance the Alan Bennett and (ugh!) Charles Kuralt versions. There's more than just this one tape in the series, too. The series includes "Tigger Comes to the Forest" (ISBN: 1840322195); "Piglet Meets a Heffalump" (ISBN: 1840320524) and "Pooh Invents a New Game" (ISBN: 1840322268). Type the 10-digit ISBN number into the Amazon search field to go directly to the webpages for these cassettes.

The Postmodern Bible provides what is as close as anyone will ever get to a contemporary handbook on "postmodern" methods of approaching, reading, using and interpreting the Bible. One might ask why such a book is needed. I would reply that this book is needed because it implicates the readers of the Bible in the matters it wishes to bring to bear in biblical study. This book attempts to show (in my estimation) that reading the Bible is a social act, a personal act, a political act and a cultural act. And this book preaches what it practices for it is written by a self-styled "Bible and Culture Collective", a group of scholarly "young turks" no less, who amply demonstrate that projects worked on together need not end up being mish-mashes of the wants and desires of those composing them.

This book has both direction and drive. In seven compact yet thorough discussions we are introduced, in theory and practice, to seven contemporary approaches to the practice of biblical reading. Many, if not all, of these (reader-response criticism, poststructuralism, feminist and womanist criticism) are hardly novel outside of the biblical field but then that seems the point of this book; that is, to attempt (or continue to attempt) to intergrate biblical studies ever more closely with, or into, literary studies and cultural studies. This seems the pervasive agenda of this book.

I must admit that I have an interest in reviewing this book, however. I was taught for three years as an undergraduate by one of the "Bible and Culture Collective", Stephen D. Moore. I can confirm that the Collective, if Moore be an example, do indeed practice what they preach in this book. I have to say it sets the Bible on fire in new and exciting ways. If you want to engage the Bible from some new angles or just want to get up date and clear in your mind on contemporary methods of biblical interpretation then get this book. It has no serious challengers in its field to date.

If you've ever been puzzled by the formula of 'post-modern' and 'biblical studies,' then you'd be wise to pick up this exhaustive and personable piece of academic fervor. Among others, The Postmodern Bible fuses epistemological, religious, and cultural frameworks into a textual craft that will keep you poised with more questions. I recommend this book to anyone who takes the Bible seriously - whether you're a theologian, academic, or a heady poser, you'll want to have this book on the shelves of your mind.