The last reviewer mentioned another book written by FMW called "Philosophy of Consciousness Without an Object," which he states is out of print. Both books are worthwhile, since they refer to separate awakenings. Pathways refers to an earlier awakening and Philosophy to a later one which goes beyond the discoveries made in the earlier. In Philosophy the two stages are described something like (it's been awhile since I read these) 1) the awakening of the subjective pole of subject-object consciousness; and 2) the transcending of subject-object duality altogether. If you are interested in both, be aware that another book, titled "Franklin Merrell-Wolff's Experience and Philosophy: A Personal Record of Transformation and a Discussion of Transcendental Consciousness" (also available at Amazon.com) contains both Pathways and Philosophy. So, rather than buy Pathways, or search around for a secondhand copy of Philosophy, you might want to buy the combined version.

This book is the personal record of the author's transformation of consciousness. The author is very well versed in both western and eastern philosophy, so he was able to put his experience into those frameworks. Frankly, this is the most important book I have ever read. I highly recommend it. I've re-read it several times. He also wrote "Philosophy of Consciousness Without an Object", which is unfortunately out of print.

The author has a sophisticated vocabulary, so read it with a dictionary by your side. It's not an easy read.

A great read for anyone who wants to know/vailidate "being in the world but not of the world." Merrell-Wolff writes of his experience in a very feeling and direct way. No trite scientific disection of the "other life," but a shared experience that grant's the direct experience to the reader. Moving from recounting the "Experience" to dynamic words and poetry that comes form the space of that experience, the book is a joy of acknowledgement that this can and should be felt by all. Franklin talks of his struggle to sustain the barage of energy from his "excursions" into the city... the trouble is, he speaks of the late 1930's not the late 1990's; which has all the more to overwhelm one. Having been introduced to Merrell-Wolff from John C. Lilly (the dolphin doctor... some call him;) who writes the introduction to the Julian Press edition; it is refreshing to have another excellent spokesperson to the inner journey. A great book on the journey that more should tread... or at least read of others travel.

This book is a must-buy for anyone interested in the study of social change and the legal systems. The authors provide important social commentary and exciting legal history in a scholarly but eminently readable style. The accounts of the lives from Belva Lockwood's in the mid-late Nineteenth century through Ralph Nader's in the mid-late Twentieth provide not only intriguing biography, but also an excellent tour of the American history of the past 150 years and some of the key social and legal issues confronted. The portraits of, for example, Mrs. Lockwood's battles for the legal rights of women and Samuel Leibowitz's for the black "Scottsboro Nine," are moving and the more compelling because they are juxtaposed alongside the equally dramatic stories of Clarence Darrow, Louis Brandeis, Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Ralph Nader, Charles Houston, William Kunstler, and Morris Dees .

PEOPLE'S LAWYERS should be in every public library, high school library, and college library in the country. It should also be in the collections of people deeply interested in the law, the constitution, and in understanding historical social change in America. I also wish that today's crop of politicians and lawyers would read it!

Peoples' Lawyers presents comprehensive, scholarly, yet highly
engaging accounts of the lives of lawyers who made a *positive*
difference in the U.S. Some of them are well known and still active such as Ralph Nader, Morris Dees and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Others are less well known such as Belva Lockwood, Samuel Leibowitz and Charles Hamilton Houston. ALL have made major contributions to American society by helping to close the gap between the American "ideal" of "freedom and justice for all"
and the realities of discrimination, class advantage and political and corporate corruption.

The authors present detailed accounts of the lawyers including the variety of early childhood experiences which contributed to their passion for justice. The depiction of of their personal lives coupled with the obstacles the lawyers had to overcome in their pursuit of justice for all make for compelling and inspiratinal reading.

Another plus of the book is the detailed descriptions of the major court cases the lawyers were involved with.These are wisely
placed in a separate section after the biography of the
respective lawyers.

The book is written by two scholars and thus is very well documented. The writing is lucid and compelling. Thus, both scholars AND the intelligent general public would find the book
of interest. Detailed bibliographies enable those interested to
pursue their study of the lawyers.

During a time when the news is filled with accounts of corporate,
political and journalistic corruption and injustices, Peoples'Lawyers, reminds us that there were and still are some whose patience, persistence and perseverance for the cause of justice can lead to victory and increased justice.

People's Lawyers. Crusaders for Justice in American History. By Diana Klebanow and Franklin L. Jonas. M.E. Sharpe: Armonk, New York and London, 2003. Reviewed by John C. Greene.

People's Lawyers is a fascinating account of ten individuals, two of them women, who devoted their legal careers to defending the rights of persons most of whom were treated harshly by the authorities because of their race, gender, or radical views. Some of these lawyers - Clarence Darrow, Louis Brandeis, Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Ralph Nader - are well known figures in American history. Others - Belva Lockwood, Samuel Leibowitz, Charles Houston, William Kunstler, and Morris Dees - are less well known, but all felt the call to see that the poor, the defenseless, the radical, the unpopular were given the protections guaranteed by the Constitution and that their persecutors were brought to justice.
For each of these champions of equal justice under law the authors provide a life chronology, a biography, a summary of the chief cases in which each was involved, and an extensive bibliography of the sources consulted by the authors. The biographies, full of drama and, in some cases, risk to life and limb by lawyers confronting racial prejudice head-on, are told in fluent prose presenting the historical facts fairly and with full command of the legal issues involved. The authors obviously admire the courage and skill of their "people's lawyers", but they describe them warts and all as fallible human beings.
The summaries of leading cases following each biography presents both the majority ruling of the court and the dissenting opinions if any, and then indicate the significance of the case in the long view of American constitutional history. Readers having some familiarity with that history will find these cases especially interesting, but no such previous knowledge is required to appreciate the drama and importance of the lives and work of these ten "people's lawyers".

John C. Greene is Professor of History Emeritus, University of Connecticut. He resides at 651 Sinex Ave., Pacific Grove, CA 93950

A VERY RIVETING BOOK THAT NATURALLY KEEPS YOUR ATTENTION. FROM ONE CHAPTER TO THE NEXT, YOU WILL NOT WANT TO PUT THIS BOOK DOWN UNTIL IT IS FINISHED.

I first read Sand Dune Pony 37 years ago. As a 10 year old boy it inspired me to start to read for fun. Like your first love the first book you chose to read on your own is never forgotten. A wonderful story.

I first read this book as a child in 3rd grade and I have been re-reading this book multiple times. Even as an adult of 40 I still remember the story and the inspration it gave me to reach farther.

These Augusta Goodnight mysteries are wonderful with a cup of tea. This third installment of this clever and unique series, introduces the reader to Arminda who is recently widowed and visiting with her grandmother. Her cousin, Otto, is murdered and she finds the body! The story weaves around an antique quilt and family members from the past and present interlock to solve this mystery.

I'm looking forward to Mignon's next Augusta Goodnight read.

Arminda Hobbs has returned to her hometown of Angel Heights after the sudden death of her husband. She needs the comfort of her family. Unfortunately, she finds the body of her cousin Otto in the Ladies Room of Holley House, formerly the Minerva Academy. She also finds a curious pin. The design is reflected in an Alma Mater sampler done by her great grandmother, and a mysterious quilt passed along from member to member of a group of friends. How does this all tie into Otto's murder? Fortunately, she has her family and a guardian angel to help her.

The Augusta Goodnight series is fast becoming one of my favorites. The temporary guardian(her real job is tending heavenly strawberry fields) once again steps in to solve another mystery, in this case, she is tying up loose ends from a previous job. I found it very hard to put this one down and can't wait until the next one.

This may be the worst moment in Minda Hobb's life because she is mourning for her young husband she loved very much who died in a freak lightening accident while they were on a picnic. She moves back to her hometown of Angel Heights, South Carolina where she has another traumatic incident. In the woman's bathroom of Holley Hall, in the stall next to the one Minda was using, she comes upon the body of Cousin Otto.

At first everyone believed he died a natural death but the coroner rules it a murder. Feeling alone and frightened, Minda moves into the family home where she meets her temporary guardian angel, the heavenly Augusta Goodnight. Working together with some help from Minda's family, it is discovered that Otto's death and an attempt on Minda's life has its origin in a secret society two generations back who made a quilt that contained a deadly message somebody today doesn't want made public.

SHADOW OF AN ANGEL is a delightful and whimsical cozy costarring a protagonist that fans will like and sympathize with and her charming guardian angel. Augusta discreetly nudges Minda in the direction she wants her to go. The mystery itself is a cerebral teaser that will confound most readers but the joy in this novel is not the answer but the quest to find it.

Harriet Klausner

Ms. Bohrnstedt's thoughtful and informative context for George Cram's letters is invaluable. The letters themselves are a treasure-- first-hand accounts from the trenches of the Civil War. Reading the book by the fireplace is like sitting with a Civil War maven, paging through scrapbooks with yellowed pages that come alive as she describes what is behind the scenes. What makes this book a 5-star gem? The quality of research and the uniqueness of the contribution to our understanding of our only violent, internal national conflict.

Soldiering With Sherman: The Civil War Letters Of George F. Cram is a compilation of the letters of Union Sergeant George F. Cram's letters that reveal an educated young man's experiences as part of Sherman's army during the American Civil War. Advancing through the Confederacy with the 105th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Cram engaged in a number of key conflicts, including Sherman's famous "march to the sea". Cram wrote candid, literate letters conveying insights into the social dimensions of the Civil War. His writings are characterized by piercing objectivity, optimism, and a dry sense of humor. His vivid depictions of the campaigns in Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas are a superb and substantial contribution to Civil War studies. Soldiering With Sherman is an informative, engaging, and core title for any personal, academic, or community library Civil War studies collection.

Soldiering with Sherman makes reading about history interesting. This is a firsthand account of the civil war. You can tell that the editor did some painstaking research. I would suggest this book for any history buff.

Smutny covers the basic concepts and issues facing the families of gifted kids. Better yet, she provides concrete, detailed strategies for parents as they negotiate the best possible education for their gifted children. Lots of real-life stories, lots of nuts-and-bolts advice, right down to the questions to ask and the things to _avoid_ saying.

I have read many books on the subject of parenting gifted children and trying to meet their academic needs -- this is one of the better ones, and certainly one of the most practical. It will help parents navigate the school system and advocate for their child's educational needs. Reading this book was like talking to a friend who has "been there." It is full of good reference/resource advice and is easy to read.

"An outstanding resource . Well organized, practical, warm and supportive, this helpful guide is an excellent roadmap for parents that will be welcomed by all who read it." 'Sally Reis, Ph.D., author of Work Left Undone: Choices and Compromises of Talented Women

"Joan Smutney guides parents to intelligent, thoughtful advocacy that combines concerns for their children's needs with respect for the professionals entrusted to educate them." 'Dr. Sylvia Rimm, author of See Jane Win

"BEST PARENTING BOOK"'National Association of Parenting Publications

I have been involved with relay for the last 15 years and this is the first book I have encountered that provides a broad perspective on how to use relay for the first time consumer. The book gently encourages anyone who is not able to use their phone, due to a hearing loss or a speech disability to explore relay as an option to allow communciation via the phone. I strongly encourage everyone to read this book to better understand the tools that are available to open phone line accessibility to all people.

This impressively comprehensive yet concise resource provides essential information on telecommunications and disability that will be highly useful to professionals, AT users, and families. I will use it with my clients in clinic, and will recommend it to my students in university courses. The text even covers potential uses of and resources for Morse code in AAC/AT and telecommunications for persons with sever disabilities! Overall: an interesting and clear presentation of much useful info...a must for my professional bookshelf

I am impressed at the scope and depth of coverage in this book -- even coverage of how Morse Code can be used by persons with severe disabilities to aid their telecommunication efforts. I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in telecommunications, disability studies, assistive technology, and/or augmentative & alternative communication.

As a descendent of "John T. Hilton" A sincere Thank you to Frank Dorman for his portayal of our families with grace and diginity. His love for genealogy and Massachusetts History allowed our families story to be told. "Twenty Families of Color in Massachusetts" reflects the original twenties involvement and contribution to their community. Once Again as a descendant Thank You.

The author has created a wonderful collection of family histories spanning the Colonial era to the Computer age. Any student or scholar of African-American history and or genealogy should add this fine volume to their own research library. The well researched material and scholarship of this work will make this volume very useful to the African-American historians and genealogist for many years to come.

With the inclusion of readable yet unsympathetic narratives and illustrations, the author has taken the usual genealogical offerings to a new level. Many of his heretofore unknown subjects have been treated with humanity and dignity. The author evidences sound and balanced scholarship, and his work is appropriate for a broad audience of readers. Dorman's "Twenty Families of Color..." is a significant contribtion to the growing body of literature of Afro-American history and culture. And its readership should not be limited to other genealogist and Afro-Americans alone. Louise Daniel Hutchinson, Historian

Donna Franklin's new book, What's Love Got To Do With It, is a passionate,unequivocal indictment of racism and white supremecy in American society. Impeccable scholarship becomes a tool for her laser-like examination of what has gone wrong with black male/female relationships, and no stone is left unturned. No-one is let off the hook. Not white males. Not white females. Not black males or black females.

A crime has been committed. Who is guilty of this crime? Who must pay? Who must be held accountable? For the destruction of black male/female relationships? The destruction of the black family? The destruction and denigration of African culture and consciousness? The insanity of homocide, suicide and fratricide in the black community? Slavery is Donna Franklin's answer. Miss Anne and Uncle Charlie out back, in the cabin, in the bushes, in yo bed room, in de school room, in yo mind.

Insanity passing for sanity. Black man walkin' down the street mumblin' to himself, holdin' himself like he gotta piss. Black woman standing on the street corner with a blond wig on her head charging two dollars. Apein' mr charlie. Apein' miss anne! Playing in the dark, writin' blues for mister charlie, wearing black skin and a white mask, with no name in the street!! Because - Nobody knows my name!!! Not even me! What's yo name Boy??

Franz Fanon said it best: "The Negro is a slave who has been allowed to assume the attitude of [the] master. The white man is a master who has allowed his slaves to eat at his table." "Relationships between black men and women in America are in crisis," says Donna Franklin. "The current divorce rate for blacks is four times the 1960 level and double that of the general population." "Interracial marriages have risen from a reported 51,000 in l960 to 311,000 in l997." "The rates of violence between black men and women are higher than those of other races." ". . .Seventy-two percent of the African American husbands reported using a confrontational style of dealing with marital conflict. . ." "Forty-four percent of married black men admit to having been unfaithful to their wives, almost double the percentage for whites." Sixty percent of young black males between the ages of 18 and 24 are caught up in the criminal justice system.

In the end Donna calls for healing. But healing in this instance must be spiritual as well as social. The cancer has spead too far. The community is too sick for surgery or psychotherapy. To heal the rift between black men and women will take time. But time alone won't do the job, as Donna implies. We must understand the history and place today's black male/female relationships within the context of that history. This book goes a long way toward helping us to understand -- to understand that history and context. Holding up a mirror to American society, Donna Franklin reveals strange fruit hanging from the poplar tree. No matter how painful, America, you must have the courage to read this book!!!!

This book provides a much needed historical analysis of the emergence of the current tensions found between black men and women. I have always been interested in africian-american history and this book is one of the best history books I've ever read. It is supebly written and carefully documented. The author even provides hope by asking the reader a series of questions that can help him/her determine (if answered honestly) whether they are part of the problem or part of the solution. This book is both informative and thought provoking and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the black family or gender relations in the african-american community.

Donna Franklin provides an excellent basis upon which African American men and women can talk about the history that currently effects our relationships. This fabulous book is one to share with your partner. I shared this book with my mother. She, as I, was able to relate to the entire book. It allowed us to share different experiences and talk about our experiences from a generational perspective. Kudos to Donna Franklin for having the courage and vision to write this needed book!

Bensel is perhaps the best in the area of American Political Development. His work his thorough, accurate, and - unlike so many others - enjoyable. He gives a very clear explanation of how the Federal Government gained strength during and immediately after the Civil War.

This books argues powerfully and convincingly that what happened in the US Civil War created a truly new state in America, one that owed little to old republic that preceded it. It also suggests that this sort of revolution from above is probably of broader historical significance in modern history than the more paradigmatic European revolutions (such as in France or Russia).

Richard Bensel uses a systematic methodology first to define state strengthening (i.e. how the state in a nation acquires relative freedom from the society in which it dwells), and then to characterize how it was built in the Civil War years. His main source of information is votes in the US and Confederate congresses, which he analyzes with a gimlet eye to sectional stresses and political economy. This is one case where quantitative methodology helps to make a clear, convincing and powerful argument.

It should also be noted that (contrary to the impression that the other review gives) this book is no shill for the Confederate cause either. As a political scientist with a focus on finance capital, Bensel does not view the Civil War through the lens of a noble crusade to abolish slavery. At the same time, however, he uses the same lens of political economy to look at the southern state-building as well. Ironically, the "Dixie Leviathan" was even more powerful and autonomous than the Yankee one. The small size of the southern economy and the broad popularity of the war gave the Confederate government both the need and the ability to confiscate property and trample states rights far more effectively than the Republicans did in the Union. The old slogans of Jeffersonian small government disappeared and big-government national mobilization became Dixie's order of the day.

As Bensel makes clear, the constitutional order broke down in 1860 because it could not peacefully regulate conflicts in the US political economy. The Jeffersonian republic died, and the issue in the Civil War was never Leviathan vs. limited government, but one leviathan or two. The ultimate irony is that Yankee Leviathan's swallowing up of Dixie Leviathan ended up recreating the conditions of sectional stalemate that still serves to limit the further growth in power of the American state.

Any one interested in American government or the strong modern state as an historical phenomenon, must read and digest this book.

This book blew me away. All the books I'd read on American Reconstruction before this concentrated on carpetbaggers and scalawags, or on issues of equality. This one is different. Bensel looks at Reconstruction as the triumph of the Hamiltonian vision for America. Here the Republican Party, like the Russian Bolsheviks in the early 20th century, dominate the American political-economy with no significant political opposition.

With the Southern Democrats crushed in the Civil War and their opposition to Northern industrial development silenced, the Republicans are able to push forward their agenda of rapid national expansion and heavy governmental subsidies for Northern business interests. Little to nothing is spent on rebuilding the Southern infrastructure or on ensuring equality of opportunity for the freed slaves. Why wouldn't the Republicans live up to their wartime promises of providing land or other economic opportunities to African-Americans? Because if they did, then Northern factory workers would take notice and demand their fair share of Northern industry. This was intolerable to Northern business intersts. Thus, the South becomes an economic colony of the North, while the Republican Party's pro-business attitude helps turn Northern workers into virtual wage-slaves. Bensel's book is dense and difficult to read. Nevertheless, it's mind-opening rewards are worth the effort.