The author's research supports the title of his book. However, as I was reading the book, he mentioned that black men are steering from the church. Black women, like men, are also steering from the church looking for more spiritual in-depth from other religions. Despite the great success the African-American church has done for its congregants, it also has done some damage to its people by extorting money to support their lavish lifestyle, sexual scandals, and brainwashing people with their false prophesies. Preachers need to really take a good look at themselves and question whether or not they are fit to lead the people to God. And the church needs to change its role politically, socially, and economically to help the members and the community at large.

Guess what folks? Ephesians 5: 8-11 states that we must expose the secret things of shame. There are two many secrets about the black church and Herbert Brown has spoken the truth that I witnessed as a Pastor's Daughter. Except there are more types than pimps, punks, and pushers. There are the incest perpetrators and batterers than are ministers with authority and control in the black church. I have known several Pastors like this. What about the ones that have four offerings at a church service, and the hirelings, and the mentally ill who disquise themselves as men of God...write another book Herbert. Please write another book!

The crucible of the black church has been unalterably ruptured by Herbert E. Brown in his new book, "Pimps in the Pulpit." His effusive, jack-hammer style essay has unleashed a torrent of criticism on this once venerable institution which, like the sped arrow, is not easily recovered or ignored. The hot ore of his scathing look at the African-American religious institution of overwhelming choice blisters the reader's blissful comfort level with searing intensity

Mr. Brown's personal style departs from the sedate, dispassionate offerings of previous authors critically examining the establishment and evolution of this powerful, wealthy, influential, and quasi-religious community. Departing with vigor from the restraints of such writers as C. Eric Lincoln and Lawrence H.Mamiya's work on the black church in the African-American experience, and Carter G. Woodson's seminal work, "A History of the Slack Church", H.E. Brown's personal essay is unique in its conception, in that its unbridled criticism and analysis make no pretense of academic historiography or objective scientific ologies imposed on predecessors by their caution. His work is so suffused with primal passion and unadulterated indignation, that it will surely be included in a separate category of Phillip Lopate's next edition of "The Art of the Personal Essay" A son of Virginia, not unlike the most venerated American icon of the same soil, Thomas Jefferson, Mr. Brown shares the same philosophical and ideological iconoclasm regarding the condition of the Christian Church in America. While Jefferson was so driven by his vision that he wrote extensively on the subject and produced what is often referred to as the ""Jefferson Bible, ""H.E. Brown has focused his attention on the Black Christian Church in its degraded contemporary form. The need for a continuing examination of the church's status, consequences, and influence is made exquisitely clear as Brown takes a sledgehammer to it as befitting a primary civilizing institution that is self-evidently doing the opposite. By design and with good intent, the approach and conception is that of unerring criticism and unencumbered prescient analysis. Among its most unique features are the novel, entertaining yet serious description of three types of preachers who pervade the pulpit of the black church; the pimp, the punk, and the pusher. This bare-knuckle personality profile of church leadership types will surely ring true to some, outrage others, and cause spiritual pain to the spiritually vulnerable.

Brown's litany of the failures of the black church cuts across the intellectual disciplines of Education, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, History, and Theology. He excoriates with particular unrepentant candor the ugliness in the black church caused by the unexpurgated fealty and Siamese-like attachment to the dominant white church its historically oppressive theology and unwholesome theologians. As if oblivious to the inherent racism that permeates all of America's civilizing institutions formed under western imperialism, the black church has become less than an empty shell devoid of truth and righteousness; it has become a demonic temple of spiritual death, fueling a life threatening erosion of black people in all areas of human existence.

Mr. Brown has captured the essence of the personal essay in this book, an essential characteristic of which is described by Phillip Lopate in the following quotation: "It is often that personal essayists intentionally go against the grain of popular opinion. They raise the ante, as it were, making it more difficult for the reader to identify frictionlessly with the writer. The need to assert a specific temperament frequently leads the essayist into playing the curmudgeon, for there is no quicker way to demonstrate idiosyncrasy and independence than to stand a platitude on its head, to show a prickly opposition to what the rest of humanity views as patently wholesome or to find merit in what the community regards as loathsome."" Herbert Elliott Brown has encircled the black church and has thereby, placed it in a position of needing to reform itself in order to extricate itself from the throes of repugnance and putridity. And while so doing, he has written in a manner of pristine congruence with the essayist charge as proffered by Lopate below: "The essayist attempts to surround a something-a subject, a mood, a problematic irritation, by coming at it from all angles, wheeling and diving like a hawk, each seemingly digressive spiral actually taking us closer to the heart of the matter. In a well written essay, while the search appears to be widening, even losing its way, it is actually eliminating false hypotheses, narrowing its emotional target and zeroing in on it.""

Dr. James A. Fox Dpmt. of the Humanities, University of the District of Columbia 1999

Unbelievably entertaining. I recommend this to any friend with a joy for tongue-in-cheek humor. I enjoyed the absurd coincidences and irreverent look at the things we wll take too seriously. I've read it half a dozen times and will read it again when I need to put things back in perspective.

I have given this book to a number of friends and have learned that those who can laugh at the darker side of life love this book. Find it. Keep it. Share it.

Essentially everybody is having the kind of time that the Cary Grant character has in the movie "Bringing Up Baby," and it's all happening at the same time, and all tightly interrelated, yet it's not at all confusing. Somehow through all the silliness, real feelings are expressed and real "philosophies of life" interact. It's very funny and very clever.

I am a skeptic when it comes to the usefulness of guide books, but this one is worth the investment. The book definitely saved me time and money, and it taught me how to throw a better party. Here are the 3 main reasons why I give it 5 big stars:

1. Well researched and organized. The author packs the book with information, facts and ideas that are valuable and practical. The book explains your options, from basic planning to often overlooked details -- check lists, budget guidelines, common scams, and even a brothel glossary -- it's all included. All important party questions -- why, how, who, what, when and how much -- are answered in precise terms.

2. Very well-rounded content. The Playboy title might lead you to think this book is all about strippers, but it actually gives ideas for tame as well as wild parties. It even explains how to balance out a variety of activities, to keep everyone happy and sustain the desired party vibe.

3. Funny and reads well. The author has a concise and humorous style. I think it works best as a reference, letting you find out what you need to know fast. But you could also read it straight through. Classic Playboy cartoons are mixed in with the text, making it entertaining to browse.

A delightful book...not only for the obvious advice, but for the funny and entertaining stories. A "must have" for all best men.

I bought this book for my boyfriend who has to plan a bachelor party in the near future, only I couldn't resist thumbing through the pages first myself. This is a great book! It is not only useful, but also fun to read. The cartoons are truly witty. the author offers clever and unique options for not only all types of men, but also for all types of budgets. Reading this book makes bachelor planning an exciting task rather than a daunting one.

I also am not a fan of mystery or suspence, but this book just drew my attention in. Read this book when you have time, because once you start you will not be able to put it down, have given it to many friends to borrow and read themselves, everyone loved it

If you like love and trust, but you also love treachery, then this is the book for you. In the beginning you understand how the character's lives are and what they're going through. Also understanding when your married and just finding out from a little diary that your husband was already married with a wife named Suzanne and a child named Nicholas. After you get done with the first part of the book, one day Suzanne tells her husband she's going to the store and was taking Nicholas. Then a few hours passes but they never come home. You have to read this book to find out what happened to them.

This book was so awesome. I am not a fan of mystery, but i decided to give the author a try. I could not put the book down. I luved how it switched from Katie to Suzanne. It was so beautifully written, it makes you want to laugh and cry. This is wonderful and a perfect high school level or older. It's worth buying! I wish there was a sequal because this was fantastic!

This is the best introductory level book on wavelets I have read. It is written beautifully and is one of the few books that provides insight as to how and why wavelets are useful.

Everyone should start out their investigation of wavelets with this book first. Highly recommended.

This lovely little book helps the novice to get an idea of the math which underlies wavelets;-- and at the same time to learn how one readily gets hold of software that is convinient,-- that will make it easy for anyone to start playing around with it. The author also explains in plain English the wavelet aspects, and some of the mathematical constructs, behind audio denoising, signal compression, image recognition, speech recognition and more.

This is simply the best book I have come across on introducing wavelets.

I am sure that within the first 20 pages, which are easy to understand and make for a very quick read, you will begin to see the beauty of this theory and will applaud the author's exposition.

While this book does not need much more than basic linear algebra, the author does not shy away from the mathematics where necessary - he simply motivates it by providing an intuitive understanding of the equations, so it's easy to follow.

In the very first chapter, he describes the wavelet method using examples that can be worked out by hand. (This is also mentioned in another review and contributed to me buying this book. I was doing research on another wavelet book on the site when I came across this book and it's reviews.) This helps to fix and brilliantly clarify the main ideas behind the theory. Armed with this knowledge, the reader can better appreciate the more sophisticated wavelet functions. But, the basics would be firmly planted by this book. This is rarely seen in other books dealing with this thoery.

This book is great for someone who wants to learn about this topic. It also is an excellent book for those who have an advanced graduate degree in applied mathematics since it demonstrates how to truly understand complex concepts.

The discussion is motivated with real world examples such as removing noise from signals, image enhancements, etc. These are useful examples that you can relate to. There is enough in this book and the downloadable software that you may want to undertake meaningful projects yourself. That is the confidence that you get from this book.

An outstanding quality is that the book is thin. This is a strong motivating factor since it immediately sends the message that "this method can't be that hard to grasp if the book is so short." And, this subliminal message keeps your spirits up as you read this masterpiece.

Wavelets is a mathematically intensive technique, and it seems that most authors want to show how "macho" they are by shrouding the basics under a heavy cloak of complex equations. But, true "machoism" is displayed by how deftly an author can bring a difficult topic to the lay person. James Walker does this remarkably well.

Probably due to his study of Aristotle, Menger was meticulous in forming his economic principles from observations of reality. Thus he looked at man and his nature, and drew appropriate conclusions (much like philosopher Ayn Rand). Contrast this to the Platonist floating abstrations of modern mainstream economics.

Note that Menger's principles are fundamental and therefore basic. He creates an excellent foundation and starting point for further study of economics. Unfortunately few economists have adopted his fundamental method and approach to economics (even the Austrians veered away). Yet this is the most promising path an economist could take.

One example of the way Menger can spur a re-checking of premises: Menger disputed Adam Smith's assertion that division of labor was the fundamental cause of human economic progress- Menger announced that the most fundamental cause of human economic progress was a growing knowledge of the causal connections required to make goods, combined with the ability to act on that knowledge. A fantastic observation.

In this masterful work, Menger manages to precede works in several other disciplines. For examples, Menger's implied heirarchy of needs substantially precedes Maslow's famous theory on that topic. Menger's pre-requisites for a thing to become a good are the foundation for the bulk of modern marketing (at least, modern marketing that is of any value to consumers), and his explanation of exchange is vastly superior to the robotic theories offered by Jevons, Marshall, and the other predecessors of modern mainstream economic thought. I require all of my students to read this book, and they come away with an appreciation for Menger's complex and subtle thought (although they hate the Germanic twisting of the language!). If only I could get my colleagues to read this book....

In his Principles, Menger states clearly that the conditions for something to be a good are (reinterpreted by myself):1-There must be a neccesity(or, more propely, a desire of any kind to be satisfied). 2- The thing must serve to satisfy that neccesity(or, again, the individual must at least believe that it does so) and 3.- The individual must be aware of the relationship between his need and the thing which is able to satisfy it. When such conditions get together in a scarce thing, we speak of an economic good, to which the individual assigns subjective value depending on the degree of satisfaction of a particular need that a unit of the good provides. There is no such a thing as an objective value, and this basic idea hasn't been perceived by many still in the 20th century. May Menger's book serve as a remedy to those misleading( and source of so many mistakes)interpretations.

This story reminded me of my own growing-up years, not in Alaska, but on a reservation, nevertheless. It is a powerful book and reminds me of the strength our people have to survive, despite the odds, and interference of another culture. Velma, thanks for sharing in an honest and sensitive way, and letting us know we were not alone.

Raising Ourselves: A Gwich'in Coming Of Age Story From The Yukon River is the personal testimony of Velma Wallis (a full blooded member of one of the Gwich'in clans that had settled where the Porcupine River flows into the Yukon) on what it was like grow up as a Native American in an Alaska dominated by white teachers, traders, and missionaries. The endless battle against despair, alcoholism, and the loss or forgetting of all the ways that were once practiced permeate this courageous and thoughtful memoir. Raising Ourselves is a welcome, engagingly written, and very highly recommended addition to academic and community library Native American collections.

Velma, once again thank you so much for having the courage to bring your stories to paper. I bought this book because of my love for the Gwich'in people. I knew about the sustinance living and the tents with the stoves, the hunting, the alcoholism and various other things, but this book puts everything I had heard, and more, into the perspective of a complete picture. You get the feeling you know the people involved because she has described her entire family in detail. Drawing us in so close to her inner world, she gives us the sense that we are experiencing a Gwich'in childhood in the village with her. In addition, the tragic stories of the liquor problems in Fort Yukon are heartbreaking. I now have a better understanding why some villages chose to go "dry."
Mostly, Velma's story left me with the lesson: that we all have dysfunctional families in one way or another, and as much as you can love them, sometimes you just have to face that you can't change them. But what you do have the power to do is to look in your heart for what makes you happy and follow your dreams and live out your potential. Only you can do that for yourself. And all you can do for your family really, is to just love them.

I have attended conventions and classes by Ms.Enger and her in-person energy is enough to get you busy sending query letters that day! With her advice, I sold 6 articles to national and regional magzines within 5 months. She transfers her enthusiam and experience into the pages of this "must have" book. You can't go wrong with this one- and if you ever get a chance to hear her speak, drive, fly, walk or row to see her!

OK, so you want to be a writer? Here is the book you are going to start with! You will find crisp, fresh advice from an author who walks her talk. Ready, Aim, Specialize shows you specifically how to build a successful writing career.

You are going to learn how to get interviews, get interviews with EXPERTS, and learn how to get from interviews...to print...and paid.

The text is up to date and will be a resource you will use every week in your career as you break into the hottest markets!Kelly James-Enger shows you how to win in a challenging field!

Kevin Hogan, Psy.D.
The Psychology of Persuasion: How to Persuade Others to Your Way of Thinking

and Ready, Aim, Specialize! tells you how. James-Enger shares the details, resources, and secrets you need to know about the top ten freelancing specialties: health, business and finance, parenting, travel, essays, diet, nutrition and food, technology, fitness and sports, profiles and features, and home and garden.

If you're not sure which area is for you, just read the first chapter. A simple exercise tells you where to focus.

In "Tales from the Front," James-Enger interviewed over 50 successful freelancers from each specialty for their tips and success stories. These interviews are like having personal mentors who tell you the most important steps to take as you pursue a new area.

Each specialty chapter also includes the nuts and bolts on how to crack the market and a large list of resources. Where do business writers find their experts? Find out in chapter seven. Should travel writers take complimentary trips from travel agencies? Read what the specialists think in chapter 10.

Every freelancer trying to make a living writing should read this book. Why? James-Enger knows what it takes to thrive (she has a six-figure writing income!), and this book leads you step-by-step from everyday generalist to successful specialist.

Once in awhile I can judge a book by its cover-I have now owned a copy for 11 years and I also re-read it once a year or so. Mr Pope-Hennessey does a brilliant job bringing a huge cast of charachters to life, and Queen Mary herself is a fascinating study in early 20th century womanhood. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about women in the royal family. All the elements are there, in great detail-but don't expect dirt digging. But you will not be dissappointed!

I've owned this biography for ten years, and I seem to go back and re-read it once a year. It's the kind of book that's so well-written, you can start reading it from any chapter and get hooked. I don't think you have to be a Royalty-fan to enjoy it. Queen Mary was a fascinating person & her life was so interesting, to say the least. It's got so much detail, and the author makes you understand the circumstances which made Queen Mary the person she was. This book was published in 1957, which was only a few years after her death and a more reticent time, so don't expect any delving into Queen Mary's unfortunate habit of "guilting" people into giving her their historical knicknacks, etc. for her vast collections. (Or about her shady dealings in the matter of acquiring Empress Marie of Russia's jewel collection from the Empress' daughters at a bargain price.) For the Royal buff, there is also a wealth of information on Queen Victoria, Edward VII, Alexandra,et al. Make this a cornerstone of your Royalty (or just good biography) collection & you won't be disappointed.

Pope-Hennessy's book is a delight to read. He writes in a readable engrosing manner which makes his book hard to put down. He gives us a enthralling account of the life of this remarkably down to earth woman who is always a queen. The many love letters she received from her husband, the king, also disclose to us a woman who was indispensable to his success as a monarch. For everyone who has an even remote interest in royalty this is the book for you. A good read!

The history of psychic channelling and channelled material has a long and checkered past. In the last century, at least in the West, the seriousness and quality of such work has been generally dismissed as something between a quaint parlor trick and delusional doomsday prophesying. In a broader historical context, however, channeling has been accepted for 1000's of years as a genuine means of acquiring valid and useful information. Consider that much of the Bible, as the divinely inspired Word of God, easily qualifies as channelled material. It is from this latter context that I view the RA Material. From an intuitive standpoint the information contained within this first book, as well as, the remaining four other books rings true. The channelled entity RA claims to be a higher dimensional being of collective intelligence with karmic connections to Earth and it's ensouled inhabitants. Essentially, the message is as follows: Long ago, Earth was selected by benevolent higher dimensional beings as a planet for the seeding of Life in all its myriad forms including humankind. These beings are members of an "intergalactic federation" of sorts comprised of various advanced intelligences with representatives from assorted civilizations throughout the universe. There "mission" is to oversee and nurture the development and evolution of other less advanced civilizations while not interfering with planetary affairs or indvidual lives to the point of violating Free Will. One realizes that at some point, the distictions between angels and highly developed extra-dimensional alien beings who watch over us with concern and care are rougly one and the same. Throughout history, they have periodically attempted to gently steer us away from the darkness of possible destruction and towards the light of soul development or evolution by offering wisdom and understanding through various means ranging from inspiration in dreams to direct physical contact. Their message is The Law Of One which states that the Creator is real, that the universe and everything in it is His creation, and that Love is not only also real but a powerful energetic force of Creation. We are all souls having a "human experience" over many physical incarnations for the purpose of learning truths which will allow us to move on to the next level of development in an endless jouney to become one with the Creator again. This is but a brief synopsis and doesn't do justice to the remarkable amount of information and specific detail contained in the five books. The books were written in the early 1980's, and the fact that a great many of RA's statements have come to pass in the last twenty years lends credence to the overall quality of the work and channelling in general. In my experience, this material is the best of it's kind, easily ranking with the Jane Roberts' Seth books. Read the RA Material and enjoy the feeling of wonder again and again.

The Ra material is the transcription of the taped communications between researcher Don and the entity RA, a being that is talking through Carla, often referred to as the "instrument" throughout the book (s), in a state of deep trance. The transcriptions are carried out by Jim and the three are always present during all sessions, creating a triangulation of light that allows for RA, a sixth dimensional being, that calles itself a "socialmemory complex", to come through and speak.

RA has choosen this group because of the purity of their intent and makes himself available to them for questions about the Universe, the Creator, the dimensions, Karma, the law of One and any other material that might aid people in understanding universal truths that might be helpful for mankinds evolution.

The materail is very esoteric and requires some concentration. However, it is well worth the effort, as it is enlightening, very precise, accurate and informative. The explanations around the shift in dimensions we are about to undergo on the planet, that Ra defines as the harvest, are devoid of hype and sensation. Harvest is a process that all beings and planetary bodies eventually encur, following physical/spiritual law just as eclipses do or the seasons.The science of the harvest ( ascension) is explained in depth here as is the chakra system and it's role in Soul evolution.

Also extremely interesting the explanation of the polarization of entities into Service to Self orintated entities and Service to Others orientated entities and the implications these have in the ascension process and the roles they play within the bigger picture.

A really deep read and well worth the effort. I have read all four volumes and I am about to tackle vol 5. I thoroughly recommend it.

This "contact" is the only example of so-called channeled material to which I would give an unqualified endorsement -- if by "channeled" one refers to communication with another entity, not one's own subconscious or superconscious, nor "angelic" or hierarchical sources, while in trance.

Guaranteed to interest students of forteana, metaphysics, and matters of the spirit... But, to those of you on the straight and narrow spiritual path, a cautionary note is advised whenever the possibility arises of engaging in "spiritual gossip" that may accompany the "true teachings". And said Goethe: "Thought widens, but paralyzes; whereas action enlivens, but narrows."

Hope I haven't confused you too much with this electronic "contact". Happy distorting.