According to Ashland Poetry Press, the recipient of the Ashland Prize, sponsored by the Richard Snyder Series, must be a manuscript with "tenacious dedication to craftsmanship and thematic integrity." Ande's Instructions for Walking on Water embraces the very essence of the award (Richard Snyder's commitment to writing, publishing, and teaching quality poetry) as the work pays homage to the art of writing.

With regards to the manuscript's assembly, the poet is committed to language and the line. Ande has a gift for choosing her words with wisdom. Thematic journey aside, the poet creates cohesion between the pieces by employing a series of words fluid to the voice. That is to say, the language and tone uphold the book's theme - instructions for walking on water. Our narrator is a reliable one - everything in the language and pace suggests we are learning through the poem, and that our narrator is wise. The poems, affected by their light internal rhyme and ghost meter, keep the reader captivated in the menagerie of details and ideas.

The most noteworthy element of the poet's tone and craftsmanship is her balance between the didactic and meditative. The work guides us through a philosophical inquiry grounded in the senses and imagery. And although readers are following Ande's line and language, the exploration is highly individual. We don't often expect craftsmanship to lend itself to personal interpretation, but the manner in which Ande structures her lines - the way they address the grander scheme of things - makes the poems feel addressed to each reader as an individual. "Even if you don't know the answer, the question awaits you" (46).

In this lyrical space created by the writer, poet and reader share in the pilgrimage. Ande makes the journey a comfortable one through her attention to voice and consistency in tone, but it is only half of the accomplishment to produce poetry of this ilk. The poet also offers us undeniably rich content; elements of craft aside, these poems mean something. The subtexts (elements of feminism, sexuality, and independence, to name a few) lead the reader to examine the larger issues of spiritualism and physicality; no two readers will track the same results in the paradox presented. The encompassing theme of the manuscript, however, focuses on the art of learning to write. The poet, reverent and humble to art of poetry, offers her readership a theoretical discussion on the sacraments of writing and creating art.

The manuscript's first poem, "Learning to Pray," reminds those embarking on the journey of the ritual and dedication involved in such a humble tradition. To pray is an art - an art requiring servitude, devotion, selflessness, and patience. The poet approaches her own work with the same sincerity and invites the reader to 'tumble in the bower,' 'read the clues,' and confront the 'illusions of the body' alongside her. Ande's proficiency with tone and imagery make the work harmonious, and she engages her readers as active participants by utilizing exquisitely chosen details that startle, intrigue, and force us to keep searching.

The collection is heavily influenced by both Eastern and Western religions, and yet, the search is grounded in the natural. "Polliwogs with their missing eyebuds," the mystery of bone and nerve endings "fading into the memory of muscle and cell," "skin raised in papery layers" . . . even the tumor is "a holy node, a blank page." The body and the art of writing are one: paper as skin, skin as paper. Mystery and spiritualism are captured by religious reference, but the raw power of the writing is felt through the poet's ability to conjure the senses: through the maggot, muscles, albumen, liver gazing, yeast, the blood of berries, rose hips, dung fires, and the dark wine of the womb - because the poet pulls her material from a cacophony of rich images and sounds, "There are twice as many stars, two startled moons, and you no longer care which way leads up or down" (21).

Ande's work serves as a fine example to those curious about the craft and integrity of poetry. The manuscript is an elegant one in which the incantation to deities is a rich and layered pilgrimage. For writing, like faith, challenges one's perseverance. Readers of all levels are invited into the poems and challenged to leave changed. "When setting foot onto the water, keep in mind the insubstantial line between above and below"(21).The likelihood of closing the book in awe is high. The likelihood of feeling compelled to start again from the beginning, even higher.

These poems have a charm and poise that come in part from the poet's clarity and humor, but also from the largeness of her spiritual aspirations. There is something of Annie Dillard's delight in the everyday miraculousness of the ordinary world in these poems, and something too of Dillard's reverence and the pleasure she takes in close observation. Among Ande's best poems are paeans to the small creatures of the natural world, poems of genuine tenderness and respect unmarred by sentimentality or emotional slither. This is an accomplished poet who tries to see the world clearly and record it with both accuracy and a sense of the sacred.

Ande writes a charming poem about Basho's frog that is in part a naturalist's field notes, in part a hymn to the pleasures of frogdom, and in part a poem of sorrow at that creature's dwindling numbers--one more defenseless victim of human indifference. Her poems about ants, flies and bees are, like almost all her poems, deft and clear. Not the least of their charms is that compassion for her fellow beings that comes from a true humility. But she can write with the same precision and grace--and delight--in praise of feet ("When in ecstasy, the toes arch/ instinctively upward"); and in "Curses for He Who Borrows & Returns Not a Book," she can rail (but with her usual good humor)with a mixture of anger and pleasure: "May the kept book change to a serpent in his hands,/ rise up and bite him squarely on the nose."

Although in Ande's poems all things seem on the verge of flight, even in her poems about Buddhism, meditation and divination the poet remains grounded in the natural world, avoiding the pieties that are a danger to anyone who flirts with the mystical and transcendent. "Tantric Sex," for example, is a poem about both sex and the meditative life, while in "Pomegranate," a poem about the death of a small animal killed by a predatory cat, she manages to console herself with the sensuous delights of a pomegranate, lovingly described and all but tasted by the reader: "Splitting one open, you push your thumbs/ through its chambers, fingers bent to scoop/ the cool tart seeds./ We eat mouthful after mouthful, staining our lips/ and tongues blood red."

This is excellent poetry: brief, well-crafted narratives that are highly readable while remaining textured and complex, and all of it suffused with humanity and loving-kindness. In a nation that has taken to bombing indigent countries with pathological fury and murdering hundreds of thousands with a sanctimonious shrug of the shoulder, we need more such poets to remind us of an alternate way of consciousness--the blessing of humility, compassion, wonder and tenderness.

I use this textbook and its previous edition to teach International Business to senior level students in cyberspace. I consider this the most readable text on the subject. This edition has been slimmed down from the previous edition, and it is an improvement to an excellent text. My students agree that this text is great.

Anyone who needs a comprehensive book on this field should purchase this text, it is worth every penny!

I am at present using textbook "International Business", by John D. Daniels, Lee H. Radebaugh. Eighth Edition. I would be very grateful if you could Fax me as soon as possible the necessary forms to order one copy each of the supplementary publications: -Instructor's Resource Manual. -Study Guide. -Test Bank

Your sincerely,

Saeed A Al Musbeh ( Personal Manager )

Being a physicist I've always been fascinated with the use of manifolds and differential geometry in mechanics, field theory, etc ... Most differential geometry books I've encountered only devote about 1 chapter to manifolds and smooth manifolds at that. However this text takes its time to teach the reader what the author states he thinks is the minimum amount of general knowledge about topological manifolds (no discussion of smooth/analytic manifolds is included). The author takes his time developing everything from scratch, not even assuming any experience with (point set) topology, so this book is particularly suited for those who shy away from the subject just because they're not mathematicians and don't know topology. The only prerequisites are advanced calculus and linear algebra, nothing too fancy. The writing itself is very clear and while rigorous this book does not get lost in the boring lemma-theorem-proof vicious cycle so many other math books fall flat at. Throughout the book are scattered exercises for the reader to do (about 10-20 each chapter) and there are problems at the end of each chapter (no solutions/hints included). All-in-all I feel this text has offered me a much greater understanding of manifolds and the general theory dealing with them. Highly recommended.

An excellent text for a beginning graduate level class. This is NOT a comprehensive text covering the material in exhaustive detail, but it is an excellent overview of surfaces, simplicial complexes, homotopy, homology, and the briefest peek at cohomology. The sequence is efficient, and the author does a good job of motivating the discussions, rather than simply dumping an abstraction into your lap. As always, one should be familiar with point-set and groups before jumping in. If you are looking for a text at an undergraduate level, see Armstrong's Basic Topology or Kinsey's Topology of Surfaces.

I liked the memoir because it was straight-forward and made no apologies. It had an honest feel to it, and was well-written. I liked the book's feel of the 1960s decade, and it came across in an entertaining manner. Prosser is an excellent author, writes well. Good reading experience.

This book reveals a lot of things about Christopher Isherwood and Paul Bowles that have not been told before, and it is written in a clear, crisp style of writing that is entertaining and informative. It is a memoir that is a classic of its kind, for it is very honest, blunt, and to the point in discussing the author's life in the 1960s with touches of the present intermingling to make it an interesting story to share with readers who like the writings of Isherwood, Bowles, and Gerina Dunwich. There is material about Wicca and Vedanta, and Hollywood. I was held spellbound by the story and feel like I understand more about the type of human beings Isherwood and Bowles were, and how each writer helped Lee Prosser develop into the writer he is today. There are so many scenes and interactions in this fine memoir that I find it hard to decide which I liked best, except to say, all of them! This memoir is a great reading adventure, one that people interested in literature, Wicca, and Vedanta will find exciting. This is a firstrate memoir, and is the way an honest memoir should be given to readers. Excellent. I plan to give this book to friends as gifts. Congratulations to the author, Lee Prosser, for writing this memorable memoir. I salute his frank and candid way of sharing his life experiences. This is a five-star book, flawless, entertaining, candid. A great read! The California scenes with Prosser and Bowles and Isherwood are intimate, well-written, and important literary material. This is an important literary document, one that should be read by everyone interested in an unusual life of one man who reveals himself as a true existentialist in a strange landscape under the sheltering sky! Must reading for Isherwood/Bowles/Dunwich fans!

Renowned researcher Lee Brown has compiled THE book on the application of isokinetics based on clinical research. Each author is an authority in the field and presents the latest information in a thought-provoking manner. I believe this book is extremely well-designed and is an invaluable resource for the practitioner who utilizes isokinetic dynamometry

Noted research physiologist Lee Brown has compiled THE defining book on the application of isokinetic dynamometry from clinical research. This book explores the foundations, limitations, functional applications and how the research applies to unique populations. Each author is an authority in the field and the latest research is presented to stimulate further thought. I believe this book is an excellent resource and the number of references provided at the end of each chapter facilitate further depth of study.

A true work of art. Dan takes the reader through the reform and changes jkd under went following Bruce Lee's passing as well as showing many techniques of jkd. At this point in time the book being almost 20 years old it is just as informative and enjoyable to page through today. Unfortunatly I borrowed my copy to a friend almost 15 years ago and haven't seen it since. I truly hope the book is put into re-print so I may buy another copy. Not only does Dan take the reader through the history and comcepts of jkd he also loads the book with pictures of the(now)old Filipino Kali Academy. Truly a collectors item.

The book written by Dan Inosato, the best student of Bruce Lee, reaches the deapth of JKD philosophies. I believe only the experienced martial artists can barly understand this book. The concepts are very sophisticated. Very good book.

First, it must be said that this book is misleadingly packaged. The cover copy promises a disinterested, comprehensive overview of the JFK assassination and all the competing theories of how it happened. Instead, it's a collection of essays, journalism, and reviews spanning two decades, covering the assassination in particular and secret government in general, written by a left-leaning political analyst who presents his own ideas and opinions (except for a truly perfunctory afterword entitled, all-too-aptly, "Round up the Usual Suspects").

As such, however, it is an excellent book. If you've never read Carl Oglesby, you should try him. His work is characterized by laser-like intelligence and crystalline, energetic writing. He is always a pleasure to read. If I had to characterize him in terms of better known writers, I'd call him a cross between Robert Christgau and Renata Adler (in terms of both content -- Christgau for politics, Adler for analytic ability -- and style).

This is an ideal starting place. After this, scramble to find a copy of The Yankee and Cowboy War, his major work. For me at least, the lack of a steadily accumulating body of work by Oglesby over the last two decades is a gap in our national intellectual life. With any luck, the Y2K coup will get him writing again.

This book addresses the issues from the Warren Commission to the theories at hand about "Who" killed Kennedy.

A delightful baseball book about trying hard and overcoming obstacles. The slow, fat hippos put their patience and weight behind a baseball game and beat the monkeys in this jungle game. Enjoyed by my 10 month old son, who comes running whenever I read a passage from the book...whacka, whacka hoo boys - monkey, monkey, monkey,

This second of the Paxton--Schmidt combo (Going to the Zoo was the first) was a real winner in our family! The lush illustrations hilariosly depict the underdog hippos in a valiant fight to the finish. With a pathos that made my kids as well as myself cheer out loud at the ending, Jungle Baseball hits a home run--we loved this book!!

I first read Upton Sinclair's 1905 novel "The Jungle" about seven years ago. The author, a dedicated socialist during the turbulent times of industrial upheaval in America, wrote this novel to show the American public how bad the working conditions actually were in the packinghouses of Chicago. He also hoped to expose the poor treatment of immigrants and the shameless greed of big business. For all intensive purposes, Sinclair did succeed in raising awareness about the dangers of eating canned beef and other meat products that supposedly underwent rigorous government inspection and quality controls. "The Jungle" even inspired then President Theodore Roosevelt to institute stricter laws and greater administrative controls on the beef industry. Now, with the release of "The Jungle: The Uncensored Original Edition," it is possible to discover that Sinclair not only wished to show exactly how bad the meat supply really was, but that his most important goal involved revelations about the plight of the working poor struggling under the crushing weight of laissez-faire capitalism.

Jurgis Rudkos is Sinclair's protagonist here, a recent Lithuanian immigrant alighting on the shores of Chicago in search of the American dream of wealth and prestige. Jurgis brings several relatives and his fiancée with him, certain that with a new job in the city he will soon wed and raise a family. Rudkos and company soon learn the reality of their situation upon reaching Packingtown, the slums that surround the beef factories like concentric rings of misery that even Dante could not have foreseen. The Rudkos clan doesn't speak English, so they are at the mercy of nearly everyone around them. Jurgis and several of his relatives manage to land jobs at the factories, but soon discover that these jobs are nightmares of depravity involving insanely long working hours, cruel bosses, low pay barely adequate for basic human needs, and filthy conditions. At first, Jurgis doesn't care how bad it is; he knows if he and the members of his family work hard they may eventually afford to purchase a house. This they do, but soon discover that the costs of insurance, interest, and taxes will keep them in a constant state of turmoil. If even one person in the family loses their job, the whole clan faces eviction and eventual doom. As the years pass, Jurgis and those he loves face one calamity after another. Lost jobs, dishonest government and vendors, disease, crime, and debt all take a devastating toll. There is little happiness residing in the pages of this book.

Sinclair's purpose with this book is to tout the panacea of socialism in a world that many increasingly saw as controlled by rampant big business. The last half of the story is essentially a socialist pamphlet singing the praises of the working class and how the people need to take back their institutions by reining in corporations. The author rebuts standard arguments favoring capitalism while presenting socialism as salvation incarnate. Whether you agree with socialist dogma or not, it is not difficult to understand why people favored such a worldview in an era when government regulation was non-existent or nearly so. Not surprisingly, unions get a fair amount of support from Sinclair to the extent that they are about the only organization willing to oppose the greed of the meatpackers. In short, "The Jungle" takes business to task while championing the little guy.

This new edition culled Sinclair's original text from a socialist organ entitled "Appeal to Reason." The author later tried to publish this version but ran into numerous obstacles from mainstream publishers who worried about lawsuits from the beef trust, the unsettling descriptions of factory life, and the author's unwavering support for immigrants. Sinclair eventually made the changes to the text in order to get the book published, figuring it was important to get some of the message out there then none at all. An introduction in this edition argues that the restored changes show how the author's focus was really on foreign workers, not necessarily the grotesque atmosphere of the slaughterhouses. Sinclair himself stated that he "aimed for the public's heart but hit them in the stomach instead." After reading this version of "The Jungle," it does seem as though the primary intention of the book was to emphasize the plight of Jurgis and the millions of other poor souls trapped in the insanity of a greedy industry. However, it is hard to read this book and not cringe over the lengthy passages outlining the disgusting practices that led to tainted meat and the spread of disease through such products as tinned beef. Arguably the most powerful section of the book discusses in depth the results of a strike in Chicago involving all of the meatpacking houses. Sinclair is at the height of his descriptive powers as he takes the reader on a tour of the factories locked in the throes of scab warfare and even more disgusting factory conditions. This is powerful stuff.

Nearly one hundred years after "The Jungle," Upton Sinclair remains the best remembered muckraker of the era. Having read both versions available, I have to conclude that reading either edition is equally effective. I only read this new treatment because I like to read unabridged or uncontaminated copies of any book. The uncensored edition adds about five chapters to the story, but it doesn't really make it that much longer since the chapters are all relatively short. Upton Sinclair fans will most certainly want to acquire this edition of the book to see what they have been missing all these years.

This welcome offering of the original, unexpurgated version of Sinclair's The Jungle bears the following quote on its back cover, by Jack London:

"Here it is at last! What 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' did for black slaves, 'The Jungle' has a large chance to do for the white slaves of today. It is brutal with life. It is written of sweat and blood and groans and tears. It depicts not what man ought to be, but what man is compelled to be, in this our world in the twentieth century. It depicts not what our country ought to be , or what it seems to be in the fancies of Fourth of July spellbinders--the home of liberty and equality, of opportunity--it depicts what our country really is, the home of oppression and injustice, a nightmare of misery, an inferno of suffering, a human hell, a jungle of wild beasts."

It's hard to disagree with Mr. London. (The www.Amazon.com pic doesn't do the excellent new cover design justice, either: it looks washed out in the pic, whereas in reality the colors are much more lively.)

One reading of this original version is enough to clue the reader in on why censors wanted Sinclair to prune the text: the picture it paints of American wage slavery, at its bloodiest and most unwholesome in the meat-packing industry, isn't flattering--to say the least. But far from simply describing inhumane conditions in a single industry, in a specific era, Sinclair paints a powerful metaphor for working class life in general. Slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants provide a bloody backdrop for the ruthless exploitation of man by man.

If Sinclair ever commited a sin worthy of the censors' ire, it was simply the sin of describing American life exactly as it was--and is. This is highly recommended.

The Americana series is about a town called Homestead, Idaho. The creation of the town beginning with just few families in small farm houses, one main street and only few stores to it's booming times with railroads and big hotels. I have only read three of the series but so far, it makes me feel like I am in the town itselft. There are many characters aside from the two primary couples. It contains love stories as well as family and neighborly love scenes. People helping one another is heart warming. Like every small town, everyone knows everybody's business and gossips cannot be avoided. Though I find that flaw amusing in many ways. My favorite aside from the romance story is that each book contains many updates of the characters from the previous book. I also enjoy reading books about children and their growing up years especially if they become the couple or the main characters in the next book. It is like keeping track of a mini series in T.V.. This is what makes the series so interesting from the beginning to the end.

This is the last book of the Americana Series. It's the story of Benjamin Rafferty (son of Michael & Rose in book 2 "Forever, Rose") and Katie Jones (daughter of Lark & Yancy in book 2 "Forever, Rose"). After reading the book synopsis, I was doubtful as to whether I will enjoy this book or not. I thought this book would somehow be a bit boring or too serious considering Katie's involvement in suffrage movement & her firm belief of the woman's rights. I hate to waste my entire time reading about the woman's rights in the the early 1900's. However, I made myself read it because it was part of the Americana Series, which I have started, and "Forever, Rose" is my favorite of all the series. I was excited to read updates of Rose & Lark as well as the rest of the people in Homestead, Idaho. I am glad I wasn't disappointed. As it turned out, the book was very interesting. Robin Lee Hatcher blended the facts with lots of romance & humor. I am happy to say that there was no dull moment. The heart warming love story of Katie & Ben wasn't overpowered by the facts or stories of the suffrage movement either. Everything was just blended perfectly!

Since the... Editorial Reviews pretty much cover the basics or the summary of this book, there is no need for me to carry on...

However, here's the series in sequence: 1st: WHERE THE HEART IS ------> 2nd: FOREVER,ROSE --------> 3rd: REMEMBER WHEN ------------> 4th: Kiss me, Katie.

If you started the series, which I highly recommend... finish it with "Kiss Me, Katie". It's a wonderful end to the Americana Series.

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