In a culture where if one is asked have you read such and such book and the reply is "no but I saw the movie", then I 'll reverse the question. Did you see "Stand and Deliver"? Well this is the story of the man the movie is about. In the movie, Edward James Olmos takes the lead as Jaime Escalante, an unlikely hero who immigrated from Bolivia and changed the lives of countless Chicano students in East LA. This is the story of dedication, underpay and a determination by one man to change the course of students views of themselves. A teacher with a vision beyond the classroom. He wanted to change the perception of Chicanos and their role in the education process, they could be capable of taking college prep math. While teaching at Garfield High in the 80's he created quite an uproar amongst his peers by making Chicanos believe in themselves, that they could take AP Calculus and succeed. It would require hard work. A great motivator, who used all his skills, he proved the naysayers wrong. This is a great true story that is more detailed and probably more accurate than the Hollywood version. The background information on the principal of Garfield and various students is much richer than the movie version. This is a feel good book that students,teachers and parents alike should enjoy since they are all participants in the deucation process. A motivational tool to be shared by all who believe in the power of determination. An American success story for all.

If this book doesn't make you want to quit your job and do something meaningful with your life, nothing will.

Actually, the review title pretty much says it. This is the book that was the basis for "Stand by Me." A slightly less dramatic, but more accurate and detailed account of the amazing results when one man believed in his students and helped them learn to believe in themselves. Also includes a section on the value of high standards exams such as the AP Calculus test to showing that the ability of students from disadvantaged areas can be a match for students from anywhere.

When I first saw this book offered in the Red Wheel/Weiser catalogue, I was so glad to see a book on the Green Man and I requested it for review immediately.  I didn't realize this was a gift set, and it came as a very delightful surprise.
The box contained a small photo book and a Green Man sculptured plaque.  The plaque was on top, a dark rich green, handsome face nestled in the sculpted leaves.  Very nicely produced, he would look great anywhere you happen to want to hang him up.  This is a very nice addition to this presentation.
But the book, which is small in appearance, is packed with Green Man trivia and photos of various depictions of the Green Man.   Mr. Matthews knows his stuff when it comes to the many myths and traditions associated with the Green Man.   I was impressed with the research done by Mr. Matthews in finding the many places where there are some impressive Green Man representations.  Pictures of carvings, building ornaments, paintings, even furniture featuring the image of the Green Man are included here.  There is also a meditation and suggestions for honoring the Green Man in various environments in your life.  The quality printing and gloss paper make this book a small treasure on its own.
For those of you who find the Green Man as special as I do, this book is a wonderful resource on the lore, history and mystery that the Green Man holds.  The plaque will also find a place in your home or garden or office, and will please you as much as the book will.  This would make a great gift for that special person who reveres the Green Man as much as you do. 

John Matthews' Green Man: Spirit Of Nature is a difficult set to easily categorize: it's a gift book which blends a 64-page book with a crafted plaque depicting the Green Man figure - also known as Pan and Robin Hood. The book holds the history of the Green Man, myths and legends that surround the figure, and over twenty images of the Green Man taken across cultures over time.

This is a wonderful little gift set that contains a sculpted plaque of the Green Man and a colorful and detailed hard cover book about the Green Man in history, legend, myth and in modern times. The artistry used in creating the plaque is excellent and the deep dark green face of this god of the Green World is happily wild and makes a wonderful addition to a home where Nature is respected and loved.
The book, though small, contains an abundance of information and photographs and images from art of the Green Man in his various guises. John Matthews, one of the leading authorities on the subject of the Green Man treats us to a good sampling of the attributes of this Spirit of Nature as he describes his influence in the art and spirituality of several cultures from around the world. He traces the Green Man from his early roots among ancient agrarian peoples to his fame as a decorative device upon countless cathedrals and other buildings throughout the world. The book also tells of the resurgance of The Green Man's popularity in modern times and his role in the protection of the threatened green world. There is a lovely "walking meditation" included in the book and many suggestions on how to incorporate the Green Man into your own spiritual life. In the back of the book is a list of locations throughout the world where the Green Man can be spotted.
My favorite part of the book is the lovely selection of photographs of the various interpretations of the Green Man. This is a perfect gift set for anyone interested in the Green Man or in Ecology. Gardeners will love it. People embarking on new beginnings will be blessed by it. Old friends of the Green Man will welcome it and people who are meeting him for the first time will be treated to a wonderful introduction. I recommend it.

For several days upon completing this book, I found myself laughing uncontrollably at the memory of certain passages. Does this book poke fun at Mathew's strategies as an Oulipian? We don't know. We just have to laugh and pity the character's obsession with order and structure. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in observing how we write, think and react to a crisis.

Have you ever worried about that thought that keeps running through your head, again and again? A line from a song that won't let go of you? A need to get into the details of the details of the details? If so, get yourself a copy of The Journalist. Read it. You'll immediately feel the tension draining away: You may be bad, but nowhere near THAT bad. What a relief!

Of course, it won't hurt if you're also a Harry Mathews fan like I am. And an Oulipo fan. And if you're not acquainted with either, this is as good a place as any to get started with both of them. Enjoy!

The plot of the story, interesting as it is, becomes secondary to how this book is written. Addictive and hard to put down!

When I ordered Justice: Crimes, Trials, and Punishments by Dominick Dunne I saw the book, Justice Blind? It sounded interesting (even though it is an academic type book) so I ordered it.

Because I am not a student parts of the book were hard for me to read. Overall though it is still worth the money. The author argues that the criminal justice system is a massive failure. His book provides a ton of evidence and is fair.

I best like the way the author builds his argument from chapter to chapter. And the book is not written from an "expert" approach. He sounds like a normal person using normal language. Anyone who votes should read this book.

This book was assigned to me by my professor. I did not believe the argument of the book at first when we went through it in class. But as we went through the semester, the argument that was made was built from chapter to chapter. I noticed that I was actually reading the book and that I could understand it well. It is a textbook but it is not like most textbooks. I learned a lot in the class and think that most of the argument in Justice Blind is correct. What I liked most about the book is that it is easy to read even though it has so many details about crime and criminal justice.

This book is simply superb.

Similar but much better than other great books such as The Politics of Injustice, What's Wrong with the Criminal Justice System, and The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison. If you like these books, you'll love Robinson's critical criminal justice text.

What sets this book aside from the rest is the author's detailed analysis of virtually every aspect of today's justice system. Robinson concludes that the justice system fails to do justice and reduce crime; he tells why and then goes beyond this and offers concrete suggestions for reform.

This book must have taken a long time to write! I am so glad I read it.

Nancy Mathews gets to the point... her book is wonderfully researched and weaves through the intricately woven fabric of Cassatt's life; yet she doesn't bog you down with too many details. I enjoyed every page of this book and felt like I got an honest portrayal of the woman, her art and the reasons behind the decisions she made. I especially thank Nancy for her sympathetic yet analytical overview of the many misunderstandings that have been perpetuated year after year about Cassatt and other women artists in the late 19th/early 20th century. I'm glad to know the truth.

This biography left me in awe of Mary Cassatt who was obviously a focused, smart and privileged person at a time when many male artists were barely making ends meet. She was unafraid of the establishment, outspoken and determined, not to mention a smart businesswoman. The only thing I disagree with is when the author states that at 51 Mary Cassatt "was faced with an unusually hard burden of loneliness." Mary Cassatt was blessed with many friends, family and admirers and moved in a great many social circles all her life. She rarely veered from her chosen path. But the greatest lesson we can learn from Ms. Cassatt is to stay focused on our life purpose and to honour our own lives with the best we can give of ourselves.

Ms. Mathews presents Mary Cassatt's entire life and incorporates little known details about her travels and associations with friends and family. She mixes facts, anecdotes and reflections on society in such an easily readable way that even her suppositions could be viewed as gospel truth. The (hardcover) book is well illustrated with historical photographs and black and white illustrations of Cassatt's and her contemporaries' work. The author makes numerous points regarding what motivated and inspired the artist at different periods in her life. She gives very specific illustrations of how difficult life could be for a woman of Cassatt's time. Additionally, the author admits Mary Cassatt's opinions and outspokenness often got her in trouble with friends. Those friendships she was able to maintain were based on a mutual, professional respect. Included is a chapter about the artist's work in an historical context. Her work was viewed differently by critics, and herself, at different times. Nancy Mowell Mathews book gives so much life to the artist's character, I wouldn't be surprised if it's made into a movie! It is certainly motivation for any working woman.

I highly recommend as a MUST READ this book Mary Cassatt: A Life. by Nancy Mowll Mathews. The book is a fascinating not only of the life of Mary Cassatt but for the insights on the art circles, family life and historical context of these artists and the times in which they lived. Mary Cassatt was a mover and shaker of her times, with good social skills and a mind for business. You travel with her life and times as if you were present. From my perspective I am so happy that I happened on this book because it puts alot of bits and pieces together on these artists.

Deborah Chapin

This historically accurate story of the end of the Aztec Empire in Mexico is well written and engrossing. The history it contains is better suited for oder children, but the format is engaging for younger readers. It's the kind of book that made this adult reader want to learn more about the Aztec and Hernan Cortes!

The most striking aspect of "The Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and a Spanish Loss," is the artwork by Sally Schofer Mathews, which is based on the stylized codex art of the ancient Aztecs. I remember being fascinated by the ancient pictures of the Aztec rituals and Spanish soldiers who marched into Mexico in 1519. Mathews comes up with a book filled with colorful illustrations, dynamic ink and electric-hued watercolor art, that both reflect the ancient tradition and help to tell the story. However, besides enjoying the wonderful artwork, teachers and students alike will certainly learn more about this episode of history than they will find in their history textbook.

"The Sad Night" refers to the terrible battle between the Aztecs and the Spanish when the natives finally fought back against their invaders. Young readers will learn of how the Spanish came to the land of the Aztecs looking for treasure and how Moctezuma II welcomed Hernan Cortes as a god. However, eventually the series of misunderstandings and betrayals led to the one victory of the Aztecs against the Spaniards. In the back of the book Mathews explains more about the Aztecs and Cortes, including an explanation of the day symbols and other signs found on the Aztec Calendar (the giant round one; if you have ever seen it, you will remember it). Although all of the Aztec codex created before 1519 were destroyed by the Spanish conquerors, Mathews creates a dynamic tribute to that style of art and to the Aztec culture that was destroyed.

I will say first of all that this is a bloody and somewhat gruesome story in parts. But war is bloody and gruesome. It was appropriate for my six year old boy. This was an interesting story (with fabulous pictures) that even teaches how the picture on the Mexican flag came about. I learned something by reading it and it fueled my son's interest in the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas.

This is a book that was meticulously planned - word play and images, false starts and unreliable history - all in an interplay that is both riveting and frustrating. Riveting because of the quality of the imagination; frustrating because reading is one long riddle requiring very intense concentration by the reader.

The book is filled with wordplay ... most notably beginning with a gypsy "game" of describing the scene on a ball filled with boiling water ...; the narrator wins the game in what is called "a new triumph ... of analytical poetry over descriptive prose". Songs seem to carry hidden messages. Horse pedigrees are given in exhaustive detail. A man writes and speaks backwards - two languages, in effect, for one reverses sounds, the other letter. Old manuscripts hide clues in the red letters at the beginning of each line - if you only know what to add and where to divide. Authors and titles of books seized at customs, nine civil servants each of whom distorts language more strongly than the predecessor.

Through all the word play is a plot that is entertaining - but not always sufficiently so to motivate one to put the work into reading that this novel demands.

In short, The Conversions has a fascinating use of language in a satisfactory plot; the author is in full control at all times. Well worth your time ... but chose your time well.

Harry Mathews is the most important novelist writing in the English language that no one reads. It's a pity, for he writes with a style and engagement that, if left in less talented hands, could be considered effete, but with his mastery of language and narrative comes off as pure genius.

The Conversions is essentially about solving a riddle, but the search for its answer allows Mathews to do what he's best at: telling stories, and in all respects displaying a love for and engaging with the potential of language.

If you've not read Mathews before, this book will get you hooked; you'll soon want to read his novels, his essays, poems and other pieces, and will soon recognize that he is an American master, one whose works will only grow in stature with the years.

This commentary is less technical than some other commentaries, such as by Wenham's Genesis, but this commentary by Mathews is better on essential issues in Genesis 1-11 than other commentaries and has enough exegesis not to leave the reader wanting. Despite a few weaknesses, which includes wavering on the days of creation, this commentary may be the best contemporary, exegetical commentary on the opening chapters of Genesis. Although part 2 is not yet published when this review was written, get James Boice's Genesis commentary for an excellent companion to this volume for the second half of Genesis.

Mathews presentation focuses well on the messages behind the narratives of Genesis. Presenting various alternatives for interpretation, he defends his evangelical positions with well reasoned and scholarly research. And he is right on the mark when he states that one's handling of Genesis lays the foundation for the "whole of canonical Scriptures." He ties the work of Genesis together with the various "accounts" or generations mentioned throughout the text. This handle works well in presenting Genesis 1-11 as the prelude to the birth of Israel's understanding of her covenant relationship with God. From Adam to Abraham, God is involved in a dynamic relationship of both grace and mercy. My only regret is that I'm still waiting for the second volume!

this book is nice....there are so many
things covered there....that it is not
possible for the author to go too deep into
solution of the wave equation itself...i would
have loved a better introduction to the field
equations...something i found surprisin given
that it is a book in EM.

But, even if you can catch up and apply a
few of the concepts that he lays out for you
in the book you have learnt something. and the
book is a worthy buy.

Nice book I like it. Just Buy it!

I still remember getting this Buck Rogers hair cut to match the look of the character on this book. I got it sometime in the 80's when I was a kid, and yet with all the bad memory I have for so much fiction, this stays with me more than two decades later.

The others said it, but it bears repeating- this was cyber punk done earlier and better than elsewhere.

I've picked up other McQuay books- they're notso hotso. But this group of Swain books captured the dystopian world fantasy perfectly. I don't know if it was made before or after Blade Runner, but it had to either been influenced by or was an influence on the making of the movie. Either way, he captured the feel of a dystopia perfectly here. It's clearly where his talent lies.

This is a gritty, fast-paced nailbiter of an action/suspense thriller. McQuay successfully mixes the genres of the hardboiled prived eye and the bleak sci-fi "what has the world come too" futurescape. Mathew Swain is one of those witty roques you just can't help but love, and all of this comes together into one fun and memorable read.

I first read this book when it was first published in 1981. At the time I had not read much in the way of "bleak future" sci-fi. The word cyberpunk was years from being coined but I would place this novel firmly in the middle of the current "cyberpunk" novels. Another interesting concept is the mashing of the sci-fi genre with the detective genre. This novel could have been written by a younger Raymond Chandler and has feel similar to a Chandler novel. I would strongly recommend this, and the other books in the Mathew Swain series, if entertaining cyberpunk detective thrillers are something you might enjoy.