What would it feel like to be able to go back a couple of hundred years and experience in real life the magnificent vistas of the American west as they were then? Amazingly enough, this book of contemporary photography will magically let you feel that and then bowl you over with its message. It is simply the most moving collection of landscape images I have ever seen. The stunning beauty of these photographs of some of the American West's most spectacular vistas and the inspiration and purpose reflected in the artist's heartfelt interpretations of each image weave together a haunting sense of loss and, at the same time, a deep understanding of what we have done and must now do. It will be a long time before you make room on your coffee table for another book (probably about as long as it takes Mr. Williams to publish the next volume in the project). It will not take long, however, for you to make room in your life for its purpose. Thank you, Wayne Williams, for helping us see again with this important and beautiful work.

I have just spent an enchanted couple of hours visiting 'America's Vanishing Landscapes'. Wayne Williams has produced a visual feast and testament to the beauty of Nature. This book contains so many beautiful images, I felt compelled to write and reccomend it to you.
I am lucky enough to live by one of nature's rain forests in the West Indies. Everyday I am filled with awe and wonder by my surroundings. This book makes me feel the same way. What also impressed me too, was his mastery of the craft and it reminded me of Ansel Adams work. They have combined technological mastery of the photographic techniquies available to them; and have produced a vision that not only speaks to the senses, but also to the heart. This is a rare combination and achievement.

It's impossible to capture the grandeur and magnitude of beauty of nature in a photo but Williams comes as close as you can get in this amazing book. The greatest and worst terrorism is the terrorism against the environment. It dwarfs all the other forms. This book may give people the vision that is an antidote.

Growing up in Shelby County, Indiana, the setting for the classic book and home of the annual Bears of Blue River Festival, this book has always held a special place in my heart. It was one of the first books I was ever read in school and as I got older, I found myself in many of the exact places that were used in the book, such as the Blowout Hole which is where the Fire Bear supposedly fell off the cliff and exploded.

The actual story is even more interesting. In that part of Indiana, there are many natural gas pockets deep in the ground. A settler had been burning brush and caused one of these pockets to explode, creating a deep hole (Blowout Hole) where the Flat Rock River and Conns Creek flow together. Both streams flowed backwards for a week, and the windows on houses were shattered for miles around. In fact, a childhood friend of mine lived in one of the nearby houses and it still exhibited a crack from foundation to roof from the mighty explosion. The tiny farming community even made the front page of the New York Times.

Anyways, just wanted to give you some background. If you're ever in the area, go visit the fields and streams south of Waldron, Indiana and your sure to see some of the settings in Majors' book. You'll probably come across a lot of Native American arrowheads and other artifacts as well--if you look close enough.

And if you haven't read the book, do so at once!!!

Back in 1973, my teacher would read this book to my first-grade class during "reading time." I liked the story soooooo much I asked my mom to order the book. She finally got it from Lazarus of all places and it was sent to our home in Danville, IN in hardback. The story and imagery are great (and sometimes scarrrrrryyyyyy!) I have lost that copy, but am now ordering a copy for my sons (ages 10 and 6) so that I can read to them the wonderful story of Balser and the ferocious bears of Blue River. What a treat for them! john marysville, oh

In 2001 my father age 82 mentioned this book as the only one he remembered his father reading to him as a young boy. I'm his son at age 59 and decided to get a library copy for us to read again. Dad doesn't read much anymore but he devoured the book which brought good memories back. I liked it as well because it gave me a family "connection" over 3 generations, and the book is also easy to read and good reading to boot. Our ancestors settled in Indiana in the 1830's and they lived next to the Flatrock River(in the book)Had to buy a copy for family keepsake

Thank-you Ivan Doig. This book is wonderful. I had started the book and then put it down realizing that I wanted to savor this book. I picked this book up again after reading Close Range by Annie Proulx. What a relief House of Sky was. Great way to see Montana, the writing takes you there.

This is Ivan Doig's story of growing up in Montana. It was not an easy life. His widowed father kept Ivan close, made sacrifices, taught him everything he knew. The father even made a truce with his mother-in-law for Ivan's sake. Ivan was raised by two strong characters! Which made Ivan a strong character.

I would highly recommend this book. It touches all the parts of your heart.

Ivan Doig's "This House of Sky" is an American masterpiece. It's easy to see the influence this book has had, both directly and indirectly, on other notable Western writers such as Gretel Ehrlich, Pam Houston and Ron Franscell. It is pure poetry in prose form, and we begin to see how the Western mind is formed by the forever landscape.

Doig is clearly an underappreciated American writer, particularly outside of the West. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes to read beautiful language about heartfelt subjects. I would further recommend "The Solace of Open Spaces" by Gretel Ehrlich and "Angel Fire" by Ron Franscell, both cut from the same lyrical, evocative Western cloth.

This House of Sky chronicles the early years of a boy growing up in Montana under circumstances that to others might appear difficult - his mother died young, his father and grandmother bring him up, poverty is never far. The author is a remarkable man whose tale that describes a way of life gone by and people whose spirit and determination are hard to find. This is one of the few books that I have read more than once - even after four or five reads it remains fresh. This is also great book to give as a gift, and the recent hardcover version has a special forward by the author

Michael delivers an honest and courageous tale of a gay man acknowledging his sexual identity late in life. He is a talented writer who infuses humor with mixed emotions to illustrate the joys and pitfalls in an unaccepting, non-conformist world. I recommend this book as a must read for gay, straight, whatever!

I just read Michael Brown's autobiography, What color is your scarf? It is always interesting for me to read about other gay men's expierences with what life throws out at them as gay people. I had to first of all laugh at the title. Being a late bloomer myself, it took me years before I could begin to understand all the meanings of all the various colors of handerchiefs, or in this case, scarfs!! The book made me laugh. There are some very funny scenes described in this book! Like the heterosexual world, we have our differences, but I think any gay man who reads this autobiography will find Something he can relate to in his own coming out journey. I certianly found myself more then once smiling and thinking that I certainly can appriciate Michael's feelings about this or that, and, other situations that were totally different for me. The reading is so so easy, and at times it felt like Michael was sitting next to me telling me his most intiment secrets!.

The perfect road map for the mature man's journey into the gay community is Michael Brown's book "What Color is Your Scarf?" It proves to be an excellent tool for those individuals whose coming out process didn't begin with the onset of puberty, but instead after age 40. Michael Brown's book answers a lot of the questions that many may be too embarrassed to ask. It is written in an informative, yet witty style that makes one feel right at home with the subject matter. It's a book not only for the individual who is searching for love and acceptance within both gay and straight communities, but for their family, friends and loved ones. Buy it for a friend!

I read Angel Unaware as a senior in high school in 1966. It stayed in my book collection as I moved to various states throughout my adult life. Then, thirty-one years later (8/26/1981) to the day of Robin's birth (8/26/1950), my "Angel" was born. I knew I had the book somewhere stored away. When Julie was 2 months old, I found the courage to look for it and stood right there in the basement by the open box of books and reread and cried as I realized that she and Robin shared the same day for their birthdays. We have come a long way, both in medical and personal support for persons with Down syndrome. But through the years, I have gone back and read the book again feeling a connectedness of Robin's "Angel spirit" to that of my daughter.

My mother remarried when I was almost 12 years old. My sisterand I stayed with family friends while she was on her honeymoon. Theyhad a copy of "Angel Unaware". I read it everyday after school that week. It was one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. I have never been able to get it out of my mind. I am absolutely thrilled to see it in print again. I spent several years before the internet looking for a copy. If you haven't read it you need to put it on your "must read list". You'll never be able to forget it either.

I read this book as a little girl blind to what troubles that others had. Thanks to this inspiring heartfelt portrait told through Robin's eyes, I became aware of the world beyond my small circle. I hold it and Helen Keller's story highest in my wide range of past reading. I bought both for my two daughters in hopes that it might teach them the compassion and acceptance I value so deeply. Now at 30 I have been diagnosed with MS and I feel that the experience of these books have truly helped me to endure the drastic changes in my life. Every child should read this book. They might see things a little clearer if they did. Thank you Mrs. Evans for sharing your beautiful ANGEL with the rest of us!

It's 1859 in Whittaker, Michigan. Belle Palmer has just suffered a grueling escape as a slave from the north, and has been separated from her father. She finds safety with the Best's, a free black family. Which includes the handsome Daniel Best, an educated 18-year-old boy. Belle falls in love with him, but not before she finds out that he is already engaged to the pettiset girl of color. What she doesn't completely realize, is that secretly Daniel loves her too.

This was an excellent historical romance aimed at sharing the truths of slaves and what they had to go through, and love. Obviously Beverly Jenkins is quite the writer, being able to write romances for not only adults but teens as well. I hope to read more by her.

Avon True Romance presents Harlequin-style fare: beautiful people fall in love at first sight and then must overcome some conflict to be together, the conflict usually being that one of them already has a significant other. In this series, the beautiful people happen to be young adults.
In Belle and the Beau, a prominent black family takes in a fugitive slave girl who falls for their oldest son, who is already practically engaged to fast Francine. Details about the abolition movement in the United States are neatly woven throughout the story as the Best family educate Belle about the Underground Railroad, Frederick Douglass, and anti-slavery conventions. She even learns to read. Jenkins really presents an intelligent romance with accurate historical details and fleshed out characters.
The stories are predictable, sweet and innocent, but the writing is solid, the covers attractive and the historical details accurate. I don't think any teens will pick these up if they are already avid fans of adult series romance, but younger teens may find them appealing and won't find any objectionable material -- perhaps to their dismay.

Belle has lived all her sixteen years in slavery. As a young girl she lost her mother, who was sold away. Her father has decided that he wants a better life for himself and his daughter, so they flee Kentucky, hoping to reach freedom in Canada. But the two are separated, and Belle finds herself lost and alone in Michigan. She is found by the side of the road by Daniel and Josephine Best, the children of free black parents who operate a station on the Underground Railroad. Belle finds herself taken in by the Bests, being treated like a member of the family. But while enjoying her newfound freedom, she also longs for news of her father. And though she doesn't mean to, Belle finds herself falling in love with Daniel, even though he is already engaged to another. Can they ever be together, and will Belle ever find her father again? I highly recommend this book to teenage girls who enjoy historical romances.

A Review: Truth, Lies and Advertising by Jon Steel. Wiley, 1998. Written and Submitted by Neal M. Burns, Department of Advertising University of Texas at Austin

What a book Jon Steel has written! It is lively, intelligent and in chapter after chapter it showcases his analytical ability as well as his commitment to finding the basis for some of the best advertising we have seen. Steel is the consummate planner and his writing reflects the thought processes and the workings of an agency that has claimed and kept the strategic high ground. It is the firm so many of us envy and the one our students want to join. Truth, Lies and Advertising is , in short, a wonderful book written by an Englishman about what may be -- or clearly was at one point in time -- the best agency in America. Steel uses his agency as a vehicle to describe the process and orientation of account planning and advertising. In that authorship lies both the many strengths and the occasional weakness of Truth, Lies and Advertising.

Steel understands the importance of relationships when he describes the nature of exploring the consumer, the brand and the societal framework in which it all takes place. In his discussion Steel recognizes the monumental contributions of Bill Bernbach and the influence his work had on the awareness of the consumer as an intelligent and sympathetic target. Steel suggests that the resulting humanity and sensitivity that Bernbach's work produced had a significant impact on the thought processes of British advertising agencies and, in fact, helped spawn a new discipline known as account planning.

The emphasis was clear: the advertising industry needed to gain insight into human nature so that it could create ads that spoke to their target and were perceived as being relevant. By recalling a brilliant little adage Steel reminds his readers that the way in which the target feels about the ad and interacts with it characterizes gre! at advertising: when baiting a trap with cheese always leave room for the mouse! The book itself reflects this principle and the reader will enjoy the sense of discovery and enlightenment that accompanies one's interaction with it. Steel's style and ready reference to key issues and personal experiences further enhance the advertising wisdom this book delivers.

In addition to the wonderful "got milk" case Steel's best moment in the book for this reader is the discipline and use he provides for the creative brief. For Steel the single purpose of making the advertising better -- of getting the advertising right -- is the potent driving force for the brief. It is not, Steel admonishes us, merely a series of questions that must be asked in a particular order or the submission of enough weighty evidence to justify a doctoral dissertation. Rather, the brief is the synthesis of the planner's works and thoughts represented in a solid fashion that -- ideally -- becomes the doorway for the creative process.

Steel's appreciation of research may appear mysterious to those less familiar with the rather doctrinaire approach of many British planners to quantitative methodology. There is even Steel's assertion that the better thought out the research plan the less valuable it's results will probably be! His reference to the Heisenberg principle is much less shocking than I believe he expects; few researchers or planners today are so unthinking as to fail to recognize that their intervention -- in a physics lab or in a focus group -- somehow alters the results in ways we may not understand.

Steel is generally hard on the usefulness of statistical measures -- and on the intellectual abilities of those who shepherd such activities. Yet he is pleased to report research results he likes --for example, when discussing the successful attainment of specific objectives in the "Got Milk?" Campaign. To the extent that Steel's views are similar to the widely held belief that advertising research fr! equently killed good creative and drove a long lasting -- if not permanent -- wedge between the researcher and the creative departments, the point is important to make from an historical perspective.

Yet, the issues we are trying to resolve call for all our resources, including personal and subjective points of view, so that we can -- as Jon Steel would have us do -- get the advertising right. There is as little room in this competitive profession for bad research as there is for bad planning. Account planning is, as Steel asserts, most likely to work best when it is a combination of many points of view. Then, the insertion of a brilliantly straight forward notion that transcends the data and takes us to a new place (e.g."got milk?", or "see what develops") is really what account planning is all about.

Steel's book is, as he says, more than a description of account planning. Yet, it is the best description of the way in which the process works that the profession has so far. In addition, the book is a wonderful tale of a time in an agency's life when the right juxtaposition of talent, brains, raw energy and empowering clients came together. The feeling the reader receives is that the pages open before them have been written by someone who loves advertising. Those who know Steel -- or have even briefly met him or heard him speak -- know that to be true.

This book is an answer to those false pundits who cry out that advertising is dead. This book shows why BAD advertising fails, yet it also shows how GREAT advertising can be strategically conceived and employed to generate measurable, quantifiable results. Consequently, Truth, Lies & Advertising is an essential, must-read for anyone who wants to maximize their return on the money invested in advertising... and it's a must-own addition to any advertising, marketing or business library.

Forget that Steel is writing about an advertising agency discipline called 'account' planning. The lessons herein are much more important than that! A more descriptive term, and one that might gain Steel's ideas more universal acceptance, would be, 'brand' planning, which is exactly what Jon Steel describes. In other words, Steel advocates a strategic process for planning how you listen and communicate with customers...thereby profiting from a mutually beneficial relationship.

In the process, Steel debunks many myths including the infallibility of "research". In fact he demonstrates that ill-conceived research, or research that's poorly conducted can lead us to absolutely wrong conclusions. The book is filled with humorous, but true misadventures of qualitative and quantitative research that's gone terribly wrong.

More than anything, this book makes the case for quality listening. If you ask the right questions, in the correct environment and at the right time, customers will tell you exactly what will positively motivate them. And if you use, but don't abuse, that information you will be able to deliver genuine value and prosper as a result.

Although, there's no fail-safe formula for creating advertising that works, in Truth, Lies and Advertising, Jon Steel certainly gives us a dependable solution. Rather than relying on an individual's hit or miss ideas, Steel advocates a common-sense approach to creating advertising that involves consumers right from the development of the campaign and helps build lasting relationships with them. Add to this a dose of high-voltage creativity and you have the perfect formula for brand-building! With lively anecdotes and tongue-in-cheek humour, Steel presents his agency's award-winning campaigns for Polaroid, California Milk Processors and Norwegian Cruise Lines as testimonies to this formula. How does his agency (GS&P) conceive such memorable advertising campaigns? Through 'account planning', a new discipline which has now percolated into every modern advertising agency in the world. If you're in advertising, you must read this book. It's sure to change the way you view advertising today.

I am living with a daughter who has become verbally abusive and most ironically, she is in the medical profession. But she seems unaware of her abusive ways, constant criticizing, refusal to be pleased, temper tantrums. This book by Patricia Evans is right on target. The book needs to be read slowly and maybe in segments to fully appreciate its thoroughness and value to the abused person.
Although most of the writing is about marital situations of abuse, Ms. Evans states that abuse can come from anyone. I also have an abusive older sister. But now I feel I can handle these
difficult people in my life. This book is valuable, and the small
price makes it even more attractive.

I have been married for 16 years as a verbally abused wife. For 15 1/2 years I just thought my husband was "mean and evil" until I saw Patricia Evans book in the bookstore "Verbally Abusive Relationship and how to recognize them". This book had my husbands name all over it and finally my eyes were opened to what I had been going through for so long. I am now in the process of getting divorced and am relieved to know that I will be getting my life back and living it as I please. Every woman must read this book.

Pat Evans is the author of three books on verbal abuse (that I know of), including "Controlling People" and "The Verbally Abusive Relationship."

I read "The Verbally ABusive Relationship" first, then "Verbal Abuse Survivors Speak Out" and then "Controlling People." Seemed like a good flow and a good progression for me.

"Verbal Abuse Survivors Speak Out" is a GREAT book and full of that all important validation that survivors crave and need. It's also full of powerful stories. If you've been verbally abused for years (and didn't know it), you'll find this book is difficult and challenging (emotionally) to read, because you'll see yourself on so many pages.

However, for that very same reason, it's a comforting book, because the evil that's been lurking in the shadows of your marriage/relationship is revealed, identified, brought to the light, exposed and destroyed. Once evil is dragged out of the subtle shadows, it's 100% easier to destroy it.

And it's comforting to read because you realize that you are not alone. Far too many women feel stuck in these terrible relationships and often feel trapped, alone and without hope. This book gives verbally abused women the validation they crave and the hope they need. It also gives them the strength to demand change and/or leave the toxic relationship.

If I were queen of the world, I'd pass a law that all young women read each of these books (on Verbal Abuse), before committing to a long term relationship.

If you're considering buying this book, stop considering and do it! Hit the "add to cart" button. I originally borrowed this book from the library. After reading the first chapter, I went online and bought it. It's *that* good.

Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes shocking, VTH is a great collection of the most innovative and stirring poems written in the past fifty years. Tossing out the rules established by great poets before them, the 26 poets in this book explore a variety of topics, from an obsession of someone's butt to getting a magnifying glass for your birthday to a love letter to a specific part of an ex lover's body. Do yourself a favor and liberate your mind from the dated guidelines of antique poety. This book shattered my preconcieved idea of poetry, picked it up and glued it back together, this time with more attitude and freedom. And more passion. Definately more passion.

I will begin this review by telling you that this is the most amazing collection of poetry I have ever read. Verses that Hurt taught me that poetry could be fun, unapologetic, and cut through your soul like a rusty double edged knife. One year after reading this book, I began writing my own poetry, slamming with my work, getting it published, and eventually representing Austin at the National Poetry Slam in Providence, RI. All in one year, and all largely due to this book. To say that a single book can profoundly change your life and the way you look at the world is a bit too Oprah Book Club for me, but I would be lying if I said that wasn't the case with Verses.

Verses that Hurt begins with the hard-hitting words of Penny Arcade's "Manifesto." The moment I read this poem, I knew I would be hooked on this collection. Her poem begins with, "This is my personal message to all you careerist, slime-bucket, fame-seeking, psychofantic, weak-worded, same-voiced..." I could go on, but you get the idea. It really just screamed to me, "Poetry is POWER!"

Tish Benson's "U BE DOIN IT" is an amazing poetic representation of jazz and sound: "deBOOPde bEE bOPdeBoPdeBop da Bang bANG" - BRILLIANT!

Matthew Courtney's "A Dream Never Dreamed of Sonny Bono & Don Knotts" captures everything that wordplay has the potential to become.

Anne Elliott is perhaps my favorite poet in this book. She slams it all in your face, but does so with a subtle creepiness that is truly out of this world! DEFINATELY check out "something turned over" and "Trojan Love Poems." In fact, I dare you to read "Trojan Love Poems" out loud without crying. I super dog dare ya'!

Shut-Up Shelly does amazing things with word placement on the page. Also the content of "mantra" really speaks to the forlorn nature of our generations: "My life is ----/I hate my life/My life sucks/It's a mantra!"

Finally, Edwin Torres, who is always the craziest poet in just about any collection, does some very powerful work in this collection. Check out "Power Round" and "The Modern Phaullus."

In short, this is no grandmother's book of poetry. The plethora of poetic device used in this collection kicks any other anthology out of the water! BUY THIS BOOK TODAY, become a poet tomorrow.

I loved this book, and my friend is currently holding it hostage. It has all different types of styles from females as well as males and minorities. the book really peaked my curiosity to the wonderful world of poetry and spoken word. John S Hall was my favorite and I've found out he has a band. It's definitely a great buy!

This was a very, very good book for children, and, I believe, adults. With Betsy and her new friend Tacy, you'll be feel like you are right along with them. It's a good book to read when you're lonley. Even when my friend Kristin, who is usually inseperable from me, and I are in a fight, these books always seem to... erm... calm me down. It's better than listening to Grease music or doing yoga in your brothers room or dancing in the rain, really , it is. I reccomend this book to readers of all ages.

This book begins with a little girl's fifth-birthday party; in my family it has become a tradition to give it to any little girl for her fifth birthday, and it's always wonderful to do so, because you feel you're sharing something really special.

Betsy and Tacy are imaginative and adventuresome and wholly appealing. Though the setting is far removed in time (far, at least for a small child), the characters and situations remain appealing and true, particularly the relationships between younger and older sisters.

This is just an ideal book to read to a child too young to read it -- the series grows with the person, so that after a few years the child can read on her own, and Betsy and Tacy can keep her company all the way through high school.

For my 8th birthday my Mom and Dad gave me the Betsy-Tacy Treasury which contained this book and Betsy-Tacy and Tib, Betsy and Tacy Go Over Big Hill, and Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. I have just finished the whole thing and now I am 11. I have read it many others times and I find it amazing that I still appciate it at age 11. Whenever we go to the libary I look for smaller printed books but even though this has fairly large print I think it is a wonderful book. I found it when I was in organizing my family's books and started to read it and couldn't put it down. I loved this book and if you do you should read the rest of the Betsy-Tacy book series.