GA

14th edition (January 1999) is now 5 years old, so this book is woefully out of date for anyone looking for streets added or changed in the last SIX years (assuming that when a book comes out, it already a year out of date). Hey ADC, how about a new edition!!

This mapbook is accurate, extremely detailed, and easy to read. Finding maps using the grid system is intuitive and simple. Great atlas!

David Mamet is certainly an excellent story-teller and an accomplished writer. No one can take that away from him.

But this story - which in Mamet's mind is intended to combat bigotry and racism toward Jews - actually enhances bigotry and racism toward other groups that are being marginalized in current American society.

Mamet gives us a story where an innocent Jewish man is mistakenly convicted of rape and suffers a harrowing fate at the hands of a lynch mob. Mamet tells us that this happened because of anti-Semitism. Fair enough.

Mamet's character then goes on to deliver a two-fisted verbal assualt on Christians of the "evangelical" variety ("they say they've been saved. Saved from what?"), who he portrays as evil, stupid, and lazy. (They bask in "inherited glory," although they've contributed nothing to society, "invented no vaccines," as Mamet puts it.)

First of all, there is no evidence that the historical killers in this case were "evangelical Christians." It's a big stretch to say that just because a murder occurred in the south, that it was committed by Bible-thumping Southern Baptists.

Second, "evangelical Christians" comprise about 7 to 10 percent of the current American population (a number that is consistently revealed in polls by Gallup, Barna, Smith, etc.). That's about the same as the number of Jews and Muslims in America combined. They are consistently villified as "right-wingers" who want to take over the government, impose a theocracy, and kill homosexuals - none of which is true. (The typical evangelical is a moderate Republican of the John McCain variety.) Aside from the rather sympathetic portrayal of Ned Flanders on the Simpsons, the entire media establishment is arrayed against this one segment of our population. The lies and stereotypes directed against these people are as pernicious and hateful as those directed against the Jews in Nazi Germany. (The Jews, too, were out to take over society, according to the Third Reich.) Mamet's hateful scree against people "who say they've been saved" is just fuel for the fire. It takes a feeble-minded coward to throw himself wholeheartedly into society's accepted mode of bigotry, and well, Mamet lives up.

Third, evangelicals are hardly stupid people who bask in "inherited glory" from the Pilgrim days. Evangelical accomplishments are many - from revolutionizing the field of linguistics (Kenneth Pike) and Philosophy (Alvin Plantiga), to improving the lives of millions of Latin Americans after the abysmal failure of Roman Catholicism to confront oppression and injustice, to helping freedom of religion and freedom of speech spread throughout the globe, Evangelicals have contributed much to modern society. Of course, they haven't contributed much to the Entertainment industry, and perhaps that's the only industry Mamet cares about.

In The Old Religion, historical figure Leo Frank, a Jewish factory owner in the old American South falsely accused of rape and murder, then imprisoned and eventually lynched by an organised mob, is turned by Mamet into a religious philosopher, an all but obssessive turner over of truths and half truths, propositions and the voices within voices of a disputatious mind from a disputatious people. But the heart of it is still the same: "To be a man," the Rabbi said, was to behave as a man in that situation where there were neither the trappings nor the rewards of manhood: scorned, reviled, abandoned, humiliated, powerless, terrified, mocked. "Now be a man..." the Rabbi said."

And in The Edge, a movie by Mamet, the millionaire played by Anthony Hopkins is an obssessive learner and compiler of facts, a man detached from his emotions, who through the forces of a melodrama plot, (a plane goes down stranding him in the wilderness with his wife's lover, the fashion photographer Alec Baldwin who wants him dead) is forced to confront himself and, stripped to his essentials, survive. In a sense, The Edge is the opposite story to The Old Religion in that the former has as its central motif a canoe paddle on whose two sides a rabbit and a ravenous beast, I cannot quite recall what, co-exist. Why is the rabbit not afraid? "Because he knows he's smarter then the.." Fox, I believe the beast is. It is significant that the line, among the best in the film, is not quite memorable enough to hold the mind. And the central, memorable sequence of the film is millionaire and adulterous rival being forced to collaborate in killing a bear. That bear was more memorable than the characters or the dialogue. In The Old Religion the opposite moral is operative, Frank is in no useable way smarter than his employee Jim, who uses the white Southern mob's unwillingness to believe in the intelligence of a "nigro" to fool them and gets away with murder, dooming the outsider Jew. You cannot be smarter than the fox and disruptive nature, chaos; the forces of darkness cannot be conquered - you must only stand and face them as you may, that is the true heart of Mamet's reveries.

The trouble is that this does not always amount to a compelling fulcrum, in and of itself, it must accompany colour or is bland, a blank stare in the face of onrushing doom - Mamet's stoic glance in the face of the cancer look.

In The Old Religion, Frank's habits of dissecting, homelitically commenting on and generally discoursing throughout and over every event of his downward course lend the book the air of a series of absent minded sermons, underpinned with occasional colourful clues as to motive, projection through space and narrative to fate, the taste of life. As Mamet points out somewhere in his book of actors' sermons "True or False"- intentions are not interesting, a person's qualities are not interesting, only actions are interesting. Hence the only memorable thing about the Rabbi, a key figure of the last third of the book, is the way he lights a match, his way with a cigarette. This is actual character. Mamet doesn't give either Frank or the Rabbi or any of the other characters quite enough internal colour, a personal smell or feeling, to make them anything - an actor could not successfully play them without addition and a reader cannot happily create them in the mind's eye because aside from the endless discourses- as Mamet's Frank asks himself at one point "what part of reason is not simply the recoil of fear?" - there is nothing much going on. The only thing which defines Frank's response in the face of the onrushing catastrophe is his reversion to the "Old Religion" of Judaism away from the "Old Religion" of the South, of America, of the belief in progress. This is not really, in itself, much that you can play. As Mamet the actor would put it: What's the objective? And it cannot really be said that Mamet the novelist has given the actor or reader much in the way of lines on a page to sustain the illusion of character.

At the novel's early parts, before chaos unfolds, one feels a little like the inhabitant of a Aharon Appelfeld novel, where bitter laughter and irony is beneath every casual detail of the lives of comfortable Jews on the lip on an abyss. And Mamet's skill is always wordily present - for probably two thirds of the novel he manages to keep you reading, keep you turning the pages, despite very little meat between his odd moments of concrete detail. This is no small skill. But his aesthetic position about acting is disproved in his own work, in this particular book. Not enough blood in these characters to sustain the book.

I love David Mamet's plays (recently, I laughed my way through the movie adaptation of State and Main), but this novel was disappointing. The event itself (described on the book jacket) is much more interesting than a fragmented interior monlogue by a less-than-fascinating protagonist. The idea invoked The Stranger, but unlike Camus who does a brilliant job, Mamet is much less brilliant. This read more like a literary experiment in a writing workshop than a polished piece by Mamet. If you want to read the master of this genre, stick to Camus.

Thank God I got this book on tape. If I had checked out the print edition,I doubt I would have finished it. Repetative is an understatement, long winded is another. Why would you need 5 minutes of tape to describe an old woman's sweather? The premise of the story was good, and it made me think of my own relationship with my son. But the majority of it was a waste.

If you can get this book on tape, listen to it. Don't kill yourself trying to read it.

I am in a book club that reads African-American/Third World writers. This novel tells the 24 hour drama of three generations of women family members. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book and laughed out loud at some parts throughout the book. However, this book does repeat itself (character dialoge) that was uninteresting the third time you read it. This may be how people really speak, but it is annoying when reading it over a couple days. For instance, the line "You know, children don't take after strangers" is brilliant! But the third time I read it, well, it lost its punch. All in all, I would recommend the book. In particular, all three spirits were exceptional written, I enjoyed the grandmother Lily, didn't 'appreciate' the daughter Sandra and was truly 'scared' of the granddaughter LaShawndra. She is a segment of today's generation that is absolutely every parents nightmare. But she is real! And for that I give Ms. Ansa all the credit.

What I liked best about this book was the message that we have to teach our kids. If we don't, they will aimlessly go through life leaning on their own understanding. I thought is was interesting how Ms. Moses made the grandmother look at herself. And how Nurse Bloom had Sandra look at herself. And how the third had Lashawndra look at herself. That's most people's problem; we are busy looking around at everybody else instead at ourselves. In lieu of the book, the grandmother couldn't see what a good husband she had because she was so busy pointing the finger. She didn't realize what she did to promote some of his behavoir. Same with Sandra. I think her awakening was the worst. She was the most selfish self-centered woman I read about in awhile. She was not a good mother at all. And the fact that she went to church and was kinda dating a pastor. That didn't add up for me. She was a Sunday Christian. Who I really felt for was Lashawndra. I know many young woman just like her. Those are the ones we need to pray for and try to befriend. Without pray and their own walk with the Lord, they will be doomed. This book is an excellent choice. My grandmother, mother and I read this book. It provided hours of conversation for us. I hope it will do the same for you.

Wholeheartedly agree with the above reviewer from MA. I purchased this book before relocating to Atlanta from Australia & found that a significant amount of this book (around 70%) describes "how to" move, as opposed to actually providing detail on the city of Atlanta, GA. The book begins with a relatively basic description, on average about 2-3 paragraphs, of each of the more popular counties' demographics (age, race, income) and allude to what you may expect living in each county. Don't rely on this book to inform you of where to consider or what to expect living in Atlanta. You will come away very disappointed. A basic & brief section lists restaurants & things to do and see in Atlanta. But you can easily find information on these things once you're here. Atlanta is an unique city - you'll either love it or hate it. There is no inbetween. It is not the most friendly city for newcommers, mainly due to the worst traffic in the country and, as other reviewers noted, streets span for long lengths with several names for the same stretch of road. Get used to the word "Peachtree" - nearly every street/ road has "Peachtree" in it's name in some way, shape or form. Very frustrating.

My advice is save your money, look at the local Atlanta community magazines, like "Creative Loafing" & spend time in the city before making a decision on where to permanately live in Atlanta. Personally, I arrived in Atlanta & signed a short 3 month lease, which gave me some time to look around, ask opinions of new friends/ colleagues & find out the kind of areas where I'd enjoy living. (By the way, I understand that this book line publishes a series of similar titles regarding other US cities: They add exactly the same value as this "Atlanta guide", i.e. around 2%).

I found this book to be enormously helpful in getting settled in Atlanta. I thought the information about the neighborhoods was very accurate and helped me choose an area to live. Including the information about day-to-day details (like where the drugstores and dry cleaners are) in each neighborhood was a great time saver. Since this was my first big move, I found the moving tips very helpful!

I had recently accepted a new position in Atlanta and purchased Ms. Cauley's book. In no uncertain terms I found the book to be a life saver in terms of its volume and quality of information on relocating to Atlanta. I would strongly recommend that anyone considering a move to Atlanta or recently transferred there buy this book. It will pay for itself many many times over.

I was so dispappointed in the presentation made in this book that I sent it back. The cover and even title give the impression that the book will include photgraphic and descriptive information regarding landscaping. What actually comes across is a very boring, poorly presented reference type of book that simply seems like an elaborate dictionary on various landscape terminology. The photographic connections were especially done poorly; all pictures relating to topics were simply united together in a large section at the back of the book. When a reference is made by an author regarding a specific subject, it is certainly best understood and appreciated by the reader when both are on the same page. It was also misleading in their title reference to Florida plants, shrubs, etc., that there would be direct inclusion of information of those subjects, but all that comes across is very general information relating to the words themselves. I have been working on my own Florida yard area now for over 5 years, enjoying what I have been learning by simple hands-on techniqe and questions to my neighbors. None of my own 26 personal plants were even directly mentioned in the book. Again, possibly some of the topics regarding pests or plant diseases might have been appreciated if the information would have been on the same pages as the related photographs--needing to turn clear to the the back of the book every time was a frustrating way to try and understand the connections.

Although not the most interesting "read", this is a great reference book for gardening in South Florida. Straight forward without too much fluff. The section on pest control is a little heavy on identifying pests and little light on how to control them but the rest of the book is very clear on the basics. Probably not the best book for an advanced gardener but I highly recommend it for the novice like me who wants the nitty gritty on how to get going in Florida but doesn't care about a fancy looking book.

I thought this was an excellent reference for selecting Florida bedding plants. I wanted a book that had lots of pictures of various plants and told me when and where to plant them. This book does that. It is limited on pest control, but has a good basic section on digging and prepping your bedding areas. It would be a great reference to take with you to the nursery when you are trying to decide which plants to purchase for your beds. It has more color photos for identification of bedding plants than most of the Florida gardening books out there.

The folksy information really isn't much for true gardeners but some may enjoy it. If you're really into gardening, there are far better books.

Excellent primer for gardeners in the southern counties of Florida. Pen sketches. No photos, so you'll need a garden/plant photo book too.

Humorous tips and practical advice on Fl gardens, lawns, trees & shrubs along with their 12-month growing season. Includes short descriptions on some of the more beautiful or well-adapted plants to use in the suburban landscape.

The authors also cover specific challenges south FL gardeners face regarding soils, wet/dry periods and bugs. Conversational style and short chapters but thorough. Gets you to want to go outside and start planting! Excellent!

This book uses very large fonts, even larger for titles. Only approx 2-3 paragraphs fit in one page. Maps are hand-drawn (not for scale), useless to guide you to go anywhere. It only reviews a few hotels/restaurants. Reviews are very short in 1-2 sentences. I returned this book and bought Frommer's Atlanta instead.

When I started traveling to Atlanta for work this book helped me find some pretty cool places and it kept me the hell out of Buckhead. Be sure to stop at the Clermont Lounge and ask for "Blondie," you'll thank me.

I actually had to be forced to read this book ten pages at a time in english class two years ago. I LOVE reading and LOVE history, but couldn't get into this book. It's filled with long gaps in which absolutely NOTHING happens. I found it to be dull, much to my surprise. I expected more from such a talented author.

"Be Ever Hopeful Hannalee" was an excellent book about a young girl "Hannalee" surviving the civil war and trying to get her life back on track with all the difficulties she stil made it through! I loved this books to bits! The thing is I was forced to read this for a social project and I was like "yawn yawn" but I really liked it! I was yes of course so suprised but I could not put it down! Well, I just wanted to say that you should read this book if you love civil war or not! Belive me I am not a historian in the civil war either! I am just a normal 13 year old girl who reads books! Thank you for your time.

Woodworth would have benefited from a visit to the Chickamauga visitor's center and a look at resident historian Jim Ogden's maps. He does not give Thomas proper credit for preventing disaster both before and during the battle, and, at the very end of the book, couldn't resist putting in a plug for the "quiet man, with an unassuming self-confidence...Ulysses S. Grant."

The author deals with Chickamauga at the division/brigade level. This makes it easy for the reader to follow this complex battle over the three days it was fought. My only compliant was the Confederate Order of Battle in the appendix. B. Johnson's Division is missing completely, which includes the brigades of Gregg, McNair and Fulton. A good introduction to a reader who knows little about this battle. The maps are very well done, and add an important tool in describing this complex battle.

This is a wierd and ghastly book, and its main objective seems to be an effort to trash the military for its "don't ask-don't tell" policy. The plot is nearly nonexistent, the dialog is trite, and the book is a bore. The protagonist is one-dimensional, as are all of the characters. I only bothered to finish it because it was the only book available at the time (I was on a boat).

This book provides us with a pretty good cast of army personnel caught up in a homicide at Fort Benning, Georgia. The author does a good job with the protagonist, but most of the other characters seemed mediocre. Its interesting how many male authors now have a female as their strong main character e.g. Thomas Perry's Jane Whitefield series. I downgraded the book a bit because of a couple of strange time discontinuities. As an example in one scene military attorney Guidry and an assistant DA are at a District of Columbia arraignment trying to get a prisoner transferred to Army jurisdiction at Fort Benning. The prisoner's attorney objects to this, and the judge orders all attorneys to submit briefs on the issue. A couple of pages and two days later Guidry is visiting the prisoner in the Fort Benning stockade with no mention of the judge's ruling and how he got there so fast. I don't like it when the author evidently assumes that his readers are a bunch of dummies who won't notice these things. All in all, though, its a pretty good read, and takes place in an interesting sitting.

Packs a powerful punch but is somewhat less intriguing than Dres Gray. Still a great ending. Characters seem to be real.