On-the-tape

Due to popular demand, this book is now back in print and available again. Enjoy.

Incredibly lyrical, insightful, moving and thought-provoking book, and apparently becoming a forgotten gem. Kahn and Halbertsam are popular, but they aren't even in Angell's league (only Boswell is). Part baseball chronicle, part social commentary, part comedy, part tragedy, and always full of love for the game and its fans--this one should be treasured and preserved. Even though he wrongly didn't think much of the Astrodome, I forgive him.

Maybe the best writer that I've ever read and not just about baseball...I must concur with the other reviewers that it's scandelous that this and other Roger Angell books are out of print, especially with all the sub-par writing that is on the market today. Mr. Angell's ability to craft details into a much larger story and tell it with humour and keen insight are amazing to me. Chapter after chapter of this book are combined into one long pleasing account from a fan's perspective that leaves you wishing that it would never end. More than just a season-by-season run-down, Angell provides his views with a unique perspective for each season that goes beyond mere sports reporting and seems to provide a theme that is clever, humerous and poignant. This should be read by every baseball fan to see what real sports-writing is like and I think that you'll agree that all other sports commentary pales by comparison. Highest recommendation.

With so much of the same old crap stirring around the top
of the bestseller sewer system of retreds its nice to find
another Lansdale winner waiting in the wings for its share of
crumbs. This book looks to challange readers with its less than
glamours stylings but so full of heart, wit and yes substance,
this book actually has something to say(don't most Lansdale
yarns leave you with something to think about??) I really enjoyed these characters and the time and place they are set in. I could not turn the pages quick enough and the spicy, tangy Lansdale one liners find themselves all over and he can make you laugh and cringe all at the same time. What an opening of a book! Joe is like
no writter I've come across. He doesn't try to make things any
more complicated than he needs to yet he takes you right back
to a time earlier in our history (1930's) and gives us Sunset,
who like an earlier reviewer stated would make a great addition
to the Hap & Leonard series. Sassy, brave & headstrong and ahead of her time for sure(she's a mean shooter), Sunset is unforgettable. But wait to you meet
the rest of these assorted characters from the brilliant Lansdale imagination. If I ever get another dog it will be just like "Ben". I'm hoping people who come upon this gem will also find his last two must have's "The Bottoms" and "A Fine dark line",(not to mention his short stories "HIGH COTTON", this guy is heading for more than just bestseller status, he will be remembered longer than the 15 mins. most of these kiss and tell & tired old same old same old writers were're force fed at every bookstore, Walmart, you name it. Lansdale's the real deal and I look forward to his superlative writings(and maybe one day meeting the man himself at a book signing!) Like
"Ben", theres lots to like about this one.

Joe R. Lansdale (as someone already noted) is an American treasure. Every time I read one of his novels, I end up laughing out loud and the crisp western dialogue ("He was big enough to go gator hunting with stern words") and Lansdale can always be relied upon to supply an intriguing mystery plot. He is one of a handful of writers whose books are always at the top of my "gotta have it and can't wait for the paperback" list. I really liked "Sunset and Sawdust," and IMHO Sunset would make a fun series character (although I want another Hap & Leonard first).

Joe R. Lansdale's latest, _Sunset and Sawdust_ and it is a real stunner! I think this book is even better than his Edgar-award winning _The Bottoms_. The time and place are pretty much the same: Depression-era East Texas. On the outskirts of the sawmill town of Camp Rapture, live Sunset Jones and her husband, Pete, the town constable. As the novel opens, a big storm is brewing and Pete is in the middle of raping and beating his wife when she decides she's finally had enough, shooting him to death with his own gun. The storm blows away their house and leaves Sunset to stumble into town and make her way to her mother-in-law's home. Pete's mother, Marilyn, is angry at first, but quickly (almost too quickly?) comes to understand Sunset's actions and the reasons for them--she's had to endure the same treatment at the hands of Pete's father. Since Marilyn is also a part owner of the sawmill, she arranges it so that Sunset becomes the new constable.

Sunset vows to take the job seriously and, before too long, she's investigating the deaths of a woman and a baby, both found soaked in oil and buried upright in the land of a poor black farmer. With the help of her deputies, pretty-boy Hillbilly, who's just passing through town and wants to earn the money to replace the guitar he used to fight off a couple of hobos, and Clyde, who's got a crush on Sunset, but just isn't the sort of guy to have much luck with women (he burns down his house, rather than trying to clean years of dirt inside), Sunset finds herself in the middle of a rather prickly situation.

There are some pretty dark, sinister villains at work here, plus one of the more memorable, mish-mashed groups of heroes. Sunset's father, Lee, has recently dropped back into her life, off of a passing freight, along with an old-before-his-time young man named Goose. Then there's the legendary Bull Stackerlee, a huge black man that lives all by himself off in the woods and becomes something of a bodyguard for Sunset. Through it all, Sunset discovers inner reserves of strength and nobility she didn't know she had and the whole situation builds to a violent, though very satisfying climax.

This is an excellent book, full of unique characters that you come to care about, and a gripping story that will keep you reading. This just might be the best book Lansdale's yet written, and if you've read him before, you'll know that's saying something.

Craig Larson
Trinidad, CO

This book is a selection of the choicest tales from the Thousand and One Nights. The translator, N.J. Dawood, also translated the Koran for the Penguin Classics series. Dawood explains in the introduction that the first of these tales appeared in a written form around 850 C.E., in a book called, "A Thousand Legends." More tales, of lesser quality, were added over the years until an anonymous editor in Cairo finally codified them in the 18th century. A French version of some of the stories appeared in the 17th century, and was followed by several English versions in the 19th century; the best known adaptation came from Sir Richard Burton, in 10 volumes. The stories are a mix of Arabic, Persian, and Indian tales and appear to have been written in response to classical Arabic literature. The Arabs do not consider them part of the classic canon, and after reading these stories, I can see why. They are aggressive and highly sexualized, and are loaded with sorcery, fantasy, and criticism of authority figures.

Whatever their origins and means of transmission, these are excellent and entertaining stories. I cannot think of one tale in this selection that I did not like. Included in the book is the instantly recognizable Aladdin story, as well as the Sinbad voyages. Other tales are just as interesting: "The Tale of the Hunchback," "The Tale of Judar and his Brothers," "The Porter and the Three Girls of Baghdad," and many others. Many of these stories are cycles; they have stories within stories, as characters in one story tell their own stories. At the end of the cycle, the story is cleverly wrapped up, usually with a happy ending. I do not think I need to go into detail about Aladdin or Sinbad, except to say that I was surprised to see Aladdin described as Chinese. Providing details to these stories would be useless anyway because they are so detailed as to be impervious to summary.

There is no doubt that many of these stories started as oral stories, and retained that shape into the written versions. The best example is the Sinbad cycle. All of the stories in this cycle are framed in the same way. This repetition made it easier to memorize the stories, or at least the basic outline. A good storyteller could take the frame and fill in the blanks with whatever his heart desired. You often see this kind of writing in the Bible.

Social roles and class play a large part in these stories. Women are presented as wily and dangerous, but not always. Several stories show men trying to pull fast ones on the ladies, with the results much to the detriment of the men. Many stories show how the high and mighty come crashing down, or how the lowly are elevated to great status. These movements are attributed to the grace or condemnation of Allah, and the characters all act out their movements with Allah close by.

You will not go wrong with this book. These are immensely entertaining stories for both children and adults, although you might want to find a toned down version for the kiddies. Why? I am thinking about the tale where a man and some women play "name that body part." My only criticism of this version is that the tale of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" is absent. I have no idea why it is missing, but the book loses one star for this grave omission.

This book is translated by a person named N.J. Darwood. It's simply wonderful. The tales involved are tales of the Persian Gulf, of Bagdhad, Arabia, and tales that we as adults should revisit for some enjoyable light reading that will make us smile and wonder at the old folklore of the Arabian Peninsula. Sinbad the Sailor is in there, as is Aladdin in it's original form, and the story begins of a king who is so upset by his wife's unfaithfulness that he will now only accept virgins for one night and then have them killed. A smart virgin begins her night with the infamous king by telling him stories, and she so fascinates him and enthralls him with her tales that the tales turn into folklore for readers of the ages. I won't tell you what happens in the end to the virgin princess, but you will find humor, enchantment, wisdom and fantasy for those times when stress becomes a factor in your life. I highly recommend the tale of "The Historic Fart" as a both funny and inspiring tale of human nature. Please buy this book and remember to become a nine -12 year old again as you read with curiosity and wonder at the fabulous enchanting, lively stories. I was beginning to wish my children were a bit younger so I could read these to them. Any child would enjoy these stories, and any adult will find them simply relaxing and a reflection of medieval Islam.

The stories in the Thousand and One Nights never seem to grow old and captivate readers, both young and old. Dawood's translations are faithfull to the original stories while giving a firm footing in the present. This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in quite a while. If you think you know the stories of Aladdin, Sinbad the Sailor, or Ali Baba from movies then think again. These tales in their original form are timeless!

Great book! Kelton shows us Charlie Flagg's country. You'll like it

Beyond the quality of Kelton's stories, especially this one, is the quality of his characters. His leading character, an individualistic, independent, honest and brave rancher, is one of the most admirable people I have ever read about. This was the first Kelton book I read, and I became a Kelton addict. I have read and re-read this, and highly recommend it. Excellent!

This book is, to me, the jewel in the crown of that outstanding body of work that convinced the Western Writers of America that Elmer Kelton should be disignated the best Western writer of all time. The author's obvious gut-level understanding of West Texas, the people who live here, and the lifestyle forced on its inhabitants by the vagaries of Mother Nature join to make this his finest contribution to literature to date. Mr. Kelton is without peer in his ability to develop characters so vividly that each reader truly feels that he/she has met them and known them for years. His descriptions of places and situations are so realistic and detailed that, with only a little imagination, a clear picture forms in the mind's eye of the reader. There is no doubt that Mr. Kelton has experienced more than one West Texas drouth. It is equally obvious that he has closely observed the drastic changes that befall the reigon, its people, and their livestock when these natural disa! sters occurr. A must for Kelton's fans, and for his fans-to-be who love stories based in the lore of the West, but have not yet experienced the rich satisfaction that can result only from reading the works of this master story weaver.

Thich Nhat Hanh is a fantastic writer. When I first developed an interest in Buddhist teachings, I was a little reluctant to pick up a lot of books for fear that they would be 150 pages of obscure metaphores. In Thich Nhat Hanh's case (especially with this book) he brings a sense of friendship to the reader from the first couple of pages. Also, he makes what he's writing about very undrstandable. I don't really read very much at all, but I finished this book the night after I bought it. Excellent in all aspects.

This was a really good read for several reasons. One reason i gave it a 5 is that the authors personality is strong throughout the book, as if he were in the room. This makes for a great read that is more like a friendly chat than anything. Another great part of this book is the emphasis on mindfulness. If you like this part of the book, you may want to check out Jiddu Krishnamurti's works as well. But the best thing i found about this book was the Sangra (or community) building section. Our happiness does depend very much on other people, so living in peace with the people close to you is very important. This book shows how to make the most of each others presence and our lives.

Almost immediately when reading this book, I felt a sense of relief by the book's emphasis on breathing exercises and certain attitudinal healing that works to improve your own personal level of peace (internal and otherwise). I actually was putting Hahn's techniques into practice while reading the book, very helpful! I found certain eastern spiritual practices covered like Samsara, Sangha Building,etc. very mind opening and worthy of of putting into practice as a means of optimizing my spiritual life. A great book for those interested in meditation and spiritual growth.

After only reading a few pages of this book I could see that this Toyota has a lethal weapon in business that American companies seen not interested in using - or worse think that thay are using it just fine? Compare "TPS" with "My Years With General Motors" and imagaine who you would rather compete with? Demming said something like "export everything from America... except american management!" This book will show you why.
This book is not a "ISO" type blueprint in that it is a consise overview without much "filler" or stale requirements so don't worry if you donot get the big picture until you have read and maybe reread the book.
One note - I think that just maybe (if I can be so bold) that chapter 3 should be read first then the rest of the book. I also recomend other books (and web searches) on Kaizen by those who have done it for as long as Mr. Ohno.
I love this book!

I really enjoyed reading Mr. Ohno's book. Even though it is a short book, it is full of ideas that can be applied to any production bussiness.
Even though that the system was created for a car production facility, the concept of "waste" is useful to any type of manufacturing. This idea, coupled with the concept of producing exactly what is sold ( or what the client requests )allows any company to became profitable in times when profit margins get narrower and narrower.

I am a former Toyota Engineer and recommend that anyone interested in learning about the Toyota Production System a.k.a. lean manufacturing this is the place to start. Mr. Ohno is the creator of TPS and he gives a very good overview of how the system works. The book is very easy to read and easy to understand. This book should be read by all upper management employees looking to create a lean environment in their plants. The book will give you a good foundation to start implementing the techniques. It is the best book to read considering it comes from the inventor himself. It is the best you are going to find shy of being actually trained within Toyota's walls.

This is one of those very FEW books that I have actually read more than half a dozen times (yes, call me crazy)! A good book is difficult to put down, but a great book is difficult to not re-read!

I have always had an interest in Physics, particularly cosmology, black holes, and the Big Bang theory. This is one of the first books I've ever read on such topics. Boslough has a way of presenting his material in a concise, enjoyable, interesting way. This is one of the best science/physics books (for the layperons) I've ever read! This is THE book that got me hooked on further and continued readings about physics, cosmology, the Big Bang, quantum theory, and so on. Were it not for this book, I'd still be dreading the physics classes I took in college more than 15 years ago!

This book also laid a lot of the foundation work for my research into black holes in preparation for the writing of my science fiction novel "Temporal Armageddon".

This small book, originally written in 1984, was and is still revealing.
Firstly, on a personal level, Hawking admitted already at that time that "As far as theoretical physics are concerned, I'm already ... quite far over the hill'.
Secondly, it gives an excellent explanation of Hawking's contribution to theoretical physics (black holes and their similarities to the beginning of time).
Thirdly, Hawking has outspoken opinions about the anthropic principle (against), the universe of Eastern mysticism (an illusion), the many universes theory (not meaningful) or determinism ('Even if we do achieve a complete unified theory, we shall not be able to make detailed predictions in any but the simplest situations').

This booklet offers also excellent examples for the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics and contains Hawking's Inaugural Lecture 'Is the End in Sight for Theoretical Physics?'

Although this book is, from a theoretical point of view, out of date (no superstrings), it should not be missed.

As a non-science-type-person I read this book with the sense of shame and guilt that was customarily heaped upon purchasers of "Cliff Notes" by our school English teachers. This is a layman's guide to Hawking for people who are too intimidated to read Hawking, but as such it is a very good piece of work, and the discussion of the Big Bang, black holes, pulsars and quasars are well interspersed with aphoristic comments by Hawking himself.

Seychelle Sullivan is the captain of a salvage boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One morning, she receives a Mayday call from a yacht at sea. The yacht is a vessel Sey is very much familiar with in that her old boyfriend, Neil, is the pilot. The call is made from a desperate sounding woman. Sey locates the boat and discovers the bloody body of a young woman. Neil is nowhere to be found. Things get worse when Sey finds herself the primary suspect of the police. She must discover, on her own, what happened aboard the ship and locate Neil. She soon finds her life in danger.
Christine Kling proves in her first outing that she is a writer to be reckoned with. Not only does she have an apparent natural talent at storytelling, but can create memorable, yet, realistic characterizations. SURFACE TENSION is a character driven regional mystery in the same vein as the hard-boiled female protagonists of Marcia Muller, Sue Grafton or Sara Paretsky. It is obvious Ms. Kling knows about boats in that they are major players in this book. The southern Florida locale very much plays a part in this work and is utilized quite effectively. Pacing is brisk and the plot carefully constructed. Florida mystery writers are among the best in the genre. I predict Christine Kling will prove to be no exception to that statement. An impressive debut.

For her first novel, I thought this was a great read. I lived in Florida for almost 20 years and found Ms. Kling was extremely accurate in her diescriptions of the various places in and around Ft. Lauderdale. The novel held my interest and was suspensful, her characters believable. I am looking forward to more books from Ms. Kling

How well does mystery writer Christine Kling know South Florida? Just as Raymond Chandler exposed the soft underbelly of Los Angeles in a way that readers can never forget, Kling offers readers a tour of a dark, gritty Fort Lauterdale that the tourists never see. Sam Spade would love Seychelle Sullivan, the heroine of Kling's new novel, Surface Tension. Sullivan is determined, resourceful and honorable in a world where many men have no honor at all.

As the novel begins, Sullivan is the captain of a salvage ship responding to a distress call from a multi-million dollar yacht. She is determined to rescue the yacht's captain, a man she once loved. It is a bitter irony that Sullivan's desire to save a live soon threatens to destroy her own. She is forced to confront a world of greed, corruption and cruelty that would have frightened Dante himself.

Kling is such a gifted writer that the reader imagines that she is perched at his elbow, telling the story to him alone. Readers should be warned that this book is impossible to put down. Sleep is less important than finding out what happens to Seychelle Sullivan.

Kling has spent twenty years of her life on or around boats and her experience shows. She writes about the world of boating, fishing and skin diving with an authority that is one of the pleasures of this fast-paced thriller. If I could send Ms. Kling a message via ESP, it would be: "When is the sequel coming out?"

I bought this book for my father and ended up borrowing it back for a trip. It offers an unusually tender look at the 10 commandments. Instead of the harsh laws that humanity tends to view them as, the 10 commandments, according to Mehl, are important guidelines from a loving, all-knowing Father. He gently explains the reasoning behind them from a father's perspective and interjects some of his own desperate love for his sons and the lessons he tried to teach them.

Mehl tries to broaden our perspective of the 10 commandments as not simply statements within themselves, but guidelines with much broader meanings. For example, Thou Shalt Not Steal does not only mean the obvious, but also not stealing time or joy from someone else. Keeping the Sabbath means taking some time to rest and be still, instead of running ourselves into the ground everyday. After all, Mehl explains, not even God worked all week!

This is a beautiful gift, I think, for anyone of any age that can use a little reminding about the true nature of God and where we fit in to His plans. It is restful, knowledgable, and sweet.

The "thou shalt nots" of the 10 commandments can feel a little like a stern God admonishing us, but Mehl's book really shows the tremendous love and care behind each commandment and shows the spiritual depth of those 10 spiritual guides and landmarks. He casts a new light on them, by explaining that they provide a fence of protection around God's beloved children.

His chapter on the 7th commandment - adultery - is alone worth the price of the book. He speaks frankly about how he counsels young couples who wish to marry. It is a powerful chapter with much depth.

Mehl's writing style is warm and personable. His practical wisdom and Christly humility speak through every word of this powerful little book.

I've spent 7 years working *daily* to live the 10 commandments, but this book - "The ten(der) commandments" gave me many new insights and profound revelations.

Believe it or not, this is a great book to read! The author takes a subject that many of us want to avoid and offers a very different perspective of why we should obey God's laws. He shows clearly how the Ten Commandments are intended for our protection and are, actually, one of the deepest expressions of God's love. It's a great book for personal reading or to use in a Bible Study. The ideas are reinforced with several references to Scripture and Ron Mehl's personal experiences are related in a very truthful, thoughtful and entertaining way.

The British seem to be particularly adept at coming up with whimsical ideas, making them happen, and then writing about them (cf. comedian Tony Hawk's Round Ireland With A Fridge, and Playing the Moldovans At Tennis or journalist Andrew Marshall's The Trouser People to mention just a few recent examples). Shand continues the tradition, concocting a scheme to buy an elephant and march around India on its back. This quick-reading book is an account of his adventure in India, where he purchases an emaciated 30-year old elephant ... from a pair of saddhus (mystic holy men) in the province of Orissa (a few hundred kilometers SW of Calcutta). His goal is to walk her from the coast to the great elephant market on the banks of the Ganges at Sonepur Mela, some 1000 kilometers north, in Bihar, where he would sell her.

However, as he soon discovers, elephants have a lot of personality, and he quickly falls in love with his. The pleasure of the book is not its travelogue description of the sights and sounds along the way (although these do break things up), but the mischievous antics of the elephant and the discovery of its personality as a loving and lovable creature. Tara, the elephant, displays remarkable intelligence and wit over the course of the journey, although at times Shand does veer into anthropomorphizing her. While he doesn't go deep into the role of the elephant in Indian and Hindu culture, it's clear from his travels that they are widely revered as symbols of Ganesh, as bystanders often often small prayers and alms to Tara.

Shand's own lessons in becoming a "mahoot", one who is versed in the ways of elephants and able to ride/guide one, is an equally fascinating and touching story. An older and younger mahoot are along to train him, as is a photographer friend and two rascally drivers with a support Jeep. It's a fun adventure, with a suspiciously fortuitous climax at the market, when Shand discovers he can't bear to sell his elephant for use as a moneymaking curiosity. It's a touching book in many ways, although some readers may be put off by the notion of a Westerner traipsing around a poor country on an elephant, especially given India's colonial past. Still whatever one may think of that, Shand's love for the animal is clearly genuine. He's written a followup book (Queen of the Elephants), that's apparently not as good.

A remarkable story about one of the few Europeans to enter the mystical, beautiful, dangerous, austere and disappearing world of the Indian Mahoot. Shand writes honestly and insightfully about his experiences on an elephant Trek through India which makes the book all the more refreshing. An easy afternoon read by the fire with your map of India on your lap.

A wonderful, tender and very funny account of Mark Shand's journey across India on Tara, a female elephant of great charm. The reader cannot but fall in love with her, she is such an endearing personality. Mark Shand and I certainly did so. A great yarn of friendship and love between man and elephant. An assorted and unusual crew of travel companions is to be found here as well. But the greatest delight every time I re-read this book resides in encountering Tara time and again. She easily steals every scene which features her. Very highly recommended!