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Though there are a few good poems--The Impossibility of Languge, The Name of Things, Mother Sends My Poem..., Poem Not to Be Read..., Asked for a Happy Memory..., Why I Can't Cook..., I Would Like to Go Back...--I'm VERY DISAPPOINTED in OPEN HOUSE. I bought the book on the basis of Poem Not to Be Read... and all the fantastic reviews and places where the poems had been published, prizes won and all I can do is cover Aretha Franklin singing Who's ZOOmin' Who? with emphasis on ZOO! How this MS got published is totally beyond me...

Fennelly's book is the winner of the 2001 Kenyon Review Prize in Poetry. You have to read David Baker's (poetry editor of Kenyon Review) to really understand why. Then you have to read Fennelly's collection of poems, and you really understand why. It is a phenomenal collection of poems. There are countless poems in this collection that are great. This is a poet to watch.

Beth Ann Fennelly's debut book of poetry is an absolute delight. This is serious and intelligent poetry that should appeal to both the academic crowd as well as the average joe. And don't let "serious and intelligent" scare you away--there is great humor here as well, humor that invites and bites without stooping to the ease of pretentious irony that is so common these days. The long poem that makes up the center of the book, "From L'Hotel Terminus Notebooks," is alone worth the cover price, but even the shorter poems reveal Fennelly's mastery of language and timing and her love for the varieties of form. This is the kind of book I lend to people who say they don't like or don't understand poetry. If there were more poets writing with the intensity and surprise on display here, I believe poetry would be held more highly in the reading public's regard. Don't let this wonderful book sit on the shelf: buy it, read it, and tell your neighbors about it. Believe me, you will be hearing much more about Beth Ann Fennelly in the future.

I had never heard of the United States Information Agency until I read this book. Among other public diplomacy (read: propaganda) duties, the USIA is responsible for Radio Marti, the pro-US propaganda beamed in to Cuba and the Fullbright scholar program. The reason those of us living in the US don't know too much about the USIA's mission is that they are not allowed to use their propaganda skills on US citizens, even though their predecessor organization, the Committee on Public Information (CPI) was created during the Wilson administration specifically to convince the people of the US that fighting the Germans in World War I was critical to the security of the American homeland.

Post cold-war and especially during the Clinton administration, the USIA became the mouthpiece of NAFTA and the evangelization of people in other countries of the benefits of accepting American-style economies. This very brief book outlines much of this history and the author Nancy Snow makes it clear that any positive aspects of the program like the Fullbright program have been long buried under the pro-business propaganda machine of the Clinton and Bush the Younger administrations. The Fullbright program in particular became a tool to influence thought on market economics in Mexico and Canada, whose citizens were ambivalent about the promises of economic development promised by NAFTA.

Today, much of the USIA's work has been rolled into the State Department, headed by former advertising executive Charlotte Beers, who is charged with "rebranding America to the world" like the Uncle Ben's Rice she used to work on. The USIA is one of the vehicles of US economic and cultural hegemony, especially in countries that we can't go to war with. Snow's history and analysis ends with an action plan that is wider reaching than simply what to do with the USIA. It is really a series of concrete ideas for reforming the very government of our country.

This small book tells the story of the USIA (the US Information Agency), a government unit.
This institution was created with very good intentions (increase mutual understanding between people), but was diverted from its original goal and streamlined as a propaganda machine to promote the US economic system and business interests.

The author rightly stigmatizes harshly the democratic deficit in the US: a media monopoly, a political duopoly ruled by big business and big money, and a plutocracy which dominates without control public welfare, public lands, public airwaves and the pension trusts.
Prof. Snow proposes a seven point plan to restore true democracy, but the implementation will be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

This book should be read as a classic example of how particular interest groups take control of a public institution and turn it into a pro-private interests mouthpiece.

Not to be missed.

Someone please put this woman on TV!

This book was good. But, based on the information in the description I was a little disappointed.

I was looking for a book written by single women RVing alone. There are a couple of stories in the book written by a widowed woman, but the rest of the writers are traveling with their husbands/families.

As just an "RV Life" book I'd give it a 4.

Whether you go on the road this winter or stay at home, one thing on your must-do list is to take the time to read RV Traveling Tales - Women's Journeys on the Open Road.
The eclectic collection presents a bird's-eye view of life on the road with anecdotal stories from a woman's point-of-view. The often humorous, always thought-provoking tales reflect an extensive array of emotions and impressions from women who span a wide range of age, temperament, financial circumstances and marital status. If one story doesn't grab you with the "been there, done that" syndrome, another will.
Each story paints a vibrant picture of life in an RV. Each miniature composition captures the unquenchable spirit of women as they reflect on events ranging from mechanical trouble on the road and fighting the RV bulge (both for their units and themselves) to making lasting friendships in a transient setting and discovering (rediscovering?) the joy of life. Issues covered deal with just about anything encountered while RVing - from illness on the road, coping with expenses, fending off the wildlife (animal and human) and the trivial day-to-day things that make life an adventure.
Thank you, Jaimie Hall and Alice Zyetz, for putting together this collection of RVing stories. With representation from both American and Canadian women, RV Traveling Tales truly chronicles the history of RVing.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading (and re-reading) RV Traveling Tales and, as a woman who is totally committed to the RV camping lifestyle, rejoiced in discovering this inspired blend of stories from kindred souls. - Diane Batten, Editor, RV gazette/Explorer RV Club - Canada.

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Jaimie Hall and Alice Zyetz RV Traveling Tales: Women's Journeys On The Open Road is comprised of an engaging collection of travel-essays by a variety of authors about living in and traveling in an RV with an emphasis on the needs and experiences of women. Each writing is brief, yet presents a memorable snapshot of RV life. Enhanced with a glossary of RV terms, RV Traveling Tales is commended as being a thoroughly engaging work useful reading for anyone considering buying or taking a trip in an RV.

Had I read the reviews more critically, I would never have bought this book. From these reviews it is clear that Ms. Devi has popularized yoga, and in so doing, has trivialized yoga. Her earthy-crunchy, anecdotal babbling throughout the book makes this an excruciating read. I have never written a negative review of a book, but this book is an abomination.

I took her certification training and received the book at Ananda in California. I have shared the book with open minded pathophysiology instructors at The University of Utah College of Nursing. It is so helpful to have adapted poses to offer people of "less than perfect" bodies. Yoga has been so helpful to my patients on numerous levels. I also got to hear a testimony from one of the participants of the Dean Ornish Program on which she collaberated. He was inspiring by reaffirming the benefits of yoga came to him even without his appreciation for or acceptance of Eastern philosophies. But peace and healing came to him nonetheless. What an inspiration Nischala, her course and her book have been for me.

Finally, a book on Yoga that is based in the spirit. And for real people. It has amazed me to see that some very simple practices could actually do what modern medicine was not able to do. The stories are imspiring as is the antidotal information. As a person recovering from a life threatening illness it has become my bible. I taught me compassion for myself and for others. I am looking forward to Devi's next book.

The book is fine, but it in the back is a boiled down synopsis, about 5 pages, that suffices for the entire book. The rest of the book doesn't really add that much. The material here is good, but is available by reading a few white papers and faq's on the web. I didn't dislike the book, I just wish I hadn't spent the money.

If you are designing a large-scaled web application based on Struts, you should read this book first. Reading this book will help you avoid Struts architectural pitfalls and get a better idea what the Struts framework really offers. The pitfalls discussed in this book are all really insightful ,and the solutions suggested by the authors are well-designed and practical. An excellent pitfalls book!

Whether you're a beginner or an expert on Struts, Ant or JUnit, this book will provide you all the items you should watch out for. And if you're already in trouble with any of these technologies, its very likely that this book has it.

This is an excellent compilation of nostalgia about our twentieth century western movie heroes. It brought back many memories of my youth, when life was more simple and childhood heroes were easier to find.

The Table of Contents you have on this book should read this way!

Chapter 1 The Most Famous Hero of the West Hopalong Cassidy

Chapter 2.Action Hero of the West

Allan "Rocky" Lane

Chapter 3.The All-American Cowboy

Johnny Mack Brown

Chapter 4.Back in the Saddle Again

Gene Autry

Chapter 5.King of the Cowboys

Roy Rogers

Chapter 6.America's Most-Beloved Cowboy

Tex Ritter

Chapter 7.The Peaceable Man

Wild Bill Elliott

Chapter 8.The Gallant Defender

Charles Starrett aka The Durango Kid

Chapter 9.Michelangelo & The Outlaw

Bob Brown & AL Jennings

Chapter 10.Those Other Silver Screen Heroes

Monte Hale-Rex Allen-Don "Red" Barry-Sunset Carson Ray "Crash" Corrigan-Max Terhune-Robert Livingston Buster Crabbe-Eddie Dean-Tim Holt-Buck Jones-Lash LaRue-Tim McCoy-Ken Maynard-Tom Mix-Bob Steele-Whip Wilson-Jimmy Wakely*

Chapter 11.Saddle Queens of the Silver Screen

Jennifer Holt-Anne Gwynne-Lois Hall-Linda Stirling Virginia Mayo-Elaine Riley-June Story-Nell O'Day Peggy Stewart-Anne Jefferys

Chapter 12.The Cowboy and His Horse The Cowboy and The Name of the Horse He Rode!

I have just finsihed reading Those Wide Open Spaces and it is a great book. It is a book that the whole family will enjoy. It has been a long, long time since I went to those Saturday matinee movies in Philadelphia and watched by hero on the screen, Roy Rogers. This book brought back such wonderful memories that I had forgotten. The biographies about each star was very interesting with information that I had never known before. You will really enjoy this book and I recommend it for all ages. Looking forward to his next book.

I was one of many birth-mothers who received a copy of this book when considering open adoption. It seemed to be written for the adoptive perents to persuade them into open adption. The Open Adoption Experiance and The Other Mother are much better choices for birthmothers, and really give them the information they would need to make an informed choice.

This book allowed my husband and I to understand the evolution of open adoption -- what we now believe to be natural adoption. More importantly, "Dear Birthmother" described adoption from the perspective of birthmothers, which was a critical viewpoint for us hear while we were trying to also understand the concept of openness in adoption. When we were first considering adoption, we thought we'd want a "safe" experience where we'd only meet the birthmom and then she'd disappear. This book helped us see the range of openness that might be possible, as well as how closed adoption might feel instead. After reading this book and sharing many conversations about the idea of openness, our child was born and we began to experience the growth of our amazing, loving extended family that included our child's birthparents and birthgrandparents. How lucky we ALL began to feel. Now, during the wait for our second adoption, this book reminds me of how sure we are of open adoption and the abiding respect we have for the birthmother of our first child born to us through adoption.

As a birth mother I received this book from my son's adoptive mother. Reading through the pages was like reliving my experience all over again, but this time my tears were of joy. Thank you for creating a book that acknowledges bmoms & lets them know that they aren't alone even if it does feel like it.

I am surprised that other readers enjoyed this book, especially readers who like Rivera. I had the distinct impression that the author, Patrick Marnham, did not like Rivera. Rivera's larger than life personality can probably not be claimed to be understood by many people, and perhaps Marnham's total want of understanding is the source for his dislike.

While this could be one of several books to read about Diego Rivera it should not be relied heavily upon. Marnham does not seem to approve of many of the characters he writes about in this book . I don't think he has an appreciation for colorful people. I felt he was a very supressed and uptight person writing about some very free spirits.

A biography of Rivera seemed a poor subject choice for him. Perhaps being an art critic would be a better suited undertaking for him. Or maybe since his grasp of history seems good his temperment would be better suited to writing dry fact based history than attempting to discern the subtlties of the human character.

He made several assertions that he represented as fact. One that springs to mind was that Frida Kahlo commited suicide. While that May be true, it also may not be true.

Marnham collected information about Diego Rivera, where he went, when he went , etc, but gave no real sense of warmth of Diego Rivera. Since Rivera was a man of such great passion it was disappointing to have only a two dimensional portrait of him drawn. I felt I knew alot more of Marnham's personality after reading this book than of Rivera's. But touché I felt much the same about Marnham as he did Rivera, I didn't like him much.

Diego Rivera was born in the magical city of Guanajuato. This fact alone made me pick up this book and then buy it. I visited Guanajuato in 2002 and fell in love with the twisty roads, the Baroque facades of the Templos and the Basilica, the Easter-egg colored houses and the general feeling that one had been dropped down in a 18th Century Spanish town. Rivera left it with his mother at the age of six, but the city of his birth, with its recent mummies and Day of the Dead festivals left its mark on him.

Rivera lived in Mexico City until 1907, when he left for Spain and for the next 15 years lived there and in France. He picked up a common-law wife and then a lover- a portent of things to come. He met and was friends (or sometimes enemies) with some of the greatest artists of the period, including Picasso, Mondrian, Modigliani and Matisse. He worked in classic style until he accepted Cubism, only to move toward Cezanne-style art, and eventually to develop his own style. He eventually became one of the greatest of modern fresco painters. However, his character was far from flawless. He lied about his past often and in different ways, depending on the situation, was not very careful about personal hygiene, and also often ran away from relationships to avoid unpleasant realities.

Rivera joined the Mexican Communist Party (MCP) in 1922. After three failures at having a permanent relationship with a woman, he married the rather obsessional young Communist Frida Kahlo (who was twenty years his junior) in 1929. In that same year he was expelled from the MCP because of various internal party intrigues. He then became friends with the exiled Leon Trotsky, who repaid him by having a short affair with Frida. Frida, to make matters more complicated, was repaying Rivera for his affair with her sister. Because of his association with Trotsky, Rivera was not readmitted to the party again until 1954, after the death of Stalin. This summery only touches on and can hardly do justice to the complicated world of Diego Rivera, one of the most complex of men.

Patrick Marnham presents in this book the convoluted ins and outs of Rivera's life, his many affairs and his association with the art world and the Communist Party in vivid detail.

This is a fascinating study of this very complex and often selfish man who was also a great artist. It is also a window into a very confusing and turbulent time in the history of the World. It is a work that should be read by all interested in understanding this period and the modern world that rose from it.

With various books written on the life of Diego Rivera this one is a must have. Anytime a subject is studied, it this case the life of arguably the greatest Mexican muralist, it is worthwhile to have various perspectives before coming to one's own conclusion. In that regard this book is invaluable as the author doesn't give you a softball and is quick to point out the inconsistencies in other versions of the larger than life Diego Rivera's exploits, including his own autobiography. The book itself is a fascinating portrait into the life of the celebrated Mexican muralist's life, beginning with the unusual circumstnances of his youth, his sojourn to Europe and studying art in France, his mingling in the bohemian lfestyle with various artists and intellectuals of his era, including his at times not so friendly rivalry with Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, his return to Mexico, his politics(communist) and the troubles he had since he usually mixed art and politics, his many, many love affairs, his multiple marriages including several to soul mate Frida Kahlo, his association with Trotsky(and his wife), his work in the United States and his later years in Mexico where he remained productive in spite of failing health. It is all here, both the believable and the unbelieveable, meshing together for a fascinating look at a man that could literally charm the pants off of the most beautiful women of the world. Included are two seperate groups of pictures that include rarely seen vintage photographs and color prints of his most famous works. Every now and then I read a book that I want to savor and take my time. Like a special meal or an intimate moment, this book was one that I wanted to savor once I began. I wanted to make it last because it was so enjoyable, knowing that the inevitable consequence of my reading would make it end I almost regretted finishing the book. I took days to read the final chapters in the hope that somehow the experience would not end. I would highly recommend this book to those that are interested in Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Mexican art or history. It is a book that paints more than a picture, it is more like a grand mural that captures the fantastic life of Diego Rivera. This is a highly enjoyable book and an indispensable aid in understanding the complex makeup of one of the true giants of art in the twentieth century.

This is basically a time-warp report which punishes Russia about past tragedies, human suffering, and sly politics; written with a sort of morose satisfaction. It's not about the Russian spirit successfully striving to leapfrog from the 19th century Russian culture into the 21st century global culture. Readers will either rub their hands with glee at the sullen, false representation of Russia's lost century as still extant, or they will admire the spirit, creativity and willpower of a people strong enough to bounce from a 3rd world country to a fledgling 1st world country...in just ten years!

For the savvy reader, the book does provide a remarkable opportunity to read between the lines and compare new news with old history. The trap for the unwary reader is to take the author's second-hand descriptions of old Russian tragedies and past injustices as a blanket picture of present day. He lovingly describes the infrastructure conditions left over from an oppressive era; cracked buildings, ex gulag-prisoners' memories, hidden mass graves, cold trains, sheep's-head dinners, 1940-truck repairs, out-dated clothing, smuggling, mud, vodka, no bitumen, and so on.
All seems hopeless and the read can be a bit of a downer unless one slaps himself awake to realize that Russia is not starting from the bottom. It's not an apathetic, fly-blown, poverty stricken bog that can't feed itself. In reality, there is no-one starving, the trains are clean and do run on time. They have industry, science, medicine, atomic energy, universities, space travel, literature, art, agriculture, creative spirit, smiles and hope.
Otto von Bismark, the Prussian chancellor, once commented, "The Russians may take a long time to saddle their horses, but when they ride, they ride!"

I give the book three stars for reporting, with seeming relish, only the unsavory.There's an opportunity for the author to redeem his objectivity and do the trip again in present time for Volume Two. It would make a very interesting read. Except next time, interview the people who are remaking the country; shave, bathe and leave the back-pack at home.

A good effort, and most of it is interesting and entertaining. His description of the mood and conditions are quite accurate and illuminating.

Which is the rub - his bias gives the book a feel of one written at the height of the Reagan era, and not by a typical American travelling Russia in the 90s. An 'Information Officer' in the U.S. embassy, son of a spook... 'nuff ced. His description of Russian trains clearly show he's NEVER ridden on Amtrak, and his condemnation of 'soulless monumental Stalinist architecture' makes me wonder WHERE in Washington D.C. he was living.

The main annoyance with the book is his constant references to some mysterious pre-revolutionary golden age in Russia. Basically, he seems to feel that everything SINCE the Revolution was bad, and everything BEFORE automatically good (perhaps coming up with spin for the State Dept. has made it easy for him to ignore the pre-revolutionary 90% illiteracy, NO health care, serfdom, etc. - he doesn't seem to recall that the schoolkids he talks to wouldn't have BEEN schoolkids under old Nicky II).

As I said, a good read, but it has a definite Reagan-era feel to it. A good companion to Jeffrey Tayler's OUTSTANDING 'Siberian Dawn', or Colin Thubron's "Lost Heart of Asia', and 'In Siberia'.

A former member of the US embassy staff in the old Soviet Union, Taplin is able to walk you through the booze fueled transistion from communism to democracy.

It's not a blow by blow historical read but a time stamp of someone who was there when these events happened and chronicles the reactions of the average Yuri on the street to the countries tectonics.

The title is a reference to the agreement (the Open Lands agreement) signed between the US and Russia that allowed each others citizens unimpeded access to the areas of the respective countries. When Nikita Kruschev came to America he was irate at not being allowed to visit LA. It was closed. With the new open lands agreement Taplin journeys to the previously unvisited (by Americans) towns of Russia.

A great job.

The theme of nearly all of the "stories" relvolve about death (someone else's) which leaves the survivor as the victor or sometimes just the survivor. Sounds like bad medicine to me. The smarmy introductions provided by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen set the scene for real tear jerkers with no moral to the whole sad production. Don't waste your money and postage on this. I'm requesting a refund. Alex Ryan

I have several of the Chicken Soup books, I would love to have them all! I can sit for hours and read the short stories over and over. I've noticed that my pastor uses alot of them in his sermons also. It just warms my heart when I read the touching stories about struggles and triumphs in the lives of others. Some say that the series is depressing but I find that when I'm in a dark moment I can read or recall some of the stories I've read and I feel better. They just help shed new light on certain situations. Great gifts also. I've given them to friends and family members on different occasions. They loved them.

My beloved friend gave me this book for a gift. This is the most wonderful book I've read recently. It reminded me how we were when we were young and naive. If you are wondering what to get for friend who you love, this is it.