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* *
* R E A D I N G F O R P L E A S U R E *
* *
* Issue #18 *
* August/September 1991 *
* *
* *
* Editor: Cindy Bartorillo *
* *
* Reviews by: Cindy & Drew Bartorillo, Carol Bream, *
* Jack Curtin, Dan Ellis, Howard Frye, Carl Ingram, *
* Peter de Jager, Darryl Kenning, Janet Peters, Robert *
* Pittman, Peter Quint, Carol Sheffert, Annie Wilkes, *
* Robert Willis *
* *
* "Books I've Been Meaning To Read" *
* *
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CONTACT US AT: Reading For Pleasure, 103 Baughman's Lane, Suite 303,
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
What's News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Books I've Been Meaning To Read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Lost Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Good Reading Periodically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Mainstream Fiction Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 548
Nonfiction Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751
The Natural World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753
The Computer Bookshelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 911
Seeking Serenity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1370
Loompanics Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1619
Murder By The Book (Mystery Reviews) . . . . . . . . . . . 2464
Loosen Your Grip On Reality (SF & Fantasy Reviews) . . . . 3394
Frightful Fiction (Horror Reviews) . . . . . . . . . . . . 4267
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EDITORIAL
Welcome to RFP #18. I think there are more good reading suggestions in
this issue than ever before. At least it seems that way to me--I've
had a lot of fun in the past two months reading many of the books
you'll see talked about here. And it doesn't look like the good news
stops here; the fall lineup I've been hearing about sounds really
great this year. (Last fall was pretty much a disappointment all the
way around. Or was I just in a bad mood for 4 months?) While I've got
you here, let me pass on a few notes:
SUBSCRIPTIONS: I've been getting questions about subscriptions to the
print edition of RFP. The bottom line is: send me $2/$4/$6 and I'll
send you the next 1/2/3 issues. I don't like to make promises any
further ahead than that. Remember, the very best way to get RFP is to
give your computer a modem and download each issue for free. See our
Distribution Directory for a BBS near you, or call The Baudline II to
get RFP from us directly.
ADVERTISING: We don't accept advertising, but if you send us a copy
of whatever it is you have to sell there's a good chance we'll mention
it in the next available issue of RFP. We will mention it, and
possibly review it, if 1) It's some kind of text or is book-related,
and 2) It strikes us as something RFP readers might want to know
about. Be sure to include the necessary ordering information.
WHERE TO SEND THINGS: If you want to send books, information, or
other materials to RFP, address them to:
Reading For Pleasure
103 Baughman's Lane, Suite 303
Frederick, MD 21702
Watch for issue #19, due to be released October 1, 1991. This will be
our annual Halloween Issue, and we hope to have a lot of scary
recommendations for your fall reading list. Right now it's difficult
to imagine fall--the temperature yesterday was near 100 degrees. If
the computers don't melt, see you next time.
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WHAT'S NEWS
* You probably don't want to miss THE MEDIEVAL HOME COMPANION, a
September release from HarperCollins. It's a translation of a 14th
century manuscript with a new husband's instructions to his bride on
proper conduct in marriage and management of a household. Sure to be a
conversation starter for months.
* BLACK COCKTAIL, a novella by Jonathan Carroll, is due to be released
by St. Martin's in September 1991 as a stand-alone hardcover. If you
haven't fallen under the Carroll spell yet, check it out. You can find
out more about his books in RFP #15, when he was one of the Featured
Authors.
* The Turner Tomorrow Award top prize went to ISHMAEL by Daniel Quinn,
who got $500,000 and will have his book published in January 1992 by
Turner Publishing and Bantam.
* Bantam has purchased world rights (all permissions except for film)
to the memoirs of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf for a sum estimated at
more than $5 million.
* Just when you thought you'd never hear "Iran-Contra" again, Wiley
bought the North American rights to the inside story as told by Maj.
Gen. Richard V. Secord. According to Secord's agent, "He's going to
clear his name by revealing everything he knows, including rolling
over Reagan and Bush for their participation." The book is tentatively
titled HONORED AND BETRAYED: MY SECRET WARS and is being co-written by
Jay Wurts (WHEN HEAVEN AND EARTH CHANGED PLACES).
* BEFORE AND AFTER, a novel by Rosellen Brown in which a 17-year-old
son in a seemingly average family is charged with murdering a
neighbor's child, has been optioned by GPEC (Guber Peters
Entertainment Corp.) for Meryl Streep to star in and Barbet Schroeder
(REVERSAL OF FORTUNE) to direct.
* Jay Brandon's RULES OF EVIDENCE, about a black lawyer who defends a
white cop accused of a racial killing, has been optioned by Universal
for a film starring Bill Cosby.
* Have you heard about the Writers' Helpline? Any writer can get
marketing tips 24 hours a day for $2 per minute by calling
900-988-1838, ext. 549.
* HarperCollins bought world rights to I HOPE: REMINISCENCES AND
REFLECTIONS by Raisa Gorbachev, scheduled for release in early
September. The book is a series of conversations between Mrs.
Gorbachev and Soviet writer Georgy Pryakhin and contains 28 pages of
photographs chosen by the subject herself.
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BOOKS I'VE BEEN MEANING TO READ
by Cindy Bartorillo
We all have a list like this, don't we? Books you feel you SHOULD read
for one reason or another, or books that sound good but somehow you've
just never quite gotten around to them. We conducted an informal
survey around RFP Central and came up with the following short list.
Are some of these books on your list too?
WAR AND PEACE by Leo Tolstoy. Yep, we start out with the big one, and
I do mean BIG. Everybody is always droning on about how this is the
greatest novel ever written, but gee! Did it have to be that long? And
the characters--not only are there a kajillion different people, they
all have unpronounceable looong names. All I can tell you is that real
people (not college English professors) who have conquered these
initial prejudices say that it's all worthwhile. The story is
magnificent and the characters actually settle into identifiable
patterns after a while. Nowadays everybody seems to like these huge,
sprawling epic novels. Well, this is the original; the one they're all
trying to duplicate.
something SHAKESPEARE. Shakespeare is virtually a synonym for
culture. Even the ol' Lethal Weapon himself has felt the urge to prove
his craft with HAMLET. So why haven't you been reading your
Shakespeare? Mostly it's the weird language, but the fact that it's
poetry doesn't help either. A bit too MUCH culture all at once, don't
you think?. Here's a few recommendations from those who've been there:
1) Stick to the good stuff. Even Shakespeare could be boring. Start
with HAMLET, then go on to OTHELLO and KING LEAR. For a comedy, try
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE or MEASURE FOR MEASURE. 2) Get yourself a good
copy of the play you want to read. Many swear by the Folger Library
series, but anything with easy-to-use explanatory notes will do. With
a little initial help, you'll find you develop an ear for the language
and you won't need the notes after a while. 3) About the poetry--just
ignore it. Just pretend it's prose. Don't EVER read it in nursery
rhyme cadence. 4) Shakespeare must be heard to be truly appreciated.
Why not read the plays aloud to yourself?
MOBY DICK by Herman Melville. This is supposedly one of America's
greatest contributions to World Literature. But did it have to be
about some old coot and a whale? And why does it have to be such a
long story with such small type? Inside word is that this is not only
a very exciting book, but is an education in literature all by itself.
It's nearly impossible to read the story of Ahab and Moby Dick without
finding and interpreting deeper levels to the surface plot, even if
you've never thought about things like that in your life. And this is
without some boring professor putting you to sleep every Tuesday and
Thursday for 90 minutes. The big trick to MOBY DICK is to hang in
there for 100, maybe 150 pages, to let the interest level sneak up and
grab you.
1984 and ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell. These are a couple of those
really embarrassing books that everyone just seems to expect you to
have read. They talk about Big Brother, the Thought Police, and some
animals being more equal than others, without explanation or citation,
just KNOWING that anyone who can read knows what they're talking
about. The good news is that both of these books are very quick reads.
You can catch up on your social theory in just a day or two's
concentrated reading.
DAVID COPPERFIELD by Charles Dickens. Another huge book. And you ever
notice the non-answer you get when you ask someone what it's about?
"Well, this guy has a rotten childhood, grows up anyway, gets a job,
gets married, then realizes he screwed it all up and becomes a
writer." Not much of an advertisement, is it? The inside scoop on this
one is: pretend you're watching a soap opera, and enjoy the secondary
characters. You'll really enjoy meeting the Micawbers and the
Murdstones, wonderful Peggotty and the ultimate creep, Uriah Heep. The
episodic, rambling structure of the story won't seem so weird if you
think of it as a soap opera like DALLAS or DYNASTY.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien. The two big hurdles to
reading this story cycle are the page count and the fact that this is
"just" a fantasy. It just doesn't seem very adult; doesn't fit in with
the serious intellectual image we have created for ourselves. Maybe it
would help to concentrate on Tolkien and his accomplishment here.
Tolkien was a serious academic; he taught Anglo-Saxon literature at
Oxford, for goodness sake. And in THE LORD OF THE RINGS (and
associated works) he "merely" created an entire world, complete with a
language system, history, anthropology, geography, and literature. You
may never meet another mind as creative as Tolkien's. Give yourself a
treat someday and spend some time with hobbits, elves, dwarves,
wizards, orcs, and ants.
Once you get started with this, it's difficult to know where to stop.
If you'd like a little help with your reading selections, be sure to
get yourself a copy of...
AN ENGLISH LIBRARY: Sixth Edition
edited by Nigel Farrow, Brian Last, Vernon Pratt
(Gower Publishing, 1990, $29.95, ISBN 0-566-05818-9)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
The first edition of AN ENGLISH LIBRARY was published in 1943, the
fifth arriving in 1963, so this is the first update in over a quarter
of a century. As editor Nigel Farrow says in his Introduction,
"AN ENGLISH LIBRARY is for everyone who likes reading books. It has
been compiled with one objective: to identify the books from the
classical and modern heritage that will extend your enjoyment of
reading."
AN ENGLISH LIBRARY has over 2500 titles, arranged in 15 categories,
selected by a panel of readers who "write, teach or publish books for
a living but read them for enjoyment". This is one reference book for
readers that makes no apologies for the joy of reading; you needn't
excuse your reading with rhetoric derived from Literary Criticism. "If
a book is listed in these pages it is because it has given an
experienced reader real pleasure, not because it fits a particular
critical theory of literary excellence."
This volume is like having a circle of fellow readers to exchange
views with any time you like. Agree with them, argue with them, and,
most importantly, allow them to make suggestions for you. It's
difficult not to fall under the charm of AN ENGLISH LIBRARY when Nigel
Farrow makes statements like,
"Reading is not a competition: challenge yourself but do not waste
valuable time reading without enjoyment."
Entries are arranged into the following categories: Fiction, World
Literature in English, Children's Literature, Poetry, Drama,
Biography, Autobiography, Essays and Other Prose Writings, Travel,
Literary Criticism, History, Philosophy and Other Writings on Morals
and Religion, The Bible, Fine Arts, and Reference. For the serious
reader who really enjoys reading, this volume is indispensable.
Here's a sample entry:
Kurt VONNEGUT Jr. (1922- )
SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE 1969
A powerful work inspired by Vonnegut's own experience on emerging from
an underground slaughterhouse after the horrific bombing of Dresden in
World War II. Bill Pilgrim comes to see the tragic absurdity of life,
a feature of all Vonnegut's novels, but seldom realized by his
characters.
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_________________________
( )
( LOST STORIES )
( by Peter de Jager )
(_________________________)
The book reviewed this time must stand alone as I could not find a
another book like it. If I were forced to chose another it would have
to be ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE by Pirsig. This is by
no means a "Lost Story" so it is outside the domain of this column.
(On the other hand... if you have not read ZEN... then get a copy. It
will get you thinking in new ways.)
Another reason for the single review this issue is that I had planned
to do reviews of two totally different books. The first was THE HAB
THEORY by Allan W. Eckert. The second was THE JESUS FACTOR by ?... My
problem is that I cannot find a copy of THE JESUS FACTOR anywhere!
This makes it a true "Lost Story", one I have been searching for high
and low for weeks.
The reason why these two books were chosen is they both create
theories that at first sound ludicrous... but which force us to ask
"Could it? naw..." If anyone has a copy of THE JESUS FACTOR they would
be interested in loaning me for a short period, please contact me via
CompuServe (ID: 70611,2576). I would like to have these reviews ready
for the next issue of RFP.
THE STARSHIP AND THE CANOE
by Kenneth Brower
Published 1978 by Holt Rinehart & Winston ISBN 0-553-12451-X
This is not a "story" in the traditional sense. It is more a biography
of father and son. Freeman Dyson and his son George. The father is a
nuclear physicist who wants to ride to the stars on Orion, a
spacecraft powered by nuclear explosions from surplus atomic bombs.
The son builds silent canoes and lives in a tree house besieged by
flying squirrels.
On one level, the dual biography is just that, a tale of two men on
different paths. There is little in common between these two
individuals.
One is determined to reach the stars both for himself and for mankind.
He is searching for new frontiers. He finds potential in comets,
asteroids and possibly other planets. He solves ecological problems by
creating trees growing hundreds of miles into space.
His son seeks solitude on the west coast of America, traveling from
southern British Columbia to Alaska in a homemade 32 foot canoe. The
rooms of his home are scattered along the coast, from a single room
treehouse 60 ft in the air to a rock cabin existing only in his mind.
These men have little in common other than blood and eccentricity.
On another level the two biographies could be of the same individual.
One possessed with great vision, determination and compassion for this
planet. They are both geniuses, one in the hard sciences and the other
in life. They both suffer (? are blessed with) tremendous imaginations
leading them to different lifestyles.
THE STARSHIP AND THE CANOE is a musical narrative. Kenneth Brower has
a poetic turn of phrase (although I suspect that the poetry came
sometimes from the subjects rather than the author), he also plays the
two men against each other in subtle counterpoint. The father amongst
the Stars, the Son amongst the Waves.
I have two copies of The Starship and the Canoe... if you cannot find
a copy, I will send you one of mine... on one condition: you send it
to the next person on the list I send you. You see, I expect to
receive more than one request for a copy, if we pass it on with loving
care... maybe it won't be a lost story anymore? Contact me on
Compuserve. Happy reading!
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GOOD READING PERIODICALLY
reviews by Cindy Bartorillo
WONDER
Observing and Confronting the Enigmas That Surround Us
Issue No. 1
The most interesting magazine I've discovered lately is WONDER, an
"irregular" periodical devoted to intellectual inquiry. The first
issue has articles on graphic artist M.C. Escher, Raised Planting
Fields (an ingenious agricultural technique resurrected from the mists
of pre-history), the idea of a Space Tower (a physical connection
between Earth and space along which we could travel without rockets),
and Part I of a history of cartography. The magazine closes with a
section called "Voices From The Past", in which good ideas get a new
airing: quotes from Albert Einstein, The Bill of Rights, and Leonardo
da Vinci's Canon of Proportions.
The entire magazine is printed on very heavy, slick paper; the type
size is large and very easy to read; and the whole issue is filled
with beautiful black and white illustrations. The M.C. Escher article
alone contains 18 of his prints, including a two-page layout of his
famous "Metamorphosis". The cartography article has many lovely map
reproductions as well. Also, each article comes with a short list of
sources for "Further Information", in case the text has fired an
intellectual flame.
WONDER costs $5 (plus $1.50 shipping) for each issue, $100 for a
lifetime subscription. Send your money to: Ziggurat Press, Box 394,
Sound Beach, NY 11789.
1 BIT SHOE #7
$1.50 from: David A. Walbridge, 2760 Louisiana Ct. #9, St. Louis Pk,
MN 55426
This is a poorly produced home-grown magazine of words and
illustrations that is really interesting. The informality of its
production is part of its charm, and lends a sense of spontaneity to
the whole production. This issue is devoted to art, and includes
paragraphs like:
"The key to creating is letting yourself. no talk of what on artist is
or isn't or who your teacher said had pontential or who took the best
classes, but just doing it. Just create. It is important to separate
the editing function from the creative one. the two cannot exist
simeltaneously. let them take turns."
Beyond the art thoughts, and the reproductions, there are random
ideas, letters, hand-written add-ons, all adding up to a very
entertaining package. Why don't you send David a little money and let
him show you what he's been up to lately? He says that issue #8 should
be out by July 1, 1991.
COLUMBUS FEVER
Next year will be the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus'
discovery of the Americas (if you don't count earlier discoveries). As
you might imagine, loads of big events are planned in celebration; but
not everyone is in a festive mood--particularly those who know
something about the real story of Columbus. Hint: He wasn't quite the
great guy you read about in your grade school textbook. Two new
magazines are dedicated to countering the hypocrisy of the 1992
anniversary celebrations: huracan, Box 7591, Minneapolis, MN 55407
($15 for 4 quarterly issues); and Native Nations, 175 5th Avenue,
Suite 2245, New York, NY 10010 ($20 for 12 monthly issues). This
information was found in Utne Reader, a fantastic magazine that you
all should try (Utne Reader, Subscriber Services, PO Box 1974, Marion,
OH 43306-2074; $18 for 6 bimonthly issues).
WIGWAG
Wigwag has died, and will be sorely missed.
THE VILLAGE IDIOT
If you enjoy short fiction and poetry, you might want to check out THE
VILLAGE IDIOT, a triannual collection of fiction, poetry, artwork, and
reviews. The issue I saw, #13 May-August 1991, even included an essay
called "On Isolation" by Gabriel Monteleone Neruda. The fiction was
several cuts above average, and the whole magazine was a pleasure to
read. "Jet Fuel" by Cindy Rosmus evoked the lives of the inner-city
poor with both sensitivity and cynicism. "It's Hell to Die Rich" by
Jess Willbanks is a touching story of two west-coast hobos. And "Bundt
Cake or Coffee Cake" by Elizabeth Mathes penetrates the American Way
of Death, and hypocrisy. Issue #14 should be out by the time you read
this. Single copies are $3, a three-issue subscription is $7.50. Send
your money to THE VILLAGE IDIOT, Mother of Ashes Press, PO Box 66,
Harrison, Idaho 83833-0066.
THE SPEAR-SHAKER REVIEW
THE SPEAR-SHAKER REVIEW is a quarterly magazine devoted to the
proposition that Shakespeare wasn't who we think he was. Many people
now believe that the "Shakespeare" plays were written by Edward de
Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. Each issue of THE SPEAR-SHAKER REVIEW
carries a full complement of articles written by scholars in the
vanguard of Oxfordian research, carefully edited to be entertaining as
well as informative. The issue I saw (May 1991) was very interesting;
I particularly liked the cover piece about six known "signatures" of
Shakespeare. Having the signatures reproduced with the article made
the information very easy to follow. If you'd like to get in on the
fun, send $24 for 4 issues to: Spear Shaker Press, PO Box 308,
Napanoch, NY 12458.
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MAINSTREAM FICTION REVIEWS
ROOM TEMPERATURE
by Nicholson Baker
(Grove Weidenfeld, 1990)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
I chose Nicholson Baker's first published book, THE MEZZANINE, as one
of my favorite three books of all the ones that I read in 1989. It's
the story of a man who breaks a shoelace, goes to the men's room, then
leaves his office to get his lunch and eat it outside. During all
this, our hero ruminates about the inventor of Jiffy Pop, whether the
electric hand dryers in restrooms are really more sanitary, why straw
wrappers are so tight now, the incredible engineering of milk cartons,
why shoelaces break... You get the idea. The "subject" of the book is
the trivia of our everyday lives, and the hero has many fascinating
thoughts about these ubiquitous bits of popular culture.
ROOM TEMPERATURE is similarly structured. Now our hero is a young
married man with a new baby, and the "plot" here is sitting with his
baby (called "the Bug") on his lap and alternately feeding her and
watching her sleep. While she goes about her tiny baby business, our
hero contemplates her, his wife, air currents, playing the French
Horn, how to tell what someone's writing by the sound the pen makes on
the paper... Many of the same pleasure of THE MEZZANINE are present
once again in ROOM TEMPERATURE, but I didn't enjoy the second book
nearly as much as I did the first. For one thing, the subjects
discussed were less interesting to me. Too many pages were spent on
nose picking and pet names for defecation, subjects which may have
some temporary interest to immediate participants, but whose
fascination doesn't travel well. Other subjects, such as playing the
French Horn, or wind instruments in general, were simply foreign to
me, in contrast to the universal nature of the subjects in the first
book. The other problem I had was the lack of plot. Now I realize that
THE MEZZANINE didn't have much of a plot either, but it did have SOME;
enough to give the book a bit of structure, to give the words a sense
of forward motion. ROOM TEMPERATURE has much more of a WAITING FOR
GODOT feeling about it, a senselessness, formlessness. Still
interesting, you understand, but not nearly as much so as THE
MEZZANINE. Nicholson Baker has another book out now, U AND I, which is
definitely on my reading list as well. He's an author that deserves
careful watching--and reading.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
THE BIRD WHO CLEANS THE WORLD and other Mayan Fables
by Victor Montejo, translated by Wallace Kaufman
(Curbstone Press, June 1991, $24.95)
Sent out as a scout after the Flood, the buzzard forgot his mission
and, overcome by hunger, ate carrion: his punishment was to eat only
carrion from that day forward, thus cleaning the world. This and other
Jakaltek Mayan folk tales, first told to the author by his mother and
the elders of his Guatemalan village, have a deceptive simplicity and
charm while they deal with weighty themes like mutual respect,
creation, nature, and ethnic relations and conflicts. Available for
the first time in English and illustrated with Mayan images, they
speak eloquently of an ancient culture and are sure to delight readers
of all ages.
(Curbstone Press, 321 Jackson Street, Willimantic, CT 06226)
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
FORCE OF GRAVITY
by R.S. Jones
(Viking, June 1991, $19.95, ISBN 0-670-83591-9)
review by Howard Frye
Many writers have discovered the advantages of creating a lead,
point-of-view character who is mentally ill. Some examples are:
Dostoevski's THE DOUBLE, Shirley Jackson's THE BIRD'S NEST, Ken
Kesey's ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, Sylvia Plath's THE BELL JAR
(I'm not sure this one counts as an artistic choice), and Edgar Allan
Poe's THE TELL-TALE HEART. The eyes of the psychologically disturbed
see things that others don't see, and give the writer a chance to
illuminate life from a different perspective. And when the mentally
ill character is as unfortunate and charming as FORCE OF GRAVITY's
Emmet, the resulting tale is fresh and captivating.
Poor Emmet began life being bounced from parent to grandparent, with a
mother who invaded his life only sporadically. Now he's living alone
in New York City, but it's not quite the city most of the other
inhabitants live in. Emmet's city looks more like NYC reflected in a
funhouse mirror: people appear ominously out of nowhere, spy on Emmet
from hidden locations, speak incomprehensibly. Emmet will only eat
carrots, but realizes that this sounds "crazy", so he creates large
and lavish imaginary meals to tell his psychiatrist about at every
meeting, not-so-cleverly hiding his aversion to food by talking about
nothing else.
Emmet's equally unhappy dog howls whenever he leaves the apartment, so
he adopts a cat to keep the dog company. It hardly comes as a surprise
to the reader when this doesn't work out very well. Intimidating store
clerks cheat Emmet when he pretends to be a foreigner who doesn't
understand American money. And a massive burglary presents Emmet with
an invasion of privacy that would disturb even a more psychologically
balanced individual. Through it all Emmet is kind and generous,
struggling to cope with world that gets larger as he gets smaller.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
"Literature was my next love. Until I became loosely acquainted with
critical theory, which struck me as a kind of intellectualism for its
own sake. It always seems that one has to choose literature or
critical theory, that one cannot love both."
---from HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT by Whitney Otto
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
THE OLD MAN AND MR. SMITH: A Fable
by Peter Ustinov
(Arcade, 1991, $19.95, ISBN 1-55970-134-X)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
The Old Man is a portly guy in robes and tennis shoes. Mr. Smith is a
smaller dark man with a nasty temper and an odor of sulphur. In case
you haven't recognized them yet, they are God and Satan, the renowned
stars of ancient texts and Broadway musicals, and they have come to
earth to take a look around, to see what we've done with His creation.
Almost immediately they get into trouble, when the concierge of a
hotel asks the Old Man for His name. The concierge isn't very happy
with the answer, "God". He becomes happier when the Old Man gives him
thousands of dollars which He has just pulled from the pocket of His
robes, but the local bank declares the bills to be counterfeit. Now He
has the FBI on His trail, and the Old Man and Mr. Smith must flee.
The pair visit locations all over the globe and talk to a diversity of
human beings: a forest ranger, a prostitute, a TV evangelist, the
President of the United States, a First Secretary in the Kremlin, a
panel of rabbis, a Japanese billionaire, and a group of Indian holy
men. As you might expect, this broad canvas allows Peter Ustinov to
display his famous wit on a rainbow of subjects, and the author's
intelligence is what keeps the story from being a one-note joke.
The Old Man finds it odd that Americans find it easier to believe the
pair are Soviet subversives, or even aliens from outer space, than
that they are God and the Devil. And when the Old Man performs actions
that are clearly beyond the ability of humans--are those actions
"tricks" or "miracles"? There is some discussion that they are
miracles simply by virtue of the identity of the performer. For anyone
else, they would be tricks. At another time, the two disappear from
one location with the intention to reappear at an agreed upon second
location, but something goes wrong and they wind up at an alternate
destination. Are God's powers limited? And when significant occurrences
at the alternate location bring up the question of whether the
"mistake" was meant to happen, one must ask: Meant by whom?
Along the way, there are bits and pieces of verbal sagacity that make
you want to take notes, and Ustinov works hard to keep the Devil from
getting all the good lines. I liked the thought that "Perfection is
one of those concepts that looks so foolproof in theory, until
practice turns it into a contagious yawn." And my favorite
word-painting comes when the saintly are described as those "with
sickly little smiles of imminent omniscience."
Author Peter Ustinov, or more correctly Sir Peter Ustinov (Queen
Elizabeth knighted him in 1990), has written a novel that is witty and
wise. He's created a view of mankind that sees the flaws with great
humor and yet still feels optimism with the warmth of a fond parent. A
modern Renaissance man, Sir Peter has performed in more than 50 films
(winning an Oscar along the way), and is the author of more than 25
works including fiction, drama, essays, travel writing, and
autobiography. THE OLD MAN AND MR. SMITH is his third novel, and we
can only hope that there are many more to come. Recommended.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
KNOPF REDESIGNS AND RE-LAUNCHES "EVERYMAN'S LIBRARY"
The classic hardcover library of the world's great books returns this
fall from Knopf. Each volume will be 5" x 8-1/4", have anywhere from
240 to 1,008 pages, be priced from $15 to $20, and will have
gold-stamped cloth bindings which will vary in color according to era
or genre (20th-century books are blue, poetry is sand colored, etc.).
The first titles, being released in September of 1991, are:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Cousin Bette by Honore de Balzac
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
The Woman In White by William Wilkie Collins
Typhoon by Joseph Conrad
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Poems by John Donne
Middlemarch by George Eliot
The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Childhood, Boyhood and Youth by Leo Tolstoy
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
Germinal by Emile Zola
**************************
NONFICTION REVIEWS
***> THE NATURAL WORLD
THE PRIVATE LIVES OF GARDEN BIRDS
How to Understand the Everyday Behavior of the Birds in Your Backyard
by Calvin Simonds
(Globe Pequot, April 1991, $12.95, ISBN 0-87106-315-8)
review by Howard Frye
Author Calvin Simonds is an ethologist, a behavioral biologist who
examines nature from the point of view of the organisms that live in
it---a fitting choice for a guide to the lives of the birds you share
your backyard with. Charming essays cover the personalities and
lifestyles of: Mockingbirds, Swallows, Blue Jays, Chickadees, Song
Sparrows, English Sparrows, Phoebes, Crows, Red-Winged Blackbirds, and
Robins.
PRIVATE LIVES is for people whose interest in birds falls somewhere
between field guides and comprehensive ornithological tomes. You care
enough to have gotten some sort of field guide and identified at least
a few of the more popular species around your house, maybe you've put
up a feeder, maybe even a modest birdbath, but you're not quite ready
to go for a graduate degree in bird biology. You'd like to enhance
your understanding and enjoyment of the birds around you, but you're
not willing to devote months of study to the task. What do you do? Get
Calvin Simonds' THE PRIVATE LIVES OF GARDEN BIRDS.
Simonds will explain why robins are always hopping around your lawn
while other birds stick to the bushes and trees. You'll find out that
blue jays often live in extended families, and why they will empty a
feeder faster than any other bird. You'll learn why your garden is
probably "owned" by a song sparrow, and why a chickadee is the bird
most likely to eat right out of your hand. Simonds' prose is a
pleasure to read, and his fascinations are infectious. THE PRIVATE
LIVES OF GARDEN BIRDS is sure to add to your enjoyment of your own
little patch of outdoors. Recommended.
THE PRIVATE LIVES OF GARDEN BIRDS is available at your local bookstore
or order directly from Globe Pequot Press (138 West Main Street, Box
Q, Chester, CT 06412; 1-800-243-0495; in CT, 1-800-962-0973) and
please include a $3 shipping and handling fee.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
THE GARDENER'S YEAR
A Practical Guide to Gardening in Rhythm With Nature
by John Ferguson & Burkhard Muecke
(Barron's, March 1991, $29.95, ISBN 0-8120-6184-5)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
As an amateur gardener, I've spent the usual amount of time worrying
about average first and last frost dates, average monthly rain inches,
average number of sun days, etc. You get your facts and figures, you
study the seed and plant catalogs, and you carefully make your
selections and allot each plant a space around your home with the
precision of the Army Corps of Engineers. Then you find that, once
again, the only one who hasn't studied the facts and figures is Mother
Nature, who acts on any whim that comes her way, and makes a mess of
all your plans.
As Ferguson & Muecke figured out, the problem is that we're using the
Gregorian calendar (a human construct) to regulate our manipulation of
a natural process. Why not use a natural calendar? And that is exactly
what they've done in THE GARDENER'S YEAR. Ferguson & Muecke have
defined nine gardening seasons, and their starting and ending times
are based on nature's own signals, not artificial calendar dates. And
because these seasons are timed by nature, the gardening information
and advice included here is valid for every reader, no matter where
they live or how unusual the weather is in any particular year.
In clear and elegant prose, the authors take you through an entire
gardening year, describing plants from all over the world that you can
use in your garden, as well as giving well-illustrated instructions on
all necessary garden chores. There is also careful consideration given
to the use of environmentally safe herbicides and pesticides. With 70
beautiful color photographs and 280 color drawings, THE GARDENER'S
YEAR is several levels of quality above the standard gardening book,
making it especially suitable as a gift.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
KEEPING THE HARVEST
Preserving Your Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs (Revised & Updated)
by Nancy Chioffi & Gretchen Mead
(Storey/Garden Way, April 1991, $10.95, ISBN 0-88266-650-9)
review by Howard Frye
Here is everything you need to know about preserving fresh fruits,
vegetables, and herbs in one volume. The authors talk about freezing,
canning, curing with brine, drying, root cellaring, pickling, and
turning your fruits into jams and jellies. Part I discusses each
method in detail, with clear general directions and charts. They tell
you how to plan ahead for your food supply, give recipes for jams,
jellies, pickles, relishes, and even a quick-to-make whole wheat
bread. Part II is where you go when you have a specific food to
preserve--it gives individual directions for each vegetable, herb,
fruit, and berry. All the information is clearly explained, nicely
illustrated, and easy to find. KEEPING THE HARVEST is a first-rate
reference book for gardeners and food lovers.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
GARDEN SMARTS
A Bounty of Tips From America's Best Gardeners
by Shelley Goldbloom
(Globe Pequot, May 1991, $12.95, ISBN 0-87106-399-9)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
34% of households grow vegetables (31 million households)
--National Gardening Association, Census Bureau
Shelley Goldbloom canvassed gardeners from all over to assemble this
cornucopia of helpful hints. Arranged by subject area, each tip is
covered in just a few sentences, making this perfect for bedside or
garden-side browsing. Every gardener worth his aching back knows that
there are very few hard-and-fast solutions to a garden's many
problems. What works for your neighbor may not work for you. With the
hundreds and hundreds of ideas in GARDEN SMARTS, you're sure to find
something good to try, no matter what the particular problem is.
Suppose your houseplant has suffered culture shock, or your tomato
plants have cutworm. Perhaps you're ready to try something new, like
composting, or a mulch made from old newspapers. When you buy a manure
for your garden, is it cow manure you want or horse manure? And I just
know you'd love to find out what Emily George does with cauliflower
and her old pantyhose.
GARDEN SMARTS is a comprehensive compilation of helpful advice on:
preparing your soil, composting, starting plants from seed, mulching,
watering, fertilizing, tool choices, getting rid of garden pests,
growing herbs, taking care of your trees and shrubs, growing beautiful
flowers and making your cut flowers last longer, garden folklore,
harvesting and cooking, and special chapters on two of the most
popular plants: tomatoes and roses. Some of the most ingenious ideas
you'll ever come across are waiting to be found in the pages of GARDEN
SMARTS.
GARDEN SMARTS is available at your local bookstore or order directly
from Globe Pequot Press (138 West Main Street, Box Q, Chester, CT
06412; 1-800-243-0495; in CT, 1-800-962-0973) and please include a $3
shipping and handling fee.
**************************
If you have *any* interest in gambling, or gaming in general, you must
ask GAMBLER'S BOOK CLUB for their catalog. It's huge! They have more
books on gaming that I thought existed, and they even carry computer
software and videotapes. Here are just some of the divisions in their
catalog: Baccarat, Baseball, Basketball, Blackjack, Casino-General,
Craps, Football, Gin Rummy, Greyhound Racing, History, Jai Alai, Keno,
Lotteries/Sweepstakes, Magic, Management & Dealing, Poker,
Probability, Psychology, Roulette, Slots, Sociology, Video Machines.
They even have a large section devoted to fiction with gambling
themes. You can write to them at: Gambler's Book Club, 630 South 11th
Street, Box 4115, Las Vegas, NV 89127. Or you can pick up the phone
and call for a catalog at 1-800-634-6243.
**************************
***> THE COMPUTER BOOKSHELF
USING TURBO PASCAL 6.0
by Ben Ezzell
(Addison-Wesley, May 1991, $26.95, ISBN 0-201-57774-7)
review by Robert Willis
I'm always on the lookout for a good reference book on Turbo Pascal.
There are a decent number of them out there (though they often appear
to be drowning in a sea of C language books), but the only one that I
ever actually bought was Borland's Turbo Pascal Tutor for version 4.0.
This was a nice book/disk set that I still use today when I need to
look up an element of the language that I don't use very often. It had
a lot of examples that you could use to "cookbook" together an
application. Most of the other Turbo Pascal books that I looked at
were either of an introductory level, too specific in focus, or were
straight reference works (and since Turbo Pascal comes with adequate
documentation, I didn't need a reference book). Recently, I had the
opportunity to review one of two Turbo Pascal books. After flipping
through them both, I grabbed USING TURBO PASCAL 6.0 as it appeared to
be the more useful of the two. I think that I made a good decision.
The book is 770 pages long, including the index. It starts out at an
introductory level, with chapters on installing Turbo Pascal 6.0,
using the integrated programming environment, and entering programs.
Then it starts getting interesting. The chapters are set up such that
each one covers "how to do something" - using numbers, manipulating
strings, using disk files, and so on. The organization and naming of
the chapters makes it very easy to find information. There are a lot
of examples. There are a number of demonstration programs that use the
concepts covered previously in the book. There is good coverage of
graphics, again addressing practical issues such as business graphics
and Graphic User Interfaces (GUIs), including mouse routines. Finally,
there is a lot of useful information on object-oriented programming,
both general and Turbo Vision-specific.
If you are looking for a comprehensive book on "doing stuff" in Turbo
Pascal, with a good amount of reusable code, I will recommend USING
TURBO PASCAL 6.0 as a solid buy.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
STUPID PC TRICKS
17 Insanely Great Programs to Make Your PC More Fun (Disks Included)
by Bob LeVitus with Ed Tittel
(Addison-Wesley, March 1991, $19.95, ISBN 0-201-57759-3)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
"...some of our criteria for selecting programs for this book were
that candidate programs be time-consuming, addictive, or have little
or no socially redeeming value in addition to being as mindless as
possible."
There are some computer owners/users who take great pride in
announcing that they have never played a computer game; have never
even contemplated using their computer for anything but the sober and
serious uses for which it was obviously intended. This book is not for
those people. This book is for people who like a little fun in between
spreadsheets, a few fireworks between electronic messages. People who
like to explore the diversity of their own interests and the
computer's capabilities.
For instance, if you think your computer's graphics capabilities are
wasted on word processors, how about trying a few of the graphics
programs in STUPID PC TRICKS? My cat likes EXPLOSIV, a program that
simulates colorful fireworks explosions on your screen, while I prefer
the the delicacy of KALEIDOSCOPE or GR. All three are mesmerizing to
watch, and I've used them to freshen burnt-out brain cells. For those
who like a more intellectual slant to their graphics, there's
SPIROPLOT, a computerized version of Kenner's Spirograph, and RREALM
(Recursive Realm), a fractal graphic generator. Both are easy to use
and difficult to quit.
You also get to see some of the IBM PC's limited sound capabilities.
WILLTE plays The William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini, for the
full three minutes and 12 seconds (Ctrl-Break will get you out if you
can't take any more). SSB plays the Star-Spangled Banner, all four
verses, and highlights each word at the appropriate time so you can
sing along. And BUGLE offers a menu of 20 different bugle calls and is
educational as well as fun to play around with.
Several programs could be categorized as Fun Applications. Like
ADULATE, which presents you with compliments whenever you feel you
need them. You can customize the data file for your own taste. And
SAYINGS will put a pithy saying in a pretty box in the middle of your
screen, perfect to run in batch files. Make your own file of sayings,
quotes, funny lines, etc., for the most enjoyment. And MLPUSH is a
deceptively simple dice game that is fiendishly addictive.
There are also programs that are genuine "tricks". Or should I say
pranks? Like FOOL, best described as an operating system with an
attitude. Customize it for best effect on the victim. TRIP makes the
characters on the screen start turning hallucinogenic colors. BUGRES
has bugs that "eat" whatever is on your screen at the time (hitting
any key restores the screen, and the victim's temper). ANNOY is a good
bureaucratic operating system--it constantly demands passwords and
hurls abuse. The funniest trick is PARASCAN, a parody of viral
detection programs. You even get to see PARASCAN literally "fight" the
virus, with graphics and bar charts. Absolutely hilarious. But my
favorite program for a classic practical joke use is MUTANT. Run this
on someone's machine and they'll start getting little rattles and
whirs from their computer. The beauty is the subtlety of it: the
sounds are occasional, low-key and very realistic. Sounds like the
bearings on your hard drive are just starting to wear out.
To run these programs you'll need an IBM PC or compatible computer,
512 KB RAM, and a hard drive. The disks that come with the book are
5-1/4", but you can send in the coupon in the back of the book for
3-1/2" disks. The graphics programs will obviously look best on the
better monitors, like EGA, VGA, or even SVGA. Several of the programs,
like PARASCAN and BUGRES, run too fast on today's high-speed machines
and would benefit from slowdown software.
STUPID PC TRICKS is a lot of fun. Some of the programs are good to
keep around for occasional fun with a new victim, like PARASCAN or
MUTANT. Others are nice to keep handy for personal recreation, like
SPIROPLOT or MLPUSH. And others even have, pardon the expression,
serious uses, like SAYINGS (you can have it print safety warnings or
legal disclaimers) or EXPLOSIV (makes a good screen saver). At the
back of the book you get coaching on floppy disks and the management
of Terminate and Stay Resident software (TSRs, which describes many of
the programs included), as well as a glossary of important terms. Any
way you look at it, STUPID PC TRICKS is a great gift item, especially
if you give it to yourself.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
WORDPERFECT 5.1 ON-LINE ADVISOR version 1.1
from Sybar Software
(Sybex, $29.95, ISBN 0-89588-934-X)
review by Janet Peters
Have you ever used a TSR program? They load somewhere in a dark corner
of your computer's memory and lurk there even when you've gone on to
some other program. You may not see it, but the TSR is still there.
Sybar Software's ON-LINE ADVISOR packages (currently available: DOS
3.3, WordPerfect 5.1, Lotus 1-2-3 2.2, and Harvard Graphics, all
priced at $29.95) are all TSRs. Like a reference book that's always
handy when you need it, ON-LINE ADVISORs help you use popular software
and they do it when you really need it---WHILE you're using the
popular software.
Installing my WORDPERFECT ON-LINE ADVISOR took about 3 minutes, and
then all I did was type WPADV. The ON-LINE ADVISOR loaded itself, then
ran my WordPerfect, which it found all by itself. Now I'm sitting at
the computer looking at the usual WordPerfect screen, blank except for
a few cryptic letters and numbers in the lower right. Following the
very brief instructions, I hit Alt-/ and was looking at the beginning
of what turned out to be a HUGE index. Getting to any particular entry
can be accomplished by scrolling or paging through the list or by
beginning to type a particular word you're interesting in, say
MARGINS. As soon as I hit M I was looking at the beginning of the
index entries beginning with the letter M. Hitting A brought me to the
start of the MA entries. And so on.
Once you've found a promising index entry, hit ENTER to arrive at that
portion of a large reference book; for that's what the ON-LINE ADVISOR
really is, a book. From there you can ask for a different sub-heading,
or some related topics, or you can automatically jump to a previous
entry that you had been looking at. Pressing ESCape backs you out of
what you're looking at and repeating it will make the ON-LINE ADVISOR
disappear and you're back to WordPerfect, right where you left it. You
never have to worry about forgetting a command at the wrong time;
ON-LINE ADVISOR is there whenever you're in WordPerfect (provided you
started everything with WPADV). And like a well-behaved TSR, the
ON-LINE ADVISOR removes itself from your memory when you quit
WordPerfect.
Also in the package is a book, WORDPERFECT 5.1 INSTANT REFERENCE. It
seems that the Sybar people have thought of everything. They knew that
you'd be so taken with the clear instructions that you'd want a
printout of them to read away from the computer, so they saved you the
bother. All that great help is available to you ON-LINE, or off. This
is the most comprehensive computer software reference utility I've
ever seen and deserves to be a standard feature of every office.
(Sybar Software has site license arrangements for companies that want
multiple copies.) Highly recommended.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
UNDOCUMENTED DOS
A Programmer's Guide to Reserved MS-DOS Functions and Data Structures
by Schulman, Michels, Kyle, Paterson, Maxey, and Brown
(Addison-Wesley, December 1990, $39.95, ISBN 0-201-57064-5)
review by Robert Willis
Back when I was in high school, the students in my physics class had
the chance to buy a copy of the "Rubber Handbook" at a discount price.
Most of us ended up buying this huge brick of a book, which was
published by CRC (the Chemical Rubber Company, hence the name) for
scientists and engineers. It had a huge amount of information, more
than we (and most people for that matter) would ever use. Still, it
was nice to have around, since it was THE reference work on physical
quantities, and you never knew when you had to look up the atomic
weight of palladium or find the formula for osmosis of gases through a
membrane.
UNDOCUMENTED DOS has the same feel to it. It is subtitled "A
programmer's guide to reserved MS-DOS functions and data structures",
and it's no lie. It is THE reference work on the hidden workings of
DOS on the IBM-PC (and compatible) family of computers. It is 694
pages long, and includes 2 (high-density) 5 1/4" disks loaded with the
code from the book AND a bunch of utility programs, including a neat
hypertext version of Ralf Brown's "interrupt list."
Most of this book is, like the Rubber Handbook, way over my head. The
examples are in C and assembly language, neither of which I use much.
I doubt that I will need to use any of the undocumented calls in my
programs. Given all that, it is still an impressive work, and as my
programming skills improve, I will be going back to it. If you are a
system-level programmer on PCs and are stretching the limits of DOS,
you need this book.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
DOS POWER TOOLS: Techniques, Tricks and Utilities
Revised for DOS 5.0, 2nd Edition
by Paul Somerson
(Bantam Computer Books, July 1991, $49.95, ISBN 0-553-35464-7)
review by Dan Ellis
This massive (over 1,000 pages) reference book is the one volume that
every IBM PC or compatible computer should have right next to it. To
begin with, *all* DOS versions are covered, up to and including the
brand-new 5.0. And the author walks you through a DOS 5.0 installation
that comes with an "uninstall" procedure, "for those who have learned
the hard way never to trust a DOS version number that ends with a
zero."
DOS POWER TOOLS also covers all levels of expertise. Each subject is
explained from kindergarten level through post-graduate work with a
consistent spare patience and clarity. You just stop reading when
you've reached the limit of your interest. A sensible organization,
table of contents, and an index help you locate specific subjects with
ease, and the Quick Reference section in the back provides ready
access to DOS 5.0 commands, as well as those of EDLIN, DEBUG, and
ANSI.SYS.
There is also comprehensive coverage of disks, files, and filenames;
just about everything anyone could want to know about hard disks; hex
numbers; computer keyboards and tricks for their taming; EDIT, EDLIN,
DEBUG, ANSI and other DOS drivers. And one whole section is reserved
for Power User's Secrets. It covers batch techniques; the DOS
environment; screen tricks; EGA, VGA, etc.; and a whole clutch of
"Favorite Tips".
And did I mention the disks included with the book? You get three
disks containing over 100 "utilities that DOS forgot". There are
memory managers, keyboard manipulators, find programs, font programs,
TSR managers, sort programs, a file compressor, enhanced versions of
regular DOS commands, etc. Unless you have a modem and regular access
to a good BBS source of utility files, these DOS POWER TOOLS disks are
life savers. You're sure to find that at least a dozen become a part
of every day's computer use.
The cover of DOS POWER TOOLS says that it's the "All-Time Bestselling
Book/Software Package", which I can certainly understand. It's the
one-volume reference book that can replace probably all the others you
have laying around your office. Recommended.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
UNDERSTANDING DESKTOP PUBLISHING
by Robert W. Harris
(Sybex, 1991, $24.95, ISBN 0-89588-789-4)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
This book is aimed at the growing crowd of people who are getting into
some kind of publishing, but who have no training in the field. In the
old days we all had to go to a professional publisher to get something
nicely printed, but today we have affordable computers and desktop
publishing software. The only thing we don't have is expertise. It's
like the guy sitting in the middle of a pile of bricks and trying to
"wish" them into the shape of a house.
UNDERSTANDING DESKTOP PUBLISHING is divided into three main sections.
The first subject covered is the most crucial: how to design an
attractive page. What font should you chose? What size? How should the
paragraphs be formatted (left flush, right flush, or justified)? What
should you do about margins? Every suggestion and recommendation comes
with examples, so you can see for yourself what works and what
doesn't.
The second section discusses how to make your documents easier to read
and understand. There are guidelines to writing clearly and
effectively, how to organize the ideas and information in your
document, and how to make the best use of art. Again, examples
accompany each suggestion, and I found that in many cases, the
illustrations told me considerably more than the text.
The final section covers the advanced subject of how to use a document
to accomplish your purpose. How to direct the reader's attention to
the items that are most important, how to highlight, focus, and
emphasize. How to persuade, and how to instruct. In the final chapter,
the learning process is broken down into its component stages
(attention, intention, retention) and each is related to design
elements that will facilitate the process.
UNDERSTANDING DESKTOP PUBLISHING practices what it preaches: it's
attractively arranged and the information literally jumps off the
page. By being about document design in general, and not tied to any
particular piece of software (or even any particular computer),
UNDERSTANDING DESKTOP PUBLISHING fills a real need and addresses a
rapidly-increasing audience of amateurs with more technology than
technique.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
MASTERING TURBO PASCAL 6
by Scott D. Palmer
(Sybex, 1991, $27.95, ISBN 0-89588-675-8)
review by Drew Bartorillo
MASTERING TURBO PASCAL 6 is designed as a fast-track way for you to
learn practical programming skills in Turbo Pascal 6, as well as in
other versions of the Pascal language on computers from PCs to
mainframes. If you want to catch up on the latest techniques, it also
helps you to develop fundamental skills in object-oriented
programming. Whether you are a beginner who's never written a program
before, an experienced programmer who needs a quick authoritative
introduction to Turbo Pascal, or a student in a college or university
programming course, MASTERING TURBO PASCAL 6 will help you acquire the
knowledge, skills, and insight required to write the programs you
need.
In addition to standard topics such as graphics, data structures, and
file handling, MASTERING TURBO PASCAL 6 looks at how to design and
debug your programs. A special chapter shows how to add sound and
music to your programs, and also develops a toolkit of general-purpose
routines that you can use any time you need them. Each chapter in the
book is summarized and provides review exercises. Solutions to
even-numbered review exercises are given to enable you to evaluate
your progress in learning Turbo Pascal.
The following chapters are presented in the book:
-> A First Look At Turbo Pascal
-> Programming and Program Design
-> An Overview of Pascal Programming
-> The Turbo Pascal Development Environment
-> Simple Data Types
-> Simple Pascal Statements
-> More Advanced Pascal Statements
-> Structured and User-Defined Data Types
-> Procedures and Functions
-> Using Turbo Pascal Units
-> Pointers and Dynamic Allocation
-> Handling Text Files
-> Typed and Untyped Files
-> Debugging Your Programs
-> Graphics in Turbo Pascal
-> Accessing DOS Services
-> Elementary Data Structures
-> Elementary Algorithms
-> Sound and Music Programming
-> Creating Turbo Tunemaker
-> Concepts and Techniques of Object-Oriented Programming
-> Introducing Turbo Vision
As can be seen from the above list of chapters in the book, MASTERING
TURBO PASCAL 6 is a very comprehensive training and reference document
for the Turbo Pascal programmer. I did find one thing lacking in the
book, though. There is a total disregard of the subject of using
overlays and the overlay unit in your Turbo Pascal program. A statement
is made, "Because of its specialized application for very large
programs, we will not discuss the overlay unit any further in this
book." Well, I have some serious reservations about this statement.
After all, the title of the book *is* MASTERING TURBO PASCAL 6. The
overlay unit is a VERY powerful feature of Turbo Pascal and should be
fully documented in any comprehensive reference document. Considering
the level of detail in the rest of the book, the lack of discussion of
overlays is kind of strange. (Overlays ARE covered in USING TURBO
PASCAL 6.0 by Ben Ezzell; see review above.)
**************************
IF I HAD A HAMMER: Women's Work
In Poetry, Fiction and Photographs
edited by Sandra Martz
(Papier-Mache Press, $11, ISBN 0-918949-09-2)
This timely and informed collection expresses women's feelings,
experiences and beliefs about their work and creativity in a variety
of fields ranging from the artistic to the domestic and professional.
The 77 contributions evoke the rewards and challenges of being a woman
in America's changing social and economic life. (Papier-Mache Press,
795 Via Manzana, Watsonville, CA 95076)
**************************
WHEN IS A PIG A HOG?
A Guide to Confoundingly Related English Words
by Bernice Randall
(Prentice Hall, June 1991, $19.95, ISBN 0-13-955212-X)
review by Carl Ingram
Here is the perfect book for resolving arguments, solving crossword
puzzles, improving your vocabulary, and having a great time just
browsing. Bernice Randall will help you distinguish between monkeys
and apes, and between pigs and hogs. (A pig becomes a hog when it
passes 120 pounds in weight.) She'll explain the difference between
mist and fog. Each pair of words, along with any other related words,
are discussed in entries that range from a few sentences to several
pages.
When does a speech turn into a lecture? What's the difference between
a burglary and a robbery? Between beer and ale? Morality and ethics?
Is there a difference between an insect and a bug? How do you refer to
someone who's passed the bar? Are they a lawyer or an attorney? Or
perhaps a solicitor, a counselor, or even a barrister? And then there
are the terms that aren't synonyms, but are so difficult to keep
straight. Quick now, which is port and which is starboard? How about
warp and weft? Tweeter and woofer? Flotsam and jetsam?
WHEN IS A PIG A HOG? is divided into eight main sections: Human and
Not So Human Beings (for instance: vagrant/tramp); Here and There
(Cape Canaveral/Cape Kennedy); Things (frankfurter/hot dog); Concepts,
Actions and Other Intangibles (refund/rebate); The Arts: Fine and
Otherwise (oratorio/cantata); Nature and Science (black hole/white
hole); Our Bodies and Medicine (epidemic/endemic); Organizations and
Institutions (Weather Bureau/National Weather Service). There are also
two appendices: Gods and Goddesses in Greek and Roman Mythology, and a
Geologic Time Chart. And an index of terms in the back makes this a
perfect reference volume you can use in a jiffy. WHEN IS A PIG A HOG?
is an enjoyable and educational book for the entire family.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
THE COMPLETE WHOLE GRAIN COOKBOOK
by Carol Gelles
(Donald I. Fine, May 1991, $12.95, ISBN 1-55611-237-8)
review by Carol Sheffert
In the attempt to lead healthier lives, people are trying to find ways
to put more fiber into their diets--to aid digestion, help prevent
colon cancer, lower cholesterol levels, and just generally get away
from high-fat foods. It doesn't take long to realize that one of the
best ways to a higher fiber diet is through whole grains. But, having
been brought up on meat and potatoes, hamburgers and french fries, and
pizza-with-everything to go, most of us don't know a whole lot about
whole grains. That's where Carol Gelles' THE COMPLETE WHOLE GRAIN
COOKBOOK comes to the rescue: over 500 pages that will give you not
only a comprehensive education in grains, but will provide you with
loads of specific recipes for their use, each recipe complete with
it's calorie-count and amount of cholesterol, sodium, and fiber.
You'll get a glossary of all the important grain terminology. What
does "whole grain" mean? What's the difference between wheat germ and
wheat bran? What does it mean when the box of barley says "pearled"?
You'll find out how to buy grains, store them, and cook them. And what
kitchen equipment you should have. Part II covers the major grains:
wheat, rice, and corn. Part III covers the minor grains: barley,
buckwheat, millet, oats, rye, and wild rice. Part IV covers the
unusual grains: amaranth, Job's Tears, quinoa, teff, and triticale.
Emphasis throughout is on the practical day-to-day use of whole grains
to enhance health and be pleasing to the taste. THE COMPLETE WHOLE
GRAIN COOKBOOK is indispensable to those seeking a healthier way of
eating.
**************************
***> SEEKING SERENITY
FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to
Face Stress, Pain, and Illness
by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D.
(Delacorte, June 1991, $19.95, ISBN 0-385-29897-8)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
"...don't we all tend to fill up our days with things that just HAVE
to be done and then run around desperately trying to do them all,
while in the process not really enjoying much of the doing because we
are too pressed for time, too rushed, too busy, too anxious? We can
feel overwhelmed by our schedules, our responsibilities, and our roles
at times even when everything we are doing is important, even when we
have chosen to do them all. We live immersed in a world of constant
doing."
"When it comes right down to it, the challenge of mindfulness is to
realize that 'THIS IS IT.' Right now IS my life."
FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING is a very clear and comprehensive description
of the program at the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of
Massachusetts Medical Center, told by an extraordinarily understanding
man. Dr. Kabat-Zinn has encountered quite a variety of people at the
clinic, with all sorts of physical and emotional problems, and the
reader of FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING can certify that he has been paying
attention to his patients. His rational, understanding yet unemotional
prose describes the techniques clearly and engagingly, with a full
measure of respect for the intelligence of the reader.
The core of the program is meditation and mindfulness, and while Dr.
Kabat-Zinn mentions that the meditation exercises are based on
traditional Buddhist practices, the techniques described in FULL
CATASTROPHE LIVING have been shorn of all dogma, mysticism, and mumbo
jumbo. Each exercise is a gem of simplicity, within the grasp of the
most unspiritual Western reader. Indeed, the entire program is
disarmingly simple--the wonder is that our culture has gotten so
caught up in trivialities that we need someone to come remind us what
life, and the enjoyment of it, is all about. With simple meditation
and mindfulness exercises and practical wisdom (your illness is not
you; there is more right with you than wrong with you; etc.), Dr.
Kabat-Zinn covers 450 pages with solid, helpful advice.
The title, FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING, by the way, comes from the movie
ZORBA THE GREEK. When asked if he'd ever been married, Zorba reply is
something like, "Am I not a man? Of course I've been married. Wife,
house, kids, everything...the full catastrophe!" Dr. Kabat-Zinn uses
the phrase to describe everything that modern life means: family,
work, hobbies, television, ringing phones, deadlines to meet, duties
and obligations to fulfill, expectations to live up to, etc.
You can use the book alone to follow the Stress Reduction program, or
you can get audio cassettes and/or videotapes to help out. (I am using
the book and an audio cassette that I made myself. As I type this, I'm
entering my third week of the initial 8-week program.) FULL
CATASTROPHE LIVING is the best book of its kind that I have ever
encountered, with the clearest and most accessible explanation of
meditation practices. Highly recommended.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., is the founder and director of the Stress
Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and
Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Preventive and
Behavioral Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
He is internationally known for his work using mindfulness meditation
to help medical patients with chronic pain and stress. Many health
professionals have trained with him and several clinics have been
established that are modeled on his program.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER: The Classic Chinese Book of Life
The Authoritative New Translation by Thomas Cleary
(HarperCollins, 1991, $16.95, ISBN 0-06-250184-4)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
"Naturalness is called the Way. The Way has no name or form; it is
just the essence, just the primal spirit."
So begins this new translation of a classic meditation manual. For
many years the only English version of this text has been a
translation of a seriously flawed German translation. Now Thomas
Cleary, the foremost expert in translating classic Chinese and
Japanese texts (THE ART OF WAR, THE TAOIST I CHING, etc.) has rendered
this beautiful and powerful manual of enlightenment for
English-speaking readers.
"This text, like all of Cleary's work, shows that these Eastern
classics have a depth of intelligence that can enrich any serious
Western person. Until Cleary, these books have too often been shrouded
in a mist of mystical allure and vague sentiment: Cleary is finally
making them authentically available. In giving this particular text of
extraordinary density and subtlety its first definitive presentation
in English, Cleary has done a great service in opening THE SECRET OF
THE GOLDEN FLOWER to as much true understanding and application as
diligent attention can allow."
---Jacob Needleman, professor of philosophy, San Francisco State Univ.
Beautiful thoughts captured in a beautiful book.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
FLOWERS FROM THE FOREST: Meditations
by Swami Nirmalananda
(Viswa Shanti Nikethana, 1991, Rs. 12/-)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
"Breath being synonymous with life, we live as long as we breathe and
we breathe as long as we live. While exhaling more slowly, gently and
rhythmically than during inhalation, and even after breathing out and
holding without strain before breathing in again, the steady "mental
gaze" should be fully focused on the Heart and this process should be
repeatedly done until the mind gets merged in the Self. This is the
way to experience the sublime state of freedom from the known, the
highest form of inner serenity and the indescribable state of Peace
and Happiness."
FLOWERS FROM THE FOREST is a book of essays by Swami Nirmalananda,
each a gem of wisdom and gentleness. I like to read several chapters
aloud into a tape recorder, to play back while I walk/meditate. The
essays draw my mind into a calmer place, while at the same time
pointing to certain aspects of existence that it would benefit me to
think about in greater detail. There are other books, both by and
about Swami Nirmalananda, available, but you'll have to get them from
India. If you'd like to have a copy of FLOWERS FROM THE FOREST, or
other materials from Swami Nirmalananda, go to your bank and get a
check made out in rupees. FLOWERS FROM THE FOREST costs 12, and you
should allow extra for postage. Even if you don't wish to order
immediately, you should always include an International Reply Coupon
(from the Post Office) for the return postage of a letter. Write to:
Swami Nirmalananda, Viswa Shanti Nikethana, B.R. Hills--571313,
Karnataka, India.
**************************
NO TRICKS IN MY POCKET: PAUL NEWMAN DIRECTS
by Stewart Stern
(Grove Weidenfeld, 1989, $10.95, ISBN 0-8021-3238-3)
review by Howard Frye
"The camera is so much closer than an audience looking at a stage that
it wants more detailed performances from the actors...when Joanne
pleads with Tom to get a gentleman caller for Laura, for instance,
she'll need to find a multiplicity of colors for her pleading. Her
intention can't be just TO PERSUADE. She'll need other active verbs to
support that--AMUSE, ALLURE, BEGUILE, BULLY, PUNISH. She'll have to be
pushy and beckoning, sweet and cagey, all under the banner of TO
PERSUADE."
Required reading for anyone interested in serious drama or the nuts
and bolts of directing a motion picture. Playwright Stewart Stern
attended all twelve days of rehearsal for the 1987 film of Tennessee
Williams' THE GLASS MENAGERIE and records the actions and the words in
this fascinating study. We get to eavesdrop as director Paul Newman
coaches his wife Joanne Woodward playing Amanda Wingfield, Karen Allen
as her crippled daughter Laura, John Malkovich as her narrator-son
Tom, and James Naughton as Laura's gentleman caller. It's a small,
fairly claustrophobic play, with a small cast, and cinematographer
Michael Ballhaus struggles mightily with the small space. We get to
watch as Michael and Paul argue, as Jim and Karen struggle to breathe
new life into characters they've played before, and as John
experiments artistically with the tortured Tom Wingfield.
Stern says that Paul Newman's character isn't easily captured on the
written page, and indeed, this isn't a tell-all book for the
starstruck. But for everyone who has ever wondered about the process
of acting and directing, of how a handful of disparate artists can
somehow come to create a harmonious whole, this is the finest book
I've ever read. Stern captures it all for the reader, the silly and
the profound, the agonies and the ecstasies. Sometimes Stern himself
doesn't understand what is happening, but he records it faithfully
anyway and lets the reader attempt an interpretation. Every page comes
alive with the artistic effort of bringing the play to the big screen,
and you'll come away from NO TRICKS IN MY POCKET with a greater
respect for everyone involved. Highly recommended.
Stewart Stern is a long-time friend of both Paul Newman and Joanne
Woodward, and is the author of many critically acclaimed screenplays,
including REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, THE UGLY AMERICAN, TERESA, and
RACHEL, RACHEL. He received an Emmy in 1976 for his teleplay SYBIL.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
OVERCOMING MIGRAINE
A Comprehensive Guide to Treatment and Prevention by a Survivor
by Betsy Wyckoff
(Station Hill Press, Barrytown, NY 12507; September 1991)
Hardcover: $21.95 ISBN 0-88268-110-9
Paperback: $9.95 ISBN 0-88268-126-5
review by Cindy Bartorillo
An indispensable volume for the migraine sufferer, in which author
Wyckoff has gathered together seemingly all known possibilities for
the treatment and/or prevention of migraine headaches. As a reader who
has been fighting migraines for over a quarter of a century, I can
only regret not having something like OVERCOMING MIGRAINE many years
earlier. I have already managed to decrease the frequency and severity
of my headaches with the information in this book, and have a long
list of further ideas to experiment with. The chief value of this book
lies in its collation of possible migraine therapies--you will
probably be very surprised at how many avenues of treatment there are
to explore.
Wyckoff covers drugs that are of interest to migraine sufferers, from
an over-the-counter herb that has helped many to the high-tech calcium
channel blockers. She also covers the relationship between diet and
migraines, and the many foods and ingredients that have been shown to
cause headaches in certain people. Another chapter is devoted to
nondietary migraine triggers like environmental factors (barometric
pressure, wind, intense sunlight, pollutants, etc.), as well as
stress, medicines, vitamins, etc. Also covered is the connection
between hormones and migraines, the problem of "mixed" headaches, and
the challenge of finding the right doctor to help you. There are a few
pages devoted to the exploration of nonstandard therapies like
hypnosis, biofeedback, acupuncture and the like, and Wyckoff ends with
a basic program for you to follow in discovering the best treatment
and prevention for your own situation. Helpful appendices provide the
reader with a table of migraine drugs, with doses, precautions, and
side effects; "The Physiology of Migraine"; a list of headache
clinics; and a list of migraine associations. All of this valuable
information is presented in less than 100 pages, with not one
unnecessary word. Absolutely essential reading for migraine patients.
**************************
COMMON-SENSE PEST CONTROL
Least Toxic Solutions for Your Home, Garden, Pets and Community
by William Olkowski, Sheila Daar and Helga Olkowski
(Taunton Press, June 1991, $39.95)
There are ways to wage a safer war on household and garden pests with
COMMON-SENSE PEST CONTROL. Chemical pesticides may provide temporary
relief, but often at a long-term cost. Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) is the modern approach to controlling pests with environmentally
sound methods. IPM has proven effective in solving agricultural pest
problems for over 30 years, and has made great strides against urban
pests in the past decade. These scientific advancements are now
available in a landmark book geared to the non-professional. Written
in layman's language, COMMON-SENSE PEST CONTROL is the definitive
reference on IPM. It presents all the steps necessary for a successful
IPM campaign, and control procedures are explained step-by-step
(including new discoveries such as pheromone traps and insect-grown
regulators). Each of the 36 chapters includes scientific references
and suggestions for further reading. Appendices on resources and
suppliers, and a complete index, are included. Printed on recycled
paper. (The Taunton Press, 63 South Main Street, Box 5506, Newtown, CT
06470-5506)
**************************
***> LOOMPANICS UNLIMITED
Loompanics Unlimited is both a publisher and a seller of controversial
and unusual books. You can get what they demurely call "The Best Book
Catalog in the World" by sending $5 to: Loompanics Unlimited, PO Box
1197, Port Townsend, WA 98368. If you'd like to order any of their
books mentioned here, send the list price plus shipping and handling
($3 for 1-3 books; $6 for 4 or more). When you order a book, the
catalog is free.
FREEDOM ROAD
by Harold Hough
(Loompanics Unlimited, 1991, $16.95, ISBN 1-55950-067-0)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
Like Charles Long's books discussed in RFP #17 (HOW TO SURVIVE WITHOUT
A SALARY and LIFE AFTER THE CITY), FREEDOM ROAD is essential reading
for anyone searching for an alternate lifestyle. In contrast to Long's
books, however, author Harold Hough has a missionary's zeal in
explaining not only how to live the "Freedom Road lifestyle", but WHY.
Hough believes in freedom and feels that the United States has
seriously compromised the intentions of our Founding Fathers. To avoid
the tyrannies of modern America, he advocates living in an RV
(recreational vehicle) with no fixed address. Without a regular
address, a person can more easily fall through the cracks, which is
exactly what Hough encourages the reader to do.
Beyond the politics and dialectic, however, there is a core of hard
information in FREEDOM ROAD. Hough explains the Freedom Road lifestyle
in great detail: how to get ready for it, how to find the right
vehicle, where to go, how to live cheaply, how to get money, how to
maintain contacts with the rest of the world. There are specific
recommendations and suggestions in each category (there are even some
recipes for cheap and nutritious food), and he expands his concept to
include two special Freedom Road lifestyle subgroups: the retired, and
the Freedom Road as temporary sabbatical.
No matter what your particular circumstances, you are sure to find
much to think about in FREEDOM ROAD, and the specific information
included is easily co-opted for your own customized use. For the
reader who is not content to be handed a way of life by parents,
society, or mass media, FREEDOM ROAD is a core volume of your
reference bookshelf.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
TAKE NO PRISONERS
Destroying Enemies With Dirty and Malicious Tricks
by Mack Nasty
(Loompanics Unlimited, 1990, $10.00, ISBN 1-55950-043-3)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
Carrying the disclaimer, "This book is sold for informational purposes
only. The publisher will not be held accountable for the use or misuse
of information contained in this book.", TAKE NO PRISONERS can be
understood immediately as a Controversial book. And this is not false
advertising. Mr. Nasty takes his philosophical stand early in the book
with:
"Although some people feel that 'forgive and forget' is the best way
to handle hurt, it's adult and mature to hold a grudge and seek
retaliation. If someone's hurt you, you have a right to hurt him back.
Being honest enough with yourself to admit you want revenge is a sign
of maturity."
The "tricks" outlined in this volume are certainly dirty and
malicious. Some are pretty nauseating. There's even a warning on the
back of the book that says, "WARNING: Some of the techniques described
in this book will make you sick to your stomach." They're not fooling.
Having no intention of giving you any examples from the book, lest I
put ugly ideas into your fevered brain, I'll simply give you Mr.
Nasty's characterization of the contents:
"The techniques described in this book are heavy-duty. Some are
designed to harm or maim your target, or frame him for a serious
crime. Others will cause expensive property damage. Still others will
cost him large amounts of money, directly or indirectly."
TAKE NO PRISONERS might serve its most valuable function in being a
great litmus test for the depth of your anti-censorship convictions.
If you can read this book and honestly say that you believe that
Loompanics Unlimited had the constitutional right to print this book,
then you are definitely anti-censorship. Me? I can say it, honestly,
but I sure can't say I'm happy about it.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
THE ANARCHIST'S GUIDE TO THE BBS
by Keith Wade
(Loompanics Unlimited, 1990, $8.95, ISBN 1-55950-037-9)
review by Dan Ellis
Computer bulletin boards are one of the hottest topics in computers
today, and author Keith Wade says they're too good to be left to the
computer nerds. You can find almost anything on electronic BBSs:
dating services, witches, political dissidents, ham radio people,
authors, criminals, crazies, comedians, aviators, lawyers, doctors,
experts on virtually any subject you can name. You can talk to
hundreds of people all over the world, often without making even one
long distance phone call. On most BBSs, access to people is even
conveniently categorized for you. Want to talk to people interested in
science fiction? There's very likely an area already set up
exclusively for SF fans.
One of Wade's core ideas here is The Five Hundred Dollar Anarchy
Machine. He figures $500 is an average entry figure for a minimal
system capable of calling BBSs, and it's an Anarchy Machine because of
the opportunities available by being "online". Have something to say?
Something possibly a little radical? You can reach thousands of people
on a computer BBS. Would you like to get to know others with your
interests? Your chances of doing so will never be greater than on a
BBS where so many people gather daily and form into groups. You can
"eavesdrop" on a group first, to see if they're really your kind of
people, then step up and say Howdy when you feel comfortable.
You say this sounds great, but you know nothing about computers? Never
fear, THE ANARCHIST'S GUIDE TO THE BBS explains everything you
absolutely have to know, yet without confusing computer jargon. Even
if you've never been friendly with a computer before, this GUIDE (and
a few bucks) will get you online in short order. This guide is superb
at explaining both how to use computer BBSs and why you would want to.
Recommended.
**************************
ALTERED AMBITIONS: What's Next in Your Life?
by Betsy Jaffe, Ed.D.
(Donald I. Fine, May 1991, $19.95, ISBN 1-55611-266-1)
commentary from the publisher
* Is there room for improvement in your career/life balance?
* Is it time to rethink your '80s ambitions?
* Do you wonder if you can enhance your relations--at home and at
work?
* Does your health or energy level have you concerned?
* Do you need a change of lifestyle?
ALTERED AMBITIONS offers solutions to these and many other complex
questions professional women face today. The '70s and '80s brought
with them a whirlwind of change in almost every facet of our
lives--careers, relationships, our culture and lifestyles, our health.
And these changes will continue to accelerate in the '90s--in fact,
change may be the only constant we CAN count on.
ALTERED AMBITIONS is the PASSAGES for the new decade, a practical
guide for navigating these fluctuating times, addressed especially to
working women who feel pressured by the media to "have it all", yet
are disappointed that their achievements don't match the ambitions
they once set for themselves. ALTERED AMBITIONS shows how to think
strategically in this age in which careers and lives need to be
MANAGED, not just allowed to go on. Using examples of how different
women have dealt effectively with shifting lifestyles and employment
markets, as well as exercises and questionnaires to help you identify
and achieve your personal goals, ALTERED AMBITIONS can be the key to
your own best future.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
PARLIAMENT OF WHORES
A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government
by P.J. O'Rourke
(Atlantic Monthly Press, June 1991, $19.95, ISBN 0-87113-455-1)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
If this book had been our textbook back in Social Studies class, I
might have paid more attention. I might also have learned something.
P.J. O'Rourke, certainly one of the most flexible journalists working
today (he's been a travel writer, a columnist for AUTOMOBILE magazine,
Foreign Affairs Desk Chief of ROLLING STONE, he's even written an
etiquette book), has now crafted his most impressive book yet. He
explains, he rants, he jokes, he bemoans, he even has a few words of
praise now and then. You get witticisms like:
"A little government and a little luck are necessary in life, but only
a fool trusts either of them."
"The mystery of government is not how Washington works but how to make
it stop."
"Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work, and then
they get elected and prove it."
"Freedom is its own punishment."
One of the section headings captures my thoughts exactly:
Our Government: What the Fuck Do They Do All Day and Why Does it Cost
So Goddamned Much Money?
P.J. introduces the idea of U.S. foreign policy with a core concept:
"Whatever it is that the government does, sensible Americans would
prefer that the government do it to somebody else."
In the pages of PARLIAMENT OF WHORES you'll read about P.J.'s theory
about our "dictatorship of boredom", how special interest groups (or
as he calls them, the Perennially Indignant) work, what he found in
Panama, what he found in Pakistan, and what he found on the streets of
Washington D.C. at 2 AM. You'll follow him into a drug dealer's house
of squalor and be at his shoulder as he accompanies the Guardian
Angels in a raid on a crack house. You'll discover how the three
branches of government work, and why they don't. And you'll get
perhaps your first clear and concise explanation of agricultural
subsidies, the federal budget, the S&L mess ("When buying and selling
are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold
are legislators."), and Social Security.
PARLIAMENT OF WHORES is laugh out loud funny, and at the same time
manages to be balanced reporting. This is not just a humorous diatribe
about how screwed up they are in Washington--P.J. O'Rourke really
comes to grips with the ins and outs of our government: what's wrong
with it and why, and what's right and should be appreciated more. When
you stop laughing you start thinking, "You know, this crazy guy's
right!" Like a certain breakfast cereal, this is good-tasting stuff
that also happens to be good for you--PARLIAMENT OF WHORES is an
education. Highly recommended.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
"DUMBTH"
And 81 Ways to Make Americans Smarter
by Steve Allen
(Prometheus, June 1991, $12.95, ISBN 0-87975-650-0)
review by Cindy Bartorillo
"Mountains of evidence--both in the form of statistical studies and
personal testimonies--establish that the American people are suffering
from a new and perhaps unprecedented form of mental incapacitation for
which I have coined the word DUMBTH."
If you've been thinking that people don't seem to be as smart as they
used to be, Steve Allen says you're right. He says he's been noticing
the encroaching "dumbth" since the early 1960s. Somewhere along the
line we stopped caring about effective methods of thinking and stopped
teaching them to our children. Like a contagious disease, faulty
reasoning is overrunning our country, and if you think it hasn't made
a difference you haven't been paying attention. We are accustomed here
to the attitude that if things are bad HERE, just imagine how they are
in OTHER countries, the unstated assumption being that the U.S. is
certainly best in all things. Now we must adjust to the concept that
the U.S. is at pretty much the bottom of the global pile in
brainpower. Soon our national image will include our characteristic
stupidity (if it doesn't already).
"In another instance, a teacher of juniors and seniors in a high
school raised the question of what tribes had invaded England. Among
the guesses were the Aztecs and the Jews."
"And as of the beginning of 1989, approximately one-third of America's
high school students could not locate the United States on a map of
the world."
But, as Steve Allen argues, it's not simply that we're ignorant of
facts--the most dangerous aspect of dumbth is that we've lost the
ability to reason properly. He points to the rising tide of hate-
related violence (prejudice, in case you haven't noticed, is
flourishing today), people who mistake actors for the characters they
portray, and our inability to deal rationally with major issues like
the arms race, nuclear power, capital punishment, abortion, the
homeless, and (coming full circle) the crisis in the schoolhouse.
Mr. Allen's book is divided into two sections: The Problem, where he
provides the above-mentioned "mountains of evidence"; and The
Solution, where he lays out his suggestions of "81 Ways to Think
Better". Incidentally, Mr. Allen's careful use of language, which I
have found discordant and awkward in his fiction, is used to great
effect here. The clarity and precision of his phrasing is a delight to
read--he never overstates his case nor does he permit himself bouts of
emotionalism. The first half of the book is an effective, logically-
structured argument of his premise.
The second half, the 81 rules, should be required reading by all
members of every household. Some are very general, others are very
specific, all are worthy of careful consideration. My personal
favorite is No. 34: "Decide to continue your education until death".
Now THOSE are words to live by. And DUMBTH could very well be the most
important book you've ever read--don't miss it!
A few excerpts:
"Which of the following is true about 87 percent of 10?"
(A) It is greater than 10.
(B) It is less than 10.
(C) It is equal to 10.
(D) Can't tell.
Half of the students tested answered the question wrong, obviously
having failed to grasp the point that 87 percent--of anything at all--
cannot possibly be equal to all, or 100 percent, of it."
"Incidentally, readers should by no means infer that, in writing such
a book, I am presenting myself as a supremely reasonable authority,
any more than they should assume that a clergyman who delivers a moral
sermon is necessarily himself saintly."
"Several years ago, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
hired a private consultant, Rockwell International, to find out how
many private consultants HEW had in its employ. From an original price
tag of $378,147 Rockwell's contract had reached a cost of $2,200,000."
"A telephone receptionist for a New York publishing company,
responding to a request to speak to an executive, said, 'He don't work
here no more.'"
"We must inculcate a respect for wisdom and not put such heavy
emphasis on material or financial accomplishment. Man was not put on
this earth primarily to have hit record albums, to be utterly
irresistible to the opposite sex, to get rich by any means, however
unethical, or to wear the tightest possible jeans. Every other society
in history that has accomplished anything of lasting importance has
perceived such simple truths."
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
PARADISE MISLAID
Birth, Death, and the Human Predicament of Being Biological
by E.J. Applewhite
(St. Martin's, June 1991, $24.95, ISBN 0-312-05944-2)
commentary from the publisher
Searching for answers to the most fundamental questions--"What is
Life?" "What is Death?"--E.J. Applewhite, longtime collaborator with
Buckminster Fuller and coauthor of Fuller's SYNERGETICS, looks to
science and its vast wealth of facts and findings. By defining
processes of nature, will we someday also conquer our mortality? Or
create forms of life that will never die?
In PARADISE MISLAID, Applewhite journeys through a dozen science
disciplines--molecular biology, entomology, physics and chemistry
among them--hoping to draw some conclusions about our human condition.
He collects--and sometimes dissects--the theories of scientists in a
series of provocative and cohesive essays. No topic is too humble
(there's a section on Ants & Instinct) or too lofty (Human
Consciousness) for Applewhite, who served with the CIA for 25 years
before retiring as Deputy Inspector General several years ago.
Throughout PARADISE MISLAID, he probes the theories of noteworthy
scientists, including Jonas Salk, James Lovelock and Freeman Dyson,
and addresses topics from viruses to robotics.
His insatiable appetite for detail enlivens his stately discourse: he
explains, for example, if each water molecule in a snowball were
"magnified to the size of a pea, there would be enough snow to blanket
the whole surface of the earth equal to the height of the Eiffel
Tower."
Although each of the essays in the book is distinct and interesting on
its own, taken as a whole, they create an impressive body of
knowledge, and present a cohesive argument on the predicament of being
human. More importantly, he casts a critical eye on the concept of
heaven, on afterlife, and on our desire to attain immortality. Like
science popularizer Carl Sagan, he reminds us of the vastness of the
cosmos, and the small but significant role of the human race.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
34 ESSAYS
by G.X. Jupitter-Larsen
($4 postpaid from: N D, PO Box 4144, Austin, TX 78765)
review by Peter Quint
Poet-philosopher Gerald Xe Jupitter-Larsen wrote these 34 essays over
the last ten years. They are fresh, frustrating, tantalizing, and
attack subjects from a sideways perspective that keeps the reader off
balance. Each isolated paragraph is like a Zen koan that you can allow
your mind to bounce off of for awhile.
"When the mind reacts, it isn't reacting to matter or nothingness. It
reacts only to its own measurements of matter and nothingness. The
mind only effects the cross sections of the mind."
Jupitter-Larsen has also done work under the name of "The Haters",
named that because "any other title would have been just as equally
inappropriate". He has released several cassettes, singles, and other
audio objects such as "Oxygen Is Flammable" (1990), which is a record
that is played by pouring water over it.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
NOT FOR PACKRATS ONLY
How to Clean Up, Clear Out, and Dejunk Your Life Forever
by Don Aslett
(Penguin/Plume, May 1991, $9.95, ISBN 0-452-26593-2)
review by Janet Peters
The only sure things in life: death, taxes, and junk. Where does all
this crap come from? And why is it still here? There is stuff in my
purse that I'm absolutely SURE that I've never seen before. Who sneaks
in and puts linty Live-Savers in my handbag? And why am I keeping
them? I have a drawer in the kitchen that defies description: it's got
rubber bands, nut picks, keys that go to no known locks, expired
coupons, plastic reusable tops for soft drink bottles no longer made,
a lump of sticky stuff I really don't want to think about, a dog
collar for a pet that we almost got, etc. The really bad part is that
there are a few needed artifacts in that drawer, but it takes about 10
minutes to dig them out each time they're needed.
I could go on forever about the junk in my life, which is why
professional cleaner Don Aslett has been moved to write a second book
about this knotty problem. (His first book about junk was CLUTTER'S
LAST STAND.) In the pages of NOT FOR PACKRATS ONLY you'll find not
only hundreds and hundreds of specific tips and helpful suggestions,
but quite a bit of psychological support, for this is quite an
emotional issue. If you don't believe that, go through your home with
a close friend (better yet, a spouse) and try to agree on what's
junk and what's a family heirloom/work of art/valued memento/etc. Or
just try to toss the entire contents of a box/closet/drawer that you
haven't used in years. Can't do it, can you? There is no end to the
psychological justifications for holding on to junk, but the costs of
junk (which Don Aslett explains carefully) are enormous: time, money,
and negative energy like guilt. It's a nasty job, but follow Don
Aslett's advice and you'll get through it, and be a better (certainly
lighter) person for it.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
FUMBLERULES
A Lighthearted Guide to Grammar and Good Usage
by William Safire
(Doubleday, 1990, ISBN 0-385-41301-7)
Fumblerule: A mistake that calls attention to the rule.
--> A writer must not shift your point of view.
--> Make an all out effort to hyphenate when necessary, but not when
un-necessary.
--> It behooves us to avoid archaisms.
--> In their writing, everyone should make sure that their pronouns
agree with its antecedent.
--> Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
IN STITCHES
A Patchwork of Feminist Humor and Satire
edited by Gloria Kaufman
(Indiana University Press, July 1991)
Hardcover: $29.95 ISBN 0-253-33141-2
Paperback: $14.95 ISBN 0-253-20641-3
review by Cindy Bartorillo
The original stereotyped feminist was a strident, angry-faced woman
who was forever causing problems. Her favorite brand of humor was
probably pictures of disemboweled male chauvinist pigs. Now that the
general paranoia has evaporated and common sense is making some
inroads in the overall chaos, the term "feminist" isn't quite the
onerous label it once was, and newstyle comediennes like Rita Rudner,
Ellen Degeneres, and Elayne Boosler have proved that "feminist humor"
is not an oxymoron. IN STITCHES collects some of the best (meaning
funniest and most profound) of the feminist humorists in a collage of
essays, poems, quips, cartoons, and comic strips. Contributors
include: Margaret Atwood, Mary Kay Blakely, Ellen Goodman, Guerilla
Girls, Nicole Hollander, Alice Kahn, Alison Lurie, Jane Wagner, and
many more. There are even a few men allowed to participate: Dave
Barry, Berke Breathed, and Jules Feiffer.
Open up IN STITCHES to any page, any page at all:
EASY is an adjective used to describe a woman who has the sexual
morals of a man. (Nancy Linn-Desmond)
Men were taught from childhood to be aggressive; we were taught to be
nice. Men are encouraged to go for it; we are encouraged to lose
weight. (Alice Kahn)
There is certainly plenty of evidence which supports the notion that,
while age may have a positive effect on wine and cheese, it will cause
a woman to become invisible. She will disappear from the culture. She
won't be offered starring roles in movies or be needed to sell any
cars/tools/luggage/etc. She won't be featured on runways, or
billboards, or posters, and what possible reason could an older woman
have for showing up on a beach? (Mary Kay Blakely)
It was so cold I almost got married. (Shelley Winters)
How many of you ever started dating someone 'cause you were too lazy
to commit suicide? (Judy Tenuta)
IN STITCHES is the funniest thing since pink eye shadow. You might
also want to hunt down the 1980 collection called PULLING OUR OWN
STRINGS edited by Gloria Kaufman and Mary Kay Blakely. (If your
bookstore can't get IN STITCHES for you, write to: Indiana University
Press, 10th & Morton Sts., Bloomington, IN 47405, or get your credit
card and call 1-800-842-6796.)
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
COLLISION AT HOME PLATE
The Lives of Pete Rose and Bart Giamatti
by James Reston, Jr.
(HarperCollins, 1991, $19.95, ISBN 0-06-016379-8)
review by Drew Bartorillo
COLLISION AT HOME PLATE is the combined biography of the banned
baseball player, and convicted felon, Pete Rose and the late
commissioner of baseball Bart Giamatti. It is fitting that both
biographies are contained in one book in that it was Bart Giamatti who
had Pete Rose banned from baseball for gambling on his own team. A
parallel is drawn in the book between their lives, beginning with
their parents and ending up with Pete Rose being banned and Bart
Giamatti's death. COLLISION AT HOME PLATE is extremely well written
and full of baseball facts and history. Since Pete Rose played most of
his career with the Cincinnati Reds, the book is full of information
about the modern-day Reds.
Normally, I tend to avoid biographies but, due to my love of the game
of baseball, decided to read COLLISION AT HOME PLATE. I found the book
to be VERY disturbing and difficult to finish. The passages in the
book about Pete Rose were very depressing. I still remember going to
my first baseball game at the old Connie Mack Stadium in North
Philadelphia to see the Philadelphia Athletics play. Since then, I
have been an avid baseball fan and, in fact, truly enjoyed watching
Pete Rose play. I never realized, until I read COLLISION AT HOME
PLATE, what a truly horrible human being Pete Rose was. When he was
banned from baseball I really felt sorry for him and regretted the
possibility that this magnificent baseball player might never be in
the Baseball Hall Of Fame. After reading COLLISION AT HOME PLATE I
don't feel sorry for him at all and, in fact, feel that he didn't
receive nearly the punishment he deserved for the crimes he committed.
If you are a true baseball fan, by all means pick up COLLISION AT HOME
PLATE and read it. It will fascinate you and keep you entertained for
hours. If you are a Pete Rose fan, and do not know much about his
personal life, you might want to stay away from this book. It can
destroy any illusions you had about this baseball "superhero" and
leave you feeling very cold toward him.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
WATCHING AMERICA
What Television Tells Us About Our Lives
by S. Robert Lichter, Linda S. Lichter, and Stanley Rothman
(Prentice Hall, June 1991, $24.95, ISBN 0-13-026824-0)
review by Howard Frye
"Marx once charged that history is made behind the backs of the
individuals who think they are shaping it. In the age of television,
history is reshaped before our eyes without our noticing it. The goal
of this book is to reveal this process by providing the first
comprehensive guide to the meanings and messages of prime time."
WATCHING AMERICA is a product of the authors' ongoing study of the
effects of the communications media on society. They perceived a need
for an examination of televised material that went beyond the
much-publicized counts of violent acts or sexual innuendos. They saw
that television, watched by the average American for more than four
hours every day, has become a part of our reality set and that the
content of the shows we watch, both the obvious messages and the
underlying assumptions, affect who were are and how we behave.
"During the past four decades, television has transcended its role as
mere entertainment to become a potent force shaping everyday life."
"The full force of television's impact is rarely felt in a single
program or even a single season. It is the long-term result of
exposure to an artificial reality so pervasive it has become a major
part of the social environment."
"Our thesis is that television started as an agent of social control
but became an agent of social change."
To create this impressive guide, the authors examined the
content--characters, plot, political and social themes--of a randomly
chosen sample of 620 prime-time shows, 20 from each of 30 seasons from
1955 to 1986. The results of their study show how the fantasy world of
TV has depicted American society in the home, at work, and in the
public square. Each chapter in the book examines how a major theme on
prime-time has developed over the past three decades. Taken together,
they chronicle the changing treatment of groups such as businessmen,
government officials, law enforcers, ethnic minorities, and other
major social groups.
WATCHING AMERICA is laudable not only for the depth of its research,
but for the appealing nature of the prose. What could have been a dry
and stuffy treatise of statistical minutiae is actually an absorbing
discussion of what has become a major factor of American life. Indeed,
for Babyboomers like myself, the history of television is in many ways
the history of my life: I remember wondering both Who shot JFK? and
Who shot JR? I remember the living room of Rob and Laura Petrie as
well as I remember my own childhood living room.
"The medium creates a kind of hyperreality, a shared fantasy world
that merges with and sometimes even replaces the more mundane world of
real life for millions of Americans."
WATCHING AMERICA is an intellectual examination of our "shared fantasy
world", and you may be very surprised at some of the findings. For
instance: Situations in which parents exercise control over their
children have INCREASED in frequency over the last 30 years. Also,
women are still outnumbered by men on TV, and are still more often
portrayed as younger, having less authority, and working at
lower-class, lower-paying jobs than men. WATCHING AMERICA is Highly
Recommended.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
DALI: THE SALVADOR DALI MUSEUM COLLECTION
Introduction by Robert S. Lubar
Foreword by A. Reynolds Morse
(Bulfinch Press/Little Brown, May 1991, $45, ISBN 0-8212-1810-7)
review by Carl Ingram
"Of a cubist picture one asks: 'What does that represent?' -- Of a
surrealist picture, one sees what it represents but one asks: 'What
does that mean?' -- Of a 'paranoiac' picture one asks abundantly:
'What do I see?' 'What does that represent?' 'What does that mean?'
It means one thing certainly, -- the end of so-called modern painting
based on laziness, simplicity, and gay decorativism."
---Salvador Dali
The art reproduced here ranges from 1917 to 1974, an extraordinary
span of time and styles. Dali, born in Spain on November 5, 1904, was
a painter, a poet, a novelist (HIDDEN FACES, 1944), and he designed
furniture, jewelry, and textiles. His outrageous public persona was
possibly the first example of performance art. His draftsmanship was
superb--many elements in his pictures are as clear and detailed as a
photograph, and yet no Dali work has ever been confused with a
photograph. Watches melt, "still life"s move, body parts demonstrate
grotesque plasticity. And the titles of the pictures are wonderful
too. One of my favorites is, "Telephone in a Dish with Three Grilled
Sardines at the End of September".
The dazzling reproductions in this volume are a treat for the eye and
a delight for the intellect. Study Dali's 'paranoiac' work and faces
pop out at you and scenes shift before your eyes. Despite Dali's
longevity and brilliance, few studies of twentieth-century art spend
more than a paragraph on him. Why? Probably because he's so difficult
to pin down. No matter how you divide up the categories for
classifying artists, Salvador Dali is the one who is always left over
at the end. Throughout his career Dali's art mutated as he made new
discoveries, tried new ways of seeing, expanded his horizons. He will
forever be known as the man who painted dreams, and his work will be
fresh and exciting as long as there are people who dream.
The 159 oil paintings, drawings, and watercolors in this volume
represent the Morse Collection of the Salvador Dali Museum in St.
Petersburg, Florida. They represent more than 50 years of collecting
by A. Reynolds Morse and his wife, Eleanor.
"The crowds flock to see my paintings and will continue to do so
because their instinct obscurely and amazedly suspects that my works
hide treasures of blinding authenticity that nobody has yet perceived;
artistic treasures that will be more and more coveted..."
---Salvador Dali
[There is a useful chronology of Salvador Dali's life in the back of
DALI: THE SALVADOR DALI MUSEUM COLLECTION. If you'd like to know more,
check out DIARY OF A GENIUS and THE UNSPEAKABLE CONFESSIONS OF
SALVADOR DALI, both by the artist himself.]
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRUTH AND OPINION
How the Misuse of Language Can Lead to Disaster
by Timothy J. Cooney
(Prometheus Books, June 1991, $17.95, ISBN 0-87975-668-3)
review by Howard Frye
This charming volume is a longish essay that borrows from a variety of
disciplines--linguistics, logic, psychology, sociology--to make the
point that much of the dissension between peoples throughout history
has been the result more of sloppy speech than genuine hatred. By
stating an opinion as if it were a truth, a matter of verifiable fact,
we needlessly infuriate others. Why do we do this? For a variety of
reasons: to sound forceful, to sound sure of ourselves, or, more
insidiously, because we actually believe that our position is "right".
Most of us will passionately defend, with arms if need be, a Truth;
few of us would harm another over an opinion. Disaster strikes when we
are unable to tell the difference between the two. Mr. Cooney shows
the reader how to determine if any particular position is a matter of
truth or a matter of opinion, and demonstrates through examples that
if we would all just speak a little more carefully, mankind's future
might be a bit brighter.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRUTH AND OPINION is a delightful volume of
philosophy accessible to anyone, a book with an important message,
expressed by a man of extraordinary verbal grace. In my opinion, you
should definitely read this book. You'll enjoy it, and you'll benefit
from it. You can't ask much more than that.
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
FIRE FROM ICE
Searching for the Truth Behind the Cold Fusion Furor
by Eugene F. Mallove
(Wiley, June 1991, $22.95, ISBN 0-471-53139-1)
review by Carl Ingram
First things first: What is fusion? According to my Funk & Wagnalls,
in physics fusion is "a thermonuclear reaction in which the nuclei of
a light element undergo transformation into those of a heavier
element, with the release of great energy". The last part of that
definition is what makes fusion such an important subject: anything
that creates "great energy" is intriguing. The first part of the
definition is the good news/bad news dichotomy. The good news is that
this transformation would result in energy that is unlimited,
inexpensive, safe, and environmentally sound. The bad news is that the
most successful fusion reactor we know of is a star, and star-like
temperatures are pretty tough to handle. They can vaporize trees,
buildings, and nuclear physicists.
This is why the world was rocked when Stanley Pons and Martin
Fleischmann, highly respected research chemists from the University of
Utah, announced in March, 1989, that they had achieved nuclear fusion
in a simple table-top experiment at room temperature. If their results
were true, the world's energy problems were over. (Ironically, within
hours of the announcement, the Exxon Valdez left port on its way to
dumping 11 million gallons of crude oil into the Prince William Sound.
If cold fusion became a reality, there would be no more need for oil
or tankers.)
All over the world scientists scrambled to recreate Pons and
Fleischmann's experiment, with very little success. Later it was
discovered that Pons and Fleischmann had failed to document the
details of their work completely, and had bypassed conventional
routine for scientific discovery. Was this all a hoax? The celebration
quickly became a scientific scandal, with several key members of the
scientific community declaring that cold fusion was either the
delusion or brilliant scam of Pons and Fleischmann. One day we had
discovered the secret of inexhaustible, cheap, clean energy; the next
day we had nothing. Where was the truth to be found in all this
controversy?
Eugene Mallove's FIRE FROM ICE examines the entire history of cold
fusion research and provides an insider's view of the scientific
community. He takes a look at the rift cold fusion drove between hot
fusion and cold fusion scientists, and the infighting, misinformation,
competition, favoritism, and allegations that it caused. He delves
into the media's hostile attitude towards cold fusion and the series
of events that ultimately resulted in Pons and Fleischmann being
dismissed from their jobs and ostracized by their peers. Mallove also
tells why he believes many of today's qualified, gifted scientists who
are intrigued by cold fusion refuse to get involved.
In FIRE FROM ICE, Mallove takes the controversial position that cold
fusion is not a fantasy or a fluke, but a compelling possibility with
great potential that demands immediate attention. He tells why cold
fusion is unlikely to receive the research funds it deserves, and
reports on the latest successes international scientists have had.
FIRE FROM ICE is an important book for those who follow current events
and science, and for anyone concerned with the environment and the
future of our planet's natural resources.
**************************
THE COLUMBUS QUINCENTENNIAL
We're going to be awash in Columbus mania in 1992, and the publishing
industry is getting started this fall, with dozens of books about
Columbus and related subjects. Here are some of the books you'll have
to choose from:
Isabella of Castile by Nancy Rubin (St. Martin's, Oct, $24.95)
Fourteen Ninety-Two by Barnet Litvinoff (Scribners, Sep, $22.95)
Discovery: Exploration Through the Centuries by Eric Flaum (Smithmark,
Oct, $29.98)
The Columbus Papers w/narrative text by Columbus scholar Mauricio
Obregon (Macmillan, Nov, $100)
The Discoverers: An Illustrated History of Man's Search to Know His
World and Himself by Daniel J. Boorstin (2-volume reprint w/550
illustrations, 200 in full color, Abrams, Nov, $75)
The Log of Christopher Columbus translated & annotated by Robert Fuson
(reprint, Tab Books, Oct, $14.92)
Conquest of Eden 1493-1515: Other Voyages of Columbus by Michael
Paiewonsky (Academy Chicago, Feb, $34.95)
Columbus: The Great Adventure by Paolo Emilio Taviani (Crown, Oct,
$20)
Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus by Samuel
Eliot Morison (reprint, Little Brown, Oct, $24.95)
The Voyages of Columbus by Lorenzo Camuso (Marboro Books, Sep, $7.95)
Christopher Columbus: The Voyage of Discovery 1492 by Samuel Eliot
Morison (Marboro Books, Sep, $12.95)
The Mysterious History of Columbus: An Exploration of the Man, the
Myth, the Legacy by John Noble Wilford (Knopf, Oct, $25)
America Discovers Columbus: How an Italian Explorer Became an American
Hero by Claudia Bushman (University Press of New England, Spring
1992)
The Conquest of Paradise: Christopher Columbus and the Columbian
Legacy by Kirkpatrick Sale (reprint, Plume, Sep, $12.95)
Kingdoms of Gold, Kingdoms of Jade: The Americas Before Columbus by
Brian M. Fagan (Thames and Hudson, Oct, $24.95)
Seeds of Change (Smithsonian Books, Oct, $39.95/$24.95)
The Columbus Encyclopedia (2 volumes, Simon & Schuster, Oct, $175)
Columbus and the Age of Discovery by Zvi Dor-Ner & William Scheller
(Morrow, Oct, $40, TV tie-in)
Columbus: For Gold, God and Glory by John Dyson (Simon & Schuster,
Oct, $35, TV tie-in)
And Some For Young People:
Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus by Peter Sis
(Knopf, Aug, $15)
I, Columbus: My Journal edited by Peter & Connie Roop (reprint, Avon,
Oct, $5.99)
The Log of Christopher Columbus's First Voyage to America in the Year
1492 As Copied Out in Brief by Bartholomew las Casas, One of His
Companions (reprint, Dover, Oct, $5.95)
Christopher Columbus: From Vision to Voyage by Joan Anderson (Dial,
Oct, $14.95)
Christopher Columbus: The Great Adventure and How We Know About It by
Delno & Jean West (Atheneum, Sep, $13.95)
If You Were There in 1492 by Barbara Brenner (Bradbury, Sep, $13.95)
All Pigs on Deck: Christopher Columbus's Second Marvelous Voyage
(Delacorte, Oct, $15)
Garfield Discovers America by Jim Kraft (Grosset & Dunlap, Mar, $9.95)
I Sailed With Columbus by Miriam Schlein (HarperCollins, Oct, $13.95)
I Sailed With Columbus: The Adventures of a Ship's Boy by Susan Martin
(Overlook, Oct, $17.95)
The Boy Who Sailed With Columbus by Michael Foreman (Arcade, 1992)
The Canary Who Sailed With Columbus by Susan Wiggs (Panda Books, 1989,
$12.95)
A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus illustrated by John & Alexandra
Wallner (Holiday House, 1990, $14.95)
The High Voyage: The Final Crossing of Christopher Columbus by Olga
Litowinsky (reprint, Delacorte, 1991, $14.95)
Miscellaneous:
The Cut & Assemble Columbus's Santa Maria in Full Color by A.G. Smith
(Dover, July, $5.95)
YESTERDAY WE SAW MERMAIDS by Esther Friesner is set in 1492 and is
about a ship of Spanish nuns diverted by a naughty genie to the far
side of the Atlantic. It is bound with Lawrence Watt-Evans' THE FINAL
FOLLY OF CAPTAIN DANCY and printed as a Tor Double for September
($3.99).
COLUMBUS A LA MODE by Robert Wechsler is a collection of parodies in
which the author recounts major events in Columbus' life as other
writers might have. His decision to make the voyage is told as Anne
Tyler might, his wife's gruesome death is described in the manner of
Stephen King, etc. Other writers whose styles are lampooned include
Kurt Vonnegut, Art Buchwald, Ann Landers, Kitty Kelley, John Updike,
Dr. Seuss, and Mille (First Dog). Look for this book April 1992 from
Catbird Press.
OCTOBER WINDS by Susan Wiggs (Tor, Oct, $4.99) is a rather different
account of Columbus. According to this fictional account, when
Cristobal Colon appeared for the first time before Queen Isabel, "his
appearance struck her like a thunderbolt, causing her heart to quicken
against her stiff bodice and her fingers to clench around the tassels
of her cushion."
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# MURDER BY THE BOOK #
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editor: Cindy Bartorillo
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Murder By The Book is a division of Reading For Pleasure, published
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?..................................?
? ?
? IT'S ALL A MYSTERY TO ME ?
? ?
? by Jack Curtin ?
? ?
?..................................?
So here we are again. As it turns out, I'm not going to be able to
deliver on all the things I promised last time due to a couple of
major time-consuming personal matters that have turned this summer
into a horror show. But we'll find some things to talk about here, yes
we will, and we'll begin with the latest entry in what is rapidly
becoming one of my favorite P.I. series.
Moroni Traveler, Robert Irvine's Salt Lake City private eye who is a
"fallen angel" to the Church of the Latter Day Saints which controls
that city--indeed, that state--is back for his fourth case in CALLED
HOME (St. Martin's Press, 1991, $17.95). I've always had a soft spot
for the Mormons--in a mystery sense, that is--because it seems to me
that their church-dominated society offers the best opportunity this
side of the Catholic Church for using the crime story to explore
questions of power and morality and the place of religion in our
lives. I remember a book called PROPHET MOTIVE by an ex-Mormon named
Cleo Jones which appeared about a decade ago and dealt with the murder
of an old-line Mormon Bishop in a small Utah town, which I enjoyed
immensely. I don't think the book ever went to paperback and I never
heard of Cleo Jones again, but I found the setting intriguing and
eagerly picked up Irvine's BAPTISM FOR THE DEAD, which introduced
Traveler in 1988.
Over the course of two ensuing novels (THE ANGEL'S SHARE and GONE TO
GLORY), I've grown familiar with Traveler, his father Martin (who, in
fact, is not his father at all), his ex-wife Claire (who is more than
a little crazy), his friend Willis Tanner (a power broker in the
Mormon hierarchy) and several offbeat and often very funny characters
who populate their world. Serious boo