At Taliesin: Newspaper Columns by Frank Loyd Wright and the Taliesin Fellowship, 1934-1937

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At Taliesin: Newspaper Columns by Frank Loyd Wright and the Taliesin Fellowship, 1934-1937
Frank Lloyd; Henning, Rudolph C. Wright
Manufacturer: Southern Illinois Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MZ151Q

Customer Reviews:

Thomas Roma's Photographic Discovery of Brooklyn.......2007-07-13

Starting in 1974 photographer Thomas Roma began capturing a diverse range of images for 16 years from architecture to daily life on the streets of Brooklyn. "Found in Brooklyn" was my introduction to Roma's keen eye for detail and superb usage of light, rendering Brooklyn in a warm white glow that reminded me most of the deep-blue skies of the Southwestern United States (Though I would agree with another reviewer that his usage of light has Brooklyn depicted as though it was located somewhere along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.). It still remains one of my two favorite photography books from his work, and the one which shows the substantial breadth and depth of his subjects. Stylistically, Roma's work in black and white reminds me most of Stephen Shore's contemporaneous color landscapes, with regards to his usage of both the frame and placement of subjects; surprisingly there isn't much here that more closely resembles Lee Friedlander's work (It is a surprise only since his father-in-law is Friedlander.).

An average time in Brooklyn.......2007-05-30

I thought this would be worth adding to my collection of American commonplace photobooks but it turns out to be a very mediocre set of photos. I'm sure any Brooklyn residence would say it looks just like the place though anybody could have taken the photos for that reaction.

There are just too few images that made me stop and study what was on the page. For instance on page nineteen there is a really wonderful shot looking down a street with a tree almost central in the image with its branches segmenting buildings and sky, the sidewalk disappears into the distance. The whole photo is really rich in detail but unfortunately that is about the only one that works for me.

Another problem with the book is the total absence of any information about the forty-four photos, apart from the date they were taken. Roma spend many years taking these scenes and frequently I just wondered what was happening in this or that photo. It seems just too easy to see something visually interesting, photograph it and that's it, fine if it's an abstract image of shapes or texture where the photo is really no more than a pattern but photos of people and locations mostly need some sort of explanation for them to really work for the viewer.

I think it is worth adding that this is the second book I've bought recently of Roma's work, both have been new copies and cost very little and in the case of the Brooklyn book it was less than the mailing cost.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

Roma Has Found Brooklyn.......2000-10-29

In "Found In Brooklyn," Thomas Roma focuses his camera on this borough of New York that has been his home for most of his life. Shooting in a tradition that is most noticeably reminiscent of Lee Friedlander's work from the 60s, Roma has an individual style all his own. Taken over a sixteen-year span beginning in 1974, Roma's photographs alternate between odd juxtapositions of street life, and eccentric and eclectic architecture and environments. Another thing Roma has found in Brooklyn is a wonderful, warm light that makes you feel like you're across the Mediterranean and not across the East River. While Roma has now dedicated four recent books to a variety of subjects on Brooklyn life, none of them is as comprehensive and all-encompassing as this title.

Found By Chance Sustained Through Struggle: A little town called Brooklyn... But some call Lovejoy.

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Found By Chance Sustained Through Struggle: A little town called Brooklyn... But some call Lovejoy.
Zakiyyah N. RaWhee-EL
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Comic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 059540359X

Book Description

It is a well-written book. It grabs you right away. Exuberantly mixes sweet things in life such as friendship, love, family and its filled with plenty of action. It is easy to read, can be read by anyone and you don't want to put it down. In Found by Chance Sustained through Struggle you will find:

Love, victory, adventure, escape, joy and action.

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Found in Brooklyn
Robert Coles, Center for Documentary Studies Thomas Roma
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUDXFW

A preliminary list of the plants found in the Ridgewood Water Supply of the City of Brooklyn, King's County, N.Y

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A preliminary list of the plants found in the Ridgewood Water Supply of the City of Brooklyn, King's County, N.Y
Smith Ely Jelliffe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

A price guide of bottles found in New Jersey and history of Williamstown and New Brooklyn Glass Works

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A price guide of bottles found in New Jersey and history of Williamstown and New Brooklyn Glass Works
Harry C Kenyon
Manufacturer: Old Barn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

A survey of the Algae found in the Brookly Botanic Garden,

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A survey of the Algae found in the Brookly Botanic Garden,
Mary MacMurray Fletcher
Manufacturer: The Author
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Amazon.com

Precious few of us--and that includes Hall of Fame achievers like J. Paul Getty and Bill Gates--ever travel a straight line to the winner's circle. Whoever Makes the Most Mistakes Wins, by Richard Farson and Ralph Keyes, builds on this basic assumption to suggest that some failures may not only be inevitable on our road to success, but might actually help us attain it. In earlier books, Farson (Management of the Absurd) and Keyes (Chancing It) wrote separately about risk taking and reexamining assumptions. Here, they jointly proclaim that in the age of Oprah it might truly be counterproductive to accept the traditional meaning of business yin and yang. "Relying on conventional, outmoded ideas about success and failure stands in the way of your ability to innovate, compete and stay ahead of the curve in a changing economy," they write. While slim, their book goes on to make a compelling case for "managing in the postfailure era" by supporting the type of traditionally discouraged behavior that resulted in breakthrough creativity over the years at firms like 3M, Monsanto, and Apple. Since crises, setbacks, and adversity help shape and advance our lives, the authors argue, why can't enlightened managers also turn them into forward movement in the workplace? Contrarian food for thought. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

In The Innovation Paradox, Richard Farson and Ralph Keyes argue that failure has its upside, success its downside. Both are steps toward achievement, and the two extremes are not as distinct as we imagine. In today's business economy, it's not success or failure -- it's success and failure that lead to genuine innovation. History's great innovators, from Thomas Edison and Charles Kettering to Bill Gates and Jack Welch, saw failure as an important stepping-stone -- and with this groundbreaking book, you too can learn how to become more failure tolerant, more risk friendly, and therefore more innovative. Today's most prominent businesspeople agree that The Innovation Paradox has the formula for failure and success down to a science, Make no mistake: If you're looking to reinvent yourself, your ideas, or your business model, this book is your sure-fire way to start.

Download Description

"Success in today's business economy demands nonstop innovation. But fancy buzzwords, facile lip service, and simplistic formulas are not the answer. Only an entirely new mindset -- a new attitude toward success and failure -- can transform managers' thinking, according to Richard Farson, author of the bestseller Management of the Absurd, and Ralph Keyes, author of the pathbreaking Chancing It: Why We Take Risks, in this provocative new work. According to Farson and Keyes, the key to this new attitude lies in taking risks. In a rapidly changing economy, managers will confront at least as much failure as success. Does that mean they'll have failed? Only by their grandfathers' definition of failure. Both success and failure are steps toward achievement, say the authors. After all, Coca-Cola's renaissance grew directly out of its New Coke debacle, and severe financial distress forced IBM to completely reinvent itself. Wise leaders accept their setbacks as necessary footsteps on the path toward success. They also know that the best way to fall behind in a shifting economy is to rely on what's worked in the past -- as when once-innovative companies like Xerox and Polaroid relied too heavily on formulas that had grown obsolete. By contrast, companies such as GE and 3M have remained vibrant by encouraging innovators, even when they suffered setbacks. In their stunning new book, Farson and Keyes call this enlightened approach ""productive mistake-making."" Rather than reward success and penalize failure, they propose that managers focus on what can be learned from both. Paradoxically, the authors argue, the less we chase success and flee from failure, the more likely we are to genuinely succeed. Best of all, they have written a little jewel of a book, packed with fresh insights, blessedly brief, and to the point. "

Customer Reviews:

The Limits of the Concepts of Success and Failure.......2007-02-26

Making mistakes is a key part of succeeding at anything, the authors believe. Mistakes educate, and education leads to success. They tell the story of Thomas Watson's early loss of company resources at IBM, and his inital expectation that it would lead to his firing, so he offered to resign instead. "You must be kidding," he was told. "We've just invested $10 million in your education."

Those who play it safe can avoid making mistakes, but they do so at a cost of a lack of genuine achievement. To be genuinely supportive of risk-takers, a company must be tolerant of failures, the authors argue.

Just the education caused by failures often leads to success, so the hubris or overconfidence caused by success often leads to failures. Success and failure are not polar opposites, but rather merely separate parts of an integrated whole.

The important thing a person can do to focus on getting the job done in the best way possible, and not become paralyzed with fear as to whether his or her efforts will succeed or fail. Success and failure are beyond one's personal control, but the personal effort and focus and energy are not. The authors quote basketball great Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics as saying he was often so involved in the games he was playing that he didn't really care if he won or lost: the authors paradoxically argue that this is an attitude that is key to winning.

A lot of people who the world regards as successful do not see themselves that way, from Maria Shriver to J.P. Getty. A person who is successful in one area likely has failed in another. The key is to learn from one's mistakes, not repeat them, and stay in the game. Staying in the game is the great reward that motivates many successful people.

This is an extremely wise and humane book. It recognizes that any definition of success is limited in the number of people who can qualify as successful, and that the list of those who are successful at any one time is different from the list of those who are successful at any other time. It recognizes that a key steppingstone to success by any definition is the ability to learn and profit from failure.

This is an extremely useful book for people in the middle of corporate hierarchies. It is also valuable for those debating whether or not to take a given risk, and for those who have taken a risk that has failed. It is valuable for anyone who has to supervise others, or plan for the future, or try to make his or her organization more responsive to an ever-changing world.

Few books are more valuable than this one in coping with the ups and downs of business, or the ups and downs of life. Few people are so dazzingly brilliant or amazingly lucky that they go through life without being harmed by either success or failure. For all those aware of the danger points, this is a book that offers an exit strategy from them.

Uncommon Common Sense.......2007-02-11

Richard Farson and Ralph Keyes are unique thinkers whose refreshing insights and reflections on how we live our lives - what we bring to our workplaces and relationships -are paradoxically simple and complex. On page 129 they caution about "learning how not to be shattered by the humiliation of failure or unnerved by the stress of success," a running theme. They see the two, failure and success, as two sides of the same coin. The primary focus of The Innovation Paradox is on business but the lessons transcend management and leadership in the workplace. For example, you will be fascinated to read on page 45 that "it's unlikely our friendship will survive a friend's triumph." This slim 129 page book is one that you will dog ear and come back to time and again. You will find yourself alternately scratching your head (huh?), nodding in knowing agreement (aha!), and getting angry (agghh); and having a lot of fun along the way. I highly recommend this book that delivers uncomfortable truths, knowing wisdom and uncommon common sense.

Philosophical and inspirational! Quite zen!.......2006-10-23

Recently I had read three great books on mistakes:- "Will your next mistakes be fatal? by Robert Mittelstaedt", "Why Smart Executives Fail: And What You Can Learn from Their Mistakes? by Sydney Finkelstein", and "In Search of Stupidity: Over 20 Years of High-Tech Marketing Disasters by Merrill R. Chapman". To prevent myself from being too risk aversive (just kidding!) I dig into Amazon to get an antidote. Now I am writing a review of it.

Beyond expectation, positively, this book is highly philosophical or even zen. For e.g., on pg 10, "To cope with this economy dont flee from its complexity,; embrace it. In the world to come, we will repeatedly face fluid, ambiguous, even paradoxical, situations....Grow your business by destroying your business; to get big, think small; increase your share of markets by ignoring the concept of market share. We would add: Manage success and failure by not making clear distinctions between the two." And on pg 13, "We assume that success is the pinnacle, failure the pits. They're not. The real pinnacle is when we are so engaged in what we're doing that this distinction vanishes. Athletes call it being in the zone.....when faced with extreme challenges they entered a state of elevated concentration - one he called flow - in which time seemed to stand still, one moment blended into the next, and doing the right thing became almost effortless."

Certainly, the two quoted passages above are not representative of the whole book which gives plenty of good case studies (in particular 3M) and strategic suggestions. However, that sets the overall tone, which distinguishes it from the tons of "mistake" genre of books in the market. IMHO, this is a very good and interesting read for business and personal enhancement. Highly recommended!

Below please find some of my favorite passages for your reference:-

I've missed more than nine thousand shots in my career," admitted Michael Jordan. "I've lost almost three hundred games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." pg 32

The world belongs to those who dont let anxiety about screwing up keep them from moving forward. Those who are too afraid to make a mistake work for those who arent. Even harder than making our own mistakes is letting others make theirs. pg 34

One reason for the collapse of the Soviet Union was that its state controlled economy grew obsessively intolerant of mistakes.....The essence of a free market economy is constant correction based on continual consumer feedback in response to errors. pg 38

When it came to warfare, the samurai strived to achieve victory by becoming fully absorbed in a process that would lead them there, not by setting their sights on victory itself...Samurai swordsman Miyamoto Musashi called this "total absorption of purpose in a single telling bow." pg 119

Success comes from being awake, aware, and in tune with others. - Phil Jackson, NBA Coach pg 122

Fantastic!.......2005-12-21

This is the best business book I've ever read- and I've read tons already! It lets you completely re-imagine your attitude toward success, failures and LIFE. Very deep and wise.

Definately Worth Reading.......2004-12-06

I was first drawn to this book when I was writing a college research paper on the topic of "Success". This book is extremely intersting in that it documents exellent, real-world examples of how failure leads to success (as well as the paradox, how too much success can/will lead to failure).

I found this book to be a quick and easy read that caused me to question our societal norms and values in the subjects of success and failure.

On another note, I think that this book can be particularly useful to people who are perfectionists or who are stressed out about their need to succeed in whatever they are doing. This book helps to demonstrate that succeeding in everything is not always the route to being "successful" in the long run, and that playing it safe can end up costing you later on.

Thus, if you have any interest in the subjects of success/failure, economics, business, psycology or really any other topic...I would recommend this book. Definately glad I read it. Helped me to "succeed" in my paper about success.

Book Description

This book reformulates existing orthodox economic theory in order to improve its conversation with disciplines that have traditionally been seen as the domain of political scientists, sociologists, psychologists and even biologists, and to fit economics into the broader scheme of social science theory.

Drawing on general systems theory, Robert Scott Gassler applies economic analysis to a wide range of social phenomena that incorporate motives other than profit or self-interest, such as altruism and non-profit organizations. He debates in-depth the means, problems and advantages of adapting economic theory to new sets of assumptions, and of communicating this theory intelligibly to those in related fields.

This book should not only be read by political and social economists, but is also accessible to those in the fields of education, health and non-profit administration, public affairs, and urban planning to name but a few.

Book Description

Do you want to know what a job in this industry is really like-and do you want to know it quickly? WetFeet has the best research (and writing) team in the business. WetFeet guides are the industry standard--based on thousands of insider interviews and written with humor and skill, our materials are recognized by candidates and companies alike as the insider guide of choice.

Do you want a Wall Street job with some international flair? Then check out Credit Suisse First Boston. With power bases in both New York and London, CSFB is moving into markets around the globe. Culturally, the firm gives employees a wide berth to be creative rather than imposing structure from the top down. So if you want the freedom to try new things and don't mind a little uncertainty in the workplace, read on.

Want to find out more about CSFB? Already have an interview but don't have time to prepare? Then let the WetFeet team do your homework for you. The WetFeet Press Insider on CSFB tells you about life inside the firm, helps you make sense of the recruiting process and gives you all the details you need to ace your interview You'll learn answers to all of the following questions: * How does CSFB differ from all the other Wall Street firms? * What do employees love most and like least about working for CSFB? * What's the best way to get a job in one of CSFB's many international offices? * What's the firm's summer internship program like? * What type of person succeeds at CSFB? * What areas of the firm are growing? * What hot new developments should job seekers know about?

Book Description

The promise of upward mobility - the notion that everyone has the chance to get ahead - is one of this country's most cherished ideals, a hallmark of the American Dream. But in today's volatile labor market, the tradition of upward mobility for all may be a thing of the past. In a competitive world of deregulated markets and demanding shareholders, many firms that once offered the opportunity for advancement to workers have remade themselves as leaner enterprises with more flexible work forces. Divergent Paths examines the prospects for upward mobility of workers in this changed economic landscape. Based on an innovative comparison of the fortunes of two generations of young, white men over the course of their careers, Divergent Paths documents the divide between the upwardly mobile and the growing numbers of workers caught in the low-wage trap.

The first generation entered the labor market in the late 1960s, a time of prosperity and stability in the U.S. labor market, while the second generation started work in the early 1980s, just as the new labor market was being born amid recession, deregulation, and the weakening of organized labor. Tracking both sets of workers over time, the authors show that the new labor market is more volatile and less forgiving than the labor market of the 1960s and 1970s. Jobs are less stable, and the penalties for failing to find a steady employer are more severe for most workers. At the top of the job pyramid, the "new nomads" - highly credentialed, well-connected workers - regard each short-term project as a springboard to a better-paying position, while at the bottom, a growing number of retail workers, data entry clerks, and telemarketers, are consigned to a succession of low-paying, dead-end jobs.

While many commentators dismiss public anxieties about job insecurity as overblown, Divergent Paths carefully documents hidden trends in today's job market which confirm many of the public's fears. Despite the celebrated job market of recent years, the authors show that the old labor market of the 1960s and 1970s propelled more workers up the earnings ladder than does today's labor market. Divergent Paths concludes with a discussion of policy strategies, such as regional partnerships linking corporate, union, government, and community resources, which may help repair the career paths that once made upward mobility a realistic ambition for all American workers.

Annette Bernhardt is Senior Research Associate at the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, University of Wisconsin, Madison. Martina Morris is the Blumstein-Jordan Professor of Sociology and Statistics at the University of Washington, Seattle. Mark S. Handcock is Professor of Statistics and Sociology in the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle. Marc A. Scott is Assistant Professor of Educational Statistics at the School of Education, New York University.

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The End is always messy and never pretty.

The only book on the subject

It Aint Over, Till It's Over

A good historical account

An excellent telling of the final months of the Civil War

Out of the Storm: The End of the Civil War, April-June 1865
Noah Andre Trudeau
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | 19th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Civil War | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
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The Last Citadel: Petersburg, Virginia, June 1864-April 1865

Bloody Roads South: The Wilderness to Cold Harbor, May-June 1864

The Battles For Spotsylvania Court House And The Road To Yellow Tavern, May 7-12, 1864

The Battle Of The Wilderness, May 5-6, 1864

To The Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign

ASIN: 0807120332

Customer Reviews:

The End is always messy and never pretty........2007-08-30

The end of any war or battle usually concludes with a whimper and is always messy and never pretty. So does the great American Civil War. As the sound of the guns died away the cleanup began. Mr. Trudeau's concise history of the conclusion of the American Civil War is an excellent synoptical overview of those chaotic times. It is by far the best history of how the Civil War actually ended and what happened after the fighting stopped.
Mr. Trudeau examines what happened after the Generals went home and answers many nagging questions like: What did the Confederate Government do? Where did Jefferson Davis go? What happened to all the soldiers once the guns fell silent? Who was the last soldier killed and what happened to all the major participants? So many questions, and Mr. Trudeau does a good job of answering them all. The history also examines many of the controversies that seemed to plague the War's ending. The Warren-Sheridan flap was noteworthy.
All in all an excellent history of a topic not generally covered. Many think the Civil War concluded with General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox, not so. Battles continued and the sound of the guns did not conclude until the battle of Palmito Ranch, May 13, 1865. When the last volley was fired, LTC David Branson of the 62nd U.S.C.T. simply said, "That winds up the war." And so the fighting stopped, but then the hardest part began: reuniting the Union and healing the wounds of a battle scared nation. It would not be easy but nothing difficult ever is. The soldiers had done their glorious duty now the politicians had to do their difficult work. The fighting was over now America must move on: And move on the unified nation did.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in America's Civil War. A good solid windup to the end of that most difficult time. The best overview book on this subject - 5+ stars.

The only book on the subject.......2006-06-30

The Civil War did not end at Appomattox or Bentonville but dragged on for several months. This is the only book that covers those months, the men, battles and the surrender. The author writes well and keeps us interested even though we know that this is all in vain. The battle of Palmito Ranch could be the saddest battle history you will ever read. "When Johnny comes marching home" is an excellent chapter on what happened to the men that fought the war, something we all to often do not have. Including this keep s the war from being an isolated instance but shows it to be part of their lives.

I have all of the author's books but chose this and "Like Men of War" to be signed.

It Aint Over, Till It's Over.......2004-02-10

In School, books, and TV it's ingrained that the Civil War began with the First shot at Fort Sumter, and ended in April of 65 with the surrender of Lee, and the Death of Lincoln. However, at the ending of April and beginning of May the Confederates may have been on the run, but the government was still in function with Davis on the move but still the President - Johnston was still somewhat of a threat, and Kirby Smith still had a hold in Texas. This book wonderfully explains those last months to June, not April of 1865. I recommend this book highly, and another writer states that "The Long Surrender" surpassed this book. Well, in some sense both of these books cover the same time period, but I think both book are excellent. In "Out Of The Storm," the focus is on the remaining holdouts beginning April 1st 1865. In "The Long Surrender" is a fascinating tale of the collapse of the confederate government, and the escape of Davis and his cabinet, even when it seemed all was lost, Davis still had hope of making it to Texas - Both books are different enough and interesting enough that I would recommend both books.

A good historical account.......2000-08-06

"Out of the Storm" is a good account of the last months of the Civil War, that is unfortunately eclisped by Burke Davis's superior "The Long Surrender," which covers much of the same ground, but provides a better historical perspective. Andre Trudeau focusses on the three month period April-June 1865, carrying the narrative of the War from the fall of Richmond to the last skirmish in Texas (a Confederate victory). Along the way, he retells many important stories that seem lost to history, like the Sultana explosion, the deadliest naval disaster in U.S. history than claimed the lives of nearly 1700 people, most of them returning Union POWs. Overall, this is an interesting historical account that should appeal to those with an interest in the Civil War.

An excellent telling of the final months of the Civil War.......2000-04-14

Mr Trudeau's final Civil War book was spelendidly told in neat and organized sections. The events leading up to and after Lee' surrender are detailed and written in a compelling style. The known and unknown characters that peopled the era are unique, interesting and in some cases mysterious. The final battles are well researched and the maps are superbly drawn allowing the reader to follow the course of action. I highly recommend his other fine works, "Bloody Roads South" and "The Citadel" to round out the most critical and bloody years of the conflict.

Out of the Storm: The End Of the Civil War, April - June 1865 (ISBN:0316853283)

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Out of the Storm: The End Of the Civil War, April - June 1865 (ISBN:0316853283)
Noah Andre Trudeau
Manufacturer: Little, Brown & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LC3090

Average customer rating:

Out of the Storm: The End of the Civil War, April-June, 1865
Noah Andre Trudeau
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K5ODXK

Amazon.com

Forty years ago, novelist Herman Wouk wrote a book about his devotion to the Torah and the Talmud called This Is My God, which remains among the freshest and most quietly impassioned religious autobiographies in print today. The Will to Live On is Wouk's follow-up to that work, although its subject--the particular state of the Jewish people in the 20th century--is very different. Wouk promises to tackle all of the biggest subjects here: "the Holocaust, the reborn Jewish State, the prodigious yet precarious American diaspora, and the deepening religious schisms." And his broad-minded reflections on all of these topics--especially his explanation of modern Zionism's rise from the roots of ancient literature and history--are cleanly, forcefully, and respectfully written. Among Wouk's most penetrating insights are his reflections on Israel's struggle, throughout history, with the temptation of idolatry, and his conviction that the Holocaust at last purged Abraham's people of this "near-fatal cancer." The Will to Live On is a risky, wise book that deserves to be called prophetic.

Book Description

Herman Wouk has ranged in his novels from the mighty narrative of The Caine Mutiny and the warm, intimate humor of Marjorie Morningstar to the global panorama of The Winds of War and War and Remembrance. All these powers merge in this major new work of nonfiction, The Will to Live On, an illuminating account of the worldwide revolution that has been sweeping over Jewry, set against a swiftly reviewed background of history, tradition, and sacred literature.

Forty years ago, in his modern classic This Is My God, Herman Wouk stated the case for his religious beliefs and conduct. His aim in that work and in The Will to Live On has been to break through the crust of prejudice, to reawaken clearheaded thought about the magnificent Jewish patrimony, and to convey a message of hope for Jewish survival.

Although the Torah and the Talmud are timeless, the twentieth century has brought earthquake shocks to the Jews: the apocalyptic experience of the Holocaust, the reborn Jewish state, the precarious American diaspora, and deepening religious schisms. After a lifetime of study, Herman Wouk examines the changes affecting the Jewish world, especially the troubled wonder of Israel, and the remarkable, though dwindling, American Jewry. The book is peppered with wonderful stories of the author's encounters with such luminaries as Ben Gurion, Isidor Rabi, Yitzhak Rabin, Saul Bellow, and Richard Feynan.

Learned in general culture, warmly tolerant of other beliefs, this noted author expresses his own other beliefs, this noted author expresses his own faith with a passion that gives the book its fire and does so in the clear, engaging style that--as in all Wouk's fiction--makes the reader want to know what the next page will bring.

Herman Wouk writes, in The Will to Live On:

"And so the Melting Pot is beginning to work on Jewry. Its effect was deferred in the passing century by the shock of the Holocaust and the rise of Israel, but today the Holocaust is an academic subject, and Israel is no longer a beleaguered underdog. Amkha in America is not dying, it is slowly melting, and those are very different fates. Dying is a terror, an agony, a strangling finish, to be fought off by sheer instinct, by the will to live on, to the last breath. Melting is a mere diffusion into an ambient welcoming warmth in which one is dissolved and disappears, as a teaspoon of sugar vanishes into hot tea....

Yet here in the United States, for all the scary attrition I have pictured, we are still a community of over five million strong. . . . At a far stretch of my hopes, our descendants could one day be a diaspora comparable to Babylonia. At the moment, of course, that is beyond rational expectation. We have to concentrate on lasting at all. . . ."

Customer Reviews:

a little chatty but deeply moving.......2004-05-10

Anyone interested in Judaism, what it means to be a Jew, Jewish history, Jewish meaning will love this book. It's usually very well written eloquent prose although sometimes it's a bit too diary-conversational.

Another fine Wouk book.......2002-01-07

In a career of fifty years or so, Herman Wouk has published less than a dozen novels. Fortunately, the time he puts into his work shows and nearly all of his works are five-star quality. This book, a non-fiction follow-up to This Is My God (which is the only book of his I haven't read), continues the high-quality trend.

Although designed for a Jewish audience, this book has plenty to offer anyone who wishes to learn more about Judaism and the direction it is going. This is a good blend of history, theology and memoir, well-organized and filled with detail without losing readability. I found of particular interest the second part, "The Heritage, or the Power of a Dream" which describes the sources of Jewish thought and tradition.

Although not very religious myself, I am often fascinated with religion, and this book is a good addition to my collection on the subject. As he states in the Afterword, "If this book in any way helps readers to rethink the [future of Judaism] for themselves, I will have done, to the best of my ability, what I set out to do." He has accomplished this task very well.

What is Yiddishkeit?.......2001-12-04

One of many topics reviewed in this excellent book, possibly, but hopefully not the last of Herman Wouk's great literary career. From the author of numerous fictional works, including the epics Winds of War and War and Remembrance, this is the second of his major nonfiction books, published some 40 years after his first, "This is My God."

This 300-page book spans a greater time span, and is certainly more up to date than Heinrich Graetz's encyclopedic, multi-volume "History of the Jews." Aside from providing a succinct history of a people spanning over three millennia, Wouk addresses an even more important question of what will become of the Jews, having survived centuries of invasion, overthrow, exile, persecution and the Holocaust, only to be threatened with extinction through intermarriage and assimilation in the United States, and secular Judaism in Israel.

At times a difficult read because of its complex vocabulary, cultivated from Yiddish, Hebrew, Biblical and Talmudic colloquialisms, this is more than compensated for by its succinctness, its eyewitness perspective, and its inclusion in respective appendices, a glossary of terms, and biographical names.

Wouk certainly knows of what he speaks. Having been born into and Orthodox American Jewish family, Herman Wouk, is the grandson of a Russian Orthodox rabbi who moved to the United States in the 1920's, who later made aliyah in the 1950's, a member of what Tom Brokaw calls "The Greatest Generation," a World War II naval officer, a lifelong student of history, Old Testament, Talmud, Judaism, and Israel, Wouk has personally met such prominent figures as Prime Ministers Ben-Gurion and Ehud Barak of Israel, the Nobel winning physicist Richard Feynman. A must read for anyone interested in Jewish history, prognosis, Israel (ancient or modern)

A heartfelt look at Jewish survival!.......2000-12-03

At 84 years of age, Herman Wouk, one of the giants of contemporary American Jewish literature, presents his view of the survival of the Jewish people. His narrative moves back and forth between a thumbnail sketch of Jewish history and a colorful personal history . He indicates that the two motivating forces that have kept Judaism cohesive and growing during the twentieth century--the Holocaust and the birth of the state of Israel--are no longer of recent enough memory in the younger generation to ensure Jewish survival. Are there other factors, as the twenty-first century begins, that can influence young Jews to preserve their ancient heritage? This is the tough question the author attempts to address.

Wouk's whirlwind tour of Jewish history is unsatisfactory because it flies through time and presumes an in-depth knowledge by the reader. Far more satisying are the author's personal reflections as to how his life experiences and knowledge of the past allow him to appreciate his Jewish heritage. What seem to be lacking at the beginning of the book book are fill-in-the-blank kind of things. It is almost as if the author's intention is to get his readers to find the missing information by going to Judaic sources and reading what they need to know to preserve the Jewish faith. Nice ploy!

THE WILL TO LIVE ON concludes with Wouk's thoughts about the survival of the Jewish people into the distant future. His impressions differ regarding the Jews of Israel and those of the diaspora. He has one especially important thought to share about how diaspora Jewry can ensure their survival. It's not worth peeking at the last few pages of the book ahead of time, however, because the strength of Wouk's case slowly builds throughout the narrative. The reader can then sit back and truly savor the elderly author's insightful conclusion.

Eloquent and Inspiring for the Most Part.......2000-05-25

I would agree with the superlatives described in a previous review. I was particularly moved by the sweep of history described up through the 3rd Destruction. I was particularly moved by the section about the fall of the 2nd Temple and about Yahveh. The descriptions of Jewish literature and thought through the ages was very good.

Unfortunately, I was hoping for a more creative, less tradition bound ending, more in the style of Dershowitz in The Vanishing American Jew or Mordecai Kaplan in Judaism as a Civilization - see next paragraph). I have lately become a Reconstructionist Jew (a branch of Judaism founded by Mordecai Kaplan). Many of us find it particularly relevant to our needs as American Jews (our prior affiliations have been Reform). Not only was I puzzled to find the very word lacking as an option for the Jewish future anywhere in the book but lacking in all but one sentence in the middle of the book. Is he not familiar with it?

Elsewhere, I was confused by his use of the word Neology which I took as a critical bias toward one liberal theology?

After showing the book to a friend, I was suprised to learn about Wouk's misleading information with respect to Hannah Arendt's supposed relationship with a Nazi (via scholarly footnotes) which Wouk uses to discredit her views on the Eichmann trial in ..Banality of Evil. Her credentials are far better than Wouk implies. The distortion works in part by merging time periods of events separated by years.

Although Wouk admires an large number of intelligent people / leaders, to my recollection they are nearly if not all men.

After finishing the book, these considerations led me to be less confident about its overall accuracy .

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The Will to Live On : This Is Our Heritage
Herman Wouk
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OA5MQI

Average customer rating:
The Will to Live On: This is Our Heritage
Herman Wouk
Manufacturer: HarperLargePrint
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF1ZK0

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The Will to Live On: This is Our Heritage
Herman Wouk
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEZWU0

Book Description

At twenty-three, Alison Watt left the comfort of a relationship and urban life to spend four months studying tufted puffins on Triangle Island, a remote bird sanctuary far off the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

She spent her summer in the company of Anne Vallée, a serious young biologist whose dedication to her field made her a formidable and inspiring mentor. Now, in the sixteen years since Watt last visited the island, Anne has died, and from the moment Watt arrives to do more research, she is flooded with memories of the summer they spent together.

Told in a gripping diary form, The Last Island blends native legends, evolutionary theory, scientific knowledge and an appreciation for the delicate balance required for creatures as small as krill and as large as fin whales to survive. Watt brings the island to life, recreating through sensual detail the sounds, smells, sights, tastes and textures of this desolate bird haven. Perhaps even more importantly, she recreates the jagged inner landscape of a young woman worn and warmed by months of seclusion.

The Last Island: A Naturalists Sojourn on Triangle Island

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The Last Island: A Naturalists Sojourn on Triangle Island
Alison Watt
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUIIZC

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