The Little Man with the Long Shadow The Life and Times of Frederick M. Hubbell

Book Description

75 percent of the world's single-seater racing cars are designed and built in Britain. Thanks to this technical know-how, most Grand Prix teams are based in the UK, and many of them have British managers and designers. Through interviewing the sport's key figures, Clive Couldwell is able to reveal what makes this intriguing industry tick and how UK research and development is leading the world.

Book Description

This collection of exciting essays explores how the representations and the ideologies of masculinities can be productively studied in the context of Hong Kong cinema. It has two objectives: first, to investigate the multiple meanings and manifestations of masculinities in Hong Kong cinema that compliment and contradict each other. Second, to analyze the social and cultural environments that make these representations possible and problematic. "Masculinities and Hong Kong Cinema" presents a comprehensive picture of how Hong Kong mainstream cinematic masculinities are produced within their own socio-cultural discourses, and how these masculinities are distributed, received, and transformed within the setting of the market place.

The volume is divided into three interrelated parts: the local cinematic tradition; the transnational context and reverberations; and the larger production, reception, and mediation environments. These three perspectives will reveal the dynamics and tensions between the local and the transnational, between production and reception, and between text and context, in the gendered manifestations of Hong Kong cinema.

Book Description

In contrast with most histories of this period, America's Uncivil Wars: The Sixties Era from Elvis to the Fall of Richard Nixon does not treat the 1960s as a single historical moment or as successive waves of activism. Rather, it employs a chronological narrative to identify three distinct phases during which events of the era unfolded. The first began with the cultural ferment of the 1950s and ended with the assassination of John F. Kennedy. During the second phase, from 1964-1968, the "uncivil" wars began in earnest: Americans disagreed about new social and cultural mores, protests against the Vietnam War increased in size and vehemence, and American cities erupted in racial violence. From 1967 through 1968, all of these forces combined to divide Americans more deeply than they had been since the Civil War. In the third phase, Richard Nixon promised to bring Americans together. However, a host of new value and identity movements--environmentalists, consumer advocates, feminists, gay, Latino, and Native American activists--frustrated his design. Only after the Watergate scandals forced this polarizing figure from office did a measure of civility return to the nation's public discourse. America's Uncivil Wars captures the broad sweep of this tumultuous era, analyzing both the cultural and political influences on the movements of the 1960s. Paying particular attention to Latinos, Native Americans, feminism, and gay liberation, it integrates the politics of gender and race into the central political narrative. The book also covers such topics as McCarthyism; the FBI; rock and roll; teen culture in the 1950s; the origins of SDS, SNCC, and YAF; and the environmental and consumer movements. With its engaging narrative style and broad cultural emphasis, America's Uncivil Wars brings a fresh approach to our understanding of not only the 1960s but also U.S. history since 1945.

Customer Reviews:

Why fact-checking matters.......2007-07-07

I cannot in good conscience recommend Mr. Lytle's "America's Uncivil Wars" due to several egregious errors which found their way past his fact-checkers (if any) and made it into print. To cite a few:
1. In citing the impact of the Beatles early in the book, he quotes the lyrics of "She Loves You" as "with a love like that, you know it can't be bad." The actual lyric, of course, is "you know you should be glad." This should be common knowledge among Lytle's (and later) generations; the misquote is puzzling at best.
2. He refers to George McGovern as the Senator from North Dakota. McGovern, of course, was from South Dakota.
3. Late in the book, he cites Lyndon Johnson's attempts to stymie Richard Nixon's "re-election" in 1968. Nixon, of course, was running for election, not re-election.

While taken individually, these mis-statements may appear innocuous. However, since Lytle purports to be writing a comprehensive overview of a contentious era in our history, a little more attention to the facts might have been in order.

The balance of the book, while a reasonably pleasant read, covers ground that has been covered in far greater detail and analysis by myriad writers such as Todd Gitlin, Stephen Ambrose, Tom Wicker, Woodward & Bernstein, and others. Readers interested in a more probing analysis of this period of our history are advised to seek out their works.

Most Balanced Account of the 60s Yet.......2006-10-21

This is the most balanced account of the 60s I've ever read. Too many authors are caught up in their own experience or continue to fight the battles of the era. America's Uncivil Wars recognizes that the 60s were more a generational experience than a discrete period of time. I fully agree with the division into three periods from 56-64, 64-68, and 68 through Watergate. A driving sense of narrative moves the book from event to event and brings to life the wide range of personalities who gave the 60s their flavor. The background material on the 50s and the growing attacks on consensus culture are rich and engagingly told. And no other book I've read gives such prominence to feminists, the Red and Brown Power movements, environmentalism, and Gay Rights. Conservative student and political movements get their due as well. My only regret is that the book, like the 60s, had to end because this is a good read.

Our Turbulent Years & Their Aftermath........2005-12-29

This was a most interesting book for me, as I must have slept through the Sixties; I remember the Fifties part and the happenings of the Seventies, when former President Richard Nixon was disgraced. He covers the times from 1954 (an important time in my history) to 1973 with the social, cultural and political upheavals. First came rock'n'roll which, he says, instigated teenage rebellion; I detested that 'junk,' as 'pop music' was a part of my young life -- the most important, I guess. Knoxville was not big on rock and roll, as it is primarily steeped in hillbilly and country. We've always been naturally musical here, but in a different way from the rest of the country.

This book gives us a journey back in memory to that unsettled era when parts of America were tearing itself apart. I'm glad I lived in a small town further South during the civil unrest which shook the country, and I honestly don't remember the atomic bomb protests of the late '50s. During the turbulent times of the '60s, Woodstock and the drug culture were not a part of my existence -- a vague memory of reading about it only. At our junior college, there were no protestors of the VietNam War; my neighbors (two old ladies) would tell me about the Vietnamese setting themselves on fire as a protest, which they saw on television. It was a time when "political activists mobilized vast numbers of dissidents against the war," as some are trying to do now with the lingering Iraq War.

At Kent State (only a photo in the news to me), there was campus unrest which resulted in an innocent person being shot and killed by the police. He gave bad descriptions of William Buckley (I admit, he is hard to take at times!) and Joseph McCarthy. McCarthyism was a part of life in 1950 and on past the death of its instigator. Extremist groups were around then, as they are now. The Watergate scandal was President Nixon's undoing, when he went on the defensive. "Only in the aftermath of Watergate, did the uncivil wars ... end." The late Jack White, a 'Time' magazine columnist, won the Pulitzer Prize for his exposure of Richard Nixom's underpayment of his income taxes. His 1973 story prompted the president (who paid more than four hundred thousand dollars in back taxes) to utter his famous remark, "I am not a crook." I remember vividly in 1973 when he was almost impeached, like another U.S. President Bill Clinton, and resigned under pressure.

Mark H. Lytle, history professor at Bard College, has also written AFTER THE FACT: THE ART OF HISTORICAL DETECTION and NATION OF NATIONS: A NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC.

Terrible.......2005-10-15

Lets say you were reading a book on the mafia, written by John Gotti, or perhaps some lesser-known mobster. And there was nothing but glowing accolades for the mob and it's activities. Furthermore, anyone who opposed the mafia and it's activities was labeled an "extremist" and in the text, their names were never more than about 4 or 5 words away from words like "Ku Klux Klan," "racist," "bigoted," or "paranoid," you'd begin to suspect that the book was a bit biased, wouldn't you?

"Americas Uncivil Wars" is a book written by Mark Lytle, a professor at Bard College. He documents events in American History, in this book, from the 1950's to about 1975. Practically every time a genuine conservative individual, or organization is mentioned in this book, it is associated to a racist organization, whenever Mr. Lytle doesn't add his own commentary. For example, on page 22, he says Joseph McCarthy revealed himself as a "mean-spirited slob." This is a far cry from the McCarthy I know, the McCarthy who wrote the brilliant "Americas Retreat from Victory" for example. And forget about anything good mentioned about the John Birch Society. Page 138: "Most Americans ignored the hooded Klansmen, the John Birchers, and other extremists..." never mind the fact that JBS is not and never was a racist or an extremist organization. But here is their name, sandwiched between the KKK and "extremist."

It is a typical tactic of the left to associate the opposition with the "stench of racism" as Stalin may have put it (I don't remember his exact quote). But you might ask, what about on page 89 where he refers glowingly to William F. Buckley as "the cornerstone of the anti-communist wing of conservatism...?" Keep in mind that this is the same Buckley who years later, in Lingua Franca magazine, confessed that he would be a "Mike Harrington Socialist" or a "Communist" if he were college brat today.

Now on the other hand, try to find anywhere in this book, the words "murderer," or even "extremist" in front of names like Mao Tse Tung, or Che Guevara or Tom Hayden, to name a few. There is a good reason for that, but I will leave it to your imagination, the reason why.

In summary, should you decide to read this book, take it with a grain of salt, or better yet some motion-sickness pills because unless you are prone to the same convictions as our professor Lytle is, you're going to need a barf-bag.

America's Uncivil Wars : The Sixties Era from Elvis to the Fall of Richard Nixon

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America's Uncivil Wars : The Sixties Era from Elvis to the Fall of Richard Nixon
Mark Hamilton Lytle
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKMUYK

Book Description

Anyone who says, "It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game," isn't talking about poker. In this game, winning is everything! Which means there's no reason not to invest $5 toward that future $100 kitty by purchasing this pocket-sized guide! In under 50 pages, a master of the game distills his hard-won experience into just the need-to-know essentials: the insights, tricks, tips, and card knowledge required to play winning poker. On each page of this tight, bright, full-color volume, you'll find a full page visual, step-by-step instructions and perhaps a tip or warning at the bottom of the page to alert you to related info not covered in the main text. By the time you finish the volume, you'll be bluffing and wagering your way to victory-whether it's online or at home, high stakes or penne ante.

Customer Reviews:

Two good things about this book........2005-04-05

I wanted some basics to get into $5 dollar single table tournaments online and it worked for that. You will definitely need something more advanced as you progress into higher limits and this will not be useful for 'free' games.
Take two things from this book:
1. The starting hands based on position
2. How to calculate the 'outs' (a nice chart in the back of the book)
Adjust your starting hands based on your willingness to take risks and understand your outs based on the chart in the back. The rest is pretty basic and as everyone has stated thus far there are a considerable number of mistakes.
If you are going to buy another book watch the poker tournaments on T.V and find a player you most enjoy watching play, that you trust and that wins and go buy his book. There are no books that will teach you everything and there is no template for perfect play.

Don't waste even ONE of 5 bucks!.......2005-01-07

Ditto the other two reviews on this book. I thank my lucky stars that I kept my $5 in my wallet and borrowed this from the library. I give my co-reviewers A LOT of credit for sticking with this book - I quit reading after about page 15. I found no less than FOUR typos/incorrect statements on ONE page. My favorite botched advice is, early in the book, that: when holding a low pair [3's] and hitting a set [trip 3's] on the flop, one should be very wary of a pair of overcards on the board (in this case, a Q on the flop, and then another on the turn), because even one Q buried in an opponents hands will cause his trips to beat yours. Oh yeah? Last I checked, when holding a set and having the board pair-up, I've now got a FULL HOUSE! I think that beats 3 Q's!! Sheesh!

This book is god awful. The typos are brutal, and the flat-out wrong advice is even worse. Don't waste your time.

Buy (or borrow from your local library) Brunson's "Super/System," or any book by Caro or McEvoy. These guys are seasons pros, and know what they're talking about - so you will, too. ;-)

Not Worth Your 5 Bucks.......2004-10-06

I agree with the previous reviewer, and pricing this book a few bucks higher to get a proof-reader would have been well worth the money.

This book is littered with typos.

Every few pages, I have to stop and try to figure out what the author meant to say. An example would be:

Page 24
"...Say you have J and 10 facing one opponent on the turn. You have an outside straight draw with a board of 2 5 8 Q and only the river card left to make it. Any 8 or king will finish this straight for you..."

I may be new at poker, but even I know you'll need a 9 to finish that straight, and a king will be worthless. Of course, he had typo'ed the board cards with an "8" instead of a "9", but this is just one of the many examples of the confusing and annoying mistakes you're sure to discover in this book. I would encourage you to search further throughout amazon, and deeper into your pocket book, for -- simply put -- a better book.

Good short primer in need of a proofreader!.......2004-09-27

This is a 60-page overview of Texas Hold'em that surveys all aspects of the game from starting hands to postflop play and when to bluff. It discusses pot odds, bet odds and implied odds. There's a table in the back with the odds for your hand improving based on the outs you need. There's even a few pages about tournament play.

It's standard stuff, but distilled down to essentials and graphically well-presented.

So why only 3 stars?

The book is filled with typos. Cards are described in the same sentence as spade [the symbol] and "s" -- but both things refer to the spade suit. (And "s" could well mean two starting cards of any one suit.)

On page 32, he explains that you _should_ call when you do not make your queen-high flush. Huh? I've been folding my missed flushes.

As Straham proclaims on the cover, the book is only "5 bucks." Maybe he should price the book higher and employ a proofreader.

P.S. After seeing that the glossary --incredibly -- is not alphabetized, I wish I had given the book only two stars.

Learn How to Win at Texas Hold 'Em Poker for 5 Bucks (Learn.for 5 Bucks)

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Learn How to Win at Texas Hold 'Em Poker for 5 Bucks (Learn.for 5 Bucks)
Mark Strahan
Manufacturer: Peachpit Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OUK4FW

Average customer rating:

A fast read that addresses serious problems in a decent manner

The bug parade

Required reading for software developers

A Must Have in your Info Security Library

a meta-language view of common problems

19 Deadly Sins of Software Security (Security One-off)
Michael Howard , David LeBlanc , and John Viega
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Encryption | Security & Encryption | Web Development | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
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Software Security: Building Security In (Addison-Wesley Software Security Series)

Writing Secure Code, Second Edition

The Security Development Lifecycle

How to Break Web Software: Functional and Security Testing of Web Applications and Web Services. Book & CD

Secure Coding: Principles and Practices

ASIN: 0072260858

Book Description

This essential book for all software developers--regardless of platform, language, or type of application--outlines the “19 deadly sins” of software security and shows how to fix each one. Best-selling authors Michael Howard and David LeBlanc, who teach Microsoft employees how to secure code, have partnered with John Viega, the man who uncovered the 19 deadly programming sins to write this much-needed book. Coverage includes:

Windows, UNIX, Linux, and Mac OS X
C, C++, C#, Java, PHP, Perl, and Visual Basic
Web, small client, and smart-client applications

Customer Reviews:

A fast read that addresses serious problems in a decent manner.......2006-11-02

I read six books on software security recently, namely "Writing Secure Code, 2nd Ed" by Michael Howard and David LeBlanc; "19 Deadly Sins of Software Security" by Michael Howard, David LeBlanc, and John Viega; "Software Security" by Gary McGraw; "The Security Development Lifecycle" by Michael Howard and Steve Lipner; "High-Assurance Design" by Cliff Berg; and "Security Patterns" by Markus Schumacher, et al. Each book takes a different approach to the software security problem, although the first two focus on coding bugs and flaws; the second two examine development processes; and the last two discuss practices or patterns for improved design and implementation. My favorite of the six is Gary McGraw's, thanks to his clear thinking and logical analysis. The other five are still noteworthy books. All six will contribute to the
production of more security software.

The main reason to read 19DS is to quickly become acquainted with various security problems facing software developers. At less than 300 pages, it's not a thick tome like WSC2E. 19DS also is not afraid to mix bugs (coding errors, like buffer overflow conditions) with flaws (design problems, like "failing to protect network traffic.") This sort of lax categorization bothers me (and Gary McGraw, as noted in his book "Software Security"), but it shouldn't interfere with the quality content of 19DS.

Probably the most interesting aspect (to me) of 19DS was sin 10, which discussed problems with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). The chapter didn't describe algorithmic or protocol problems. Instead, it explained how programmers make poor assumptions about the features provided by their language of choice with respect to SSL. For example, many SSL libraries do not properly validate certificates. Without this functionality, the authors argue that SSL is almost worthless. While I don't necessarily agree with this statement, I really like reading this sort of criticism. I'd like to note that p 134 berates Python's ssl() but ignores pyOpenSSL, which probably provides the features the authors would want.

Other "sins" take slightly different looks at security issues. Sin 17, for example, explains the importance of key exchange AND authentication. These are the sorts of problems I imagine are only discovered by examining multiple real-world implementations, and I value the authors sharing their experiences.

I subtracted one star because the quality of the "sins" isn't even. Some don't adequately explain the problem at hand (e.g., integer overflows). If the authors assume the reader knows the problem well enough to not introduce it properly, then why discuss it at all?

Overall, however, 19DS is a great book to get to your developers. It's short enough that they might actually read it, and the content is presented in a convincing enough manner to perhaps influence their coding choices.

The bug parade.......2006-03-03

If you are serious about eradicating software security bugs, you should buy this book. Keeping an eagel eye on the bug parade is a critical activity in software security. (Just don't forget about design flaws while you're at it.)

Mike Howard, David LeBlanc, and John Viega are all top notch software security experts. Listen carefully. Be the bug.

The software security touchpoints help address problems like these every day.

Required reading for software developers.......2006-02-01

If George Santayana were to recommend a security book, it would certainly be 19 Deadly Sins of Software Security. Santayana is the poet-philosopher widely known for saying, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." For far too long, software developers have been making the same mistakes in programming as if they were incapable of remembering their past errors.

Poorly written software lies behind nearly every computer security vulnerability. Amit Yoran, former director of the National Cyber Security Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is quoted as saying that "95 percent of software bugs are caused by the same 19 programming flaws." These flaws are the so-called "deadly sins" of the title.

The book covers these 19 programming flaws, which include the most devastating types of coding and architectural errors, such as buffer overflows, format string problems, cross-site scripting, and insufficient encryption. Each flaw gets its own chapter, which features a brief introduction to the problem, sample code depicting each "sin," ways to detect the problem during code review, a description of tools and techniques to test for the defect, and defensive measures that make it more difficult for someone to exploit the weakness.

None of the text is extraneous, as it economically addresses a wealth of the most popular platforms and languages. These include Windows, Linux, UNIX, C/C++, C#, Java, PERL, and more.

Software applications developers, irrespective of which platform or language they use to write code, should consider this book required reading. Were he a techie, Santayana might have said that those who have written insecure code in the past are condemned to continue to write insecure code in the future. Programmers need only read this book to help put an end to that vicious cycle.

A Must Have in your Info Security Library.......2005-10-15

Too often, software security is overlooked in the info security infrastructure of most organizations as we focus on network, computer, data, and physical security. That is a luxury organizations can no longer afford. The book gives a great overview of software security issues yet at the same time provides granular examples and solutions that can be readily implemented. Would serve as a great source for training of programmers in code security.

a meta-language view of common problems.......2005-09-13

The authors take an even handed look across several major languages and point out pitfalls in each. Probably, for you as a programmer, you have met many of these ideas before. But maybe in the context of a given language. This book lets you take a metalanguage view.

Consider integer overflows. C# and Visual Basic guard against these. But not Java, C or C++. There are also commonsense recommendations like using unsigned integers when describing things that are intrinsically non-negative, like memory addresses or sizes of memory allocations. Alas, Java does not support unsigned integers.

Cross site scripting gets a chapter of its own. A dangerous phenomenon of the web. Where a web page gets user input from the user's browser. The application does not check this input for malicious content, and it proceeds to send it to a web page. The text might have scripting commands which are then run by the user's browser. These might mess up the browser or even the user's computer. Worth checking out.

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19 Deadly Sins of Software Security
David LeBlanc, John Viega Michael Howard
Manufacturer: Mcgraw-Hill Osborne Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFSVRK

Book Description

Trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia and arguably the stylistic leader of the Pennsylvania Impressionist school of painting, Edward W. Redfield (1869-1965) was fascinated by the forces that colored an individual's reaction to nature. His paintings reflected an engagement with the American experience, in an unsentimental impressionist style. A painter of great immediacy, Redfield understood that art was an expressive activity rooted in sensibility and feeling, and advised other artists, "See it, seize it, remember it--then get out and paint it."

The phenomenal popularity of Redfield from 1900 to 1920 cannot be fully understood without considering how his life and work were viewed as the embodiment of a national spirit of the progress of America. Redfield's paintings embodied the rawness and energy of America during a period of transformation from a predominantly agrarian to an industrialized capitalist nation. Not only did these bold, vibrant pictures provide welcome images of the natural world, they exuded a spirit of personal authenticity, and stability for an audience in search of these qualities.

With extraordinary access to the rich collection of the Redfield family archives, Constance Kimmerle is able to broaden the understanding of the artist and his work. Through the use of primary sources including Redfield's personal letters and his journal, Kimmerle creates a unique and intimate portrait of one of America's greatest impressionist painters.

Customer Reviews:

Edward Redfield.......2007-02-02

This is a very good book about an excellent painter. It includes about 59 color reproductions and a few b&w. Some of the paintings are not his best but there are still quite a few good ones. This is a basic biography with paintings and descriptions. One could wish for more about the man and his comrades. It's a fairly good biography but for an Redfield lover you will want for more.

Book Description

This unique volume explores such themes as the political and economic forces that cause immigration; the alienation and uprootedness that often follow relocation; and the difficult questions of citizenship and assimilation.

Customer Reviews:

An interesting perspective on being American.......2002-05-02

The content of this book is derived primarily from first-person narratives and other primary source historical documents. These writings offer the reader a great deal to consider when thinking about the role of Americans in history. The narratives are moving and thought provoking, and really force the reader to reconsider what it really means to be an American. Questions abound about why we aren't told these stories in school, particularly regarding the role this country has played in the lives of other nations. A real "based on a true story" book!

Texas Crossroads North America + Kurashige Major Problems in Asian American History + Gjerde Major Problems American Immigration + Ethnic History

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Texas Crossroads North America + Kurashige Major Problems in Asian American History + Gjerde Major Problems American Immigration + Ethnic History
Paula Marks
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0618739327

Customer Reviews:

INTELLIGENT.......2007-02-24

This guy is really smart. He has alot of equations that are above my head, but they are in the book to qualify what he is saying. I enjoyed alot of the things he said, they helped me clarify some things I've been looking into. I did not get this book for his theory of theology or spiritual guidance. I got it for the science and knowledge of music and how it is in all creation. As far as I'm concerned he could have left some of his opinions out. But I'm glad I bought the book.

Filled with errors, don't waste your money........2006-08-28

This book is filled with mathematical errors and typos. Makes a book on harmonics rather useless. Don't buy it.

Is the Universe in 'tune'?.......2006-07-08

People have been trying for years to prove that the founding cause of the Universe is natural occuring harmonies. These theories are usually the occult disguising itself as science. If these theories are correct there needs to be a 'fundamental' frequency (a demiurge style 'god of harmony') to begin the resonance. No such thing exists - see Scientific American, August 2005 'Is the Universe Out of a Tune?'

interesting read.......2005-08-12

helpful to me in my work and fits in with other information I have sought.

A Book of Both Power and Incredible Import.......2003-09-09

Mr. Eric Hirschorn's review does a great disservice to this scholarly work. I see that 22 out of 24 readers of his review said it helped them. I would hate to think that so many were missing out on a worthy treatise on how the Universe is mathematically put together. I hope to undo some of his damage with my review.
I have Masters degrees, including Math, Physics and Chemistry. I understand the details of what this book puts forth. I can say with resounding thanks, that all is well, read in harmony, in the Universe and this book goes a long way past other proofs.
What Mr. Hirschorn objects to, a factor that successfully reduces the periodic orbits and frequencies of each body in our solar system, defies many mathematical traditions. The author may not understand the significance of this factor, as we did not understand the significance of Pi for so many centuries.
The fact that the sun, planets and moon stand in the same frequency ratio as the notes on our most harmonic scale is the point, a brilliant one at that. In number theory, a science worthy of the best minds, we seek to understand these relationships between quantities. What Mathematician can explain the Law of Nines in our own number system? Mr. Hirschorn may reduce the studied body of work on that subject alone to mere "ramblings of numerology," our best minds have thought otherwise.
How can one be a mathematician and not a musician? The significance of what we see to what we hear, the frequencies we respond to and how they repeat themselves from DNA outward, are the stuff we were made to understand.
This book takes us further than we have traveled before. Have a great voyage! Once you leave the portal of what we don't want to be true, and travel into the awesome resonance of the Universe and what we see before us, your eyes, heart and mind will be in for so many surprises. Don't miss this one...

Book Description

In 1968 two gay young men - one white, one black - quixotically decided to buy eighty backwoods acres in southern Mississippi, little realizing that they were embarking on the greatest adventure of their lives. Don Schueler's account of the twenty-five years that followed, during which he and Willie Brown transformed their "least worst land" into a wild Eden, is a modern saga by turns suspenseful, very funny, and deeply moving.

Customer Reviews:

The Fullness of Time.......2005-10-20

Somehow it was fitting that I found this book sitting patiently among a thousand others in a second hand shop. The photo on the back, of an interracial gay couple, and that on the front, of the swampy sandhills of Mississippi, brought up visions of racism and homophobia in the rural deep South. After a few chapters, though, these stereotyped expectations gave way to a story unlike any other I've read. Don Schueler's unique and relentless focus on nature, his deft writing that switches from humor to suspense to tragedy in the turn of a page, the enduring scope of his chronicle - 27 years that witnessed 80 acres of logged countryside once again blooming and burning, building and blowing away - begets a book of life that speaks for the individual, the region, the planet.

From human neighbors Roddy Ray, Lurlee, and Hovit, to pet dogs Sammie and Schaeffer, to Fafnir the alligator, Griswold the baby owl, gopher tortoises, wood storks, cottonmouths, black widows and countless species of flowers and trees, A Handmade Wilderness leads the reader through land hunting and house building, tree planting and grave digging, from Hurricane Camille to the inauguration of the Willie Farrell Brown Nature Preserve, all the while spinning a tale of the seldom seen and sometimes forgotten fauna, flora, and men of The South.

the joy of contemplation.......2005-04-28

I've read, re-read and look forward to re-reading this book again just to savor the author's choice of words that he uses to weaves a tapestry of textures for the senses as he and his partner restore their "least worst" land to health over 20 years. He describes their joy and surprise of constantly making new discoveries, "it's like receiving lovely gratuitous gifts that you didn't even know you wanted." They "engaged in the contemplative exercise of watching" the effects of the wind blowing the grass, the texture of seasonal changes, marvelous sunsets, and wildlife, sometimes at arms reach. His descriptions bring back memories of enjoying my favorite, frequently, visited forests in a similar manner, wondering what new gift will be presented to me as I quietly listen to the sounds, feel the wind in my hair, and watch the shadows play with the sunbeams.

reader

Even better than a walk in the woods..........2001-04-26

Very few books about nature can compete with time actually spent in nature. But this comes very close. Don Shuler tells the story of his 20+ year careful and loving relationship with an abused and exhausted piece of land in the Mississippi sand hills. His simple storytelling style makes vivid the plants, animals, birds and human beings that he finds in this special place. These encouters are so carefully described that I felt that I was experiencing them along with him. And I wanted very much to read all that he might have edited out of this volume. The book is sweet, poignant, and filled with an animist's sense of humility and wonder. I am very surprised it is not more widely known and up there with the A Sand County Almanac.

You'll Love It!.......2000-04-18

Why this book doesn't have a bigger following is beyond me. For anyone who's ever dreamed of owning a place in the country, this is a delightful, funny, informative and beautifully written book. Refreshingly, there's not a self-indulgent sentence in the entire text. Schueler delves into all facets of the city/suburban person's adjustment to country life. And because the memoir takes place over the course of 25 years, you get to see the impressive results of he and his partner's devotion to their land. I highly recommend it.

A thoroughly entertaining read........1998-12-13

For anyone searching for an entertaining book concerning nature with an amusing cast of characters both human and animal, A Handmade Wilderness fits the bill perfectly. Schueler is a fantastic story teller who is simultaneously funny and sincere about his mission - creating his own private utopia (on limited funds).

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Bald eagles in Ventana
Kathy Crump
Manufacturer: Hemerocallis Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00073BJVO

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