Book Description

Dorothy Heathcote is the most public drama-teaching figure in the world. She has taught classes of children in five continents. The numbers must run into millions. In addition, innumerable teachers have watched her teach in person or on video and television.

How did someone who left elementary school at 14 become a world authority? Heathcote has now asked Gavin Bolton, who has worked extensively - and co-authored several books with her to write that story. Dr. Bolton describes Dorothy Heathcote's upbringing, her work as a mill girl, her theater training, her unprecedented appointment to Durham and Newcastle Universities and her extraordinary rise to fame. He examines the basis for her genius and shows how being a wife and mother contributed to her work. ... Read more

Book Description

James Turner's biography offers the first modern account of Norton's life and its significance, following him from his perilous travels across India as a young merchant to his role as his country's preeminent cultural critic.Turner shows how Norton developed the key ideas that still underlie the humanities--historicism and culture--and how his influence endures in America's colleges and universities because of institutions he developed and models he devised. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An exhaustively researched collection of essays
Compiled and edited by Ana M. Martinez Aleman (Assistant Professor of Education in the Higher Education Program at the Lynch School of Education, Boston College) and Kristen A. Renn (Assistant Professor in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education Program at Michigan State University) , Women In Higher Education: An Encyclopedia is an impressive, 635-page social and historical survey women's colleges, female professors, demographic trends connected to race and gender in higher education, and much more. An exhaustively researched collection of essays by a wide variety of learned contributors, Women In Higher Education offers a solid baseline of information and facts from which to build a better future for women everywhere looking to pursue a degree. Organized into sections specifically addressing "Historical and Cultural Contexts"; "Gender Theory and the Academy"; "Feminism in the Academy"; "Women in Curriculum"; "Women and Higher Education Policy"; "Women Students"; "Women Faculty"; "Women Administrators"; and "Women Employees", Women In Higher Education is additionally enhanced with two appendices ("Women's Studies Research Resources" and "Colleges Identifying Themselves as Women's Colleges"); an extensive bibliography, and a comprehensive index. Women In Higher Education is an essential, seminal, indispensable contribution to both Education Studies and Women's Studies reference collections. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

To Sir, With Love
Edward Ricardo Braithwaite To Sir, With Love is one of the most infinitely rewarding books I have ever read. The story is about a man, Ricky braithwaith, who after getting out of the Service looks for a job in the growing technological field in which he has exceedingly good qualification. But when he returns to England to look for a job he soon remembers, after numerous shutdowns, that his skin color is impeding on his career chose. But he eventually finds a job as a teacher of a tough group of lower class youngsters who have made many a teacher turn tale and run. But with amazing perseverances our hero is able to tame these children and show them and all the others at the school that there is an other side of life.

A " Must Read" For All Educators
A story I've read many times since it was first published, To Sir, With Love tells of an extraordinary teacher, a mentor for all of us in the profession. His teaching style was one wherein the basic values of respect and dignity were realized in every student; and what an outstanding role model he was for those students in the East End of London. I had the extreme honor of meeting the author back in 1967. He spoke at a school-wide assembly, and later welcomed my students at the Guyana Embassy in New York, where he served as United Nations Ambassador. A gentleman, an exemplary teacher, a role model, a mentor...his story reflects all these attributes. Thank you, "Sir" for your story, one that lives on and touches all who read it. Lois Finn Magovern, Longmeadow, Massachusetts

A Moving Story!
When Mr. Braithwaite took the job as a teacher, he never expected his students to be barbaric savages. Though tempting, Mr. Braithwaite didn't give up, teaching the teenage rebels to call him "Sir" and treat him and others with self-respect. With hard work and dedication, he turned this class of deliquents into a class of young men and women with class.

This book is thoroughly motivating. It is a story that is unforgettable and one to look to for inspiration. This book is a definite must read!

A Book Well Worth Reading
To Sir, with Love is an unbelievably inspiring story. E. R. Braithwaite, the author of this memoir, captures the shame and hatred of prejudices and racism. The journey begins in the East End of London, during the 1940's. Mr. Braithwaite teaches at Greenslade Secondary School, which is surrounded by poor neighborhoods filled with social vermin. Rick Braithwaite is a young black man, born in South America, who just got out of the Air Force. Now in Britain, Braithwaite's looking for a career, mainly to pay for food, but things don't work out as planned. He came to know the virus of prejudice very well, as he was turned down from job after job. Braithwaite described feeling "caught like an insect in the tweezer grip of prejudice." Teaching became the cure to set him free.

Braithwaite is placed in a classroom full of rude, obnoxious children, but little does he know that these are the children who will change his life. In the beginning, he described that he wanted this job, "but it would be a job, not a labor of love." Then, after spending time with the students, Mr. Braithwaite began "learning from them as well as teaching them." The class may have problems in their home lives, but when they enter the classroom, Mr. Braithwaite joins them on a journey to adulthood. The students ask many questions, which allows them to acquire the knowledge they deserve. On occasion the questions touch upon people of different races, and Mr. Braithwaite gives mature answers, and speaks to them as adults. Braithwaite's theory is to treat his students older than they are so they will behave more grownup. With a teacher who respects his students, they, in return, accept him and honor him with the courtesy of "Sir".

An English woman, Gillian Blanchard, is also a new teacher at Greenslade, and she and Rick develop a relationship. Although they see themselves as a normal couple, no one else can agree with Rick and Gillian's relationship. Even strangers make judgments about them and treat Rick like he is worthless. Does Gillian have enough strength to keep their relationship together? Was she truly free from the virus of racial intolerance? In the end, they are confident with their love for each other, and Rick demonstrates his confidence by finally standing up for himself to Gillian's parents. Most of all he explained how much he cared for their daughter as he says, "I would not have cared if she had been blue or green." Their relationship contributes to Braithwaite's discovery of himself and how people treat him.

It is helpful to the story that the characters are real people with which we can relate. The dialect is detailed and interesting, which makes me think further about the text and my own life. I can really feel for the people in this story, especially Mr. Braithwaite. Reading history firsthand from someone's point of view is always interesting to me, and the author's use of metaphors and creative words influence me to get caught up with the story. This book truly interests me because of the issues it discusses, such as equal rights and self-discovery. For example, throughout the story, Mr. Braithwaite realizes that it was not his skin color holding him back, it was his attitude. He reflects that, "At first it was terrible, but gradually I'm learning what it means to live with dignity inside my black skin."

There are also some elements of this book that did take away from the story. First of all, I was somewhat confused in the beginning because I was overwhelmed with characters and their descriptions. It was hard to remember the characters, and I wasn't sure which ones were important or main characters. Some of Braithwaite's descriptions are also hard to decipher. For example, he would often describe the beauty and maturity of Pamela Dare, a student in his class. As the story progresses, Mr. Braithwaite's intentions with Pamela become unclear. On page 212, he describes Pamela when she arrives at the senior party. "She presented a picture of sheer beauty and I gazed at her in wonder." Lastly, because this story is based in Britain, I had a hard time following some of the conversations. Braithwaite also used words like Cockney, which is a British dialect of East End Londoners, glibness, and cheek by jowl. I discovered that glibness was used to describe the shallowness of Gillian's parents, and cheek by jowl is an expression, meaning tightly packed. I don't blame the author for this, but I felt that I missed out on the full effect of the story because I didn't read with a British accent.

To Sir, with Love is definitely a book I would recommend to someone probably high school level or older. I think anyone who reads this story will walk away with a broader view on life and how he or she lives it. The quotes Braithwaite uses will really make you think, and his words will stay engraved in your mind. I am someone who was never ridiculed for the color of my skin, or where I was from, which is why it is so interesting to read from someone who had to face prejudices on a regular basis. The most memorable and thought-provoking concept E. R. Braithwaite wrote was on page 45. "I realized at that moment that I was British, but evidently not a Briton, that fine differentiation was now very important". This was the reason he could not live normally. This quote also encourages me to reflect on whether or not I'm American. However, the difference between Braithwaite and me is that he was never really accepted as a British citizen. He had thought of himself as someone who had the same rights as anyone else in the country, but then came to find that the unwritten rules of prejudices would soon take charge of his life.

To Sir, With Love
To Sir, with Love is an unbelievably inspiring story. E. R. Braithwaite, the author of this memoir, captures the shame and hatred of prejudices and racism. The journey begins in the East End of London, during the 1940's. Mr. Braithwaite teaches at Greenslade Secondary School, which is surrounded by poor neighborhoods filled with social vermin. Rick Braithwaite is a young black man, born in South America, who just got out of the Air Force. Now in Britain, Braithwaite's looking for a career, mainly to pay for food, but things don't work out as planned. He came to know the virus of prejudice very well, as he was turned down from job after job. Braithwaite described feeling "caught like an insect in the tweezer grip of prejudice." Teaching became the cure to set him free.

Braithwaite is placed in a classroom full of rude, obnoxious children, but little does he know that these are the children who will change his life. In the beginning, he described that he wanted this job, "but it would be a job, not a labor of love." Then, after spending time with the students, Mr. Braithwaite began "learning from them as well as teaching them." The class may have problems in their home lives, but when they enter the classroom, Mr. Braithwaite joins them on a journey to adulthood. The students ask many questions, which allows them to acquire the knowledge they deserve. On occasion the questions touch upon people of different races, and Mr. Braithwaite gives mature answers, and speaks to them as adults. Braithwaite's theory is to treat his students older than they are so they will behave more grownup. With a teacher who respects his students, they, in return, accept him and honor him with the courtesy of "Sir".

An English woman, Gillian Blanchard, is also a new teacher at Greenslade, and she and Rick develop a relationship. Although they see themselves as a normal couple, no one else can agree with Rick and Gillian's relationship. Even strangers make judgments about them and treat Rick like he is worthless. Does Gillian have enough strength to keep their relationship together? Was she truly free from the virus of racial intolerance? In the end, they are confident with their love for each other, and Rick demonstrates his confidence by finally standing up for himself to Gillian's parents. Most of all he explained how much he cared for their daughter as he says, "I would not have cared if she had been blue or green." Their relationship contributes to Braithwaite's discovery of himself and how people treat him.

It is helpful to the story that the characters are real people with which we can relate. The dialect is detailed and interesting, which makes me think further about the text and my own life. I can really feel for the people in this story, especially Mr. Braithwaite. Reading history firsthand from someone's point of view is always interesting to me, and the author's use of metaphors and creative words influence me to get caught up with the story. This book truly interests me because of the issues it discusses, such as equal rights and self-discovery. For example, throughout the story, Mr. Braithwaite realizes that it was not his skin color holding him back, it was his attitude. He reflects that, "At first it was terrible, but gradually I'm learning what it means to live with dignity inside my black skin."

There are also some elements of this book that did take away from the story. First of all, I was somewhat confused in the beginning because I was overwhelmed with characters and their descriptions. It was hard to remember the characters, and I wasn't sure which ones were important or main characters. Some of Braithwaite's descriptions are also hard to decipher. For example, he would often describe the beauty and maturity of Pamela Dare, a student in his class. As the story progresses, Mr. Braithwaite's intentions with Pamela become unclear. On page 212, he describes Pamela when she arrives at the senior party. "She presented a picture of sheer beauty and I gazed at her in wonder." Lastly, because this story is based in Britain, I had a hard time following some of the conversations. Braithwaite also used words like Cockney, which is a British dialect of East End Londoners, glibness, and cheek by jowl. I discovered that glibness was used to describe the shallowness of Gillian's parents, and cheek by jowl is an expression, meaning tightly packed. I don't blame the author for this, but I felt that I missed out on the full effect of the story because I didn't read with a British accent.

To Sir, with Love is definitely a book I would recommend to someone probably high school level or older. I think anyone who reads this story will walk away with a broader view on life and how he or she lives it. The quotes Braithwaite uses will really make you think, and his words will stay engraved in your mind. I am someone who was never ridiculed for the color of my skin, or where I was from, which is why it is so interesting to read from someone who had to face prejudices on a regular basis. The most memorable and thought-provoking concept E. R. Braithwaite wrote was on page 45. "I realized at that moment that I was British, but evidently not a Briton, that fine differentiation was now very important". This was the reason he could not live normally. This quote also encourages me to reflect on whether or not I'm American. However, the difference between Braithwaite and me is that he was never really accepted as a British citizen. He had thought of himself as someone who had the same rights as anyone else in the country, but then came to find that the unwritten rules of prejudices would soon take charge of his life. ... Read more

Book Description

The inspirational true story of one plucky young teacher, whose passion for her students transformed their lives--some for only seven days, others for a lifetime.

Johanna Grussner arrived in New York City starry-eyed. She was a young Finnish jazz singer looking for the big time. But it was hard to find steady gigs. Propelled by pluck, determination, and a smidgen of desperation, she obtained a job teaching music at P.S. 86, a public school in the Bronx. At first, it was just to pay the bills. But over the course of several years, Johanna formed an intense, transformative connection with her students. She helped turn them from tough, angry, street-smart city kids into a disciplined, technically proficient, soaringly beautiful gospel chorus.

Johanna came to identify so strongly with her students that she eventually took them to her hometown in rural Finland, to meet her family and friends, to perform in a gospel concert, and to show them what an alternate childhood-one of tiny schools, quiet classrooms, fresh air, wholesome meals, and endless music-could be like.

Seven Days of Possibilities offers an inside look at the politics, history, and complex personal relationships that govern one typical New York City public school. But more importantly, it is the story of how one person can make a difference against those odds, rising above corruption, indifference and regimentation with hope, music, and love. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Pleasurable Surprise
I approached this book with some trepedation, worried that it might be just another pat, feel-good story. What a surprise and pleasure to find myself immersed in an enaging, memorable read, filled with characters who came alive and stayed with me. It was also a carefully wraught cautionary tale of all that's not right (and a bit that is) in inner-city public schools. I've since recommended it to friends and colleagues, all of whom have shared my enthusiasm.

An Incredible Story--and much more
In this beautifully written and very moving book, Ms. Hartocollis not only tells the story of a young woman from Finland who, through her character, talent, and personality affected many children--and others--in a short time; she also, with a talent that many novelists would envy, captures inexorable human conflicts that, despite good instincts, can poison even the closest relationships. Anyone who cares about education, anyone who wants to be a teacher, and most of all, anyone who's looking for a great story about the most interesting people in the world--real people--should not miss this book.

beautiful depictions of children
As a mom, I was fascinated by the descriptions of children in this book. The book goes deep into the lives of working-class kids, their struggles to be recognized, and their parents' hopes for them. The author brought real sensitivity and insight to these stories. Terrific writing, studded with little jewels of details and observations. The part of the book that takes place in Finland was like taking a vacation to a strange wonderful place. And the ending was a real page-turner. A highly original book.

Nice story, mediocre book
This book tries to do a lot of things: Tell a story about a struggling musician from Finland and her effort to bring culture to an inner city school; Demonstrate the transformational power of music on children; Explore
how the stultifying bureaucracy of a giant school system can thwart teacher creativity. Certainly, these are worthwhile themes. Unfortunately, the author often fails to develop these themes in credible or sensitive ways. The result is a mishmash of thinly developed characters and an uneven storyline.
Indeed, the story itself might be the book's fatal flaw. At its core, it's about a musician from Finland who teaches at P.S. 86 in the Bronx for four years. During her short career, she forms a chorus and takes the students to
her native Finland. The result is predictable: Students and teachers are amazed at Finland's nice, quiet school. Tough Bronx boy dances with cute Fin girl. Shy student overcomes stage fright and brings down the house during the field trip's
concert.
Is that enough raw material for a book? It seems like the author isn't sure herself, as she frequently veers away from the basic story and delves into the lives of the school's teachers, students and benefactors. While some characters deserve the ink, such as the P.S. 86 teacher from Scarsdale who brought the Fin teacher, Johanna, to the school. Others characters, such as the Scarsdale teacher's friend, are tangential at best to the overall story. But the author goes into their lives with equal vigor. The result is distracting. Overall, you get the feeling that the author is trying to milk a
dry cow.
The author also lacks a credible narrative voice. In describing the book's students and teachers, she seems to take pains to describe them in both positive and negative ways, whether the positive attribute or negative attribute is relevant or not. This is a common affliction among daily newspaper writers - as the author is in this case - who find it necessary to balance positive and negative statements to create an aura of objectivity and fairness. A character in a book, however, deserves a more layered treatment.
One example in "Seven Days" is the principal of P.S. 86. The author tries to turn him into a villain of sorts by describing him a Napoleonic bureaucrat. When he finds out Johanna is tutoring another student's child, he grills her until she starts crying. Meanwhile, the author also describes how the principal goes out of his way to make the trip to Finland a reality. In the hands of a more skillful writer, these contradictions might add depth to a character. However, in this book the contradictions tend to raise questions about the author's understanding of the character.
More disturbing is the author's tendency to insert her own thoughts and questions into the narrative. While some authors may do this effectively because of their own experience or knowledge, other writers use it to fill holes - holes created by inadequate research or unwilling subjects. In "Seven Degrees," the author's suppositions about characters' thoughts or motivations within the narrative tend to be more jarring than revealing.

A Fascinating Story of Inner City Hope
I read "Seven Days..." in the closest I can come to a single sitting as a working parent. I had read the New York Times articles on which it was based, and cried as I read them. I found the expanded story in the book fascinating and moving, with a surprising ending. Ms. Hartocollis tells a beautiful and gripping story. She writes of some truly heroic people - both children and adults -- and describes their work and dedication appreciatively.

In the late 60s, I was one of the middle class white children who were bused in to attend a voluntary magnet integration project elementary school serving some federal housing projects. The principal and staff were creative and committed, the academic programs were innovative yet utterly absurd for kids of those ages, and the school was chaotic. The experience was exhilarating, frightening and eye-opening, and has continued to affect me ever since: race is the biggest social issue in this country, and until we can eliminate economic divides, racial divides will persist no matter how well we integrate our schools and workplaces. Reading this book reminded me of how little that school did for most of my classmates.

Having worked for a Swedish company for the last several years, the descriptions of the lives and people of Aland were charming and familiar. I can't imagine what the arrival of the chorus did to characteristic Scandinavian reserve!

Although I have a particular connection to both of the obvious aspects of this book, it is hard to imagine that those experiences are necessary to enjoy it. I recommend it highly to anyone who is interested in reading about complex problems in the US. ... Read more

Book Description

George Pólya was one of the giants of classical analysis in the 20th century, and the influence of his work can be seen far beyond analysis, into number theory, geometry, probability and combinatorics. This book serves both as a biography of Pólya's life, and a review of his many mathematical achievements by experts from a wide range of different fields. Last but not least the book finishes with two essays by Pólya himself which focus on how to learn to solve problems, a subject with which he was fascinated throughout his life. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

George Polya and his times.
Even if you aren't in math, I think you are likely to be caught up in the drama of George Polya and the various lives, the times, and the events that he touched. The writing is fast paced and engaging, much like that of Constance Reid's books: "Hilbert", or "Courant"... Through its appendices [by K.L. Chung, R. P. Boas, M. M. Schiffer...], this lovely book further gives you some insight into the math that underlies the stories. Other characters in the book: G. Szego, L. Fejer, J von Neumann, G. H. Hardy, H. Weyl, E. Landau, ...Through the book, the reader gets to experience the tumultous historical period that spans the long career of G. Polya: His life includes the main centers of science and math in Europe in the Golden period between the two World Wars. The second part is Polya's life of teaching and research in the US, at Stanford University. I was a guest at Polya's ninetieths birthday. It has been said that mathematicians have been more likely than others to have been uprooted in the upheavals of history, perhaps because they are concerned with theories and ideas that are more universal.

A prolific, versatile man who was also a mathematician
While George Polya is credited with coining the phrase "random walk", his journey through life was anything but random. Extremely influential in many areas of mathematics, his book, "How to Solve It" alone would have made a career. Like so many mathematical heavyweights of this century, his nationality was Hungarian. Given the number of mathematicians and their collective prolific output, Hungary must lead the world in per capita production of mathematical papers. Polya's first papers were published in 1912 and his last in 1987.
The range of the work is just as impressive. Many concepts now considered standard mathematical fare were products of his genius. When reading this biography, you are struck by the features of human nature that he projects. Who else would talk about the list of the three nicest mathematicians that they ever met? Would anyone else dare to also talk about the three most unpleasant mathematicians that they ever encountered? His honesty when admitting that he was intimidated by John von Neumann show a level of humility that few people of his stature would ever acknowledge.
In an era when being a lackluster to pathetic teacher is considered a prerequisite for a position as a research mathematician it is extremely refreshing to read about his qualities as a teacher and his concern for the profession. He was an existence proof of the reality that it is possible to be both. His contributions to the field of teaching are as strong as those in any other area of his expertise.
Biographies of mathematicians sometimes degenerate into lists of life accomplishments emphasizing the major formulas and proofs of their lives. In others, the person comes across as a solid professional, but there seems to be little else to their life. In writing about Polya, the author is describing a person that you would no doubt find to be pleasant company.
One of those amazing Hungarian mathematical exports that graced the United States with their presence, George Polya was truly a credit to the professions of being a mathematician and a human. This is one of the most enjoyable biographies of a mathematician that I have ever read. ... Read more

Book Description

In Life in the Pinball Machine, one of the most influential people in training and performance improvement shares the experiences that shaped his ideas about human performance and behavior. With his characteristic humor and unique perspective, Robert F. Mager shares his revelations about how people work, how people learn, and the world in general.

Follow along as Mager reveals the experiences that led to the CRI methodology, more than ten books, and a mind-boggling and unusual array of talents and hobbies. Whether becoming a ventriloquist, riding a unicycle, or playing the banjo, Mager embraces the experience and challenges of learning and wakes up the student in us all. Life in the Pinball Machine is the story behind the story of the books, workshops, and ideas. It is the humorous and surprising account of a life spent learning. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The best explanation of our field from one of the Master's
For years I have looked for a credible book that traced the lineage of human and organizational performance improvement. All others had biases and lapses. This book written by one of the Masters who helped define and develop this field has written the best account of our lineage I have ever seen. It is beautifully written--clear, concise, accurate, and human--and meets (no, exceeds) my expectations.

It is a must for any student (senior or starting) in our field.

Essential reading
Although I selected Dr. Mager from all of the experts in the early 1960's to work with a major management consulting firm to introduce programmed instruction into European countries, and have stayed in touch since then, I learned more about him and his genius as I turned each page of this book.It is essential reading for everyone in the fields of education, training and management. ... Read more

Book Description

Off the coast of Cape Cod lies a small windswept island called Penikese. Alone on the island is a school for juvenile delinquents, the Penikese Island School, where Daniel Robb lived and worked for three years as a teacher. By turns harsh, desolate, and starkly beautiful, the island offers its temporary residents respite from lives filled with abuse, violence, and chaos. But as Robb discovers, peace, solitude, and a structured lifestyle can go only so far toward healing the anger and hurt he finds not only in his students but within himself.

Lyrical and heartfelt, Crossing the Water is the memoir of his first eighteen months on Penikese, and a poignant meditation on the many ways that young men can become lost. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

BACK TO BASICS IN THE AGE OF E-MAIL
It's a provocative book that has jump-started several great conversation with friends. I learned from Dan Robb's book, CROSSING THE WATER, the cost of trying to connect with another human being. And the risks involved. I admired the simple honesty of his well-told story. Here is a man trying to make a difference in the world--one face-to-face interaction at a time. An admirable task in the age of e-mail. In teaching the boys of Penikese the basic rule in life that every action has a consequence he has reminded me of the importance of compassion. Robb writes intelligently, with a common sense almost spiritual bent I found compelling. I think he offers something to strive for, not just to troubled boys. Among other topics CROSSING THE WATER is a commentary of adolescent education, the art of teaching, street life, island life, parenthood, race realtions, and what it takes to be a human being these days. Robb's got a lot to say and I want to hear more from this new writer and true teacher.

Crossing The Water
I throughly enjoyed this book. Daniel Robb has a way of painting a picture with words. One can see and experience this book instead of just reading it. With so many troubled children in the world, it was great to read about how a small island and a few determined people are helping a few of them.

Couldn't get into it
As my title states, I just couldn't get into this book, even though I work with kids. I didn't finish it. I thought it was sad that the school's success rate with the kids wasn't much better than the prison system's success rate. It seemed that the school administration was proud of the fact that they didn't have any professional counselling for the kids, and I'm not so sure that's something to be proud of.

Intesecting Worlds
Dan Robb's memoir criss-crosses the worlds of the Pennikese bad boys--his students; of his own memories of a sometimes tempest-tossed adolescence; of his adult role of teacher in uncharted territory; and of an island--sere and beautiful, immutably changing with the seasons and with the boys who come and go--a place isolated yet self-contained, severe and yet secure, once "home" to lepers, now a prison-home for boys perched on the brink of social leprosy.
Robb's beautifully descriptive book carries the reader back and forth among these intersecting worlds while limning sharp yet fleshy portraits of the boys, each of whose stories grabs and engrosses. This is a book--yes, for teachers who know, or are learning, that the best kind of pedagogy is through memory, storytelling and the imaging of new worlds; for those concerned about how to treat and heal our outcast and abandoned children; and for those who, along with their interest in a critical and wrenching problem, can also take pleasure in the work of a gifted teacher/writer/artist.

Heartwrenching and hopeful
In this wonderful book, Dan Robb has managed to write about his experience teaching troubled boys with soul and without sentimentality. The rawness of his experience teaching on an isolated island off of Cape Cod, and the soul searching it prompted, makes for compelling reading no matter how much time you spend thinking about or working with kids. As the mother of a small boy, I also felt that reading this book was a way of learning about how to be a good parent to my child. I recommend this book with all my heart, and hope that it touches you as deeply as it did me. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A fascinating biography of an heroic scientist
I found this book to be exceptionally interesting; I hadn't been prepared for it to grab me so thoroughly at the very beginning and never let me go. The first chapter is a great portrait of Kinsey's "Childhood from Hell," raised by an egotistic, brutal control-freak father who was also a hypocritical extreme Methodist. Just as an example, when the young Kinsey announced that he wanted to be a biologist (rather than an engineer, his father's choice), his father broke with him -- forever!

Kinsey then put himself through school and wound up with a Ph.D. Cleverly, he then wrote a general biology text -- an excellent textbook which generated considerable revenues and raised Kinsey out of poverty. He pursued the gall wasp with incredible energy and tenacity for the next 10 or 20 years, and made his reputation as one of the premier biologists of his time.

Kinsey was a worker bee, who amassed tremendous collections of data, and drove his subordinates as hard as he drove himself. He devoted much thought to the sexual frustration and misery of his youth, and was appalled at the ignorance and frustration among his Indiana students. He conceived the idea of a "marriage course," and the experience of teaching that led to his first attempts at taking sexual histories.

Within a few years, this became his career, and he pursued this new collection of data just as ferociously as he had the gall wasp. Almost singlehandedly, he revolutionized the atmosphere for sexual discussion in the United States (although Freud had to come first, and break the absolute silence on the subject!)

Looking back, it becomes clear that Kinsey was a devoted and compassionate human being, as well as being a great scientist. Truly a hero of the 20th century. I think you'll enjoy this book, and enjoy getting to know a very interesting man. ... Read more

Book Description

Charming English country tales in the tradition of James Herriot

This is a warm, funny and mostly true account of the first year that Gervase Phinn spent as a schools' inspector in North Yorkshire. His brilliantly portrayed cast includes his fellow inspectors who range from endearing to eccentric, sporting lords of the manor, Ministry bigwigs, formidable teaching nuns and a very attractive head-teacher who happens to be single, adding up to an enchanting montage of experiences. But it is the children themselves who steal the show, whether fresh-faced from the farms or worldly-wise from the towns. Gervase Phinn is a born raconteur who has transferred his talents to the written word with outstanding success. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Vivid Character Sketches, Loving Pictures of a Unique Place
Phinn clearly loves children, schools and Yorkshire. His pictures of the countryside, of its stalwart but reserved people, and of their dialect, invite favorable comparison with James Herriott. This is a special place, largely unspoiled by McDonalds and internet chat rooms, and that alone is a reason to celebrate while reading the book.

Phinn observes and writes honestly, capturing with equanimity and good humor a range of personalities from child prodigy to tyrannical administrative assistant. Sure, there are dozens of portraits of cute kids who say funny things, and of dedicated teachers who have mastered the ineffable art of educating. These alone are worth the price of the book. But want a trenchant dissection of exactly what makes an annoying person annoying? Phinn lays it out, while maintaining his humor and emotional distance and never conveying any feeling that he is settling old scores.

And yes, there is the thread of his sometimes-stumbling courtship of the alluring Miss Bentley. That also keeps one turning the pages.

Through a teachers eyes
Having heard Gervais Phinn talk on an afternoon chat show describing his life as a schools inspector with humour and great dedication I was anxious to read his book "The Other Side of the Dale".

It was one of those texts which you find incredibly difficult to put down. I laughed out loud at his desciptions of answers given by small children and was able to relate them to my own experiences as an infant teacher.

He has the "gift of the gab" and enthralls his readers from the very first chapter.

One can tell by his writing that he is an honest and sincere person whose very love of life is the reason why he does the work he takes great delight in.

He shares every laugh & sometimes tear in a way that is as if he is an old friend and you are together catching up on news and gossip.

His character descriptions are vivid and allow you to picture this wealth of strange colleagues very clearly.

His romance with the "lovely Christine" is a joy to behold and I could hardly contain myself to wait for his second book to find out what happened.

He writes of his experiences with a truthful and interesting style which carries the reader along with him on his journey through country lanes and among the hedgerows of the farming communities where he travelled.

I felt that I was with him as he stood at picture windows looking out on the magnificent and striking views of the Dales.

There is a childlike quality in the way he sees life - it is honest and open. He writes of things he sees with an element of awe and wonder [like a child seeing their first aeroplane, balloon, etc.] and colours the pages with his glorious grasp of language.

I have read this text twice and listened to it being read by the author on audio-tape [A MAGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE! ]

I have also been fortunate to have obtained a copy of his second book "Over Hill and Dale" which is also up there with the best. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING [not just for those in education] ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A moving & inspirational biography
Dr. LeRoy Walker has been referred to as an American Hero and after reading his story, I can fully agree. His story is about overcoming politics, poverty, and racism to eventually become the President of the U.S. Olympic Committee. His Olympic Journey was a remarkable triumph and one I'll always remember. Great book! ... Read more

Book Description

Teaching on Poverty Rock is a whimsical look at the life of one teacher in a primary classroom.The Gestapo administration coupled with a handful of borderline crazy parents make for an interesting year for this experienced teacher who moved to the Seattle area to teach on Mercer Island. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Read this book, teachers!
McGowan has successfully said what I have thought again and again. Although I teach in Seattle, not Mercer Island, much of it rings true with my experiences with those crazy parents with an overdeveloped attitude of entitlement. You'll enjoy this quick read!

Mercedes Island
Although hoping for a longer and more analytical book, this tale of Island residents is accurate. I work on the said Poverty Rock, and there are some that are unrealistic in expectations (you'd better believe we discuss their bizarre antics too). Funny and TRUE. Maybe a follow-up book can be titled 'Mercedes Island'. Oh, that parent wants the sunrise to be adjusted to later in the day... only there.

Spite
I have not yet read this book but I am buying to spite the stupid parents....

Nice work Mr. McGowan!
Povery Rock is a very funny book and one which SHOULD open the eyes of the priveledged "credit-card max'd royalty" of Mercer Island, to their own ridiculous level of self-absorbed behaviour. But will it, no. How do you convince a population of megalomaniacs, so obtuse as the ones found on Poverty Rock to come down from the clouds? You don't, you do as McGowan has done and chronical it for the rest of us to read with side-splitting enjoyment. Enjoy it Mercer Island, the nation is pointing its finger at you and laughing!

Accurate!
Being a second grade teacher, this book should be a required textbook in college for all incoming teachers or anyone entering the field of education (or for parents with kids in school, too!) Situations provide the reader with an accurate look into the every day lives of teachers who teach in an affluent community. Hilarious, accurate and REAL! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

maybe you should take it with a grain of salt
Leary wants to be remembered as a brilliant psychologist, philosopher, and agent of social change, not just as the "High Priest of LSD" who urged everyone to "Turn On, Tune In, and Drop Out". He wants to be remembered for his contributions to and theories of human evolution, altered states of consciousness, and what he calls "re-imprinting" (which *might* be interpreted as a less-harsh way of saying 'positive psychedelic brainwashing'). In any case, Leary gives convincing justification for why he should be remembered as more than just a pop culture icon (and, he's not dead yet! ) But, I found it interesting to read "Acid Dreams" by Lee & Shlain because it provided another side of the Leary story. For example, Acid Dreams paints a very different picture of the encounter between Leary and the Black Panthers in Algiers than Leary's book does (Leary's side of the story is that his escape from the Panthers "demonstrated how to escape slavery in less than 300 years", which I thought was a gross comparison). In addition, Leary's book tends to omitt details like how Richard Alpert jumped out of the second story window of the Millbrook Estate because he was convinced he could fly while stoned on acid. But even so Leary's book is fascinating and revealing and I would certainly recommend it.

Q.A.T.F.Y.
This book is great fun so i gave it five stars,however, it seems to take liberties with the truth somewhat.he attempts to paint himself as a mad, self-less saint out to save mankind single handedly but occasionaly the true, self serving clours of Leary shine through faintly and it seems to me the C.I.A had more than a little to do with his 'success'. When alls said and done (we all have an opinion on Leary +or-) this was an amazing man with a basically positive,healthy philosophy and the world is a more colourful,exciting place because of him. An exciting read whatever the truth!!! In this case the motto becomes Question Leary and Think For Yourself!!!

Marilyn Monroe(Garry Hixon) rates Flashbacks
A really good book, lot's of funny stories about Leary and Liddy squaring off, a very intelligent man, comparable to John C. Lilly's Center of the Cyclone. Many Beatles references and 60's chantra's-Turn on tune in, drop out! The one where he escapes from CMC is funny, what an acrobat. The book is better than the audio cassettes. Book has his baby-boomer/whiz kids chart. Supposedly, any kid born after 1965, is a computer nut in the future, could be, but more like internet kids. Tells about his experiences at Harvard, and how stuffy they were in the early 60's. Tells about his [drug] experience with Marilyn Monroe, and he says"If I knew how sick she was then, my God I would of never given her the [stuff]." She in turn gave him some Randy/Mandy's, some Barb that gives feeling of Euphoria when mixed with booze. She was more wacked out than him. He talks about how happy he is, and how happy the world was in the 60's. Good book and I'm going to read it again, when I can afford it!-A good buy, for a book!-Love Marilyn(Garry)

EL MUNDO DE LOS HONGOS Y EL ACID
Este libro es como una biblia, un manual y un diccionario todo en uno, en este libro Tim Leary nos sumerge en este mundo que sin lugar a dudas es intrigante y a veces hasta peligroso, pero este libro no es extrictamente para el usuario o ex usuario de tan maravillosa droga es algo que puede ser disfrutado por cualquier lector.

what an autobiography should be
This work is my favorite autobiography. Leary really starts at the very beginning (exceptionally humorously) with his conception in his mother's womb and takes you through his early years as a student, his time at Harvard as an esteemed academic and then up through his "retirement" years as a stand up comedian/raconteur and lecturer.

Each chapter is nicely designed with a mini bio of someone who had impressed Leary and then continues with Leary's take on the various events in his life. There is much self-disclosure here in the form of admitting mistakes, something you certainly do not find a lot of in many autobiographies of conservatives!

Leary's writing is lively, intelligent and hopeful - a friendly warning to all drug warriors that it is possible to live a productive, intellectually fruitful life while participating in moderate psychedelic "research" and consumption.

The thing I like best about this work is that it is a hallmark of the true libertarian spirit. Leary smiled quite often during his life despite the fact that the power and control freaks tried to keep him down every day. Leary was a proud humanist and his spirit shall live on in many of us. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Proud to be an American
I "read" this book for the first time on audio cassette and quickly ran out and bought it" Years later, I still think of it and am still amazed at what a tremendous person Father Hesburgh is. If I did not know its true, I would not believe that a person could accomplish so much in a lifetime. Knowing that this country and faith produces such great men, makes me proud to be Catholic and an American. This book would make a great, great gift!

The Good gets Better
God, Country, Notre Dame is a book that once again proves what an amazing man Father Hesburgh is. This book is inspiring. If you've never read or heard about Father Hesburgh, this is a must. He has got to be one of the top 10 most influntial people of the 21st century. ... Read more

Book Description

Now I find myself in late August, with the nights cool and the crickets thick in the fields. Already the first blighted leaves glow scarlet on the red maples. It’s a season of fullness and sweet longings made sweeter now by the fact that I can’t be sure I’ll see this time of the year again....
— from Learning to Fall

Philip Simmons was just thirty-five years old in 1993 when he learned that he had ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, and was told he had less than five years to live. As a young husband and father, and at the start of a promising literary career, he suddenly had to learn the art of dying. Nine years later, he has succeeded, against the odds, in learning the art of living.

Now, in this surprisingly joyous and spirit-renewing book, he chronicles his search for peace and his deepening relationship with the mystery of everyday life.

Set amid the rugged New Hampshire mountains he once climbed, and filled with the bustle of family life against the quiet progression of illness, Learning to Fall illuminates the journey we all must take — “the work of learning to live richly in the face of loss.”

From our first faltering steps, Simmons says, we may fall into disappointment or grief, fall into or out of love, fall from youth or health. And though we have little choice as to the timing or means of our descent, we may, as he affirms, “fall with grace, to grace.”

With humor, hard-earned wisdom and a keen eye for life’s lessons — whether drawn from great poetry or visits to the town dump — Simmons shares his discovery that even at times of great sorrow we may find profound freedom. And by sharing the wonder of his daily life, he offers us the gift of connecting more deeply and joyously with our own.
... Read more

Reviews (15)

Learning to Fall -- Spiritual Handbook for Mortals
This book is what every post-modern spiritual seeker is after -- a humane, down-to-earth exploration of the essence of soul, as seen from inside a full, thoughtful, suffering and joyful life. There are lots of references to spiritual "authorities," from Buddha to Emerson, but these just serve to ground the stories and insights. The author himself speaks with such gentle and frank authority that really nothing from outside is needed.

What is special about this book is Simmons' own experience of illness -- he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease -- and how he has found his way through despair to redemption. Without resorting to any religious "teaching," Simmons still manages to achieve what he calls the chief function of religion: to explore "the harrowing business of rescuing joy from heartbreak."

Learning the blessings
After receiving suggestions to read this book, I waited almost a year to do so. Knowing the author's illness, I felt some trepidation about diving into something ripe with sadness. But anyone considering this book should know that the book really is a blessing. Because it's not sad. In fact, at moments, it's hilariously funny. The stories and ruminations about life (and sometimes death), told by a man who has as much cheer as he does courage (abundant!) lifted my spirits as much as made me see the humor and beauty in the everyday world. Terrific book.

Uplifting
Although this book was about the devastating disease ALS, I found it uplifting because the author had such a positive outlook and an acceptance of the situation due to his belief in God. It is hard to have hope in a hopeless situation and ALS is a hopeless situation.

I became a part of Mr. Simmons' life while reading this book because he lets us into his everyday life and not only his thoughts but also those of his wife and young family. He truly touched my heart. He teaches us all how to fall.

A Painful, Exceptable Fall
There are no coincidences in life! I found this book by accident at a time when I was wondering why I was living and if I should continue. I read this book and realized that suffering is what life is about and once we come to accept and internalize it, it's not so bad. Philip truly made me humble before him and I thank him for sharing his deepest thoughts with the world at a most difficult time. He took his pain and turned it around to help others - there is nothing better! He writes with humor and with sensitivity about a subject none of us wants to face but a subject we will all confront eventually. I am a Hospice Volunteer and realize how fleeting life can be. Philip showed me that my work is what makes sense of the suffering. This is an inspirational, uplifting piece of literature without being too "GOD" oriented. If you're questioning life, this book is for you.

A Timeless Legacy & Oasis
During a very dark time in my life, I happened to pick up this book, sarcastically thinking that it was going to be a positive thinking fluff ball of well-intentioned writing, but I thought I could use it anyway. Thank heavens my temporary cynicism did not deter me from one of the greatest gifts ever to be in print! This book is a spiritual power tool for anyone coping with loss, a candle lit by a stranger in our stormiest nights. This book looks death in the face with the quiet rage of a human being and the grace of a sage- and offers a bridge over the roughest waters of our lives. God bless you, Mr. Simmons for your hard-earned wisdom and generosity of spirit. May your journey lead to all of the riches you've given us in this book and this life. Just knowing someone has been there has meant meant everything. You have given us a legacy that will last a long, long time. I pity those indifferent souls who find no other better thing to do with their idle lives and self-righteous overblown intellects than to criticize this literary jewel. For the "urban fella" below, you have a long way to go, buddy... and a very hard fall. Only then will you know the value of this book and this man's experience. Marlene' M. Druhan- Author (Naked Soul, Llewellyn 1998) ... Read more

Book Description

In 1969, Mark Edmundson was a typical high school senior in working-class Medford, Massachusetts. He loved football, disdained schoolwork, and seemed headed for a factory job in his hometown—until a maverick philosophy teacher turned his life around.

When Frank Lears, a small, nervous man wearing a moth-eaten suit, arrived at Medford fresh from Harvard University, his students pegged him as an easy target. Lears was unfazed by their spitballs and classroom antics. He shook things up, trading tired textbooks for Kesey and Camus, and provoking his class with questions about authority, conformity, civil rights, and the Vietnam War. He rearranged seats and joined in a ferocious snowball fight with Edmundson and his football crew. Lears’s impassioned attempts to get these kids to think for themselves provided Mark Edmundson with exactly the push he needed to break away from the lockstep life of Medford High. Written with verve and candor, Teacher is Edmundson’s heartfelt tribute to the man who changed the course of his life. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Read It!
I doubt whether the last reviewer (code name dschepps3) has read Teacher. Although the book does take place at Medford High, anyone who reads Teacher will see that it doesn't matter whether every student experienced the school the way Edmundson did (though it's interesting to note that the writer Paul Theroux--dschepps3 points out that Theroux was a student there too--refers to Medford High in The Old Patagonian Express as a monkey house.) My own experience at a very different high school was nothing like Edmundson's either. The truths that come out of these beautifully told stories (stories about not only the transforming teacher Franklin Lears, but also about football, friends, family, war, the 1960's, race, and the woman's movement ) are moving and universal. They are good stories, whether or not you experienced the same things. Plus many of the stories are funny. I laughed out loud. Most important, the writer, who tells us he's a teacher himself now, is interesting and wise. Read it!

great read! why so many bad reviews?
I have read few books recently that have captured my interest as completely as Teacher. I believe this was an honest and educational account of the authors high school years, the teacher that influenced him to "think outside the box," and his intellectual growth. I also enjoyed how Edmundson moves beyond stereotypes in defining what makes a good teacher. As a future teacher, I have worries about how the higher powers might interfere with my desire to create an open learning environment, where true intellectual/personal growth can occur. Frank lears is an excellent role model in that he had the courage to "stick to his guns." Though this book did spark my interest, I didn't find it particularly moving. Franz Kafka wrote something to the effect of, I don't want to read anything that doesn't totally shake my entire being. This is not one of those books. But it does have some moving parts, and I really enjoyed the prose. Though I was able to get a lot of the literary references, since I was an English major and am becoming certified to teach english--and though I understand that they are part of who he is, I wasn't quite sure he needed them, just cause they could alienate readers. But then again, this book IS about straying from the herd. This book is also interesting because the author takes you all around his adolescent life and the larger society at the time he was writing. He goes off on these tangents, which might bother some people, but I enjoyed for the most part. I wanted to write this partly because the book got so many poor reviews, which I didn't quite understand. Of course not everyone has to think the same way about this books as I do--Frank Lears wouldn't appreciate that. But I, personally, highly recommend this memoir.

More a football memoir than anything else
My niece gave me this book to help me work through my mid-life crisis. Maybe teaching would be my next career!. So I read through this mostly football book and found that the teacher makes only cameo appearances while Edmondson gives you lots of details about his height, weight and playing style.

The teacher, who left the profession after only one year, is never well defined. He gives up trying to teach his students the classics of philosophy but has more luck with Kesey and Malcolm X. Oddly the pivotal momemt seems to be a snow-ball fight.

If this book had been advertised as a high school memoir about inner growth and the importance of football, I would give it 4 stars. However, as it is I think the author and publisher are guilty of false advertising.

Academic dishonesty
Edmundson's belligerence comes across in this book. He passes quick judgments on the academic establishment, traditional teachers, traditional parents, students that follow the rules, and traditions. What's lacking is a real feeling for the people, places, or times of the 1970s. He rarely connects with those around him, and when he does there's the uncomfortable feeling that he's making the subjects into something he desires them to be rather than what they are. It's a sad read for that reason. A few examples: he lashes out oddly at female students, who have rejected him for various reasons. I think that comes across clearly at several places in the book. He sexualizes people and places at weird times which is just a little offputting, especially because he's extraordinarily judgmental. He loves fighting apparently.

Malcolm X in Muffa!
"High school is, one fears, where ultimate identity is conferred. For it is here that, for the last time in life probably, people will pull back and tell you, or at least demonstrate in no unmistakeable terms, what they truly think about you."

"Teacher" is a sought after but rarely found gem to which I can relate on almost every level. I know there is something for every reader in it. For me, it works even more effectively as both a memoir and a portrait of an era than as a tribute to an inspirational teacher.

I graduated from high school in 1970 and lived through and enjoyed the hell out of those times of political upheaval and the Age of Aquarius. I read "Malcolm X" and "Soul on Ice". When some Weathermen (the most radical faction of SDS) came to convert us, they warned us that all music except the Stones "Beggars Banquet" was counterrevolutionary.

I loved The Incredible String Band and recently managed to find some of their songs to download, though my 16 year old daughter cringes when I play them.

I graduated from Grahm Junior College in Boston, where Mark's friend Dubby played hockey (and where Andy Kaufman was our most famous alumna).

And now, over 30 years later, I work in Medford, MA and one of my friends is a Medford High School teacher. To those who say "Medford High School wasn't like that" - nuts to you! EVERY HIGH SCHOOL WAS AND IS LIKE THAT!

Edmundson's descriptions of his love affairs with television and football are enlightening to those of us who are indifferent or hostile to both.

His loving yet totally strained relationship with his father tears at the heart.

His analysis of race relations in the 70s rings very true.

I agree that a followup visit with Mr. Lears would have added to the tribute, and I also wonder why there is nary a mention of Edmundson's mother, but these are minor flaws.

I devoured this book in a few hours and will buy a copy to share with my book club. It is both poignant and hysterically funny. ... Read more

Book Description

Destined to take its place alongside The Diary of Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel's Night as one of the great classics of the Holocaust, I Will Bear Witness is a timeless work of literature, the most eloquent and acute testament to have emerged from Hitler's Germany. Volume Two begins in 1942, the year the Final Solution was formally proposed, and carries us through to the Allied bombing of Dresden and Germany's defeat. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Essential Reading
The extraordinary value of Klemperer's heroic diaries reside in their rich detail. Day after day, under the most unnerving circumstances imaginable, this decent, perceptive man took the time to observe and record the quotidien outrages of the Nazi horror. The result is a kind of huge pointillist canvas in which every dot of infamy, every speck of malevolence, has been precisely set down. The marvel--one might even say the miracle--is that, even in the face of Gestapo searches, any one of which might easily have resulted in his and his wife's deportation and certain murder, Klemperer had not only the self-possession but the courage to persevere.

One observation he makes in this second installment of the Diaries will doubtless fuel the ongoing debate as to the culpability of ordinary non-Jewish Germans in the Holocaust, and that is that many Germans, even those in official posts, were apparently unaware not only of the death camps but even of the severe depradations under which Jews were forced to live. One German, for example, is cited as believing that one could see many more Jews in the streets in 1942 because they were heartened by America's entry into the war, whereas, as Klemperer points out, 'the Jews were more frequently to be seen on the streets because they were forbidden to take the tram', and 'the man was completely unaware of this.' Now, whether this was inadvertant or willful ignorance is a lively question, but this and other examples cited by Klemperer seem to indicate that many Germans did at least appear to be unaware of the full extent of the mad repressive decrees daily exacted against their Jewish neighbors.

Some, however, clearly did know, and, as Klemperer shows, were not altogether comfortable with the passivity of their knowledge. One day he has an encounter in the street in Dresden and his description of it in his diary nicely exemplifies the dignified magnanimity with which this extraordinary man treated the guilt of his much more fortunate German compatriots. 'On Warplatz,' he says, 'two gray-haired ladies, teachers of about sixty years of age, such as often came to my lectures and talks. They stop, one comes toward me, holding out her hand. I think: a former auditor, and raise my hat. But I do not know her after all, nor does she introduce herself. She only smiles and shakes my hand, says: "You know why!" and goes before I can say a word. Such demonstrations (dangerous for both parties!) are said to happen frequently. The opposite of the recent: "Why are you still alive, you rogue! " And both of these in Germany and in the middle of the twentieth century.--'

Essential as this and the first installment are for any understanding of the Holocaust, both would be much improved by much more thorough annotation. Still, that will take time, and English editor and translator Martin Chalmers has produced an admirable edition for the time being.

EXTRAORDINARY.
Is 'extraordinary' a powerful enough word for this book?

On reading it, I almost couldn't believe that it was genuine...but no writer of fiction could have created something as extraordinary,(I've used the word again,) as this.

Klemperer was a Jew, who managed to survive the war living within Nazi Germany because he was married to a Christian woman & 'luckily' for us, he wrote EVERYTHING down. Every. Tiny. Detail.

A superbly intelligent & witty man. Sometimes these kinds of books are just fascinating as eye-witness accounts, but what's unusual about this,