Book Description
Ten years after his death, Edwin Friedman's insights into leadership are more urgently needed than ever. He was the first to tell us that all organizations have personalities, like families, and to apply the insights of family therapy to churches and synagogues, rectors and rabbis, politicians and teachers.
Failure of Nerve is essential reading for all leaders, be they parents or presidents, corporate executives or educators, religious superiors or coaches, healers or generals, managers or clergy.
Friedman's insights about our regressed, "seatbelt society," oriented toward safety rather than adventure, help explain the sabotage that leaders constantly face today. Suspicious of the "quick fixes" and instant solutions that sweep through our culture only to give way to the next fad, he argues for strength and self-differentiation as the marks of true leadership. His formula for success is more maturity, not more data; stamina, not technique; and personal responsibility, not empathy.
This book was unfinished at the time of Friedman's death, and originally published in a limited edition. This new edition makes his life-changing insights and challenges to a new generation of readers.
Customer Reviews:
News we need to hear.......2007-09-19
Edwin Friedman has given us a model of human leadership that combines the insight of the natural sciences with the wisdom of spirituality. If you think that the conformity of the consumer culture is bad for your health, you are right. If you have been wondering why our great democracy has produced such seemingly spineless leadership, this book will aid your understanding. As a reader who is also a leader, I was relieved to read that my problems were not pathological but only to be expected. This is good, validating stuff.
A seminal contribution to cognitive philosophy and leadership studies shelves........2007-07-09
A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix is a new edition of the Rabbi Edwin H. Friedman's seminal treatise, as relevant today as when it was first published posthumously in 1999. A Failure of Nerve examines fallacies of emotional and intellectual thinking that can bedevil leaders of individual, group, and national efforts, including the fallacy of paying too much attention to raw accumulated data; the fallacy of allowing empathy for others' feelings (normally a positive quality) to corrupt logical reasoning or blind one's measured consideration of new ideas; and the importance of the expression of the self in a leader. A highly scholarly and academic perspective on common misperceptions and roadblocks to confronting difficult problems. "As with the treadmill effect, the concern with finding the right answer is both contributory to a fixed orientation and symptomatic of it. And yet the problem is emotional, not cerebral. Perpetually seeking new answers to established questions rather than reframing the basic question itself not only betrays lack of distance on the part of the searcher; it also prevents obtaining the distance necessary for being able to think, much less go, in new directions. Seeking answers can be its own treadmill. Changing the question enables one to step off." A seminal contribution to cognitive philosophy and leadership studies shelves.
Best Book on Leadership Yet.......2007-07-03
I started out wondering if this book would be too technical, but the way it was edited and structured, it soon became the best book on leadership I have ever read. It came at the subject from a totally fresh and new perspective- one that I had not thought of. When I finished it I thought, "This is so simple- why has everyone missed this view of leadership?"
Great book. How do we get it into the government's hands? They need it badly.
Great Application of Family Systems Theory on a Macro Level.......2007-06-11
This book provides a great application of Bowen family systems theory on a macro level. Having some basic understanding of family systems theory is helpful, but not absolutely necessary, in understanding the concepts of this book. Friedman applies family systems ideas to leadership in ways that will make you think differently about what makes an effective leader (whether it be a President or a parent or any leader in between). For those, like me, who use family systems on a micro level in psychotherapy to help individuals and families function better, seeing how these same family system ideas can also be applied to the "big picture" is eye opening. Friedman's writing style is clear and enjoyable. As a framework to explain his theories on leadership, Friedman uses the cultural mindset that existed in Europe at the time explorers were proposing to set out across the Atlantic to seek new trade routes to Asia. This framework may seem odd and out of place, but is in fact a clever and captivating means for Friedman to explain his theories effectively. The editors of this book also deserve praise in how they astutely updated and stayed true to this unfinished work by Friedman. Whether you are a leader looking for new ideas to become more effective in what you do or simply a person who is just interested in leadership as a cultural concept, this book will inspire you to think differently and question conventional wisdom.
Courage in Leadership.......2007-06-04
Note: This review originally appeared as a "You Be the Critic" column in the Rochester NY Democrat & Chronicle, 5/8/07:
In 20 years of coaching executives, I've read scores of books on leadership. I continue to return to Edwin Friedman as the most insightful, realistic analyst of the dynamics that occur in the emotional soup we call the workplace.
This book is not for the faint of heart. As the title implies, the antidote to a failure of nerve is courage. Courage becomes necessary once a leader begins to shift his/her own participation in the brokenness of the organization - e.g., to finally address a performance issue with a key employee. With this commitment to decisive, mature action, reactions are inevitable. Thus the need for courage: to persist in the face of those reactions.
Leaders will discover keys to recognize the emotionality that contaminates all decision-making processes, and what is required to provide clear, decisive, well-defined action. Friedman offers a treasure trove of tools, concepts and principles (e.g., five characteristics of a highly anxious system) to help leaders diagnose complex situations and to determine what is helpful and what is harmful.
Perhaps his most crucial contribution is the insistence that the leader focus on self: that is, in order to create transformation in a system, the leader needs to identify his/her participation in the present dynamic, and focus on altering his/her own role. Again, courage is a requirement here, but thankfully, focus on self diminishes the stress inherent in attempting to change others.
While the later chapters are sketchy (Friedman died before completing the text), they hold intriguing snippets - insights into the workings of our organizations and the challenges of leadership.
As with his other writings (e.g., "Friedman's Fables"), his insights are universal, and leaders will find application as much to their personal/family systems as to their work. His witty style punctuates "heavy" insight with a human and humorous twist that gives the challenges a pleasing flavor.
Frank Staropoli
President, Staropoli Consulting, Inc.
Book Description
Joe Mondragon, a feisty hustler with a talent for trouble, slammed his battered pickup to a stop, tugged on his gumboots, and marched into the arid patch of ground. Carefully (and also illegally), he tapped into the main irrigation channel. And so began-though few knew it at the time-the Milagro beanfield war. But like everything else in the dirt-poor town of Milagro, it would be a patchwork war, fought more by tactical retreats than by battlefield victories. Gradually, the small farmers and sheepmen begin to rally to Joe's beanfield as the symbol of their lost rights and their lost lands. And downstate in the capital, the Anglo water barons and power brokers huddle in urgent conference, intent on destroying that symbol before it destroys their multimillion-dollar land-development schemes. The tale of Milagro's rising is wildly comic and lovingly ter, a vivid portrayal of a town that, half-stumbling and partly prodded, gropes its way toward its own stubborn salvation.
Customer Reviews:
WWIII New Mexico Style.......2007-07-13
When Joe Mondragon illegally irrigates a puny beanfield, he starts WWIII and becomes the unwitting, reluctant symbol of this battle between the haves and the have nots. The book is absolutely hilarious with its wry yet rich descriptions of the people and the cultures clashing in Milagro, NM. But underneath, the end is near and everyone knows it, is resigned to it, but will fight to hold on for as long as possible. I've read this book several times and have come away with something new every time. Nichols' description of Kyril Montana's initial stealthy and secret foray into Milagro will always hold a special place in my heart. Que viva, Snuffy!
A Very Good Read.......2006-08-09
I absolutely loved this book - a great story and excellently written.
A delightful read about the day a man began irrigating his father's beanfield.......2006-06-14
I finally got around to reading this novel whilst on summer vacation (it was in the free pile at the condo) and am so glad that I did.
Nichols engages the reader from the first page, with a blend of magical realism, social commentary, satire, and good old fashioned story telling.
Jose "Joe" Mandragon sets in motion a variety of forces in the state of New Mexico when he irrigates his family legacy, a miniscule beanfield left to him by his father. With that simple act, centuries-old tensions between rancher and farmer, Mexican and Anglo, subsistence living and the cash economy, come to a head.
What could have been a dull exercise in race relations, regional history, and economic theory, is instead brought to wonderful, earthy life in this charming novel that will make you think, laugh, and perhaps even shed a tear or two.
Definitely worth reading!
A really great book.......2006-05-26
This is an excellent book. Humorous, yet very "real". Well developed characters, and an entertaining plot. Very Americana. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this book. I also can't understand why more people haven't reviewed this book online. It's a treasure.
little known gem -- as good as the movie (or better).......2006-02-16
i was surprised to see that noone has reviewed this underappreciated book. this book channels john steinbeck, tom robbins and jack kerouac in a funny, wise, captivating tale of a mexican-american community.
Book Description
Public Relations Writing: Principles in Practice is a comprehensive core text that guides students from the most basic foundations of public relations writing-research, planning, ethics, organizational culture, law, and design-through the production of actual, effective public relations materials. Now published by Sage Publications, this edition has been updated throughout to include current events and Web addresses. Core content includes such subject areas as news and features, writing for print and broadcast, persuasive communications, newsletters and employee communication, annual reports, brochures, direct mail, global communication and the Internet.
Features of This Text
Provides the necessary principles of public relations research, planning, ethics and corporate culture, law, design, and visual thinking.
Details the many formats, audiences, and styles needed by any public relations writer, encouraging users to consider implications of writing for different media, audiences, and purposes.
Topical in-text examples keep current with student interests and user-friendly accessibility engages students without sacrificing depth and value of content.
Authors Donald F. Treadwell and Jill B. Treadwell equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to build a foundational background in public relations, including a capstone events chapter that details event planning and writing for exhibits, speeches, and collateral materials.
Public Relations Writing: Principles in Practice is ideal for use in public relations writing, media writing, public relations, and advanced public relations courses.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent textbook for all PR students .......2007-07-25
All PR practitioners would benefit from the solid, comprehensive grounding in communications issues presented in this book. The emphasis on cultural and ethical influences presented throughout is vital to all public relations work and the discussion is well presented here. The chapters on writing present useful overviews on the process and common PR materials. However, some descriptions of materials are very brief and all assume the student has an adequate knowledge of basic writing skills and techniques. Readers who really want to focus on writing will want to supplement this book with others that have more in-depth coverage of writing issues and content ideas.
lots of good information.......2004-05-15
The book is barely 500 pages long, but it has everything that anyone would possibly need to know about public relations. There are tons of public relations tools, such as the news release, press release, flyer, public service announcement, pamphlet, brochure, newsletter, fact sheet and media list, and they are all introduced very clearly. This text was required for a course I took in college over a year ago, and I chose not to sell it back to the school because it was so useful. It's great for entry-level workers that are trying to get acclamated to the business of public relations.
Average customer rating:
- Still relevant today
- A Feminist Play Ahead of its Time.
- Heartrending and crushing
- Great show of American expressionism!
- The Single Best Play Ever Written
|
Machinal (Royal National Theatre)
Sophie Treadwell
Manufacturer: Nick Hern Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 United States
| Drama
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Drama
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Theater
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Women's Studies
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Literature & Fiction
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Actor and the Text (Applause Acting Series)
-
The Other Shore
-
Out of the Fringe
-
Notes on Directing
-
The Love Of The Nightingale
ASIN: 1854592114 |
Customer Reviews:
Still relevant today.......2007-01-05
Sophie Treadwell's seminal play, whilst set in the late 1920s, continues to have relevance today. In following the plight of a girl who, through circumstances largely beyond her control, ends up in the electric chair, Treadwell reminds us of inequities that still exist in society: the differences between the Haves and the Have-Nots, the continuing struggle for women to be recognised in both an economic and social sense, and the constant battle of love versus convenience. Dramatically, her work offers a range of options for interpretation, and a multitude of challenges for daring actors. Grim, powerful and ultimately unforgettable.
A Feminist Play Ahead of its Time........2005-12-31
Having worked in the theatre, though I think more than that, being a fan of theatre and a student of literature, my take on reading plays is kind of odd. I usually dislike it. I have always felt that plays are meant to be seen and experienced. More to the point, the beauty of plays is the marriage of the playwright's vision with that of the director's and then watching this new product -- hey, let's go with the metaphor - this "baby" come into its own through the actors. Of course, when I do read a good play, I get to direct in my head and it's a totally different, yet enjoyable, experience in and of itself. I think this was a good play and I very much enjoyed reading it. This play, in particular, I found easy to read and while depressing, entertaining. It features some incredible insight to the nature and status of not only women in the 1920's, but the whole of the human condition. The main character, Helen or YOUNG WOMAN, is such a little mouse that it's a stretch to imagine her becoming so crazy with desperation that she'd jump from quivering wreck into an affair and then into murder. Young Woman's inner monologues, however, are fantastic and bridge the divide between who this character really is and whom she is forced to be. As far as reading the play, I would recommend it to anyone interested in expressionism or feminism.
Heartrending and crushing.......2004-07-08
Less a 'feminist' play than a play about the human condition as a whole, Treadwell's 'Machinal' recalls the work of Ionesco, Strindberg and Pinter: the human being as pawn in a senseless and hellish society. The ending, in which Helen rebels against the abstract prayers of the jail's priest, recalls the conclusion of "The Stranger", although I would consider this a far superior work. By the conclusion we cannot help but feel for Helen, a shy but passionate woman rejected and imprisoned, essentially, by her dull husband, her needy mother, and her contemporaries. I can't say this is the most uplifting play I have ever read, but it is one of the most intense.
Great show of American expressionism!.......2003-02-06
Having taught this play a number of times at the college level, I find it one of the most accessable examples of expressionism available in print. It's great to read while watching a film like Metropolis (Fritz Lang's expressionist masterpiece). In reference to an earlier review, the play may seem simple and mundane, but when read in its historical context (and when seen in a brave production) it's what theatre is all about... engaging, moving, and socially/politically active. The fact that it's by a woman and about a woman, in a period dominated by the male perspective, simply makes it more fascinating.
The Single Best Play Ever Written.......2001-09-21
If only the Adding Machine did not overshadow this masterpiece, similar to Goodfellas overshadowing the much more deserving Miller's Crossing. No theatre library is complete without this evocative, fascinating play.
Average customer rating:
|
Richthofen's Flying Circus (Archive Photographs: Images of Aviation)
Treadwell , and
Wood
Manufacturer: Tempus Publishing, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Aviation
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
World War I
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Aviation
| Transportation
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Aviation
| Transportation
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside History Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0752416286 |
Customer Reviews:
a great novel........2007-05-05
I actually enjoyed this book. The paperback with the cover of the porch scene is wonderful.
I think the other reviewers were too harsh on this novel. I really liked it.
Terrible, don't waste your money.......2006-11-03
This has got to be one of the most awful books ever written. The main storyline takes forever to get going, the whole idea is uninteresting and downright boring, and the ending is abrupt and rather pointless. The book goes off on random tangents which culminate with half-developed characters that are never explained and contribute absolutely nothing to the story. I had to read this for an English class, so I had to buy and read it. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS GOD-AWFUL BOOK. The reviews they list on the back and front of the book must have been written by either people paid to say good things about the book or monkeys on crack. (or monkeys on crack paid to say good things about the book)
Nichols Understands the Human Condition.......2000-05-10
Having read "The Milagro Beanfield War" and "Nirvana Blues", I was anxious to finish his New Mexican trilogy. I could not find the book, however, and off I went in search of his other work. I was deeply impressed by the aforementioned books, especially by his treatment of characters, his probing of conflicting emotions in complex situations. Often, Nichols characters seemed to be lamenting their lives, feeling as though they have missed out. These characters are generally middle age or older. However, in this book the main character is around 11 years old. The thoughts and emotions of this prickly young boy are written with such authenticity and cleverness, it's as though Nichols is conjuring up a real person. It is depressing at points, as most of the characters grapple with their senses of mortality, but there is something distinctly uplifting about it.
Book Description
Still unwed at twenty-one, an unconventional high-spirited woman finds her affections sought by a handsome, devilishly charming Earl, who is nicknamed "The Ideal" by the ton--for his combination of wealth and looks. Though at first she fights his advances, slowly she forms a heated alliance with him. But sparring with words soon turns into a succumbing passion...
Customer Reviews:
Sparring Partners Meet Their Match!.......2000-07-09
Barbara Metzger, one of the funniest Regency authors today---no, make that one of the funniest authors, period!---has done it again. Though it starts a bit slowly, once the entire disreputable cast of characters is assembled, Miss Treadwell's Talent never lets up. Maylene Treadwell and her mother, Thisbe, Lady Tremont (widow of a dissolute baron who lost all his money) are genteel and impoverished. Lady Tremont is blessed with a rare talent for communicating with the dead; Maylene has a talent for finding things and people thought lost. When the distressed Duke of Mondale comes to them, in desperation over his missing daughter, they will hold seances, send out investigators, and leave no stone unturned to get to the bottom of the mystery. Of course, Socrates Hughes (and don't you just love this hero's name?), the Earl of Hyatt, dismisses the mother-daughter duo and their minions as charlatans, out to cheat the duke and feather their nest handsomely with his gold guineas. Belinda, the duke's missing daughter, is Soc's fiancee (not announced yet, though), and he should want her found, no? Well, yes...and no. Not after meeting Maylene, to whom he is both attracted and repulsed. Their bickering and undeniable attraction is charming and amusing to read. Even as he blisters May with criticism, his lips keep straying to hers...again...and again...and again! And I haven't even started on the hilarious secondary characters yet. Be assured, though, that every Jack will wind up with his Jill. Absurd though some of these matches may seem, all of Ms. Metzger's people (and animals!) are truly made for each other. Her instincts are unerring. The wonderful animals in this Regency include a kitten who's mistaken for a puppy, a dog that comes back from the dead younger and ungelded, and a spectral pooch who saves the day for a young married couple and a fisherman. Terrific, just terrific! And, yes, I agree with the other reviewer who says that Ms. Metzger's books cry out for filming; her sight gags are irrepressible.
The earl despises Maylene...but can't stop kissing her!.......2000-04-08
Lord Hyatt's betrothed has disappeared, and her worried father insists on consulting the spirits about her whereabouts. Of course, Lord Hyatt himself knows that the Treadwell women--the widowed Lady Tremont and her spinster daughter--are money-grubbing charlatans, but he reluctantly agrees to accompany his prospective father-in-law in order to keep him from being fleeced.
Lady Tremont is a medium who conducts seances, and her daughter's talent as a "finder" of lost things and people is well-known. Grateful clients contribute to the "Fund for Psychical Research," which is in reality the household account and manages to keep the wolf from the door. Although Maylene Treadwell's meticulous "research" adds drama (not to mention credibility) to her mother's performances, Lady Tremont's contacts to the spirit world seem to be quite genuine indeed.
Of course, Lord Hyatt is neither impressed nor convinced. He only attends the seances on his prospective father-in-law's behalf. He could not possibly be attracted to the unconventional Miss Treadwell. No indeed! It is only a coincidence that he is no longer interested in his mistress and that he always seems to be apologizing for taking liberties with Miss Treadwell's luscious lips. Once his fiancée is found, they will be married and he will have no reason to think of the Treadwell women ever again.
On her part, Maylene is certain that the young heiress ran away to escape a forced marriage to a boorish womanizer. No intelligent woman in her right mind would ever wish to marry such a disagreeable cur. Well, not unless kissing happened to be involved, that is. Oddly enough, Maylene's common sense seems to desert her whenever she finds herself in close proximity to the despised earl.
To this delightful comedy, add a missing duke's heir, a silly young viscount who wants to contact his beloved mother for advice on how to go one with his life, and a one-legged soldier with an uncertain future, not to mention a jealous spirit guide named Max, and you end up with a hilarious romp into the Regency world that is so wonderfully typical of Ms. Metzger's novels.
Do yourself a favor and run, don't walk, to pick up this latest masterpiece by Barbara Metzger. You won't regret it!
Make into a movie, please.......1999-09-25
Ms. Metzger has amazing wit. I savored this book over several days. I did not want to skim over a single funny line or miss out on laughing out loud. All the charecters were a hoot. If this book were made into a movie, it would seriously compete with all the recent Jane Austen movies. Are there any producers out there?
A truly spirited Metzger.......1999-08-01
Ms. Metzger dives head first into the realm of spirituality in her latest romp. Miss Treadwell's mother is a psychic--communing with Max who searches the Beyond for the dearly (or not so dearly) departed. Add a darkly brooding skeptic hero, a missing almost fiancee, a distraught duke, and a henpecked son seeking his dead mother's guidance and you have a typical Metzger keeper. Absolutely delightful as usual!
Delicious fun!.......1999-07-10
Barbara Metzger has done it again! I howled like Alex, the dog from beyond the grave, the entire way through this instant classic. The draw here is not only the charming romance between Maylene and the earl, but also a cast of characters that are sheer fun. Queen of the One-liners and Goddess of Alliteration, Metzger gives us the wittiest writing in the Regency romance genre today. Relish every word of *Ms. Metzger's Talent* in this keeper. It'll be too long until we get another.
Book Description
In the tradition of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild and Peter Jenkins's Looking for Alaska, a riveting adventure story of one man's passion to understand and protect the grizzly bear—and his last foolhardy, violent encounter with one
Ursus arctos horribilis, commonly known as the grizzly or brown bear, is one of the most feared animals on the planet. As its most outspoken protector, Timothy Treadwell tirelessly sought to overturn the perception of grizzlies as dangerously aggressive. It was therefore a media sensation when in October 2003 Treadwell and his girlfriend were fatally mauled by a bear in Alaska's Katmai National Park, the first such attack in the park in eighty-five years. The horrifying audiotape of Treadwell's final, frantic screams begged the question: How could this happen?
In The Grizzly Maze, Nick Jans, who for years has written expertly and lyrically about the Alaskan wilderness, ventures to answer this question. Based on exclusive access to the killing site and his own and other's expert knowledge of Alaskan bears, Jans plots out Treadwell's final expedition and encounter with the grizzly. In doing so, Jans provides a moving and complex portrait of the man known as the “Bear Whisperer,” whose controversial ideas earned him the scorn of hunters, the adoration of some animal lovers, and the skepticism of naturalists. The Grizzly Maze also offers a definitive, close-up look at bears, bear behavior, and our complicated relationship with them. It promises to be the blockbuster adventure read of the season.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book That Demonstrates What we Should NOT Do In Bear Country.......2007-03-04
There is no denying that this is an well written book, that does a great job of explaining the events that led up to Timothy Treadwell's death by the animals he loved.
Many people comment on how he lived his life the way he wanted and that alone justifies his actions.
In reality Timothy endangered not only himself but every other person who may have come in contact with these bears. He conditioned them not only to the presence of humans, but he reacted to them in ways that another person may not. In that case the bear could have interpreted the different action as hostile, and we would have had another mauled or dead person. Just like a visitor at Yellowstone who leaves open food contaniers at the campsite teaches bears that humans are a source of food, Timothy took away any natural fear the bears had of humans. That cost him his life.
Bears are wild animals, capable of killing. They should be respected and admired, but anything that conditions bears to the presence of people should be avoided.
This is a great book to try to understand Timothy but it is also a testament that wild, dangerous things need to be respected.
my hikes will never be the same..............2007-02-08
What a great book, informative, intersting and very well written.
Great job Nick!
As an avid hiker (from Juneau) I never even took a stick with me in the past and have seen many bears over the years.
Once I hiked a trail that had not been maintained anymore and ended up in a meadow full of recently used "nests" and plenty of poop.
I turned around and left, but never knew how dangerous this place could have been until I read the book.
I will change my (hiking-)ways for sure!
This book is a must for any outdoor enthusiast in bear country.
A Riveting love story of a man and the bears he adored.......2007-01-30
I loved this book. I am into nature reading and just stumbled across this book. It is a thriller to say the least and I read it in just a couple of days and could not put it down. Now I find myself seeking out everything I can find to read and hear about Timothy Treadwell. The author does a fairly neutral commentary on his story although slightly on the negative side. I have to say I did not come away with anger towards Timothy Treadwell, but a deep admiration of someone who did what he loved and tried to contribute something to the world. The information at the end regarding bear attacks I would think would be invaluable to persons that are wilderness people. It is very detailed and easy to understand. This book was very much an emotional experience for me and I am still grieving for Tim and Amy's deaths even though I never knew them. Even though I have no anger at all towards Tim, I do towards the so called overeducated experts who instead of rejecting Tim could have tried harder (in my opinion) to pull him in and help him. This might could have saved his life if he had gotten more support rather than just snobby rejection. I wish I could have met Timothy Treadwell. Although, I have doubts about his mental stability, he did have passion and that is rare in today's world.
"Animal Protection" Gone Awry.......2007-01-04
I found this book to be a real page-turner. Timothy Treadwell imagined himself to be a protector of bears, when in reality he was a great danger to them. He had access to a great deal of professional help and advice but unfortunately considered himself to be the greatest authority of all. Anyone who has the tiniest inkling to research bears versus human behavior would find out quickly that habituating bears to humans is anathema to both, at the least. View the DVD "Grizzly Man", and read this book to see a disturbed man destroying not only his own life but the life of another, innocent, human and possibly many bears.
Read with Confidence.......2006-09-05
Being a nature photographer but quite unfamiliar with bears, it was with great interest that I read comments in an on-line forum about Grizzly Man, Tim Treadwell, a Californian who went to Alaska for 13 summers to be with the brown bears on the Katmai coast. He raised California and Colorado money to fund these summers with the bears and foxes and subsequent programs for school kids. I had never heard of Timothy Treadwell or Amie H., the person who camped with him part of that final summer in 2003, until reading the threads and digging in to find out more. But the news of their hardships, ambiguous relationships with themselves and the bears, and subsequent shocking deaths as told by Alaskan writer-photographer Nick Jans in "The Grizzly Maze" was hard to put away. The book is a thriller, not only for what we learn about Ursus but that the reader, from a safe distance, can imagine the situation so clearly.
Nick Jans has a way with words. Whether morbid or having to do with human motivation, he cleanly lays out information but then turns around and presents the other sides or another plausible angle. There's all the possibility for a tangled mess in this maze, but the author leads clearly and we follow without getting lost. That's a neat feat. He has the ability to ask the questions we are thinking; yes, every one. Just as we're about to ask the next question, he asks it for us. It's as if Jans can read the reader.
For example, we wonder and he asks, "Why?" Who in their right minds would willingly camp at the crossroads of ancient bear trails, especially at the end of the season when bears were making final attempts to do what bears do, eat and den away in fat oblivion for the winter? On the other hand, given one's choices, who wouldn't exercise absolute ultimate control in their own life, living freely where and when possible, answering to few people until something better comes along? The answers are too complex; it may seem a bit too easy for some to say, "Only a crazy would do something like that."
The book is packed with facts, but beyond that, we watch with fascination as other humans go about picking up the pieces after the attack, literally and figuratively. Nick has the ability to let us see where we're going or why he took us somewhere. He knows some of us are plain stupid around bears but by the end of the book, we're with him for what he has to tell us about bears and those who seek them out. I never distrusted the author's style for leaving me hanging or hitting me over the head, so for those who really want to know all that is known about what went on there, you can read with confidence in "The Grizzly Maze."
Book Description
"You're afraid of really living, Haley." He flicked his finger at her camera. "You hide behind your camera instead of stepping out and engaging life with both hands. You're so afraid you'll fail at something, you won't even try."
For some people, Alaska is a breathtaking wilderness adventure, full of light and beauty. For Haley, it is a dangerous world of dark dreams and tortured memories. On the surface, she's here to document wildlife activist Kipp Nowak's bear encounters. But her real reason is to unearth the truth about a past murder. The suspense mounts when another body turns up, and Haley beginst to wonder if the tragedies she experienced in the past are connected to the dangers and mysterious incidents of the present. From behind the viewfinder of her camera, Haley observes it all, including Tank Lassiter, the bear biologist who has been forced to lead Kipp and his team into the Alaskan backcountry. As she watches him with his work, she feels a growing attraction. It will take great courage and faith to confront the truth she once ran away from. Before it's over, Haley may be viewing herself from an entirely new angle.
Alaska Twilight is the story of a young woman's emergence from the shadows of past sorrow into the light of forgiveness and grace.
Customer Reviews:
romance/suspense book lover.......2007-07-11
Awesome. Couldn't put it down. The romance, suspense, murders, grizzlie bears, Alaskan wilderness...loved it all. Next book please?
I'm a big fan of Dee Henderson's O'Malley Series and this was even more exciting. You won't be able to put it down.
What a unique and inspiring read! .......2007-04-30
Colleen Coble has woven a fabulous, suspense-filled tale of bears and the Alaskan wilderness into a most enjoyable read. Haley Walsh, city girl and photographer extraordinaire, has a prosthesis and significant emotional baggage. She's one spunky heroine who will grab your heart. Tank Lassiter is a famous wildlife biologist who works with the Alaskan bear and has his own baggage including his dead wife's twin sister who wants custody of his young daughter. Haley and Tank have some growing to do before they can be the perfectly matched pair.
Coble's skill with the narrative and description has you right there in the wilderness of Alaska with Tank and Haley, their problems, and those scary bears. You'll find the inspirational thread skillfully and unobtrusively, blended throughout and the plot twists and turns will keep you guessing and turning the pages. My first Coble novel, and I'm hooked.
A wonderful few-hour trip to the Alaskan wilderness..........2007-02-13
I've read this twice and enjoyed it immensely both times. The heroine is a spunky lady who comes to terms with her fears and losses right before your eyes. She is a wonderful example to us readers who may need some help to see past physical handicaps to the person inside. Our hero is strong and rugged and everything you'd expect to find in an Alaskan Bear Researcher/Guide. Alaska Twilight is incredibly entertaining! Colleen Coble has a way with words that kicks my visual imagination into overdrive. I'm glad to have this novel in my personal library.
And I agree with other reviewers: the ending was wonderful!
Excellent Again!.......2006-09-21
I am in the process of reading this book and I do not want to put it down. Colleen does it again. I love the characters in this book. I can understand Haleys feelings regarding her past and feelings she is having towards others in the book...I don't want to give to much away. Thanks Colleen. I can't wait for the next!
A good mystery.......2006-07-29
I enjoyed this one and finished it quickly. Haley was a likeable character and I was impressed to find that she was handicapped. The mystery was engaging though I figured out whodunit about halfway through. The biggest hint was in the prologue. ;)
I'd love to give this 5 stars but I felt that at times the storyline was a bit confusing. The events in the prologue seemed like they happened over a decade from the story's beginning, not just a couple years. There were also multiple characters with motives and a few relationships that you had to remember how they went together. My advice would be to take notes and to draw out a family tree as you go. The other women in our reading group felt the same way. We actually spend a bit of time trying to figure out the actual storyline!
All in all though, it is a good read. The characters are well developed and the setting is nicely described. I will be reading the next one in the series!
Average customer rating:
- An extraordinarily written book
- Reaching Back to Roots
- About The Magic Journey
- The Magic Didn't Last
- Possibly the best book I have ever read!
|
The Magic Journey: A Novel
John Nichols
Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Literary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Nichols, John
| ( N )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Nirvana Blues: A Novel
-
The Milagro Beanfield War: A Novel
-
If Mountains Die: A New Mexico Memoir
-
The Milagro Beanfield War
-
The Sterile Cuckoo (Norton Paperback Fiction)
ASIN: 0805063390 |
Book Description
Boom times came to the forgotten little southwestern town of Chamisaville just as the rest of America was in the Great Depression. They came when a rattletrap bus loaded with stolen dynamite blew sky-high, leaving behind a giant gushing hot spring. Within minutes, the town's wheeler-dealers had organized, and within a year, Chamisaville was flooded with tourists and pilgrims, and the wheeler-dealers were rich.Spanning forty years, The Magic Journey tells the tale of how progress transformed a rural backwater into a boomtown. At first, it was a magic time for Chamisaville-almost as if every day were a holiday. But the euphoria gradually dissipated, and the land-hungry developers, speculators, and interlopers moved in. Finally, the day came when Chamisaville's people found themselves all but displaced, their children no longer heirs to their land or their tradition. With mounting intensity, The Magic Journey reaches a climax that is tragically foreordained. A sensitive, vital, and honest chronicle of life in America's Southwest, it is also an incisive commentary on what America has become on its road to progress.The Magic Journey is part of the New Mexico Trilogy, which includes The Milagro Beanfield War and The Nirvana Blues.
Customer Reviews:
An extraordinarily written book.......2005-06-09
John Nichols is perhaps one of our best contemporary writers, and it's a shame that he isn't more prolific and more accessible to the general reading public. He uses language like poetry, and his characters jump off the pages with their idiosyncracies. There are good guys, bad guys, and everything in between. Here, Nichols explores the subject that seems to most interests him, namely, the cultural destruction of a small southwestern town due to "progress," and the never ending quest for more riches. He never pretends that life was so great before, or that gentrification is always bad, but Nichols certainly wants the reader to understand the unfortunate consequences of converting a small town into a vacation spot on the lives of those who live there.
It is not easy to read "The Magic Journey." The plot tends to drag in places, and, Nichols liberally sprinkles his prose with Spanish, which, unfortunately, I don't speak. Nichols also tends to show off his prodigious knowledge concerning the southwest and its environment, and is somewhat heavy handed in his anti-progress stance. However, the writing is so beautiful that it is well worth it, even if you can read only a few pages of the book each day. Eventually, I intend to read the other two books in the trilogy.
Reaching Back to Roots.......2005-05-20
This book gives a true meaning of going back to your roots especially when you can make a connection with the characters. This book is thought provoking in the sense that one can see the authors insight of the past, and apply it in the current debacle of our current society and its quest for wealth, even in the face of destroying culture and people in the process. The genious prose that sets John Nichols apart is clear and being able to bring to life a culture and people lost to time and greed is amazing.
About The Magic Journey.......2004-01-10
Apparently this is the second book in a trilogy, something I failed to notice until I'd finished. It stands alone quite nicely and I suspect the other two would do the same.
It is loosly the story of a forgotten southwestern town named Chamisaville during the Great Depression, and how it went from being small and self sufficiant to being a much larger "better" modern city thanks to a rattletrap bus loaded high with dynamite exploding and leaving a miracle behind that a few quick thinkers were quick to exploit.
It is also the story of April, the daughter of one of the foremost of those interested in the Betterment of Chamisaville. Vibrant, intoxicatingly beautiful, full of life and enthusiasim for everything but a tendancy to jump from one thing to another that leaves those in her wake feeling rather lost.
It is a story of how important fighting againt progress for the sake of progress is, and how futile... The fight that is going to be lost eventually, but you desperately struggle to hold off the inevitable as long as possible.
The writing style is such that though its about the same length of the books I normally read, I think it took me about twice as long to get through. Some of this was because I found myself needing to take breaks to think about what was happening, some of it was that it was not dry, but... the style itself conjured images of a forgotten town that was happier being forgotton.
Had you asked me at the beginning if I liked it, the answer would have been no. Half way through I couldn't have said, and by the end I thought it was worth having read, if not one I would be likely to read again. Now that its been a few days I would have to say it is not one that I would likely read again soon, but it is entirely possible that at some point in the future I may pick it back up and see what I can find on a second reading.
The Magic Didn't Last.......2000-11-26
Owl needs a better editor. The typos in the book are extremely distracting and very large in number. Although I was interested in the plot, I tired of the pathetic characters long before the end. Keep a Spanish dictionary handy if you are not bilingual. (This is another reason that I did not enjoy the book.)
Possibly the best book I have ever read!.......1998-08-22
This novel of the cultural, political, and economic evolution of northern New Mexico, starts with the "miraculous" explosion of a bus filled with dynamite in the 1930's and documents the devastating effect that discovery by the outside world has on separate but intertwined white, Hispanic, and Indian cultures in a small mountain town. This evolution is described through the eyes of strong, well developed characters that sparkle with complexity and humor. Nichols paints a picture of cultural and environmental destruction with dry humor and stark narrative. For anyone wishing to understand the recent history of the most beautiful portions of New Mexico, a must read.
Books:
- A Practical Guide to Linux(R) Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming
- Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth A Novel
- Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery
- An Inner Silence: The Portraits of Henri Cartier-Bresson
- Andy Warhol Portraits
- Architectural Graphic Standards, Tenth Edition (Book only)
- Artist Trading Card Workshop: Create, Collect, Swap
- Assembling Panoramic Photos: A Designer's Notebook (Designers Notebook)
- Big Horses Good Dogs And Straight Fences: Musings of Everyday Ranch Life
- Black & White
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- 6-Day Body Makeover: Drop One Whole Dress or Pant Size in Just 6 Days--and Keep It Off
- The Ambushed Grand Jury: How the Justice Department Covered Up Government Nuclear Crime : And How We
- Staggerford: A Novel
- See's Famous Old Time Candies: A Sweet Story
- Showing Our True Colors
- Reinforced Masonry Engineering Handbook: Clay and Concrete Masonry, Fifth Edition
- The Enormous Egg
- Wild New York: A Guide to the Wildlife, Wild Places, and Natural Phenomenon of New York City
- Queens, Concubines and Dowagers: The King's Wife in the Early Middle Ages
- Attention, Fool!
Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times: Being Calm and Courageous No Matter What
Friedman's Fables
The Eight Concepts of Bowen Theory
Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue
Healthy Congregations: A Systems Approach
