Goodbye Gutenberg: How a Bronx Teacher Defied 500 Years of Tradition and Launched an Astonishing Renaissance by Valerie Kirschenbaum. 

FIVE STARS PLUS TEN MORE STARS ********** FIFTEEN IN ALL , November 29, 2004

What a beautiful book. What an astounding presentation. An exceptional Christmas present for a teacher, a writer, or a graphics illustrator, a present they will long remember and forever thank you for. Will we watch black and white TV if we have color? So asks Valerie Kirschenbaum, why should a novel or any other book, for that matter be just verbal and not visual? Why cannot a book be beautiful as well as verbally exciting? She goes back to the gorgeous, illustrated books created before Gutenberg took over printing and wonders why we cannot return to that glorious time, when digital printing now makes graphics and various font styles bring alive the pages of our stories. She points out that we read not only to stimulate our imaginations, but our basic emotions: fear, loathing, love, awe, etc. How can we proclaim a revolution in the study of the mind while simultaneously insisting that the findings of those studies must be presented in the same old black and white way? From teaching in the Bronx, her laboratory for what excites lethargic inner city students to wake up and read, she makes us see that there is hope not only for reading, but for teaching, with this new renaissance in publishing. Truly, she has written and designed a masterpiece, for every page is a joy to behold. A watershed book.

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Year Of The Tiger by S Owen Smith: 

Timely, a powerful story and an excellent read, October 31, 2004. 

Seldom does a military thriller come into purview at a more propitious time, when world events are moving rapidly toward the establishment of China as a modern day super power. If you love to learn all about the wide range of high-tech military assets that America owns, this author fills the bill, as well as giving you the exciting story of an up to date woman pilot out to prove her mettle. The author brings together the distinct possibility of war between China and the U.S. with all its frightening consequences. You will be thrown into the grips of such a horrific event. If you love Clancey, you will love this book. There are a lot of actresses in Hollywood who are going to be fighting over the role of Kelly Owen, modern day Warrior Woman.

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The Family : The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty by Kitty Kelley:

  Fun Read , September 24, 2004.

This book is a fun read and has a lot of good history in it. Those who are denigrating it as propaganda of the liberal left have not read it. Most of the charges against the Bushes in this book are common knowledge. We have just never seen them all bundled up like Kitty Kelley has done it. The Bushes are a scary family and they have been feeding at the government trough for nearly 100 years while claiming they are against government welfare. What a bunch of phonies. But Kelley is not nearly as mean to them as she could have been.

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Pick Your Poison (Yellow Rose Mystery Series) by Leann Sweeney:

  Great introduction to a terrific new Texas series, August 6, 2004.

 Add Abby Rose to your list of favorite female detectives. She knocks the sox off those early entries, Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher. I started out to read a few pages and first thing I knew, I had read 100. Terrific fresh voice from this author and a lot of fun to read.

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Dissensions by George Klein:

Strange goings on in Academia-land, August 1, 2004. 

The Univeristy of Illouria hired Rob Venestra for his geological expertise to develop a new program. Several professors then try to oust his department head. Rob and others support the head with whom Rob has developed great rapport. Then the head professor turns on Rob and asks him to leave. Rob refuses. This is an interesting viewpoint about the politics and diversity of university life, probably indicative of colleges and universities across the land. George Klein is a geological consultant who lives in Houston. George's first novel is based on a ringside seat at many intra-departmental fights among university professors scrambling to keep their research and teaching programs going with limited resources.

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The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason: 

A real yawner, June 11, 2004. 

The writing is smooth. The narrative is even. But's there's no story there, as Gertrude would have said. I got to page 135 and could not care any longer. These guys should go back to Novel Writing 101. They must be laughing all the way to bank, however, having masterminded this [is not the way to be] brilliant bestseller.

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Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth by Joe Conason:

Names names, tells facts, June 6, 2004. 

There is nothing wishy-washy about this book. It names names and tells facts, and you know they are true or the author would be in the midst of the biggest libel suit ever instituted. Besides, you read most of it in the newspaper; it was just never brought together in one catalog as it is in this book. It's a shame more of these neo-cons are not in jail. The only thing standing between them and bars is their good friend the attorney general. Read this book!

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