Sweat Books

I cannot begin to imagine or suggest the effect this book will have upon another reader nor to fully comprehend how it has affected me; I can only suggest that one dare to read this book and not pass up the experience gained in the of reading it. It is well written in the author's unique style and a book that is hard to put down, yet I found that I had to take my time as I read, for the stories cannot be rushed.

This is a great book that takes you on a real live journey deep into the daily live of Lakota people (and a stray Mohawk) on the Pine Ridge reservation. Vic Glover opens a window and allows us to peak inside his world and the world of his people, unknown to the majority living outside the boundaries of the reservation. Vic writes with a great sense of humour.
Although he appearently has the skills, he doesn't cut into 'the bigger political or environmental issues'. In his book Vic makes it clear that the issue of surviving under harsh conditions and to maintain the social values and traditional structure is big enough to handle. All of this with a wit. That makes that the book stays close to the heart, his home and the land and makes it very recognizable, even for readers unfamiliar with Rez live. Highly recommended!
Since I read Vic Glover the novel Skins by Adrian C. Louis became my second best book on Pine Ridge.

A group from our church has gone to Pine Ridge on Mission trips for the past three years and we have gotten to know quite a few people there. We always seem to have gained more than we have given during our week stay. This book tells it how it is for much of the population on the Pine Ridge Reservation. It is a very helpful book for the leaders of our Mission to share with others that are joining us. We love the people there. They focus on what really matters in life and brings us back to where we all need to live. Most of us are so far removed from nature, family, giving our all to each other. This book shows us how and points out how far removed we are. It really brings questions to the way that I am living my life. It points out just how differently I need to live to become apart of life as Jesus would want me to live it.
Thank you, Vic Glover. And thank you to our Native brothers and sisters.

A moving glimpse into the everyday lives of the people that live on Pine Ridge. The blending of Lakota spirituality into the challenges of life in an impoverished society is outstanding!

This is a beautiful collection of short stories and is a real life account of living on in Indian reservation in todays modern times.
Vic Glover has an amazing talent and style of writing that 'just takes you right there'.
With much humour and sadness, Vic takes you on a journey, that whets the appetite, always leaving you wanting to read more.
This is a great read, I highly recommend it.

I just finished the book--WOW, What a great read! This book is MUST READ for any Fleshtones fan and a highly recommended read for anyone interested in the 1970's-80's NYC punk/new wave/garage rock music scene. The Fleshtones have always been one of my all-time favorite bands and they have always seemed very cool every time I've interacted with them at their shows. After reading their bio, I feel like I have a whole new appreciation and respect for the band. So glad the Fleshtones are still preaching their SUPERROCK to the masses!! I am very much looking forward to reading "Sweat, Pt. 2" in another 30 years :)

Joe Bonomo's book is a great journey with the most fabulous live band of the last decades.

I was a rock critic back in the day and I bought "Marty Thau's 2X5" when it came out and was immediately struck by "Shadow Line." Sometimes when you hear a song, you can immediately envision a band on stage charging through it. It blew me away. Hmm. Who are these tones of flesh color?

When I spotted the EP "Up Front," I could hardly get it home, get the shrink wrap off and get the platter on a turntable fast enough. Only five songs, but three were absolute knockouts: "Girl from Baltimore," "Cold, Cold Shoes" and "Vindicators." In fact, whenever I would put "Shoes" on at a party, everybody would hit the dance floor, shouting "Whoa! Who's This?" To this day, I consider it one of the greatest rock and roll dance songs ever written.

Then came "Roman Gods" with more powerhouse stuff, including the title track which has one of the greatest use of horns in rock song I've ever heard.

I have only seen them once, at a small club in Philadelphia. Great show.

It not only puzzles me, it angers me that such great talent has not been met with the reward it deserves. It is absolutely infernal that it has taken the French, who adore them, to keep their fortunes afloat.

It is rare to hear a rock band whose taste in music seems to come out of your own head, like they were reading your thoughts. To me, the Fleshtones are that band. Some contenders are Jonathan Richman, Neil Young and the Feelies.

I think one problem could be their name. It's semi-comical instead of abstract and "cool." Maybe it shoulda just been Flesh.

Anyway, thanks, Joe Bonomo, for giving us the truth and the legend about these enduring, underappreciated rock and roll geniuses.

From about 1985 onward, I've been a steady fan of the mighty Fleshtones, although I confess that by about 1993 I sort of stopped keeping up with them. But if for no other reason than to understand why "Roman Gods" and "Hexbreaker" have never been reissued on CD, I bought this book. Little did I know how insane the story of the Fleshtones really is.

In a nutshell, "Sweat" reveals that despite the jolly, party-time atmosphere that is the essence of the Fleshtones, the band and its individual members have truly been through hell along the way. The well-documented drug use by this band is nothing short of legendary, and at least one member, Marek Pakulski, ultimately had to leave the group do to his uncontrollable heroin addiction. Other members, particularly Keith Streng and Bill Milhizer, are probably lucky to be alive considering the amount of alcohol they've consumed. As for Peter Zaremba, it's surprising his body didn't just blast off into orbit, with the amount of speed he was taking!

Funny personal story - I saw the Fleshtones in Boston back around 1988, and got a chance to meet them before the show. I'd brought along the cover of my "Fleshtones vs. Reality" CD and Keith, Bill and Peter all cheerfully signed it. But Peter was irked by the fact that the label, Roadrunner, had included one of those anti-drug public service messages inside it. So Peter scribbled over the message and wrote underneath, "Do what thou willst! A.C." (An Aleister Crowley quote) I had no idea at the time just how serious he was!

And then of course there's the most notorious Fleshtone of all, Gordon Spaeth (R.I.P.). Who would have thought that a member of the Fleshtones served several years in prison after killing a man in a drunken fight?!

Author Joe Bonomo does a fantastic job of tracing the band's history over more than 30 years. From the young hipsters prowling lower Manhattan at the dawn of the punk era, through the 80's where at least Europe embraced the band and they enjoyed some celebrity, and on through the 90's to the present, as the bandmates have continued to make music on their own terms, even as material success has eluded them, "Sweat" spares no detail and offers compelling proof that the Fleshtones, albeit on a small scale, are true living legends.

And by the way, why won't I.R.S. allow those classic early albums to be reissued? You guessed it - it's all about money. As much as any band in history, the Fleshtones are a prime example of why major labels suck.

This book is essential for any Fleshtones fan, and even someone who never heard of them should still find "Sweat" to be one hell of a good read.

(p.s. The Fleshtones' brand-new album "Take A Good Look" is their best album ever.)

R&R is not defined by its stars. Although undoubtedly R&R in their hey days Elvis, the Stones or Springsteen do not define the genre. The may make up for its aspirations, but they are not at the core of what R&R is. At its heart R&R is literally thousands of bands busting their chops in the garages and sordid basements all over the world, dreaming to make it in the big league one day. The Fleshtones have been at this game for about 30 years now, never escaping the basement. In a sense they are the text book example of R&R. Joe Bonomo's book "Sweat" captures their ongoing search for ever elusive fame perfectly. Anybody familiar with the band couldn't have thought of a better tittle to this autobiography. The Fleshtones have been guaranteed to give the best R&R show around for as long as they've been together. Yet the subtitle to sweat, "30 Years, 2.000 Shows, 1.000 Blue Whales, No Hits, No Sleep" gives the perfect summary of what to expect when reading "Sweat".

The Fleshtones story starts in a basement in Queens. Much to the dismay of the neighbors, some of the key members of what later would become the Fleshtones, throw legendary Blue Whale parties while churning out raggedy R&R, barely being able to master their instruments. A Blue Whale apparently is quite the toxic mix of various kinds of alcohol, preferably served in big barrels. That loud and lethal mix of three chord R&R would be a constant in the band's bumpy career. It would get them kicked out of their apartments, make them lose record companies, would find them in bloody brawls, turn them in the gutter but would also make living legends out of them. Although there are way to little people to recognize them. For the lucky few who fell under their spell, they are R&R best hidden deities. For the lucky few who stumbled onto their albums the Fleshtones have come to symbolize sweat drenched good times at their shows, roaring saxophones, screeching farfisa organs, rambling guitar riffs, raggedy soul crooning and pure and simple R&R.

The Fleshtones came smashed between the burgeoning Punk scene of NY city in the late seventies and back to basic superstars such as Bruce Springsteen. Like the latter the Fleshtones went back to the core of R&R. They found their inspiration in a time when 45 was king. The core of the Fleshtones, Peter Zaremba and Keith Streng found themselves in their love for the format. Swapping obscure 7" records filled with R&R, ranging from Hank Ballard and the Midnighters to the Strangeloves. At the time when Punk and Springsteen were about to burst wide open, R&R had strayed from its true path. The scene was marred by various horrific super groups, making guitar based intellectual drivel that had very little to do with R&R. Both Punk and Springsteen were a counter reaction to that drivel. The Ramones brought R&R back to its (barely) three minute essence in a loud cartoon like mess. Blondie did much the same, giving R&R a new sense of ice cold cool. Building on the foundations Punk's god fathers, the MC5 and the Stooges, had built, NY busted R&R wide open again.

"Sweat" unravels the mystery why the Fleshtones, despite a killer live reputation and rave reviews, never managed to reap the benefits of that movement. In a sense R&R was the Fleshtones final destination. Though you couldn't accuse the Fleshtones of being a retro act, the strand of R&R they tapped into just didn't gel with the all too self conscious Punk movement, especially in NY where Punk was as much high fashion as it was a new form of musical rebellion. The Fleshtones simply didn't thunder down the same tracks the Punk movement lays down. In Bonomo's excellent write up of that scene it soon becomes clear that the Fleshtones' brand of good times and party hard R&R "danced" to a different beat than the Punk movement where shaking it up was branded out of style. Punk rebelled against the drivel of the day, but wasn't about to put the fun back in R&R. The very fuel that kept the Fleshtones running.

At the same time the Fleshtones never made R&R any grander than it was. Unlike Springsteen who infused his brand of R&R with big dreams and a lingering sense of melancholy. Where R&R was the door to ultra coolness for the Punks, to Springsteen it was the door to something bigger, an escape for his small town background. R&R as a means, R&R as a promise, not an end. To the Fleshtones R&R was the final stop. They live to recreate the exitement on the records of Larry Williams, The Kingsmen, Lee Dorsey and Link Wray. The Fleshtones never aspired to anything bigger, be it a fleeting sense of cool or the realization of bigger dreams. The Fleshtones simply wanted to be R&R and indulge themselves in the accompanying lifestyle of sweaty parties deep into the night, raving live shows, sex & drugs.

It's not that the Fleshtones never dreamed of making it bigger. Bonomo's book is drenched with frustration. The Fleshtones were chasing that same all to elusive dream of R&R stardom. Save for in Paris, where they were treated like R&R royalty throughout the years, they would find that dream always more than an arm's length out of reach. Although their career seemed to be off on a promising start when they got signed at Punk legend's Marty Thau's Red Star label in 1978, the band soon hit that brick wall they would ram in to on various occasions throughout their career. Red Star folded after the recording sessions, the Fleshtones' "American Beat" single fell of radar and their debut album never properly saw light of day.

The Fleshtones would be forever stuck in the basement their story is defined by bad business decisions, botched album preparations, odd production decisions and sometimes disastrous tours drenched in and caused by a haze of alcohol and drugs. Although "Sweat" is superbly written, Joe's subject is what makes the book hard to stomach at times. I don't think that there are a lot of R&R biographies out there that are as honest and confrontational as "Sweat". Even though Joe is clearly a fan, he doesn't spare the band. Peter's and Keith's erratic moods are thrown right in their faces, they come off as troopers of R&R yet seldom as heroes. Through out the book you keep waiting for that release of success and career highs that are trade mark to most R&R biographies. That release never comes. Instead there's this uneasy sense of "what if.......". You can't help but escape the notion that with a little more luck and discipline the Fleshtones would have been inducted in the R&R Hall of fame by now, doing high priced reunion tours. In stead the Flsehtones stumble their way through their career, seemingly forever one step behind or beyond the zeit geist. Never really fitting into the Punk movement, too raggedy to go up against the super stars of the eighties, too upbeat for the chronically depressed Grunge movement and finally too old for the recent Garage revival.

Yet despite all the hard knocks and set backs the Fleshtones have managed to keep that train rolling down the track. They are still living it up on the road, albeit with moderate amounts of drugs and alcohol these days, garanteed to give you one of the best R&R shows you'll ever witness. They seem to have found a stable record deal at Yep-Records, issuing some of the best albums in their career. A new Fleshtones album is slated for early next year. I don't think it will make any dents in the charts. Meaning that quite a few people will deny themselves some of the finest R&R there is to find.

I loved reading this book, it gives an excellent historical overview of the development of gatorade and also gives some lessons learned from what they have done.

I was initially skeptical about a book on this sports drink but it turned out to be a very interesting purchase. It is amazing that one sports drink could control upwards of 85 percent of the market but Gatorade continues to deliver. From the Volkswagen advertising strategy to constant scientific improvement this is an excellent look at marketing and management. For those interested in sports marketing this is a must have for that library. The book is very well written and is the write balance of history, modern strategy and analysis to make this a book you will want to read again.

Rovell takes an inside look at how and the process of gatorade became a house hold name and the marketing it took to get there.

Hands down, this book was one of the best business success story books I have ever read. It was not as dull and boring as one may think, since the author incorporated a great deal of sports trivia into the plot. The history of the Gatorade start-up could not even be told if it was not for the sports behind it. I found the sections on the Sports Science Institute particularly interesting, which is where Gatorade tests the efficacy of their products on actual athletes. Also extremely interesting was the history behind the origination of the traditional "Gatorade dunk" witnessed at the end of every Super Bowl. If you want to know who and when this started, buy this book and read it. You will not be disappointed! It was extremely interesting!

This is such a powerful brand story that you may actually get thirsty reading it. Most people have no idea that sweating creates a huge drink market, but author Darren Rovell tells a well-researched, interesting and compelling story about how a group of Florida doctors concocted a simple drink to prevent dehydration. A combination of good science, luck and efficient marketing helped transform this initially unpalatable drink into the world's most popular sports elixir. Along the way, Gatorade marketers forged relationships with athletes, teams and superstars, and capitalized on the public's fascination with sports. The end result was a sales and marketing bonanza. We recommend this brand building saga to all marketers or to anyone interested in just how a drink built a bridge between sports and popular culture. Even if you don't break a sweat reading Rovell's marketing saga, prepare yourself to buy a bottle of Gatorade - you're going to want to satisfy your thirst to check this out.

Recent news headlines said that a low fat diet does not prevent heart attacks, breast cancer, or colon cancer. I looked them up in The No Sweat Exercise Plan and found that exercise can help prevent all 3, along with many other problems. It's one example of all the important information in the book, and it's presented in a very lively and interesting way. Best of all, the book is very practical and specific. It tells you what, when , and how to exercise. It also helps you figure out which exercises you can skip because you don't really need them. I enjoyed reading the book and I'll keep it handy for reference. I recommend it very highly.

What a relief to know I don't have to be a serious athlete in order to stay healthy! Having recently been laid up from back surgery, (which my wife is sure was brought on by shoveling last winter's heavy snows), I wanted to resume an active life and keep my heart healthy, without re-injuring myself. This book prescribes a very congenial life style which can do that for me. In addition to cardio and strengthening exercises, it has useful chapters on stretching and balance. While these may be less important for young people, they seem particularly relevant for people who, like myself, are getting on in years. "No Sweat" is written in a very engaging style and is a pleasure to read. D.L., Meredith, New Hampshire

Why do I consider this work to contain the best exercise- advice at all? The answer is because the advice it gives does not require 'exercising' as a special block of time taken in a gym, or with some special instrument. It thinks of exercise as a possible extension of everyday life- activity. We can do much exercise simply by increasing the pace at which we walk, or by lifting a few cans in the proper way each day for a few minutes. Whether we are gardening, housecleaning, shopping, mowing the lawn, climbing stairs, washing the car, playing with children , we can benefit physically by increasing the level of our activity.
We can no matter, it seems , where we are, and almost in whatever we are doing, find a way to excercise a bit more, to get ourselves moving physically in a better way. And these little bits of motion are not insignificant but can add up to better health.
As Judy Siegel writes in the 'Jerusalem Post' "The latest scientific studies shows conclusively that people can get the full health benefits of exercise with only slight modifications to their daily routines."
Simon also in this work provides a more thorough analysis of different kinds of exercise, and specific steps for improving functioning of different areas of the body.
This work would seem to have something for everyone who cares about improving their health.
Most highly recommended.

I thought I knew a lot about exercise, so I bought this book
mainly for the great drawings and instructions on stretching and weight training. But it turns out that what I didn't know about exercise could fill a book--this book, in fact. The most startling fact is that I can exercise for as little as 10 minutes at a time and still slim down, and that I don't have to
join a health club to be healthy. I've already started a "stair strider" group at work--we have a chart over the printer and we'll give a little "top flight" prize out each week. It's all good fun, but I'm convinced it will also be good for us. I'm also looking forward to spending more time reading over the
healthy diet chapter. I think it will also be very useful, but it will take a little more time to get into that side of things.
In my opinion , the book is important and enlightening. If you
don't agree, no sweat.

Despite the 230+ page format, author and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Harvey B. Simon's premise in "The No Sweat Exercise Plan: Lose Weight, Get Healthy and Live Longer" takes a page out of lifetime exercise guru Jack LaLanne's recipe for a healthy and long life. The idea, so simple that it really isn't necessary to spend $21.95 on the book, can be summed up albeit it gratuitously with the catch phrase, "Keep on Truckin'" So sorry, Harvey.

Okay. Now you might have the inclination to want to `read all about it' and Dr. Simon does provide a semi-interesting format immersed in enough medical no-how to satisfy all those out there who have a need for those special credentials that validate information as `expert testimony.' Keep in mind that Simon as a medical doctor demands the requisite tests that the medical community deems `preventative medicine' and he elaborately explains the dangers of certain body signals like BMI, hypertension, high cholesterol, HDL levels etc. to help the reader to understand just how exercise as a panacean solution in general helps to slow the aging process. Mainly, Simon debunks the need for heavy-duty sweat-inducing aerobics and prescribes a European lifestyle without the saturated high fat cheeses, (although he uses strictly American examples) of moving about rather than relying on the couch potato contrivances and conveniences of modern life.

Simply said, Simon advocates four types of exercise where what he calls CME---cardo-metabolic exercise---wins as hands down most important. Using an elaborate point system he rates any exercise that elevates your heart rate and stokes up your metabolism, suggesting that around 1000 points a week should maintain good health for those without special needs. He sites 2000 points a week for those who may seriously want to lose weight. Typically, one would receive 200 points for jogging at the rate of 12 minutes per mile for 30 minutes as opposed to 165 points for 30 minutes of golfing while carrying your own clubs. Whether or not you sweat or not, Simon says is not the issue. Moving around (walking) for sustained periods of time on a daily basis remains paramount to insure good health. In his No Sweat Basic Pyramid, Dr, S suggests that good eating with an eye on nutrition provides the fuel the body needs to sustain itself---here the standard approach of watching calories in a 15% protein - 25% to 35% fat - 50% to 60% carbohydrate breakdown, avoiding sugars, trans-fats and processed foods maintains optimal vitamin and mineral intake. Following a substantial CME block on the pyramid, the three other types of exercise gain the spotlight, beginning with strength training as a separate component then a shared block of flexibility and balance training. Simon details all four types of exercise with actual diagrammed routines, establishing what he preaches as an undeniable "no brainer." Anyone who has been keeping active for years already knows what it takes the bulk of the book to say. I repeat, `just keep moving----use weight bearing exercise to keep up your muscle mass, stretching to keep your body limber and balance to prevent falling.

At the pinnacle of the No Sweat pyramid, Simon places preventative medicine and hoists a flag atop to alert one to the perils of too much stress in modern life. No real new news here, however Simon does take out the time to help you construct a `my-pyramid' of your own to help you realize your personal health goal and spends a few extra chapters explaining some of the common complaints people may initially have about adding a daily exercise regime to their life. For those who have perspired routinely in gyms and in the outdoors for over the last 25 years, he lists the types of sweaty exercise machines one can utilize to maximize the burn.

Bottom line: if your thing is to read about what you already know and have heard about for years, check this tome out of the library and get down and dirty with expert medical information about the whys and wherewithal-s pertaining to what you are already doing to maintain your health. If you haven't started yet - shame on you---this book can provide some grist for your exercise mill and set you on the right path for the future. With that in mind, I can only recommend this book to those who have been living under a rock for the last 30+ years----everyone else need not spend the going rate to vindicate their own common sense.

I have been doing this exercise routine, or a variation thereof, for about four months now, and it has worked extremely well. This is a very simple plan, but doing just this amount every day is better for you than intermittently doing more strenuous or demanding workouts. And once you master this simple plan, there's no reason not to add on more routines/exercises. You can also do this several times a day (early morning, and then evening for me), which increases its effectiveness.

(Note: I have also been eating a largely whole grain/vegetable diet lately, so some of the fitness can be ascribed to weight loss, but not all. I think they complement each other well.)

This program is simple indeed: 10 minutes of brisk walking or simple aerobic stepping, followed by 5 minutes of strength and flexibility routines using two-5 lb. dumbells. Plus lots of good motivational advice. This is the minimum program-you can expand it by speeding up the walk, adding arm movements to the steps, more weight to the dumbells, or by adding a few more strength and flexibility routines. This author makes no presumptions about your physical abilities-if you need to start working out on a bed instead of the floor, he provides you with the basic tools and urges you to get started. I bought a perfectly good copy from one of Amazon's associated stores for a few dollars: I am doing it every day, and it really works for me.

it is especially for people who aren't used to move a lot, for people who live a very sedentary life. and the book makes it very easy for them to change this life style into an active one. the workout routine it suggests is extremely easy to follow and helpful.

Richard Bradley is the Director of the Fitness Center at the Department of Transportation here in Washington, D.C. He created Quick Fit to give time-crunched federal workers a fast, simple workout that they could fit into their schedules any time, without even changing clothes.
I'm a federal worker myself, facing the same time challenges. I've tried Bradley's Quick fit workout, and it certainly works as advertised.
But the choice of exercises IS limited and you will probably quickly outgrow them. I recommend buying "Quick Fit" and using it to learn these principles:
-- It IS possible to pack a complete, effective workout into 15 or 20 minutes.
-- Fitness success lies not in WHAT you do, but in doing it consistently.
-- Consistency in exercise hinges on keep the whole thing simple and convenient.
-- The "perfect" workout is one that people will actually DO.
The only downside is that, at first, I felt self-consious working out in my civvies. But no one in our agency's fitness center gives a darn or gives me a second look. And I've noticed that a few other people now work out in their civvies, too.
Bradley's "Quick Fit" is an excellent book, and a good place to get started. I recommend it.

Don't have time to exercise? The last of the good excuses is gone with this guide to 15-minute, no-sweat workouts presenting 10 minutes of aerobic activity, 4 minutes of strengthening exercises, and 1 minute of stretches. Step-by-step illustrations demonstrate just how to do them, case history successes link exercises to positive results, and the author comes with credentials: he's directed the Occupational Health and Fitness program at the U.S. DOT for the past twenty-five years, and presented extensive seminars to business and government groups alike. With Quick Fit: The Complete 15-Minute No-Sweat Workout, even those who are most pressed for time have no excuse now.

How can anyone not love Amelia Bedelia? The entire series is great and kids love the humor involved.

One day, while Amelia Bedelia, the housekeeper who literally takes everything literally, was cleaning, the phone rang. It was Mrs. Rogers, calling from the airport. She was supposed to meet the new teacher, but the plane was late. To further complicate matters the phone was out at the school. Mrs. Rogers wants Amelia to go by the school and tell them the teacher will not be there today. Amelia attempts to do just that, but the principal mistakes her for the new teacher and that's when all the fun starts. Amelia Bedelia teaching a classroom full of children, imagine that. Well, my almost three-year-old son Devon and I imagine it all the time.

Devon already knows his letters, upper and lower case. He knows they make words and he loves to sit while I read Amelia Bedelia stories to him. We've been doing it for over a year now. At first I made up the story line as his didn't have the attention span or the ability to understand. Now I've started reading, pointing to the words as I go along. Ms. Parish has written an excellent series for children and in this one, Lynn Sweat's illustrations set off Amelia's tales to a tee. If you want your toddler to read early, and I do, then this is a series for you.

Jack Priest, Dad in Training

One day, while Amelia Bedelia, the housekeeper who literally takes everything literally, was cleaning, the phone rang. It was Mrs. Rogers, calling from the airport. She was supposed to meet the new teacher, but the plane was late. To further complicate matters the phone was out at the school. Mrs. Rogers wants Amelia to go by the school and tell them the teacher will not be there today. Amelia attempts to do just that, but the principal mistakes her for the new teacher and that's when all the fun starts. Amelia Bedelia teaching a classroom full of children, imagine that. Well, my almost three-year-old son Devon and I imagine it all the time.

Devon already knows his letters, upper and lower case. He knows they make words and he loves to sit while I read Amelia Bedelia stories to him. We've been doing it for over a year now. At first I made up the story line as his didn't have the attention span or the ability to understand. Now I've started reading, pointing to the words as I go along. Ms. Parish has written an excellent series for children and in this one, Lynn Sweat's illustrations set off Amelia's tales to a tee. If you want your toddler to read early, and I do, then this is a series for you.

Jack Priest, Dad in Training

Amazing news! Amelia Bedelia has been mistaken as the new classroom teacher, and you just know she will take her duties very seriously. Look out! Amelia will follow every direction to the letter, and amaze every student with her interpretation of schoolwork.

There are lots of laughs here for young readers!

Recommended!

amelia bedelia is teaching a classroom but she does everything wrong but in such a funny way! Calling the roll, practicing a "play", "painting" pictures, planting "bulbs" and literally doing math problems with apples has never been funnier than in this book! Read it and you'll see why

Did Curt Sampson come to Carnoustie, Scotland in 1999 expecting to turn the British Open upside-down like he did Augusta National in "The Masters?" If so, he was beaten to the punch by a genial Frenchman named Jean Van de Velde who gave golf's signature event its wackiest finish ever.

I didn't like "The Masters" much; its agenda was a little harsh. But "Royal And Ancient" sees Sampson approach his topic with more respect, and get better results. He takes in the history of the Open, champions from Old Tom Morris to young Tom Watson, the sound of Carnoustie's winds whipping through the media tents and the dry fescue, and the separate pilgrimages three American golfers take for the big event.

"Royal And Ancient" is scattershot in many ways; none of the three golfers Sampson spotlights make the cut. He spends a good deal of time honing his Dan Jenkins aspirations, detailing the misadventures of a tour hanger-on who doesn't merit the print. Sampson wrote a famous bio on Ben Hogan, and there are times Sampson seems in danger of writing another here.

But after a slow beginning Sampson puts you right at the center of things, analyzes expectations against results and giving a thorough sense of what a British Open entails by using this particular year's edition as a case study. He rambles some, but he tells some fun stories and quotes some interesting people.

The big controversy at Carnoustie most of the week was the condition of the course, with the rough grown so high players could not try to advance the ball if it went off the fairway. A writer likens it to asking basketball players to play with a medicine ball. Meanwhile, course superintendent John Philp argues the game is supposed to be a test of skill and not a birdie racket.

"Carnoustie in 1999 looked like it had been working out," Sampson opines. "And had joined a motorcycle gang."

A tough layout made for a strange leaderboard, topped much of the time by Van de Velde, a Frenchman who at the last hole in regulation demonstrated the Frenchness of the words "elan" and "folly." Sampson does a great job describing the scene, Van de Velde going for the green with a three-stroke lead rather than sensibly lay up. The result was one of those bizarre moments that make sports fans out of casual bystanders, and a Scot named Paul Lawrie who made the local fans very happy.

"Except for the heroic Nicklaus versus Watson duel at Turnberry in 1977, no Open finish in the TV age could compare. But there is romance in tragedy, and tragedy in romance, and the travails of the doomed, flawed hero affect us more deeply than someone's big win," Sampson writes.

Maybe, but Sampson finds Van de Velde months after defying expectations he would shrivel up like a raisin from his shame. Instead, he kept his head high, determined to enjoy what he can from life.

Still, it was a lot easier to enjoy the 1999 British Open if you weren't Van de Velde, and easier still enjoying it with the help of Sampson's clever, comprehensive book.

Sampson for me is the consummate golf writer; clever, knows his game and does it all creatively. Witness the way he puts together this chronicle of The Open. Starts with the Morris' and their famed dominance of early golf, then the interest of England and the rest.

Interwoven here are the rest of glorious Open history-Palmer, Player, Nicklaus, Watson, and Hogan. Then the tie with Carnoustie and the wee little iceman.

Boy this author can captivate you while getting it all down. This flows and ebbs till it ends up at the Burn and that 18th. Never Compromise --- great putting with new found friend--- never compromise style -- must go for it!

This is like author's other books (try them out, especially Hogan and Eternal Summer and Masters, they're favorites) this was just excellent reading to the end.

a great job of not only capturing the 1999 open, but also giving the reader the feel for the history and passion of the open.

Golf is more than a game. When we can not play the game, we watch it. When we can not watch the game, we read about it. And who is best at capturing the feeling of the game of golf on print than Curt Sampson? He is the story-teller of golf.

Only the very best writers can sustain drama when they're recounting events whose outcome is already well-known--and who isn't aware of Jean Van de Veld's slow-motion deflation on the final hole at the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie, the culminating event in Curt Sampson's splendid new book, Royal and Ancient? Sampson's a wonderful phrase-maker-writing of Tiger's "adhesive gallery" is a good example-with an ample feeling for the game and the people who make it interesting, from the tournament players at the forefront to the deeply sequestered greenkeepers, such as Carnoustie's John Philp, who tried to defend the old links against the assaults of a generation of golf pros who regard birdies as a birthright. Sampson's written other good books, but this one is superb.

Good old Amelia Bedelia! When Christmas is just around the corner, she just has to figure out which one! How can such a simple world turn out to be so complicated for America's favorite young housekeeper?

Only hoping to follow directions to the T, Amelia makes a date cake using dates -- but not the fruit kind, the numbers cut from a calendar page! And stuffing stockings for the neighbor's children is sure to be an adventure that defies description!

Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia is sure to be a favorite for young readers, and a wonderful opportunity to enjoy learning the wonders of word play!

Highly recommended!

I have to admit I don't quite get Amelia Bedelia's charms, but after reading this book series to countless ESOL students over the years, I have to say, it works like a charm. They love it! I am talking about beginning students in middle school as well as young children. I think that because the students are learning English and we have so many ways of using words and terms, that they identify with Amelia Bedelia. She also goes farther than they would in making mistakes so it seems safer and Ok to admit those mistakes people make when trying to understand many idioms. I think the books have always been successful to me when students are at this reading level.

This book is really good for children of all ages. It shows you that you have to explain things in detail, because someone might take you literally. The writer is comical and serious at the ssame time which is a good combonation. This book also shows that you can mess up and things can still come out right.

I think that this is a good book for little kids. It is fun for them to read. When little kids read this they always laugh at how Amelia always makes mistakes. She always seems to do something wrong.

When I was a kid, I wore Merry Christmas Amelia Bedelia out! I probably couldn't tell you much about the plot, but anybody who's ever read an Amelia Bedelia book knows that it's all about her doing everything wrong! The only thing that sticks with me is the picture of Amelia stuffing the Christmas stockings with turkey stuffing, which to this day I find hilarious. I don't know what it is about this one particular story, maybe it's because it's the only Amelia Bedelia book I ever read, but I love it just the same. I my mind, it ranks up there with Charlotte's Web and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; it's just one of those funny, timeless books that fed my lifelong passion for reading and writing.

The "concept" of the Net is very important for the uninitiated. Your zeroing in on how the Internet should be viewed in the mind's eye is excellent. It's the idea or the "vision" of the over-all system as a "place" that is expanding its own boundaries in all directions gives your readers a sense of the sheer "enormity" of it all. And yet, all of it is reachable by a simple wire with a tiny, plastic push-in-and-click wall plug!! Marvelous. Robert M. Jackson, Jr.

I'm about half way through your book. In fact I'm on page 148 beginning Web Culture. I have found your book to be very informitive. Was very interested in the section on Gopher. Tried to get information on swollen joints, but reread and found that I needed to use WWW and Exite to pull it up. As I read your book I try the new reading out on my computer. Again thanks for the information.

Al Witte

I recently bought your paperback (The Pocket Guide to the I'Net) at the local Wal-Mart. Of course I was skeptical, since I've read or scanned through a dozen how-to books and intro-to books in my endeavours to learn better and train better.

But ... something about your style engaged me. So I bought the book. Halfway through it I think I know what it is I like about your text ... you're an Internet teacher who agrees with *me*!

I was talking with Wendy Green last week (literally talking, not virtually) and described my reaction to your book. She encouraged me to drop you a line. She says you lurk on the misc.writing newsgroup from time to time and she recognized your name. (What a high-traffic newsgroup!)

I webmaster for my company (www.ag.org) and am also responsible to train anybody in our midst how to understand and navigate the 'Net. For a good part of the last year I lectured to our local Internet users' group and now moonlight at a local cybercafe teaching Internet classes for paying customers. So, my plate is full and I'm happy to find material which so nicely augments my own presentations!

For a while I struggled with the relative worth of helping people understand this beast. Especially when they're *paying* to do so! After all, these people just want to know how to send email and 'surf the Web', why should I waste time talking about its military roots for goodness sake?

So, if for no other reason, I appreciate your book for the affirmation I've found there. Of course, I don't *always* agree with your presentation or your choice of wording, but then who agrees with *anybody* one hundred percent? I can't argue with the facts of your text, though, you have certainly done your research! (I only wish it was footnoted! ) At heart I am a teacher and no matter what I do or where I'm at that's likely the role I've fallen into. From one teacher to another: you done good. (Of course, I'm sure you know that! The royalties should speak well enough!)

I bought your book 'Pocket Guide to the Internet' (Pocket Books) a couple of months back here in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and enjoyed it greatly. It was a great introduction to the Net. Thought provoking and nicely written. I continue to use it as a reference.

What is the internet?
How and when did it begin?
Where does the network go?
Who originally thought of the concept?
Why is the internet useful and necessary?
Was Al Gore involved?

All these questions and more (minus the Al Gore one) are in The Pocket Guide To The Internet.

From ISPs to Packets, from AOL to telnet, and emoticons to netiquette, it's all present. There's a wealth of knowledge in every chapter, and the steps are slow enough for all. In fact, many of even the most novice users of the Internet will find much of the information mundane.

The book provides page after page of helpful information, providing a multitude of web addresses, acronyms, and definitions that, if anything, provid a sort of printed dictionary/encyclopedia about the internet.

This is a great resource for someone starting at ground zero with no knowledge whatsoever.

It's a fantastic experience to be able to say you know the author of a book, and it's even better when the book is such a fun, interesting read as this one! The characters were well-defined, yet not stereotyped; they all changed as they interacted with the main character throughout the book. Thanks for writing a book about a strong female character who doesn't give up her principles or her personality while bettering herself and learning to work with a team!

This is a great book. I know the author personally and she invited me to check out the fruits of her labor. I found the book to be fresh and well-written, with well-drawn characters and a plot that moves along. Bette, the heroine, is complex and interesting. Her trials and tribulations as a "probie" on a New Hampshire fire department, as well as her romance with a fellow firefighter, are the focus of this book. Great job, and I would love to read more about Bette.

The book is an excellent, well-written story of a young woman's struggle to be accepted in the macho world of firefighting. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions. I especially enjoyed the development of characters & being privy to their innermost thoughts. Bette's challenges as a probie, her interesting past and her rocky romance with Joe make for an exciting read and, I think, would make a great TV series! I can't wait for the sequel!

The book is wonderful. A great read. You just don't know what's going to happen next. It's fun and exciting. I couldn't put it down.

Finally, a fresh main character, who thinks on her own and has opinions that are insightful and stirring. The book starts with a bang, then branches out to paint a picture of the service and the 'brothers' she works with. I was not disappointed with the style of writing or the great inspiration it brought to me in the end...