Product Description
For over 20 years, internationally known medium Robert Brown has seen every form of crossing over. As a psychic investigator, he has tested and retested the claim made by spirit communicators:that there is no death.Though many prominent people have sought Robert's services, including Princess Diana, Robert has also helped thousands around the world communicate with their lost loved ones. Now he reveals what those who have crossed over want us to know about the other side and this world, sharing stories of clients who have gained peace of mind knowing that their loved ones do go on. This book will explain all Brown has found to be true in mediumship and the spirit world, including how the spirit world works through spirit communicators-or mediums, how the process of spirit communication actually works-how John Edward does what he does on TV, what happens when our physical body dies and our beta body reaches the other side, and what the spirits really want us to know about abortion, capital punishment, suicide, evil spirits, and man's inhumanity to man.He has also witnessed first hand some of the world's greatest mediums, and through these interactions, what he has learned could change people's views on life and death forever, confirming that there really is life after this life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

We Are Eternal
Excellent book.Well written, easy to understand, and thought provoking.Thank you, Mr. Brown.

Thank you Mr. Brown
I did not know who Robert Brown was until given his name by a friend. I could not afford a reading with him but I did buy this book. I had lost my son only 2 weeks before and I was a mess. I needed some confirmation that he was still here and ok. This book, while not making me better of course, did help to calm me. I am very grateful. I purchased the book and it is currently making its rounds among my family. My hope is that it calms them a bit as it did me.

we are eternal
this is a fantastic book for those with an interest in the life beyond and in need of comfort absolutely loved it.

Great book
This is an amazing boo it brought me a lot of peace and I recommend it to anyone who is wondering about the after life or has just lost a loved one.

Disappointing
Robert Brown psychic investigator and medium to the stars was born in London, England in the 1950's; his mother was almost 40 years old at the time, and he had several siblings as well. The first time he actually remembers seeing anything he was 5 years old. His mother was giving him a bath in the sink, when she had to leave to answer the door. He states that she was gone no longer than five minutes when he looked at the window and saw a man laughing at him. He started screaming and, of course his mother came running. He adds, "before you start thinking it was a 'Peeping Tom' we lived five floors up". This would not be the last he would see of the laughing man. The next time he was 8 years old. Looking through some very old photographs ( which he had a great fascination for doing ), he came across an old photo tucked behind another. It just fell out, he says and he knew instantly that he had seen the face before. He wasn't scared, just curious and went to ask his mother who the man was. It turned out to be his mother's brother whom he had never met. He had died a tragic death, some years before Robert was born.

Robert Brown answers a lot of questions about mediums and psychics, but honestly I had a hard time finishing this 256 page book. This book could have benefited by a good editor; very scattered and poorly written in my opinion. I have read many better books on this subject. I was happy I only paid $1.00 for this one at a book sale. ... Read more

Product Description
Defining Moments explores how all Arkansas governors since Sid McMath (a group that has produced a president, two U.S. senators, and two presidential contenders) acted in times of crisis. These ten exceptional leaders stand out in Arkansas history and politics for having had their personal and political mettle tested by issues concerning education, the environment, social justice, the conduct of politics, race, and more of the nation's defining debates.

The governors and situations covered include Sid McMath's bout with the Dixiecrats; Francis Cherry's ploy to label his opponent a Communist; Orval Faubus's decision to block integration at Little Rock Central High; Winthrop Rockefeller's tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. on the State Capitol steps; Dale Bumpers's battle against political corruption; David Pryor's veto of the U.S. Corps of Engineers's Bell Folley Dam; Frank White's endorsement of Creationism; Bill Clinton's decision to test public school teachers; Jim Guy Tucker's bold solution for the Medicaid program and his resignation; and Mike Huckabee's quest to consolidate the state's high school districts.

Robert Brown, who knew nine of the ten governors personally and worked as an aide for Dale Bumpers and Jim Guy Tucker, tells these stories with an unusual combination of historical research and personal familiarity. He crystallizes the difficult choices faced by these memorable leaders, showing how their decisions at crucial points shaped their tenures, molded their legacies for good or bad, and shaped history.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Theologian Writes for the "Typical" American Christian
This is the fourth book I've read by Robert McAfee Brown.I've already ordered a fifth.Brown is a theologian who writes not for other theologians but for the interested Christian reader.His theologizing is quite practical.This book is a good example of that as he discusses what of the Christian's allegiance belongs to God and what belongs to the State.This is an issue that most American Christians seem all to willing to take a pass on.After all, if ours is a Christian nation what contradiction can there possibly be?Well, take up and read.I never had the opportunity to meet the author, who is now deceased, but I've grown to respect him even if I do not agree at all points.If it is possible for integrity to filter through ink on paper Brown's certainly does.

CERTAIN SOLUTION TO OUR COGNITIVE DISSONANCE; CLARIFY OUR CONTRADICTIONS OF GOD'S MANDATES TO LOVE AND OUR NATION'S LOVE OF WAR
Cognitive dissonance occurs when two belief systems within one person run into conflict. Thus we find that by our Faith we cannot kill, and yet our national leaders use every strategem to urge us to questionable and total war. A most timely examination of this phenomenon may be studied in the recent work by the Reverend Father Andrew Greeley entitled: A Stupid, Unjust, and Criminal War: Iraq, 2001-2007. This present work, written by the late and Rev. Robert McAfee Brown twenty two years ago in the context of another stupid, unjust and criminal war (some say prelude and practice to our present crisis), lays out the Christian theological basis and delineation of the obligations of our Faith to resist war and to work courageously and prophetically for Peace. We need now in this Lenten season to re-examine this excellent treatise, which continues to challenge us today, as strongly as ever does the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop's Challenge of Peace: God's Promise and Our Response a Pastoral Letter on War and Peace (Publication / Office of Publishing and Promotion Services, U).

We cannot serve two masters. We will love the one and despise the other. Which one will you love? Read this book and ruminate it. Pray carefully with it and come to the solution of your spiritual and cognitive dissonance. The Rev. McAfee Brown wisely presents the evidence and carefully challenges us to resolve our internal contradictions as an element of our life long and total conversion to the Faith in Jesus Christ. We can find few better Lenten retreats at this time in our history and in our lives than this.

This is a book I never will forget
I have found this book to be a challenging read.It was not the difficulty of the reading, but the moral challenges it brings.I felt the book presented far too many moral issues that are at hand.The book dealt with war, the death penalty, gun control and abortion, as well as many other ideas.I have been forced to re-examine some of my personal views after reading this book.
The book vehemently opposes war.I have to wonder if, at times, this isn't a necessary evil.My guess is that Brown would have suggested passive resistance to Hitler in World War II.I simply have a hard time coming to Brown's conclusion.In the Old Testament of the Bible, God sanctioned War at times.In my understanding of the parable, the turning of weapons into plowshares was meant for the millennium.It is not meant for the current dispensation that mankind is in. We are told in the Bible that there will be wars and rumors of wars until the body of Christ is taken into heaven.I find Brown's comment of trying to bring about his own personal millennium to be extremely arrogant.While war is a terrible thing, I feel we are expressly told that this will happen.
Brown is opposed to guns and believes in gun control.I have to agree that guns in the wrong hands can be used for evil.Is a gun in itself truly evil?I cannot ask the police to go against criminals without appropriate protection.I cannot go as far as to believe that all violence will magically cease without guns.To assume without guns our society will be safe and violence free is to have an overly optimistic view.
I cannot agree with his statement that breaking laws is always appropriate to save human life.To agree to this statement blindly is to become a zealot, and lose good judgment.With this statement members of the anti-abortion movement are perfectly justified in bombing clinics, and the occasional murder of doctors and other medical professionals.Out right murder is never justifiable.
I feel this book is extremely thought provoking.It is radical enough to have created a large discomfort level in my personal belief system.I feel Brown's points are often well made, and thankfully peppered with fact.I feel that too many concepts were approached for me on a personal level.Each chapter presented a different moral dilemma.His writing style attempted to sensationalize points rather than investigate them in a logical manner.I can truly say this is a book that I will always remember. ... Read more

Product Description
Variety says Jason Robert Brown's "joyous, wholesome tuner ... is sheer bliss." Our songbook features vocal lines with piano accompaniment for a dozen songs from the all-teen Broadway show about a bar mitzvah. Includes: Brand New You * Get Me What I Need * Here I Come * I'm a Good Girl * The Lamest Place in the World * A Little More Homework * Tell Her * Thirteen/Becoming a Man * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Arare vehicle for Middle School Actors!
Jason Robert Brown has nothing to prove. He spent one year at Eastman to perfect his orchestration skills and then went to New York. Before he had any wrinkles on his face he was working with Harold Prince and Alfred Uhry at Lincoln Center on the biggest, most brilliant musical since "Sweeney Todd." ("Parade", 1999; Tony Award for best score) He is beloved by actors for his small pieces-"Songs For A New World", which he did with Hal Prince's daughter, the esteemed Daisy Prince and then "The Last 5 Years" which played with time the way that ABC's "LOST" does, with two actors a small band and almost no set. His music is honest, brilliant and he himself is one talented performer.

13 is a musical that he wrote for and about Middle School kids. It's not stupid or silly; he addresses real issues but in such a way that within two years every middle school theatre program in the Western World will be doing this show. The Broadway production used many characters and many ensemble numbers, which one needs with educational theatre for the young and even the very tight orchestra was filled with thirteen year olds. The muysic is sharp and witty; his lyrics are wise and honest and they easily fit into the musical lines so that no thirteen year old boy is holding a high A on an "e" vowel. The music is difficult and the only accomodations he made were for the Cambiata voice. If Disney were wise, they'doption this and film it well and then Music Theatre International can take it from there.

In the meantime, every single person who teaches middle school theatre needs to learn this show because you'll be doing it soon enough.

I can't wait to see what Mr. Brown does next.

*Imagine a Brilliant Pun Here Incorporating a Song Title*
I was very excited when I found out Jason Robert Brown was writing a new musical.I loved all of his works Songs For a New World, The Last Five Years, and most of all PARADE.Except that this show was going to be made up completely of teenagers.I was intrigued.I followed the show since it's inception.I got the CD as soon as it was released.I loved it.I was excited for the music to come out and transcribed a lot by ear while waiting.The book was finally released and I ordered it (on playbillstore.com) and I received it today (four days later).

I Sat down at my piano and played through the book.It was great!They are great arrangements including full choral and harmony parts...WITH the piano accompaniment!That is very important to me.Though I expected it becuase of Mr. Brown's other books that are published.

The binding of this book was amazing I sat it on my stand and it just fell open...in a good way...it's not a book I will have to take to Kinko's to get spiral bound.

I couldn't ask for more it's great. ... Read more

Product Description
"Their insight and analysis, reasoned back through the history of style and symbolism and forward to the recognition of a new kind of building that responds directly to speed, mobility, the superhighway and changing life styles, is the kind of art history and theory that is rarely produced. The rapid evolution of modern architecture from Le Corbusier to Brazil to Miami to the roadside motel in a brief 40-year span, with all the behavioral esthetics involved, is something neither architect nor historian has deigned to notice...." -- Ada Louise Huxtable, The New York TImes

Learning from Las Vegas created a healthy controversy on its appearance in 1972, calling for architects to be more receptive to the tastes and values of "common" people and less immodest in their erections of "heroic," self-aggrandizing monuments.

This revision includes the full texts of Part I of the original, on the Las Vegas strip, and Part II, "Ugly and Ordinary Architecture, or the Decorated Shed," a generalization from the findings of the first part on symbolism in architecture and the iconography of urban sprawl. (The final part of the first edition, on the architectureal work of the firm Venturi and Rauch, is not included in the revision.) The new paperback edition has a smaller format, fewer pictures, and a considerably lower price than the original. There are an added preface by Scott Brown and a bibliography of writings by the members of Venturi and Rauch and about the firm's work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

I just don't know.....
I admire and respect Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown for their great career and contribution to architecture, which has yet to be fully assessed. The depth of their thinking, the vigilant efforts to achieve their aesthetic vision, their desire to overcome modernist dogma, which had mutated into marginalized elite uncivic abstraction, falsely denying vibrant areas of life...how can one argue with the importance and value of such work?

Let me try.

To me, this book represents one of the most interesting turning points of an architectural career, very similar to Rem Koolhaas' essay on Bigness in S,M,L,XL.

Both texts are attempting to give themselves an elite artist's alibi for co-opting the corporate machinery's unself-conscious production. Here, both artists (VRSB and OMA)attempt to escape into pop art, just like their friend Andy Warhol, thumbing his nose at the self important abstract expressionists.

There's just one problem with this; they are architects, not just artists.
And this places them in significantly different political territory. Architects build in the public sphere, and therefore have a powerful civic impact. They enable some political forces, and, by physical default, suppress others. If they were artists, their voice is a singular one, an unsponsored comment, to be entertained or dismissed. Architecture cannot be waved away.

So, being architects, is 'Learning from Las Vegas' and 'Bigness' an elite artist's manifesto, or a cynical architect's effort to solicit clients from the bloated and most lucrative areas of commerce? The ambiguity is disturbing, because ultimately it has proven out not to matter what their intention. Both Venturi and Rem Koolhaas have been most useful tools for the most egregious excesses of our runaway imperial corporate world.

And this is a sad legacy for two brilliant architectural careers. No matter what their aesthetic accomplishments in the way of rarified architectural thought, the more brutal reality is that architects seeking fame cannot also speak truth to power. This gravely undermines their civic responsibilities.
I am reminded of William Morris' quote, a sad retrospective look at his career, saying that ultimately, his work "only served the swinish luxuries of the rich." A bitter realization for a socialist, one who chose to retreat into archaic craft, instead of trendy pop.

Pop architecture is not a game. It is an insidious symptom of the polarization of wealth, a symptom that Venturi and Koolhaas cheerfully enable, both with their particular form of dissociating irony. They can play with it as a theory, but it has wrought disastrous consequences in the physical and political landscape.Same thing happened to Frank Gehry, another symptomatic starchitectural monster, who apparently doesn't need to theorize. Hard to say when the deal went down exactly. I just don't know.

as an argument of theory...
this book is extremely condensed into a multitude of thumbnails or panoramas and text that never fails to reiterate its point. i mean, these two architects really understand the idea of symbols, suggestions, and sheds but after a dozen pages on one idea, you already get the point.

the images are really helpful in exemplifying the amount of criticism for or against the city ("idea") of las vegas.

An Architectural Nightmare
This is a quite unusual and offbeat treatise on architectural theory, as applied to the world's greatest architectural monstrosity - Las Vegas. This analysis from the early 1970s is obviously outdated because Las Vegas hadn't yet become the monument to megalomania and excess that it is today, but it was already well on its way. The authors analyze Vegas' unique usages of space, lighting, placement, transportation, and building design for the purposes of communication and promotion. Strange chapter titles give a clue to the left-field analysis in store, and the authors have a clear sense of irony, underhandedly implying that Vegas presents the worst in architecture while they appear to be praising its uniqueness. Unfortunately the narrative gets bogged down in dense professor-speak terminology like "Brazilianoid" and "neo-Constructivist megastructures," along with a general overload of obtuse theory. Add to that the poor-quality and under-elaborated illustrations and you have a book that sacrifices insight and readability in favor of pedantic attempts to impress the authors' colleagues. [~doomsdayer520~]

Read this book to learn what you shouldn't do as an architec
Read this book to learn what you shouldn't do as an architect!

This book follows Venturi's "Complexity and Contradiction", where you can learn how cynically to use casement windows in housing for the elderly where the elderly will happily put their plastic flowers in the windows, but *you* secretly know these are not really hormal casement windows, since they are out of scale (like fascist architecture's lack of scale?).

This book will tell you about ducks and decorated sheds, but it will tell you nothing about building spaces which nourish creative human community. Try Louis Kahn (e.g., John Lobell's lovely little book "Between Silence and Light"). My postmodernist teachers at Harvard said Kahn's writings were incomprehensible, which says more about them than about him.

Read Lobell's book and learn why, e.g., a city might deserve to exist. Remember: Only *you* can get beyond postmodernism!

Brilliant study of signage and architecture
Robert Venturi's study of the Las Vegas signage phenomena and it's impact on "architecture" is brilliant in it's scope.While written almost twenty five years ago, this book gains more and more pertinence as we as a societyprogress further into a "reality" of symbols, reproductions andrepresentations. These words and thoughts are basically essential to theunderstanding of any city anymore, not just Las Vegas. Where thisbook misses the mark though is in the execution, as shown in Venturi'swork, of these ideas. The projects put forth seem to pale in comparisonto the implications the text actually has.These notions of architectureare by far some of the most relevant and important in modern theory today,it is unfortunate that their full potential could not be realized in theseprojects.... but maybe that is for you and I to do. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection includes the best of the first ten years of this young Broadway songwriter's career. It includes 24 selections from Songs for a New World, Parade, The Last Five Years, and also from the albums Songs of Jason Robert Brown and Wearing Someone Else's Clothes. In addition to many songs never before in print, this collection also has a note on every song by the composer, as well as a biography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Well worth the cost
I am an avid JRB fan and this book of song selections was well worth the cost when it came to both the variety of songs and the number of them. I would have had to buy several scores to compile the numbers in this book and the Lauren Kennedy selections were especially valuable as they are not from shows and I would have had to purchase them individually otherwise. I am very satisfied with this purchase.

the Orange book
A great comprehensive study of Jason Robert Browns genius.The only downside to this book is that if you are all ready an enthusiast you will end up with duplicates of JRB songs as many of his musical hits are contained within.However JRB the musical genius that he is for my money is worth the the duplications for those few Golden nuggets tucked away.It also makes for easy travel of a wide selection of originals.The biggest plus to me is having some of his lesser knowns at my fingertips!

Why Do All These Reviews Sound The Same?
Isn't anyone here even slightly critical of Jason Robert Brown's oeuvre?How about a collection of bloated, cliche ridden songs?Jason Robert Brown uses his highly derivative piano technique and a set of technical difficulties for vocalists that fool some listeners and performers into thinking this is an art music.If like me, you have to learn some of his songs as an accompanist, don't buy this book.No singer I've ever met wants to audition with selections from "Urban Cowboy", the most miserable failure Broadway has known in the last 10 years.

Song Titles
A Summer In Ohio
All The Wasted Time
And I Will Follow
Coming Together
Dreaming, Wide Awake
Getting Out
Grow Old With Me
Hear My Song
I Could Be In Love With Someone Like You
If I Told You Now
I'm Not Afraid Of Anything
It Don't Get Better Than This
It's Hard To Speak My Heart
Just One Step
Letting You Go
Moving Too Fast
Nothing In Common
See I'm Smiling
Someone To Fall Back On
Stars And The Moon
The Next Ten Minutes
The Old Red Hills Of Home
The Picture Show

Great soloist music
I particularly enjoyed the selections from "Parade", it's an amazing show. Jason Robert Brown is an amazing composer, and everyone should have this book for some of the brilliant songs in it. ... Read more

Product Description
Training is an investment for the future, the only foundation on which success can be built. Training delivers excellence in product and performance, elevating a good restaurant into a great one.

Training will keep the skills of its employees and management sharp. But in no other industry is its absence or presence as obvious as it is in the food service industry. It is hard to find good, qualified employees, and even harder to keep them. In addition, unemployment levels are low, and competition for qualified workers is tough. What is the answer? Training!

Constant training and re-enforcement keeps employees and management sharp and focused, and demonstrates the company cares enough to spend time and subsequently money on them. And that is precisely what this new encyclopedic book will do for you to be your new training manager.

This is an encyclopedic out of the box employee training program for all positions in the food service industry. From orientating the new employee, maintaining performance standards, to detailed training outlines and checklists for all positions. This book will show you how to train your employees in all positions in the shortest amount of time, and lets you get back to your own job of running a profitable enterprise.

One of the best features of this book is that the companion CD ROM contains the training outline for all positions in MS word, so you can easily customize the text for your own use. In addition there are numerous training forms, checklists, and tests. The first part of the book will teach you how to develop training programs for food service employees, and how to train the trainer. The book is full of training tips, tactics and how tos that will show you proper presentation, and how to keep learners motivated both during and after the training. The second part of the book details specific job descriptions and detailed job performance skills for every position in a food service operation, from the general manager to dishwasher. There are study guides and tests for all positions. Some of the positions include General Manager, Kitchen Manager, Server, Dishwasher, Line Cook, Prep Cook, Bus Person, Host/Hostess, Bartender, Wine & Alcohol Service, Kitchen Steward, Food Safety, Employee Safety, Hotel Positions, etc. Specific instructions are provided for using equipment as well. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Very useful material
Extremely useful set of forms and ideas for use in the restaurant industry.It is skewed towards full service restaurants; but still has lots of useful stuff to apply to QSR.Do not expect to find a treatise on training, though.The CD ROM helps to take advantage of the material because it has the full text on pdf format and several of the sections in MS-Word format.

Easily tailored forms and a must for any food service operation
Douglas Robert Brown's excellent reference tool is worth every penny and should be in every food service operator's reference library.I have recommended his book for my tea students for the last five years and am pleased to endorse the revised media. From the small tearoom owner to the chain restaurant, Mr. Brown's resource is a valuable tool.Carnelian Rose Tea - Tea Business School - Jennifer Petersen

Must-have for anyone preparing for a career in food service
The Encyclopedia of Restaurant Training is a no-nonsense, thorough resource covering the necessary training for all positions in the food service industry, from professional chef to maitre d to bartender and much more. Written in clear, easy-to-understand terms and charts spelling out explicit training instructions, and illustrated with some diagrams (such as a picture of how to properly set a formal table), The Encyclopedia of Restaurant Training spares no effort to be as understandable as possible. No background knowledge in any trade is needed to grasp explicit instructions ranging from a step-by-step breakdown of the hostess job to the proper order of service for a luncheon handout to how one can go about creating a memorable presentation to food service employees, and much more. A CD-ROM accompanies this absolute must-have for anyone preparing for a career in food service, or charged with the responsibility of training food service recruits.

A Complete package for the Food Service Industry
As a long-time user of The Restaurant Managers Handbook by Douglas R. Brown, I have found The Encyclopedia of Restaurant Forms and it's CD Rom to be the most complete and comprehensive selection of forms and ideas for every day and every situation that can or will arise in the food service business.

Nothing else on the market comes close!!!!
There is not one page of information in this incredibly handsome book that is not useful.The book includes every possible form I can think of, and many many more I never thought about which would be incredibly useful to our business today!The companion CDROM of forms allowed us to use this book from day one.Highly recommended!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Drawing on both new and neglected evidence, this book reconstructs Old John Brown's aborted "war" to free the 3.8 million slaves in the American South before the Civil War.It critiques misleading sources that either exalt Brown's "heroism" and noble purpose or condemn his "monomania" and"lawlessness". McGlone explains the sources of his obsession with slavery and his notorious crime at Pottawatomie Creek in "Bleeding Kansas" as well ashow the Harpers Ferry raid figured into Brown's larger vision and why he was captured in the federal armory there.John Brown's War Against Slavery chronicles how this aged American apostle of violence in behalf of the "downtrodden," this abolitionist "fanatic" and "terroriser," ultimately rescued his cause by going to the gallows with resolution and outward calm.By embracing martyrdom, John Brown helped to spread panic in the South and persuaded northern sympathizers that failure can be noble and political violence "righteous." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Stars Are Kindly Looking Down
Professor McGlone has written a well-researched (and extensively footnoted) book for those who seek detailed answers to John Brown's motives for his bloody acts in Kansas, and later on at Harper's Ferry. If his sanity or religious impulses are questions you wish to explore in greater depth buy this book.

However, if you are a general reader you may be frustrated in that there is little discussion of such important elements of John Brown's story as the Secret Six (who funded his later work), the actual trial that resulted in his death sentence, or his lasting place in history.

As the song goes, he "died that the slave might be free." I do not think he died in vain.

For future editions a correction should be made on p.198 where Pilgrim's Progress is attributed to "Paul" Bunyan, not John.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Joy to Read!
Although this book was written by a foremost 20th century theologian, it is a joy to read because the average lay reader
can see him or or self in his explanations of how it all happened!
Some great minds have the ability to keep things simple.Readers will recognize this quality from the beginning to the end.

Read IT!
This book makes sense.Read it.

We read this book on the recommendation of our pastor, a one-time student of Dr. Brown's.

Whether you are strong in faith, new to the "language" of the Christian church, or just wanting to learn, The Bible Speaks to You "speaks to you" in a way that makes sense.

Highly recommended.

Great book for anyone that does and doesn't know the Bible.
This book talks about theological aspects of the Bible. It helps explain the Bible to uninformed readers and it also adds a lot of depth to the seasoned Biblical reader. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very nice mix of humor, irony and the macabre
This is an excellent way to be introduced to the work of pulp writer and mystery/science fiction author Fredric Brown.The collection here -- introduced by Robert Bloch -- nicely spans Brown's career and while heavyon the science fiction elements, still presents a fine selection of Brown'soutput. Mostly short stories and not a dog in the bunch! ... Read more

Product Description
Engage your students in participatory action research! Whether youÂ’re studying the history of Brown or discussing issues of diversity and racial equality, this multi-media resource is an invaluable teaching tool. The full-color book features selected excerpts from Echoes, a spoken word and dance performance by a diverse ensemble of youth from suburban and urban schools, as well as highlights and startling statistics from Documenting the History of Brown, a youth research project about racial and class (in)justice in U.S. schools. Along with the accompanying DVD, Echoes of Brown creates a series of unforgettable echoes on AmericaÂ’s long history of yearning, betrayal, victory, and relentless desire among young and old for educational justice.

Accompanying DVD includes:

• The complete 55-minute video of Echoes in which youth speak back to the victories and continuing struggle for justice and democracy in public schools.

• Rich video interviews with "elders" who lived through the Brown decision, including Arthur Kinoy (1921–2003,) Sonia Sanchez, Judge Jack Weinstein, Roscoe Brown, Esther Lee, Thea and Bailey Jackson, and Adam Green.

• Documenting the History of Brown which is a detailed presentation of the results of over 9,000 surveys with youth about racial and class (in)justice in U.S. schools.

• Participatory Action Research with Youth with commentary and guidance by researchers and educators.

• And much more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Echoes of Brown Review
I use this DVD and book each semester in my BEF 362(foundations of education) course at The University of AL, and I love it. My favorite part, in particular, is Bailey Jackson's image of oppression with feet and with a dance; "You can't dance when you have your foot on somebody else's throat." That's vivid as well as the segments with dance, poetry, and interviews in the rest of the DVD. I use the video to discuss Brown versus Board, and I connect the DVD to injustice at the super-structural level through laws and policies that perpetuate injustice from generation-to-generation. In addition, I have my pre-service students reflect on the students' experiences in school and discuss the "isms" students face on a daily basis--especially racism and socio-economic classism. I would recommend this DVD and book for teachers, policy makers, professors, the average citizen, parents, and students. Also, I think anyone who wants a better world and anyone who wants to improve our schools should see the DVD at the bare minimum. Echoes of Brown is wonderful!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Known for his steamy and luxurious photographs of nudes, Mapplethorpe has observed of his work that it "is about seeing--seeing things like they haven't been seen before." 45 color and 85 duotone illustrations. ... Read more

Product Description
Rober McAfee Brown (d. 2001) was a renowned Presbyterian theologian, teacher, and social activist.This is his memoir, the story of a modest man who lived life according to his conscience and his faith and who was a model of responsible social activism within and outside of the church.This book incorporates comments from family members who share with us their own contrasting experiences of the turbulent and sometimes frightening events through which they all lived.Includes photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Along with Cesar Chavez a most shining example of how to become a practicing Christian in these wandering United States
Here we have happily the memoirs, incomplete, of the great American theologian Robert Macafee Brown, who, like Forest Gump, appeared at every major religious event worldwide in his lifetime, yet unlike Gump approached them all with the greatest brilliance and Christian insight and gratefully received reportage.

As we approach the seventh anniversary of his passing, let us enter the vast body of his written work through this parting portal, written in his final time and completed by his family, supplemented with a photographic and historical record.

Here we may read this model of ecumenism as an Observer in Rome;: A Protestant report on the Vatican Council as well as presenting Elie Wiesel, messenger to all humanity. Mr Wiesel personally adds a most touching and true endorsement to this book. The great friend William Sloane Coffin contributes the Introduction.

We find here Pastor Brown's reflections on his service on the Holocaust Commission as well as work for peace in Vietnam and Nicaragua and in Selma. His family contributes their experiences living through those difficult times as their father and husband formed such powerful and violent enemies in the Christian name of peace. This in itself shows why priests remain without a blood family; would that this liberation from fear of family retaliations would strengthen their Christian witness as prophetically and clearly and coherently and Faithfully as Brown's.

Himself a well trained theologian, Brown contributed much to the research in theology, including his helpful and objective Gustavo Gutierrez: An Introduction to Liberation Theology as well as his Unexpected News: Reading the Bible With Third World Eyes.

Please learn how we as well may hope to become one day Christians even within the walls of these United States, and how we may work to realize that most sacred ambition, by reading the excellent and gentle and insightful and compassionate words of Robert Macafee Brown, beginning with his parting shots in this collection. We yet have much to learn from him and his strong and clear witness to America. ... Read more

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Product Description
Before 1954, both law and custom mandated strict racial segregation throughout much of the nation. That began to change with Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark decision that overturned the pernicious "separate but equal" doctrine. In declaring that legally mandated school segregation was unconstitutional, the Supreme Court played a critical role in helping to dismantle America's own version of apartheid, Jim Crow.

This new study of Brown--the title for a group of cases drawn from Kansas, Virginia, South Carolina, Delaware, and the District of Columbia--offers an insightful and original overview designed expressly for students and general readers. It is concise, up-to-date, highly readable, and very teachable.

The authors, all recognized authorities on legal history and civil rights law, do an admirable job of examining the fight for legal equality in its broad cultural and historical context. They convincingly show that Brown cannot be understood apart from the history of caste and exclusion in American society. That history antedated the very founding of the country and was supported by the nation's highest institutions, including the Supreme Court whose decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) supported the notion of "separate but equal."

Their book traces the lengthy court litigations, highlighting the pivotal role of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and including incisive portraits of key players, including co-plaintiff Oliver Brown, newly appointed Chief Justice Earl Warren, NAACP lawyer and future Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, and Justice Felix Frankfurter, who recognized the crucial importance of a unanimous court decision and helped produce it. The authors simply but powerfully narrate their story and show that Brown not only changed the national equation of race and caste--it also changed our view of the Court's role in American life.

As we prepare to commemorate the decision's fiftieth anniversary in May 2004, this book invites readers to appreciate the lasting importance of what was indisputably a landmark case.

This book is part of the Landmark Law Cases and American Society series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Court cases leading up to Brown v. Board of Education
Read this for graduate American history course.This book begins with a brief look at African-American history from slavery to Plessy v. Ferguson and Jim Crow. This history is important to understanding the events that led up to the infamous Brown v. Board of Education case. The authors explain throughout the book not only what the black population endured but also how these events in our nation's history led those involved in the Brown case to feel they finally had a chance at achieving what they had been fighting for. Although this case is known for forever altering American race relations, there were other lesser known and often forgotten cases which paved the way for the Brown decision. Before Mr. Marshall took Harry Brigg's case, Sarah Roberts, Dred Scott, Adolfus Plessy, and Lloyd Gaines had already used the courts to address the issues of segregation and racial prejudices.

Brown dealt with a caste system that dated back to antebellum America. The caste system was developed when the Supreme Court played a significant role in disassembling federal protection for blacks and allowing a system of caste-like restrictions that were to be reestablished and strengthened after Reconstruction (6). Even though the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery and allowed Negroes to declare their citizenship, it only heightened the investigation for ways to clearly characterize the inferior status for African Americans.

In 1846 a black printer, Benjamin Roberts, wanted to enroll his five year old daughter,Sarah, in the nearby primary school. However, she was cast out because the school closest closest to her home was an all white school. Benjamin Roberts was required to enroll his daughter in the primary school for colored children, which was farther away. Roberts chose to file suit against the city of Boston on behalf of his daughter (15). The case was tried in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and was presided overby Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw, who decided against Roberts,believing that the institution is unfair; however, he abandoned
the idea of instantaneous abolition anyway (16).

In 1857, the issue of Negro citizenship was under attack in the case of Dred Scott v. Sanford. It was obvious that the South was against the idea that blacks (free or otherwise) were citizens of the different states and of the United States. Dred Scott wanted the court to decide whether they were going to agree with the North or the South asto whether or not
blacks should be considered citizens. Unfortunately, Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney chose the southern view (22).

Before Brown v. Board of Education there was Jim Crow which developed a system of rigid separation between blacks and whites in regards to everything (Le. public restrooms, water fountains, separate seating on public accommodations, etc.) (28). This system became state-mandated segregation of which the highest court approved (29). At the same time the
Supreme Court handed down it decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).The Plessy case dealt with a gentleman, Adolphus Plessy, who was arrested on June 7, 1892 for attempting to ride in the first-class coach reserved for white passengers. He was told to move, but he refused and was arrested because of his one-eighth African ancestry (29). Plessy's attorney, Albion Tourgee, argued the same argument that Sumner and Morris argued for Sarah Roberts which was that the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments prohibited forced segregation (31). Justice Henry Billings Brown discarded the claim that the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendment prohibited segregation. He also rejected the argument that mandated segregation stigmatized blacks (31).

In the aftermath of Jim Crow and Plessy v. Ferguson the results of the two were essentially the same. The Courts permitted states to treat Afro-Americans separately as long as they received equal treatment (33). It was as if the United States overlooked the word If United" in our country's name. The courts decided the law of the land to allow two different races to be able to exist together while totally separate at the same time which is a complete paradox.

In 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formed. It was an interracial organization that wanted to challenge discrimination through campaigning for all rights of black people, specifically civil, economic and political rights. The NAACP would help those who had been discriminated against by taking on their case and having it tried in the courts. One example is the case of Lloyd Gaines. He was a graduate of lincoln University, Missouri's university for Negroes. He wanted to go to law school; however, the University of Missouri did not admit African Americans (63).Missouri law required Lincoln University to establish a law school if there was enough interest.- The state law also required that the state pay tuition for Missouri's black students enrolled in professional schools in neighboring states if lincoln University lacked the same program. Gaines brought suit which boiled down to the issue being the adequacy of the out-of state tuition scholarship. The Missouri Supreme Court found that the state's scholarship program satisfied the objections and there was adequate funding for the program (63). Gaines' case would continue on in the court system for quite a few years. While he waited, Gaines moved on with his life. He would work temporary jobs, receive a master's degree from the University of Michigan and move to Chicago. Then Gaines mysteriously disappeared. In 1939, his case ended because without him the NAACPcould not pursue the case any further (68).This case much like those before it would all playa monumental role in leading up to Brown v. Board of Education.

The Brown case originated in much the same way as the Roberts case. There were many plaintiffs in the case with the same complaint regarding the desegregation of schools. Once the case began there was no way of knowing the monumental proportions it would reach. Brown v. Board of Education was exceptional in explaining the history up to the case that ultimately
changed our nation's history forever. The authors went into great detail involving each justice, lawyer, and plaintiff dealing with the case.

It was, however, unfortunate that even after the Supreme Court ruled in Brown's favor that it took years to achieve integration in the school systems. The explanation of the relationship Brown had in regards to other racial issues was evaluated in brilliant fashion. The; book ends with a summary of how Brown impacted race relations and how America is still lacking in racial equality today.

My only criticism is that there are a few factual eras regarding the Governors name in Virginia, and some facts about school closings in Virginia.

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I recommended this book for anyone interested in American history, civil rights era history.

Putting a landmark case in context
This book looks at the case of Brown vs. Board of Education that outlawed segregation in schools 50 years ago this month. The actual case only takes up several chapters in the middle of the book. What is important is that the book tries to put the case in terms of legal, and societal, context. Chapters leading up speak about the legal challenges to segregation that appeared in the 50 prior years since Plessy v. Ferguson enshrined the doctrine of "separate but equal" in our nation's laws. Because law is built upon precedence, these cases mark the stones on which the group of cases, eventually to be grouped under Brown, would stand. The authors take us inside the Supreme Court and helps analyze the decision making process, and examine the subsequent practices and pitfalls of the implementation of that decision. It is a case that even a half century later the repercussions are still felt in America.

This is not a scintillating read. The focus is on the law and the legal actions leading up to and after the decision. But it is an excellent book to put this event into legal context.

Good book, but does not focus on Brown v. Board of Education
When one sees the title "Brown v. Board of Education", it immediately stirs up notions of a Supreme Court case involving desegregation of public schools in America.Robert Cottol, Raymond Diamond, and Leland Ware have given us some of that feel, but not enough in this book.

The book, only 240+ pages to start with, does not even touch on the Brown case (or any of the six cases that collectively were referred to as "Brown") until page 119.The first half of the book is spent exploring the history of segregation in education and in America as a whole.I believe that this is an important topic, but not of enough importance to require half of a book that is supposed to be about this one Supreme Court case.

Aside from the fact that there is little in the book that deals with the case itself (besides the history of segregation in education, there is a substantial section of the book that deals with direct ramifications of ordered desegregation and the reactions of state and local governments to this order), the book is well written.I enjoyed reading the book, but I think that I would refer readers to a broader history of the Supreme Court and interventions in race relations, such as the new Klarman book "From Jim Crow to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality" instead of this book.

If, however, one is looking for a consice book that does indeed provide the story of segregation in American education, including the historic decision in 1954 that abolished that segregation, this is a great book to read and understand. ... Read more

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This is a mind-changing book that seeks to transform attitudes in North American churches. A book on how and why to read the scriptures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Should cause Glen Beck to run for cover
Just last week while at breakfast with friends I mentioned the words "liberation theology."Moans and raised eyebrows were immediately forthcoming.Interesting in that none of my friends had ever read any liberation theology.I suspect this is not at all unusual in the evangelical community in the U.S.A.At least one of my friends has agreed to read this book by R. McAfee Brown and I can hardly wait until I can pass it on to him.

Having lived and worked in S.E. Asia for the last thirty years, the idea that people from different cultural and economic backgrounds would read and interpret the Bible (or any book for that matter) in ways shaped by their backgrounds hardly seems radical.Yet for those who have lived their faith in a mostly monocultural context (e.g. evangelicals in America) this idea can seem positively revolutionary.

While this book is not specifically about liberation theology it is a helpful exercise in clearing the ground for reading the Bible with fresh eyes and a sensitivity to the context, both local and global, in which we live and move.

If you want a primer on 'Liberation Theology' you might try the author's book by that name.If you want to read several familiar narratives in scripture from a different slant this book will prove interesting.Of course, the author is not himself from the third-world so we have to take his word for it but assuming his "reading" is faithful to those who are from that part of the globe the contrast is provocative.

This book is a very accessible read.Brown writes with considerable wit and his epilogue entitled : "For Those Who Feel Personally Assaulted" sums it up well.Interesting and not to be ignored.

Unexpected News
Robert McAfee Brown wrote this difinitive book about Liberation Theology.At a time during the Cold War and when many South American countries wereunder the iron hand of a dictator, some people of faith in Central and Sout America began to articulate the biblical message of justice.It states that the Christian faith is not just private and personal but pubic and political as well.

Robert McFee is regarded as the articulator for Liberation Theology in our time.An excellent book.

Magnificent Book!
This book by Robt M Brown in 1984 is an indictment of the USA & other Rich Countries for contributing to the Oppression of the Third-World (or Poor) Countries. And the latter makeup about 2/3 of the whole world! This book has a Biblical Perspective, citing ten special Biblical events or passages. This book also reminds me of "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins in 2004, which confirms the same indictment from a political perspective. As one of the richer Americans, I believe "to whom much is given much is required." I & We need to share our wealth in such a way to raise up the poor & oppressed of the world. It is most tragic that 2/3 of the world's persons go to bed hungry each nite!

A deep insight into faith and justice
I read Unexpected News: Reading the Bible with Third World Eyes as part of a 30-week JustFaith program. We read 13 books in total, and this was one of my favorites.Robert McAfee Brown redefines "poor," pointing out with great clarity that no matter how much those of us in developed countries complain, we are rich in terms of anyone in the Third World.Brown takes Bible stories--the Prodigal Son, for instance--and interprets them differently than we might have heard in church.
More good news about this book--it has a sense of humor.Brown made me laugh out loud more than once, especially as he dealt with the issues of women in religion.
This book would be a wonderful Bible study addition for anyone, or an excellent read for any individual interested in an insight into seeking justice for those who possess none.

very good, eye-opening ... spicy, too!
This book was challenging, convicting and exciting. Brown writes humorously and concisely. At times he writes a bit too epigramatically or too much in pseudo-journalese. Brown closes humbly: he admits he's as guilty of greed and complacency as we are.

My favorite aspect of this book is that it is not just a book *about* liberation theology. This a *devotional* based on liberation theology (in fact, this was my devotional on and off for half a year). Happily, Brown includes whole passages of scripture for study. True, the third world (better, "two-thirds world") interpretations are jarring. For example, the OT reality behind Jesus quoting (and most Bibles mistranslating!) Isaiah's "day of the Lord's favor" almost knocked me out of my seat (see Luke 4).

Two other virtues of this book are 1) that Brown examines other parallel passages in each chapter (to provide a larger biblical basis), and 2) the pointed questions and scenarios Brown poses at the end of each chapter. This book is good for private or group study or just straight reading. Also, Brown offers a good list for further reading.

Some of the other reviews of this book are revealing. Why do we USAmericans get so upset about our capitalism and our money? Because our hearts (and our emotions) are where our treasure is, and vice versa? Why do we have so many problems with these "radical, militant, Marxist" liberation theologians? Because they point out how the God of the Bible has problems with greed, rugged individualism and national elitism? Why do we see Brown and "his ilk" twisting Scripture and eisegeting Marxism into the Bible? Because we don't like to hear Scripture echoed from the nouths of those for and by whom it was written: the poor and oppressed? If the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (I Tim 6:10) and if you cannot serve both God and money (Matt 6:24), why do we cling so firmly to money? What would the big loss be anyway in losing our economic clout -- if we truly hope for *heavenly* riches? The more you live and share with "the least of these" (Matt 25:31ff), I've found, the less radical Brown, et al. sound. Raving neo-McCarthyists deal the Bible a grave blow by capitulating social justice and economic parity into the hands of Marxists. Marx subverted God's Word to his ends (he was raised a Jew, remember), not the other way around.

I am looking for more contemporary books of this nature (it was published in 1984), but will probably "just settle for" reading Gutierrez, Romero, Arrupe, et al. -- precisely what Brown would hope for his readers to do, I think. (PS, I recommend Haugen's _Good News About Injustice_ and Are's _Israeli Peace, Palestinian Justice_. I also recommend watching _Romero_ and _The Mission_ for some liberation visuals!) ... Read more

Product Description
This book features information and travel directions for sixty of Colorado's ghost towns and mining camps. There is an informal history of each town as well as an early and a contemporary photograph to aid in site identification. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Robert L. Brown is without peer
I was a student of Robert L. Brown at Abraham Lincoln High School in Denver. He is without question the best teacher that I have ever had and I can attribute my love of Colorado History directly to him.A student of Colorado History must consider the writings of Brown or their exposure is incompete.There are stories and anecdotes in his books that are found no where else. He used the before and after photographic style that Fielder popularized long before Fielder did.

Ramblin thru the Unseen Rockies
After reading this material, I would strongly recommend the avid frontiersman to the novice to take advantage of Brown's testimony to lost and unseen towns that "once were." Brown's attention to detail isabove no other; the exquisit portraits he provides makes you shiver inanticipation and almost to a point, turn back in time to actually see howwe might have lived during this now lost and not too distant era.

Irecommend this book highly. ... Read more