Dodge Reviews

Dark Trail to Dodge is full of everything that makes a western great -- horses, guns, good guys, bad guys and more horses. The story would make a good screenplay, harkening back to classic movies like Winchester '73 and Man From Laramie. In the characters of John Checker, Tyrel Bannon and Dan Mitchell, author Smith brings to life the hardship and kinship of life on a cattle drive. After reading this book, anyone who has ever dreamt of "riding the range," will long to saddle up and ride the Dark Trail to Dodge. I hope we don't have to wait long for more works from Cotton Smith.

For your first time published, I'm no literary critic, but you can have my vote for a bang-up job.

It was an interesting story line and it kept my interest up, good character development. I felt that I would know Tyrel, John, Tug, Mitchell, Jackson and all the rest of the characters.

If Cotton Smith has written other Westerns of this quality, I would like to read them, short or long stories. Also, is he planning to continue writing more Western novels? I certainly hope so. I'm looking forward to it. It would be interesting to have some of the characters of "Dark Trail to Dodge" in the next story.

I've enjoyed all of Cotton Smith's novels (Dark Trail to Dodge, Brothers of the Gun and Behold a Red Horse, etc.). His style is straightforward and action-packed drawing in the reader and keeping him entertained. But it's all the melancholia beneath the surface that really hits home; the uncertain morality, tormented and haunted characters where the past never quite lets go, and the drive to dig out a personal destiny.

This book had nearly everything I had been looking for. I've had it for a good while and have made things from it. The patterns and instructions are clear and easy to understand. Since it was published in England there are some conversions that sometimes need to be done but the only disappointment I had was in how few crochet projects there were in the book. Even so, it inspired me to invent my own. Everything else is covered, from drapes to carpets, cushions to bed hangings. A really excellent book.

After having looked for well over 6 months for just the right book, this book fulfills all my wishes. It has wonderful detailed instructions and patterns for everything from drapes to needlecrafts AND beautiful room settings in color. Just perfect!

Dear Sir, I want to revieuw some of your books but in my owm laguage:DUTCH or FLEMISCH! I read many books on crafts end hobby,but my Englisch writing is very beat ! How ever I understand the books end can make the things I find in them. For the peaple in the Netherlands end Belgium I like to revieuws your most interesting books.May be they can contact me on the world wide web for discussion end tips.You now my emailadress,plaese contact me. If you are interesting in my 'curriculum vitae',you will see that I learn thil my 27 year en theak courses even from PLAID end other firms al over the world.

Accolades to Mr. Woodworth and Ms. Hanson and Solo. Mr. Woodworth has managed to capture and transform the words of these woman singers/songwriters (Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, Joan Osborne, Lucinda Williams, Jewel, Suzanne Vega just to name a few) into a dynamic first person narrative that brings you face to face with your favorite artist. The accompanying pictures by Ms. Hanson are stunning. I have yet to see such revealing, sensitive and poignant pictures of these artists published anywhere else. This book is pure energy and art that rivals the vitality of the women it portrays. When I read a good book or am inspired by a song I hear, I react to it physically and emotionally. In this moment of reaction it becomes art. I want to talk to that author/songwriter about their work. I want to discover the impetus behind their thoughts and ideas. Solo takes me to that place. It takes me to a place were stories are layered in astonishing depth. It is no less than an opportunity to sit with your favorite singer/songwriter and hear their ideas, insights, dreams, and fears. You are welcomed into their living spaces to find out what they think about their careers and music. Sometimes when I am reading a chapter about one of my favorite singers/songwriters, I put their music on and listen. Deeper meanings emerge, and I hear them speaking to me. This is an enlightening and excellent read.

At first, I was mezmerized by the amazing pictures through out SOLO. There is an abundance of pictures of some of my favorite musicians. For that reason alone, I bought the book.

What has made it one of my favorites is the deeply personal stories interwoven throughout. After reading the well-written, respectful, yet honest interviews in this book. I started at the beginning and read it again.

The combination of stunning photos and the fascinating interviews makes this book a must for music fans.

While all of my favorites were there, Shawn Colvin, Ani DiFranco, Jonatha Brooke... there were some new names and faces. ALL of the women featured in SOLO were interesting and insightful. I look forward to a follow-up book by Marc Woodworth and Emma Dodge hanson.

I learned so much about all of my favorite artists in this book. This book is tastefull done (unlike Building a Mystery by Judith Fitzgerald). The author actually talked to the artist and got their perspectives on many different topics and the meanings behind their songs, which makes this book true and somewhat autobiographical. It is good to see a book also where the artists are not portrayed as glamorous. These black and white photos seem the bring the artists back down to the same level that the reader is working on. It is a really nice book and an interesting read.

I had read Mr. Dodge's book of short essays and thoroughly loved it. I purchased this book at NorthLake College where I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Dodge speak. My father died of colon cancer a year ago and spent a month in dementia at the end, and my mother has recently moved my 94 year old grandfather into her home. Due to these circumstances I could really appreciate Mr. Dodge's experiences dealing with his mother's situation - and understand the stress. But the beauty - and the mystery - of the story is his search for his father's identity. I kept turning pages because I couldn't wait to see what information he would discover - or extricate from his mother - next.

Oedipus Road by Tom Dodge is wonderfully engaging. I think I read it in three sittings. Normally I don't find mysteries my cup of tea, but when they are about birth rather than death and occur on a spiritual-emotional plane rather than a physical one, the drama changes entirely; this tea is just the right cup and just the right flavor.

The narrative's subtitle, "Searching for a Father in a Mother's Fading Memory," captures a basic irony of this tale with its classical allusions and provides the basis of its form. The author, stubbornly searching for his lost father in his mother's lost memory, begins each chapter with a candid recollection of his mother in her own voice -- setting the tone for her son who recalls his own childhood in parallels that oddly match his mother's memories on some level. However, Plato and Sophocles hover behind this story of small town life in Cleburne, Texas during the fifties with its insistence on knowledge, especially self-knowledge. In a sense, the author travels the long read that we all travel from the time we're old enough to question our identity. How can we make wise choices unless we know who we are? His mother, a victim of Alzheimer's disease, would seem to be little help on his path; however, the past is as vivid to her mind as the present is dim. Her lively language fairly vibrates off the page as she recalls her own childhood, evoking yet another generation, that of her beloved parents, in whose home the author is reared. We see life spanning generations, socially, politically, economically -- a history of the United States for three generations on a personal level.

As the author outlines his struggles with his mother's mental deterioration and his search for his father, we get not only only a book of changing times but one of morals and mores also. Unlike Jocasta, the author's mother knew who his father was, but as he says of his mother and gradmother: while they could bear any tragedy, scandal was indefensible. And thus never mentioned, ever. Dodge says he was the scarlet letter his mother refused to wear. It's not a bitter story, however. Despite the author's pain and ever-present anxiety, he recalls the pleasure of his small-town doings with nostalgia, great fondness and affection. And always there to guide him, like the chorus in ancient Greek plays, were his grandparents, his aunt Bernice and his mother's husband, kind beacons along the way.

Finally this mystery, aptly begun on Mother's Day, is solved, but it's a who-done-it until the very end. I was breathless by the end of one of the last chapters when the author has led the reader to believe that, if ever, it will be now, and his mother, like a character in a badly dubbed foreign movie, says the name for which so long he has searched. And oddly there is no blame. Because Dodge has allowed his mother to speak for herself, his story is her story too. Tragedy bequeaths itself only because it is inevitable, not because someone is to blame. Thus it is that Oedipus Road does what the best stories do: teaches us compassion and affirms life without ignoring its tragedy or folly.

I met Tom Dodge in 1980. He was the somber, bearded, denim-clad intellectual who collected and sold vintage books in his relaxed little store downstairs from my wholesale office in a restored 200 year-old jailhouse in Waxahachie, Texas -- a great place to work and to hang.

On balmy afternoons, when business was slow, I would venture downstairs, browse the bookshelves, drink some coffee, and swap a few stories. I did most of the talking. Our conversations would round many curves, some serious, many amusing, but none very invasive in a personal sense. When we laughed, I noticed that Tom's demonstration was subdued, as if a gnarled hand from deep in his soul had reached up, pained his features, and choked his laughter.

One day, I felt confident of his trust, so I asked him about his parents. He was forthright, but hesitating. He described his mother and her life in sparse detail. He tried to share some insight about the person whom he thought was his father. Finally, he confessed that he really did not know who his father was. I cannot recall our finishing that point, because I had to take a phone call upstairs. We continued our visits, Tom's justified preoccupation with a recently injured son diverted me from trying to "get into his head."

My company closed the Waxahachie office in 1984, and I relocated my work to Dallas. Although we did see each other occasionally, Tom and I really did not keep in touch until 1995. One afternoon, I gave him a call; he was talkative and enthusiastic, in the middle of writing another book -- a personal account, this time. By then, Tom was trying to "manage" his mother -- not only her home and finances, but also the aftermath of some of her bizarre behavior in and around town, the result of a diminishing mental capacity.

I found out that, while growing up, Tom had shoes, clothes, shelter, and food. And, he had the love of his mother's parents, who raised him. But, all through his life, he wanted -- needed -- to know who his father actually was. But, Tom's mother could not tell him -- especially as he grew to adulthood -- because he represented a shameful indiscretion with someone to whom she was not married. He tried to reach out to her, but she was running too fast, pursued by ghosts from her past. They never had a deep conversation; it was just too risky for her. Time was running out; Tom's mother would not be able to tell him, because she was losing her mind. One great day, however, Tom got his answer -- a simple, straight answer. His world changed after that.

Oedipus Road is an interesting book in which Tom Dodge deals with his frustrating journey into self-realization in a sensitive, but dignified, way. He does not try to pull the reader into a maelstrom of grief; Tom, himself, is too reserved. Rather, he takes you along on a sensitive, realistic tour of time and life in a couple of small towns in Texas; he guides us with reflection and awareness. Oedipus Road involves the reader through a captivating story and empathy for a man seeking significance.

This is the most comprehensive book on making baby and little girl doll clothes in a variety of sizes. The instructions are as clear as or clearer than the average pattern packet so, although the author assumes some sewing knowledge, most sewers should have no problem following the directions. The patterns also trace easily onto computer paper and are simple to cut out. Not only are there photos of dolls wearing the clothes, but there are a great many black and white line drawings showing possible style variations with appropriate dates (from 1880-1900, for example). This is helpful information for those trying to clothe antique French bebes or German dolls. There are also excellent sections on color, scale, applying trim and using special sewing techniques such as pintucking; extensive information is provided on accessories as well.

I only have a few quibbles with the book: first, as a previous reviewer said, the patterns are scattered throughout the pages and that is confusing. I wish they were all at the back. Also, there are only two patterns for 11" babies -- a diaper and a one-piece suit. The full patterns are for 14"-25" dolls; I would have liked to see more patterns for 11-12" babies. However, there is a section on pattern-free sewing that provides instructions on making a smock dress that would work well for a baby doll.

I was even able to adapt a pattern to my 18" American Girl-type doll by combining two different sizes. This might be the only pattern book you need!

There are over 120 designs and so many wonderful ideas. Patterns are included for 11"-25" dolls both modern & antique including undergarmets & accessories even shoes. The book makes great reading & has lots of color photographs. I am very impressed & can't wait to try some of the designs!

This is perhaps the best and most comprehensive book on making clothing for dolls. The sewer is limited only by his or her imagination. Clothing is for the child type doll body and includes many extras such as hats, bags, etc. I highly recommend this book to anyone who sews for dolls.

The Absolutely True Story' is about two twins, a girl named Alison and a boy named Lewis, that have an unforgettable vacation with their new next door neighbors. Early in July the Rupes, a family from San Francisco, moved in to the empty house across the street from Alison and Lewis. The family included a boy about the age of Alison and Lewis named Harry, his mom, dad, and two younger siblings, Ariadne and Billy. After about a week, Lewis and Harry became good friends with Alison tagging along sometimes but mostly she played with Ariadne and Billy. At the end of July when the boys had grown very close, the Rupes invited Lewis and Alison to drive to Yellow Stone Park with them. They invited Lewis to come along just for fun, but they said Alison must be willing to baby sit the younger kids once in a while. Alison was delighted and said she wouldn't mind at all baby sitting the kids. Right as the Rupes were pulling out of the driveway to drive for four days to get to Yellow Stone Park, two men from the motor home company stopped them. The two men said there Mr. Rupe was so mad that without warning he just backed up and drove off leaving the two men standing in their driveway. After a few days, Lewis and Alison noticed that the two men from the motor home company had been following them. More days pass and Lewis and Alison begin to become scared because they saw the men snooping around the motor home. Each day the twins became more frightened and they had a good reason to be. This simple trip to Yellow Stone Park will turn into a vacation they will never forget.

I feel as though I could be the Alison in this story. I have a brother though he is older than I am, and I have a younger sister. We both have to baby sit younger children. (I baby sit my sister and she baby sits Ariadne and Billy). In the book Alison sometimes feels overwhelmed by her responsibility for taking care of Ariadne and Billy and I sometimes feel the
same way about taking care of my sister. I also relate to Alison because I have a friend, whose mom lets her eat anything and everything she wants, to say it plainly she is very spoiled just like the Rupe's kids.

The Absolutely True Story' is a very good, exciting, and mysterious book. I had a great time reading it. My favorite part of the book is when the two men from the motor home company were following the Rupes and snooping around their campsite. I kept asking myself "What on earth are they looking for?" This was a mysterious, funny, and very frightening part of the book. If I could change a part of this book I would probably change the scenery. I would have the Rupes, Alison, and Lewis take a plane to France to see the sites and have people from the motor home company follow them around Paris where it is more exciting and much larger.

I recommend The Absolutely True Story' because it is a well-written, mysterious, and adventurous book with lots of funny and scary scenes. I'd also recommend it because it actually relates to everyday life in the real world. I'd recommend it to 10-12 year olds because it would be hard for a younger kid to comprehend all the words in this book but the book might be a little boring for kids over 12. The Absolutely True Story' is a very good book. I really enjoyed reading it, and I recommend it to anyone from 10-12 looking for a great, mystery book.

This book was really fun to read. The plot was great, and the characters were easy to identify with. It was suspenseful, and the ending was fun. I liked how the characters worked together to solve this despite their differences. It was really neat.

This book is about a very "lucky" boy who gets invited to go to Yellowstone Park with the Rupes! There's just one thing,he doesn't know what's going to hit him! It all begins when Mr. Rupe can't drive worth beans in the 4 parking space long R.V!The things in are normal life probably wouldn't even be close to this but not including that it was a "very very" good book!

Blue Moose is an excellent short book for kids to learn on. I first read it at the age of 12, when I was reading quite well, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I haven't met any other Blue Moose fans other than my friends and myself, and that disappoints me.This book should definitely be reprinted. I am not a tame moose!!!

THIS BOOK MUST BE REPRITED! I remember having a teacher read this book to my class and it was really funny. Who would ever dream up about a blue moose who does the things that he does except Pinkwater. We need more books like this one! I would love to have a copy of this book and of THE BLUE MOOSE RETURNS. Everyone should read this book.

Someone before mentioned the line "I AM NOT A TAME MOOSE!" I, too, am prone to saying that--it's got to be my favorite line. My mom read this story to me many, many, many times when I was little. Now I'm 19, and I still make her read it to me. Everybody should read this book!

The heart of data warehousing is the database - Oracle, despite the bugs, is one of the most practical databases for large data repositories.

I have designed and installed Oracle data warehouses on Unix (and lately Linux) since the early nineties. The secret to a fulfilling relationship with an Oracle database set-up is knowing which stable Oracle release to use and the suitability with the operating platform.

Essential Oracle 8i Data Warehousing is focused on giving readers an objective understanding of using Oracle for implementing data warehousing repositories.

This book is better suited to technical users, who already have some understanding of Oracle, about to embark on the data warehousing process. This is not a book that is heavy on the side of data warehousing design nor dimensional modeling. There are other books that serve these subject areas well.

Please let me know if you have found this review helpful.

When I got started off on DataWarehousing , the first book I turned to was Ralph Kimball's The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit.

That was a good backgrounder.
But primarily being an Oracle guy and with experiences on OLTP systems I wanted to get a holistic view of how the DW fits in.

And this book just does that.

To Oracle professionals who aspire for more information DW related implementation I also recommend going through the Oracle DW manual....

Uses clear examples to demonstrate the best techniques for designing, building and administering efficient data warehouse solutions using Oracle. This book will give you the information you need to make your data warehouse successful. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

The first Jim Dodge book I ever read was "Not Fade Away" and it was the only book that made me laugh out loud while I was reading it. Fup continues Jim Dodge's literary genius and masterful gift. I've bought more Jim Dodge books for other people than I can count and gift giving never felt so good.

Fup is a book rare in that it functions as an oral history--I was surprised to read here that so many people had read it out loud to each other and given it away--I gave my first copy away and met someone two years later who had it--and gave it back to me. Fup is best read aloud, to friends, on road trips, alone. I don't think you can compare Fup to Dodge's other two novels, which are indeed excellent in their own ways, because Fup is different than almost any other book you will ever read. Buy it and pass it on.

I stumbled on FUP a few years ago at a book store. This is an incredibly imaginative book with rich, deep characters, even though you can read it in just a few hours. I loved the book and its characters so much I began giving copies of it to my friends and family for birthdays and things like that. It is the best book I have read with the exception of Siegfried Brian Barger's June 2003 novel, FONTANA, and Larry McMurtry's LONESOME DOVE. I cannot recommend FUP enough.

The Ancient City: LIfe in Classical Athens and Rome is a good book because it has a good description of the two civilizations. Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece are two different periods, and the book divides the two with clarity and nice colorfull pictures. It will give you good information that you can't find in a encyclopedia.

I wanted a basic overview text on Greek and Roman civilizations. Luckily I stumbled upon this book by Connolly and Dodge. The book is terrific. The layout is excellent. The writing is succinct and the text moves along smoothly. I now have a basic knowledge of Greek and Roman eras. I got a lot more out of this book by also reading Edith Hamilton's The Greek Way. However, I must confess, this book is far more interesting and keeps one glued. A joy to read. Very highly recommended.

Having returned from my first visit to Rome I was looking for answers to many questions about how the Coloseum was built used. The 27 pages here devoted to the Colosseum are far more informative than other books more specifically focused on the subject. The architectural illustrations throughout are outstanding.

Many other aspects of daily life, food, plumbing, politics, marriage customs (Ancient Athens had wedding cakes), idioms (the origin of "deus ex machina"), philosophy and the arts are richly told and illustrated.

We have been more strongly influenced by Athenian and Roman culture than we usually realize.