Genius of Place - The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted

The gift of artistic vision on the large stage of life is rare. When witnessed it is so overwhelming few can appreciate its impact for years to come.

Such was the man, Frederick Law Olmstead, the founder of landscape architecture in the United States, designer of Central Park and many other significant parks, communities and schools.

By today's educational and academic standards, Olmsted was a "self made man" with little formal education. Raised on a farm and barely supervised by various schoolmasters, Olmsted was free to roam about the grounds and explore his grandmother's book collection. At the age of nine, Olmsted supplemented his erratic education with consuming such works as The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith and Laurence Sterne's Sentiment Journey Through France and Italy.

His curiosity for life contributed to his love of nature and adventure. His quest to learn about the world and yearn to travel also presented him with challenges no one could have prevented him from exploring. Olmsted was a determined person whose kept his own counsel.

As often the case with exceptional talent, determination and vision can override more socially acceptable characteristics. Fortunately, for us all, Olmsted's skills and talents had shown through any personality defects that could have dismantled his successes.

Remarkably, New York's Central Park was Olmsted's first architectural landscape project. His official position for the task was as a superintendent to oversee the labor in dismantling the previous scattering of gardens throughout the city.

The park project came at a time when cities were expanding quickly and an interest in the country of creating communities that are more hospitable was on the rise. The population of Manhattan more than doubled from the 1840's to 1860's from three hundred thousand to almost eight hundred thousand. The demand for some open space and tranquil grounds was heightened as more people moved to the city.

The cry for open space in the nineteenth century was heard across the country. James Gordon Bennett in the New York Herald compared a park to a pair of lungs when he wrote, "There are no lungs on the island. It is made up entirely of veins and arteries."

The dismantling and clearing of the previous 17 separate park locations was not without controversy and heartache for many. Local businesses and unwelcome manufacturing plants such as bone-boiling plants that processed animal carcasses to create glue to match manufacturers inhabited most of the 700 acres of land. There were impoverished immigrants crowded into one-room cabins. Some had formed communities called Dutch Hill and Dublin Corners.

All had to go. It was accomplished by eminent domain, the first time in U.S. history that this principle had been used to create a large park. They city earmarked money to pay off the occupant's.
Although Olmstead was the park's superintendent, he had no official role at the time as a designer. Andrew Jackson Downing with his partner, Calvert Vaux, was the original force behind the park. Downing and Vaux were to submit a design for the park.

In 1852, Downing died in a riverboat accident and Vaux asked Olmsted to take his place. In 1858, they entered the competition to design the park with an entry they termed Greensward, which was chosen as the park's design. Vaux and Olmsted continued to partner on many projects off and on through the years.

Vaux was an architect, a skill that was a perfect complement to Olmsted's more aesthetic eye.

In the succeeding chapters, Martin's attention to detail is breathtaking. He describes Olmsted's vision and plans with great clarity and his eye for balance. Martin's skill is exceptional as he describes Olmsted's design with a footpath here, a Willow tree there and mound rising to soften the landscape over there.

Martin takes the reader through the painstaking political process that almost capsized the entire project as Olmsted and Vaux envisioned and was eventually approved. The reader joins with Olmsted's life of travels, missions and projects world wide and throughout the United States. Olmsted put his mark on many U.S. landmark's both public and private, including Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY, Stanford University in California and Niagara Falls State Reserve. The entire list is profound.

The biography is a comprehensive journal of Frederick Law Olmsted's life written with great precision and exhaustive historical specifications. However, these elements do not get in the way of a well-told tale. Indeed, Martin's respect for history only enrich the experience of reading a biography that goes beyond the narrow life of one individual to encompass a century of lifestyle, politics and personal relationships.

Highly recommended.

Geri Spieler is the author of, "Taking Aim At The President: The Remarkable Story of the Woman Who Shot at Gerald Ford," Palgrave Macmillan. to read about Sara Jane Moore and her tangled life from a loving home in Charleston, West Virginia to the radical underground of 1970's San Francisco http://www.gerispieler.com/

Journalist, author, freelancer and commentator, Spieler applies her investigative research skiils to finding the truth behind hype and blather that has obliterated clear thinking. Check in often for Geri Spieler Comments

She is a former investigative reporter and has written for the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle. She was a research director for Gartner and is an award winning public speaker and past president of the San Francisco/Peninsula California Writers Club.

View the original article here

A Dream Is Just That, By: Dr Sabri Bebawi

From his childhood in Egypt to his immigration to the United States, Dr. Sabri g. Bebawi has assembled scores of incidents, "scenes" instead of "chapters" as he calls them, which weave a tapestry of his life with candor, honesty and intelligence in his book, A Dream Is Just That: An Interminable Journey from Egypt to America.

A foreign upbringing by American standards, Dr. Bebawi began his book by telling tales of his childhood in an Egyptian oasis called Fayoum. As virtually any childhood parallels in human emotion those of children around the world, his intellectual curiosity and passion for truth filled his world around the Egyptian dust and dirt, religious laws and culture, giving him a rather unique upbringing. Being from a family of wealth, he was afforded comforts and education; however all was not at peace within his youth. Instances of naivety while being sexually abused, and witnessing indescribably bizarre events, etched a permanent chasm of ideological awareness of life in his developing mind. From the frailty of being a victim of various childhood diseases, he relied on his one physical characteristic of strength, his mind, for survival. This prowess has manifested itself in his literary achievements in journalism, authorship, and achieving his PhD in English as a part of his higher education.

One episode I most certainly found fascinating was his account of being hypnotized. When asked permission by his psychologist, he thought it would not be possible due to his strong and active mind. After a few seconds of a relaxing thought, he looked down at his watch and noticed an hour had passed in which he had absolutely no recollection of what occurred. He called this "The death of an hour in my own life."

After his autobiographical account of his upbringing and family, the book shifts to America, the "Land of Freedom," so he thought. What are described are incidents of hardship, legal abuse, financial slavery and class struggles in society; which Dr. Bebawi cleverly juxtaposes against his Egyptian culture. He concludes there are more similarities than differences, and human nature is eerily constant within the various geographical and political environmental regions of the world. I must admit I found a tidbit of arrogance in his written voice, as he describes legal battles and confrontational issues with established American corporate behemoths over policies of customer apathy. Dr. Bebawi found a call to action as he became the self-appointed spokesperson for the less articulate and educated masses; as he single-handedly attempted to change American society. His battle was brought all the way to The White House where he received a customary reply thanking him for his concern; but leaving the situation unchanged. Hence A Dream is Just That...a dream.

This book is surprisingly compelling and difficult to put down. It reads rather swiftly due to the layout of short "scenes" intermixed with very interesting photographs and exhibits. The single most quality which resonates throughout his writing is truth. This, I imagine, comes from his years of journalistic work, but is obviously rooted in his morality and his own core values. With all of the turmoil going on in the world, especially from his homeland of Egypt, I found this to be extraordinarily timely and pertinent. Americans need to see ourselves not from within our culture, but from foreign observations, to realize some of the truths and rights we hold to be self-evident are a part of the American Dream, and A Dream Is Just That.

Reviewed by: Gary R Sorkin

Gary R Sorkin is the Senior Editor for Pacific Book Review. Please visit Pacific Book Review at: http://www.pacificbookreview.com/.

View the original article here

Decision Points by George W Bush

When I heard that President Bush wrote this book, not as a chronological memoir but one based on important decisions he had made during his Presidency, it sounded like a very interesting book to read. There is so much we do not know when it comes to what goes on behind the scenes of the most powerful leader in the word.

The book covers many important decisions that President Bush had to make on subjects like stem cells, the 9/11 attack, Iraq, Afghanistan, Katrina, the financial crisis of 2007 and several more. The reader will get a very good perspective of what President Bush faced during his eight years in office.

In addition, there are many personal stories regarding the President's closeness with his family, meeting Laura for the first time and his deep religious faith.

This book did satisfy my expectations as to discovering so many things I did not know about how many of the President's decisions were made. My main interest for buying this book was to find out more about the decisions that had to be made following the September 11, 2001 attack.

Whether or not you are a fan of George W. Bush, you should read this book with an open mind. That is what I did and as stated, I learned many things I did not know before. President Bush tells his story with candor and the reader will get the feeling that he did what he believed was the right thing to do at the time. Of course, as the President now states "when we look back there are no do-overs in the Presidency." Decision Points kept my interest throughout the book. It is a book well worth reading. It is a fast read and entertaining with some humor added. Many of the reviews I have read are based on what people think of George W. Bush and are not really a review of this book. Don't let that discourage you from reading this book.

Nancy Eaton - Owner of:
http://www.bestsellersworld.com/
http://www.mysteriesgalore.com/
These sites have book reviews, book giveaways and many other interesting places to visit.

View the original article here

Christian Bale's Film History

Of all movie actors deserving an Oscar prize, there's one I feel has earned the award and has not gotten it, he's actor Christian Bale although it is fair to say that Oscar judges generally do a good job choosing the winners.

His big break came with the movie Batman Begins which allowed him to show his many acting faces and shooting him into stardom. Following, some of the films Bale has participated:

Dark Knight is an All American movie which surpassed all the box office and quality expectations. It really is a comic book masterpiece and it should have been nominated for best picture.

Prestige is another great movie where director Christopher Nolan makes duo with Christian Bale. Other actors like Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine and Scarlett Johannson also participate in this movie.. Bale plays a talented magician whose secret dark past is revealed towards the end of the movie.

For the low budget psychological thriller The Machinist, Christian Bale weighed just 130 pounds, an enormous loss from his Batman Begins weight of 210 pounds.

In the American Psycho, Bale gives an outstanding performance by playing a psycho New Yorker hot shot who does awful things. But the audience finds itself rooting for this villain.

Werner Herzog's Rescue Dawn is a true inspirational story where an imprisoned US pilot, played by Christian Bale, plans to escape from the Laos jungle. As with the weight issue in the Machinist, for this movie Bale had to lose a lot of pounds as well.

Besides acting in thriller movies, Bale gives a great performance in the film. This western movie is a refreshing change of scenery for the audience, for the actor Russell Crow and for Bale himself.

Removable wall decals and sconce lighting will give justice to an elegant home you've just imagined.

View the original article here

It's Not About the Bike - Lance Armstrong, A Bull On A Bike

It may be one of the oldest cliches in the book, but Lance Armstrong's life is a classic case of 'never say never' zeal.

A powerhouse biker, who went on to wage a silent war against his worst enemy, and came up trumps, eventually. In fact when this invincible and uninvited enemy called testicular cancer, "the bastard," as he disgustingly referred to as, threatened to take away the only love of his life, Armstrong being Arm-strong, decided to go after it, all hammer and tongs. Initially, unaware of his somber condition, Lance used to literally stand and practice hard on his bike, for sitting on his bike made him feel miserable, thanks to the spreading cancer.

It was only at stage four Armstrong came to know of his illness and rather than becoming hysterical, he braced toward challenging his enemy head-on. "Give up or fight like hell" became his life-mantra. He went after cancer, with the word 'go'. Like drank 15 glasses of water everyday, instead of 5, though down and out after the chemo's, he kept a tab on all the doses that was released into his body by the dutiful nurses, when peeing hurt him, he endured the pain thinking that he was throwing out cancer from his system, when he coughed out sticky, tar-like material from his chest, he coped, imagining he was throwing out charred tumors.

Life was a suffer-fest for him, literally, but he had achieved mastery when it comes to enduring pain and suffering. He had rode in freezing conditions, wet conditions, to scorching heat conditions; but nothing cease to stop him. He knew he will conquer cancer like the tour de France tours, the most grueling cycling event in the world, and once again would stand on the podium of Tour-de-France triumphantly.

However, his high-voltage comeback was met more with skepticism than euphoria. Sponsors, spectators, press all who written him off, couldn't believe his inspirational comeback. He must be on drugs, they said. But Armstrong went on, ignored all the bad-mouthing, punched above his weight and went on to add two more titles to his credit.

His struggle is live example of old saying: tough times never last, but tough people do. Armstrong's 'never dying attitude', his 'passion to perform', his 'do or die' mind-set, is truly overwhelming. Even as a teenager, regardless of the injuries on his head and feet, he kept participating in events. In fact his passion to perform was so much so that he literally made holes in the soles of his running and bike shoes so that his raw wounds won't rub against the shoes.

Yet another event that shows off his greatness was, when the nurse ripped of the catheter from his chest, once his cancer medication was complete, rather than dumping it as a bad memory he made it into a memento and stored it in a zip-lock bag.

Yes his life is a truly uplifting and inspirational and would leave anyone and everyone thoroughly inspired.

View the original article here

"Casey Tibbs - Born to Ride" - An Outstanding Biography of a World Champion

"Casey Tibbs - Born to Ride" may well be the best Western biography yet published. Expertly paced and beautifully written, this book will be read for generations to come.

Born in a log cabin in South Dakota, the youngest of ten children, Casey Tibbs became the premier rodeo rider of his day, winning six saddle bronc titles and nine all-around world champion titles. His saddle bronc riding success has only been matched once, never surpassed, and that was by Dan Mortensen in 1993.

The author, Rusty Richards - a cowboy, singer, and former rodeo performer himself - has done an excellent job of researching and interviewing scores of people who knew Casey in order to capture the essence of rodeo's most charismatic performer. On his own from the age of fourteen, Casey rose to the top in his field. What makes Casey Tibbs stand out from so many other talented, athletes in rodeo, however, is that he dined with presidents and heads of state, directed and produced films, directed shows overseas that promoted the West and rodeo, and left a lasting legacy of a man who was generous to a fault, lived hard, loved hard, and laughed often.

Even though much of the biography is humorous because of Tibbs' own outstanding sense of humor and mischievousness, the author doesn't hide or avoid the truth of Casey's alcohol and gambling addictions. Casey's bouts with these predilections are understandable given his lifestyle choices. His incisive handling of his problems, however, is not only laudable, but inspiring, and shows the true grit and mettle of this unusual, charming, and enigmatic character. Overall the book is a tremendous testament to a man who is truly worth reading about.

Rodeo and Western fans will relish this biography, but whether one enjoys rodeo or not is beside the point. The man, Casey Tibbs, was simply remarkable and is worth knowing about for his merit as a kind, generous, outrageously funny, talented human being who helped make rodeo what it is today. This is a biography that inspires, amuses, saddens, and gives real meaning to determination and grit. Casey Tibbs deserves to have his story told, and Rusty Richards has done an excellent job of doing so.

Tom Jerome is a Western advocate and enjoys reading and reviewing Western publications.

View the original article here

Book Review: Kate The Making of a Princess

Claudia Joseph has written one of the first biographies of the woman who has not only captured the heart of a prince but also will become the future Queen of England. But this story is not just about the beautiful young woman and her immediate family. In fact, the author takes us back seven generations to the 1700s to meet the ancestors who come from a range of situations.

Joseph has done a significant amount of research. She not only talks about the members of each family but also paints the economic and social culture of the days. She takes it even further by contrasting the lines that led to Prince William with those that lead to the birth of Kate.

There is no lack of intrigue in the telling of the Middleton genealogy. Some died young,others remarried, most had many children. There is economic hardship, imprisonment and even crime in this book.

The tales of one generation after another paint the picture of families who are pretty much like those of our own. There are things to be proud of and things that some never care to speak about.

Prince William and Kate have been dating for more than eight years. In fact, they have lived together for several of those years. They experienced a break up,struggled with career decisions and dealt with the hovering that media and paparazzi fought each other to capture.

Like other young couples, they partied with friends but, until I read this book, I didn't realize just how much they partied! Dates, locations and details of their nights out are even supplemented with quotes of what the Prince had said while drinking.

Another thing surprised me. I hadn't known that William and Kate were world-wide travellers who were frequently out of their home country. Many of their vacations are documented in the book.

Now, we hear about the way that Kate's and William's future will be different from other royalty. They have stated that they want people to give to charities rather than buy them wedding gifts. They also plan to live without having any servants. This is a far cry from William's father Prince Charles who reportedly has 149 servants. Wills and Kate want to be on their own without having the risk of staff might someday write another book.

This book isn't "fluff". It is well-researched and offers a balanced look at how the royals who seem to have so many advantages also go through a number of stages of life that we all experience on our way to adulthood.

I think you will enjoy this one!

And now I would like to invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to a complimentary list of 10 Steps to Making Your Life an Adventure when you visit http://www.lindahancockspeaks.com/

From Dr. Linda Hancock, Registered Psychologist and Registered Social Worker

View the original article here