The Cliff Walk: A Memoir of a Job Lost and a Life Found

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Hits close to home

Finding strength in vulnerability

One of the best

Liked it in the end

it could happen to you

The Cliff Walk: A Memoir of a Job Lost and a Life Found
Don J. Snyder
Manufacturer: Back Bay Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0316803480

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Don Snyder had a plum academic job, a peaceful, almost perfect life, and plans for far more success in the future. Teaching English and creative writing at Colgate University couldn't have been more stimulating; he sought ever more work and thrived on student contact. When his contract was suddenly not renewed, Snyder was uncomprehending. Nonetheless, he responded immediately--thinking his efforts and accomplishments would pay off, as they always had in the past. Interestingly, he took some time before relaying the news to his pregnant wife, hoping that he could match the bad news with that of another appointment. After almost 100 rejection letters, Snyder found himself helping (not necessarily the word his fellow laborers probably used) to build a house in Maine, and worrying about being able to afford heavier boots. This book might have been preachy or self-indulgent. It is neither.

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Hits close to home .......2005-04-20

I just read this book while still mired in a job search going on three years. The emotional tailspin the author displays is heart-wrenching and familiar; the tone of the first 200 pages felt like reading my own journals. I did not identify with the author's deceptions and strange behaviors, however, such as lying to his wife or to an insurance company, or considering selling a new baby. But everyone has their own threshold for going haywire, and the point of this book is that Don Snyder got through it and learned something about life, work, and family.

THE CLIFF WALK, beyond the author's personal journey, raises excellent questions about the "American Dream" and what it means in our modern age. It also looks at the meaning of work, and how we draw self-esteem -- even identity -- from what we do for pay. This is a courageous book, even if you don't always approve of how the author responds to his plight, and it offers a strong dose of perspective on what really matters.

Finding strength in vulnerability.......2005-02-25

This is the ultimate victory story...with a twist. Unlike most autobiographical profiles, this one doesn't stand tall and tell you how great it is to be great. The thing is, it doesn't wrap itself up neatly either; the ending doesn't suddenly justify everything that has happened along the way. It's a formula all it's own, one that carries you up and down through the vulnerable channels this man had to endure.
What's so refreshing about this book is kind of what I liked about the movie "Fargo"--the realization that a good story is as much the cumulitive value of the bits and pieces as it is the linear value--of this happening, then this, then this. Moments like his talking to a stranger while chipping golf balls capture the true feeling, the mixed combination of killing time with his genuine fear of being unemployed for even one more day. It's a strange loneliness that we all feel from time to time, even when we're not truly alone. Again, most writers need to have scaled great mountains before they'll write a story where they hang themselves out like this. Don Snyder makes an exception. In today's world, most nonfiction books succeed based on what they emphasize, leave in, or leave out. Snyder tells it all--even the bits that aren't exactly flattering.
And in the end, he shows his true grit: not with eagles or birdies, but simply by making the pars he's supposed to make. And don't let my analogies fool you: it's not about golf. It's just your typical combination of fear and pride and confusion that somehow lead us to where we are today. And it's that kind of simplicity that makes a book like this stand the test of time, whether it be now or 50 years down the road.

One of the best.......2005-02-08

My husband and I both read this book a few years ago and agreed that it was one of the most profound memoirs we'd ever read. Snyder was born to write and we are blessed to have his thoughts recorded for posterity.

Liked it in the end.......2004-12-27

I am in a situation similar to the character in the book to a lesser degree. So it was with great interest that I dove into this book. I was curious to read about Don Snyder's feelings and actions while he was unemployed. Probably many of us share his overconfidence about the ease of finding another job. And many of us subconsciously or not, look down upon those who have to earn their living in lower level jobs. Some of his thoughts and actions I could understand, some I could not. For example, why wouldn't he let his wife find a job and he stay home and watch the kids?(which would much harder than working, let me tell you!) And why didn't he take a job while waiting for responses from the colleges he applied to, since his wife wasn't working? And he stands by and watches his savings go lower and lower. Some of these actions caused me to lose sympathy for him while reading a good portion of the book. One could say he was arrogant and a snob. But by the end he learns valuable lessons about family, work, life, and himself. It does read like a story rather than a clinical assessment. A worthwhile read.

it could happen to you.......2004-06-20

A brutally honest and intriguing look at the stages we go through when employed. The writer wasn't just unemployed, however, his former life as a college professor was golden enough to give a deep-set but false sense of security that things would always continue to be that good. But whatever you chalk up other people's unemployment, too, you can't dismiss Snyder's with an easy explanation. Finally, he moves his wife and children and began doing manual labor. Snyder doesn't shy away from portraying his less than flattering side, but when he finally tells his son, "You do the work right even when you're working for a jerk," you're on his side all the way.

The Cliff Walk a Memoir of a Job Lost and a Life Found

Average customer rating:

The Cliff Walk a Memoir of a Job Lost and a Life Found
Don J. Snyder
Manufacturer: Little Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SAG114

Average customer rating:

The Cliff Walk - A Memoir Of A Job Lost And A Life Found
Don J. Snyder
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IWJEC0

The Cliff Walk : A Memoir of a Lost Job and a Life Found

Average customer rating:

The Cliff Walk : A Memoir of a Lost Job and a Life Found
Don J. Snyder
Manufacturer: Little, Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OU6TJW

Cliff Walk: A Memoir of a Job Lost and a Life Found

Average customer rating:

Cliff Walk: A Memoir of a Job Lost and a Life Found
Don J. Snyder
Manufacturer: Little Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NZW1JK

Customer Reviews:

Many great photos........2002-07-11

This book has more than 100 really good photos. If you like Damon you will love it.

An excellent insight into a winning season.......1997-12-03

Damon writes a review of the 1996 season with Williams Renault and his subsiquent championship victory. He allows the reader to visit areas that one can't gain from TV coverage and as it's and "official" Damon Hill publication there are many non-gp moments covered too. I hope this can become an annual event.

Average customer rating:

My Championship Year
Damon Hill
Manufacturer: Little Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0751519146

Average customer rating:

My Championship Year Poster

Manufacturer: Little, Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Poster
ASIN: 0316882755

Book Description

The 1980s saw an explosion in the use of the VCR, arguably the most significant new form of home entertainment technology since television.

In Video Playtime Ann Gray investigates what women felt about the VCR, both in terms of the ways these entertainment facilities were used within their households, and what kind of programs and films they themselves particularly enjoyed. The ages, social, economic, and family circumstances of the women differ, but the majority of them live with a male partner. The book draws heavily on verbatim dialogue to provide a rich description of different types of household micro-cultures, and to give readers more direct access to the women themselves and the ways in which they accounted for their own experience.

Video Playtime addresses questions of domestic technology as well as those of taste and cultural preference, particularly in relation to class, exploring the dynamics of power within existing social and cultural relations.

Customer Reviews:

Criticizing Ann Gray's novel, Video Playtime.......2001-03-13

I attempt to criticize the research of Dr. Ann Gray, as well as provide insight regarding her research method and findings. Gray is extremely successful in explaining a theoretical need for her research project although she is unable to have a clear conclusion. The main focus of Dr. Ann Gray's study is the domestic VCR. She particularly focuses on how women use the VCR and how their daily life is affected by this piece of entertainment technology. Ann Gray provides a thorough background analysis of the works of previous theorists before she actually states her research, and concludes that their focus is primarily on the audience and neglects gender and class. Unlike previous studies, Gray's focus is only women which makes her research feminist based and she suggests that the individuals meaning of technology is paramount. Women are studied in a more natural setting, (their homes), and Gray places an importance on the definition of "leisure" and how women incorporate it in their domestic roles. Due to her emphasis on gender, Gray recognizes that in order to discuss a women's use of a VCR, she must combine social and cultural research aspects such as home-based leisure, television audience research, textual analysis and work on domestic technology into one research project that were previously studied separately by other researchers. . Gray combines two theorist, Chodorow and Bourdieu's separate theories of class and gender to create a more focused feminist research project that illustrates the importance of women's subjective experience and its relation to technology like the VCR. Taking gender as a key factor in the organization of domestic life, especially family life, Ann Gray studies the significance of the VCR using qualitative (ethnographic) methods whereby she gathers her own data using methods such as interviews, surveys, or questionnaires. As well, Gray, with the emphasis placed on a woman's subjective experience. Although Gray's research is very ambitious and has many strengths and a few weaknesses are present. Dr. Gray's study includes some very relevant information in regards to a woman's duty in the home and its effect on leisure time. I feel that although Gray's study does not render a clear conclusion, it does provide an indication of the unequal distribution of leisure time between genders in the home.

Critique of Ann Gray's Novel, Video Playtime........2001-03-13

Book Description

The definitive work on the ancient Hindu soma rituals mentioned in the Vedas and debated by scholars for decades.

• The first book to identify the mysterious soma plant.

• A breakthrough book that reenvisions the role of psychoactive plants in religion.

Soma has been shrouded in mystery for centuries. It is simultaneously a sacred hallucinogenic plant used in secret rituals, a personified God, and an important cosmological principle. Summarizing all previous research on the subject, David Spess goes far beyond his predecessors and shows that soma provides an important key to the understanding of the earliest systemized methods of medicine, psychology, magic, rejuvenation, longevity, and alchemy. Most significant is that his intensive research provides the most compelling case yet for actual identification of the plants that served as the basis for the divine hallucinogen Nelumbo nucifera, the sacred lotus of India, as well as some members of the Nymphaea genus.

With the renewed interest in the ritual use of psychoactive substances, shamanism, psychic phenomena, and alternative modalities of healing, Soma provides a much needed bridge between Eastern and Western esoteric traditions. Contained within the enigmatic verses about soma in the Rig Veda is a secret about ourselves and the nature of our relationship to the world and cosmos. Soma makes this knowledge available to us once again.

Customer Reviews:

INACCURATE FAULTY TRITE SUPERFICIAL NONSENSE.......2006-12-17

THE SO-CALLED SCHOLARSHIP OF THIS BOOK IS CONFUSED , SELF-PROCLAIMING , ERRONEOUS , FAULTY , MISLEADING AND IS COMPLETELY DEVOID OF ANY FACTUAL BASIS IN REALITY . NOT ONLY IS THE TEXT OF THE BOOK ITSELF TRITE AND SUPERFICIAL , FULL OF " NEW AGE MUMBO JUMBO " BUT THE FOOT-NOTES ARE LESS THAN SHALLOW AND THE INDEX FAILS TO EVEN MENTION THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND RESEARCHES MADE IN THE VARIOUS FIELDS OF STUDY BY SUCH SCHOLARS AS JONATHAN OTT , ALBERT HOFMANN , RICHARD EVANS SCHULTES , CHRISTIAN RATSCH , HUSTON SMITH , TERENCE MCKENNA , DENNIS MCKENNA , WESTON LA BARRE , ALEXANDER SHULGIN , WILLIAM EMBODEN , ETC. ETC. COULD IT BE THAT THE AUTHOR NEVER BOTHERED TO EVEN STUDY THE MASSIVE RESEARCH MATERIAL PRODUCED BY THESE SCHOLARS OR PERHAPS HE FELT THAT THE MATERIAL WAS USELESS AND NOT AT ALL RELATED TO HIS STUDIES ( INDEX ONLY MENTIONS GORDON WASSON TWICE !! ) ?? SPESS'S KNOWLEDGE OF SANSKRIT IS ALMOST NONEXISTENT AND IN ABSOLUTELY NO WAY PERMITS AN ARTICULATED STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES HE CITES . HIS KNOWLEDGE OF PHARMACOLOGY , AS EVIDENCED THROUGHOUT THE TEXT OF THIS BOOK IS COMPLETELY LACKING . HE IS FAST TO CONDEMN THE WORK OF OTHERS BUT PROVIDES NO FACTUAL BASIS FOR HIS MUMBO JUMBO NEW AGE FAIRY TALE CONCLUSIONS . ISN'T IT ALSO ODD THAT THE DUSTWRAPPER SAYS HE STUDIED SANSKRIT AT THE NAROPA INSTITUTE BUT FAILS TO ELABORATE ON ANY DEGREE HE RECEIVED ( I SUSPECT PERHAPS IT WAS A WEEKEND SEMINAR ) DUSTWRAPPER ALSO SAYS HE TRAVELED THROUGHOUT INDIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST BUT FAILS TO PROCLAIM THE DURATION OF TIME HE SPENT AND WHERE EXACTLY HE WENT OR WHY OR WHAT HE ENCOUNTERED . DUSTWRAPPER ALSO STATES HE WAS A RESEARCH MYCOLOGIST FOR THE FDA BUT ODDLY ENOUGH DOES NOT ELABORATE ON WHAT HE WAS RESEARCHING OR THE DURATION OF HIS RESEARCHES OR UPON ANY PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED RESULTS! AGAIN THE DUSTWRAPPER MENTIONS THAT HE TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BUT OMITS EXACTLY WHAT HE TAUGHT , FOR HOW LONG HE TAUGHT OR WHEN HE TAUGHT . I FIND THE WHOLE OMISSION OF THESE STRONG MATERIAL FACTS TO BE " RATHER ODD " . READING THE TEXT OF THIS BOOK ONE WILL FIND THEMSELVES SUBMERSED IN A MAZE OF DISJOINTED SELF-PROCLAIMING ERRONEOUS LOGIC WHICH RELIES ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE AUTHORS SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE OF COSMIC FORCES . WELL TO MY KNOWLEDGE , AND I HAVE BEEN STUDYING ETHNOBOTANY FOR 35 YEARS , THIS IS ALL " MODERN DAY COFFEE HOUSE HYPE " . I TRULY FEEL THIS VOLUME CONTAINS ABOUT ABSOLUTE ZERO VALIDITY AND THAT SCHOLARSHIP IS TOTALLY LACKING IN ALL RESPECTS . A CRITICAL ANALYTICAL EXAMINATION OF THE TABLE OF CONTENTS , FOOT-NOTES , BIBLIOGRAPHY AND INDEX WILL LEAD THE COURTEOUS READER TO REALIZE THAT THERE IS NO SCHOLARSHIP PRESENT AND THE TEXT WILL SUBSTANTIATE THIS IN AN OVERWHELMING FASHION . THE AUTHOR HIMSELF doesn't EVEN SEEM TO KNOW THE SECRET COSMIC FORCES HE PROCLAIMS TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF BUT USES THEM AS A PLOY TO DISCOURAGE SCIENTIFIC , LINGUISTIC AND HISTORICAL INVESTIGATIONS . THERE ARE MANY FINE BOOKS AND JOURNALS IN THE ETHNOBOTANICAL REALM BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY , DULY , DIRECTLY AND WITHOUT HESITATION NOT ONE OF THEM !!

Interesting, informative, but..........2005-07-01

it was a dry read. Spess's writing was very repeative. It was interesting, especially for anyone interested in the field of entheogenics, with plenty of connections drawn between Soma and it's anthropologic/historic importance to Eurasian achemical tradition. But, as mentioned in a previous review, Spess gives no reasons as to why his thesis on the identity of the plants used in the Soma ritual is any better than Wassons or that the two may be supportive of each other. If you are someone interested in Soma and entheogenics on an anthropologic level, this book is a important read though I would not recommend it as an introduction to the Soma mystery or entheogenics.

THIS THEORY DESERVES SERIOUS ATTENTION.......2002-07-29

A recent theory by David Spess proposes that the Soma plant is Nymphaea and Nelumbo (water lilies and the lotus plant) deserves attention. Spess begins with the fact that India has the
largest variety of water lily and lotus plants in the world, and that some of these were known as Soma and called so in Sanskrit texts. The psychoactivity of these plants is discussed, and although certain books and articles claim that these plants are not psychoactive, Spess asserts that they are (Spess, 2000). Certain indigenous varieties of the plants are known to be visionary and auditory entheogens when properly processed. In particular, the flowers of Nymphaea induce ecstatic states
similar to those from MDMA. Interestingly, the Rig Veda indicates that the deity Indra is initially stimulated, and then sent into entheogenic states by different preparations of Soma, which is a well known property of libations created from both water lily and lotus plants. Another aspect of the evidence provided is the medicinal properties of the plants, which is a key component in the description of Soma found in the Rig Veda. As described earlier, the hymns in the Rig Veda specifically speak of Soma's incredible rejuvenating and healing powers. Both lotus and water lily plants have historically been used to promote long term health in India, and have a special name for this property (rasayana) (Spess, 2000). The Rig Veda also speaks of Sura, a fermented alcoholic drink which is distinct from Soma and causes inebriation rather than entheogenic states. Some preparations of Soma did call for mixtures, which is further discussed in post-Vedic texts. Specific alkaloids found in Nelumbo block receptors that cause alcohol induced stupor, thus a mixture of Nymphaea and a fermented juice frees alcohol soluble alkaloids and increases the entheogenic potency of the drink while decreasing the alcoholic effects of it.

Very interesting and unique work........2002-02-03

I truely enjoyed most of this book. The amount of speculative information was beyond what I expected. I found the arguments for the Lotus/Lilly being an ingredient of SOMA plausible. But only as one possible "ingredient", certainly not the main one.

Being an avid reader of R. Gordon Wasson and his protegee, James Arthur, i find it surprising that Spess just doesn't get it as far as the Mushroom/Soma connection goes. I like his concepts regarding the Lotus/Horse hoof and even the speculative rants but he is biting off more that anyone can chew if he thinks that his concept of Lotus/Soma will ever replace the Amanita muscaria. There are just too many connections which cannot be ignored.

If he had presented the case that he has discovered another ingredient used in soma rather than trying to dispose of previous research this book would find a welcome spot in the A shelf of my library. It rates a B- just because Spess misses the bigger picture. It is still a worthwhile read.

Very Disappointing.......2001-04-10

The author references only his own unpublished works to support his claim about the Soma plant! There is not a shred of external evidence to support his claim. His logic is awfully weak and seriously flawed -- not even worth it to itemize the details! He does not discuss or disprove other theories about Soma, nor does he tell us why his identification is better than that of others.

I'm astounded that Prof. Willard Johnson could say in the jacket that it is a "well-argued and convincing book"! After 57 pages of padded claims about the identity of soma, the rest of the book is even more padding about alchemy and western magic. This book is a major disappointment. Save your money.

Book Description

Get the definitive resource for administering Microsoft SharePoint products and services#151;with in-depth technical information and tools developed by Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) and the Microsoft SharePoint team. This exhaustive, 1000+ page reference delivers all the information you need to plan, design, deploy, and manage strategic solutions using Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows- SharePoint Services. Topics include architecture; capacity planning; deployment scenarios, including small, medium, and large server farms; configuring administration; working with SPPT; security features; maintenance and disaster recovery; customization and solution development; using SharePoint with other Microsoft products; and upgrading/migration strategies. The companion CD-ROM features a fully searchable eBook, plus tools, scripts, and job aids#151;everything you need to help save time and reduce ownership and support costs.

Customer Reviews:

Good reference but overly wordy.......2007-01-26

This is in fact a good referece for SharePoint. My biggest complaint is that it is overly wordy without adding anything. You won't be disappoint in this book; however, don't be surprized when you find yourself skipping ahead because of word dribbling.

A new book from BILL.......2007-01-14

I' waitting for this book : Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies Resource Kit (Pro - Resource Kit)
by Bill English. If it's good as the other, Just buy it! EROL MVP

sharepoint v2 res kit.......2007-01-11

very good book. MS rez kit books usually are. Very thorough, concise.

The best resource on SharePoint out there.......2006-12-12

Bill English's book is still the best overall resource on SharePoint in one package. I can't wait for the update for SharePoint 2007!

Crucial documentation for SharePoint administrators.......2005-11-21

This is the book that *should* have shipped with every copy of SharePoint Portal Server 2003.

I haven't looked at the paper copy in quite some time; the searchable PDF copy of the book that comes as part of the Resource Kit CD is actually much more useful for me, because it's searchable. I refer to it constantly.

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