(4 1/2 stars). Four set pieces alone would justify reading of this novel: the making of Tolstoy's death mask (the narrator describes that the cement left one of the Count's recently closed eyes with a little popping sound); a true revolt of the proles unfolds just as the camera man hopes for footage of the same to stand in for the Kremlin where Stalin "might" have been as an extra if he had not really not been there for the October (read: November) revolution; the embalming of Lenin as he/before he dies; and the final chapter's stream-of-consciousness relation of the rise and fall of the USSR from Lenin's own supine p-o-v.

I came to this novel curious about how ideas are sold to people, and the novelistic control of this theme more than rewards the careful reader. Not a long book, this is both its strength and its slight shortcoming. I imagine Kalfus had pared down a longer draft, as there is no unessential material here at all. A lesser novelist would have wandered into fleshing out more characters, following up the fates of Volodov and Astapov with subplots stretching into the future, and would have showed off more of his (or her) knowledge about the time. I'll certainly search out his two earlier volumes of short stories now. As the bibliographical note after the novel indicates, his research matches his fictional talents. He even acknowledges Sheila Fitzpatrick's "unimaginatively titled" Commissariat of Enlightenment--for such an organization did exist, as Fitzpatrick studies. What a title: a group to enforce and rule over indoctrination into "scientific" study of history, laden with documents written by intellectuals for workers to educate the latter about why they were so idolized by the former.

With a keen understanding of the, well, dialectics involved in such a Soviet mission, Kalfus deletes, drains, and cuts, like the film editing, the embalming, and the dictate by terror that he intertwines into the three themes of his story. It makes for gripping if not casual reading. I only wish he had allowed more room for following through Astapov's fate after the establishment of Stalin's power. Yes, a whole other novel is buried in a few asides of this one. I wish there was a sequel--Kalfus makes you care about all three of his protagonists, no mean feat when they all turn out to be so terrifying in their respective devotions to their propagandistic crafts.

Kolya Gribshin, a young cameraman working for the Pathe Freres Cinematography Company, arrives at the railway station in Astapovo in 1910 to cover the last days of Count Leo Tolstoy, who is dying in the stationmaster's house. Reporters from all over the world have gathered to record his final moments, but only Gribshin is recording the events on film, a new medium. Gribshin knows that printed word is inaccessible to the illiterate masses, but that film can provide immediate "truth" by "ripping away the veil of lies thrown up by language." As we see Gribshin travel between the darkness of the unlit countryside, where he is staying with an illiterate peasant family, and the artificial, arc-lit brightness of the media-mad town, the author uses vivid imagery from black and white photography to show the contrasts between the lives of illiterate peasants living in darkness and concentrating on their next meal, and the lives of an "enlightened" media conveying news to the outside world.

Like Gribshin, revolutionaries such as Josef Stalin also recognize the power of the visual image to "educate" illiterate people and shape and control public opinion. Part II takes place nine, war-filled years later, after Russia has faced the horrors of The Great War, the Bolshevik revolution, and the civil war, and Stalin is putting some of these principles into effect through the Commissariat of Enlightenment. Gribshin, now known as Comrade Astapov, is working with him as they attempt to control the masses by controlling visual images--governing theater productions, film projects, and even city planning. Here the imagery of darkness and light, introduced in Part I, becomes a constant motif, as the Commissariat plans to "extend the enlightenment to every remote..village in the tundra," destroying churches and the images (icons) within, if necessary. In 1924, the Commissariat's ultimate image-control occurs when the body of Lenin is preserved "uncorrupted," allowing the state to display publicly a man who never "dies."

Kalfus has dared to think big in his debut novel, and his talents are legion. His parallels between black and white photography and his symbols of darkness and light keep the reader constantly aware of the darkness of illiteracy and the light of truth which film can provide. But this is also a cautionary tale about the ability of images to be manipulated and controlled, and all Kalfus's plot elements are subordinated to this single, overwhelming theme. Gribshin, the "lens" through which the reader views events, never really comes alive, and we do not know his motivations or see him wrestling with inner conflicts. He is, ultimately, a cog in the apparatus of the Commissariat of Enlightenment, a vehicle through whom the author advances his theme, not a thinking human. The novel is very tight, however, with no loose ends, and when Kalfus observes that the West, too, is creating an image-ruled empire by presenting so much imagery and meaning that "the sum [becomes] unintelligible," the reader will pause and ponder. Mary Whipple

Kalfus knows his material on Russia, where this story is set. This is part historical fiction--one that takes acknowledged liberties, even distortions--and part novel of ideas. The novel is written in two parts, the first of which deals with Tolstoy's dying days and the media circus and inner-circle infighting that attends this debacle. The second half of the novel takes place in post-revolutionary days and incorporates characters and themes from the first half in a manner that is resonant, even predictable, but not pat. Major themes include: visual culture trumping the written word; the manufacture of "history" through media, including propaganda (the then new medium of film is central); the limitations of science, especially when confronted with the religious impulses/needs actually felt by people. As is often the case with novels of ideas, the characters are rather thin and without much inner life. Action is privileged over motivations. But if you like the ideas, you'll like the novel.

Do any of the female readers agree with this?
What started out as a wonderful character has disintegrated into a womanizing jerk. He was a decent person, bring his 20th century morals to 13th century Poland. The way he acts in this book is contrary to what made him desirable in the first book. He worked to make life for the women better, then commands one to go topless because he likes it that way. I can only hope he gets the plague in later books, but I think that would be hoping for too much. At least at the end of this book the author claims to be unmarried. If he approves of the way his character has developed, its no wonder. I felt like sending this book back, collect, since it isn't worth the shelf space to collect dust. The series has developed into a yound man's wet dream.

This is the best time travel series in a realistic timeline ever written. Before these books, L. Sprague De Camp had held that title for decades with his "Lest Darkness Fall", but it was too short. Mark Twain may be the most famous with his "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", but that is more light hearted than serious, and disappointing at the end. The Conrad series delivers on all the promise, and even after 5 books, it still leaves you wanting more. (There is a sixth book now, but Conrad is a minor character, and I've reviewed it separately.)

I say realistic timeline, because Conrad isn't really from our timeline. I was a little suspicious right from the start, but it wasn't until Conrad reminisced about the Mongols invading France that I thought "Hey, wait a minute". It turns out that it didn't happen to us (even without Conrad). But the historians I read agree that it would have, except the great Khan died and the Mongols had a war of succession which they never recovered from. This is often used as an example of the actions of one person changing history. I never even heard the story, until Conrad got me to look it up. Go figure.

This is an action story, with fighting and sex, where Conrad overcomes insurmountable obstacles, and usually has a good time along the way. The author doesn't just ignore the time travel though. He writes a science fiction sub-plot about that too. In fact, the author is obviously an engineer, not just because it takes an engineer for Conrad to build the things he does, but also from the way the books were planned out and crafted. Obviously the author planned the Mongol invasion and built the series around it, but he also foreshadows romantic sub-plots 3 books in advance.

I love these books, and share other reviewers disbelief that they haven't been reprinted since 1993. If you've already read them, and love them too, you might want to try "The Misplaced Legion (Videssos Cycle, Book 1)" by Harry Turtledove, about elements of one of Caesar's legions travelling into Rome's future of the Byzantine Empire. Only it's not the real Byzantine Empire, it's a parallel universe where magic works. Aside from that, it's Byzantium during the 1100's written by a Byzantine historian. And of course you'll want to read the "Island in the Sea of Time" series by S. M. Stirling, about modern day Nantucket going back in time to the Trojan War. These works are different, but also 5 stars.

This was a fun read! Infidel Moslems, and the return of the insufferable Sir Stefan make up the first half of the book, but the Radiant Warrior really shines (no pun intended) in the second half when Conrad attempts to build a US Army-style boot camp for his new Army. Highly recommended!

Althought the illustrations are beautiful, I think it's deeply problematic to take Judeo-Christian theology and then attribute it to other cultures. At least 2/3 of the illustrations represent times, places, and peoples who wouldn't have been familiar with the text being illustrated. And, since the explanatory notes in the back are so thin, no real appreciation of the other cultures being invoked is achieved. Mixtec human sacrifice as an illustration of "A time to kill, and a time to heal?" Just how will this promote cross-cultural understanding/respect? There's clearly enough historical/cultural/national diversity among people who have read/believed in these verses from Ecclesiastes to produce a celebration of difference within a common faith. That would have been a much more responsible approach. As it is, this book is either an assertion of the universality of sectarian beliefs or just an attempt by some talented illustrators to show that they can imitate a wide variety of artistic styles. For an example of someone (writing for elementary school aged children) who handles multiculturalism (within a Judaic tradition) well, see Barbara Goldin's _Journeys with Elijah_. And if you just want a picture book of these verses, consider Barner's To Everything.

(Library of Congress 97-35124(I borrowed it from the public library to read).In their appendix,The Dillons,(Leo & Diane)have listed verses in the bible's Old Testament's Ecclesiastes according to their preferences on which ethnic groups or countries builds up,who laughs,who embraces,who speaks,who loves by the order in which they place the countries in the biblical verses. It begins with Ireland(to everthing there is a season,and a time to every purpose under the heaven followed by Egypt,Japan,Mexico,Greece,India,Europe,North America,Ethiopia,Thailand,China,Russia,Australia,the Far North(Siberia to Greenland),and ends with the Middle East WITH THE verses a time of war & a time of peace).And of course a picture of the planet earth with "one generation....but the earth abides forever)".I'm glad they put it where children would not be interested in reading the small print..they have bigger pictures on page 1-30,and most wouldn't understand Egypt associate with dying or Mexico associated with killing,or Greece associated with a time to break down ,India on a time to weep or Europe on a time to mourn.I would give it to an adult vs a child as a gift.

This book is a treasure of representative illustrations of artistic styles from a wide variety of cultures. Although the text comes from a specific time and culture, it demonstrates that its message is applicable to all members of the human family. I have made this a standard gift for friends and family with new children. The colorful pictures are stimulating and captivating for the very young who have not yet learned to read, while the timeless text provides a new level for children to experience the book as they get older. As an adult, I find this book to be something I enjoy over and over for myself and to give as a gift.

This is a book that WILL teach you the basics of the boogie woogie bass for piano.

It is not musically interesting. But, if you use this book AND some recordings of great jazz boogie-woogie players, you might figure out how to get that thumping, chugging sound. The examples in the Hanon, however, are pretty dull but serviceable for learning the method.

Like the 'real' Hanon, this book is little more than a very inclusive array of exercises. I suppose that religious attention to doing them would improve one's skills, but it is a very 'dry' way to approach boogie woogie piano. One would be better served to obtain (or 'sound out') the music for some tunes and learn by actually playing the music itself. By its very nature, boogie woogie piano is built on repetition and patterns...the tunes themselves can serve as both technique-builders and repertiore.

A superior book....one of the few great boogie workbooks, especially for the beginner but up through the fairly advanced pianist....something here for just about anyone. Many, many different bass and riff examples. Gives you a great start on coming up with your own. Get your transcription gear together; this book and a few Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, and Pete Johnson recordings will have you well on your way. Well worth the money....nothing else quite like it.

Contains excellent illustrations. The terminology and abbreviations may be confusing to some. Needs to be updated as some of the family nomenclature has been changed. I wouldn't recommend this for the average "what's this plant" person.

EXCELLENT first-book to reach for when needing proper scientific terminology. Does include some common names in the descriptions. Extremely detailed and uses extensive abbreviations. I used this book in Univ. of Idaho botany classes in the 1980's and still use it in my daily job now (year 2000). However, it does indeed need to be updated for current terminology and names, including lower-case spellings.

This botany key is used by University of Idaho's botany classes. It is still "the" book reached for by the professional in the work force. Afterall, what else is there that is so comprehensive? However, it is in need of revision due to changes in genus and specie names since its fifth printing of 1981.

I found this book to be way too long (701 pages) with very little information. He wrote about 4 murders but didn't bother with information on 2 of them. It also was a little boring. It should have been way shorter but more informative. not worth reading.

I've read In His Garden well over 10 times! Each time I closed the book feeling there had to been someone helping Tony with the murdering of those girls. I don't think he did it alone. The book was very informative, pictures were a great to familar me with the area of what I was reading about. I will probably read it again next winter! I have referred this book to several of my friends who still search book stores for it. I won't lend mine to anyone. It's too great of an addition to my library.

This book was extremly detailed and graphic.being a cape codder i could not believe there was such horrid crimes being commited The book was soo interesting. I spent many late nights reading it. I even went to the sights they talk about in the book.The book was very informative and very factual.It named the actual places and raods and people on the cape.My only wish is that they talked more about all the other girls that were murdered. There were far more than thirty and only a few were really discussed.

Before I read this book, I kept hearing what a horrible novel it was. However, it isn't horrible; it's just not nearly as fantastic as some of his other works. It's still definitely worth the read, though.

If you can make it through sentences that seem to never end and some repitition, you will find a great story of love, guilt, and Southern life. This book opens with the Sartoris family, and several young men (Bayard Sartoris and others) returning home from World War I, and the impressions war left upon them. Thrown in with a little bit of incest, love notes, and a daredevil, this book provides a good combination of mushiness (sp?), humor, and sorrow.

However, while some have said not to read this book as your first Faulkner, I disagree. And here's why: reading this book after you have read some of his other works really makes you look at this book in a more negative way, since his other works have been so great. Just remember, if this is your first Faulkner read, many of his other works are MUCH BETTER, so if you read this first and don't like it, there are MUCH BETTER ones out there. As far as reading goes, it's a pretty easy read (although you might have to keep track of all the Johns and Bayards), at least in comparison to some of his other books. Also, if you plan on reading other Faulkner books, this one is a MUST, since it introduces you to the Benbrows, Snopes, and the Sartorises-all characters that are found in some of his other novels.

Three-and-a-half-stars. "Flags in the Dust" is the first of Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha novels; it is a must-read for all potential Faulkner fans. It's not his best, by any means--the storyline is at times skittish (perhaps owing to the fact that "Flags" is the uncut, unedited version of what was originally published under the title "Sartoris"), and the characterizations are neither as deep nor as unique as those found in his later works. But "Flags" has charm and importance nonetheless. First, it is a crash course in the Sartoris family, whose many "John"s and "Bayard"s (not to menion the indomitable Granny Millard and Aunt Jenny) comprise a hefty chunk of Faulkner's later novels and short stories. Second, it is absolutely *amazing* (and I can't underscore that enough) to see Faulkner's great novels just beginning to poke through the surface of Jefferson, MS soil: the Snopes family, V.K. Ratliff (here named V.K. Suratt), the McCaslins, the Compsons (I think reference is made even to Thomas Sutpen) all make appearances in the novel. Therefore, I recommend reading "Flags" *after* you've read most of the other Yoknapatawpha novels--the breadth and depth of Faulkner's vision (anticipating or laying the foundation for novels he would write 20 or 30 years later) is truly remarkable, and is half the joy of reading it. (But whenever you read "Flags," at least make sure you've read "The Unvanquished" first--the characters will make far more sense if you do.) As for the story itself: it's convoluted and not always engrossing--though the angst of young Bayard (silently mourning the wartime death of his brother John) is portrayed achingly well, and Aunt Jenny remains one of Faulkner's most powerful leading ladies.

Though not as complex and difficult as some of his more famous works, Flags in the Dust provides some outstanding writing. It may benefit some to read The Unvanquished prior to this book as it gives some background on the Sartoris family, the main focus of Flags. Many of Faulkner's descriptions in this book are uncanny. I would have only given this book four stars, but his two-page description of the mule was alone worth one more star.

The film of the X-Men begins with a horrific sequence where the young Eric Lenscher is separated from his parents. He's in Auschwitz and the Nazi goons are wiping out Jews. Lenscher survives and goes on to become Magneto, a leading mutant with super powers. He is an elitist and believes that mutants are the true inheritors of the Earth and that humans, all of whom lack super powers, should lick the boots of mutant kind. His reasoning is that humans will try to wipe out mutants, just like the Nazis tried to wipe out the Jews, so mutants had best try to wipe out humans.

I found his reasoning to be rather bizarre. It seemed to be that he was using Nazism agains Nazis, which, as far as the bottom line goes, is still Nazism. That the movie and the comic book are seriously popular I chocked up to people liking far-out stories without much intellectual foundation.

Then I heard about Strauss. I haven't read the man. I probably never will. There's too many other esoteric philosophers influenced by Heidegger for me to read that I find more congenial to my tastes. But he literally is Magneto. What was the lesson Strauss learned from Nazi death camps? That they were run by the wrong people. If the Nazi party had been run by Jews who love ancient Greek philosophy more than they love the Bible, Nazi Germany would have been A-OK.

And that seriously begs credulity.

I have always been interested in American History and Political Philosophy. I never imagined that there could be a book more important for recapturing the lost soul of America than Bernard Bailyn's _Ideological Origins of the American Revolution_, but I a can honestly say that this is the book. Quite simply, I was blown away. It put natural right into perfect perspective for me.

The first time I heard of Leo Strauss, it was while reading Dionne's _Why Americans Hate Politics_. Strauss was mentioned as a major philosophical influence behind neoconservatism (the anti-communist liberals who believed in virtue and rebelled against the new left in the 1960s). Dionne mentioned Alan Bloom's _Closing of the American Mind_ as an important work directly influenced by Strauss. After reading _Closing_ (and I must say, being blown away by the truth of it) I knew that I had to read Strauss for myself.

Natural Right and History is everything I wanted it to be. It starts with the modern day rejection of natural right, and it's consequences. Historicism (as well as the value relativism inherent in the social sciences) are exposed for what they are; self contradictory. The book goes on to trace the origin of natural right, and even philosophy itself, by examining the moment that the first philosopher questioned authority and asked the question "what is good?" by nature, as opposed to "what is good?" by convention. From the ancients to the moderns, every step in the development of natural right is traced, and the crisis of modern natural right is analyzed in fine detail.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It should appeal to anyone with a vested interest in America, particularly those with an interest in political philosophy. Dionne, and others, may give credit to Strauss for giving conservatives credibility in intellectual circles, but make no mistake; Strauss himself rises far above partisanship. He is a philosopher in the truest sense.

I first encountered this book in high school, spurred by my american history and american government teachers. It is therefore somewhat elitist to state that this will go over anyone's head. The ideas and the prose may be complex, but it just requires some patience. If it's worth it to you, you'll be able to read it.

Strauss gave these lectures to counter what then was called historicism, the position that, because conceptions of such things as freedom and right have been so varied throughout time, that because nobody has been able to agree on what right is, that right is relative to the time. The upshod of the arguement is then, since nothing can count as right definitively, there is no right. Strauss argues that historicism, by being another appearance in history, is subject to the same criticism (therefore interally inconsistent) and that even if nobody has been able to agree on "right" doesn't mean that there isn't any such thing, but because debate has been so heated on the subject, it is only all the more evident that there is such a thing such as right.

I may be a slightly biased source, but i've read my share of Levi-Strauss and Foucault. Sure, Strauss confines himself to political philosophy, but the larger issues are there. Postmodern thought is showing strains of its own now, and Strauss pointed them out before they realized they were postmodern. Essential reading for both camps.

I have always felt that much of the Bible and the Church was hiding the heart of Christ's message. The Bible seems a tool that the Church arbitrarily canonized to use for justification; eerily much like the teachers of law that Christ came to nullify.

Tolstoy goes to the original Greek texts and renders a striking and illuminating account of Christ's message from the four gospels. He purposely does not delve into Christ's miracles or divinity. Why?

Well, Christ himself was more concerned that people understand his message of how to live one's life in the spirit than to worship him because of his divine acts. Religion is dead if it is not lived continually. Tolstoy dared to explain with clarity how to live Christ's message. It is harrowing if you understand what is asked of you.

"...small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." -Matthew 7:24

I know why this was said now and is rarely emphasized in churches. Read this book if you want to change and are open to the idea that Christianity has been severely perverted.

This is the kind of book either you like or you hate.

Three kinds of people will read this book. The first (and most moderate) will be Tolstoy scholars, etc. interested in his religious beliefs and influences, and there readings of this book will be value-empty and hygenic. The second group of people will be those akin of mind to Tolstoy, and they will love and cherish this book ahead of almost any other: when the philosopher Wittgenstein first read this book he decided that it was spectacular and went off into the countryside to begin to change the world (and failed... leaving Austria to go and study with Russell at Oxford....) The third group will be more traditional Christians-- for whom Jesus' particular authority and the authority of the Church handed down through the Fathers is paramount, and they, generally, will detest this work.....

I love this book. I find it splendidly written, insightful, and clever: I'm of the sort who would toss out the whole of the Bible excluding Ezekiel, Daniel, and James: I want Christ as a man and a social reformer. Unfortunately, Gandhi and Christ were not usually considered one in the same. For people like me, this book is a must-read and almost guaranteed as a world-changing event.

For more traditional Christians, this book is probably better left forgotten. It's going to be objectionable and even with his style being beautiful, there are better things to be read....

Tolstoi, one of the five best novelists of all time, in any language, was born into a rich and powerful family (second only to the Tsar) and loved wine, women and song; was married and had fourteen children. In short he was a superstar! And suicidal, depressed and lonely until he learned to live like a Christian instead of living like his church would have him live. He leaves the "churches" contributions out of the Gospels and leaves Christ in (for which he was proudly excommunicated). If you have rejected Christ because of the hyprocisy of the church and the people who run it - get this book and get a life.

I was very disappointed. The tapes were monotonous and boring. The materials were unattractively packed and overpriced. I would return it if I could.

I found this tape set very useful in helping me learn how to deal with my anxiety problem. I used these tapes daily as directed and found that I could learn to do a lot of things that I never thought I would ever be able to do---and all by learning to think in a differnet more realistic way. I would recommend this tape set to anyone suffering with an anxiety problem

These tapes will tell you how to use coping techniques to deal with the anxiety that you feel every day. Even though I have been using these techniques for several years with my doctor's assistance, these tapes help me a great deal in between visits and when times are tough, where I always have the tapes to guide me through the techniques to cope with the situation! For first time users of cognitive therapy techniques, these tapes will give you a great head-start to overcoming the anxiety brick wall that prevents you from living and doing the things you want (or need) to do!