Fuel Cell Systems is an exellent compilation by sixteen authors who are experts in their fields. It covers not only the details of the electrochemistry and thermodynamics of fuel cells but also the economics and limitations of fuel cell sytems. It also has excellent chapters on fuel processing and details on each different type of fuel cell. There is a history of fuel cells at the beginning of the book and a section of marketing at the back so it covers all areas that one could be interested in. The editors made one chapter logically lead to the next and included a good index at the end. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to understand the technical aspects of fuel cells and their applications. Since fuel cell technology is advancing very quickly and the book was printed in 1993 it does not include the very latest developments but the principles it explains are applicable to almost any system.

This book is a biography on the late Gerald L.K. Smith and is the culmination of over a decade of research on this controversial figure. Glen Jeansonne is to be commended for this book. He is really a historian's historian, in that he probed every available archive to compile this biography. Jeansonne admits that he spent ten months of fulltime work in the University of Michigan archives to uncover anything he could to illuminate Smith's life. He waded through 10,000 pages of FBI files to turn up new information on Smith as well. I've spent some time myself probing through dusty boxes in an archive, so I can appreciate the effort Jeansonne went through. This exhaustive research gives a full account of Smith's career as a demagogue, an anti-Communist crusader, a strident anti-Semite, and a builder of religious shrines.

The book traces Smith's life from his humble beginnings as a poor farm boy who was a descendent of a long line of preachers up to his retirement in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where he built a statue of Christ and oversaw the construction and presentation of "The Passion Play", which still runs to this day. What comes across most strongly in this book is the intense energy that Smith had throughout his life. He graduated from Valparaiso in less than three years. While this may not seem significant, during this time he held down several jobs and also preached at several congregations during this time. This boundless energy lasted until the end of his life, as Smith ran numerous anti-Communist organizations, made endless speeches, and produced enough tracts and pamphlets to fill a stadium. Jeansonne says Smith's output eclipsed both Toynbee and the Durants, a notable achievement, to be sure! I especially enjoyed the full account of Smith's alliance with Charles Coughlin and Francis Townsend in an attempt to unseat Franklin Roosevelt in 1936. It was during his tenure with the Union party that Smith became a national figure, and he coasted on this acclaim for years afterwards.

Smith's primary allure was his oratory, which was so extraordinary that he outdid some of the greatest orators in American history. Huey Long, who employed Smith to proselytize for his Share the Wealth program, quickly recognized Smith was a better speaker then he. H.L. Mencken wrote that Smith was better than William Jennings Bryan, Robert Lafollette, Billy Sunday, and a host of other speakers. Smith even upstaged Coughlin at the Union party convention; an impressive feat when one considers that Coughlin had the largest radio audience in American history. George Lincoln Rockwell, the founder of the American Nazi Party, wrote that he would walk miles to hear Smith speak. Jeansonne points out that while Smith's oratory was impressive, it seldom moved many to sustained action. Smith's primary goal with his oratory was to win converts to his own cause and help build his mailing list. Although Smith did wield some power with his voice, his attempts to turn this power into political influence largely failed. Smith had a canny way of turning powerful people who initially wanted to help him, against him. He managed to alienate Douglas MacArthur, Henry Ford, Sr., and Charles Lindbergh, which led to Smith's rapid expulsion to the fringes of political life. His anti-Semitism didn't help, either. Smith once called Eisenhower a "Swedish Jew", and he had a tendency to call anyone he didn't like a Jew or a Communist.

Jeansonne intersperses his book with attempts to discover why Smith was the way he was. Jeansonne seems to think that Smith's stern religious upbringing made his value system so rigid that he saw any attempts at change as an attack upon his own values. Even into old age, when many people tend to moderate their views to some extent, Smith was as vitriolic as ever. His attacks on Jews escalated into the world of bizarre fantasy, and his paranoia reached epic proportions, as Smith saw conspiracies against him and America under every stone.

The biggest downfall with the book is the choppy way it was put together. You can tell that some of the chapters were articles before becoming part of this book. The book really should have been edited better, as there are several repetitive sections that should have been removed. Highly recommended for someone interested in depression-era politics or far right movements.

Gary Morson was a professor of mine at Northwestern University, and his classes on Russian Literature are outstanding. This is his book on the many themes Tolstoy uses in War and Peace, and it's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of one of the best novels of all time. . ....

I am paraphrasing horribly, but here are some of the themes that Morson illustrates in this book about "W&P" that I found really interesting:

- "Unexpected Influence" - War & Peace is one of few novels that is written to represent real life. Characters you may feel at the beginning of the book are really important may get killed off unexpectedly halfway through. Other characters that you thought were minor or side characters end up being very influential later on. Tolstoy keeps you guessing. . . Just as in life, you never know who is going to be really important to you when you first meet them.

- "Flexibility is key to success/survival" - Tolstoy shows that many of the most successful people in life are those that adapt to changing circumstances as they occur. Morson helps you compare some of the "strong" characters to some of the "bendable" characters, and watch how they thrive (or do not thrive) throughout circumstances.

- "History is not made by big, historical figures." Tolstoy's view is that it is crafted by the decisions of thousands of 'little people' over many, many instances. (e.g., Napoleon may think he won the war, but it was really thousands of soldiers that made the right fighting decisions over thousands of instances that got the job done.) This is a theme that (according to Morson) Tolstoy is really interested in, and is reflected in other Tolstoy novels as well.

- "What is 'history'? Not what we think." Tolstoy reflects that "history" as we think we know it is not really "REAL history". History as we know it is written by historians, who act as a filter and put their own spin on events. Tolstoy shows in W&P that you can't really know history unless you were present, and even then, 'your history' will differ from everyone else's.

- and many other really interesting themes. This is a great treatise on a great novel that deals with life philosophies. Enjoy! ...

Despite the thinness of this volume, it is one of my favorite winemaking references. Leo Zanelli has done something unique, combining an extended winemaking glossary with an alphbetical listing of recipes. I first found this book when someone mentioned it contained a recipe for burdock wine and someone else volunteered, "And aubergine wine -- don't forget that." I didn't even know what aubergine wine was, but I knew I had to get this book. I did, and I've been glad ever since. This book was written in 1971 and reprinted in 1972. It is a hardback, organized into three sections.

Section One is about making wine. It contains the basics and demonstrates them with a recipe and step-by-step instruction for bilberry and raisin wine. It concludes with three methods for extracting flavor and color from base ingredients. These methods are referenced throughout the book.

Section Two is the alphabetical listing of home winemaking recipes, equipment, ingredients, and other items and techniques. As advertised, it starts with A (Acetaldehyde) but fails to make it all the way to Z (it ends with Y -- Yeast). In between are some real gems (Aubergine, Burdock, Charlock, Folly, Gloegg, and so on).

Section Three is about imitating commercial wines, exotic or unusual wines, and ancient recipes. He tells you how to make a passable imitaion of Beaujolais using elderberries and raisins, a Claret using similar ingredients in differing proportions, a Hock using gooseberries, sultanas, grape concentrate and rose petals, and so on. He has recipes for Artichoke, Lychee, Morat, and Paw-Paw wines. And he includes recipes from 1768, 1814 and 1820 references.

What this book lacks in size it makes up for in unexpected diversity. It contains more than a few gemstones and belongs in every serious winemaker's library. It's out-of-print status does not make it a rarity. I found it the first time I looked for it.

John Leo is best known these days for the column he writes in US News, wherein he has apparently made it his personal mission to fight the forces of political correctness. For that alone he deserves our attention and thanks. But I found this collection of some of his older stuff in a remainder bin, most of it culled from his years at TIME magazine, and it is not only quite good, it is a revelation. John Leo is truly funny. All this time I'd assumed he was just a bitter old crank (and I mean that in a good way), now it turns out that he's a talented satirist too. I don't know that I'd put him in the exalted ranks of PJ O'Rourke, Andrew Ferguson, and Christopher Buckley, but he certainly ranks just one rung below them.

In addition to several excellent pieces on language, most of the book consists of Leo's comic colloquies between Ralph and Wanda, a married couple he utilizes to play out the battle of the sexes. Though he initially made Wanda a mere foil for the loutish Ralph, he eventually let her more than hold her own in their arguments. The result is a set of very amusing social commentaries--which fairly well decimate some of the sillier and trendier ideas of the Left--presented in the form of dialogues. Some of the stuff is, of course, dated (the title essay for instance refers to a specious old claim made by the Soviet Union), but its almost all still fun, and well worth reading if you happen to find a copy.

GRADE : B

IMHO, many of Leo's classic explanations of the planets, houses, and signs are timeless and stand up well to the research of today's writers. The only drawback is that Leo distilled his knowledge before Neptune, Uranus, Pluto and Chiron were scientifically discovered and astrologically codified. Oh well. Two out of three ain't bad, but goshhhhhhhhh...the timing of it all!!!

(FUN ANECDOTE: It was rumored that Gustav Holst was reading the works of Leo when he wrote the music to THE PLANETS. Imagine if both Holst and Leo lived 30 years later to write "Pluto.")

Hopefully, someone (who understands Leo's mysticism and his way with words) would update this precious collection, esp. How to Judge a Nativity. Modern updates are common these days, as was done to the classic works of Isabel Hickey, Dane Rudyhar, and Llewellen George. Perhaps the Leo collection will be also granted the same courtesy.

Now thinking about it: the Progressions book (The Progressed Horoscope)could still be used today because the outer planets hardly progress through a 20th century birth chart. It's a thought. But AS IS, Alan Leo's library of astrological study would have to be supplemented by more recent tomes (i.e, Marion/Mcevers, Burk, Arroyo, Tyl, etc.).

A wonderful set of guidelines that will help you raise your child to act with conviction of thought, the thoughts that this book will help you instill through specific training techniques and excellent example.

Mr. Paur is not a professor of child development, what he is is a man whose experience with children takes him out of the ivory tower of acedemia and places him square into the arena of battle over substance abuse; the streets, our schools, and our homes.

This thesaurus is not only controlled vocabullary for law librarians treating human rights documentation. With this thesauri you can simply swim through international instruments for protection of human rights, ad I found it very usefull not only in human rights libraries but also in NGO's dealing with human rights. So, I think this books is marvelous combination of navigating instruments both for professional librarians and users in broadest sense

At last sighting, Leo Gold was happily involved with the love of his life in Egypt. Now, Leo has returned to the states, visiting the Appalachian town of Hurleyville in the hope of collecting the $5,000 owed to him by a literary client, Bobby Joe Emory. Unbelievable as it may seem, Leo is a literary agent, living in a Harlem dump because everything he owned was destroyed by a maniac in Egypt. Starting at ground zero, Leo cannot afford to take such a big loss. However, his client has been decapitated, so Leo hopes to collect his fee from his step-father, Preston.

Leo's timing could not be much worse. He waits in the kitchen for Preston Sherson, who owns the town, to appear so he collect his cash, attend the funeral, and head home. Preston finally comes home after a night on the town, only to tell Leo that they will talk after the funeral. However, soon the Sheriff accuses Leo of killing Bobby Joe. The rest of the town follows suit and close ranks against the outsider. As the noose gets tighter around his neck, Leo realizes that he better find out who the real killer is.

Jay Finklestein follows up his superb debut novel SEE NO EVIL with a fabulous tale starring characters straight out of the Eerie, Indiana TV show. This adds much humor to a very gothic oriented story line, thereby keeping it from becoming too dark. Leo is the perfect straight man, who seems to glide in and out of surreal situations like other people drink coffee. IDLE GOSSIP is a fun read due to Leo's reactions, but it is also filled with a rich mystery, making for a wonderful combination that should not be missed.

Harriet Klausner

This collection consists of the 1863 novella "Polikoushka" (which the Maudes chose to translate as "In the Days of Serfdom") and the stories "A Prayer," "Korney Vasilyev," "Strawberries," "Why?" and "God's Way and Man's," each written in 1905 or 1906. It might seem an odd choice to juxtapose works written over 40 years apart, especially since Tolstoy's great religious conversion--generally seen as the major dividing line in his writing career--took place around 1880, but there's actually more continuity here than one might expect.

"Polikoushka" deals with events surrounding the recruitment of troops from an estate into the army. A member of a peasant family is chosen as the estate's last recruit instead of the title character, a domestic serf, but a tragedy that occurs to Polikoushka changes the course of things. "A Prayer" is Tolstoy's brief attempt to come to terms with the tragedy of a child's death. "Korney Vasilyev" deals with a man who returns home to make amends many years after crippling his daughter and leaving his wife upon learning of his wife's adultery. "Strawberries" sets the idle chatter of liberal aristocrats against the simple life of the berry-gathering peasant children living near them. "Why?" tells the story of a Polish revolutionary who is sent to Siberia and of the woman who joins him there to marry him and some years later tries to escape with him. "God's Way and Man's" is about two imprisoned 1870's radicals, one of whom finds peace in Tolstoy's Sermon on the Mount-based version of Christianity shortly before his execution, and the other of whom is shattered to learn of the futility of his revolutionary pursuits.

All of these works show Tolstoy's impressive sensitivity toward his characters, and we see much of his disillusionment with the artificial customs of Russian life, from the pointless meeting of the steward with the proprietress in "Polikoushka" to the absurd wording of the death sentence in "God's Way and Man's." "Polikoushka" is unusual among Tolstoy's pre-conversion work for focusing on peasants, which helps it seem at home among his later works. As for the other five stories, although by the time he wrote them Tolstoy had come to believe that the only worthwhile purpose of art was to provide a clear moral and infect the audience with the spirit of brotherly love, these stories (especially the longer ones) are really more nuanced than that. Just as Tolstoy had a hard time putting the values of Tolstoyism into practice in his personal life, it seems that in his art he couldn't help writing works more complex and interesting than what he believed to be appropriate (though he still certainly makes his message come through).

The back of the book claims that these stories are "now in paperback for the first time since their original publication," which isn't really true: the Gordon Spence-translated "Divine and Human and Other Stories" contains three of the stories (there's also a Peter Sekirin-translated book called "Divine and Human" that contains all five of the 1905-06 stories from this volume, but that book seems to be available only in hardcover). However, I'm not aware of any English-language book containing "Polikoushka," which is a very good work and the highlight of this collection, so I would tend to recommend this volume over either of the others.

These stories don't quite reach the level of Tolstoy's very best short works (I have in mind "The Death of Ivan Ilich," "The Kreutzer Sonata," and "Master and Man"), but they're still quite good, so if you've liked some of his other short stories and novellas you should take a look at this volume.