I enjoyed this book, and read it in one day, pouring through the various chapters and one tragedy to the next. My only complaint is that many of the chapters were excerpts from other books, and the stories sometimes felt unfinished. Those excerpts would cover the hit (or near miss) of the summit, then cover some sort of trial to the participating climbers. The climbers may or may not survive the trial, and then that would be the end of it. I actually craved a little bit more of the post-expedition soul-searching.

Like everybody else, I read "Into Thin Air" and bought more mountaineering books, this being one. Luckily, climbers tend to be a pretty literary lot, because the basic theme of all these books is : Damn, we're out of food/its cold/ I can't feel my feet/hands/nose/my brain is swelling up/I lost my way/tent/sleeping bag/gloves/I almost (or you DID) fall off this cliff. All this is followed by the endless anticlimax of the summit if reached and, worst of all, endless navel contemplation about the meaning of it all. I don't know why this stuff is so compelling, but there it is. I read this book in four sittings when I had a lot of more important stuff to do. Then I went out and bought Everest: The West Ridge by Tom Hornbein. And I live in Florida , have never been higher than 5,000 feet and have never climbed anything higher than the roof of my house. Go figure. I will say that these mountaineering books have a significant collateral benefit - they scare the hell out of the wife.

this is a really great compilation of a bunch of different climbing stories. Real climbers own and read this book. in fact, you can be like them if you read this book. Experience the magic, live the dream.

The nutritional supplements/LCP's described by Dr. Stordy and Malcolm Nicholl have improved the quality of our family life, since they've helped our youngest child, Kelli, so much. Efalex (one of the LCP's described in the book) has helped Kelli progress in speech and other motor activities way beyond our expectations -- with no adverse side effects. Her brain just seems to work better when she is taking LCP's. Our Kelli is now almost 8 years old. She was diagnosed with Apraxia (also called Dyspraxia) about 5 years ago. Because of this apraxia, she was not able to learn to speak by imitating others, as most children do. She had to learn to pronounce every sound and every blend during hundreds of hours of speech therapy. After one year of this therapy, I was getting very discouraged at her slow progress. Then I heard of Dr. Jacqueline Stordy's research and development of Efalex, a homeopathic medicine that helps lubricate the synapses/brain wires by providing extra amounts of tuna and other oils (this is truly a layman's description!) Kelli began showing dramatic improvements within just 6 weeks of beginning to take Efalex. This book discusses how changes (increased pressures) in our lives could be one cause of the dramatic increase in the number of children now diagnosed with disabilities. The authors present info very concisely on the developing brain's nutritional needs. (I only regret that this book was not available years ago so I would have known how beneficial LCP's are to pregnant and lactating women!) They discuss ways to recognize ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia/apraxia), and ways to make life easier for these children and their families. The importance of networking (especially via the Internet) for parents of children with disabilities are emphasized -- and specific resources are listed.

After Kelli had taken LCP's for just a few months, I was still amazed at how many ways Kelli was showing improvements. I wrote Dr. Stordy to congratulate her on her abilities to positively affect so many children with brain disabilities. She arranged to meet Kelli and I when she was next in our area. It was a pleasure to meet such a woman who combines being so personable and scientifically knowledgeable! Kelli instantly liked her. Dr. Stordy reminded me of a concerned grandmother who wants the best for everyone in her family. (In fact, her research to develop Efalex began because she wanted to help family members with night blindness and dyslexia.) More and more nutritionists are coming to agree with Dr. Stordy's discoveries. I highly recommend this book for anyone who cares for a child who has trouble speaking, reading, or focusing. The numerous personal stories shared throughout the book made it even more interesting (Kelli's story is on page 287). Parents share success stories of awesome and unexpected improvements their children made after beginning to take the LCP/EFA supplements she developed. It's heartwarming for me to see how motivated she was to perfect the development of supplements that would so positively affect so many children.

This book is written in such a way that anyone, parents or professionals, will understand the importance of supplementation with essential fatty acids. It brings together years of research into one easy reading book, with case histories etc. I got so much out of it, and to this date it is one of the best books out there I have read that explains the relationship between apraxia, dyspraxia, ADHD, dyslexia, and all learning disorders. Our son has apraxia and had very few words. We ran this book, and the question of "should we give these to him?..." past our pediatrician, and he didn't know much about it, but he said the product is harmless, and if it worked, great! We then tried the supplements on our apraxic child, and they really worked, to where EVERYONE including his therapists and teachers noticed. It is amazing how they do work, and this book explains why! I highly recommend this book!

This book provides and excellent integration and summary of the research pointing to the critical role of long-chain polyunsaturated (LCP) fatty acids (EPA, DHA, AA) in the development and function of the brain. Pulling together basic science, case studies, and clinical trials from a variety of fields, the authors take the reader on a journey of discovery that both educates and intrigues. The authors not only make a compelling case for trying LCP supplements as a first line treatment for ADHD and other neurologically based disorders, they also provide a wealth of resources, product reviews, and protocols of immediate practical value. Millions of parents are desperately seeking ways to help children who are struggling socially, emotionally or academically, without resorting to drugs. I strongly recommend that they start their search for safe, natural, and research-based solutions by reading this book.

Martha S. Lappin, PhD Research Psychologist President, Alternative Health Care Research, Inc. Co-publisher of the quarterly newsletter: "Helping Kids with ADD: Alternative Approaches to Optimal Health and Peak Performance" and the annual conference of the same name.

Mind provokeing book, with insight to behind the life and family history of one of the countrys greatest Malcolm X, A must do read.F.

a memoir on Malcolm x long over due, a tribute to the man and the Little family. a must read book.

i really enjoyed the book,ive always admired malcomx,what he stood and was willing to die for.iloved reading about his relationship with his family especially his sister,made me see malcolm in a whole new light ,also made me think of what a difference one person can make .i am deeply influenced by malcolm and this book just reenforces that.

OK so it takes half the book to get to the story. In typical Henry James fashion you are completely prepared for the action. Unlike Thomas Hardy, whose surroundings tell us of the character of the person it surrounds, James wishes you to know the depth of his characters as seen through the eyes of others. This of course brings on many minor characters that just seem to disappear, but it is a view of a person as if the reader was on the other side of the mirror watching the story unfold. Yes, James is wordy, yes this is not a quick read, but Henry James has a mastery of language and story telling that is rare.
"The American" is a wonderful love story that ends as a real life love story might end. Do not expect roses and happily ever after, it is as much a story of an ancient social system as it is of the life of "our hero." And the thing that seems to get missed is that Henry James actually wrote this as a mystery, not a love story.
This is a novel to contemplate and read between the lines. Good verses Evil, Noveau vs Old Money, Right and Wrong, can literature get any better than that?

I have this friend who hates Henry James. I can't understand it. The style is dated, in that people dont write that way today, but as you get into the book you begin to enjoy the style, as well as the plot, characters, and French/American dual culture shock that still goes on today. (For an update on the theme, look at Le Divorce and Le Mariage by Diane Johnson). I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen to these characters and the description of Paris in the Second Empire were fascinating. If you watch the Masterpiece Theatre version without having read the book, you will be totally confused. They moved events out of sequence all over the place and after about ten minutes I shut off the tape and picked up the book. You have to know the whole story before you watch them throw characters and events at you in the first two scenes that only appear 2/3 of the way through the novel, after a foundation has been laid as to who they are and when and why things happened.

I couldnt recommend this more for a good read. The only caution I have is for readers who have never been to France. They may get an extremely negative impression of French people from many of the characters in this book. Go to Paris and you will find the city is wonderful, and so are the French people. These characters are not typical!! They belong to a certain class, and the book does take place 150 years ago. If this book doesnt get you hooked on James, I dont know what will. Try Washington Square and dont miss that movie, with Jennifer Jason Leigh, Albert Finney and Maggie Smith.

This book is long, but only because that's how James tells the story. It's like a soup that needs to boil all day, so it's kept on low, but when it's done, it's perfect. The book stays at the pace of "our hero" the American Christopher Newman. A smart, educated, rich, yet easy going, simple, and humane veteran of the Civil War and a self made tycoon, who goes to Europe to see the "treasures and entertain" himself.

He becomes entangled in what he thinks is a simple plan for matrimony, but is really truly a great deal larger and more treacherous and terrible than that.

We spend a lot of time in Newman's mind, paragraphs of character analaysis are sprung upon us, but nothing seems plodding or slow, nothing feels useless. By the end of the book we find that we think like the character and can only agree with what he does. We react to seemingly big plot twists and events as he does, without reaction, and a logical, common sense train of thought.

But don't misunderstand that. For a book that is so polite and the essence of "slow-reaction", it is heartwrenching and tragic. You will cry, you will wonder, and you will ask yourself questions. Colorful, lifelike, and exuberant characters fight for your attention and your emotions, and we are intensely endeared to them. Emotional scenes speckle the book and are just enough. And the fact that something terrible and evil exists in this story hangs over your head from the beginning. It's hard to guess what happens because James doesn't give us many clues, and the ending may come as a surprise to some people. And without us knowing it, James is comparing American culture to European culture (of the day), and this in of itself is fulfilling.

Indeed, James uses every page he has, without wasting any on detailed landscapes and useless banter. 2 pages from the end you have a wrenching heartache, but the last paragraph and page is utterly and supremely satisfying, and you walk away the way Newman walks away, at peace.

Letters to Malcolm was the last book that C.S. Lewis wrote, and consists of twenty two letters written to a fictitious character named Malcolm, mostly concerning Lewis's thoughts about prayer. This may be the most personal glimpse of Lewis's spiritual side, and many have enjoyed his relaxed, warm dialogue in these epistles. For those wishing to meditate on the various aspects of praying (content of prayer, petitionary prayers - does God grant requests?, prayer as worship, penitential prayer, the Lord's prayer, or prayer for the dead) this book will give plenty of food for thought. Personally, I like most of Lewis's other books better than this one, but if you are studying the subject of prayer, pondering worship in prayer, or musing about whether or not praying does any good, this book will be a good purchase for you.

This book by C. S. Lewis offers something his other books do not. Rather than being a work of fiction or an exploration of his thoughts on religion, this is an intimate exchange of letters between C.S. Lewis and his longtime friend, Malcolm Muggeridge. They discuss the nature of prayer, among other things, and the letters give us a glimpse into Lewis at his most thoughtful. He's not attempting to entertain or to present his case to an audience. He's exploring, with a friend, the most intimate feelings he has about religion. His frustrations, his most sublime moments communing with God, his feelings of inadequacy and much more are revealed in the form of letters to a dear friend. We can put ourselves in Lewis's place and travel the paths he travels, much as we would if we were writing the letters. This is Lewis at his most accessible. He's not the lecturer, the professor or the famous novelist. He's a man on the same search as the rest of we Christians.

Muggeridge is a perfect foil. More of a curmudgeon and skeptic, he nevertheless responds to Lewis's questions and wonderings with respect and sincerity.

Along with the Screwtape Letters, I find this to be one of Lewis's finest books about religion.

This is one of those books I found myself taking an hour to read a paragraph, that I had already read previously. I just needed to meditate on a lot of Lewis' thoughts. It's not theological in the sense of Mere Christianity or the Four Loves- he is clear here and elsewhere that he does not want to write a devotional book and indeed thinks he has little to offer on the subject, as he is untrained in these areas. So while he covers the same areas as Richard Foster's Prayer, this book has a decidedly different feel. These are just letters. And often Lewis doesn't fully explain his ideas in an understandable way, for he is not writing to the general public, but only to Malcolm- a friend with whom he has a lot in common, with that secret language that all friends have. These letters were never intended for publishing.

But as Lewis believed that it is good for an author's personal letters to be published after his death, perhaps he wrote in view of that future possibility. That's the sense one gets between the lines. I appreciated too how personal asides were thrown in, like "Your son is very welcome. We do *not* dress for dinner normally." and "Please tell Betty I do not need a bed downstairs, I am feeling much better." and, countrary to what Walter Hooper would have us believe, references to his conjugal life with his former wife.

Lewis' musings have the advantage of coming at the end of his life, with the full wisdom available. I especially liked his thoughts on getting whatever we ask for in faith vs. Jesus prayer in Gethsemane, difficulties in prayer focus, and the effectatiousness of our prayers. In the end, we want to be heard, even more than having our prayers answered. I don't know that *my* letters to anyone should ever be published. But Lewis' are more than that, because the way he thought was simultaneously so deep and so clear- as he said, he wrote for the common man. As I read him, I find myself constantly thinking, "Yes, I didn't believe that before, but I see that now."

Kafka knew so well how to make us feel trapped, estranged and lonely like the characters in his stories. He struggled with anxiety and feelings of inferiority in his own life, and his writing expresses the passive realization that life is a dark and confusing nightmare where we in no way are masters of our destinies. This volume contains five stories, of which the Metamorphosis is the longest and by far the most elaborate and substantial work. A young travelling salesman, Gregor Samsa, wakes up one morning and realizes that he has been transformed into a giant bug. Having been the provider for his elderly parents and his adolescent sister, he is now forced to crawl around in his room all day, hiding his hideous self from the sister who brings him food, unable to communicate and barred from the world outside. It is a story about being dehumanized and alienated, of being useless and unwanted, of becoming a burden to oneself as well as to others. Kafka is such a phenomenal writer that the mere absurdity of the plot is completely overshadowed by the vivid and somehow realistic descriptions of the emotional and behavioral responses of Gregor and his family to the unreal situation. It is as if Kafka is telling us that this circumstance is no more strange or hopeless than the predicaments faced by the average family. Among the other stories, I found the short "Report to an Academy" particularly compelling. It is the report of a captured ape who has renounced its apehood and become like a human to avoid confinement in the zoo. The ape chose to become a human not because he admired humans in any way, but because it was the only way to escape an unbearable situation. In other words, it is a story about assimilation and accomodation, about the necessity to abandon all individual traits and pre-dispositions to fit in and assure respectability, in short, selling out. Assimilation was of course the order of the day in the late Habsburg Empire, but it may be Kafka's individuality as much as his minority identity which shines through in this short masterpiece. Although not all the stories are of the same quality and contain the same universal insight, the Metamorphosis alone is worth five stars and a strong recommendation.

"Look, I'm a Bug!" No, no, no... the plight of Gregor Samsa as he awoke as a beetle is no laughing matter. In this tidy little Dover edition, Kafka's famous short story breathes of the futility and alienation men face, and the fear in the midst of it all.

"The Metamorphosis and Other Stories" is worth every penny.

The beauty of the Dover edition is the ability to sample Kafka, rather than indulge in a complete works. He is not for everyone, but at such an inexpensive price, you'll get to taste his style and complex ideas.

Note that there are several stories here, including the oddly-styled one paragraph "A Country Doctor," which effectively challenges the view of common man of the almost godlike pedestal we put doctors on.

Stories include:
The Judgment
The Metamorphosis
In a Penal Colony
A Country Doctor
A Report to an Academy

I fully recommend "The Metamorphosis and Other Stories" by Franz Kafka. The price can't be beat, and would make a great addition to a larger Amazon purchase.

Anthony Trendl

Don't be fooled by the scant 80 pages in this book...it is a powerful collection of stories. Metamorphosis is truly an amazing short story, about the priority shift of a man who has found himself stuck in the body of a bug. Like most of his other pieces, Kafka deals primarily with the mind, using the despairing feelings of his characters to reach the reader. The other stories, "In the Penal Colony," "A Country Doctor" and others, are equally powerful and equally disturbing, and I recommend this book to anyone interested in reading contemporary classics.

Once in a while, I read a book that makes me question something I always took for granted. For example, it was Ageless Body, Timeless Mind by Deepak Chopra that showed me people don't have to grow old and brittle before they die. It was Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki that taught me what it really means to be rich. And I credit Mortgage-Free!, by Rob Roy, with being the book that proved how people can own a comfortable, beautiful home without taking out a mortgage.

I decided to read Mortgage-Free! because the title intrigued me. Little did I know that it would be such a fantastic book, or that it would relate so closely to the theme of my website, SustainableWays.com (for which this review was originally written).

I always thought that having a house was synonymous with having a mortgage. But when you really think about it, a mortgage is not much of a good deal. The author shows how most people who take out a mortgage end up paying nearly three times as much as the house they live in is worth. Even worse is the inevitable nature of debt as a work trap:

"An unholy percentage of American men and women are working largely for their houses, at jobs they would not choose were pay not the overriding consideration. I spent nearly five years at that game, surrounded by co-workers caught in the mortgage trap. My escape was made possible largely by our mortgage-free home." -Rob Roy, Mortgage-Free!

It's the author's own experiences in walking the talk that really makes this book and excellent investment. Yes, the ideas may seem outrageous, but Rob Roy makes it undeniable that they are, in fact, do-able. Not only does he describe his own 25-year success in building and owning mortgage-free homes, but he also provides a number of examples of others doing the same thing. On top of that, this book is rich with book recommendations, phone numbers, and other starting points. Basically, he covers every base so well that the only reason you'd have NOT to follow his advice is down-right laziness.

This book will best serve people who are independent, open-minded, and logical. But if you're a die-hard conformist that scoffs at anything unconvential, then this book is not for you. Even though the ideas and methods presented in Mortgage-Free! will be most useful to people living or willing to move to rural areas, anyone can benefit from the knowledge provided in this book. Even now, as I'm flipping through it, I'm continually amazed at how helpful and thorough this book really is. It touches on everything from eating well, to helping the environment, going to college, and so on. This is definitely a holistic, integrative piece of work.

Ultimately, this is a book I felt I had to buy because of its usefulness as a reference. If you read it more than once, you'll realize that Mortgage-Free! isn't really about owning a home. Even if you don't end up owning or building a house, this book will have served you well in that it'll have made you question something that you normally would've accepted. Avoiding a mortgage is just one of the many aspects of a better way to live: On your own terms.

This is not just another book on buying real estate. If one applies the strategies Roy presents you can only improve your standard of living. This is just not a book of theory. Roy is living what he says and gives numerous examples of other families going the same. This book is a must have for anyone that is considering building their own house and becoming self-sufficient. The book contains various strategies on achieving mortgage free home-ownership and includes an though appendix of resources.

Far from being just another book about ways to buy real estate, Rob Roy's book 'Mortgage-Free' encompasses an entire way of life that can set you free from the oppressive, credit induced, treadmill existence that ever-increasingly dominates & enslaves people to debt & by doing so greatly decreases their quality & enjoyment of life. Rob combines Thoreauvian based economics & plain old down-to-earth common sense with wisdom gained from his many successful years of Mortgage-Free living. He offers hope, inspiration & practical, proven techniques to those who would dare to actually take charge of their own lives & realize that there are alternatives to huge indebtedness. Filled with genuinely useful information & examples, Rob reveals not only his own personal triumphs, but also mistakes he has made along his own Mortgage-Free journey & he does this in a very readable, entertaining, as well as enlightening fashion. Buy a copy or use one of Rob's own money saving techniques if you must & check with your local library- Either way I think you truly owe it to yourself to read this book before you set out on your own personal home-ownership journey. Good Luck to you all!

If you're interested in the early days of NASA and the story behind the original seven astronauts, then you'll want to read this book. Told only as an insider can do, For Spacious Skies is a worthy addition to the books written by the other original astronauts.
Scott Carpenter and his daughter Kris Stoever do a masterful job of pulling together a story much larger than the book that tells the story. From Scott's early days growing up in a home situation not considered normal for the time, to his early days in the Navy and then his application and acceptance into the astronaut program, the book is filled with insights and eye opening stories.
Balanced in the picture it paints of NASA and the other astronauts, this is a must read. It is certain to take its place with the other books about this era and stand as an equal to them.

Scott Carpenter was selected as one of the original seven Mercury Astronauts on April 9, 1959 and flew the second American manned orbital flight on May 24, 1962. This flight was only the fourth manned launch for the United States. During his flight aboard the Aurora 7 spacecraft, he made three revolutions of the Earth, reaching a maximum altitude of 164 miles for a total flight time of 4 hours and 54 minutes. With the exception of Deke Slayton, who was sidelined with heart arrhythmia, Scott Carpenter is the only Mercury Seven astronaut who only made one spaceflight. As one would probably expect, including this reader, with such a small amount of space flight to his name that there could hardly be much to write about. I must, however, admit I was wrong and Scott Carpenter and his daughter have written a wonderful and extremely interesting book about his life from his birth to his leaving NASA.

The book opens with quite a lengthy section about Scott Carpenter's childhood from age two when he left New York and moved to Colorado through his high school years, which is about a fifth of the book. Such a long section devoted to one's youth is atypical of most astronaut biographies, however, this portion book serves an excellent introduction to the man's character. In contrast to the other Mercury Seven astronauts who came from the traditional 1920's family setting, he was raised by maternal grandparents, because of an absent father and a mother who suffered tuberculosis. He feels that this upbringing gave him the abilities to become an astronaut, but also led to him to three failed marriages ending in divorced and a final fourth marriage. .

A few years after he enters high school, the United States becomes involved in World War II and upon graduation he joins the Navy's V12 program where receives pilot training and a college education. Even though the war ends before he sees combat, he eventually chooses a career as Navy pilot which moves him through a variety of interesting assignments from patrol aircraft to test piloting.

The remaining half of the book covers the selection process of the Mercury 7 group, the selection, the subsequent training and his eventual three-orbit flight. This section contains much more information on the selection process and training of the Mercury 7 astronauts than any other first hand account. Very little, however, is devoted to his post-flight life other than a few pages. In this section, many of the questions that have dogged him since his selection are answered. For example, "Why was he chosen especially when one compares his flight and test piloting record to those of his peers?" "Why did he only fly once?" and well as other question are addressed. I'll leave it to the readers to discover the answers to these questions. I promise you'll be surprised.

Those familiar with the Chris Kraft book, Flight, know that Mr. Kraft has an extremely low opinion of Scott Carpenter and his skill at piloting a spacecraft. In this book, Scott Carpenter recounts his spaceflight, using both his personal recollection and ground to air and air to ground transcripts which allows the reader to make up his mind on who is blame. It is has always been my opinion that the truth usually lies in between the two.

As I said earlier, I was amazed that the astronaut with the shortest amount of total flight time could actually write a book about his life as an astronaut. I must, however, admit I was wrong and Scott Carpenter along his daughter have written a wonderful and extremely interesting book that definitely is one of the better astronaut biographies.

Having just finished reading a train wreck (aka Tom Stafford's almost incomprehensible "We have Capture") and with lingering memories of Gordo Cooper's bizarre & error-filled "Leap of Faith", I wasn't holding out much hope for Carpenter's book ... I couldn't have been more wrong.

"For Spacious Skies" written by Scott Carpenter and his daughter Kris Stoever is the most intensely personal and one of the best-written of the astronaut biographies - ranking right up there with Collins' "Carrying the Fire" and Cernan's "Last Man on the Moon."

Carpenter's unusual childhood - a combination of a very ill mother and an absentee distant father - is covered in painstaking detail through amazing collection of personal letters and recollections.

Carpenter also provides great insight into the Mercury astronaut selection process and details the impact of 'sudden fame' on the astronauts' families. Of interest to space scholars is Carpenter's account of the sudden-grounding of Deke Slayton resulting in his (Carpenter's) unexpected elevation to flight status - over the strenuous objections of a less-than-pleased Wally Schirra.

Unfairly dismissed as a 'lightweight' by many of his colleagues for his near-disasterous Mercury mission, Carpenter sets the record straight. He outlines the myriad of problems and hardware failures during his 1962 mission and their impact on his flight - for instance, the cabin temperature in his spacecraft exceeded 100 degrees F during most of his flight. He also blows holes in the long-standing myth propogated by Flight Director Chris Kraft that Carpenter somehow 'bungled' his flight and refocuses much of the blame back on Kraft himself.

"For Spacious Skies" is detailed enough for space enthusiasts but, more importantly, the book is an intriguing personal portrait that will fascinate casual readers as well.

Highly recommended!

Noel Malcolm's narrative is a short (271 pages, excluding footnotes and bibliography) yet concise history of Bosnia-Herzegovina, a region in Southeastern Europe that has, in recent years, been subject to highly destructive warfare. The book spans the very earliest of times, when the Slavs moved into the Balkan region, to the 1995 Dayton Accords that halted the bloodshed in Bosnia. In monitoring the crisis that engulfed the republic during the years 1992-1995, foreign observers were alarmingly uneducated as to the origins of the crisis, and of the history of this region. It was easy for such individuals to label the war as yet another "ethnic conflict" emerging as a result of "seething ethnic hatreds" that had been brewing among such groups to be found within the borders of Bosnia (or more specifically, that of the former Yugoslavia) for centuries. The truth, Malcolm has shown was far less elaborate; every conflict that has imbued the region had its origins from parties outside Bosnia's borders. The rich, multicultural population lived, until only a few years ago, in virtually perfect harmony. Bosnia: A Short History was originally written in 1994, in the midst of the devastating war that tore Yugoslavia apart and razed Bosnia to the ground. In light of this, Malcolm's noble intentions in writing the history of this tumultuous region were outlined in his Introduction to the book: "One sure way of judging the historical claims of the main perpetrators of violence in Bosnia is to look at what they have done to the physical evidence of history itself. They are not only ruining the future of that country; they are also making systematic efforts to eliminate its past...The people who have planned and ordered these actions like to say that history is on their side. What they show by their deeds is that they are waging a war against the history of their country. All I have wanted to do in this book is to set out some of the details of that history before the country itself is utterly destroyed."

Noel Malcolm's qualifications for writing this history are immense. Though the reviewer believes that in-depth research and a passion for knowledge are the few qualifications that one requires in order to write a history; Malcolm's credentials deserve mention. With a doctorate in history, he studied in Great Britain, at Eton and Cambridge. For a number of years, he taught at Cambridge, then later became a foreign correspondent for a number of periodicals (The Spectator and The Daily Telegraph). Following a careful examination of the dense footnotes and bibliography to be found in the back pages of Bosnia, one also discovers that he is a linguist. He has cited a vast amount of books, written in several languages. Besides knowing and citing works written in Serbo-Croatian (the language spoken throughout the former Yugoslavia, including Bosnia), he cited works in Russian, Romanian, French, German, Italian, Greek, Bulgarian, Slovenian, Spanish, Albanian, and even Latin. The dense footnotes to be found tucked inside the book (alone being 43 pages of citations) give evidence as to the wide variety of sources that he consults and cites in the body of his text. He used the evidence wisely, and was careful in corroborating several pieces before granting them factual status.

The book flows well, though Malcolm does occasionally fall into literary bouts of going into extreme detail surrounding origins. For instance, when he describes the origins of Bosnia's inhabitants, no possibilities are overlooked, and drudging through the seemingly endless details of possibilities of who came first makes rather tedious reading. Malcolm often employs the use of flashbacks, and for the impatient or carefree reader that forgets some events described, the flashback can serve as an instrument of confusion. It is written in sixteen chapters, plus an Introduction and in this current revised edition, an Epilogue that updates the history of Bosnia to include the crucial years 1993-1995. Each chapter encompasses a wide scope of history: the earlier chapters sometimes cover two hundred years or more, while the later chapters cover just a few. The book is therefore easy to follow, and its premise of being a "short history" makes it a book suitable for everyone, ranging from the disciplined academic, to the general reader.

Malcolm presents an unbiased account, presenting the claims of all sides and refuting many of the hoaxes and myths deliberately planted into the consciences of all Yugoslavs by its rulers. While remaining unbiased throughout, the factual blame is often in the hands of the most dominant ethnic group in Yugoslavia, the Serbs, who were the aggressors in the last decade of Yugoslavia's life. Particularly fascinating are chapters twelve and thirteen (pp. 156-192), which describe the origins and experiences of both world wars in Bosnia and the rise of the Ustasha and its profound effect on relations, particularly between Croats and Serbs, the latter of which were slaughtered by the thousands at the hands of the former. Chapter fourteen presents a case of Bosnia in Tito's Yugoslavia, an era that downgraded Bosnia's status and simmered tensions. Reading these chapters show that hostilities were not "ancient," though they were far from friendly at the opening of the Twentieth Century. By Chapters fifteen and sixteen, Yugoslavia is destroyed, and Sarajevo is an incinerator teeming with bullets.

Bosnia is a work to be enjoyed. Far from academic drawl and a benchmark of tediousness, it is a work of dedication and scholarship, filled with interesting and relatively unknown facts about a country long thought dead by the Western world. Besides this form of enlightenment, the book offers yet another perspective on the human tendency and capability for utter destructiveness. The published form is evidence of Noel Malcolm's sincerity and purpose in writing Bosnia. He had triumphed in laying out some of the details of Bosnia's complex history, thereby enriching the reader with a whole new perspective on the origins and character of the wars that engulfed the former Yugoslavia - particularly Bosnia. Before the country was "utterly destroyed" and the clock ticked closer to midnight, Malcolm succeeded in telling its story. That alone is commendable.

Basically, the name says it all. It's a short, quick history of Bosnia written at the height of the 1990s Balkan War and designed to shoot down a number of myths that the author finds maddening. He ends up having quite a blast ripping into long-dead historians, propagandists, and contemporary journalists and politicians for messing up Bosnian history.

While you could say it's biased, the author does do a pretty decent job in covering the history of Bosnia. After taking a brief look at Early Bosnia up to 1100 the book mostly focuses on Medieval and Ottoman Bosnia before breezing through the 20th-century. If you were looking for a history of the Bosnian War don't bother, as the book was written before it was over. However, the author does cover its origins and beginning. He also very strongly makes the point that it was systematic planned genocide by Slobodan Milosevic, not so-called ancient tribal hatreds, that was responsible for much of the carnage in the conflict.

All in all it was a very good book. There's a little something for everyone. It's very well written. You can breeze through the small chapters, finish the book in a day, and get a basic outline of everything. Or you can go slow, immerse yourself in the little details, and become a genuine mini-expert on Bosnian history. If you hate foreign words, then there might be a problem because the author uses them constantly and often describes the origins of words to show history. But despite that it's still easy to read. In the end, I came way with a better understanding of topics not generally covered in the history books: Bosnia, the Balkans, the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires, and Islam among other things.

It is almost sad that the most accurate historic book about Bosnia was writen, not by a person born in Bosnia, but someone born outside it's borders. In Bosnia today there are three official versions of history, Bosnian, Croatian and Serb, remnances of which we can see in many loaded comments listed bellow, none of which give Bosnian history respect and accuracy it deserves. They are mostly expansions of the myths and deluded ilusions of people who never thought of Bosnia as their home, their homeland. Unfortunately, as it has happened so many times before, the few were able to tint the picture of Bosnia, not only to the world outside, but also tint the picture of Bosnia to people in Bosnia themselves. It is absurd, but true. Malcolm takes a bold step to clear that picture to both insiders and outsiders and bright the historical perspective closer to the truth.
The author takes a fresh and unbiased look at the centuries of Bosnian history, and most of all he backs it up with an enormous detail and footnote. He is not just speculating, he is listing facts....isn't that something fresh for history of a country, where loudest (and equally sadly most successful) proponents base their entire knowledge on vague narrative and myth.
The most interesting part of the book for me was his unrestrained bashing of the UN, EU, US and the world in general for lack of action; of countless narrowminded envoys these countries assigned to "rescue" Bosnia. This part of the book has a great place in any history book for it shows ineptness and impotence of the world community to solve a problem when there are no vital geopolitical interests in danger-offcourse I am talking about the major players.
All in all, great unbiased book, should find its way as an official version of Bosnian history, rather that the garbage the kids are being thought in Bosnia today. I recommend it to anyone even mildly interested in understanding the conflict that was imposed to my country.

In America, they are called sanitation engineers, but in England they are dubiously labeled as dustmen. In the Highland village of Lochdubh, dustman Fergus Macleod is a slimy toad who drinks himself into unconsciousness and beats his wife when he is awake. His demeanor changes when he is appointed as the new Environmental Officer of the village with a doubling of his salary.

His new position goes to Fergus' head as his petty tyranny encompasses the entire hamlet. The tension is so taut no one is surprised to find the murdered body of Fergus amidst the garbage cans. Local police officer Hamish MacBeth leads the investigation, but the townsfolk close ranks to protect a "hero" from Hamish.

The clannishness of a Highland village can be a blessing to those in charge, but it can also impede the legal system as seen in DEATH OF A DUSTMAN. This is a who-done-it in which every villager could be the culprit because the victim was universally hated. The mystery is cleverly crafted, but the heart of M.C. Beaton's novel remains Hamish.

Harriet Klausner

Indeed, "predictable" is the word (or words!) for any of the Hamish Macbeth series by M.C. Beaton, and "Death of a Dustman" is no exception. Ms Beaton has, of course, worked out a very successful "formula" for her Macbeth books, but her fans don't really care! What's fun is reading them! Macbeth is the local policeman in the Scottish Highlands village of Lochdubh, and, if nothing else, Beaton's characters (primarily Hamish) and the local color (of the setting) are enough to get one going!

In "Death of a Dustman," Beaton's inimitable policeman must find the killer of one Fergus Macleod, local villager only recently appointed as the town's new dustman, in charge of a renewed campaign to keep the area environmentally friendly. Macleod is a real pain, and, thus, when he is found dead, no one really cares! Besides turning into a real tyrant--and impossible to deal with--with his silly and petty (but legal) fines of his townsfolk--he is a wife-abuser and into some blackmail as well. And when his body's found, it's poetic justice, indeed: he was left in a recycling bin. (If that's not a metaphor, what is!) But, the law's the law and a murder's a murder. And Hamish must do his duty--regardless of his personal feelings for Macleod!

As usual, Beaton provides us with suspects aplenty, and Macbeth's resilience pays off, one more time! Beaton's books are delightful to read! (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

M.C. Beaton has done it again with another delightful book in the series about Hamish Macbeth, a constable in Lochdubh, a village in the Northern Highlands of Scotland. This is the 18th book in the series, and every one of them is engrossing and entertaining. It was also great to learn that the BBC has filmed six one-hour episodes based on these books. Let's hope we see them in the U.S.