William Barker Cushing was one of the true heroes of the naval Civil War. He consistently defied the enemy and the odds, and came back alive. He almost singlehandedly blew up a Southern ironclad (the CSS Albemarle). Coupled with a section on Cushing's brother, Alonzo, who was at the heart of the third day of Gettysburg, this book will excite, entertain, and educate all fans of the Union and the Navy.

As a collection of diverse persons, mathematicians suffer from more negative stereotypes than almost any other group. This is unfortunate, discouraging and most often wrong. Widely characterized as lacking in humor, abstract and considered to be brilliant, eccentric imbeciles by much of the public, mathematicians rarely fit that description. Of course, branding a group with a stereotype is often a mask for insecurities. Ralph P. Boas Jr. is a fascinating counterexample to most of these inaccurate assumptions. Filled with humor, verse and mathematics, his optimism and love of life are captured just like the lions so prominently featured in the book.
So, how does an unarmed person capture a lion using only the weapons of mathematical thought? There are more ways than you would think. Over thirty different "proven" methods are given. My favorite is: "The lion is big game, hence certainly a game. There exists an optimal strategy. Follow it." It seems that every area of mathematics can be used to construct a way to capture a lion. Of course, some are more efficient than others.
The verse varies from limericks to some that were seeded by material from Shakespeare. All are quite good, although it is necessary to read some of them twice in order to capture the intended meaning. Most mathematicians have heard of Nicolas Bourbaki, the mathematical polyglot who is in fact a pseudonym for a collection of French mathematicians. When it came time to publish the first material on the mathematics of lion hunting, Boas and his colleagues chose the pseudonym, Hector Petard, from the Shakespearean line, '"the engineer, hoist with his own petard"; Hamlet Act III, Scene IV. To complete the circle, Boas and friends also "arranged" for a wedding between Betti Bourbaki and H. Petard and duly announced the upcoming event.
Another main section of the book consists of reminiscences by Boas and those who knew him best. As a mathematical man of mischief and an educator, he had few equals. Several short papers describing some of his basic ideas for education are also included. These ideas share one common trait. Simple to understand and execute. No fancy or complex methods, just fundamental strategies that make mathematics more understandable.
The final part of the book consists of short anecdotes about his experiences in mathematics. Some are about fellow mathematicians, others about students and the rest about whatever seemed to happen during his eventful life. At times amusing, other times profound, but at all times interesting, they are simple notes describing how the mathematical world works.
Despite common misconceptions, there are some mathematicians who contain a bit of the sprite and Ralph P. Boas J r. was such a person. That impishness is captured in this book, which is reason enough to read it.

Published in Smarandache Notions Journal, reprinted with permission.

This book is a great text for introductory courses in invertebrate zoology. Its format is very readable and provides an appropriate amount of detail for this level. It also has lots of pictures, which is especially helpful when studying more obscure phyla. Diversity of major phyla is covered as well. My only complaint is that the book sometimes doesn't say much about structure and function. This is one book you won't want to sell back to the bookstore when the course is over!

A book for a rather specific audience. If you are very interested in London (living there would count) and architectural/city planning oddities, this is the book for you. There are whole chapters about how best to rebuild the city after the Great Fire of 1666, alternative monuments to Nelson and other famous British heroes, and (my favorite) an ambitious man's attempt to outdo Paris with a tower better than Eiffel's. The book is full of architect's drawings and sketches (black and white only), all by the original planner or others from the period. This book is very hard to rate on a 1-10 scale because it's either something you are really interested in, or it's incredible boring. I gave it a seven, because the authors came up with a unique subject and cover it with as much interest and detail as is possible. However, you have to be VERY interested in the subject. As an non-architect American who is fascinated with the U.K. and has done my fair share of reading about Victorian (and before) design, but has only visited London once, I was lost at many points. The book has endless references to various concepts of how St. Paul's cathedral might have been or how it could have been improved, but it makes the assumption that the reader is intimately familiar with its current appearance. There are no comparisons with its present form, just the alternatives. And the architectural drawings and discussions about the placements of buildings were sometimes too much for me. I bought it hoping for a leisurely read about grand schemes for London filled with humorous stories about the failed plans for a "railway down the middle of the Thames" (as indicated on the back cover), and got more detail and specifics than I expected. However, if you are a Londoner (and I would welcome your second, much more authoritative, opinion), historical architect, or other interested someone who isn't put off by the above warnings, this is the best (if not only) book on the topic.

Ralph Sutton burst onto the jazz scene in the mid 1940s and has remained one of the finest jazz pianists ever since. Strongly influenced by Fats Waller, he has the strongest left hand in the business, has enormous power, drive and swing, coupled to great sensitivity and sophistication.

This book is a life of Sutton but also an appreciation, drawing on the views of admiring fans and equally admiring jazz musicians. Although critical of some facets of Sutton's life, the overwhelming sense of the book is one of great affection and respect for a person who is not only a superb musician but a genuinely nice man.

The book includes a discography, interesting but now slightly dated, and also a fine range of photographs.

For Sutton's many fans this should be self recommending. For others it gives some interesting insights into the life of the professional jazz musician, and should inspire you to buy some of his CDs! Recommended.

A must read, even if only for the sections on the little known phyla of aminals. Although released before the advent of the super-realistic photographs we are priviledged to enjoy today, the ink drawings are quite informative and the text is as near-perfect as could be done. A true classic on the subject.

It's daily, and general enough to inspire thinking while just "deep" enough to allow the humor to flow. I got the free promotional copy, and let me tell you, it was WELL worth the price I paid. It reminded me why I voted for Jack Kevorkian to be White House physician. Reading this book reminds me that the gene pool could use some chlorine. Pass the beer-nuts and enjoy the ride!

Ralph Coury, did a very good job in explaining the world events that surrounded the origin of Egyption Arab Nationalism. The book is a combination of history, politics and biography of a great man, it is also very easy to read. AbdullRahman Azzam is my father's uncle and I learned alot about my family through this book.

The descendants of William the Conqueror remained on the throne in England until the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and while the victor, crowned Henry VII, had Lancastrian ancestry to give legitimacy to his claims, he founded what was more or less a new dynasty. And while there have been a great many books written about the three Tudor generations in power, not much has been published in accessible form on their deeply Welsh roots. Professor Griffiths pays special attention to the activities of Henry Tudor and his near relatives in exile, of particular interest (to me) are the several excellent chapters on the Celtic genesis of the family, the connection with Owen Glendower, and the marriage connections they established.

Book gives clear and profound understanding of the true Charismatic Ministry, and physical, mental and spritual healings.