Today, scholars debate the question: what was the real source of the tales about pagan heroes and pre-Christian deities that Irish monks recorded in medieval times? Was the primary source the pre-Christian oral tradition with its Celtic culture and Indo-European roots? Or were the monastic scribes primarily influenced by the Latin sources they acquired from the Continent and Mideast, such as Biblical apocrypha and works of philosophy and nature by authors like Isidore of Seville? Professor Nagy brings to the controversy his careful study of the imagery and motifs used by the monks, showing how the same motifs and treatments were used to recount both saints' lives and hero tales. There are no final answers to the controversy here, but Nagy's insights and scholarship bring clarity to the discussion. NOTE: Readers should have at least some familiarity with the Irish stories.

This is a thoughtful - and working - cookbook. It is trade PB size, to fit easily on the counter alongside the cooking paraphernalia. It has glossy paper covers that easily wipe clean. It is wire-bound AT THE BACK, so it lays totally flat, yet you can see the spine title when it is on the shelf. Finally, the dozens of authentic Southern Italian family recipes are augmented with charming anecdotes, sprinkled throughout the book, that communicate the very thought and feeling of Apulian cuisine. This book is a laborious, loving and accurate translation of old family recipes where the measurements often consisted of: "Some of this...", "A pinch of that...", and "How much? You know, just enough." I think that you will enjoy - and use - this book!

This book, like most of Don Pendleton's best work, starts out with action and ends with action. Bullets destroy bodies and buildings, and women destroy relationships and men. The main character is a detective who decides to take the case of a young lady who is murdered upon her departure. It leads him through love, life, and death as he attempts to figure out who is killing young ladies. This book is very enjoyable and extremely thrill-seeking

This book provides conclusive proof that the combination of CHLORINE with Cholesterol (not Cholesterol itself) causes Heart Disease. The author, an MD, provides a detailed history of his discovery, a clinical study to support his findings and suggestions for everyone. He dispels common myths promoted about supposedly how "bad" Cholesterol is. I wish everyone could read this book!

Raymond Fraser"s book "Costa Blanca" illustrates the barren, frightening landscape of alcoholism and leads us into the depths of a soul bereft of self. It's amusing, it's entertaining, but it's a book with serious intent, and snyone living with alcoholism either as a victim, enabler, or innocent bystander, would do well to read it. Fraser portrays his unlovely characters with a deep sense of compassion. Many of them are so depleted their attempts at hope-filled solutions with impossible odds are tinged with a kind of noble courage. "Costa Blanca" is a journey into a world a disturbing proportion of our society inhabits daily. It is a world not without love, joy, and wit but one that ultimately destroys. It is also a journey through a mind and soul in torment and can be likened to Lowry and Orwell, but with a distinct Maritimes flavour. Now looking forward to Fraser's next!

I am a professor at Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Medellin. My teaching activities are related with thermodynamics and transport phenomena. I know the book by Kestin on thermodynamics (A course in Thermodynamics, revised printing, Volume 1, 1979, Washington: Hemisphere Publishing Corporation; I could not get the volumen 2); this is one I use preferably in my teaching of the subject, together with the book by K. Denbigh, the book by H. Callen, and, lately, the book by Kondepudi & Prigogine. In my opinion, one of the features of the book is the abundance of details used by the author to explain the different concepts. Those details may seem sometimes very overwhelming, but if one insists in going through them, it would pay later in the form of a better comprehension of the items. According to my own conception of teaching of a science like thermodynamics, Kestin's book is the most appropriate to present the different aspects of the subject. In which senses is this book different from others on the same subject? I will refer briefly to some of them. Chapter 2: Temperature and Temperature Scales. The treatment of this theme remembered me the book by Zemansky, a true classic. Here Kestin is excellent. Chapter 4: Work. This is the only book I know that makes a comparison between the concept of work in mechanics and the definition of work in thermodynamics. As a professor, I witness the real confusion in students when they go from physics courses to thermodynamics courses; they often think that there is a mistake somewhere. Chapter 6: Introduction to the Analysis of Continuous Systems and the First Law of Thermodynamics for Open Systems. This is another proof of Kestin's honesty and perfectionism: most of the books on thermodynamics, at undergraduate level, extend the application of the laws of thermodynamics to open systems without any reference to the required assumptions to do that. They forgive that properties like temperature, energy and entropy have sense only in systems at equilibrium, and open systmes are not. Kestin, as far as he is concerned, introduces the principle of local state, only an approximation that allowed the development of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes since the beginning of the 20th century. I think details like this must be known by students and people interested in the subject. In an interesting idea, the author introduces two chapters -7 and 8- to "provide the necessary descriptive background for a physical understanding of a variety of systems"; doing so, there is an interruption in the exposition of the zero (ch.2), first (ch.5), and second (ch.9) laws of thermodynamics, but it can be tolerated in view of the goal of the author. Other novelties include: there is a clear distiction between quasistatic reversible and quasistatic irreversible processes, something you do not find in some books; there is also a distinction between classical thermodynamics(the real subject of the book) and statistical mechanics (statistical thermodynamics); some statistical concepts are used but in an appropriate way: when they contribute to a deeper understanding of the subject. Finally, I do not hesitate to recommend this book, mainly to teachers of the subject. Unfortunately our universities are shortening time devoted to the teaching of subjects like thermodynamics to introduce other subjects; but even in these cases a book like the one I have commented is very useful for a teacher: He or she can select those themes he or she wants to emphasize, what requires a good knowledge of the subject, something that Kestin's book can provide with absolute certainty. In spite of my difficulties in written english , It has been very pleasant to comment this book for you. Is my english understandable? Sincerely,

German R. Gomez Apartado aereo: 51482 Medellin, Colombia South America

I am no expert on this subject, but I was able to learn a lot in a short time. The authors compare the interrelationship of the Courts and politics in the United States, England, France, Germany and Japan. The book is well structured and easy to read. "Apples" are compared with "apples" in each section of the book, providing the reader with a cogent comparison of these systems. If you are interested in comparative law or just want to learn about the legal systems of one or more of these countries, this book is worth reading.

In contrast to Pope John Paul II's "theology of body", Cardinal O'connor presents a much simpler, yet as elegant collection of pastoral essays on the true meaning and practices of love and marriage. The books aims at the restoration of Divine Mystery in the avenue of life called "Covenant", which most of our contemporary society has ceased to believe in. A perfect blend of inspired Wisdom and everyday experiences- this is a must read for Christian of all vocations.

Strout, Lawrence N., Covering McCarthyism: How the Christian Science Monitor Handled Joseph R. McCarthy, 1950-1954, Greenwood Press, Westport, CN, 171 pp.

Lawrence Strout examines the content of the Christian Science Monitor from 1950 through 1954 analyzing the news stories and columns about Senator Joseph R. McCarthy. The controversial, junior Senator from Wisconsin became known for the draconian tactics he used in uncovering Communists in government and the media. The author begins with McCarthy's famous Lincoln Day Speech on February 9, 1950 and continues until the Senate censured McCarthy December 23, 1954. The Senator died in 1957.

Along the way Strout gives fascinating insights into the history of the editorial voice of the Monitor -- a conservative publication speaking in the low, moderate bass-notes of fairness. Founder Mary Baker Eddy declared that the Monitor would have as its object "to injure no man but to bless all mankind." Strout describes how a poll by the country's top newspaper editors consistently picked the Monitor as ranking among the nation's top three papers with the New York Times and Washington Post.

The author recounts a compelling tale about the conservative Monitor taking the ultra-right-wing Senator McCarthy to task in its pages. The drama is seen through the coverage of veteran Washington correspondent, Richard L. Strout. The reader witnesses the skirmishes between establishment and rougue Senator in the daily dispatches of journalist-protagonist. With meticulous fairness, Richard Strout moves to record on the pages of the Monitor the fast-paced epic about ruthless power run amok. He reports on the events that began in the late 40s with the "Red Scare" and proceeded to a national condition called McCarthyism. In case-by-case he documents McCarthy's loathsome penchant for character assassination.

During the ensuing saga, Richard Strout carefully represents both sides of each issue and conflict. In the spirit of the Monitor's editorial policy, Strout vigorously attacks the methods used by the renegade Senator without attacking McCarthy personally. He also suggests that less radical methods be used to ferret out Communists in government. By promptly printing the rebuttals of persons attacked by McCarthy, Richard Strout and the Monitor metculously maintain a professional poise not practiced by some other major papers of the time.

The author articulates a delicate sense of balance between the domain of scholars (who desire factual analyses), and the fans of documentary and memoir (who yearn for a fast-moving narrative that moves with the rush of a speeding train). The mainframe of this book consists of carefully researched content analyses and with statistics that are blessed with the virtue of clarity and brevity. The narrative is a masterfully told account about a dark and painful chapter in our nation's political history.

Communications and media scholars, history buffs and aspiring and practicing journalists should have this in their library. The book provides a consideration in how journalists may properly examine issues wihtout resorting to personal attack or invective. I recommend it highly and give it five (5) stars (*****).

The author, a distant cousin of columnist and correspondent, Richard L. Strout, is the Harriet Stark Gibbons Professor of Journalism at Mississippi University for Women. His credits include articles published in the 'Journal of American Culture', 'Media history Digest', 'The Encyclopedia of Communications and Information' and 'The Encyclopedia of U.S. Popular Culture.'

Lawrence Strout holds a Ph.D. in Mass Communications from Florida State Unviersity, an M.A. in Journalism from Ohio State University and a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

A superb addition to the rapidly expanding "informal logic" textbook market. The book tries to familiarize the reader with a (rather original) interpretation of the so-called "Toulmin scheme" for analyzing arguments and combines this approach with a judicious dose of advice on "how to write arguments gracefully," the latter echoing Joseph Williams's well-known textbook (Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace). I liked in particular the book's easygoing tone (people writing on argumentation often come across as rather highbrow) and the excellent selection of readings. If this kind of stuff interests you, this book, perhaps combined with David Zarefsky's recently released (Teaching Company) course on "Argument: The Study of Effective Reasoning," could put you in the fast lane.