Of all the great Victorian era African explorers, Thomson is probably the least feted considering his immense capacity for travel and endeavour. Paradoxical perhaps, as the gazelle most often predated on in literally thousands of wildlife documentaries featuring the central African plain bears his name. It is however unlikely, as this book readily demonstrates, that fame and fortune formed the basis of his motivations. He had a voracious appetite for the new and appears to have simply enjoyed the company of others and the pure excitement of seeking them out. He is feted in circles that know him as being a compassionate man, and one of the few of the traditional African explorers who actually respected those that he met on his many trips - he never fired a shot in anger, or as more often was the case, in contempt.

Rotberg's book is a meticulously researched biopic. His attention to detail and evident respect for his subject shine through the text and can't fail to infect the reader with an enthusiam for finding out more about this remarkable man.

This book is a fun children's adventure through the streets of Charleston, SC. If you are familiar with or from that area, it will help you teach even your youngest children a little about the area. If you are not from there, it will still help give a young, school aged child a piece of history in a fun and stimulating way. The illustrations are lovely, and my two-year-olds love them, as well as the story.

For any student or teacher of international relations, this book offers hours of interesting reading about the life journeys and motivations of many of the leading figures in the field. Although not each writer comes through with worthwhile observations, and many references are to Cold War issues, there is plenty here to reflect on. Among the many contributers are James Rosenau, Kenneth Boulding, Oran Young, Joseph Nye, Stanley Hoffman, Ole Holsti, Robert Keohane, Robert Jervis and Stephen Krasner.

A Handbook for Altar Servers

Many thanks to Fr Champlin for this little book on the ministry of serving at the altar. It is indeed an informative guidebook for those who take the ministry of serving at the altar seriously, with personal testimonies and practical suggestions. Every chapter begins with a conversation with an altar server and ends with practical details. The book contains enough pictures to help the server learn the names of the objects used at the altar. It will provide a beautiful gift to a new server.

Very nice book if you want to prepare your own wedding. It gives you different choices for reading during the mass.

Dr. Marion, a professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looks at Brennan from an unusual and refreshing perspective. Well worth the read.

I must begin this review by admitting my biases. No, I am not related to David Gallen. Roger Goldman, however, did teach me constitutional law at St. Louis University during Justice Brennan's service on the Supreme Court.

Justice Brennan was one of the longest serving justices on the Supreme Court, serving from his appointment by President Eisenhower in 1956 until his retirement in 1990. A member of the New Jersey Supreme Court before his nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, Brennan became one of the court's consistently liberal justices during his 34 year tenure.

This book is in no way a biography of William J. Brennan, Jr., although some biographical details do work themselves into the narrative. This book is an exposition of the judicial legacy of this very important justice of the twentieth century.

This book is organized into three sections. The first section contains tributes to Brennan from others who have known him, primarily his former clerks. Section II contains a summary of the judicial positions which Brennan championed in his opinions. Section III contains a collection of Brennan's most important opinions.

This book is a worthwhile read, whether you are a fan of Justice Brennan or whether you see him as an activist justice run amuck. His fans will revel in his judicial literature. Strict constructionists will find justification for criticism of his kind in the pages of this book. All will notice his shift from an intellectual mainstay of the liberal Warren Court, to a sometime dissenter and sometime majority builder on the Burger Court to his role as a frequent dissenter on the Rehnquist Court, who still packed the punch necessary to bring an occasional majority to his thinking. When he failed to persuade the majority he left his dissents for liberals who he knew would follow later.

Read and enjoy.

This book is a great introduction to Kateri Tekakwitha, often called the Lily of the Mohawks. Though she has not yet been canonized by the Catholic Church (she is beatified, the closest step), she has been gaining in popularity lately and may be canonized soon. Kateri lead a simple, quiet life and sought to dedicate her life to God, even though at that period, Native Americans were not allowed to take holy orders. Instead, she bore rejection from both her own people and even the missionaries in her quest to become closer to God. This book gives a small overview of Native American society at the time of early colonization by the French. I would encourage anyone interested in getting to know more about this woman to take a look at this book, even if you aren't Catholic.

Anyone who loves cannabis or who travelled the 'hippie trail' will love these memoirs from a big time hashish smuggler. Pietri lived it, and now he tells it. Well written, though it could have used a bit of editing. This book will take you back. It also supplies a more serious subtext in its depiction of the corruption of Nepal by the Royal Family, heroin money, and the DEA. Must reading for anyone interested in Nepal or cannabis. .....!

Those luminous yellow eyes watching me, that's what I remember most clearly about this fascinating dark little tale. I checked out The King of the Cats from the public library when I was eight years old and staying with my grandmother. I've never forgotten it. An old man walking home through the louisiana bayou night sees a ghostly funeral procession of cats comes home to his tarpaper shack and tells his old wife about it. Watch their big tomcat's eyes as he tells the story. In these days of the blatant scary fiction of R.L Stine and Goosebumps The King of the Cats is subtle, beautiful, and foreboding in a sort of mesmerizing way that is truly uncommon in children's literature. I don't know if it is, but is has the feel of an old oral folk tale, worn smooth to its most basic elements by years of telling. At eight, I loved it, at twenty four, I still love it.