St Joan is one of Brecht's less well-known plays. Set in Chicago, it is the story of Joan Dark and is the modern version of the biblical story, Joan of Arc. Joan is a leader of a religious group, the Black Straw Hats. Throughout the play, she preaches to common-folk and the "meat kings" of Chigago, namely Mauler, Cridle and Lennox. Although criticised, her support for the needy is much appeciated. The play consists of lots of monologues, linked by short sections of dialogue. Joan uses biblical phrases and terms in her preaching such as "Oh ye of little faith" and words like "ordain" and "salvation". The structure of this play makes it ideal to be used for monolgues, after a bit of editing.

This play, one of Brecht's best if least known, is perhaps the first postmodern classic. It combines the dramaturgy of a tragedy and a comedy and a passion play. It makes an attempt (years before todays financial tv programs) to make the market and its affairs excitingly dramatic. This new translation by Ralph Manheim, arguably Brecht's most accomplished translator, does much to save the text from earlier mistranslations. This year (2001) there will be an all star performance of the new translation in Chicago, the city in whose Stockyards and at whose Board of Trade the Play was originally set. This could be the seminal Brecht performance of the year!

In general this is a collection of stories of women associated with seafaring. Not all were 'captains', but that's not really material to the focus of the book, which is to provide the reader with ample examples of women who worked in the maritime trade (in one way or another).

The topics range from royalty and psuedo-royalty, to pirates, to wives. For the most part the women are of strong character and know what they want. Druett, writes well and the stories are entertaining and well researched.

People may think that the womens' movement began in the 1960s or '70s, but the ladies whose stories are told in this book prove that female empowerment was alive and kicking on-board clipper ships and at the helm of pirate cutters long before Gloria Steinem was a gleam in her mother's eye. This book tells the stories of numerous fascinating female buccaneers who could be just as ruthless as their male counterparts and hold sway over crews of male sailors. Even if you're familiar with Anne Bonny and Mary Read, you will learn about many of their lesser-known compatriots and their world. This is an intriguing study of women in a career that has been generally relegated to the male realm in popular thought.

This novel starts off as a romantic fiction, but becomes more of a typical Joan Aiken mystery and adventure as you read on through it. You see the story from Juliana's point, little realising the plots and schemes being devised by the other characters. The book starts slowly, I felt, but like many of Aiken's works, builds up to a nail-biting climax. Not quite as good as its (sort of) sequel, The Lightning Tree (aka The Weeping Ash), but nonetheless, a great read if you like Aiken's other books.

I thought this book was really sweet. I can't believe I was rooting for Captain Davenport, Count Van Weckler is much better. I thought it was nice that her Grandfather showed her he loved her. I also thought that the balloon ride was delightful this was a great book!

I was disappointed by the 86 images of nudes, fashion shots, and portraits in this book. Although they are technically wonderful, well-lit, and beautiful, they lack a good grasp of the inner reality of the subjects. The contrast between this book and his remarkable work in Lady: Lisa Lyon and Flowers could not have been greater.

This book contains modest nudity of the sort that would require an R rating for a motion picture. None of the challenging images that made Mr. Mapplethorpe famous are present here.

In the annotation by Joan Dideon, Mr. Mapplethorpe is quoted as saying "You don't know why it's happening, but it's happening." Too little was happening in most of these images. The exceptions were the girls, who clearly expressed their personalities in an unguarded way. Most of the models are "well known, figures of considerable celebrity or fashion or achievement." As such, "they are professional women, performers before the camera." I think that as such, they were able to show just what they wished to reveal about themselves. So you get a mask, rather than a person. Mr. Mapplethorpe says about himself that his work is "very symmetrical." I agree, and while that works well with his flower portraits (in Flowers) that symmetry just seems a little dull here to me. Ms. Dideon also points out that "the idealization here is never of the present." Certainly, you will see that he is inspired by classical Greek and Roman ideas of female beauty.

Here are my favorites: Lydia Cheng, 1985; Sonia Resika, 1988 (p. 18); Brit Hammer, 1988; Lara Harris, 1987 (p. 27); Isabella Rossellini, 1988 (p. 33); Caroline Herrera, 1988; Alexandra Ellis, 1988; Blake Finkelson, 1988; Eva Amurri, 1988 (p. 58); Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri, 1988; Brooke Shields, 1988 (p. 73); Stella Goodall, 1984; Diandre Douglas, 1988; and Dolphine Neil-Jones, 1987.

As you can see the timing of these images is very similar, so you get a compressed sense of female beauty reflecting a moment in history. In a way, it's like a candid snapshot of beauty, rather than a cultural panorama.

After you finish this book, think about another thing Mr. Mapplethorpe said, "I'm looking for the unexpected." Where can you find and use the unexpected to expand your vision?

Stretch to the limits of imagination, rather than being bound by the vanity of the ego.

Though controversial and best known for his erotic photography of male nudes, Some Women shows the depth and resounding mastery of Mapplethorpe's creativity and artistic talent. This is a compilation of B&W photographs of women of all ages: children through seniors. Some are fashion models, nude torsos, others unknown friends, some famous actresses (including: Sigourney Weaver, Susan Sarandon, Melanie Griffith, Dianne Weist, Grace Jones and Kathleen Turner to name a few.) Each photographic plate is resoundly crafted and displayed highlighting the complex and compelling beauty of women.

I knew a little bit about Rastafarianism before reading this book. Primarily, I knew about some of the religious underpinnings and of course, the use of ganja in religious practice. What I didn't know about Rastafarianism, however, was Rastafarianism as a political and economic policy, one which renounces much of the governmental and economic structure that is such a part of our modern, globalized world. The author, a Jesuit priest, definitely brings an interesting perspective to the book, which my anthropology professor suggested is why the women of Rastafarianism seem to have such a minor role in this book. While this is definitely a valid criticism, the book is actually one of the more interesting and least sensational books I have read on the subject. Indeed, it makes me want to be a Rasta!

Although this book does not go into a large amount of detail, it is a quick and useful introduction to the Rastafarian way of life, at least on the social and economic side. William Lewis has based his work on direct interviews and observations with Rastas that he has met, so the book focuses on their social interactions, lifestyles, and viewpoints on the world around them. However, you have to wonder if those particular Rastas were being truthful because Lewis is a white Roman Catholic priest (although this does not infringe on his view of other cultures and religions). Lewis includes case studies of both urban and rural Rastas in Jamaica, a group in a large US city, and the interesting case of a "repatriated" group in Ethiopia. There is an interesting aside in the study of the US urban Rastas, as Lewis keeps the name of the city confidential to protect his subjects from prosecution, but later in the book he accidentally tells us that it was Brooklyn. This book is lacking in deeper insights into the true religious nature of Rastafari, as Lewis' historical backdrop to the development of the belief system is rather quick and sketchy, and there is little more than superficial coverage of the complicated Rasta belief system. It would have also been nice to see more on the direct influence of Haile Selassie rather than just his historical inspiration, and also how the religion adapted to his death (the Rastas literally thought he was the messiah). If you already know something about Rastafari, you probably won't learn much new here. So this book is most useful as an introduction which may inspire you to explore more in-depth studies elsewhere.

SOUND THE RAM'S HORN by S. Joan Popek is a prophetic new millennium book filled with the hope and the promise of humanity. Joan illuminates what it is to be human, challenging our beliefs and perceptions in a monumental endeavor along the same vein as STRANGER IN A STRANG LAND, yet with a flare and originality uniquely belonging to her.

From the first scene, Joan challenges the reader to examine one's own prejudices. Mama disowns Sam for wishing to marry out of their race, and dies without love, rather than rescind her opinion. When Sam and his wife's child is born, Joshua has five extra chromosomes which result in luminescent skin, blond hair, and a gift of empathy and healing. But people fear that which they cannot understand, and Joshua's mother is no exception. Before long, she leaves, unable to cope with her own child.

As Joshua grows, his differences become sharply pronounced. Soon he locates other Gold Children, GCs, and finds that they are bound together by telepathic abilities, just as they are bound to the world by their empathic abilities. But their strengths are also their greatest weaknesses, for GCs cannot even defend themselves if it requires inflicting pain. The pain that they would inflict, because of their empathic links to humanity, is tantamount to suicide.

While the GCs would never harm others, unfortunately, others are not bound by the same rules. Companies like Macro-Ideas Inc wish to control the GCs for their own profit and gain. Other common people don't know whether GCs are angels or devils, and cannot conquer their fear of that which they do not understand. Yet the GCs fully understand humanity's weaknesses, and with compassion, seek to help all to live in peace and love. Indeed, GCs are sterile, because they are not here to replace humanity, but because they are as the product of humanity. All GCs have mixed racial blood, and bind those differences in a unique blend of love and empathy.

While it's important to understand where we are headed as the human race, and to question not only our directions but our associated prejudices, morals and values, does that translate into a good read for SOUND THE RAM'S HORN? It most assuredly does. SOUND THE RAM'S HORN is filled with interesting characters interacting with verve and vivaciousness, not to mention an ever-present hint of heresy that focuses the mind and forces one to examine stimulating new concepts even as it makes one nod the head in earnest agreement.

SOUND THE RAM'S HORN is not a book of easy answers. In fact, the book leaves more questions unanswered than answered. Perhaps that is it's greatest strength, because it forces the reader to think, to examine one's own motivations and weaknesses. By challenging our beliefs and finding our commonalties, the wall that separate us from our own selves comes tumbling down with SOUND THE RAM'S HORN.

Pay attention to this author's remarkable voice, for S. Joan Popek promises to mark the land of science fiction, displaying the power of good science fiction writing. Indeed, if you are Science Fiction fan, or merely a fan of human nature, this novel is a must read.

SOUND THE RAM'S HORN by S. Joan Popek is an intriguing short science fiction novel that dips gracefully from Old Testament prophesy to contemporary DNA to a very different future. Different because of the Golden Children.

Joshua is one of the Golden Children: born with yellow-gold pigmentation, golden eyes, a dime-sized ebony star on his shoulder. At the age of six months he exhibits the amazing ability to heal, by absorbing the physical and emotional pain of others.

More Golden Children are discovered and studied. They all have golden skin and eyes, flaxen hair and a black star on either their right or left shoulder. They all score off the charts in IQ tests, and they are all the products of interracial unions. They are all affectionate, friendly, cheerful and empathetic. And they all have five extra chromosomes. Who are they? Where did they come from. Why? Do they have a mission? Are they the natural evolution of the species or a regression to man as he was before sin?

The answers to these questions are gradually revealed as these remarkable children grow to adulthood and complete their destiny. Together they battle exploitation as they rescue, protect and fall in love with one another.

Sound the Ram's Horn is no Bible story, but S. Joan Popek draws heavily on old testament prophesy and alludes lightly to new testament characters and ideals. She uses the Bible as a springboard that catapults Sound the Ram's Horn squarely into science fiction orbit.

I'm a teacher in Chile, and I've using this series since 1995. The texts indeed follow the rules of the notional functional aproach. As a T E F L tool, it is focused mainly to be used in the U.S.A. There are some exercises in which the students in the classroom, supposedly, are from different parts of the world, notwithstanding, in my classes there are only Chilean students, so we must pretend that they are from different nationalities. I'd suggest that the editorial, or much better said, the authors, should bear in mind that for future editions. With respect to the videos, they should be interactive, i.e., there should be opportunity to respond questions, or the appropriate phrase or sentence, for example: a person in the video could say: "Hi, I'm John Sanders", and the students answer:(chorally or individually)"Hello, my name's Arturo Perez" and then: "Nice to meet you, Arturo." "Nice to meet you, too, John",etc.

I'm a teacher in Chile, and I've using this series since 1995. The texts indeed follow the rules of the notional functional aproach. As a T E F L tool, it is focused mainly to be used in the U.S.A. there are some exercises in which the students in the classroom, supposedly, are from different parts of the world, notwithstanding, in my classes there are only Chilean students, so we must pretend that they are from different nationalities. I'd suggest that the editorial, or much better said, the authors, should bear in mind that. With respect to the videos, they should be interactive, i.e., there should be opportunity to respond questions, or the appropriate phrase or sentence, for example: a person in the video could say: "Hi, I'm John Sanders", and the students answer:(chorally or individually)"Hello, my name's Arturo Perez" and then: "Nice to meet you, Arturo." "nice to meet you, too, John",etc.

Charles Chestnutt (1858-1932)was a pioneering African-American short story writer, novelist and essayist. He wrote about the life of blacks during the reconstruction era and during slavery. He also wrote about turn-of-the century relationships between black people and white people and about the emerging black urban middle-class and its relationship to both poor rural black people and to educated white people.

Chestnutt wrote two volumes of stories, "The Conjure Woman" (1899) and "The Wife of his Youth and other Stories of the Color Line" (1899). This short, inexpensive book from the Dover Thrift series includes stories from each volume together with a useful introduction to Chestnutt by Joan Sherman.

There are five "Conjure Woman" stories in the brief volume. These stories take place in North Carolina just after the Civil War and they relate back to events and characters in the pre-Civil War period. The stories are told in a heavy dialect which takes some getting used to. The characters are a white Northern couple, John and Annie, who have moved to North Carolina, an aging black storyteller and former slave named Uncle Julius, and a "conjure woman" named Aunt Peggy. At critical moments during their stay in North Carolina, Uncle Julius tells John and Annie stories about the conjure woman which illuminate life in the slave South and which have a way of returning back to John and Annie as well. The stories are fun, creative, and outrageous.

The second group of five stories explore white black relationships subsequent to the Civil War as well as relationships between different types of black people. There are three stories which deal with highly educated black people and the ambivalence they feel towards the rural blacks in the post-Reconstruction south. These stories also show the difficulties faced by urban black people in the North at the turn-of-the century in gaining acceptance from their neighboors. (Chestnutt had first-hand experience of this situation.) There is also a story centering upon a lynching in a Sourthern town.

This is a short, inexpensive book which will introduce the reader to an early African-American writer who deserves to be better known.

Charles Chesnutt (1858-1932)was a pioneering African-American short story writer, novelist and essayist. He wrote about the life of blacks during the reconstruction era and during slavery. He also wrote about turn-of-the century relationships between black people and white people and about the emerging black urban middle-class and its relationship to both poor rural black people and to educated white people.

Chesnutt wrote two volumes of stories, "The Conjure Woman" (1899) and "The Wife of his Youth and other Stories of the Color Line" (1899). This short, inexpensive book from the Dover Thrift series includes stories from each volume together with a useful introduction to Chesnutt by Joan Sherman.

There are five "Conjure Woman" stories in the brief volume. These stories take place in North Carolina just after the Civil War and they relate back to events and characters in the pre-Civil War period. The stories are told in a heavy dialect which takes some getting used to. The characters are a white Northern couple, John and Annie, who have moved to North Carolina, an aging black storyteller and former slave named Uncle Julius, and a "conjure woman" named Aunt Peggy. At critical moments during their stay in North Carolina, Uncle Julius tells John and Annie stories about the conjure woman which illuminate life in the slave South and which have a way of returning back to John and Annie as well. The stories are fun, creative, and outrageous.

The second group of five stories explore white black relationships subsequent to the Civil War as well as relationships between different types of black people. There are three stories which deal with highly educated black people and the ambivalence they feel towards the rural blacks in the post-Reconstruction south. These stories also show the difficulties faced by urban black people in the North at the turn-of-the century in gaining acceptance from their neighboors. (Chesnutt had first-hand experience of this situation.) There is also a story centering upon a lynching in a Sourthern town.

This is a short, inexpensive book which will introduce the reader to an early African-American writer who deserves to be better known.

I am a Jr at a local college and have enjoyed this book. There are many examples to follow making it easy to learn from. Enjoy your calculus!

This book is the best on the market for both students and teachers.

This story flows along nicely with rhyming text. On each page, the child is prompted to find something that one of the ballerinas is missing. Help find all 10 so that the recital can go on! Bonus: Jewel stickers will be especially loved by budding ballerinas.

This is a great book to reinforce some math and logic skills. Mostly it's fun for girly girls. The stickers are the shiny jewel kind and are not reusable. The ballerinas are cute. We buy sticker books for every car and plane trip we take and they make the trips so much more bearable.