This book offers a unique glimpse into the two forces that are trying to dominate Saoudi-Arabian society: the islamic legal scholars (ulama) and the royal Saud family. At the moment the ulama seem to be winning this battle, which leads to the implementation of strict islamic Hanbali law in almost all spheres of everyday life. The striving of the king to implement more westernized laws is largely ignored by the ulama and the islamic judges. All this makes the Saoudi-arabian islamic system of law an ideal subject for studying and understanding Islam. The book is fairly easy reading, although I would say that some preliminary knowledge about Islam is required.

there's a new bizzrro legend in West Virginia and his name is Frank K Thomas. While ostensibly about flying airplanes, It is This Way With Men Who Fly certainly doesn't limit itself to that subject. Frank (can I call you Frank?)is more than happy to give you his opinion of just about anything you would care to know. Though he waxes philosophical at times, Antoine De Saint-Exupery he is most definitely not. This earthy witty little book is a gleeful romp inside the life and head of one of those colorful individuals that make America truly and gloriously the weirdest country I've ever had the luck to be from.

This book of Clayderman contains some really nice songs. However the songs aren't very hard to play (you can learn them pretty easy), it's really a art to play it in a beautiful way. That's the nicest of these book: "Easy, so you can love hearing to your own music at once, but taking much more time to improve your quality of these songs on your piano."

From: "Fra Noi" newspaper, Chicago, January 1999

If your New Year's resolution is to learn more about italy, then one way to reach that goal is to pick up "Italy Today." Dr. Mario Mignone, a professor of Italian at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, has revised the book he uses in his popular course on Modern Italy that attracts over one hundred students each semester.

"Italy Today" takes us from the founding of Italy's democratic government in 1944 through today. Divided into sections on politics, economy, society and culture, "Italy Today" helps you understand what it means when the news says another Italian government has failed; Mignone explains just how Italy made the incredible leap from post-World War II poverty to its current status as the fifth largest producer of wealth in the world; he also explains why Italian films are art and why Italian television is not.

With a fine sketch of history as a backdrop, "Italy Today" charts the changes Italy has undergone over the past fifty years--more, says Mignone, than in previous centuries combined. Along the way he challenges mythic notions such as the natural inferiority of the South, the absolute dominance of the Catholic Church, and the amoral famialism set in place by other scholars. His arguments are always constructively critical and his prose is straight forward and jargon-free. Designed for the newcomer to Italian Culture, Mignone's book could also serve to refresh the memory of those who have some previous familiarity with Italian studies.

As Mignone writes," No other people over so long a history have shown a greater knack and adaptability than the Italians and in a manner that is full of paradoxes." While you might not resolve those paradoxes, you will certainly appreciate them more after reading "Italy Today."

This book has a number of short stories of Jack London, as well as his novel, The Game. Each story paints a pictire of a time long gone. Adventure, bravery, and honor are the values of the men of these stories. In a harsh time, the men and women had to be resilliant, and maintain thier cheer in the face of hardship.

The tales are a window into the past, and Jack London, one of the greatest writers of his time, captured the essense of life in the frontier, on the sea, and in the hearts and minds of the people of the past. Although only a century past, this era is as far from our modern society as the hard days of Egil Skaligrimson(one of the first Icelendic Vikings in the new world) or Ponce DeLeon.

These sorts of stories should be read by everyone, espically students of history and literature. Bravery in the face of hardship is something which we all should understand even in our comparitivly easy and rich times. We should attempt to capture the essence of this bravery and courage and pass it on for the future.

Jackpine Savages is a very humorous biography about the life of teenage boys in the 1950s. It will bring back memories for men especially who were growing up in the 50s in a small town or rural area, this taking place in northern Wisconsin. The writing consists of chapters focused on topics of interest including school, sports, getting a job, and skinnydipping in the north woods. Interspersed in the humor are some valuable life lessons which adults can appreciate and from which youth can benefit. Because many of today's teenagers are interested in life in the 50's, they should especially enjoy this 170 page book.

I think of this book as an encyclopedia of the Jagdstaffeln of the Imperial German Air Service. There are no first-hand accounts of air combat. Instead, this book is the product of countless hours of painstaking research into the history of the German fighter units of World War I. It is, in short, a reference book, as opposed to easy reading. A half-page history of each Jasta is given. A map showing the locations of the Jasta airfields is cross-referenced to those units that operated there at any time during the war. The map is best read with the aid of a magnifying glass! A chronological listing of the commanders of each Jasta is presented, along with a summary of each pilot accredited with one or more victories. The heart of the book is an alphabetical list of the Jasta pilots, giving a brief summary of their combat records. There are a number of good black and white group photos of many of the Jastas. Of special interest to model enthusiasts, a number of black and white aircraft profile views illustrate the characteristic markings used by the Jastas at various times during the war. Comprehensive lists of casualties round out the volume. In summary, this book should prove invaluable to anyone wishing to pursue serious historical or biographical research into German fighter operations during the Great War.

This is a review of the 1977 edition. I'm sure there is a latter edition, and probably due for an update.

Fairly serious, text book, and perhaps best in the early years, including folk, ragtime, blues and African influences. Liberally sprinkled with great photos, some early ones include a 1895 photo of Buddy Bolten and a 1923 photo of King Oliver band with Louis Armstrong. This book is probably most geared for the musician, with transcriptions from Lester Young, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane as well as many shorter musical passages through the text.

Although I'm sure everyone find some of their favorite musicians missing, Tirro offers many perspectives and tries to relate jazz to other cultural happenings, such as beat poets. His chapter on "Loose Ends" attempts to fill in some of his omissions. I would have liked to have seen more discussion on the role of evolving technology, for example without the more modern microphone a crooner like Frank Sinatra wouldn't have stood out. I found his chronology and discography very helpful in keeping the history and music in context. Readers would do well to have a copy of The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz to listen along with the reading.

This is a great book for both beginners and those who are already fit. I have used this book in my Fitness Walking Class and everything you need to know is in this book! It is very helpful and informative!

If you really need an in-depth study of Joshua, Gene Getz has done it. After reading his study of Joshua I have now purchased three more books from his Men of Character series. The books are great for daily devotional time or for just study. I found out some really interesting and life applicable things from the studies. Each chapter ends with principles that Getz has discovered. Afterwards, he challenges you to discover which principles are most relevant to you. The series is good and Joshua has really been a blessing to me. Get a copy, you will be blessed!