First published in 1624, this series of meditations on illness were published following John Donne's sickness during late November and early December of 1623 (when he either had typhus or relapsing fever). Each of his ruminations are recorded in groups of three: meditation, expostulation, and prayer. Donne's insights about the "variable, therefore miserable condition of man" will always be pertinent as long as humans continue to fall prey to disease. The reading is a little slow at times, but there are some fine pieces in this book, including his famous meditation XVII, "No man is an island", that Hemingway quoted when he wrote FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS. Even if you don't read all of the essays, this book is worth obtaining just to pore over meditation XVII.

While I enjoy Friar's <>, it would take several life times to check the references for the number of items about which there is disagreement. To wit: using Kay W. Holmes as his source, Friar says that the Order of the Holy Ghost was a Castilian order of the 1300's. But Aviles [1780] dates the order in 1578 and says that it is French.

R Goss [richard.n.goss@gte.net]

Distance Learning: Making Connections Across Virtual Space and Time, by Anthony G. Picciano offers insight and guidance for all the faculty and administrators who need to plan and implement distance learning curriculum. Picciano, provides an academic outline for distance learning programs and specializes in educational technology, organization theory, and research methods. This text provides guidance for planning and implementing distance learning programs. Picciano welcomes the reader by defining distance learning as a vehicle to overcome the physical separation of teacher and students due to geography obstructions in an educational process. The author illustrates the fundamental concepts of distance learning, planning, program development, and the basic technologies used for his intended audience of administrators, managers, teachers, distance learning coordinators, chief information officers, and media specialists. Anyone involved in initiating and developing distance-learning programs will find this book beneficial. Picciano identifies planning as one of the most important issues dealing with distance education. In designing and developing new distance learning programs, additional consideration is necessary as to the goals and objectives of academic programs, hardware, software, facilities, staff development, student demands, curriculum integration, and finances. Evaluations need to be an on-going process in established distance-learning programs, including new digital technologies, and modernized alternatives. The author explains that planning should occur in all educational organizations and may be formal or informal. He outlines how educational organizations will function in the future and how they should prepare accordingly. Picciano highlights that the most effective type of planning for any educational organization is to make faculty and staff aware of the plan and the actions necessary for achieving important benchmarks. Picciano recommends an inclusive and participatory approach. Faculty, support staff and other administrators must be involved with the planning stage, in starting a new program, or expanding or modifying an existing distance learning program for it to be successful. According to Picciano, the four major elements of successful planning include comprehensiveness, collaboration, commitment, and continuity. The planning process is continuous, as technology and society changes, so must the plan. Developing a written plan guides everyday activities, and must be updated when necessary. Picciano's model for planning for distance learning includes the college, the governing board, and the environment with respect to cultural values, goals, applications, hardware, evaluation and feedback. This model teaches the development, uses, goals, and objectives for planning a distance-learning curriculum. Distance learning is dependent upon technology for delivering the instruction and as technology changes, so must the approved written plans and goals. Two good resources Picciano included in this book are A Guide to Designing a Web Based Distance Learning Course and online information resources on distance learning. Picciano stresses the need for written planning and evaluation and encourages his readers to adapt their newly learned skills to their specific situations. Each chapter includes a summary, case studies, and a reference list. The Companion Web Site is user-friendly and organized by topic area. This site provides the student with topic overviews, an Electronic Bluebook that sends homework directly to the instructor's e-mail, a message board, and links to other websites that relate to each topic. This site also includes links to professional organizations and topic-specific content that enhances material found in the text along with a resource for the instructors to create or revise their syllabi called the syllabus manager. The organization and content makes this text extremely functional as a distance-learning guide. Logically organized, Pinocchio begins with an introduction on distance learning, definitions, and the history of distance learning before diving into areas that are more technical. The hardware technology and media chapter is a great resource for new instructors and students to this area. The comparison of distance learning technologies is understandable and presented in a usable format. The instructional design chapter is the most complex topic in this book. Picciano urges developers to involve specialists for content, media, and technology help. A discussion of the two models for instructional development with associated graphics is easy to understand. Picciano provides an informative discussion on synchronous vs. asynchronous communication with different types of instructional interaction included. A limited discussion, buried at the end of chapter four, on tests, student assignments, and grades leaves the reader wanting more information. "Who is actually taking the distance-learning exam," an extremely important topic, is briefly mentioned by the author. Picciano leaves the reader lacking guidance in an area of great concern for most distance educators who need this rarely discussed topic addressed by distance learning specialists. The text concludes with a chapter about the future of distance learning and a guide to designing a Web based distance-learning course. This text provides many of the necessary tools for everyone involved in distance learning and encourages the reader to take advantage of all the wonderful work provided by Anthony Picciano. Distance Learning: Making Connections Across Virtual Space and Time as an excellent distance learning guide for anyone wanting to learn how to develop effective distance learning curriculum. Picciano stresses his book provides a foundation from which educators will look ahead to the powerful potential of distance learning as an increasingly appropriate approach for meeting the ever expanding needs of our students.

A dark, yet moving novel about an established professional who gets the dreaded news of a cancer threat to his existence. By circumstance he finds a human case more dire than his own. The focus switches and the story develops into one of emotion, compassion, and a great ending.

Of all the books I have read to prepare me for life in Canada, this is one of the most useful. It's a detailed yet never boring tale of the challenges the Liberals faced after sweeping to power in 1993 and is particularly good on the personalities and weaknesses of the chief protagonists

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in learning the gentle art of persuasion. The book covers the importance of a great attitude, studying body language, the power of listening, building trust, opening closed minds, personal power of the super persuader, and communication skills. It's 152 packed pages of concise, relevant information to help the reader increase their ability to influence others possitively. This is more of an overview book regarding the traits of an ideal communicator. There are many areas of human behavior the author attempts to cover, unfortunately without enough detailed, step-by-step scenarios or approaches. I enjoyed reading the book in high school 10 years ago. Now, I'm enjoying reading the book again. This book helps me understand why people react to me the way they did, and how becoming more aware of the power of persuasion has helped me to communicate more effectively with others, benefitting myself and everyone.

It seemed a good selection (though the two first pieces seem to address the same thing and are similar in content, if not in tone). I was a little bothered by what seemed to me an excessive sentimentality in the "Slave Girl" narrative and the "Biography of Ex-Colored Man", but I would be the first to say that the reading was educational.

As a therapist, I used to have a laugh audiotape that I would play to relieve stress in between client sessions when I was particularly up tight. This book, aptly subtitled "Bites of Living Humor," does the same thing for me, but in a quieter and longer lasting mode. It is an escape from the intensity of the moment and anchors the reader pleasantly and humorously in the memories of Marek's, and their own past, as well as providing lessons, indirectly, for the future.

There are two chief sources for the Norse myths, the Elder (Poetic) Edda and the Younger (Prose) Edda. This is a translation of the Prose Edda and includes the creation of the earth from the remains of the giant Ymir, the death of Baldr, the twilight of the gods (Ragnarök), and certain stories of Sigurd and Brynhild (Siegfried and Brünnhilde in Wagner's operas). Most translations include only the parts that are "of interest to the general reader", but this one is complete, so you can make your own judgment about which parts to read and which to skip. The translation is solid, though perhaps a little flat at times, and the price is right. Definitely for those with more than a passing interest in Norse mythology, though; if you just want to read the stories without bothering about the literary sources, you might be better off with a retelling, e.g. Favorite Norse Myths by Mary Pope Osborne.