Fee's commentary is thoughtful and helpful for the pastor. Among the commentaries that have come out recently, it is not as technical as the one by Peter O'Brien, but it is more thorough than that by Moises Silva. Evangelical readers will appreciate Fee's pastoral and devotional comments. The weakness of Fee's commentary is its overt egalitarianism and slight misunderstanding of the cultural context of friendship in the ancient Greco-Roman world. For input on this context, search for works by B. W. Winter. Fee's commentary fills a needed place in Philippians commentaries.

If you are looking for a readable commentary that goes deeper into the meaning of Phillipians and it's application today but you aren't a pastor or a bible school student, then I would highly recommend this one. I thought his comments on the structure and intent of the letter were outstanding and a revelation to me. I think there is also much in this book for the serious student but for a layman like me just wanting to understand what God could say to me through Paul's little letter, this book is a dream come true!

I have been doing a Sunday School classes on Philippians and have found this commentary indispensible. It is thorough beyond expectation, insightful to the core and complete with life applicaiton sections following each section. I have been blessed and challenged so often by what he has to say. The Christ Hymn (so some - I prefer Christ Story), 2:5-11, had me in tears of joy and worship. It's a must have for any serious student of the Word. You won't regret this purchase.

The Pepper Garden provides everyone with a vast collection of information ranging from the history of peppers to the pests and diseases that attack them. Unfortunatly, the book falls short in providing the reader with in-depth information on growing peppers during the most crucial stage; seeds and germination. Overall, the book is a must-have reference for all gardeners interested in "growing fire".

An exceptionally well written book. Dr. Bosland from NMSU, Las Cruces is recognized as one of the top pepper researchers in the country (along with Molly Kyle at Cornell). Dave DeWitt adds his ineffable brand of humor to the thoroughly readable text. This book is not as technical as some other books written for the hobbyist or small scale farmer, but it covers a wide range of topics concerning pepper production. I own a number of books about vegetable production in general and peppers in particular; this book is one of my favorites. In addition, some excellent books about pepper pathogens are offered by the AVRDC in Taiwan.

A comprehensive tool for the beginner chile pepper grower and a great reference manual for the more experienced. This book walks a novice through the entire growing process; from seed propagation techniques to garden layout. Covers the history of chile peppers from the beginning of recorded history (well, at least close) to present day commercial and home growing operations. No pepper afficianado should be without this manual. Some full color illustrations, many useful line drawings, and a bushel basket full of additional pepper seed sources.

Phil Sheridan lacks a worthy biography, but this is the best around. It focuses on the post-Civil War period but ( I think)
could have done more to save the General's reputation from that of a 'bigot and Indian hater'.

For example, the unfair ascription of the so-called proverb 'The only good Indian is a dead Indian' is not challenged, I wonder when it ever will be. From my own limited research, I have found the first recorded public use of this phrase by a Montana politician in 1868, one year before Sheridan is supposed to have uttered similar words. Further, Sheridan's brother Mike also traces the phrase to Montana, saying 'some fool' ascribed the words to Sheridan. Finally, we only have the hearsay evidence
of a single witness (ie someone told someone else who wrote it down), written down 20 years later, that Sheridan used the words at all.

There is of course the larger accusation, that whatever Sheridan said, this is how he felt. Hutton effectively refutes that charge, I only wish he had come out and roundly stated it somewhere in the book. Sheridan shared the objectives of his contemporary humanitarian critics - he wanted Indians to settle down on reservations and adopt white ways, or just live of the bounty of the government. Where he differed was how he treated 'hostiles' or recalcritant Indians. Sheridan believed in waging war on the Indians just as he had made war in the Shenandoah Valley - devastate the enemy's resources, limit his power to make war by depriving him of supplies, with the added extra of rounding up families to be taken to where they white soldiers could watch them.

In essence, Sheridan was given a dirty job, and did in the only way he knew. But he had no especial hate for the Indians - he was not a Himmler figure, as some have made him out. He was fair to Indians who kept the peace. For example, he adjudicated in a dispute between Indians and cattlemen who had leased reservation land. Despite his personal feeling about development, he came down firmly on the Indian side, and thanks to him, the cattlemen were given 3 months to remove their herds, which humbered hundreds of thousands head of cattle.

Sheridan also sponsored early efforts to study Indian lore and customs, and was instrumental in preserving Yellowstone National Park for the nation.

In short this man was not a saint. He had glaring defects - for example, he aggressively defended subordinates even when they were in the wrong, he looked after cronies in the Army and outside. But he was totally uncorrupt in a corrupt age (his personal fortune was quite small at the end of his days, even though he could undoubtedly had many opportunities to enrich himself illicitly). Also, one feels that someone who said "If I owned Hell and Texas, I'd live in Hell and rent out Texas" can't be all bad! Right or wrong, he had a certain spirit, that Little Phil!

It is time we had books that celebrate the great HEROES of freedom like Grant Sherman Sheridan ect instead of the cowadly likes of Quantrill and his gutless backshooting ilk who would have run from a Blue Coat drummer boy or a Federal Army nurse!
It is about time that Americans honored those who stood and fought for freedom and WON. This book is a fine start.

Prof Hutton does an excellent job with the story of "Little Phil" Sheridan and the Army on the post-Civil War plains. This is well written and brings the reader along like a good historical novel -- Hutton is a good historian and a great writer.

This is an easy and effective way to learn Japanese at a great pace. HOWEVER, I didn't realize that this was a sample of the full course until I read the review here.

Excellent material but not enough to really function.

This was a wonderful introduction to the Japanese language. It was easy to follow, unlike other Japanese language tapes I've heard, and each lesson built on the material from previous units. I thought the methodology and pacing made this an easy way to learn a 'difficult' language, and I did the entire set in my car while driving around over the past six months. I am disappointed that the full course is not available here.

This is the best language-learning method I have discovered. The structure is well thought out and, even though it is audio-only, it provides an excellent base for learning written Japanese as well. The tapes require you to think and make use of the vocabulary and grammar that it teaches. It is not simply a memorization tool. However, there is one import catch that is not obvious until you complete the 8 lessons the package contains. What you have purchased is a SAMPLE not a course. The intermediate tapes begin with what is essentially lesson #31. The complete beginning course (30 lessons) is available only through Pimsleur and costs $250. I was hooked and will probably continue with the program. The comparitivly modest cost of the "sample" is deducted from the price of the full course. According to their telephone sales rep, one should only buy the intermediate package that is available through retail channels if you already have some knowledge of the language and are planning to start your "real" lessons at that point. In my opinion, this is an excellent product that doesn't need to be marketed in a way that borders on the deceptive. Ric Getter

I feel that it behooves anyone with impeccable taste to seek out and listen to the essential recordings of the subject of this book. Paul Weller is a remarkable songwriter, a fine musician and an involuntary icon. Reed's product of research articulately underscores these points and also sheds light on other attributes. As an American, it's tough to find other "enlightened" individuals-however, those who have been exposed to Weller's body of work have subsequnetly become converts. In short, if you consider yourself a well-versed appreciator of excellent contemperary music and haven't heard of Paul Weller, I highly recommend that you seek out his recordings and read books like this one.

When a man in one of 'the dirtiest businesses' (copyright Ian Brown) around, manages to come out the other end of 20-odd years of it, after three sucessful incarnations, countless hit singles and albums, and still has his integrity intact, what better subject for a bio can you get.

As for the book, the author remains unobtrusive in the story telling, which helps no end (see the Stone Roses bio) in the reading.

A great (continuing) story, parts of which have been well told before (A Beat Concerto, Mr Cool's Dream), but sucessfully well told again.

From the moment I picked this book up, I couldn't put it down again (which was hard because it's really heavy). It's packed with more detail than an encyclopedia and is an absolute must for any Weller fan. Reed's writing talents are clear and focused, his use of descriptive imagery immaculate and the research that went into this book is exemplary. Though Weller doesn't talk directly to the author, the book is incredibly well written and includes hundreds of quotes here from friends, family and the Modfather himself to enrich and complement Reed's excellent biography. There's not much more I can say except go out and buy it!

David Dewitt has put out several useful books on peppers. This guide is useful to identify the many many varities and cultivars of hot peppers. While you may not be able to find the seeds to all those cultivars, the book is very useful and the color photos are excellent. Sections divide the different classifications of peppers. If you are into peppers this book may be a necessary reference on your shelf. Also usefuls is Dewitt's book The Pepper Garden.

After reading "The Pepper Garden" also by Dewitt and Bosland I bought "Peppers of the World: An Identification Guide". The book gives you a very good overall view of the whole pepper family on the planet. Nice photos and good descriptions. However two things are wrong.

First: For each pepper the authors should also have included a photo of the plant and the flower. Without that identification in many cases is almost impossible as many pods resemble each other very much indeed.

Second: The metric conversion chart in the back of the book is wrong. Centimeters and inches must have changed places. The way it is now a 10 inch pepper like for instance Numex Big Jim is about the lenght of a thumb!! I dont think New Mexican commercial growers would like that. Keep that in mind if the publishers are contemplating a new edition.

But otherwise - thanks for a great book which is a must for all pepper fans.

I have recently become interested in peppers and chilis of all types, and my thirst for knowledge on the subject led me to buy books. I have bought some 10 books on the subject, and although other books may appear more glossy and have more 'tales' or recipes (this book has neither, nor is it intended as such), this book has a wealth of colour pictures of just about every conceivable chili. Whilst not claiming to have all varieties within it, it gives a good, structured view on the pepper (capsicum) families and provides a quick and easy reference for identification and description of most varieties. Of all the books I have this is always the first I turn to for information. Well worth the money.

I think that the book was sorta boring and definetly not great. I mean the theme is pretty good, but I've read books that were a lot better.

great book. it is really interesting. i've had this book since 5th grade and i haven't read it till now (10th grade) i'm sorry i didn't. it was great- duh george.

I read the book The Perilous Road by William O. Steele. If you like exciting books you should read this one. I really don't like to read but this book I really enjoyed reading. The story takes place during the Civil War. Chris Brabson hates the union troops for many reasons. He tries ro get them back for stealing their food through a variety of ways.

Though I doubt it will be for long. This is quite possibly Theroux's most ambitious project in straight *fiction*, and it's extremely well-written and well-crafted. The "voice" of the elderly female narrator is at times just a bit unconvincing, but as a novelist, Theroux isn't at all what one might think from his numerous "travel" books--this is riveting and almost shocking, and quite vivid.

Finally, Theroux is one of those few novelists (Iris Murdoch and Robertson Davies come to mind) who seamlessly weaves a large amount of knowledge, history and culture into his narratives. In its way, this is also one of the finest books on photography ever written. I encourage you to find a copy--there's something here for those who like literary fiction, vivid description and...an excellent story.

The premise for this novel resides in the main character's desire to bed her brother. Her desire for him motivates her life and thinking; her brilliant career in photography serves only as a means to gain his respect and um, affection. Sadly, the other sister wins the brother's favors. Our heroine avoids a complete breakdown but does contract hysterical blindness when she learns the awful truth. Theroux sets up a Conradesque narrative framework, and the female narrator often launches into some turgid prose detailing the passionate vagaries of her inner life. What struck me was the incestual motivation for her great work so admired by others. A commentary on the creation of art, its basis not necessarily as pure as we'd like to imagine?

A brilliant novel in many respects, I only subtract a star due to the (in my opinion, of course) overblown nature of some of Maude's rantings. Perhaps that was part of the point -- her visceral passion.

This is one of my favorite books. Whereas Theroux often has a hard time depicting love convincingly and sometimes doesn't even try, I found the unrequited love between brother and sister in this book to be fierce and intensely tragic. The historical backdrop of the development of photography is brilliantly conceived and realized, as is the ongoing dialogue of the old woman, retired, reliving her past on Cape Cod. In many ways uncharacteristic of Theroux's brash, egocentric style, this book uses a strong feminine voice that evokes a very unforgettable personality. Good fun to read

If glibness can be elevated to greatness, then (as critics like to say), Muldoon has no peer. But that's a big "if". I picked up this volume based on a recent New York Times article where I read that (just in case you haven't heard yet) he is a Professor of Poetry at both Oxford and Princeton, having been inducted into the former at the tender age of 20. Surely, dear reader, you must know by now the unparalleled list of professorial poets produced by Oxford & Princeton? Need I name names?

I nevertheless like Pual Muldoon's poetry. I recommend it and it's fun to read, but his book of poems from 1968-1998 could hardly be considered a string of pearls.

What you will and won't get.

His is like snapshot poetry. Don't expect extended metaphor, conceits, or any overall development in the way of imagery or narrative. His is a quick wit and quick eye. Reading his poem is like setting fire to a box of matches. There's no smoldering pathos hear. His fire leaps from matchtip to matchtip, word to word, until the whole of it goes up in an exciting little burst of flames.

His poetry has been compared to Donne, but similarities are thin. For example, Donne was singularly known for the difficulty of his metrical writing. Expect no metrical daring from Muldoon. He doesn't write by numbers. Muldoon's difficulty can be summed up, I think, by this tidy comparison. Reading Muldoon is like listening to someone else's phone conversation. You will only ever hear half the conversation.

The earlier books in this collected poems are the most accessible and, in certain ways, the more enjoyable. You'll find those matchtip lines like: "Once you swallowed a radar-blip/of peyote/you were out of your tree..." This makes for fun reading.

The book "Madoc: A Mystery", however, dating from 1990 indulges in a stellar example of poetic onanism. Clearly, the writing of Madoc brought great pleasure to the author, but I personally doubt this book will mean much to anyone not having a fetish for erudite cleverness. Clearly, the Princetion professor Muldoon is having a long distance conversation with his Oxford counterpart. You will have to wiretap if you really want to get this stuff. For example:

"[Galen]
"It transpires that Bucephalus is even now
"pumping jet
"of spunk into the rowdy-dow-dow
"of some hoity-toity little skewbald jade."

Get it? If you do, this bud is for you.

The final book "Hay", is the best of them. Even if a portion of the poems strike one as little more than deliciously worded doggerel, the fun of Muldoon's wit evens the whole of it out. "I've upset the pail/in which my daughter had kept/her five-'No, six'-snails." Substitute "reader" for "daughter" and you get the idea.

By the way, did you know he was professor of poetry at Princeton AND Oxford???

I first encountered Paul Muldoon when he came to my university to give a reading and a seminar talk. When I picked up a photocopied packet of his poems and started to read through them, I was confused, then intrigued, then thrilled. When Muldoon arrived a few days later for the poetry reading and the seminar discussion, I was further impressed by this wonderful man, who has a deep understanding of poetry and language.

These poems are not "easy". Many of them require multiple readings to begin to understand them (although some are quite straightforward, but these are rare). However, Muldoon's use of language, his sense for sounds, his near-obsession with rhyme, and his inventiveness are qualities so far above most other contemporary poets that, well, what can I say? He's the real thing. Today, like Geoffrey Hill, he's very well regarded in the UK, and virtually unknown in the USA. This is tragic. A century from now, the names of Hill and Muldoon will be known, and most US poets will be forgotten - but that's another topic.

If you like difficult but beautiful poetry, pick this up. If you are into pretty easy, conversational verse that you can grasp from a first reading - stay away!

Forget Seamus Heaney, forget Galway Kinnell. Paul Muldoon is the thing. This is an excellent collection of his work. Click around here, find and read a couple of his poems, and you'll know.

If you can subtract out the venom dripping from nearly every sentence, you'll get an insight into a few of the forces that shaped the Nazi tide. If Stern hadn't been so ridiculously hateful towards these long-dead "proto-Nazis" it would have been an excellent read.

But any serious student of the NS time will have to balance this and many other works describing many other lead-up/ins to the '30s. The Nazis and their influences are a study in quantum schizophrenia, with ol' Uncle Adolf (sorta) riding herd. And of course the only thing weirder than the Nazis and all their braided streams of influence is the tangled, overgrown paths back to them through the historical literature.

Stern's book is an excellent study of German anti-semitism and Pan Germanism that ultimately concluded in Hitler and the Nazis. While it's impossible to prove that Hitler read the three authors that Stern studies in this book it's quite likely that Hitler either did read them or someone close to him read them and detailed their contents to him. Many of Hitler's ideas are either directly in the writings of the three men studied in this book or are extensions of their writings. A vastly important book that will lead a reader to the conclusion that Hitler wasn't just an "accident" of German history, he was its ultimate frightening conclusion.

Yes I may be a history student, but this book would truly appeal to anyone, especially if you are the least bit bewildered about German history or are seeking to understand it a bit more. Stern does an excellent job examining three 'average' people in Germany spanning 1871-1933 (roughly). 'Cultural despair' is an interesting concept and Stern does an excellent job showing how this was such an issue in modernising Germany and how much it meant to them. In no ways does it fully explain Nazism, but it illustrates how powerful one's 'culture' can be to a person or group of people. Howeverm it isn't just limited to Germans in any sense--it's something we should all understand and Stern's work truly anables the reader to do so.