though i have been a reader of harper's for only 20 of its 150 years--13 percent of its total publishing history--i welcomed this anthology with great anticipation. Then why was I disappointed when the heavy tome arrived? its size makes it too unwieldly to read, especially in bed where i normally read all my harper's magazines. it's like going to bed with a cement block. granted there are some wonderful essays (read: the history of the magazine parallels the cyclical highs and lows of publishing in this country), some stand out in greater relief, such as trotsky's warning about hitler. there's something to be said about reading journalism as history, and this collection won't disappoint. plus, there are some of my favorite essays of a recent vintage--david foster wallace on the state fair or richard rodriguez on san francisco's new gentilty. in any case, buy this book if you have strong biceps; otherwise, content yourself with the stellar monthly magazine.

I kept needing short stories for school reports so I bought this collection to save countless trips to the library. Everything is right in there; no scavanging is needed to find great classic stories. There are so many to choose from that in the event that one of my teachers assigns a specific short story, it will be in there. This anthology proved infinitly useful in the past few months I've had it and will continue to provide me with relevant material in the future for years to come. A must buy.

Works by some of the finest, most notable American writers who contributed to Harper's Magazine over the decades are gathered in a single volume commemorating over a hundred fifty years of the magazine's publication. An American Album: 150 Years Of Harpers Magazine is a showcase of works and images which contains some outstanding writing, and which should not be missed by any with an affection for American literary style.

If you're looking for entertaining Halloween picture books for 3 and 4 year olds, Arthur's Halloween fits the bill.

Arthur and his friends go trick or treating. Arthur is very scared at first, but he learns to overcome his fears along the way. Only D.W. is brave enough to approach the "witch's" house, but then Arthur and D.W. learn that the "witch" is really just a misunderstood elderly lady with a messy house and yard.

Arthur's Halloween is about trick-or-treating, mainly, and there is no mention of Halloween parades, bobbing for apples, or other Halloween traditions. If your children are afraid of trick-or-treating, this book may help them to escape their fear.

Often characters in Arthur videos and books daydream or imagine episodes, and I find that those episodes are presented in a way that my three year old finds confusing. He does not distinguish between the trappings of characters' imaginations and the regular plot. Now I know that I can add commentary so that he understands that certain elements in a book are just the dreams of a character.

For example, in Arthur's Halloween, some of the kids imagine that the "witch" is harming Arthur and D.W. in several different ways. When a toddler sees illustrations of the "witch" doing such things, he believes it just as he believes the rest of the plot. I have learned that I can say "Francine (or The Brain, or Buster, etc.)just THINKS this is happening. It's not really happening, is it?" Then my child doesn't confuse the "real" plot with the characters' fanciful thoughts.

In any case, Arthur's Halloween is not a bad Halloween picture book, and even if you steer your child away from "series" books or books allied with television series, give this one a try.

ken32

This Arthur installment is a cute Halloween story that reminds us appearances can be deceiving. Arthur is scared of everything this Halloween -D.W.'s costume, the family decorations, the batwing brownie snacks at school - things that everyone else seems to enjoy. Obligated to bring little sister D.W. along while trick or treating with his friends, Arthur is crabby about everything, expecially when D.W. runs into the creepy house on the corner. Everyone's afraid to go in, but Arthur has to go in after D.W. When he does so, he finds D.W. contendly eating chocolate doughnuts with the elderly lady owner. He realizes that the old lady is not a witch, just unable to keep up the maintenance on her house all by herself. At the end, Arthur and D.W. leave hugging the old lady and promising to help her rake leaves. All Arthur's friends are impressed, Arthur has learned that there is nothing to be afraid of, and even leads the group home through the cemetary! This is a really important lesson for little ones to learn; not to judge by appearances. My kids love the Arthur books. Despite the fact that they are all aardvarks, rabbits, monkeys, and rats, the problems they encounter are very real-to-life, and D.W. the pesty sister is just perfect! You won't be disappointed with this book if your kids like Arthur!

I really like arthur's book's I remeber that I liked this book since I was in kindergarten and I'm in middle school and I still read those books. It is very intersting and I love how some of the words ryum.and I will not stop reading those books.

You could call the play a critic on capitalist system but it is also simply the story about a man with a fatal error that leads to his downfall. Arthur Miller presents a complex and difficult character: Willy Loman. Willys mind and inner life are presented dramatically by the use of flashbacks and inner monologs.It is an interesting trip through psychology for the audience,to find out why Willy escapes into the past. Miller perfectly creates the illusion of the past and makes the audience experience a fusion of past an present by verbal and non-verbal theatrical technique.The audience can reach a deeper rational and emotional understanding of Willys situation during the play. The requiem interrupts this identification to make the audience have an objective view on Willys fate. Miller makes the audience realize the psychological development to make them critisize and think actively about it: Could Willy Lomans downfall have been avoided or not? By analysing Willys character his fatal error gets clear.Willy makes his own bad situation worse,e.g.by refusing his friends offer of a job. There for the play gives an advice to the audience:Think objectively about your behaviour and spot errors,like you spot Willys fatal error.

When you get down to it, really, the only reasons for buying one version of a play are 1) price, 2) readability (i.e., the font, size of print, etc.), and 3) accompanying analysis/essays. As for myself, the third reason is the most important. This version is the best I've seen for accompanying analysis. It has a number of essays and an interview by Arthur Miller himself and reviews of the play by others. The works written by Miler were of the most interest to me, but there is plenty here. Admittedly, if price is most important to you, there are cheaper versions out there, but you won't get what this version offers. To me, though, this version is worth the money.

And do I need to mention this is a damn good play? But, as I said, you'll get the same play regardless of which version you pick up (at least, I would hope...).

DRAMA

Real vs. Virtual American Dream

By Kevin Biederer

Arthur Miller's 1949 drama basically revolves around the American dream of a father who makes many mental errors that lead to his downfall.
The inner life of the father, Willy, is presented by the use of monologs in his head. He is a washed up salesman that does not realize it, and tries to rub off his overwhelming cockiness on his two sons.
Biff, one of his sons, transforms from a cocky, young football player into a doubtful, young man. Biff understands the reality of life through the falseness of the American dream, which ultimately, destroys his father who is living a virtual American dream. If Biff had listened to his father his whole life, he would still just be a cocky, young football player. Instead Biff realizes what a, 'ridiculous lie [his] life has been!' (104). He

Death of a Salesman
By Arthur Miller
139 pages

realizes he does not want to follow in his father's footsteps and become a washed up salesman. Biff just wants to live a normal life where Willy is not pressuring him about everything. Willy is one of those fathers who think their child is the greatest at everything no matter what. That is good in some cases, but not when Willy sets unrealistic goals for his child.
This drama portrays how many parents treat their children. Most parents try to push their children, but some go over the line, as seen in this drama. But what Willy has truly failed in is his family life and his married life. That is the corruption of the true American dream.
This drama deserves five stars because it always keeps you on your feet just waiting to see what will happen next. Brooks Atkinson of the New York Times says, 'this is one of the finest dramas in the whole range of the American theater.'
The theme of this drama is seen in the mental approaches Willy has in his life. You have to think about what you say to certain individuals and spot errors. Could Willy Loman's downfall have been avoided or not?
This drama has a tragic but far-fetched ending that puts a twist on the entire novel. Willy does something drastic, which he thinks is best for his children. We will leave that for you to decide if this decision was the best one he could have made.

Good writing, a different kind of detective and brave plotting make this a keeper. A pleasure to find something new.

After looking in every bookstore in town and learning they were all out-of-stock, I finally decided to order from here. It was a long wait (and more than I wanted to pay for an author I'd never read), so I was sure this would be a disappointment. I even considered giving it away as a gift after I had read it.

That said, this book has a permanent place on my bookshelf. I read it in the space of one day, unable to stay away from the tale of Maximillian Diamond for more than a few moments. Well worth the price, the wait and everything else it took to get this book in my hands. Can't wait for "A Cure To Gravity" to get here!!

Nothing about this mystery novel is expected, from the great care the writer takes to come up with memorable character names -Phayle, Sea Chunny, Mozart - to the use of a U.S postal inspector as the centerpiece of what promises to be a series. Postal inspector? That's got to be a first among mystery novels. The hero has a pet tortoise, drives an exotic motorcycle, practices a Zen lifestyle, is bald, and went to Yale. Name another novel in the detective genre with those traits. Combine originality of detail, if not plot, with a far above average literary style and you have a read that is hard to put down. Great writing. More, more!

Not a good one for the beginners like me. It seems covering the everything in the subject of digital testing, but the author goes very difficult way to explain even simple concepts that are easily explained in some other texts. I guess, if anyone wants to grasp an idea about what is the degital testing then pick "DESIGN for TEST, by ALFRED L. CROUCH" or if you are working enginner in testing industry or the graduate student who plans to write a paper then it will be the one eventually.

This book is not ideal for engineers with very little exposure to digital circuitry. A prior course in digital circuits is essential before getting the most from this text. Once you have a fundamental background, this book is excellent in extending your design knowledge into the testing world. A great design which cannot be tested isn't worth much. This book will reinforce this concept.

This is a very readable book; things are explained clearly. Almost every area of VLSI testing is covered (some in little details, but still covered!). Nice book to build a foundation for more advanced testing courses or just as an introduction into VLSI testing. I love it so much that I bought 2 :) It's a long story.

[T]he dominating structure of a great civilized tradition is certain absolutes . . . by which people live, and by which they must continue to live
until in the slow crawl of history new references take their place.
-Allen Tate, Liberalism and Tradition

Man is a creature that in the long run has got to believe in order to know, and to know in order to do.
-Allen Tate

During his lifetime, Allen Tate was considered by no less an authority than T. S. Eliot to be the best American poet of his generation. Yet today, the only one of his poems we really recall is Ode to the Confederate Dead, and even that has a whiff of impropriety about it. He wrote two well regarded biographies, but they're of the Confederate heroes Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis. He was also considered an outstanding critic, but criticism has a pretty short shelf life, as each generation discovers authors anew. He was also a participant in and a founder of important literary movements--the Fugitives, the Agrarian movement, and the New Criticism. Yet there's a a certain stench about the politics of these groups, their celebration of Southern ideals sitting ill with the subsequent Civil Rights era. And if Mr. Tate's ambiguous position in regard to race weren't enough to doom him in modern eyes, he was also no gentleman in his treatment of his wife, the fine writer, Caroline Gordon, to whom he was apparently quite flagrantly unfaithful. Add to it all the unfortunate fact that regard for the Confederacy and the Ante-Bellum South has been co-opted to some extent by white supremacists and other idiots and it's surely no surprise that Mr. Tate's reputation has fared poorly.

With all this as baggage, the reader who comes to The Fathers, Mr. Tate's only novel, expecting some kind of gothic version of Gone With the Wind must be forgiven. Instead, while it is fairly Southern gothic, what Mr. Tate offers is a far more complex portrait of a young man, Lacy Buchan, who is torn between the world of his father, Major Lewis Buchan, representing the stereotypical Southern aristocracy, but paralyzed into inaction by the war, and George Posey, Lacy's brother-in-law, a modern man (for example, a capitalist) whose lack of ties to the chivalric tradition lead him to behave in an undisciplined fashion, eventually resulting in tragedy. Lacy's struggle then is to find a middle way, one that learns from and honors the traditions of his father, but which is capable of moving forward into the modern age that George presages, or perhaps into a better future, because tempered by tradition.

The novel is a tad opaque and overwrought for my tastes, but well worth reading.

GRADE : C+

This is quite simply the best novel ever written set in and around the Civil War.

This novel is one of the best written in the United States. While it will delight conservatives for its tender and moving picture of a culture whose traditions and habits are being destroyed, readers of all political stripes will enjoy reading the Greek like tragic victory/fall of the utilitarian 'hero' of the novel. His story is that of modernity, and thus of us all.

I took your book all over Europe. I found it very helpfull untill we got to Paris. I didn't realize that there were so many train stations around Paris and that so few people spoke English. The information desk was closed and we didn't know that the subway stops were listed by the last stop. We came out of the metro near the latin quarter and had a nice tour of Paris on the red buses for a very good rate. Also people traveling to Milan must know that using the hotel registry is a joke. I got a much better deal at the tourist desk at the train station!

This guide is as deep as a guide about the whole Europe can be. It presents many tips and brief information about the countries, like main attractions, hotels, restaurants and transport. Be careful, you won't find many eastern European countries here. If you're going to use it for planning it's excelent. You'll find web sites, prices and a rail map, but not a road map, to help you. It's a little bit heavy to carry around, and almost not illustrated. The attractions are ranked so you can imagine what worth a visit.

A great overview on Europe and provides the essential information on getting around, what to see, where to stay and where to eat. I've just returned from my first trip to Europe and found the information very useful, relevant and up to date. Definately pack this one!

The REAL grandeur of this little gothic gem lies in the power of suggestion. Machen, much like a Nicholas Roeg film or the Lovecraft mythology, only hints at the unspeakable horrors in "Great God Pan" and therein lies the novel's strength, short and negligable as it may seem. It's up to the reader to "fill in the blanks", and make the right connections as to which abominations lurks beneath the sinister series of seemingly unconnected events, that are displayed in "Great God Pan."

Scattered around in the book are twisted images of the many abominable faces that the Great God Pan may take, drawn by the esoteric occultist Austin Osman Spare.

This novel has a wonderfully unique premise. The themes of the darker aspects of Greek Myth, sinister woods and what lurks within them, unreality right beneath our world, make for a delightfull story. While the plot is a bit mundane towards the center of the book, overall this is compensated for. If you've ever let your mind wander into the origins of ancient myths, and have been a bit shocked by what you imagine this is the book for you. The sexual aspect of the supernatural events is key, and overall adds to the one's attraction and repulsion to the concepts beneath the surface of this book. Machen was akcknowledged by HP Lovecraft as a major influence, and one sees this here. Also, Spare's illustrations, while not done for the book, are quite appropriate to convey its themes. Highly reccomended.

I came to know about Arthur Machen and his work through the brilliant mastermind of H.P.Lovecraft; his references, both in fiction ("The Dunwich Horror" makes a very clear statement about Machen's influence in his body of work) and non-fiction ("Supernatural Horror in Literature"), ultimately inspired me to go search something about this author. Needless to say, I found virtually nothing in any bookstore. It was during a trip to Madrid, Spain, where I finally found a book by Machen containing "The Great God Pan" and many others. I was shocked.

"The Great God Pan" was the first story I read by Arthur Machen, and I only had to read the first few pages to know I was going to like it. Indeed, I did, although it was a little short for my taste.

The ideas Machen makes you travel through are some of the finest in horror literature, and the Cosmic view of Pan, is very near the likes of Lovecraft. One can easily see where the influence Machen exerted over Lovecraft is. The only difference is that Machen did believe in some supernatural force existing within the Universe, whereas Lovecraft was the complete opposite.

Dark Pagan Horror is what Machen delivers, and he does so with such a style, elegance (at least the Castilian translation, I still have to read the originals in English, but I am assuming the originals are much better) and wit, you just can't help but to stay with it until you are done.

I was a little disappointed with the book because my expectations were more of what was shared on the Moody's Midday Connection radio program, which had more to do with finding wholeness and realizing that wholeness is the goal regardless of your marital status. It's not that the book is bad, it's not, it just lacked driving some major points home. The book shares some wisdom and offers some practical things. Some readers should feel "understood" by the stories shared and that's a good thing. Being "understood" is validating and encouraging and this is what makes the book a worthy gift or purchase for a single. If however you are looking for a book that offers singles' wisdom and understanding, get Lori Smith's book titled: The Single Truth.

In Chapter One Kathleen Hardaway shares a story about herself. It's one that many women can immediately relate to.

Chapter Two asks are you bitter or better as a result of heartache or heartbreak.

Chapter Three shares the story of women who have been married and are no longer married as a result of divorce or death. Each come to embrace the pain and overcome their anguish with Christ.

Chapter Four comes back to Kathleen's own testimony of her "real salvation" when she decides to actually follow God's Word and not just label herself a "Christian." Again, many people can probably relate.

Chapter Five is an apt reminder of God's call to sexual purity.

Chapter Six encourages the reader to become passionate about Christ.

Chapter Seven reminds singles that the freedom from concern is a gift.

Chapter Eight was a list of comments singles' may hear from people in the church or elsewhere by people who don't understand or have wisdom about God's Word, singleness or marriage. It would have been really helpful had Kathleen offered the true rebuttal for each stupid comment or at least dealt with why the comments may be so painful to a single woman.

Chapter Nine reminds the reader that Christ is the Prince. The chapter is titled "The Real Prince Is Coming," but it would have been better titled "The Prince Has Come." Christ remains a husband to his bride and that never changes regardless of your marital status. As a Christian you are forever his bride. The intermingling of "Christ is my husband" with thoughts of Him replacing an earthly husband lack the real meaning of Christ being all-sufficient. Somehow when introducing the thought of Christ as the same or a replacement for an earthly human husband, it decreases what it really means to be the bride of Christ while at the same time elevating the role of a human husband to being all-sufficient. I know the author does not mean that, it's just that without driving the points home the door is left open to maintaining some really bad thinking about singleness and marriage. I find that many women look to a man to validate them (in a lasting deep way) as only God can which strategically sets the marriage up to fail. A human cannot be God. Again, Kathleen would be the first to agree, there's no argument here. For me, the 133 page book doesn't drive these points home.

I Kissed A Lot Of Frogs: But the Prince Hasn't Come completely changed my perception of my own singleness. I found myself in every chapter of the book. Some parts made me laugh while others brought me to tears. I could relate to every disappointment, every hurt, and every doubt. Being a single
woman in my late 20's, I do often wonder what is wrong with me or why God hasn't sent me a husband, as I am sure many other single women often wonder. Growing up in a Christian home and church family, I have always been told that God will give you the desires of your heart if you just ask Him. Well,
my desire is to be a wife and mother, but I often feel very discouraged that God doesn't have the same plans for my life. After reading this book, I finally realize that it isn't about me at all; it is all about Him. I have been distracted by my wants/desires, and I have taken my focus off of Him. It is difficult to wait on the Lord, but after reading this book, I have decided to trust His timing and serve Him faithfully in my singleness. And as I do wait, although not always patiently, for my earthly prince to one day sweep me off of my feet (that is still my heart's desire), I anticipate even more the return of my Heavenly Prince who in all of His glory, will one day look into my eyes and say, "Well done my child."

I Kissed a Lot of Frogs but the Prince Hasn't Come is one of the best books I've read for single women. The author shares real life stories that all women can relate to. She conveys her own struggles of singleness but also calls the reader to live life with a passion regardless of marital status. Singles and those who minister to/with singles can benefit from the insights in this book. There are waiting periods in everyone's life. How great to know life is worth living because the True Prince is coming- Jesus Christ! I plan to buy several copies for friends and for my church library.

Although this book focuses on Richard Nixon's abuse of Presidential power, it can apply to the present day as well. Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush have all extended the power of the Presidency in ways the framers of the Constitution would never have dreamed of. I agree with the reviewer who commented about the favoritism towards Kennedy and Roosevelt hence the four stars rather than five. A great read for anyone interested in the American Constitution as it relates to the powers of the President.

Not Schlesinger's best work, however the Imperial Presidency may be his most revolutionary book to date. The book tended to be quite redundant and repetitive. He also placed the best two chapters first, which in turn may not have been the best move. Although this book has its downsides (mentioned above) the chapters on Nixon and Secrecy are well worth the read. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn about the powers of the presidency and Congress and the feud between the two, which has so evidently become a part of our daily lives.

Whatever his shortcomings (see below), historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. has a great mind and writes with a silver pen. I am immensely impressed with his book on the growth of presidential power in America and cannot imagine a better introduction to my future studies on this important subject.

The book's organization is superb. Appropriately, it first discusses the Founding Fathers' likely intentions in regard to the Presidency and where they disagreed amongst themselves. Next it explains the Presidency and its war power, tracing its development through the nineteenth century and into the twentieth, and paying special attention to the Second World War, the Korean War and Vietnam. Most of a 64-page chapter is devoted to President Richard M. Nixon's radical ideas and practices. Democracy and foreign policy is then treated, followed by the Presidency and its powers of secrecy, and finally, the Presidency and its future. As these subjects are dealt with, many facts are thrown at the reader, the totality being hard to absorb. Fortunately, nothing is explained in isolation. The author constantly backtracks, providing new historical context and rehashing material already covered. This practice, plus good organization and a high degree of literary skill (Dr. Schlesinger can *write*), make this book highly readable.

Of particular interest is Dr. Schlesinger's discussion of philosopher John Locke's idea of presidential prerogative, of which I was previously unaware (and which I am still mulling over). This is the view that extraordinary national emergencies create temporary exceptions to normal constitutional restrictions on a president's power to act. This prerogative is supposed to come into play during clear threats to the republic that require immediate action and that are recognized by Congress and the people as legitimate emergencies; a president is also supposed to submit himself to the judgment of Congress (e.g., for possible impeachment) after exercising this prerogative, and not pretend that he had been acting within the Constitution (which might set a dangerous precedent). This idea is important because of its influence on the Founding Fathers, who were steeped in Locke, and because of its consequences. Correctly or not, President Abraham Lincoln invoked it during the Civil War, as did President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during World War II. President Richard M. Nixon also made use of it... with far less justification.

Dr. Schlesinger's treatment of President Nixon, the size of whose index entry dwarfs that of any other topic in the book, is also fascinating. Dr. Schlesinger clearly is appalled by the man and devotes many pages to his schenanigans and his almost monarchical views of Presidential power. He demonstrates just how significant a departure was the Presidency under Nixon from the Presidency as conceived by the Founding Fathers. In a statement that is very true, Dr. Schlesinger calls Nixon's Presidency "a culmination, not an aberration, and potentially the best thing to have happened to the Presidency in a long time" (paraphrasing from memory, since I lost the page). It is unfortunate that Congress did not make the most of Watergate and put the Presidency into its proper place (e.g., see its shameful War Powers Act or the Presidency of Bill Clinton). This, Congress's own role in the expansion of Presidential power (its unwise, Cold War-inspired delegation of foreign policy discretion to the Presidency, its evasion of responsibility, its cowardice, etc.), is also given just and ample treatment.

I am concerned about Dr. Schlesinger's possible biases. He discloses, for example, that he was an aide in President John F. Kennedy's administration, and indeed his view of Kennedy's Presidency is relatively rosey. He is also kind to President Roosevelt and must admire him, else he would not be a leading member of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute. And as David S. Wyman contends in his definitive history of America's response to the Holocaust, *The Abandonment of the Jews*, Dr. Schlesinger has long maintained (though it does not come up in this volume) that Roosevelt did all he could to save European Jews from the Nazis during World War II--in utter contradiction of the facts.

My main criticism of *The Imperial Presidency* is theoretical. I am a strict constructionist, Dr. Schlesinger believes in a looser, evolutionary interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. He says as much in his first chapter. Quoting President Woodrow Wilson--that despot of democracy whose own collectivist impulses and subversion of the Constitution forced our American boys into the bloody trenches of a European war--he objects to the Constitution's being treated as "a mere legal document, to be read as a will or contract," and advocates that its meaning be determined "by the exigencies and the new aspects of life itself." I will state here simply that under this view of the Constitution, the document's meaning becomes anything anybody at any time wishes it to be--in which case it loses all utility, we might as well have no Constitution and kiss our individual rights goodbye to unscrupulous men and prevailing philosophies that might not, in fact, be in our best interest. We have the power of Amendment for a reason. I dare not speculate how Dr. Schlesinger's beliefs might have affected his scholarship. I will note with irony, however, that the constitutional views he expouses have greatly contributed to the "imperial presidency" he so decries. Was Nixon the chief culprit in Watergate--or was he the culmination of intellectuals like Dr. Schlesinger?

Despite these criticisms, there is more good in *The Imperial Presidency* than bad. I will repeatedly refer back to it whenever I have questions about what powers our presidents have and how they got them. I might buy a more recent edition. Mine was published shortly after Watergate, the constitutional crisis that occasioned the book's writing, but according to Amazon.com's description of it, it is supposed to cover the Presidency through Ronald Reagan. My curiosity is piqued.