First, the good news: this contains the complete Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy novel, one of the greatest books ever written. Problem is, the photos and art that accompany this particular version only serve to distract the reader and snap him/her out of the fictional dream. Die-hard Adams fans are the only people who will really want this, and then purely as a conversation piece. If you are new to the world of the Guide, you would be better served by getting The Ultimate Hitch-Hiker's Guide, which has the text of this book plus the other four in the series and a short story, and no pictures.

The story :
It's a thursday when the earth get's destroyed to make space
for a new hyperspace highway. The human Arthur Dent and
his friend, Ford Prefect from the Planet Beteigeuze, are
flagged up to the Vogon spaceship. From now on begins a
crazy travel through the Universe (and beyond) ...

Specials about this book:
If you are a real Douglas Adams fan, you MUST own this book.
The whole story is described with funny looking pictures,
and even Adams itself has a guest-role.

This book caught my eye in the children's library. It was older and looked much loved. I had avoided it before because I thought it was a how-to book of projects for boys that came from American Indian life. It's not! It explains how the Indians did all things. For example, one chapter is titled, "The Indian Himself" and the subheadings are "How Indian Children Went to School," and "How Indians Courted," "How Indians Made Jokes," or "How Indians Painted Their Faces," etc. No illustrations. The prose is written like an uncle telling his nephews about Indian life around the dinner table -- it's real, makes you feel like you're in communication with a person, not a text. It definitely would make a good non-fiction read-aloud. It would also make a great substitute for dry and boring American history textbooks! Written before the era of political correctness, it's accurate and appreciative, with many interesting and humorous true (so claims the author) anecdotes. My only problem with it is that the author uses too much generalization. He rarely says that Iroquois do it this way, Cherokee do it that way, etc. He simply says that Indians do it this way, and I'm sure there can't be that much similiarity among all tribes. He does point out often enough the different way of doing things when it's overwhelmingly obvious that the Plains Indians just couldn't have done that. I can't wait to read it aloud to my kids (someday...).

This book was originally printed in 1927. I recommend it as both a learning tool and for reflection about how far the Native Americans have progressed in the public eye. Arthur C. Parker was regarded as an authority on Native Americans at the time of this writing. I also recommend this book as a study in the mechanics of the English language. You will enjoy some of the spellings contained in this man's work, especially when you consider that he was of the upper class and was utilizing the most formal English of the time.

The fact that this book was reprinted fifty years after the first release and can still be found is testament to its quality, even though it stereotypes Natives and has a highly racist overtone. At the time of the first printing, this was considered a book of great advocacy for the Natives. Parker thought he was doing a great service to the Native Americans when he wrote: "The facts show that Indians can not only be civilized but are capable of promoting human welfare." So please bear in mind that this book was written 76 years ago and displays the racist mindset of the country at that time.

The information contained in this book is priceless. The instructions for doing things are accompanied by 50 illustrations and diagrams. The procedures given are much more accurate in the traditional than those given in current books. Recent technological advances have not distorted them and they were collected from peoples that actually used the techniques in daily living. So if you have ever wanted to learn how to do something in the traditional Native American manner, grab this handbook!

The book is divided into eight large sections: The How of Indian Things, The Indian Himself, Dress and Ornament, The Food Quest, Ceremonies and Mysteries, Strange Dances, War and Strategy, and Facts About Indians. You will find chapters on making hats, making trails, how the Indian came to America, how Indians tamed animals, and much more. There are tipis, canoes, fishhooks, dresses, and swimming under water.

This book contains something of interest to every person. It covers such a broad scope of topics that you are certain to find something that peaks your interest. Likely you will find yourself outside, with open book, creating something to show your friends. This book is worth its weight in gold and gets my highest recommendation. It is especially useful for persons that work with youth groups. I suggest you get a copy today. It is about time for another printing. I predict the price will be more than double the current $7...

Reprinted from Gotta Write Network Online

The Invasion of the Sea is unusual for its time in its political complexity and temporal setting, looking ahead to the 1930s. Indigenous customs and colonial opportunism clash as plans are made to irrigate the Sahara desert, opening the inland to new commerce and ports for the French navy. Verne's writing is modern in his immersion in multiple points of view, opening from the native perspective, then shifting to that of the French colonists. Verne had no illusions about the overseas power plays of his own country.
Verne makes clear how the respective sides view the situation; the West seeks to remake nature to its advantage, while the East has adapted to their surroundings. The West wants to change the land, failing to realize that the desert
is home to the tribes of Bedouins. Flooding the land and changing its fundamental purpose becomes the ultimate form of imperialism. While recognizing its political shortcomings, Verne still valorizes the heroic aspect of the human attempt to
harness nature.
The first half of the book establishes the region and the dimensions of the conflict, comparing the different cultures of the Arabs and the Europeans. During the last half, Verne foreshadows the final outcome as nature asserts its own primacy over human plans. A monstrous earthquake shifts the land, allowing the sea to flood the Sahara, overwhelming even the designs of the French. The characters in The Invasion of the Sea are men (and an Arab woman) in action--bandits, French soldiers and an engineers--but the novel is not as exciting as the general reader might hope.
The translation by Edward Baxter is ideal; he fluently transfers Verne's French into readable, contemporary English. All of the 43 engravings and photographs from the original French edition are included, bringing to life the scenery and action of the story in the context of their time. For years it has seemed that this novel could not be more timely, considering confrontations between Arabs and the West, yet its appearance in English comes at a historical moment whose aptness could not be exceeded. While scarcely a lost masterpiece, The Invasion of the Sea is a worthy and important addition to the Verne canon and science fiction literature.

Invasion Of The Sea is the first English edition of a novel written in 1904 by Jules Verne, best know for his classics "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" and "Around the World in 80 Days." Meticulously translated from the original French by Edward Baxter, Invasion of the Sea is an engaging novel that takes serious look at political and imperial struggles in North Africa. When a canal is proposed to create a sea in the Sahara Desert, the way of life of the Islamic tribes living there becomes threatened, and they declare war to protect their lands, prompting a cataclysmic struggle that only natural forces can surpass. A thought-provoking and serious tale, Invasion Of The Sea is recommended for Jules Verne enthusiasts.

Great! A marvelous satire of Victorian politics. Iolanthe, a fairy, has a son, Stephon, who is half mortal and cannot marry his true love because the entire House of Lords is in love with her too! To revenge themselves on the Peers, the fairies put Strephon into Parliament and arrange it so every bill he chooses is passed into law.

Few opera/operetta librettos read very well on their own (of course, they weren't intended to). In the case of Gilbert and Sullivan, the exercise is not only sheer pleasure, but almost a necessity; such is the speed of the monologues and intricacy of the ensembles that much of Gilbert's brilliant verbal wit gets lost.

'Iolanthe' is one of his most enrapturing confections, the story of a shepherd, Strephon, half-fairy half-mortal, whose mother, Iolanthe, is a disgraced sprite (it is forbidden for fairies to marry mortals), and whose father (unbeknownst to either) is the Lord Chancellor who won't let him marry his ward, Phyllis, darling of the Lords.

The material may be fantastic, the setting pastoral, but the satire in this 1882 work is spot-on contemporary, with jibes at the Irish problem, the uselessness of the House of Lords (who as a caste are as close to fantasy as the fairies, so it is no surprise they exchange the House of Peers for the House of Peris), and the ruling class' fear of democracy and universal suffrage. A most delightful fancy has the fairies take over Parliament in the shape of Strephon, whose every whim unites the notoriously factional Liberal and Conservative in his favour.

this is Gilbert at his funniest - the verbal contortions he undergoes in the search for rhymes break all linguistic boundaries, and his view of the fragility of centuries-old English institutions prescient. There is an extraordinary patter song by the Lord Chancellor which shows the man embodying Law and Constitution plunging into nightmare, the culmination of a libretto in which identities and forms, as well as seemingly irrevocable laws and customs, are repeatedly broken down or metamorphosed.

I read this book and the author's other children's book (Abuela) with my daughters (ages 2 and 4) who both enjoyed them immensely. Dorros does a great job of mixing the Spanish phrases in and repeating words in both English and Spanish that the story flows nicely and children can pick up some Spanish very naturally along the way. The pictures are very fun as well. I highly recommend it, in fact I came here to look for more books by the same author but unfortunately, didn't find any. I hope he has more in the works, we love them!

This book is wonderful. As I read this book to my second graders. They feel like they are flying and actually doing what the characters are doing. They really get into the book

Although at times the essays in this do not always focus directly on Lincoln, in one he is compared to Bismark, they all reflect the greatness of the man and his post in the Amercan Civil War. This is a must have for those interested in political control of the military, nation building, and or Lincoln.

"Lincoln the War President" presents seven essays, five of which are by Pulitzer Prize-winning historians, that focus specifically on Lincoln's execution of the Civil War. In "The Shadow of a Coming War," Robert V. Bruce starts the collection off with a fascinating look a the premonitions of civil war that haunted the American republic since the independence was declared, including Lincoln's reluctance to accept war as a real possibility. James M. McPherson's essay "Lincoln and the Strategy of Unconditional Surrender" catalogues Lincoln's brilliance as a "national strategist," dealing with not only military but also political and economic concerns as well. David Brion Davis looks at "The Emancipation Movement" in terms of both its promising goals and its disappointing results. In "One Among Many: The United States and National Unification," Carl N. Delger considers the Civil War as a successful attempt at true national unification, offering the counter-examples of Italy, Germany and Switzerland. Kenneth M. Stampp's essay, "One Alone? The United States and National Self-determination," explores the issue of self-determination and how the Southern struggle for independence compares to other historical examples, including the Eastern Europe after the Soviets. Not surprisingly, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. considers a historical analogy in "War and the Constitution: Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt," looking at how the pair clearly went beyond the limits of the Constitution in trying to defend the nation and the idea of freedom. Finally, Gabor S. Boritt's essay "War Opponent and War President," traces Lincoln's transformation from a Congressman denouncing the Mexican War, to the war president who wanted the Confederate Army destroyed, to a leader speaking out for reconciliation.

"Lincoln the War President" is certainly a thoughtful collection of essays that are enhanced by a concerted effort to put Lincoln's situation and actions in context, trying to keep an eye on the "big picture." In that regard the comparisons to other times and places are useful for helping history students appreciate Lincoln's virtues. While this is a book that students of Lincoln and Civil War buffs will enjoy, it should prove just as interesting to casual students of American History. The arguments it presents would certainly be provocative for both high school and college students to consider. Consequently, these essays would provide teachers with great supplementary material for teaching about Lincoln and the Civil War.

I used the first session for the launch of a "Foundations of the Faith" bible study. It is good. Relevant scriptures and gentle coaxing to study more. I wish the author used a larger format with room for 'workbook' space to encourage written answers to his very relevant questions. The book was highly recommended as a tool for bible study and I am very impressed.

This book is divided into 20 easy-to-digest sessions with relevant "homework" assignments that clarify and expand the subject of the segment. It progresses from the meaning of salvation through the foundations of our faith. Wonderful book for helping new believers to begin their walk in God's kingdom with the basics of Christianity. Our youth group leaders are going to be taking the youth through it so they, in turn, can help their friends find faith. The adults are also studying it to begin to "disciple" those who are new and those whom we lead to the Lord. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I would give 5 stars to Russell's essays but 3 stars to this edition.
This edition contains most of the important/technical papers that russel wrote & are still worth reading for any serious philosophy student. The editor did a great job at selection but his snobbish introductory essays prefacing each russell essay is a complete waste of space & (your) time. The editor should have but didn't bother to update the logical symbols in the 1st russell essay, 'logic of relations', with the result that it would be incomprehensible even to people trained in symbolic logic.
'philosophy of logical atomism', for me anyway, helps me understand wittgenstein's Tractatus, which was otherwise incomprehsible to me.
I didn't make it through 'on denoting'. Who would really care about this important but by now mainly historical essay if you have already learned quantification theory & description theory?

This book reproduces Russell's famous article 'On Denoting' that appeared in "Mind" in 1905. It provides the earliest account of his theory of descriptions that was later developed in principia mathematica and 'improved' by W.V Quine. (It is however, a dog to read!) It is truly a fundamental work in logical analysis and I recommend it to you all.

How do you plan your time? Do you ask yourself what you would enjoy? Or do you ask God what He wants you to do? They aren't mutually exclusive. They can be the same thing, depending on who your master is.

A man serving the Lord may go to a ball game, wanting to relax from his work. A man serving himself may go to the same game, wanting to avoid his family. Both are doing the same thing, but the Lord will approve the first and condemn the second; because what you do isn't as important as why you do it.

If you struggle to know what God wants from your life, or if you would describe "seek first the kingdom of God" as being too heavenly minded for earthly good, discover the one true master through this book.

This workbook is an inductive study of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). You'll learn the true meaning of the oft-quoted phrase, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." You'll understand God's intent behind his commands not to murder or commit adultery. You'll see how to focus your efforts on seeking the Kingdom of God. You'll discover the deadly consequences of serving riches over the Almighty.

This book is an excellent study of Jesus's Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew. The book is divided up into nine weeks, five days per week, making each reading of manageable size and comprehension. I especially appreciated spaces to journal or take notes within each reading...whether it's to mark your thoughts, answer a question or to write a prayer. I read this Bible study on my own, and afterwards in a group. The book even has a group discussion section at the end.

The Sermon on the Mount has so many profound, life affecting things to say, and Kay Arther is so good at making it apply to your daily life.

This is the first of a new series of commentaries that Concordia Publishing House is printing. This new commentary series does not claim to be unbiased; yet its Preface clearly explains its agenda. This commentary applies the following guidelines in its text: 1) All Scripture is Christological, 2) Law and Gospel will be made clear, and 3) Scripture is God's way to communicate the Gospel. This commentary on Luke (and following editions) operate on the premise that all Scripture is inspired, and inerrant--something quite refreshing in this day of tepid, unbelieving Christianity!

This commentary has a three-sectioned format. First, it includes a translation done by the author. Following the translation are textual notes, followed by a commentary. This reviewer noticed right from the beginning in Luke's prologue, that this translation is new, and fairly literal. Nevertheless, that does not mean that this translation is perfect. Luke 1:4 reads: "in order that you come to recognize completely the reliability concerning the words by which you have been catechized." In the textual notes the author remains silent on why he chose the word "catechized." Richard Lenksi in his translation wrote: "that thou mightest come to realize the certainty of the statements concerning which thou hast been informed." A big difference exists between "catechized" and "informed." Yet unlike Just, Lenski explains his reasoning: "Others go too far in the opposite direction by thinking that Theophilus was fully instructed [catechized] in the 'doctrines.' If Luke had meant the latter he would not have used the plural without a modifier." This reviewer sides with Lenski on this translation, for he explains his translation based on the original text.

Although seeming trivial, another area where this reviewer hoped this translation would shine is in its negative, present-tense imperatives, which urges some activity to stop. For instance, when the angel of the Lord announced Christ's birth to the shepherds he said, "Fear no longer!" Yet, the Concordia Commentary translates this as, "Do not fear." Here Lenski properly translates this passage as, "Stop being afraid!" He then states in his commentary that, "The present tense imperative means to stop an action already begun . . ."

Despite these poor renderings, this does not mean that this translation--and commentary--is not worth using. Quite to the contrary: buy and use it! For example, in the Christmas account the commentary reads, "And it came to pass in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the inhabited world should have itself registered. This registration happened before Quirinius governed Syria." Here the reviewer especially liked "governed" as a verb and not a noun; the original Greek has "governed" as a predicate participle. Also well liked is that "this registration happened before Quirinius governed Syria." This matches some Greek scholars' opinion that protos can, and in this instance should, be translated as "before" or "prior to." The textual notes are laid out in a very easy-to-read, clean, user-friendly format. Most of the notes are sufficient, explaining why the author chose a particular rendering; however, in a few places the textual notes leave the reader wanting. Unfortunately, the textual notes do not print an English-language transliteration of the Greek words being explained, which would be most helpful to laypersons. The commentary notes are copious, and, perhaps, a bit abstract for the average layperson. However, most pastors should appreciate the more esoteric points being made.

What really impressed this reviewer is the commentary's printing of chiastic formats (where structure and form matter play an important role in poetry). If not laid out in such a format, then a reader could completely miss the parallelisms and climax. For layperson use, the Concordia Commentary Series is a welcome addition. Although some of the textual notes and commentary may be above a layperson's understanding, it is not so removed to make this series unusable.

If the rest of this commentary series remains true to its all-Scripture-is-Christologial premise, and it seems that way so far, then this reviewer should like to see its Old Testament commentaries, especially Isaiah 53, Psalm 22--and 2 Samuel 7:19b, which only Beck translated correctly in his An American Translation. If one does want to delve deeper, then consider this new series as another reference along with Lenski's New Testament commentaries. This commentary is not cheap, but it is the best one in print for the Gospel of Luke; however, only minor weaknesses keep it from earning a perfect 5-stars rating. (Is a 4.9 rating possible?).

Dr. Just's two-volume work on Luke's Gospel will bless the Christian community by showing the incarnational/sacramental theology of the text.

Just does this in two major steps, the first being his own Greek translation followed by key Greek word(s) and phrases and their meanings, grammatical studies, etc. which will clearly benefit clergy and informed lay people. Second, in the commentary section he clearly sets forward the meaning of the text in light of the historical understanding and recent scholastic views.

This is a marvelously useful set to guide the Christian who wants the most out of Luke. He will find Christ here on every page.