"To call this CD only a 'reading' of the classic Sherlock Holmes story of 'Silver Blaze' would be to devalue the beauty of this performance. Although you may have heard recordings of the Sherlock Holmes work read before with distance and haughty affectation, none of that is present in Mr. Davies storytelling performance. This CD features one man, many voices and a hefty portion of talent. This performance is fresh, approachable and inviting." -Storyteller.net Reviews

If you enjoy the intrigue of Sherlock Holmes, you are in for a real treat listening to David Davies vibrant and incredible rendition. Looking forward to future "readings" by D. Davies. You will too, once you've experience this exciting reading.

Dave Davies dramatic rendition of this Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes classic tale is well worth a listen. Dave's obvious talent for dramatic reading comes through beautifully and the production quality is excellent. Hopefully David will not stop with just this one but will continue right through the entire cannon. If you like listening to "a good read" Silver Blaze is highly recommended.

This well written book is chock full of wisdom! Life affirming stories with lots of great advice. This is great to read straight through or to be savored a little at a time.

This is a handy book providing quick inspiration and positive encouragement, filled with engaging anecdotes and memorable phrases. It's easy to read, direct and straightforward. The simple steps affirmed so personally by the author are empowering in their uncomplicated directness. Caliandro's style enables the reader to embrace kindness and stillness as the simple, yet profound, values they are and can be in our lives. Even if you do not savor every word of this book, there's bound to be several offerings that meet your need.

I found this book to be a wonderful companion on a recent airline flight. It is full of great advice and suggestions on improving the quality of one's life and changing negative attitudes. The book is organized in such a way that you can read it in short segments and still get a lot out of it. The stories are great. I find myself returning to this book in order to remind myself of what is truly important!

As someone working on a theology of the cross where the "power of God is perfected in weakness," I look for others writing on the same topic. This small, extremely readable book put so much together in such a small package that it is hard to rate the book highly enough. There really is nothing absolutely new here, but McGill has prayed through things to the center, and as a result, his writing reflects a really new coherence, brilliance, and perspective. You've heard it all before, but then again, it is all new --- and it is all incredibly compelling! One thing which is particularly helpful is his comparison of the Gods of Arius and Athansius. Two entirely different paradigms of God's power are at work here. It is a wonderful way to approach the debates involved. Also, McGill's understanding of the demonic will resonate with modern readers. Above all, however, McGill provides a theology which makes real sense of suffering, and introduces the God of Paul and John, et al, in a way which contrasts sharply with the absolutely powerful God so many espouse by mere reflex. A really great (and fast!) read.

This is a book that can completely change the way you think about life. McGill takes you slowly through an argument that makes the most difficult problem of our time seem simple. There is nothing wild or speculative here and nothing that hasn't been around for the last two millennia. It's the way McGill puts it that make the difference. I would put this book on my top five list for the last decade.

There are many books that recieve five stars; there are few books that are truly important. This book, a mere 130 pp. ranks right up there with The Brothers Karamatzov as a book that changed my life. As the title of the book suggests the topic is suffering --pain, sickness and violence. McGill ties in such disparate elements as modern jounalism, the parable of the good Samaritan, and a fourth century theological conflict to answer the question "What kind of God is there?" The answer is surprising.

"The Train to Port Arthur" journeys through a world of injured innocents, pacifist veterans, heroic women and noble centenarians in the tradition of O'CONNOR, OATS and WELTY..... L.M. Young tells it like it is with flashing window glimpses of how it ought to be. Hoping to catch the attention of some Cajun river rats or bluesmen.

The Train to Port Arthur brings back memories of times and places made so real by this truly remarkable, talented and gifted writer. I was actually angry when "Pinch" ended. There must be a sequel here! And"The Ladies Room" I know the place! I've been there! Every story draws you into each place, each character. You're there. From "Floating Bodies" (I'm looking for a movie from this one) to "Lana" and Gaston Boudreaux to "Ida Mae" who likes to walk alone, and the true-to-life ordeal of "The Manor House Musicians" makes your heart cry out for each character,and ending a wonderful laugh with "The Cosmetologist" It's all so very clever. I'm anxious to re-read slowly one story at a time..And have already received 10 books from the author's last book signing I'm wrapping for upcoming Christmas Holiday gifts. The perfect book for those intellectual types too busy for a full novel yet need an immediate transport into another world full of vivid lives of characters you can feel part of at the end of each short story...WONDERFUL ! My neighborhood is passing my copy around..and I've told them to go to AMAZON...my husband love it too. Our French ancestory came to life! His favorite was "The God Particles" remembering young soldiers in the war who may or may not have returned home to loved ones.

Anyone who has been to New Orleons and walked the "mean streets" will be captivated by the first story in this collection. The two characters, Pinch and Scrimp are haunting and the reader yearns for more of their story. Then with the second story we are treated to other wonderful people, and places into which we are transported for all time. I picked up this writer's book at her reading last week. L.M. is almost as good a reader as writer. Treat yourself to these wonderful stories. I cannot say more!!

Defining art has been one of the most persistent problems of aesthetics. Danto does not surrender under the Wittgnesteinian skepticism but tries to find the answer to the problem of definition from a different place. Danto emphasizes the relevance of context and historicality of art. The Brillo Box could not have been a work of art in 18th century France.

I think philosophers haven't still quite understood Danto completely. The main source of misunderstanding is that people seem to think that Danto supports the institutional theory of art, which he doesn't. This will become very apparent after reading this book. He barely mentions the word artworld in this book.

This book is a classic. It's fun to read and Danto's knowledge of the history of art is huge. I would like to translate this book into Finnish but unfortunately the title cannot be traslated fluently.

One of the best philosophical works of the latter 20th century. Ranks alongside Goodman's 'Fact, Fiction and Forecast'. Of interest not merely to philosophers of aesthetics but also to anyone interested in problems of representation and ontology. A must for any serious student of the arts.

For any scholar of aesthetics or modern art theory this book isa must. It only falls short in establishing a general theory of art that is applicable to all art forms (such as architecture and music), which Danto claims to be doing (but who has not?). Still, his insight remains crucial to understanding art forms and their meaning in the 20th century.

As far as I know, this is the first major anthology on Tu B'Shevat, which is the "Birthday of the Trees" on the Jewish calendar. The book begins with an excellent essay called "The Living Tree: A Festival's Growth through History" by Arthur Waskow. His essay traces the development of Tu B'Shevat from an agricultural tax-date associated with tithing in biblical times, to a mystical meal to renew the Tree of Life in the Middle Ages, to it's current focus on ecology and global survival.

Waskow's essay becomes the framework for arranging the rest of the book like a growing tree. After all, the Torah is called a "Tree of Life"! The "roots" of Tu B'Shevat are found in biblical Judaism, the strong "trunk" was formed in rabbinical Judaism, and the "branches" are various post-Talmudic movements such as Kabbalah and Hasidism, Zionism and the Land of Israel, modern Eco-Judaism, etc. Finally, there is a section on the Festival itself, which includes a variety of essays, songs, and other resources for celebrating the holiday.

Parts of this book are heavy on the "Jewish Renewal" POV, which is not surprising, since the "eco-kosher" movement began in that circle. Some of the material, such as the "Olamama" love song to Mother Earth by Hannah Tiferet, is a bit too neo-pagan for my Orthodox tastes. And while "The Bear in Me" is a nice idea for a song about nature waking up in the spring, the words "There's a bear hibernating in the crook of a tree" are not true to life -- unless the tree is meant to be a metaphor for Tu B'Shevat. Real bears do not hibernate in trees!

On the other hand, there's quite a bit of traditional material, too -- some of it never before published in English. Of special interest to me are a translation of the Ari's 16th-century kabbalistic version of the Tu B'Shevat seder, and a translation of a "lost" medieval poem called "Shemona Esrei of the Trees." The latter was unknown in modern times until it was re-discovered among the manuscripts that Solomon Schechter brought back from the Cairo genizah in 1896. It continued to languish in the obscurity of academe until Joyce Galaski fell in love with it and did this translation. The poem, which is believed to date to around the 10th or 11th century, is the oldest known liturgical piece based on this festival. Not only that, it's beautiful! (The Hebrew text of the poem is also included.)

The rabbinical "trunk" section has two excellent pieces on the halachic principle of "bal taschit" ("you shall not destroy") and how it was expanded from a biblical prohibition against cutting down fruit trees in times of war (Deut. 20:19-20) into a general prohibition against vandalism, wastefulness, conspicuous consumption, and any unnecessary destruction of resources.

These examples are only a tiny nibble of the many gourmet tastes of Torah to be sampled in "Trees, Earth, and Torah." Like all such anthologies, it's definitely a mixed bowl of fruit, some sweeter than others. Taken as a whole, however, the book is a wonderful feast! It should be in every Jewish library.

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Since Tu B'Shvat is arguably the most vegetarian of Jewish holidays because of its many connections to vegetarian themes and concepts, vegetarians should joyfully welcome the publication of this anthology with its abundance of material that should contribute to the increasing popularity of this mid-winter holiday. All who are looking for ways to apply new, creative approaches to ancient festivals should also be pleased.

Among the following valuable and interesting features the book contains are:
1) An introductory essay by Arthur Waskow that traces Tu B'Shvat's growth throughout history from its original status as a day that separated trees in terms of when tithings were due, through the establishment of the Tu B'Shvat seder by the kabbalists of Sefat in the sixteenth century, through the associations with tree-planting of nineteenth century Zionists, to recent adaptations by modern environmentalists;
2) Quotations related to trees and other Tu B'Shvat-related concepts from the Torah and other Jewish sources;
3) Material related to rabbinic dicussions related to Tu B'Shvat, including a recently discovered medieval prayer, "Shmoneh Esrei for the New Year for Trees," and insightful essays on bal tashchit, the mandate to not waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value, based on a Torah verse not to destroy fruit-bearing trees in wartime, by Rabbi Norman Lamm, President of Yeshiva University, and by Eilon Schwartz, Director of the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in Israel.
4) Seven items relating kabbalah and hasidism to Tu B'Shvat, including a translation of "Peri Eitz Hadar," a kabbalistic Tu B'Shvat seder.
5) Five items relating Tu B'Shvat to Zionism and the land of Israel, including an extensive analysis of how the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet le-Yisrael) used tree plantings on Tu B'Shvat to educate young Israelis on love of the land of Israel and nature.
6) Thirteen wide-ranging items on connections between Tu B'Shvat themes and "eco-Judaism' and current environmental problems, including essays relating the holiday to recent efforts to save the Redwood forests and an analysis of current environmental threats by Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor of the Jewish Theological seminaryt.
7) Much wonderful material to help celebrate Tu B'Shvat today, including blessings for the seder, suggestions for cooking up a Tu B'Shvat seder, suggestions to involve children in the Tu B'Shvat seder and other holiday-related activities, suggestions about planting and taking care of trees, suggestions about new Tu B'Shvat traditions, recipes, and songs.
8) An article co-authored by Jonathan Wolf and this author on "Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Tu B'Shvat," which discusses aspects of "the most vegetarian holiday".
9) Sources for Learning and Doing ("Seeds"), including a listing of "Environmental Organizations, Publications, and Videos," a discussion of several Tu B'Shvat seder Haggadot, and sources for information about tree planting.
This brief summary can only give a taste of the many "fruity" delights in this book, and I regret having to leave out mention of many significant themes and distinguished authors. Because of its many environmental and vegetarian connections, I hope that this wonderful anthology will be widely read and discussed so that it will meet its potential to play a major role in the expansion and enhancement of an increasingly popular Tu B'Shva

The quality and variety of the selections are amazing: poetry by Marge Piercy & Marcia Falk, songs by Shefa Gold & Hanna Tiferet Siegel, scholarly articles by Miles Krassen & Howard Eilberg-Schwartz, the original Kabbalistic Seder from Safed & Ellen Bernstein's seder for today, meditations on trees by Ismar Schorsch and Zalman Schachter, wonderful papercuts and a cartoon comix by Joel Lurie Grishaver, fruit-dish recipes from Iran and India, essays on tree-planting in Israel -- totally delicious, not only for preparing Tu B'Shvat celebrations but also browsing anytime of year.

An absorbing and enthralling read.
A clever combination of in depth research into the construction and manning of fine ships and the parallel development of English Society and humour of the period.
An insight into the development of the British navy under succesive Monarchs as the early foundations of the Empire were laid.
The author proposes a lively and imaginative interpretation of the politics of the time as though he were embroiled.
More from this author please.

A well researched book by an author who obviously has a deep personal love for his topic. The diagrams are easy to understand and the book is accessible for any reader. I thank the author for this, a wonderful book.

The book is very interesting and obviously researched by a man who loves his topic. I thank him for sharing his knowledge with me.

It's amazing that the author was able to create an essay on 20th century abstract art in 1834. But this story is much more than that. It is a commentary on the parallels between art and human psychology, and the unreality of both... also, a character study, a mystery, an allegorical tale... all within 40 pages. In keeping with its theme, The Unknown Masterpiece is, on the other hand, none of those things. In keeping with its title... at least in this country.

I dig Balzac telling us about his views of art through the stories of a painter ("The Unknown Masterpiece") and a musician ("Gambara"). You can't go wrong with this one. Terrific translation; I wish I read French well enough to dig the original.

This is such a strange short story by Balzac. The premise is simple: An aging Parisian artist is obsessed over a single painting which he has been working on for years. When his friends finally get to see the work, they see nothing. This is the riddle of the story: what's in the painting? Also, what is this story about? Is it a parable of art or beauty or obsession? It's interesting painters and artists were taken by this story. It speaks of the heart of darkness that is modern art. Kudos for NYRB on this new translation by Richard Howard. The question remains whether we'll be seeing new or revised translations of Balzac's other works.

I would prefer to have my questions answered concerning this book. I have read this book thoroughly many times; what I wonder is what makes this book "collectible" and worth [price] rather than [price], as no description is given other than "paperback". Thank you.

I purchased this book in order to better understand what the violin was all about to better understand why the violin was so important to my friend.

This is a wonderful book for those interested in learning about the history of the making of the violin. I myself am a violinist, and can appreciate everything there is to know about the violin. I highly recommend this book to anybody who loves the violin.

Being five is so much fun! It's hard to decide what is my favorite thing about my 5 year olds. This book definitely makes it clear what 5 years are capable of imagining! Their creativity esscalates in this book. It is a great book to read for the students on the first day of Kindergarten. They want to hear it over and over again! I like to read it to them as many times as they like to hear it!

A yound boy describes his favorite things when he was "young" at the age of 5. He them compares them with his favorite things now that he is "old" at the age of 6. Great book for writing extensions for students. Excellent color illustrations and I would recommend this one for students from K through the 2nd grade, including the teachers.

A yound boy describes his faboriet thinsg when he was "young" at the age of 5. He them compares them with his favorite things now that he is "old" at the age of 6. Great book for writing extensions for students. Excellent color illustrations and I would recommend this one for students from K through the 2nd grade, including the teachers.