Ruth M. Arthur is a wonderful writer for the young adult reader. I came across her works first as a youngster and my search years later for her out of print books is what led me to discover amazon and ebay. In the autumn people ms Arthur uses a format pretty typical of her works- that of a contemporary young person with some form of conflict in her life who finds herself involved in the lives of people of a different time who were somehow related to her. Romilly goes to an island off of scotland with her grandmother where the family has been vacationing for generations with generations of Parson families. She begins to learn about the tragedy that befell her namesake greatgrandmother and the lives of those alive and vacationing then... A great story, told as ms Arthur does all her tales- with human feeling, a little mystery and a touch of the supernatural.

"Awake & Singing: 7 Classic Plays from the American Jewish Repertoire," edited by Ellen Schiff, is a superbly conceived and executed anthology. The 7 plays in this volume were produced between 1920 and 1960, and explore many facets of the Jewish-American experience. Love and loss, war, anti-Semitism, class conflict, political debate, legal quandaries, economic struggle, family relationships, theological questions: it's all here in 636 pages of electrifying theatrical genius. The plays are as follows:

"Welcome Stranger," by Aaron Hoffman: a comedy about a businessman's fight against anti-Semitism; features a particularly engaging hero. "Counsellor-at-Law," by Elmer Rice: a fast-moving play that takes place in the New York law offices of its main character. "Awake and Sing!", by Clifford Odets: The story of a working-class family in New York City; full of colorful syntax and expressions. "Morning Star," by Sylvia Regan: a very moving play that follows a New York City family over the course of two decades; historical events like the Triangle factory fire are skillfully woven into the story. "Home of the Brave," by Arthur Laurents: the story of a Jewish-American soldier and his unit in combat in the Pacific theater during World War II; features some really harrowing scenes. "The Cold Wind and the Warm," by S.N. Behrman: A story of love, loss, and friendship; biblical law plays a key plot point. And finally, "The Tenth Man," by Paddy Chayefsky: A story of supernatural possession that takes place entirely in an orthodox synagogue on Long Island; a marvelous blend of dark comedy and creepy horror.

I've never seen any of these plays performed. But for the most part, the plays in this volume make excellent reading texts. "Awake & Singing" is one of those great anthologies that I would recommend for classroom use, for reading groups, and for the individual reader. Especially recommended if you're interested in 20th century American drama or the Jewish-American experience.

Be the first person on your block to own this book. It is a classic about A. B. Frost.

This is an excellent selection of classic BSI (Baker Street Irregulars) and other criticism on the Sherlock Holmes stories, with entries by such famous Sherlockians as Rex Stout, Vincent Starrett, Christopher Morley, etc. Most of the individual articles are available elsewhere, but as a compiliation of essential writings about Holmes this is hard to beat. Mr. Shreffler does a fine job of sorting the wheat from the chaff -- I have dozens of books on this subject, and if you are only going to purchase one Sherlockian book in your life (but who in their right mind would ever do that?), this book would be a fair choice.

Two potential caveats for newcomers: 1) I am not sure why this book is so expensive; perhaps the number of remaining copies is limited. When I acquired my copy a few years ago, it was substantially cheaper. If you're on a tight budget, you can probably get more Sherlockian bang for your buck elsewhere. 2) Keep in mind that this is almost entirely a compilation of SHERLOCKIAN criticism, as opposed to the more conventional brand. In other words, the articles proceed under the tongue-in-cheek assumption that Holmes & Watson were real people -- thus, this book will probably not help you very much if you are looking for sources for an academic, literary study of Doyle's work. If you are reading for personal enjoyment, though, and have the cash, it's great fun, and **highly** recommended.

A fine addition to this volume would be Shreffler's "Sherlock Holmes by Gas-Lamp", which includes highlights of the first 40 years of the Baker Street Journal.

I borrowed this book from my library, as I do many cookbooks, but this one I have to own. I have been baking since I was engaged, nearly 30 years now; I bake bread three times a week, bake cakes, cookies, etc, from scratch, and own a library full of cookbooks. I now only buy those cookbooks which add something special to my collection, and this book surely does. The recipes are wonderful, and the historical and regional information is useful and interesting.

THE BAROQUE CONCERTO ought to be a classic. It certainly contains the makings of one: elegance of style and argument, originality of view, and the sort of perspicuity that convincingly argues for some aspects of received opinion, while supplementing and refuting others. This comprehensive survey's only "flaw" would appear to be that of thinking approximately 25 years ahead. It is wise, in reading THE BAROQUE CONCERTO, to anticipate that some of Hutchings' observations might appear to be graceful restatement of the critical canon. Yet most of what seems uncontroversial in Hutchings has only recently become so. The line between clarity and tautology is not always bright, especially in an arena as subjective as music appreciation.

Any mention of the high points of Hutchings' survey ought to include his early rejection of old-school Bach idolaters, who attempted to condemn Georg Philipp Telemann as a facile, commercially-minded "scribbler". Hutchings observes that Telemann is better viewed as an incomparable stylist, a sincere and meticulous craftsman, and a "school of his own" whose "feeling for the materials of music reminds one of Mozart." Hutchings cannot, however, be said to have substituted Telemann-worship for Bach-worship: His balanced appraisal of Telemann also observes that this artist was not incapable of pleasing "patrons of the worst taste", or of composing flute concerti "cast from molds".

Other high points of THE BAROQUE CONCERTO include Hutchings' repsect for Jean-Marie Leclair (the elder), who remains curiously undervalued, even as the quality and sophistication of his large-scale violin works stand comparison to J.S. Bach's. Hutchings' analyses of such better-known "concertists" as Corelli, Vivaldi, Handel, and Bach himself are equally compelling, exemplifying the admirable ability to re-examine and transform received opinion that I have already cited. Only Hutchings' dismissals of Giuseppe Tartini and Thomas Augustine Arne strike dissonant chords of disappointment in this reviewer; perhaps only in his high praise of Allessandro Marcello's "La Cetra" does Hutchings not seem to have shrewdly anticipated the current state of Baroque criticism.

My professor gave me this book & I love it. Has simple explanations and great diagrams to ease in learning the basics of genetics.

Basic Neuroscience is a great overview of general and detailed principles of Neuroscience. I have used it extensively to go over principles of Neurophysiology.

Another fun pop up book has come from Child's Play. If I were a kid I would love this book. 3-D images of all sorts of bats, along with an informative text and brilliant illustration make this book, along with the others in the "Misunderstood" series, a must-have. My nieces and friend's children all love this book. It's also a pleasant surprise to find, on the back, drawing of all of the different species of bats. This book is great for any age, from kids to grown up bat lovers!

The reader will hardly believe the danger, deprivation and hardships endured by by these ordinary Kentucky boys plucked from their farms and schooling and thrust into the most extaordinary circumstances. Kelly is a great story teller, and these stories of bravery and heroism in the face of the terrors of war are powerfully moving. These are stories that capture the experience of war from all the services and all the major campaigns of WWII while focusing on the very human side of those who were caught up in it. After you read this book you will want to give it to your children and grandchildren so future generations will never forget the sacrafices of those who went before.