Herbert Strauss' In The Eye Of The Storm also provides a memoirof growing up Jewish in Germany, covering 1918-43 and the author'sescape to Switzerland. The two provide fine insights on childhood, politics, and struggles for survival.

In the most frantic or confused of times, I always reach for In The Orchard to calm my thoughts. The clear voice of Charlie Pratt and the simple yet elegant thoughts expressed provide safe haven for the mind in troubled times. To find comfort, some people put on a favorite disc, others have a special food. For me, In The Orchard brings calm and certainty in a way nothing else does. The book describes life in a New Hampshire orchard. Like Norman MacLean's A River Runs Through It, this book is the life's work of a thoughful English teacher who has quietly published a masterpiece. Buy this book and put it in your medicine with the Advil. Use the book instead.

Well, I am not exactly writing a review here, but rather asking for information. I am a student in American civilization in France and currently doing my master's on Indian captivity narratives, which is exactly the topic of this book. I am trying to get in touch with Mrs Derounian -Stodola and Mr Levernier. Do you know how I could contact them, do they have an e-mail address? Thank you very much for answering my questions, it is very important for me. Yours Sincerely,

Elise Briand

This excellent volume is one I am constantly referring to in my articles on various topics because it provides solutions and innovations in a national context. It shows us what the possibilities are. I'm thinking of using this as a text in my policy analysis class.

John Gunther's INSIDE U.S.A. comes as close to time travel as we are likely to get, hurling us back to the America of 1947, as he explores, state by state, the people, politics, issues, passions and fads that make up our country. Written with great energy and insight, Gunther captures an America justly proud of its WWII success, still unsure of its role in the world, and populated by fascinating characters like Mayor LaGuardia of New York, Governor Saltonstall of Massachusetts and Boss Hague of Jersey City. Gunther describes regional characteristics that persist today. He captures aspects of America that are gone,l never to return (an "industrial" nation based on coal, iron ore and steel.) And he foresees issues that dog America to this day -- the "Negro problem" (actually, the "White problem.") He condemns the segregationist society he finds in America, so inconsistent with its lofty ideals. As you can tell, I loved this book. It's very hefty -- but every time you are about to put it down, Gunther comes up with another amazing fact or interesting sidelight that keeps you reading. All this said, Gunther does concentrate on the (a) historical, (b) political and (c) economic side of things. You won't find much here about the arts or science. But it is amazing a single individual could have compiled this much data and presented it so interestingly.

Whereas the author's main thesis concerns imagery and intuition as they help (or hinder) scientific progress, I liked this book more simply for its historical detail. Also, it was fascinating for his summaries of philosophy of science (and history of philosophy of science). It is not a book for the science phobic but it is not overly technical. One nice feature is that the philosphical issues continue right up to the "science wars" of the 1990's. It is an excellent book for all students of science

For the serious student fed up with textbook study, but not willing to switch attention to their favourite video game just yet, here is a most valuable teaching and learning resource compromise for the student psychologist. Arthur and Wendy Kohn's latest CD-ROM, 'The Integrator for Introductory Psychology, 2.0' offers an engaging, interactive study guide for students both new and advanced covering the full breadth of topics contained in most undergraduate psychology curricula. The authors have carefully selected the core issues and illustrations contained in some of the best selling psychology main texts published by Brooks/Cole and have supplemented this package with a variety of stimulating animated tutorials, exercises, practical assignments and other learning materials. Developed using Appware (now called Microbrew) a second application on the disc programmed via Macromedia Director is called 'LectureMaker' which allows the student (or Lecturer/Tutor) to create a series of files for their own presentations and/or printing of both text and graphic information, with easy use of an export facility to other packages such as Excel or Word for further integration with material from other source-files. In practice, I have only tried running this package with an Apple Mac Performa 6320, but did so without glitches on the whole (there were occasional script-'Handler' errors usually recovered from by 'continue' selection) and I was very impressed with its performance. The one CD-ROM will also run with PC-Windows, and LectureMaker files will open OK even if constructed on the other platform - a most welcome additional feature. No hard copy manual was needed for the use of either program, although available from the same disc by using the printing command. Hardware requirements are for 68LC040 CPU or better for the Mac (system 7.1 min./8 MB RAM + 2X CD-ROM) or for PC, 486DX-66MHz CPU min./8MB Windows 3.1/16 MB Windows 95). Software requirement of QuickTime 2.1/2,5 is included on the CD. What of the content then ? 'The Integrator 2.0' opens (and continues) with consistent and clear, user-friendly menu pages which may be specifically tailored to suit the chapter structure of any of the six named psychology textbooks. However, my own students, none of whom have used these as their principle study texts, were not at all concerned to see an unfamiliar presentation style or novel chapter architecture. Each chapter heading reflects a standard psychological topic area and comprises an option list from 'slide shows', a series of walk-through, self-paced guides to key points, names and ideas and activities pertinent to the field under review. All were informative (an average 15-20 slides, although some were a little short - only 3-4) and most appropriately illustrated with non-intrusive optional text boxes, animations and backing sound-tracks navigated by page-buttons each side of the screen. More interactive and engaging were each topic's self-paced tutorials, surveys and experiments (I would particularly recommend the research methods section and the Tower of Hanoi animation task - plus other ideas and material steals for use in 1st/2nd year practical classes ?). Occasionally there were repeated sections called up as seen from previous pages, but this is not a fault of the authors, only an artefact of one of the strengths of such a non-monolithic, multi-pathway approach for use in any study employing such multi-media devices. Fast access times were achieved whether the programs be hard-disk installed or not, and this serious attempt to educate as well as entertain succeeds well without any techno-babble or specialist computer orientation being required on the part of the user. Watching some of my tutees freely exploring the package (without any guidance from myself) I noticed that my final Honours students were more frequently engaged, and for longer sessions, than were those of the junior years, the former also tending to make more use of the testing and self-assessment activities, jumping between chapters more than did their junior peers. In summary, these two offerings from the Integrator series are superb examples of novel multi-media teaching materials worthy of investigation by both student and tutors of Psychology alike. It really does look like the kind of package that so many of us wished to have put together but never did ! Kohn and Kohn have assembled more than 150 slide shows, tutorials, experiments, activities and self-test components in the context of several standard American textbooks of Psychology, appropriately complimented with over 1200 images, animations and film clips relevant to those and other course text's material. I for one will be enquiring about arrangements for site-licensing for our main psychology library and computer labs. Did I like the package myself ? Yes, and I have now used it during a 1st year lecture to their great applause ! Although grounded in the textbooks referenced, these packages provide a rich source of teaching and learning materials which may be utilised for a variety of purposes. They are both visually stimulating and intellectually engaging, offering a variety of interactive tasks set within an easy to operate, flexible file management system. Even if one does not like, or wish to engage with, any of the activities available on these Integrator CDs, they will nonetheless provoke self-reflection both as users and as interactors with this broad overview of psychological topics. As I so often say to my incoming first year tutees. 'the worst thing that can happen, is that you are going to learn something about yourselves'.(edited for length)

It's been 20+ years since I read this, but I was much impressed at the time. I no longer have a copy so I hope I'm remembering the facts correctly.

Whimbey, a professor of psychology ran a special school in California for 10-11 year olds who seemed to be getting nowhere in the public schools and who had IQ scores around 85. He concentrated on drilling the students in three principles of thought:

1. Have a reason for everything you say. (Low IQ people do not.)

2. Think long enough about a problem to solve it. (Low IQ people often limited their effort to no more than 5 seconds of thought. Many problems simply require more than that.)

3. Consider all the information available before making a judgment . (Low IQ people jumped to conclusions based on the first observations they made.)

What most impressed me about Whimbey's approach was that he was attempting to develop intelligence in general, i.e., reasoning ability. This was not just about reading better or doing better arithmetic. He claimed that, after one school year of intensive drilling in these basic principles, the average child went from an IQ of 85 to an IQ of 115, and the change was permanent! The children were able to do better, because they could think more effectively, in all subjects.

The book explains his program for inculcating these principles.

Being optimistic, or at least hopeful, about the future of humanity, I found this book gave me renewed hope. Whimbey argues very convincingly that the ordinary human brain is a pretty good instrument for thinking. What is needed is not more geniuses, though genius is always a wonderful thing, but better training of all of us ordinary folk, in order to build a more intelligent community. He backs up his argument with real results achieved with real children.

I heartily recommend this book to any teacher or anyone else who wants to develop general intellectual ability, not just teach specific skills. And I hope that all teachers will try to do that.

The six volumes that comprise the Intermountain Flora serve as indispensable references for anyone studying plants in Western North America. The broad distribution of most of the plants in the Intermountain Flora make the books useful to those working in adjacent areas. We keep these sturdy, clearly-written and detailed volumes close at hand.

This book as a good overview of the field of interpersonal communication. It highlights the communicative aspect of daily life, but suffers when it focuses on psychological issues (perception, etc.) The best aspect is the intermixing of cross-cultural and historical perspectives on current communication practices.