This book will drive the new millenium to a healthy sense of self for all readers. The book gives caregivers the tool to work with the damaged souls of the people that they work with. This book also gives the reader a guide to live a more healthy life. I recommend the book strongly for all to read to better understand and face their fears about something talked about but never really put to words.

William Attaway's BLOOD ON THE FORGE powerfully depicts both the Black migration to the industrial north after WWI and the startling hell-like environment of the vast iron & steel works of the era. No other writer--novelist, sociologist, historian--has ever captured so well the compelling, visceral experience of the humans working these sacrificial jobs. As Attaway walks us through the vast furnace & forge areas of the works, our own skin scorches along with that of his worker-protagonists. We become party to the daily struggle to survive the most appalling working conditions.

This novel deserves a place on the highest level of our American esteem. It's tragic Attaway was unable to produce more work, since both his vision of the American experience and his fictive language were intense, revelatory and precious to anyone wishing to know and acknowledge this nation's true industrial and racial history.

We used the Blue Guide for our trip to Vienna. It was fantastic, if you like detailed information about architecture and history, which we do. The book doesn't have much, if any humor, as it is almost like a textbook. I wouldn't use it for accomodation information, but as a human guide it cannot be beat.

If one wants to know what the top 5 best selling paperbacks in 1982 were then one should utilize this source in question, i.e.,The Book of Literary Lists : A Collection of Annotated Lists, Statistics, and Anecdotes Concerning Books
by Nicholas Parsons (Compiler). In here one will find this and many more lists that are both usefull, enlightening (I guess one could say so) and quite usefull. Highly Recommended.

Even though it was written over a decade ago, Nicholas' book on the Labrador Retriever remains one of the better books available on this breed. It is becoming a little outdated on some of the information on the show and field scenes, but it remains highly informative for those thinking about buying a Labrador Retriever. It is also profusely illustrated with a wealth of photos. If you will buy only one book on the Labrador Retriever, this should be it. It describes the breed's development in Canada and Britain in the last century, outlines its ability to work out in the field retrieving birds, and brings the reader up to date on the show scene up to the early 80's. In addition, it includes chapters on the care and training of the Labrador Retriever.

Awesome collection of 25 short stories and essays about soccer. My favorites were Stephen Baxter's "Clods," Tim Pears' "Ebony International" Nicholas Lezards' "The Beautiful Game," Steve Grant's "Casuals," Geoff Nicholson's "The Winning Side," Mark Morris's "The Shirt," and Mark Timlin's "Wonder Boy." That said, almost every story has something worthwhile about it, and for a soccer fan, this is a must read.

I've read most of what Monsarrat has written and consider this his best work. It is the story of his life, told in glimpses with 5-year intervals and gives the most vivid portrait of the pre-war era (social customs, education, family life and general way of thinking) that I have ever read.

Monsarrat seems to hold nothing back and gives what effectively amounts to the story of his life, wonderfully condensed. Reading it feels like being inside his head, but he never goes too far.

If you are at all interested in the pre-war era, Monsarrat as a person or how other people live and think you want to read this. I knew Monsarrat was a good writer, but the quality of this book still shocked me.

The late Nicholas Schaffner packed tons of detail into "The British Invasion," with the first section devoted to the major artists of the 60s (the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks, The Who, David Bowie, Marc Bolan and T-Rex, and Pink Floyd), followed by short vignettes of the numerous groups who also inhabit the pop music firmament - nearly everyone who recorded from 1962 to 1982, from the Small Faces to the Police and from Yes to Siouxie and the Banshees.

The quality of the writing is what makes this book so enjoyable. Schaffner dispels myths, clarifies histories, and lays out credible evidence that each of the major acts has made an indelible mark on rock music (although some may wonder why such greats as Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin were relegated to the second section).

In the second section, Schaffner is joined by other music writers for a thorough review of British pop, and though the year at which the book ends ('82) truncates the careers of folks like Elvis Costello, it's still a fascinating read. Also included are each band's hit records, dates of release and chart positions.

For a book with so few pictures (and black and white at that), it is a must for anyone interested in pop music history. One subjective criticism: much as T-Rex may have predated Bowie's glam-rock, I don't think that Marc Bolan really deserves a spot in the Top Eight.

Although it may be a hard-to-find book, it's worth it.

This book has JUST been reviewed by the Financial Times of London and is available through them at a disocunted price. It is NOT out of print.

Building the 21st Century Home by David Rudlin and Nicholas Falk is one of those books which change the way you look at the world. If you are interested in the ideas of Jane Jacobs, Peter Hall, or even just enjoy SimCity then this is the book for you. The book lays out how cities have developed, and why the way they are today, and then sets out a practical and convincing manifesto for change. It is strong on the environmental benefits of city living and has a sound basis in meeting the needs of communities, while recognising that what people aspire to, might not necessarily be what they want. Even the most sceptical of readers would eventually be convinced of the benefits of city living. My main criticism of the book is that it fosters an interest in what is a very wide ranging subject and fails to answer questions that would really be the province of another book altogether. Hopefully this book will inspire others to take positive steps to improve and participate in their urban environment.

Despite describing the book as a manifesto it is written in an objective and fact based style ensuring that there are always examples and statistics to back up the argument. It is also an exceptionally attractive book, with well chosen illustrations and excellent line drawings of urban scenes which add greatly to the message and enjoyment of the book.