I saw his painter already. whoever that day not accepted his painter of me. someday when his color saw it review.

This book is a translation of a book by Nicholas Gonner, editor and publisher of the Luxemburger Gazette (a newspaper published in Dubuque, Iowa, from before 1872 till 1917) is an essential resource for anyone interested in Luxemburgers in the USA. Not only is there a translation of his book, but there is a lot of other data for a person seeking more information in regard to Luxemburg's presence in the USA. For instance, on page 157 there is a neat picture of Holy Trinity Church and cemetery in Luxemburg, Iowa, as it appeared in 1972 and on page 160 there is a 1910 picture of the main street in Remsen, Iowa. There is an excellent index. The book is a treasure!

Haunting, evocative, whimsical, mysterious, and occasionally heart-breaking, the fantasy stories of the late Nicholas Stuart Gray have too long been out of print, both in America and Great Britain. These days, a library is your best bet at tracking down this treasure, a circumstance that I, for one, would love to see change. The ten stories in this collection explore the many facets of the fantasy genre--its wonder, its horror, even its unexpected humor. Notable stories in the lighter vein include "The Sorcerer's Apprentices"--in which a peasant lad and a haughty princeling compete for the attention of their master, a powerful sorcerer--and "A Letter to My Love," which borrows a leaf or two from the famous ballad, "Tam Lin." Of the darker stories, "The Silver Ship"--a haunting tale of a generous, self-sacrificing king and his relationship with his spoiled, selfish only son--and "The Thunder Cat"--in which a reckless minstrel crosses the fragile barrier between storytelling and reality, with devastating effects--are standouts. Gray's style--spare, fluid, and effortlessly graceful--is well-suited to both extremes, casting an otherworldly glow over his fantastical terrain. Which is, after all, as it should be--for magic happens "mainly in moonlight."

Ms. Nicholas' credentials are incredible and she has been involved with dogs most all her life. She judged her first show in 1934 and has written many books. Her knowledge of the canine species and the Maltese breed is evident in her no-nonsense style of writing. Her approach to the book includes history, care, grooming, showing and more.

This is the first book on Maltese that I have read which includes a detailed background of the major Maltese kennels in the U.S. It was exciting to see a photo of one of the champion ancestors of my new little puppy, Oswald (11 weeks old). Plus, I now know the history of the other champions in Oswald's lineage.

If you are considering showing your dog, this book explains the point system and dog events wonderfully. I could visualize the event as I read her description. Plus, I now clearly understand the mammoth task it is to earn a champion status.

Overall, the book is a good read, well organized, and worth the purchase price. It's one you will reference again and again.

Mammalian diversity - and the remarkable adaptations of living and fossil mammals - are the topic of this updated version of the standard text on mammalian biology. New figures and a completely updated systematic treatment characterize this volume, which should become the standard for professionals and the general public interested in the biology of mammals.

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The Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series is just wonderful; it's like a "Cliff Note" of the opera, and extremely informative and educational. I particularly like the size; these guides are not cumbersome and fit right into my shirt pocket. The ladies will find sufficient room in their pocketbooks.

The story narrative with the music examples is excellent. I prefer it to a libretto; indeed, it's a much easier way to follow the essence of the story. The essay is magnificent; very well written, not pedantic, and extremely insightful and comprehensible. I congratulate Burton Fisher for a job very well done and Amazon for making these handy, information-laden booklets available. The Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series is a wonderful contribution to opera education and opera appreciation.

My tip: acquire the entire collection because you will be in easy reach of superbly presented opera guides consisting of story analysis, principal characters in the opera, story narrative with music highlights, background, analysis, and commentary.

Heinz Dinter, Ph.D.

I found this little book to be loaded with good ideas. It's a good starter text for small business owners seeking quick ideas in marketing. It is not very comprehensive, but the bright ideas it contains are workable. It's a good summary of information. It also covers some other areas that you do not find in other books, so I do highly recommend it for anyone seeking new strategies.

Throughout the last 100 or so years, artists, collectors and curators have debated what a museum should be. Unfortunately, most museums are buildings that immediately focus on art as icon. Many contemporary artists want just the opposite. MASS MoCA represents a breakthrough in establishing a new sort of museum. Its purpose is to "mount in-depth quality work that would otherwise remain unseen for lack of properly scaled, appropriately tools facilities." That purpose has also been expanded to include being a location for the performing arts, both outdoors and in a theater.

Located 5 miles from the Williams College museum of art and 35 miles from Tanglewood in North Adams, Massachusetts, MASS MoCA adds an important new element to a major cultural center (especially in the summers).

The story of the museum is also very interesting, having been based in a rundown series of converted mill buildings that had housed manufacturing since 1768. Most recently abandoned by the Sprague Electric Company (who originally took it over from the Arnold Print Works -- makers of printed fabric), the facility covers 13 acres and over 780,000 square feet of building space. Originally, Massachusetts had planned to provide most of the funding. A recession and change in political leadership greatly slowed the progress, and much of the funding eventually came form private donors.

The book has many wonderful elements. The director, Joseph Thompson, has a fine essay explaining the museum's roots and concept. The architect, Simeon Bruner, also weighs in with his thoughts about the design along with drawings of his plans. The pieces de resistance, however, are the wonderful photographs of the site (both before and after) in black and white and color that capture the transformation. These were done by Nicholas Whitman, and started before the museum was planned. He and his father had both worked in the Sprague plant, and he wanted to preserve the memory of the space before it was torn down. There are some stunning side-by-side photographs of before in black and white, with after in color with beautiful art on the walls.

Most of the current photographs were taken during the 1999 grand opening of the museum, which I had the pleasure to attend. The classic piece that defines MASS MoCA during that opening was the display of Robert Rauschenberg's "The 1/4 Mile or 2 Furlong Piece" from 1981, which can only easily be displayed in full in MASS MoCA. There are also nice photographs of Natalie Jeremjenko's "Tree Logic" and James Rosenquist's "The Summer in the Econo-Mist." There are some fine John Chamberlain sculptures as well.

This book is a great resource to have for any contemporary art lover, or someone who is interested in new museum forms. I also recommend it as a working document for a museum still in progress, for most of the development of the MASS MoCA site is still ahead. If you are a museum trustee or are planning a new museum, you should read this book, as well.

I should admit that I collect contemporary art, and love to visit collections of contemporary art. If you share that love, you'll adore MASS MoCA!

Abolish your stalled thinking about what a museum is and should be! Also, be sure to give yourself a treat, and visit MASS MoCA soon. It's well worth a special trip from Boston, New York, or Philadelphia.

Donald Mitchell

Coauthor of The Irresistible Growth Enterprise (available in August 2000) and The 2,000 Percent Solution

(donmitch@fastforward400.com)

Mr Monsarrat died before he could finish his epic sequel to The Master Mariner:Running Proud. The weaving of history through the life of his fictional character is wonderful, in the original sense of the word--inspiring awe and admiration. Through all the episodes, which for the balance of the second book are presented in precis form, the Mariner escapes death by runnning away, as in the first book. The conclusion is a tribute to what Monsarrat saw as the ultimate in sea power, the St Lawrence seaway...and also a stunning & fitting end to the story of centuries.