This book is either great or awful, depending on the reader. Many parts were very exciting , not to metion deep and moving. BUT... I would definetly not reccommed it to younger readers becuse of the sexual context.

The book is about George, an American boy whose parents, acrobats in the circus, died in a trapeze accident when George was only 5 years old (they fell from it together and there was no net underneath... ouch...). As there was no one to look after young George, he had to move to Paris, France, to live with his uncle Fritz. Uncle Fritz is somewhat... unusual. He took George to Rome, for a crazy trip, where they got in (and out) of a few troubles. Since Fritz was a member of an orchestra, he was having some rehearsals held at his house. Sometimes blonde violin players were spending the night. He was taking George to the brothels: George was waiting outside while Fritz was busy. They were really having fun together and truly loved each other (even though there were doubts about Fritz being the boy's real uncle). 5 years later George had been sent back to the U.S to live with foster parents. George didn't like life in the states and missed his beloved uncle Fritz very much. Therefor he decided to run away - back to France and to live with Fritz. What happens to George on the trip and what he finds in France, you'll have to find out for yourself. I'm sure you'll want to. I think the book is excellent - it is well written, the story is very interesting and I was really touched by it. I could really understand George's feelings and problems. I laughed, hoped and, believe it or not, even cried while reading the book. George became my good friend. The book "got" me in the first page - I just couldn't leave it. This is absolutely, definitely one of the best books I have ever read in my life. This book is a MUST! I'm just surprised no one has done the movie yet... My opinion - read it!!

Mediterranean microecological connectivity

I like reading history. I enjoy with it. I am not a professional historian. In the last few years I have tried and read books offering a broad scope and general overviews of history such as this one.

In this work, the authors intend to study Mediterranean history as a whole, the history of the region. For them, the Mediterranean is only loosely defined, distinguishable from its neighbours to degrees that vary with time, geographical direction and topic. Its boundaries are not the sort to be drawn easily on a map. Its continuities are best thought of continuities of form or pattern, within which all is mutability.

In that sense, the distinctiveness of Mediterranean history results (they propose) from the paradoxical coexistence of a milieu of relatively easy seaborne communications with a quite unusually fragmented topography of microregions in the sea's coastlands and islands. The different chapters of the book are aimed to impressionistically show some of the prime ingredients in the normal variability and connectivity of Mediterranean microregions: the shifting along a spectrum of possibilities; the fluctuating relations between pastoralism and agriculture; the manipulative state with its taxes and symbols; the mobility of people both voluntarily -economic migration- and compulsory -military service- (not necessarily very distinct); a history of Mediterranean redistribution as inseparable from that of the people (who are often profoundly mobile) who produce, store, process, transport and consume.

The authors also warn that several central topics have been reserved for a Volume 2 to come in the future: climate, disease, demography and the relations between the Mediterranean and other major areas of the globe.

I have rated it four starts. Considering its content, I think it should be five; considering its readability, three (sometimes falling to two, sometimes raising to four).

Other books of "global history" I would recommend to read are "The Rise of the West" by William H. McNeill, "World History. A new perspective" by Clive Ponting, "The Great Divergence", by Kenneth Pomeranz, "The Dynamics of Global Dominance. European Overseas Empires 1415-1980", by David Abernethy and "The History of Government", by S.E. Finer.

Horden and Purcell have produced in The Corrupting Sea a comprehensive overview of the ancient Mediterranean world in the annaliste tradition of Braudel's Mediterranee et le monde mediterraneen a l'epoque de Philippe II. A historian of medicine (Horden) and a classicist (Purcell), the authors develop the thesis that one must examine the microenvironments of the Mediterranean in order to understand the broad trends of the region's culture and history.

This work is a must read for everyone who is interested in the Mediterranean --classicists and medievalists in particular. Every public library in the world would be well advised to purchase a copy. In addition to the narrative that is replete with extensive commentary, the volume has a very useful set of bibliographical essays as well as the normal scholarly apparatus.

If you have an interest in Herbs and their culinary, mystic and medicinal usages, both modern and historical, then this IS the book for you. It is beautifully illustrated and text is written in both medieval English and modern English.

Each plant (it includes some fruits and trees as well) is pictured and the habitat is described. Along with each description is any affinity to a ruling planet as well.

My only critisism is that it contains a great deal of jargon, you will need to read up on herbalism per se to understand how to make tinctures etc. That said the book is a reference to the plants not the art.

I have had my (well thumbed copy)for over 10 years now and it is a constant companion to my interests in the natural power of the Earth and her fruits.

I first heard of this book as being an excellent primary source for herbs and herbalism from the 16/17th Centuries.

It is very comprehensive and aside from a listing of each herb and its properties, it has several sections teaching the fundiments of medicine of the time. It covers:

* how a herb is assigned to a planet
* how a degree of strength is determined and what it means
* what 'humours' it affects and what 'humours' (bodily fluid systems) are
* and much much more.

If you are looking for a source to use for alternate medicine then this is NOT the best starting place. There are better works of a modern nature out there for that. However, as a back-up resource or a way of learning about the time when medicine was still holistic and not too scentific then this is he book for you.

The Wordsworth edition is in paperback and easy on the pocket. This publisher takes certain classic works and keeps them in print in small runs from time to time by demand. This means that although the book may be not immediately available, it will beome available again in the near future.

I hope this helps you.

I heartily recommend Culture Shock! Ecuador, to anyone who is planning on visiting Ecuador. I have been to Ecuador several times, and I can tell you that this new publication is a valuable resource. Whether you are planning a short term visit to Ecuador, or have plans to live there for a while, this book will really help the uninitiated, to better understand the Ecuadorian culture and the Ecuadorian way of thinking. Nicholas Crowder includes information in his book, Culture Shock! Ecuador, that other travel books on Ecuador don't think to include. The book is chock full of information on how to navigate your way around in Ecuador. It suggests things to do and places to see. The author also provides information on reliable hotels and restaurants. There is even an extensive list of web sites, so you can surf to your hearts content and learn about other things of interest pertaining to Ecuador. The most valuable thing that can be gained from reading Culture Shock! Ecuador, is a better understanding of the people. The knowledge gained by reading this book can help the traveler avoid falling into the dreaded stereotype of "The Ugly American". It will help the traveler to avoid embarrassing situations caused by a lack of understanding and cultural differences. Nicholas Crowder's book, Culture Shock! Ecuador, presents a well rounded view of Ecuador. I really liked it!

This book is essential to all travelers going to Ecaudor for either business matters, to live, or for vacation/pleasure. My friend gave me this book before I left for my community service program in Ecuador this summer, and it helped me tremendously in to relating to the country and the people there. In his easy-to-read, almost conversational narration, Nicholas Crowder gave me some insight on manners (what is and is not appropiate to do: for example, usually it is not expected to meet a person until 45 minutes after the time said), social events (parties and what kinds of presents to bring), information on all the cultural traditions, festivities and national cuisine (what's really in that stew?) ... and so much more! Without this book, I would have been clueless. It also includes valuble guides to buying a house, dealing with business colleagues, and setting up bank accounts, etc for those who intend to move there. I recommend this book highly - it tells you the valuble information that other guide books don't mention at all. Don't go without it.

Design Synectics is a stand out browse and reference text for Art educators. I would also highly recommend this book to any creative person. It is like a service manual for the artist/ divergent thinker. Presenting individual visual and cognitive concepts in a schematic that is easy to read and fun to practice. While some of the action items in this book may seem a little too structured, individual educators will have little trouble in customizing the approaches to fit with their style. While many books written for Art teachers only give outdated product based ideas, Design Synectics gives insight into the thinking associated with visual literacy. This book is a true Art educator staple.

As an art educator, this is the book I turn to when my ideas have run out. It has some great starting points for stimulating thought--both in yourself and your students. It offers terrific visuals which suggest all sorts of ideas for starting interesting projects. Read the text and you realise it is even better than it looks--this book is all about how to think in new and creative ways. Any way you'd like to use it, this book is refreshing.

The CD is great, the dream analyses that I get from it are a marvel. . . . I'm sure the book is good too, but I never got I around to reading it. However, let me tell that buying the entire book, whether you're going to read it or not, is worth the price just for the CD if you interested in getting your dreams interpreted

I took a class from Dr. Heyneman, Psych of the Human Consciousness, and this book was our text. It is wonderfully written. This book is very easy to read and understand. It is so nice to have a textbook as fun as this one. The CD is just the icing on the cake! I would definitely recommend anyone interested in dreams to read this publication and enjoy just like I did!

This is a true scholarly work, exhaustively researched and written by a pre-eminent authority in the field, making it unfortunately very dull. Postgate is unquestionably a master, with a vast knowledge of his field. He leaves no stone unturned, and explores all the critical issues in Mesopotamian archaeology, complete with numerous citations from cuneiform texts. However, being a true academic, his writing is very dry and sometimes awkward, making it difficult to stay awake when reading. Postgate provides detailed information and insightful commentaries on all aspects of Mesopotamian life, making this a worthwhile read. One can't help but wonder however, if the Mesopotamians weren't somewhat more exciting than Postgate's writing makes them.

Postgate has written an extremely helpful volume for students of ancient Near Eastern history and culture. It is a scholarly work yet quite readable. His emphasis upon geographical and environmental factors is refreshing and fills a needed gap at this level. Brief citations from contemporanious texts provide helpful illustrations along the way. Always conservative in his own estimation, Postgate provides a variety of alternative solutions to problems and questions raised by the evidence. He does not hesitate, however, to challenge prevailing views where the evidence suggests an alternative like the central role of the temple vs. the palace in this ancient economic setting. The book opens with a historical survey and moves on to provide an understanding of early Mesopotamian society up to the Old Babylonian period. This is a very fine volume.

This is a useful book since it is clear, systematic and rigorous. It is biased because it leaves out certain arguments and are more critical of opposing arguments than arguments in favour of the welfare state. For instance, very few pages are devoted to discussing government failure and the information problems facing the government

Let me begin this review with the recommendation: this book is the ultimate resource for a clear, non-polemic analysis of the welfare state. If you really want to learn about the ins and outs of welfare and privatization - and I mean _really_ learn - this is the book you want. You could read any five other books about welfare economics, income inequity, and social policy without getting as thorough an examination as this book contains. If you want to learn about the ins and outs of privatization and the welfare state, what works and what doesn't (and why), look no further. I have never read, nor even heard of, a more thorough treatment - which is remarkable considering that this book is accessible to any intelligent reader with a bit of patience.

"The Economics of the Welfare State" is commonly used as a textbook for upper year undergraduate and introductory graduate courses in economics. This does not, however, mean that you actually need to have such an economic background to understand it. This 415 page text starts from the beginning, covering all of the economic theory and politucal background you need to understand the contents. In my opinion, it would help to have taken a course in introductory microeconomics before reading this book. That isn't strictly necessary, though, I just think it's helpful in order to understand such serious economic ideas without too much head-scratching. In fact, the book has simplified summaries of the theory chapters for "non-technical" readers, and suggestions of what you should read, depending on your interests, if you don't want to read the whole thing.

The author warns that you may have to take some stuff on faith if you skip the theory, but trust me, you can because it's rock solid.

Oh yes, and while this may be a book on economics, you won't find very many equations in it. And every single one of them can safely be skipped without really hurting the general reader's understanding of the book. This isn't an abstract work, either - Britain is used as the major case study, with many comparisons to other countries such as the US. Specific institutions and policies are described and evaluated, with direct application to real-world political debates. Every bit of theory in the book is directly applied to relevant, detailed examples. The author intends to educate, rather than to pursuade, so the issues are considered in light of multiple ideological perspectives. After describing the major views on the welfare state, all the way from libertarianism through to socialism, Barr points out the relevance of his major points to the perspectives of these various groups.

This is a good book for people interested in evaluating just about any political orientation. It uses clear, well-justified arguments to demonstrate that market failure in many important areas is unambiguous, and that government intervention may not only be superior in principle, but often is superior in the real world. It considers these issues from different perspectives, making it clear that concerns for economic efficiency and social equity may lead to different conclusions.

The author makes no bones about shooting down all unsubstantiated arguments, not just conservative ones. He clearly demolishes a lot of liberal and socialist arguments that some services should be provided by government - if the market really is more efficient at producing something that one wants to guarantee, the government should usually pay for it, not produce it. He considers many situations, such as housing, where the historical use of subsidy and regulation rather than outright income transfers appears to be economically inefficient and inequitable. Barr also explains how some policies designed to decrease inequality can actually increase it. He describes the university system in the UK as regressive, that is, promoting inequality. While it is paid for by all and free to all, in practice the rich are much more likely to actually attend university. Those wishing to promote social equality would do best to read these arguments, so that they can avoid supporting measures destined to backfire. He even demonstrates that some major political arguments have been over trivialities. He explains how the differences between "pay as you go" social insurance schemes and those funded by one's own previous contributions are actually not all that great, contrary to much of the debate about Social Security in the US.

This book is excellent in some respects, but lacking in others. The basic pedagogical method of using only Spanish with essentially no translation is not totally effective when used without a teacher. I am already proficent in another language, having been trained in one of the most famous systems in the world, and in my opinion certain explanations have to be delivered in the native tongue of the speaker in order to expedite progress. So that's my real criticism: more English was needed. However, the stories and grammatical lessons are excellent and there is a real sense of excitement as you read articles on genuinely interesting topics and find that you're understanding the Spanish! I do recommend this book, but suggest also that you check out "Repaso" (available on Amazon) and also "Spanish Now" (also available here).

What I like the MOST about this book is that it is only in Spanish. I've been teaching for 13 years, and I've noticed that when people struggle to find the meaning they retain better what has been learned. I've used other texts like Churros y Chocolate, Dos Mundos, Horizontes, Dímelo Tú... and nothing compares to the way Español en Español is written. Grammar points are nicely explained with lots of examples, and the author made sure his book was not only interesting, but fun. There isn't a single class in which people don't laugh about the examples or excercises that are given in those pages. So, let them struggle with the "only-Spanish" approach, and you'll see the progress that inevitably comes with it.

Not a bad collection of color F4U Korea photos, and general Corsair summary. Worth the $ to add to your library.

Well worth the price, and probably the best F4U book written to date. This book examines each model with stories from aces, test pilots, and others who flew the plane. Good coverage of the radar equipped night fighters, Corsairs in service in South America, in the movies, and RACERS! Too bad it wasn't put out in hardback.