This book, by a French philosopher of science, was originally published in 1940. It seems noteworthy for its early positive recognition of Alfred Korzybski's work. Bachelard wrote: "Those of us who are trying to find new ways of thinking, must direct ourselves towards the most complicated structures. We must take advantage of all the lessons of science, however special they may be, to determine new mental structures. We must realize that the possession of a form of thought is automatically a reform of the mind. We must therefore direct our researches towards a new pedagogy. In this direction, which has attracted us personally for a number of years, we shall take as our guide the very important work of the non-Aristotelian school, founded in America by Korzybski, which is so little known in France" (108). I also found noteworthy, from a general-semantics perspective, Bachelard's discussion of his "epistemological profile." The epistemological profile provides a standard for evaluating the underlying assumptions of scientific discussions. This was reworked by general-semantics writer J. Samuel Bois and provides the basis for a scheme of viewing personal and cultural development. Bachelard's writing style, dense and metaphorical, lacks sufficient clarity for me at times. Nonetheless, I found the book stimulating enough to recommend to other explorers of thought. The philosophy of no is definitely not out of date.

Though not one of Leroux's best works, 'The Secret Of The Night,' is a stunning novel. I myself own one of the rare copies of 'Secret' as well as 'Myster of the Yellow Room,' and hopefully someday, 'Phantom.' In the book Leroux focuses upon a detective in Russia partly resembleing Inspector DuPon (Poe) and Sherlock Holmes (Conan Doyal). A 4 star book.

Three of these excellent stories by Bill Gaston stand out in my mind: the tale of a soused would-be Lothario on vacation in Prince Edward Island with his ailing wife and 4 grubby kids, a story about taking the possibilities of sexual intimacy in marriage to a new level and a story (written almost in the form of letter or newspaper report) about a man obsessed with saving the world by destroying TVs (literally).

I appreciate this author's wry view of life in smalltown Canada (Fredericton, New Brunswick was the locale for many of the stories). It's good to see a man writing about the daily struggle withfamily & intimacy, in all its forms; one character's nerves are jangled by the sounds of his family chewing their food (hey, I can relate to that!).

Gaston is a fine writer whose work pulses with humour and emotional honesty. His men may be loners, husbands or fathers. (Some of them are all 3--living the existential truth that we are ALL alone.) They are also fallible andthus loveable. The fact that they seem to like to play hockey is truly unfortunate (as I said, they're fallible!)

Many of the stories resonate with the foibles of small-town Canada: the guy with long hair who works in a record store, lives alone in a dirty bungalow and has never given up smoking pot--YES, that's what happens when you never leave home!

Gaston was born in 1953--so was I!--and his sensibilities speak to Baby Boomers like me who grew up in small towns, tuned in and turned on, then dropped out for awhile before going to university, getting a job, and now--as Daniel Lanois wrote (and Emmylou Harris sang) in one of his haunting tunes:-- we're "raising kids, from raising hell". This is where Gaston's characters find themselves: in middle age, having been part of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Along the way, they've played with sex, drugs, rock & roll and Buddhism! It all figures into the lives Gaston paints in the pages of this excellent collection of short stories. He is one of Canada's gems!

I also highly recommend 2 of Gaston's novels, Tall Lives and Inviting Blindness.

Lyrically written, the author, Gaston Rebuffat, one of the world's climbing greats, expresses such joy for mountaineering that it is infectious. No climbing enthusiast's library should be without this book. The photograph of Rebuffat which graces the cover of this book is alone worth the price of the book.

Rebuffat is positively poetic in his description of various climbs. The reader almost feels as if one were one with the mountain. A purist, the author climbed not for the glory of it, but for the sheer joy of the brotherhood of the rope. In these days, where climbing is often just a reason for a media event, the author's approach is refreshing, indeed.

If you don't have Gaston's Vol 1-3 (now out of print), this is a must buy. Sadly, it is limited to Reinhold's red mark items (both marked and unmarked)and contains no new molds or decorations. A change of format for a Gaston book as items are divided by decoration rather then type of object. Values are with each photo, a nice change! For the experiences collector there is nothing new, but if you don't have the first three books by Gaston, you will find much to appreciate in this volume. Avid "red mark" collectors will enjoy having so much,all in one source.

My interest in R.S. Prussia porcelain was kindled recently by researching a chocolate pot that had belonged to my great aunt, leading to my discovery of Mary Frank Gaston's scholarly and fascinating first and second books on the subject, now out of print. Regrettably, I have been unable to locate a copy of her Third Series book. But I was hooked--and a quick perusal of "Popular Lines" immediately compelled me to purchase this volume. I have been amply rewarded. Historical material from the earlier books has been carried forward and updated, along with indispensable information on mold and pattern identification and an educational chapter on fakes, repairs, and reproductions. Estimated values are helpfully provided in the caption for each illustration. Not only does this beautifully illustrated volume supplement Gaston's earlier books, but it serves quite admirably as a stand-alone reference for the novice. A highly enjoyable, key feature of this edition is the grouping of illustrations by decoration, such that one can view, all in one place, a variety of different items that are similarly decorated. A cautionary note: this volume concentrates solely on R.S. Prussia, so that E.S. and other allied marks illustrated in the earlier books are omitted here. The serious student of R.S. Prussia might want to acquire the entire series of Gaston books. In summary, this handsome and informative reference work on R.S. Prussia porcelain serves as an excellent distillation of, and supplement to, its predecessors.

This book provides lots of great color pictures, not only of R.S. Prussia items but of the marks. It also has a section on reproductions. This is a very well done resource.

There are a few nice pieces in this book but not enough to warrant a whole book. There is one picture I spotted as being identical to a picture on another page. Many of the items one could see by going to a Copper and Brass store that sells new items. I now have the book, "Metalwork in Early America : Copper and It's Alloys from the Winterthur Collection,". If you want in-depth information on antique copper and brass, I'm afraid you're going to have to go the money. This is what I was looking for when I bought this other book. Save your money.

This paperback with glossy cover is a must for collectors inthe metalware field. It's strongest points are in the excellent and numerous photos presented (all of which are in color). ... Most people would find the prices paid for identical pieces to be much lower, but it is still a worthy effort.

The author also devotes the last chapter to discussing forgeries, fakes, and reproductions which is also a must for a novice or anyone who hasn't had years of hands on collecting in the field.

If you had only one guide for the field, although I would never recommend only using one reference source, this could be it.

The only weakness with the book is that the text and background surrounding the various pieces is seriously lacking. But taking into consideration the price and the superb pictures, it is money well spent.

At the same time I would also recommend "Collecting Antique Metalware" copyright 1974 by Evan Perry. It has a mixture of both color and b/w photos in a hardback, but it much superior in explanatory text. I would whole heartedly give each book 5 stars.

I read this because It was listed as a "great book". Why, I don't know. Maybe at the time it was risque. Imagine the horror! A wife, not happy with just being a wife! Soon she begins to realize that she is an indvidual who has her own sexual desires, so she trapses around town with men while her husband is away on business. It was a labor to read this, but I always finish. You however- I would not reccomend picking this up.

I got turned on to KC in college through one story--The Storm--and a little background on her (she wrote ahead of her time, was published and then forgotten until the 1960's Feminist Movement dug her up again). She became one of those authors I lodge in the back of my head to investigate later. I happened upon this wonderful book at the book tent at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fest and grabbed it. The book gives a great introduction to her and her time. I was lucky enough to read The Awakening and some of her other short stories while staying at Grand Isle. She was and is a great writer. She wrote from a viewpoint that bucked the norms of her time---the late 1800's, she wrote of women who didnt fit the mold of mommy and wife. She wrote eloquently of an area, era, and culture that I love...New Orleans, Cajun Country, and Grand Isle amongst others. I dont write many reviews, but after reading the only other review for this book I felt a different opinion should be heard. She is a good read.

Collector Books did not live up to its generally fine quality of productions in this guide to English ceramics. The text is awkwardly written, confusing or contradictory in places, and colorless, lacking enthusiasm. Worse, a very large number of the illustrations are seriously shadowed, a most annoying flaw in an identification guide. On the plus side, the range and selection of objects discussed is ample, and the illustrations of marks are helpful.

Mary Frank Gaston's English China provides identification and values for enamel, oriental themes, and other decorative themed china works. The color photos prove an invaluable aid in the identification process.

I had to give the book two stars simply because it is in part Gaston Leroux's novel. However, it is not the original. I was terribly disappointed to discover that, far from being the original novel in its entirety, it is "abridged and adapted especially for intermediate students of French." In other words, it was rewritten. The author's foreword is almost completely gone, retaining only "Le fantome de l'Opera a existe. Il a existe en chair et en os." [Please pardon the lack of accents.] The epilogue had vanished, too. I only explored a little farther, to discover that any sentences or words extra had been cut, even such simple things as "The Persian had seen the poor, unhappy Erik for the last time." Now, I can understand that some editing for students is necessary (did I mention there are questions at the end of each chapter?) However, this seems to me to be an extreme and heartless adaptation, and there was no mention of the alterations in the description of the book. For those who do not have a complete command of the French language and wish to read a novel in that language, fine. However, for Phantom fans who have read every English translation within reach (and own most of them), I regretfully suggest that you continue the search, and please tell me what you find. I wish you good hunting.

For those of you that don't understand French, don't try to read this, go for the English version, But I have to say that I loved this book, I don't see why it was so different. (though it was in French) I have six copies of the book in both French and English, and there is always some change, so I can tell you it was a great book, even though some of the wording was different, as it is in most of the others I have. I totally recomend it! I'm only fourteen but I loved this and other classical lit.

This small book (a bit expensive at 25 bucks) has some interesting things to say about location and economic activity (though I wished there would have been more on the way of examples). It is surprising, though, that Krugman never mentions one reason why labor mobility it's not (and, in all probability, will never be) as high in the European Union as it is in the United States: the fact that European workers speak different languages (OK, many speak english, but many don't, and one almost surely is bound to be less good working in a second language than in a native one).

It is great that Krugman is promoting space to the world of Economics but he hasn't brought much to the table of economic geography that wasn't already there. However, as the author's knowledge increases in the subject area, geographers would be advised to keep tabs on his work as the field is lacking in formal models.

That it has taken an economist to highlight the role of space in spatial economic development is an indication of the failure of geographers to do the same with mathematical models (they've had more time to do it...). Regional science has long held the view that space matters, yet geography has not come up with sufficiently rich models to explain why. Dr Krugman has provided a valueble service to making geography matter more in ecomonics. Perhaps it is time for economics to matter more in space?