I am an inveterate dog-earer, often bending the pages unconciously, and I find, after reading Robert B. Shaw's SOLVING FOR X, that I've folded down the corners of 17 pages! I haven't messed up a book of poetry this badly in a long, long time.

Many of the poems in this book are metrical, and quite a few of them employ perfect rhyme. One of these, my favorite in the book, is "A Roadside Flock," a poem ostensibly about copper weather vane roosters, which concludes:

" . . . their giddy doom to pivot, / prey to the winds that flounce about the sky. / It's not the life we'd live if we could live it. And gleam gives way to verdigris, raised high // to weather drably, exiled from the ground . . . / Feel that? A hint of breeze. Birds of a feather, / their regal beaks shudder without a sound, / and all the copper flock turns tail together."

But "A Roadside Flock" has a lot of stiff competition. I also very much enjoy "Airs and Graces," "A Field of Goldenrod," "The End of the Sonnet," "Dec. 23," "Espalier," "A Paper Cut," "Ant in Amber," "Seed Catalogues in Winter," "A Flashback," "Letter of Recommendation," "Out of Character," "Static," "September Brownout," "Other Eyes: Hurricane's," "Remainders," and "Living past 19."

I'm struck by how casual Shaw's style is, how downright funny at times, without being the least bit loose or nasty. It's a tricky way to write, but Shaw has mastered it, and I think this is his best book to date.

And that's saying something when you consider his excellent previous books or poetry: THE WONDER OF SEEING DOUBLE, THE POST OFFICE MURALS RESTORED, and BELOW THE SURFACE. But don't trust me. Read everything he's written, including his superb study of the poetry of Herbert and Donne, THE CALL OF GOD, and judge this intelligent, accessible, witty writer for yourself.

I read this book in my twenties and the story has stayed with me all my life. I have even been asked to read one of his poems on television from my hundred and ten year old copy of his life and works.

James Barke being the prime exponent in his knowledge of Robert Burns, has produced books of such detail about the bards early life that the reader is drawn back into the past to the Ayrshire countryside where Burns is living. Although he is a womaniser and a sometimes drunkard, he has such charm and charisma that almost everyone with whom he comes into contact cannot help but like him.

He is constantly in debt but it never seems to get him down. He scribles his hopes thoughts on anything available. He describes his contemporaries in such visible terms that you can see the poverty or the luxury in which they live.

James Barke conveys all of this in enviable detail and makes a mockery of other attempts to recontruct the life af Robert Burns. This book and the others in the series are 'must reads' for all admirers of Burns works

This book contains ALL LYRICS AND TUNES of Robert Burns, as well as the background,history and annotation of every song. To sing these songs is endless joy! A must have for every folk song fan, and for everyone who want to know what the serious study of folk musicology is.

This book really helped me improve my vocabulary. I've been using the vocabulary scoring system and i've been having a riot with the people at the office playing the word game at the back of the book!

This is one of the best books available on the theories of contemporary justice. Burns uses a combination of scholarly sophistication and practical experience to explain why and how trials work so well at locating truth and doing justice.

This book, while I realise its a text book, has given me great insight into the latter portion of western culture. This book provides more verifiable references then any other book of this type I've read. Quality color pictures and easily followed footnotes, provides a respectable index and is very easily understood and appreciated.

For decades Mary Roberts Rinehart was the queen of mystery thrillers -- the American Agatha Christie. Rinehart's special gift was in the evocation of an overlying and unremitting atmosphere of unease and potential danger and it is under such an atmosphere of apprehension that she spins her stories. The Window at the White Cat was the first Rinehart mystery I read (The Circular Staircase was her first published novel) and I liked it so much that I began to read virtually all of her mystery novels -- many of them more than once. The White Cat in the title is the name of a seedy political hangout in which a killing occurs and the story is a mixture of political shenanigans, romance -- and, above all -- mystery and suspense. The Window at the White Cat is a terrific mystery novel and a very good introduction to the mystery novels of a master of the genre.

"The Wrath of Allah" looks at many major aspects of Islam, including the Quran, the life of Muhammad, the hadith, "Helpers of Allah", and Women and Islam. The book presents some of the problems Islamic fundamentalism can and does pose for all of humanity, in a balanced, objective way.

When I was in high school I was a big fan of the writer Max Shulman. He published "Barefoot Boy With Cheek" in 1943 when he was in his early twenties, a new graduate of the University of Minnesota. ("The University of Minnesota is, of coure, wholly imaginary.") There he had earned a reputation as the editor of "Ski-U-Mah," the campus humor magazine. He published a half dozen novels, two of which became musical comedies on Broadway, while two others became television series and movies. He is probably best known for "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," which became a successful TV series, and "The Tender Trap," a movie starring Debbie Reynolds.

I recently came across a well-worn copy of "Barefoot Boy---" in a used-book store and read it again. It's an outrageous satire of college life, a story of the hilarious freshman year of Asa Hearthrug at the (imaginary) University of Minnesota.

"St. Paul and Minneapolis extend from the Mississippi River like the legs on a pair of trousers. Where they join is the University of Minnesota."

Asa is promptly registered into a liberal arts program in order to become a "well rounded-out personality," and is then recruited into the Alpha Cholera fraternity, where he emotionally joins in singing the frat song:

"Stand, good men, take off your hat
To Alpha Cholera, our swell frat.
In our midst you'll find no rat,
And don't let anyone tell you that."

He soon meets Yetta Samovar, and is promptly recruited into the Minnesota Chapter of the Subversive Elements League, where he emotionally joins in singing:

"Workers, workers,
Don't be shirkers,
There's a job we have to do.
Flee your prison,
Collectivism
Is the thing for you to do."

Back at Alpha Cholera he gets invited to a sorority song-title party at Beta Thigh, which he attends as "Tea for Two," with a silver tea service balanced on his head. His date, arranged by his frat brother, is the beautiful Noblesse Oblige, whose song title costume includes a smudge pot attached to her navel. "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," of course!

Asa becomes torn between Noblesse, the fraternity, and the Belongers, or Yetta, the Subversives, and the Unbelongers.

He loses his bid as the dark horse candidate for the student council, flunks all his classes, and returns to his home at Whistlestop and his girlfriend Lodestone La Toole.

Each chapter of the book is preceded by a penetrating quotation in French or Latin, like the one I chose as the title for this review.

An appreciation, or at least a tolerance, for silliness and absurdity is the minimum requirement to enjoy this outrageous satire of college life. I will highly recommend the book to those with that appreciation or tolerance.

You may or may not be aware of this characteristic of Minnesota Scandinavians: We LOVE to make fun of ourselves!

I first read this book in high school (in the mid '50's). I still haven't stopped laughing when I think about it. I want my h/s son to read it, since he's thinking about going to college soon. I think Asa's adventures would help him. Or, have I misspelled "Asa's name." I sure hope not. It's a great book, really, and are Shulman's others.

At the suggestion of my father, who read the book while in the AirCorp in WWII, I decided to read this book. I believe it to be one of the funniest books I have ever read! It is a timeless classic about a small town boy and his transition into college life. It covers all the problems that freshman face: going to see an advisor for suggestions on classes, the courses themselves, the attempt to make friends, the different type of people one meets on a university campus, and the homesickness one feels for their family and an old love. This book is a well written comedy that you will not be able to put down!

I originally purchased "The Power of 5" as a guide to stress relief and weight management. I got much more than I bargained for! It contains great little tips to improve just about every aspect of your life; none of which take more than a few minutes to implement. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends!

This is one of the greatest resource books I have ever run across. It is amazing how much you can change your life, your body, your relationships in just 5 minute (or less) increments. Anyone who says they "don't have time" needs to read this book. It gives you time. It gives you permission to do the things you want to do and you can no longer say you don't have time. It tells you how and has all the back-up to support what it says. It is laid-out well, with easy to read chapters, plus extra "information boxes" on a variety of subjects. Pick this book up and turn to any page. You will find something that you were looking for. From food prep, to muscle exercises, to meditation, to love, its all in there. Just check out the rave reviews on the book and who wrote them if you don't believe me.