I'm a fan of wilson's and have enjoyed his Historical Illuminatus series. I've hesitated to buy the 3rd volume because of it's limited availability and steep price for a used copy. Happily it will soon be reprinted so don't waste your money. See New Falcon for info.

What a good book. I'm sad that its so rare and so become so very expensive to buy, but I am sadder to think its the last of the series. Come on lets have another.

Celine is in the woods meditating while Simon Moon is in the Revolutionary army. Meanwhile the woman that Celine left behind is back in Europe writing feminist papers that ridicule men with great determination.

Halfway through the book they all come together in one large mind-melding thing where all their lives cross if only in hallucinations. Some of the best stream-of-consciousness writing around brings to question all we know about life, war, history, and consciousness collective or otherwise.

This third book of the series is the best of the bunch because it lets its plot play out and then goes into the hallucination scene with a speed that is exhilarating. When Wilson gets going he is a better wordsmith than Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac or Djuna Barnes.

This is reportedly the last book of the series, but Wilson has probably written the fourth book by now. In keeping with the legend every book published has had something happen badly around it - either a dead publisher or a bankrupt publishing house. We might not be able to see the completed Historical Illuminatus trilogy until Wilson dies which may be a long way off, but we will probably see the whole thing.

After anxiously awaiting the arrival of this book, it was so disappointing to realize that I was forcing myself to read it! The book reads like a term paper with so many quotes from PG's own book that I was wondering why I had not bought that one instead. Several friends have also attempted to read this book and just can't get past the first half. You have to be dedicated and determined to get through this one!

I could not put this book down. I read it straight through over two days in complete fascination. A woman who so deeply influenced art of the 20th century and nourished improtant artists when they were unknown so that they could keep working, and yet so insecure, so troubled, so unsure of her own knowledge and taste. An exquisite portrait of this flawed and fabulous character. I am thrilled that the aucthor has created such a thorough and penetrating biography - Peggy certainly deserves it!

The name Guggenheim is well known among museums and among art collectors. One thinks that all those Guggenheims were pretty well off, but everything is relative, and there were rich Guggenheims and poor ones. Benjamin Guggenheim in 1912 dressed in his best formal evening clothes, heroically helped women to climb into the lifeboats of the _Titanic_, and then drowned. He left half a million dollars to his family, but it was the legacy of a poor Guggenheim, not a rich one. His daughter Peggy managed to take her share, and independently of the other collectors in her family, made a highly-regarded collection of early twentieth century art. It was a great accomplishment. She also took plenty of lovers, many of them famous, which is somewhat less of an accomplishment. She was a reprehensible mother, and pinched pennies in ways that would make those around her uncomfortable. She was a contradictory bundle, and now a fun, big, gossipy biography, _Art Lover: A Biography of Peggy Guggenheim_ (HarperCollins) by Anton Gill, has put bright light on all the facets. It isn't always an uplifting story, but it sparkles.

Peggy was fourteen when her father drowned; Gill argues that she was always looking for a father figure after that. Her sexual enthusiasms may have been driven also by fretting over her looks; she was a good-looking woman with a fine physique, but she had a nose which one unkind friend (and she had many of those) said looked like an eggplant. She had two marriages, both to artists, the second one to the famous surrealist Max Ernst, but both were painful. She took hundreds of lovers, most of whom meant little but a night of fun. Someone asked her later in her life, "How many husbands have you had, Mrs. Guggenheim?" and the typical, sharp, self-deprecating and self-aggrandizing answer came: "D'you mean my own, or other people's?" She was far luckier in her pursuit of art (rather than of artists). As years went on, she referred to her collection as "my children" and showed more interest in caring for it than she did for the flesh-and-blood version. She was able to buy art from artists who are now household names before they became so, and before art prices skyrocketed. Her sponsorship of Jackson Pollock is a lasting imprint on American art. Although her famous collection of surrealist and cubist works is now widely appreciated, not everyone felt it was a success. When she welcomed the critic Bernard Berenson to it in 1948, she gushed, "Mr. Berenson, you were the first person to teach me about painting," to which Berenson replied, "My dear, what a tragedy that I wasn't the last."

The Tate Gallery in London had enough enthusiasm earnestly to try to acquire her collection (it did do restoration work), but because of her legal and personal problems, the deal never went through. Tellingly, she could not finally compete with the resources of her uncle Solomon's foundation and museum. She had made her Palazzo Leoni one of the high points to visit in Venice (where it contrasted with the ancient city to good effect), and upon her death, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation took it over as a public museum. Peggy died in 1979, and her cremated remains were interred near her collection, and also near her beloved dogs' resting place, but far away from any friends or relatives. She had done well with dogs and art, and not much more. It was an eccentric and unique life, often successful, but encompassing a good deal of lost opportunities and sadness. This generous but by no means fawning biography is a pleasure to read because it is full of fascinating detail, scandalous stories, and coruscating bon mots.

This translation is a nice effort -- at rewriting the original, extremely subtle text as a modern English drama according to the tastes and limitations of the translator. If you're looking to capture the true genius of Chekhov, try another.

There are only two modern dramatists that are masters one is Peter Shaffer who wrote the maliciously marvelous Amadeus and the plays of Anton Chekhov the best of which is uncle vanya, the best dipiction of real life its tragedy, its joy and its drama. From the Tolstoyan Astrov, to the depressed Vanya, to the beautiful but vain Yelena. This is a play about life...all people can relate to it in some way and I think Chekhov's philosophy of life is...sublime

Anton Chekhov was a writer who was able to capture the essence of life and inter-personal relationships in his stories. His writing is simple yet powerful and emotionally affecting. Uncle Vanya deals with envy, male-female relationships, despair, and takes a look at life from a realist perspective.

I ordered this book in hopes that it would be the same 200 page photo reference book that my friend had, but it was not. This book is only about 60 pages and does not cover all of the uniforms that I had wanted to see. I sent the book back and I am now in search of the correct one. Do not order this book if you are looking for the longer version.

"Red Army Uniforms of WWII..." is a usefull book on the subject, but if you only want to buy one book on Red Army uniforms of WWII, I wouldn't recomend this one.
The choice of uniforms is very appealing, but the photographs don't show the colors of the uniforms very well. Partialy this is due to all of the models being photographed against a bright red background ( probably as some kind of association with the chosen subject), partialy this is due to the lighting leaving something to be desired. This is a real shame, because otherwise the book would have been first rate!
The book does offer some uniforms I have never seen anywhere else before, such as the late war camouflage uniform.
If you would, for example combine this book with the book from Osprey Publishing on the same subject, you would have a good combination to start with.

Well, this is a book far above average. A good source for all military artists, modellers etc.
The only small detail missing on ALL photographs is - a piece of white cloth ALWAYS sewn to the inner side of collar. This white inner-collar was worn on all Soviet uniforms, as by Generals as well as by the rank and file!
As a former conscript of the Soviet Army in the late 70's I still remember how much attention our Company NCO's payed to this lousy piece of cloth, that has to be changed every day in order to look clean, fresh and "cultivated". For unclean "inner-collar" you could be punished.
Otherwise this book deserves place on every military history addict's bookshelf.

The book gets confusing at points and the author assumes many concepts which defeat the purpose of being "Elementary". I have struggled at how he comes up with the answers. For example chapter 4 is so confusing!!!

I usually avoid demagogic descriptions of educational texts as they tend to appeal mainly to ignorants but in the case of linear algebra perhaps i can be excused. This book presents a difficult topic, that could be very frustrating, in an easy to understand, well documented manner. Unlike most math textbooks this book does not aim to educate only the top 5% of the class and confute the rest of the students. Rather the author seems to be targeting average to good math students. Also helpful is that he basses the relevant chapter examples on problems that actually appear in the excercises. No silly "discovery learning" or multiple levels of abstraction are required to solve the problems and understand the topics. I appreciate that the author is aiming to educate the bulk of his audiance and not just the mathematical elite. Only if more advanced math books were like this!

This is a great book for beginner courses in Linear Algebra. It covers most of the things you're likely to see in a beginner course (there a few topics that aren't covered in this book but probably you'd only see them in more advanced courses). The book is wonderfully diagrammed with emphasis boxes for definitions and theorems. Most theorems are given formal proofs but always in the simple and easy language of the rest of the book. The more straightforward proofs are left as exercise (and believe me, they're great exercises). The authors did not commit an offensive crime by leaving them out. This omission does not compromise understanding, either. At the end of each chapter it presents a cumulative summary of the most important topics learned so far. This is very important in a subject where the most simple definition learned in the first chapter of the book is the key to a much more difficult definition presented in a more advanced chapter. That's the joy of Linear Algebra!

Robert Anton Wilson wrote this film script in the late '90's while settling into a new environment (Los Angeles) and recovering from a collapsed film deal. Wilson waited nearly a decade before publishing it. This is not one of Wilson's better works. Wilson's books of philosophy and social criticism shine with brilliance, wit and a clarifying debunking. Praise of these points festoons the covers here, but it is not The Walls Came Tumbling Down that earner that lauding. In the story Michael, an academic scientist, is so barraged with hallucinations and the paranormal that his entire reality is upset for reality only to emerge as a world run by a controlling shadow government with an extraterrestrial treaty. The quick scene changes and short dialogues threaten to unseat even the reader. The Golgotha imagery, folk hallucinogens and parallel universe theorization is a grab bag of alternate reality models that may have been advanced in the late '80's. However, it now reads as predictable, unexciting and not revealing at all. Certainly a necessary addition to the library of the Wilson completists, but a better entry point into his wisdom can be found in Reality is What you can get Away With or Prometheus Rising.

a psychedelic, philosophical screenplay that proves unique and thought-provoking.

I don't so much mind that it wasn't made into a film as the direct dialogue between Wilson and your own brain frequently evokes the most satisfying images.

Robert Anton Wilson's screenplay which he attempted to have produced in a film is about the adventures of a scientist who Flashes back on LSD and experiences future memory blocks. Eventually time and space skip from one place to another to an ending I will not reveal here. Entertaining and a well written script, however, I can understand why Hollywood passed the idea. Scattered somewhat, however visually appealling it may be (even to the unconscious). More likely a better read, nonetheless, Wilson is Wilson, so if you enjoy reading Wilson, then this Wilson will be good enough for you.

I was unhappy with this book. There is a lot of information if you are a breeder or somebody who wants show your dog. Our beagles are pets, however. We have no interest in showing them. Most of the information in the book seemed to be targeted at people who are raising beagles to show. I was looking for a book that would teach me about the dog but also give me a lot of general information: health issues, concerns, training, etc. My other complaint is that the pictures are old & black & white. ..., I expect to at least get clear, sharp color pictures which add more to the detail or point which is being referenced to or explained by the picture.

This book is wonderfully written, while it is not geared to a beagle owner in the "pet" set of mind. It is a wonderful tool and a must have for breeders, serious enthusiasts, exhibitors, etc.... My only suggestion would be for the pictures to be in color vs. black and white.

Without a doubt the best book on dogs of any breed, and a must for every Beagler. Comprehensive and authoritative, giving you an expert's view on breeding, grooming, training, showing and loving your Beagle. The only bad thing is that other breed enthusiasts don't have anything like it. But then, they don't have Beagles either.

Pay special attention to the section on distinguished pedigrees. It helped me find one of the top beagle breeders in the country and eventually get a great dog from them.

Here we go again--Leary's disciple R. A. Wilson is promoting drug use to reach "higher" states of consciousness. He's also a big fan of that old egomaniacal phony Aleister Crowley, of course. If Wilson ever got a clue what real enlightenment is he would have to repudiate many of his books, and this one in particular. Don't hold your breath waiting for it--like Leary, he'll go down waving the hippie flag all the way.

It is not suprising to me that this is so good. Robert Anton Wilson's work in general is excellent: informative and entertaining.

To the Individual that posted the "of course" attack. Don't be so dogmatic and close minded. If so many people through out history have found these techniques and substances useful, maybe there is something to it

This book takes a rather interesting point of view that will not sit well with those who do not think... To do the quality and type of work pointed out here is well beyond the capabilities of the average. Instead of believing what the media shamans tell you or the scientistic-priests ( you know, the so-called credible scientists that tell the world with a straight face that they know, a priori, that anything beyond their personal experience cannot possibly be true... ), an intelligent reviewer might find themselves practicing sex, pranyama and the ingestion of THC while keeping strict and accurate journals that may be peer reviewed.

As an aside, WHO THE ... CAN TELL ANOTHER WHAT ENLIGHTENMENT IS? Wilson points at "Higher Consciousness", if you will forgive the play on words there, but does not preach WHAT it will be for anyone. Hmmm... Seems strange that people seeking enlightenment still sound as if they KNOW what it IS. Some reviewers crack me up.

I purchased this book at one of Mr. Anderssen's classes (at a reduced price). It does have many interesting recipes, including things like foot deoderizing powder. The cookie and other baked good mixes are interesting, but many do call for ingredients (like vanilla powder) that are not readily available in your typical grocery store. Many of the recipes also require the recipient of the gift in a jar to add a lot of fresh ingredients...which in a sense diminishes the "gift" effect. I believe some of the proceeds from the sale of the book go to charity and that lessens the impact of the hefty price tag for this small book.

Very clear instructions. Content is amazing... there are 200 recipes in this book, while the "other" book on this subject has only 23 recipes. All the pages are full of info in this book, while the "other" book has mostly blank pages upon which you are supposed to write gift tag info. I was very disappointed with the "other" book on this subject, but very pleased with this large version. The recipes fit a quart jar, unlike the "other" book. The illustrations are cute! Good price considering you get 200 recipes, as opposed to the "other" book with only 23 recipes in it. Everyone can find some recipe with 200 in this book. If you don't then an attitude adjustment is in order. You get a lot of recipes for your money.

I bought this book because I've seen mason jars filled with layers of ingredients for chocolate chip cookie mixes, and I wanted to know how it was done but no one would reveal their secret recipe. I was kind of shocked at the price of the book. I've never bought a book that cost a lot before. This book is described as having 200 gourmet and personal luxury item recipes that fit in quart jars. But at first I had trouble finding the gourmet ingredients, even when i went all the way to Super Kmart. I had never heard of vanilla powder, and no one in the trailer park has ever heard of it either. So I called the library and they told me vanilla powder is available at cake decorating stores and it's for sale all over the internet. I never heard of things like leeks or shallots either. You would think that a gourmet cookbook would have ingredients you can buy at Super Kmart. I was mad about spending quit a bit for the book until I made up 5 dozen jars and sold them at the flea market for $15 each. I earned $900 from selling those 5 dozen jars. I am now the queen of my trailer park!!!

The book reads more like a polemic than a social history. Some of the material is interesting, but the author's analysis is weak, and his conclusions are frequently not supported by the facts. The book for the most part is trite and devoid of acute insight. I was hoping to find an even handed account of this tragic conflict, and was truly disappointed.

As I was reading through this book it stroke me that it is funny how much authors spend time convincing us, the readers, that they are reporting nothing less than the truth. La Guardia is aware that he has taken upon himself to write about a conflict, which appears to have been covered in every aspect possible; he is aware that it is not possible to write a comprehensive piece about one of the most dynamic conflicts in history. he explicitly shares his doubts with the reader of investing energy in writing a text that may seem superfluous the next day because the course of events have taken another surprising turn. The question remains why did he do it? Why did he write this book?
Considering that since this book was published, Ariel Sharon has almost succeeded in erasing every memory of the triumphs of the Oslo agreements; he has been re-elected; Israel has had several suicide incidents because of its collapsing economy; Yassir Arafat has been labeled relatively irrelevant; the Iraqi regime has been subverted; Mahoud Abbas, Abu Mazen, has been sworn in as the first Palestinian Prime Minister in history; two days ago the Bush administration published its suggestion for the solution of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the infamous "Road Map". All this has happened as a result of the 11-9 attack on the World Trade Center, since this book was published. If you are looking for updated analysis and reports of what is going on in Israel, you'd better stick to the newspapers.

La Guardia's book, however, provides a detailed survey of this area's religious and political history; in Althusserian terminology La Guardia presents the different ideological apparuteses' influence on the area's history. His backgound as a reporter can easily be traced in the narrative, but it also gives a flow to the reading of a dense account.
The ideas are not new; the parties involved has not changed; Arafat is still Arafat, and Sharon is still Sharon. to those reviewers, who are complaining about La Guadia's lack of objectivity, should notice that this conflict is a conflict of opnions and contrasting views. I do not encourage you to choose side, but if you want to search for objectivity, go buy a cooking book. envigorating subjectivity is always welcome. This book should be read at least once for the sake of refreshing your memory. if you are not acquainted with the subtle details of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict then i'll give this book five stars as it introduces the subject excellently.

Journalist Anton La Guardia spent most of the 1990s in Israel as a reporter, much like Thomas Friedman spent most of the 1980s in the Middle East before writing his masterpiece "From Beruit to Jerusalem." There are important similarities and differences between the two books. Whereas Friedman's book examined the broader perspective of Middle East politics, "War Without End" is concerned exclusively with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Addtionally, while Firedman's book used history as a backdrop for a telling of his own experiences, La Guardia's book concentrates on historical writing punctuated only occasionally by his first person accounts.

That said, La Guardia has produced an excellent one volume history of the conflict. He sets the stage by explianing the origins of Zionism and of the European anti-Semetism that caused it to gain force. He then gives an overview the history of the Ottoman and British rule over Palestine, the 1948 UN Mandate and Israeli War for Independence, and the subsequent Arab-Israeli conflicts. After this, the rest of the book is devoted to the many conflicts between the Israelis and the Palenstinians as well as the internal conflicts between various factions within Israel and of the ineptitude of the PLO leadership. La Guardia gives a balanced account, and is critical of the excesses and mistakes committed by both parties.

One comes away from the book with a clearer understanding of recent conflict. Though chronologically disjointed, the narrative covers events all the way up until early 2002. The odd structuring of the book is most likely due to the numerous rewrites La Guardia admits in the preface to doing as events continued to unfold. His most valuable service is that, like with Friedman's book, he cuts through the ideological and religious issues to give readers a relatively clear picture of just what lies behind the world's most intractable conflict.

Overall, a well written and readable book that works a tad better as a work of history than as a work of journalism.