This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is essential reading for anyone interested in 19th century intellectual history and philosophy of history in general. It covers the development of historicism, positivism, and the notion of progress ('ideology' might be better) in 19th century thought. Read Nisbet's "Sociological Tradition" and Raymond Williams's "Culture and Society" as well for a more rounded view. Know your Kant and Hegel if you want to really understand what these books are getting at.

Concise and readable, this text offers an excellent account of Latin American History. This sixth edition, new for 2000, is even better than its predecessors, offering an update on the happenings in each of the country's covered. This book is an excellent choice for anyone who is either just starting out in the field of Latin American studies or just looking to add to their collection.

I hope Maurice Druon lives -- and writes -- forever.

Reality meets history at the hand of a master writer in each of Druon's books. This one is the story of the growth of Paris from its beginning before Roman times as an island village to Louis VIII and the archives of St. Louis. We can only hope he will write another volume to bring the story up to the modern megalopolis we know as the City of Light.

The story told here is amazing but it is the writing that brings it to life and attaches the reader firmly to the page. The fortunes of the city waxed and waned over the centuries.

After the death of Charlemagne, for example, "Apart from the sounds of commerce, and the ringing of coin from the mint which the emperor had authorised, there was silence on the banks of the Seine, a sort of historical torpor. The awakening was to be bloody."

After that awakening a respite, then the Norsemen came, "...at Easter, 843, 120 Danish ships attacked Paris. The people fled into the country; the city was sacked, and when the ships left they were down to the gunwales under the weight of booty. Among much else, the Norsemen carried away the splendid bronze roof of Saint-Germain-le-Dore....Paris received another visitation at Christmas 856, and several churches lost their roofs."

The story of Paris is the story of kings and saints, men and women who lived adventure, faced destiny and either gave in to or changed history. "Great men do not make history," Druon writes, "but it needs them, and history cannot be made without them."

Too many histories are drab dates and dull records of events. Druon shows us the exploits and achievements of history and the men and women who acted and reacted to affect the way it all turned out.

"Paris was to grow longer, but concentrically, like a tree. As we count the years in the section of a tree, so we can measure ring by ring on successive maps of Paris, the work of the centuries, history's cold winters and the rich summers of prosperity."

I give this book my highest recommendation. I can't imagine anyone, young or old, educated or uneducated, not enjoying it to the fullest. No matter who you are, how well you know or do not know Paris, you are in for a real treat.

Also, if you can find copies of his ACCURSED KINGS books -- about the kings of France, do so! They are the best written and their stories make the Plantagenets and the British monarchy look like a bunch of easy living wimps.

Anything by Maurice Druon is a winner.

This tale of Lupin the Gentelman burgler centers around a college student who's ability to use reason and logic to deduce a particular crime, sends him on a quest to find a long lost treasure, a hollow needle, and lupin himself.

The great thing about lupin, is that he betrays the reviewer at every chance he gets. I was dissapointed that the story followed alongside this kid and not on lupin, but in the end i discovered how often lupin was around but in disguise! I had to laugh at the cunning and inginuity of this thief who seems to know every move and every trick to get what he wants.

If you want a fun story with lots of twists and turns and outragious treasures and intrigues, then buy this book.

This book was written by a wonderful man, my grandfather. He contains a wealth of knowledge on the subject and can help you find the information you need for beginning or maintaining a good book collection.

Anyone who took the AP in biology should just look at this book a couple days before. I took the AP and then two days before I read the entire book. The book is very thorough and goes through every possible topic. After reading this book I got a 790 on the satII. If your a freshman and are planning to take the AP in your juniour year I would highly suggest that you wait until you take the AP since most freshman bio classes are insufficient for the satII, especially freshman in NY since the idiots in Albany made a stupid living environment course. However if you study hard from this book and your a good bio student you probably will be able to pull off a 700. I would also suggest to take the molecular. Its actually quite easy especially for AP students. The ecology part is more like interpeting pictures which is hard to study. Also dont waste your time on any other book. This is all you need.

I got this one in preparation for the SAT II. It's really good, and you don't need a lot of time to read it. Most of the stuff is short, only putting the things you need to know. Great study guide

Communicology is the study of human discourse in all of its forms, ranging from human gesture and speech to art and television. communicology also represents the dominant qualitative research paradigm in the discipline of human commuication, especially in the applied areas of mass communication, philosophy of communication, and speech commuication. Lanigan's work exemplifies the theory of communicology by offering the bold and original thesis that Michel Foucault's thematic study of the Discourse of Desire and Power is an elaboration of the problematic discourse explicated in Maurice Merleau-Ponty's interrogation of Freedom and Terror. Various chapters cover such topics as art versus science, culture and communication, modernity versus postmodernity, feminism versus humanism, research methodology, and the Capta versus Data distinction for research validity. Actual examples of research cover the aesthetics of painting and sculpture, radio and television, rhetorical criticism of oral and written texts, and the East-West perspective on crosscultural encounter--all using the approach of semiotic phenomenology. Two special features of this book make it a worthy purchase for the teacher and scholar alike. First, Lanigan provides an Encyclopedic Dictionary that illustrates and defines the the theory and method of the Human Sciences in general and the discipline of Communicology in particular. Used for several years by teachers in a number of universities, this dictionary has become a "classic" among students before its first-time publication here. Second, Lanigan analyzes and illustrates what has been missing for years in the study of Foucault's work: a definition (with appropriate illustrative figures and tables) of Foucault's method of Archaeology and Genealogy (Criticism) for research in the human sciences, especially in the study of human discourse.

This book has tons of information on how to use the microscope, from beginners to more advanced users. I use this volume as microscopy is a hobby of mine, and also I use our microscope to teach my young children about the world of the small. In the pages of this book you can learn about plants, molds, yeast, bacteria, animal cells, microscopic pond life, how to prepare slides, preparation of cultures, insect life, and this list could go on, it makes science fun for the family. This book is very easy to understand, yet has very detailed information on a variety of subjects, with many drawings and photographs.

A delightful book for kids of all ages! Each page of this book has delightful, light, charming prose. The illustrations by Maurice Sendak put the final touches on a lovely, well-bound volume of reading for a family to share or a child to escape to a cozy window-seat and read. I recommend this book for someone who wants to give a nice, lasting gift to a special child or friend.

The Impact Of Chaim Soutine is an extraordinary and unusual art book tracing how the works of Chaim Soutine (1893-1943) affected the artistic sensibilities of avant garde artists de Kooning, Pollock, Dubuffet, and Bacon. Filled cover to cover with full-color reproductions of bold painting, each image is paired with comments directly attributed to Soutine and the great artists he affected. Enhanced with artist and studio photographs, a chronology and biography, and a roster of Soutine Paintings in the Galerie Gmurzynska Exhibition, The Impact Of Chaim Soutine is a truly stunning and informative look at the influence and legacy of a notable man's abstract art and a welcome addition to personal and academic Art History collections.