_A Dreamer's Tales_ consists of 16 short stories (I've sorted them by title rather than order of appearance); it's in print as I write this, as part of the Fantasy Masterworks edition of _Time and the Gods_.

"The Beggars" - The cloaked strangers, begging gracefully, as gods beg for souls, had a gift for seeing past the dreary surface of life in the city.

"Bethmoora" - a story of the desolation of Bethmoora, a city at the desert's edge.

"Blagdaross" - As twilight falls upon a rubbish heap, all the castoff things therein find voices to remember where they have been. Among them is the rocking-horse Blagdaross.

"Carcassonne" - It was prophesied to Camorak at Arn that he should never come to Carcassonne, but he decided to defy Fate.

"The Day of the Poll" - Since everyone in the town had gone raving mad on election day, the lonely poet set out to trap and save an intelligence for company.

"The Field" - Why is it the field of king-cups, and not the hideous ugliness of the town, that is covered with an ominous feeling of foreboding?

"The Hashish Man" - Another visitor to Bethmoora picks up the tale.

"The Idle City" - The city's custom was that anyone who wished to enter must pay a toll of one story at the gate.

"Idle Days on the Yann" - the story of a journey on the ship _Bird of the River_ down the Yann, and of the cities along the Yann.

"The Madness of Andelsprutz" - The city of Andelsprutz had been conquered, and stolen from the land of Akla. What happens to the souls of conquered cities?

"Poltarnees, Beholder of Ocean" - The Inner Lands are those three kingdoms which have no view of the sea, being bounded on the west by the mountain Poltarnees. But none who had ever climbed Poltarnees from the very earliest times had ever come back again...

"Poor Old Bill" - the Captain never talked to the ship's crew, except sometimes in the evening he would talk a bit to the me!n he had hanged at the yard-arm. But just when the crew thought life couldn't get any worse, the Captain learned how to use curses.

"The Sword and the Idol" - Which would have more weight - the family of the man who made the first iron sword, or of he who made the first idol?

"The Unhappy Body" - The body, afflicted with a poet's soul that would not let it rest, was advised to drink and smoke more, so that the soul would cease to trouble it.

"Where the Tides Ebb and Flow" - What happens to the souls of those who are cursed so that they cannot rest on either the earth or the ocean?

"In Zaccarath" - The prophets and singers have spoken of the iniquity of the King, and the onrush of the Zeedians, but the King and his queens and warriors are paying heed only to their feasting and celebration, or so it would seem...

This book, which contains 16 magical tales, is just great. I read it twice from cover to cover and loved every sentence in it. Dunsany has a very particular style, making it easy to envision the story and experiencing it as if it were really happening.

this is a work of art. incredibly imaginative, it speaks directly from the subconscious mind. it is not only art but also an excercise in psychoanalysis. key words are: gods in poppy fields in the twilight. prohpets beheaded and sent on a journey into the outer stars.if you like gods beating up on little people, you will love this guy

My first intro to chaos was Gleick's book *Chaos: Making a New Science* which focused on the history of the discovery of chaos. Although this was fascinating - and a good read for those just learning about dynamical systems, strange attractors, and the like - Lorenz's *Essence of Chaos* was much more satisfying. Lorenz analyzes specific chaotic functions, gives you the math (equations are in the appendix) and generally accomplishes what the title suggests - that is, exploring the essence of chaos. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in this deeply fascinating subject.

Lorenz has done it again. This is a terrific inside look at chaos by the man who made Gleick's book possible. And it had a few interesting new ideas too--who would have thought there was a different way to present fourth-order Runge-Kutta? Who would have thought Runge-Kutta could convert a phase-space circle to a nice-looking fractal attractor? A good book for the air plane.

Edward Lorenz takes a complicated topic and makes it accessible for all people, regardless of prior knowledge of chaos theory. He provides interesting and easy to follow examples of chaos, fractals and complexity. The illustrations are helpful and he includes a glossary of terms to aid the beginning chaos enthusiasts to quickly become familiar with the terminology. Mr. Lorenz gives a brief history of chaos and explains how it is used in the study of mathematics, meteorology, economics, music, and other fields. The book is very interesting and is highly recommended for those who would like to acquaint themselves with the exciting world of chaos.

Having rafted the Colorado myself 2 years ago, this was a perfect souvenir-reminder of my trip. The photos in particular are exquisite - some I have no idea how he managed to capture without ending up in the river himself. I lost my Pentax to the very first rapid! This book definitely gives a sense of what the Canyon, the river, and the rapids are like. Makes me want to go back!

I have traveled through the Grand Canyon many times, both on the river and on the trails. John Blaustein has not only been able to capture the beauty of the canyon but also the soul of the river it contains. Abbey's journal is a fine compliment to the pulchritude of the pictures.

Any fan of unique photography and wonderful words should buy this reissue. Mr. Blaustein is a gifted photographer and abbey is equally adept in capturing the magic of this river trip. The book is a reminder of what could be lost, if we fail to preserve the glorious heritage of our national parks.

This book gives a lot of layman explanations to medical technical jargon that the doctors throw at new patients. At times the reading was a bit dry, but this book serves as a daily reference to me with the many challenges I face as a newly diagnosed RA patient.

This book covers all aspects of this disease and is written by a practicing Rheumatologist. RA is considered one of the "inflammatory" forms of arthritis and is now generally considered an autoimmune disease. Topics covered in depth include what joints are commonly affected, other organs that may also be involved and some of the other complications that may be experienced. The testing commonly performed by Physicians is discussed at length and explained in lay terms. The general progression of the disease differs in different individuals and this is discussed as well. The treatments such as medications, therapy, surgery are discussed individually and in depth in lay terms. Exercise is also covered. Some other aspects that are discussed are emotional issues and disability. This book actually presents a solid in depth knowledge of the diease and contains a lot of information that many family practioners and generalist may not be aware of as they are not specialists in this disease process. This book should be read and owned by anyone with this disease or a loved one with this disease. All of the information is presented in lay terms that are easy to understand. There are numerous illustrations as well.

A very helpful, well-written guide that includes a detailed description of the disease, treatments, and coping strategies for everyday life, as well as an extensive glossary and bibliography.

If you came to this page and are checking out the above title because you are interested in Marxism and/or other "isms" as tools for fundamental social change, to turn around and defeat the injustice and brutalities brought upon working people and farmers here and around the world by this system, this book can help you a lot, as can any other book by George Novack. Here he is answering the "official philosophy" of Yankee capitalism: pragmatism, as put forward by the liberal philosopher John Dewey. While Dewey was often an opponent of the evil things this system does, Novack points out the dead end of a philosophy that is primarily concerned with "practical results"-in the short term only. Novack defends the long view of history that is the view of Marxism: history-as-present as well as the past. He defends historical materialism, which means that Marxists do not believe that history (and history-as-present) is made by a deity or deities; and that social phenomena are directly or indirectly determined by society's economic condition. Novack teaches you how to look at society and events like the New World Depression we have and entered and the string of imperial wars that go with it, in a scientific, objective way. He does this for the sole purpose of making the scientific world view first propagated by Karl Marx and his collaborator Frederick Engels useful as a weapon for today's fighter for a fundamental change in the order of things. He stands alongside them to repeat that "the philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it."

This book is one of several written by the revolutionary Marxist George Novack. In it he counterposes Marxism to pragmatism, but not as one philosophy against another. Marxism is not a philosophy at all; instead it is a scientific method for understanding social history and change. As such it explains the origin, development and social significance of all forms of ideology, including specific philosophical schools of thought.

The overall course of cultural development, since the emergence of the ancient slave-based civilizations, has been driven by the motor of class conflict. Throughout history, each class can be characterized by its own distinctive features of social psychology, morality and outlook, although they are modified in different social contexts. The dominant class of modern society, the capitalist class, is no different. It has its own fundamental moral and social outlook, which is best revealed in the philosophy of pragmatism.

The philosophy of pragmatism was best explained by John Dewey, an early twentieth-century thinker who developed keen insights into the outlook of the ruling class of the United States. He pinpointed and formalized the essential elements of the outlook of the average capitalist and developed these into the principles of a philosophy he called pragmatism. These include an individualistic and optimistic approach to life, a practical, "can do" attitude, a disregard of history and its lessons ("History is bunk," said Henry Ford) and a disdain for any "theory" that does not produce practical results in short order.

Marxism, with its deep concern for the facts of history and its rigorous analysis of the inner logic of social development and change, can explain the development of classes and social modes of production. As part of this, George Novack demonstrates, Marxism can also explain how the guiding ideas of a class are linked to its historical role and needs. And this helps workers to understand the class with which they are forced to do battle, and provides them with valuable lessons they can use in winning the battle.

George Novack, the most outstanding Marxist Philosopher of the 20th Century after we lost Trotsky and Lenin, saw it as his special task to critique the Empiricism and Pragmatism that dominated American culture in his time. He felt a special duty to examine and critique John Dewey, who Novack met and respected and worked with in civil liberties struggles, especially in the defense of Leon Trotsky against Stalin's slanders.
If he began this work in his small book the Origins of Empiricism, he felt this work was completed with this work. He could have published a simpler critique of Dewey much earlier, but his goal was to get to the roots of American Pragmatism and expose its strengths and weaknesses, and to indicate the answers dialectical thought in general, and Marxism in particular had for it.
When the smoke clears, when the struggles of working people push away the confusion that the Stalinoid Moscow and Peking hacks have anything to do with Marxist Philosophy, or that petit bourgeois opponents of Marxism who masquerade as Marxist from university chairs can help fighting working people, farmers, youth, and real revolutionary intellectuals, this book by a life-long revolutionary fighter will be known as one of the classics of Marxist Philosophy.

Mr. Ellsberg's accomplisments are hardly known outside a select group. Yet what he was able to do during the war impacted the entire war effort in that theater of operations. The techniques he used are still practiced today. The tone and view are from an officers perspective so if you want to learn about what it was like to be a diver I recommend "Descent into Darkness" by Raymer. Salvage Man shows the behind the scenes action that is often not known or completely misunderstood by those at the working level. As a working diver I could appreciate the size and scope of the tasks Mr. Ellsberg was expected to accomplish. In typical military or diving fashion, he was not given the people or equipment that would have been expected. This book is great for sharpening your skills if you are a diver or supervisor who would like to see other ways of getting things done.

Edward Ellsberg (1891-1983) was a brilliant marine engineer who developed salvage techniques still in use today. His work often saved the hides of the senior navy brass who frequently caused the situations Ellsberg fixed. His raising of two sunken submarines in the 1920's led to public recognition and special promotion by act of Congress. During WWII his work played an immense role in furthering the Allied war effort. His name deserves to be remembered as that of a truly great American who strove to do his best in any situation and who placed excellence above personal gain. I enjoyed this work after having grown up reading Ellsberg's own books. Alden has done an outstanding job of which Ellsberg would be proud.

Admiral Ellsburg was a great American. He was intelligent beyond books. He figured out methods for how to do things that we still use today. It is truely fascinating to learn about this man who did so much for his country.

John Russon's ambitious aim in this book is twofold: (1) to identify the conception of the body that is implied by the argument of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, and (2) to provide a systematic argument that shows this conception of the body to be both comprehensive and compelling. Not only does the book make a good case for having succeeded in these aims, it also provides material for a very careful and provocative reinterpretation of Hegel's Phenomenology that should prove readable and insightful for both general readers with interests in the history of philosophy as well as trained philosophers.

Russon shows that the body that animates the forms of experience that Hegel studies in his text cannot be adequately conceived as reducible to the merely physical organism. In an important early chapter, Russon gives an account of the systematic way in which Hegel's philosophy challenges and overcomes the dualism of immaterial mind and physical body that stands at the heart of early modern philosophy and science. He argues that the body as we experience it is not merely a natural entity (physis), but is a construct of habit and institutions; our experience of the body is not one merely of nature, but of second nature, as Aristotle described the habitual formation of social dispositions (hexis). The final chapters of the text aim to show, moreover, that this "habit-body" should be conceived ultimately as emerging through communicative activity (logos), and that the ongoing process whereby we (non-arbitrarily) constitute ourselves and our world along with others is precisely what is thematized in Hegel's dialectical phenomenology.

Considering the difficulty of the topic, and the vast resources that the argument draws upon, the text is remarkably clear (and concise, at just 137 pages). You need not have spent several years poring over the details of Hegel's challenging and dense text in order to gain much benefit from reading Russon's book. In addition, the book has the merit of demonstrating (against a number of prejudices from a number of sources) that Hegel's philosophy can be a rich resource for thinking through a number of topics of contemporary concern. Russon's conclusions in fact converge nicely with recent efforts in a number of disciplines to draw attention to the embodied character of experience, cognition, and culture.

Russson's book is nothing less than a re-organization of the *Phenomenology of Spirit*, one that makes explicit the conceptual commitment to embodiment that may have been concealed from many readers. This re-organization is accomplished with an all-too-rare philosophical sophistication, as Russon draws on a variety of sources and informs his reading with a strong command of 20th century phenomenology.

Among the book's strengths is a startlingly lucid and original reading of Hegel's text, a reading that illuminates many familiar passages and arguments in striking fashion. Russon's account of the master and slave, and his account of Sittlichkeit, re-animate texts often thought to have been exhaustively understood, revealing both the richness of Hegel's text and the power of a serious reader like Russon. But Russon is also adept at uncovering new insights in passages under-represented in the literature, and it is perhaps here that this book makes one of its strongest contributions. Russon on the reason chapter, and on the unhappy consciousness (the analysis of which is one of his central arguments), provides original and compelling arguments for the centrality of embodiment to the Hegelian understanding of self-consciousness.

But arguably the most significant contribution made by this book is that it reminds us that a Hegelian argument can and should be a philosophical argument. Rather than limiting himself to contributing to ongoing debates within Hegel circles, Russon has engaged philosophical inquiry itself, and shown how Hegel's text, at the hands of a keen reader, can speak, indeed argue successfully, to the broader philosophical community. This book is an argument for the complete understanding of phases of embodiment as conditions of self-consciousness, and thereby an argument that brings phenomenology and Hegel into the centre of important contemporary discussions.

I highly recommend John Russon's _The Self and its Body in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit_ to anyone with a philosophical interest in have to conceive body, and thus gives a new understanding of just what Hegel's phenomenology of spirit is concerned with, and what our bodies are. The latter is of central concern in much recent philosophy, and in everyday life in our political and technological culture. 2) It gives a lucid and convincing interpretation of Hegel's difficult book, one that proceeds through an engagement with historical positions in philosophy and science, and more important, through an engagement with the experience of trying to act responsibly in a situation, which experience haunts philosophy from the very beginning and is a most familiar element of life. Russon thus gets to the heart of Hegel's philosophy in a way that is illuminating for both the novice and the dedicated student of Hegel. And he thereby arrives at an important understanding of the body as that sphere of communicative and expressive existence which develops itself so as to enable responsible action in the first place. 3) The book's situation of Hegel in relation to ancient philosophy, transcendental argument and recent phenomenology invites a renewed engagement with Hegel, which is important given the role of Hegel in many current philosophical debates. In particular, Russon's discussion of the body and the unfolding of the Phenomenology of Spirit in terms of phusis (nature), hexis (habit) and logos (here meaning "expression") gives a very comprehensive and original way of grasping both the body and the Phenomenology. Likewise, his interpretation of Hegel's dialectic in terms of the relation of the empirical ego and transcendental ego and focus on recognition help clarify many crucial themes in Hegel. In general, Russon's elucidation of a concept of body in Hegel opens rich ways of thinking about our selves and our bodies.

I doubt any future book will cover the subject of black cast movie posters as well as this one. As a designer interested in the look of popular culture I was surprised that there were so many posters for this niche market. Over two-hundred are shown in this very well designed book (thanks to Debbie Glasserman) they are all in color and each has a very detailed caption. I must say though that as designs they are all uniformly uninspiring (except for Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1927 and The Green Pastures, 1936) but what they lack in stylish graphics and type they make up for in an exuberance of color, flamboyant images plus huge angled titles and cast lists, all to put across what the movie was about and pull the customer into a downtown picture palace.

Donald Bogle writes a short essay on the history of black movies but strangely makes no comment about the posters or who produced them. John Kisch, who collects black cast movie posters suggests in his Author's Note that frequently the poster artwork was more interesting than the movie itself. Get this book if you are into the graphic history of American movies, it covers one small historical part and does it very well.

The images of Black in the history of American cinema is in constant need of exploration. Too often what we are presented with are images and visions created by movie moguls and mavens that bear little resemblence to the rich vitality of Black life and culture in America. Mammies. Coons, and Sambos are omnipresent in most studies, adding a buffoonish, yet toxically inaccurate picture whenever Blacks are portrayed. Fortunately, "A Separate Cinema" is a move in the right direction of presenting an alternative view. Complete with colorful and vivid posters and information, the reader is returned to a period where such early pivotal Black auteurs as Oscar Micheaux attempt to show Black images on screen through Black eyes. Paul Robeson is shown in all of his splendor. The sauve and handsome Ralph Cooper makes his appearance. Movies that are now in the dustbin of history returns to the viewer. As a teacher of U.S. history and African-American history, "A separate Cinema" never fails to enlighten and impress my students - both Black and White. This book is a must for those willing to move beyond the stereotypical version offered by traditional hollywood accounts. It not only offers a Separate Cinema, but a separately created vision of reality. I highly recommend this book for all progressive students of American film history.

A simple love of movie-posters has turned into a serious interest of African-American cinema. Something I never really knew about. This book showes the viewer a history in pictures about pictures mostly unseen in The Netherlands or anywhere outside the US. If you just like posters, it is unmissable. If you like film-poster history, it's unmissable. If you're interested in anything besides pure Hollywood-soaked books and paraphernalia, this book is simply a must-have. Fantastic!

Initially, one would think that a truly talented author's quirky, unique style could not be very nearly duplicated. But Brad Strickland is doing a fine job with the characters that Bellairs created, and this is one of his best efforts.

Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger have to participate in a talent show whether they like it or not. When they hit on the idea of doing a magic show (fake, not real), they end up consulting a friend at a museum who allows them to borrow some books on stage magic. But when Rose Rita picks up an old parchment scroll, she inadvertantly lets a drop of blood fall on some magic dust -- and the dust turns into a living spider. The two of them flee, but Rose Rita brings the scroll, with intent to return it.

Except she then starts acting oddly. When the talent show results in a dismal failure, Rose Rita is left with a burning hatred and a wish for revenge. Then she starts dreaming of becoming a giant spider, and hearing the voice of the scroll's previous owner -- Belle Frisson, a sorceress who now wants to use Rose Rita to rise again and live forever.

This is labelled as a "Lewis Barnavelt" book, but at least half of it focuses on Rose Rita. While fans of Bellairs will be well acquainted with Lewis's insecurities, Strickland takes the opportunity to delve into a few of Rose Rita's. He also manages to give us a message about revenge and hatred and grudges without beating the reader over the head with it. The Message is simply there.

How much of a "Bellairs" book is this? Very much so, and not just in terms of having creepy beasties and a megalomaniac villain. The pacing and tone are very correct, as is the usage of maybe-it's-real-maybe-not ancient magics. I could have used a little more bickering between Mrs. Zimmerman and Uncle Jonathan, but the comforting scene between Rose Rita and Mrs. Zimmerman makes up for that.

Strickland does an excellent job with the evil sorceress Belle Frisson, and uses the ever-growing, evil-spirit spider very well also. The idea of a drop of blood turning powder into a malevolent spider is not just good spinechilling material, but it also is quite Bellairsesque.

This is an amazing spinechiller. I do warn you though: Arachnaphobics should definitely not read this book, or they'll never sleep again.

I think that Brad Strickland Did a good job with this title. The story has some depth, and the character development is good, as well. I think this is the best Bellairs' novel that Strickland Has written so far, and would give it a full five stars!

At first serving as a finisher for the late John Bellair's uncompleted DOOM OF THE HAUNTED OPERA, GHOST IN THE MIRROR, and VENGENCE OF THE WITCHFINDER, Strickland took those characters to new heights in the late 1990s by churning out books like THE HAND OF THE NECROMANCER, and THE BELL,THE BOOK,AND THE SPELLBINDER which mimicked Bellair's writing style down to the letter. In SPECTER, Strickland goes from mimicking the man to being the man. He captures the vocabulary and characterizations of Lewis Barnavelt and company flawlessly in a terrifying story darker than all of the other books combined. Please check out this book. I hope Strickland continues to write. He is hitting his stride now.

You have to look hard to find references to May Pang in books about John Lennon. She's not mentioned in Anthony Fawcett's "John Lennon: One Day at a Time" or in the booklet that accompanied the recent "Lennon Anthology" boxed set. Even in the coffee table book "Imagine: John Lennon," May Pang is simply referred to as a "constant companion." It seems that Pang is gradually being erased from Lennon's personal history and the official story of Lennon's "Lost Weekend," is the one approved by his widow, Yoko Ono.

This is the story of Lennon's 18 month affair with Pang, a relationship she claims continued even after Lennon returned to his wife. On his "Lost Weekend," he traveled with her to L.A. to record music and party with other musicians like Harry Nilsson. It was a boozy, decadent period that saw Lennon ejected from a nightclub for interrupting a performance and generally hit the bottle in a manner in which he hadn't since he was a youth. Sadly it confirms something often glossed over in other Lennon biographies - That Lennon was a mean drunk. The man of peace could turn into a foul-mouthed, dangerous, nasty and violent drunk who needed to be tied up by his friends until he sobered up.

Pang writes of their relationship with affection and brutal honesty. Her pen chronicles, not only the facts but her emotions and reactions to the events as they unfolded. It's a lesser known fact that she was the Lennon's personal assistant in the early 1970s and she recounts stories about the making of the original "Imagine" film and Yoko's experimental films like "Fly." However, it's the Lost Weekend period that really makes this book a worthwhile purchase. Yoko can never write about this time because, for most part, she wasn't there. Pang was. She writes about: the "Rock and Roll" sessions with madcap record producer Phil Spector; Lennon's difficult relationship with first wife Cynthia and son Julian; the booze sessions with Harry Nilsson including the infamous incident at the Troubadour Club; the "Walls and Bridges" album and the comeback performance at Madison Square Garden with Elton John. While with Lennon, she also encountered other rock celebrities and tells of the times Lennon holidayed with Keith Moon and Ringo Starr, socialized with Mick and Bianca Jagger, played music again with Paul McCartney, got verbally berated by George Harrison, met David Bowie, recorded with Elton John, upset Paul Simon and annoyed the Smothers Brothers.
Pang also debunks some of the common stories we hear about John and Yoko and while she is forgiving of John, portrays Yoko as a manipulative, scheming dragon lady. An image, not unfamiliar to Beatle fans, and one which Ono has tried hard to erase.
For those fans seeking a personal view of Lennon, unauthorized by the Lennon estate, then this book is an excellent title that sits comfortably next to "A Twist of Lennon" by his first wife, Cynthia.

I must say that I am a die-hard devoted John Lennon fan. His music and persona has had a lasting effect on my life. I was truly eager to read this book, and did so in a two day period. It made for a very interesting read. I had heard the stories and read all the interviews dealing with the "lost weekend". I always wanted to hear the other side. Not one that Yoko had contrived, nor one that John had relayed (at Yoko's bidding). This book brings the reader extremely close to a John Lennon few were allowed to know. Some wouldn't have wanted that luxury. This book shows a woman who was fascinated by, in love with, and terrified by John Lennon. Accounts of his loving nature and his horrifying fits of violence are here for all to see. It also allows the reader to see that Yoko had almost complete control over John. She knew his insecurities, and played on them. The book also details a woman's hopes and dreams for someone she truly loves. Hopes that perhaps through her love, John would become fully independent and functional as an adult. The book also depicts an almost voyeurist view of John and May's love life. In this book, you can see that John was a loving, gentle, child-like, caring man, but on the flip-side, a violent, remorseful, and controlled man. Many times I asked why May would put up with John and Yoko's mechinations. But, it is abundantly clear that May truly loved him, and wanted what was truly best for John. And what was best for him, was not always best for her. Definitely a great love story. One stopped short by Yoko.