I most highly recommend this book for students of history, especially WWII. It is gripping, the character portrayals are so real... as is the story

I concur with others who claim this book changed their life. I read this book in high school in the mid 60s, and in my small Iowa town, where no Jews live, I became familiar with a minority that had borne unspeakable horror. Mr. Vrba was a teenage Slovak Jew that was deported from his country. In a series of almost miraculous events, he was able to secret himself and escape after nearly 3 years in this death camp. This book is blunt and gripping in its reality, and yet I felt that it was probably worse than he reported. It gave me a morbid awareness, that these unspeakable acts should never be forgotten (or forgiven)in the hope that in the telling they will never recur. I highly recommend this book to those who don't believe the awfulness of the Nazi "Final Solution" because this will open their eyes.

I read I Cannot Forgive many years ago. Unitl that time (the 1960s) the Holocaust was an abstract event that happened before my birth. Verba's characterization of the events leading to his experiences in Auschwitz, the details of the life and deaths within the camp, and the personalities of the people, both prisoners and guards he interacted with MADE me aware of the darkest chapter in human history, and started me on a life avocation. His daring escape from KZ Auchwitz and the almost unbelievable disregard of his report on conditions there reads like a thriller, but sadily it is all true.

This book is really good for art students and medical students if you want the deteils. I highly recommand it!

Albinus on Anatomy is a great book. I am a printmaking student;My teacher introduced this book to me when I asked her about detailed etchings of the human figure. I love how intricate and delicate the lines are to create figure. They remind me of the prints of Rembrandt. For anyone interested in art, I really suggest this book. It's great for those studying to be medical illustrators, print students, the everyday sketchers.......ANYONE! It's also great for those who just love to learn about the anatomy of the body.

This oversized book contains over 200 illustrations of the human body, posed so as to be of use to the artist studying the human form. Beautiful and highly accurate, the book can be a valuable tool for the artist wishing to improve his skill through a better knowledge of human anatomy. Albinus himself is not solely responsible for the engravings. He collaborated with an artist who did the drawings and finally the copper plate engravings of the figure. In the meantime, Albinus arranged the poses and oversaw the process from rough sketches to the manipulations of the printing press, ensuring that the accuracy and quality of the images were preserved. The figures are represented with various layers of tissue exposed, first the nude model, then the outer layer of muscle, the next layer of muscle, the organs, down to the bare skeletons. Each layer has an anterior and a posterior view. The potential for the engravings to become a grim lesson on internal anatomy is offset by the engraving artist¹s whimsy. He was allowed artistic freedom with the background on each plate, and the settings range from a Greek temple to a verdant forest. In one plate a rhinoceros grazes directly behind the model. For the student of anatomy, each bone is taken individually, and the proportions, muscle attachments, and major connective tissue are shown for each in turn. A passionate introduction to drawing the human body starts the book off, and a complete index ties it together. The playful, detailed drawings make this book attractive to the artist and the art admirer alike. For its size and complexity, this book is a great buy.

This is a great book for students of Anatomy and Physiology having trouble comprehending the information in regular college textbooks. This is book helped me understand concepts that were hard to understand in regular textbooks. I am a massage student and used this book along with Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 1) (Vol 2) (ISBN: 0971999619)(ISBN: 0971999627),which is sold also on amazon.com and got A's in my A and P classes.

Any book that describes cells as "private clubs" and that "molecules better be well dressed to get in" and that ribosomes are the "bouncers who keep them out" should get six-stars in my opinion.

Brilliant writing, clever imagery, and excellent use of humor. I have no interest in much of this stuff but I couldn't put the book down. A must read for any nursing/science student.

A young pupil in post-war germany, Siggi Jepsen, is forced to write an article, because he failed in the german lesson. The theme is: The joy of duty. When thinking of duty, he is forced to think about his father, a police officer. During the Nazi Era, the so called "forbidden art" was removed by state forces. Jepsens father, in his urge to do his duty, whatever it may be, not asking about the consequences, does, whatever he has to do. Young Siggi Jepsen (10 years old) has another thinking of duty. He thinks, his duty is to preserve the paintings of the "forbidden art" of the artist Nansen and tries to conceil those sympathies from his father. This more or less silent conflict about duty is the intruiging part about the book.

what is the duty of man? What is the reaction of a small countryside town of the northernmost germany to the cruel Nazi-era? What are "normal people" like in extreme situations? This is described in Lenz'book in a very silent, innerflecting way.

What can I say about this this book, apart from that it is an absolute must for anybody who is interested in Germany. Beautifully written, with strong characters that cover the whole spectrum of the German society. In my eyes within the top ten books ever.

The German version of this book, published in 1894, about 108 years ago, was among the first books written about the books of Nietzsche. The photograph on the cover was taken in May, 1882 and a portion of it (as shown on p. 132) appeared in her book with the caption, "Friedrich Nietzsche, formerly professor and now a wandering fugitive" (p. ix), as Nietzsche had described himself in a letter to the third person in the picture in 1879, "referring to the severance from his ten-year position at the University of Basel." (p. ix). These people are all dead now. When she was 20, Lou wrote a poem "To Sorrow" (pp. xlviii-xlix) which praises it as "the pedestal for our soul's greatness." (p. xlix).

Lou reported a conversation about the changes in his life in which Nietzsche raised the question, "When everything has taken its course--where does one run to then?" and told her, "In any case, the circle could be more plausible than a standing still." (p. 32). She described his books as the product of "his last period of creativity, Nietzsche arrived at his mystical teaching of the eternal recurrence: the picture of a circle--eternal change in an eternal recurrence--stands like a wondrous symbol and mysterious cypher over the entrance to his work." (p. 33).

This book does not have an index, and the notes on pages 160-8 merely clarify a few things, such as the date of the letter from Nietzsche to Lou at the beginning of Part III Nietzsche's "System" on page 91 which Lou used without the final comment, "be what you must be." The possibilities might not be considered so great. "In that regard, if the sickliness of man is, so to speak, his normal condition or his specific human nature itself, and if the concepts of falling ill and of development are seen as almost identical, then we will naturally encounter again the already mentioned decadence at the culmination of a long cultural development." (p. 102). The ascetic ideal "is also a third kind of decadence which threatens to make the described illness incurable and threatens the possibility of recovery. And that form of decadence is embodied in a false interpretation of the world, an incorrect perception of life encouraged by that suffering and illness. . . . every kind of intellectualism extols thinking at the expense of life and supports the ideal of `truth' at the expense of a heightened sensation of living." (p. 103). "In respect to Nietzsche's own psychic problem, it is of less interest to determine correctly the historicity of master morality and slave morality than it is to ascertain the fact that in man's evolution he has carried these contrasts, these antitheses, within himself and that he is the consequent sufferer of this conflict of instincts, embodying double valuations." (p. 113). Ultimately, "Nietzsche's thought of the Dionysian orgy as the means for release of the emotions" (p. 127) are considered "the necessary conditions for the creative act out of which one shapes the luminous and godly." (p. 127). Nietzsche and Schopenhauer are tied to "the deeply pessimistic nature of the Greeks because their innermost life, as revealed through the orgiastic, was one of darkness, pain, and chaos." (p. 127). Art is the answer, here. "The highest or the most religious art is the tragic because within it the artist delivers beauty from the terrifying." (p. 128). Modern society can hardly be comprehended without accepting that much of what is popular is produced in the attempt to satisfy that desire for art.

To scholars and admirers of Nietzsche, Lou Andreas-Salome has always been seen as his Irene Adler, the intellectual equal who got way or was driven away, depending on one's point of view. Although their affair lasted for only a few months, it left an indelible mark on both, for it came at a turning point in Nietzsche's life where he would leave the realtively safe nests of academia and the Wagners for a peripatetic life in the Eupopean Alps.

Over the years we have heard from almost everyone who was anyone in Nietzsche's life, except Lou Salome. This makes the published reprint of her 1894 even more important for those involved in Nietzsche studies. To say that Salome brings a unique perspective to her work is a bit of an understatement, but those who simply expect this to be memoir of the man she knew will be, I think, somewhat joyfully disappointed. Instead she has written what well may be the first attempt to view the persona behind the works. After giving us an excellent analysis of Nietzsche's philosophy, she comes to the conclusion that perhaps Nietzsche's madness was the inevitable result of his philosophy. Was this, as Nietzsche's sister said, merely a fantasy of female revenge? Then simply compare the last page of her book with the events of Nietzche's last days in Turin, events which she cannot have known. Hers is a provactive and illuminating look at Nietzsche, made more powerful by the fact that she was first to the gate and that the strength of her book is the analysis, not the memories.

As with any book on Nietzsche that comes to us in a foreign language, translation is most important if we are to have not only a working understanding, but also a deeper understanding than we would ordinarily expect. That the translator should be the late Siegfried Mandel is only to the reader's advantage. His translation is crisp and clear. His excellent introduction makes it all the more clear to me that this man is, or should be at least considered, one of the formost Nietzschean scholars of his time. (For further reference, see his excellent "Nietzsche and the Jews.")

This is a book every serious student of Nietzsche should have in his or her library and a book that may contribute to a new vision of the tortured harbinger of the overman.

Siegfried Mandel's Nietzsche and the Jews is a title which either attracts instantly or detracts instantly. In my case I was a little put off by the title, for it almost sounds like a parody. When I began to read I noticed the book takes a biographical path with regard to its subject matter, tracing Nietzsche's exposure to anti-Semitism throught his years. I have read many, too many in fact, biographies of Nietzsche and was about ready to '86 this one. I'm glad I didn't, for when I got to the chapters concerning Wagner and Nietzsche, the book suddenly came alive with little known facts based on terrific research. Nietzsche's relationships with Richard and Cosima Wagner, Peter Gast, Paul Ree and Franz Overbeck are examined against the background of German anti-Semitism and Nietzsche's reaction to it.

Also, whereas most books center on sister Elizabeth and Lou Salome when discussing Nietzsche and women, Mandel provides a deep look at the relationship between Nietzsche and Helen Zimmern, his first translator and herself a Jew. Scattered in between are some revealing tidbits about Nietzsche and sexuality rarely revealed in other studies.

Another strong point is the chapters on Jewish scholars and disciples interested in Nietzsche, such as poet Siegfried (Solomon) Lipiner, scientist Josef Paneth, and journalist Paul Lansky. The chapter on critic Georg Brandes is an absolute gem.

Two Appendix chapters on Nietzsche's thought concerning the Jews contain an excellent analysis of Nietzsche's often confusing writings on the subject.

If you are looking for a serious book on this subject, or if you are looking for just a good book on Nietzsche, this one is definitely one to add to your collection.

On such a weird set of subjects, I should limit myself to the remarks on humor. Not listed in the index, but noted in Appendix II on page 321, Nietzsche praised American laughter, as "in the fashion of Mark Twain. I've not been able to laugh along with anything said by Germans." Mark Twain gets credit for having written "Our heavenly father invented man because he was disappointed in the monkey." (p. 321) The rest of this book is pretty serious, and it's also well written.

Siegfried Sassons' "Memoirs of an Infantry Officer" is a first-hand account of life at the front line during World War 1. This is not a just a historical document or diary however. Sassoon writes via an alter-ego called George. In real life, Sassoon was an infantry officer who fought at the front, but eventually grew suspicious of the reasons for the continuation of World War 1, and as such became a dissenter. This book may be fiction, but it is based on fact and it gives an impressive account of what life must have been like in those trenches, nearly a hundred years ago. Sassoon's incredible ability with words paints a much more vivid picture than any war movie will ever provide.

George was a middle-class officer who had the luxury of a university education and was an avid reader of classic English literature. He juxtaposes the themes and ideas in this romantic poetry with the realities of life at the front to great effect. Although a tad repetitive in it's ideas (perhaps to get the point across clearly), this book is rewarding and still relevant this whole century later. As one character in the book says, "In war-time the word patriotism means suppression of truth" .

This book, along with Robert Graves' "Goodbye to all that" are simply the best combat memoirs ever written by officers. Horror is mundane, desultory; selflessness is the literal order of the day. Yet senior officers are lost in form as always. Even better both men served in the same division, although never together, and even better yet, were prewar friends. This book is Sassoon's answer to Graves' book, and I don't believe anyone can feel the full impact of the mindless brutality on the Western Front without reading both. These books convince me that the Western Front was a lot like Vietnam without end, the years came and went... and Sassoon became an accomplished killer for God and King.

I already knew Siegfried from his poetry. Little did I know or suspect what a madman he was on the battlefield. Makes the poetry read a bit differently. He led raid after raid (and voluntarily!), possibly hurling more havoc and grenades on the enemy than any other single soldier. Luckily he was on our side. Toward the end of the war this highly decorated soldier begins to have his doubts about the madness of it all but few practiced it with more gusto. I first read about his heroics in Graves' Goodbye to All That(which is another excellent war memoir,& which also features a strange meeting at Oxford with that other legend you have probably heard of, T.E. Lawrence), both books will give you the war experience from the insiders who lived it. I would make a quick mention of the best war book of them all All Quiet on The Western Front but you read that already I'm certain, as well as that gem by Hemingway A Farewell to Arms. Graves and Sasson belong in that company.
....Ghastly dawn with vaporous coasts/
Gleams desolate along the sky, night's misery ended.
(from Sassoon poem "Wirers")

Sassoon's three volumes wrapped up into one take the reader into another world. First volume describes life in the English country, where a young George Sherston becomes completely immersed in fox hunting. To say he becomes consumed by this is an understatement. Sassoon's intimate depictions of the countryside, to include the life of a country gentleman are so detailed you can clearly "see" and feel how young George felt.

Volume 2, Memoirs of an infantry officer take George into the trenches of France, where again with graphic details, the horror and calamity of the fighting in WWI are brought to our attention. Of note is the latter part of the volume where Sherston's morals are challenged, and how he deals with this mental dilemma.

Volume 3 takes Sherston from the trenches of France, to a stint in Ireland and Palestine, but ultimately back to France where the novel is brilliantly wrapped up.

Sassoon's experiences in the war have given us perhaps one of the greatest novels from the era. The writing is absolutely outstanding and will give you pause to put the book down.

World War I had a far greater impact on Britain than the US for the obvious reasons that they were in the war for over four years and suffered horrific casualties. The literature produced by that war made a sharp break from what came before, which reflected the feeling in the country that the war had irrevocably changed life in Britain. This is well illustrated in Siegfreid Sassoon's "The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston," a fictional version of his own experiences. The first part covers Sherston's pre-war life, with his obsession with fox-hunting. This is so well written that you will enjoy it even if you don't have the least interest in the subject.

The next section, "Memoirs of an Infantry Officer" covers his experiences in World War I, during he is highly decorated. The horrors of the war, which many of Sassoon's class thought would be a great adventure, are accurately portrayed. Eventually he becomes disillusioned with the war, and writes a letter denouncing it that could have led to his court-martial. A close friend (Robert Graves in real life) gets him classified as having a mental disorder and he is sent off to a hospital to recuperate.

This book is deeply moving and is one of a handful of books that changed the way that the English-speaking world views war. Sassoon's writing style is plain on the surface, but its plainness makes the emotional impact all the greater.

I had heard of this book many years before I was tempted to read it, and now I truly regret my lack of interest in Sassoon up to this point. He is a great poet, but as a memoirist he absolutely sparkles. Robert Graves' book, "Goodbye to all that", often described as a classic, is a mere string of unrelated anecdotes compared with Sassoon's modest, humorous, poignant account of his own youth, which takes us from his childhood in Kent to the end of his military career after the First World War. Don't hesitate to read this book, especially if you enjoy seeing the English language used at its very best.

As you can probably guess from this book's beautiful cover, animals play a large plot in both the plot and theme of Barger's debut novel, FONTANA. I find that a lot of authors pander to pet lovers because they know we're such a big population and believe that we'll simply "buy anything" about animals. But this book stays true to the common bond that runs through the close relationship between animals and their owners and, even if you don't like animals going into this book, you'll sure to love them on the back end! And if you DO, you'll love them even more!

This is the first book I've read by this author, but I really loved it. The plot has a feel to it like "Rocky" with real heros who help save animals against all odds. The author writes in a very easy, enjoyable style that reminds me a lot Larry McMurty's Lonesome Dove, which was the greatest book of all time! He also developes his characters in such a way that you just can't let them go. They become friends who you care about, passionately, and you can't wait to make sure that they are OK as they pull off various plots to free animals, and help save animals. Have you ever read some of Steven King's works where his characters are just so alive, so real? That's the way this guy writes. "Fontana" is now my most favorate book, next to "Lonesome Dove."

My highest compliments to Author Siegfried Brian Barger on his newly released book "Fontana". For those with a passion for animal rights this book is a must read. And, for those who enjoy the thrill of high risk investing, "Fontana" will have you on the edge of your seat.

Life-long friends Fontana, Bogs and Milton were not going to just sit around waiting to die. Widowers, old and alone, they decide to set out on one final adventure - something noble and admirable. Fontana, retired Texas Ranger, hard fighting and harder drinking - Bogs, Librarian with a passion for high-risk investments - and Milton, Veterinarian, robust, refined and a slave to the grape - elect to use their remaining days productively. This fast paced, heart pounding escapade is destine for the big screen.

Congratulations and continued success to Author Siegfried Brian Barger. Write on!!

I honestly was a bit skeptical when my father in-law gave us this book. Now that I've read it I'm thoroughly convinced it will work. The lessons are nicely laid out and seem very duable.

I personally lean toward phonics when it comes to reading yet this book teaches a lot of sight reading...this is my only disappointment with the book.

Otherwise, I'm excited to get teaching my kids. I feel empowered!!

I first purchased this book as a young Mom. Now I am again purchasing it as a Grandparent. How I wish I had kept the original copy. The content is still applicable in 2003. I do suggest though that as well as age norms, one considers the developmental stage the child is at. Use that as the beginning point and go from there. With my background of parent, teacher educator, primary specialist and special education including gifted, I confidently award this book the very highest rating.

We used the book with our son about 23 years ago. He was able to read the newspaper at age 4. This is what his extended family remembers about him most. His motor and mental skills gave him a lot of confidence to pursue sports and academics. He completed first grade before he was six, won the Spelling Bee in 2nd grade, participated in judo tournaments at the age seven, won swimming competitions at age of 8, maxed out of the after-schcool enrichment program for computer education at age 11; won State Judo Competition at age 11; completed "gifted program" in elementary school; participated in Odyssey of the Mind Science Competition in Junior and Senior High School; participated in wrestling, track and football in high school while pursuing a "gifted itinerant program," completed a pre-college Engineering Summer Program at UW-Madison; accepted a full athletic sholarship over numerous academic scholarship offers, earned a High School Diploma and Certificate of Merit; completed the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering curriculum in 5 years while also participating on the college football, wrestling and track teams; served as a peer counselor, then Technical Field Respresentative with Texas Instruments for 2 years and is now an athlete in residence at the U.S. Olympic Complex-Judo. Of course we are two loving and dedicated parents, but the real point is that we were very young an inexperienced as parents, but this book gave us MOST of what was needed to fully enrich and develop the mind, body and psyche of our child. WE RECOMMEND THIS BOOK UNCONDITIONALLY TO PARENTS, EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPERS, PRESCHOOL TEACHERS AND ANYONE ELSE WHO IS TRULY INTERESTED IN CONSTRUCTIVE, MULTI-FACTED DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN.