I wanted a photographic memorium to remind me of my wonderful trip to Prague; the best compilation I found was this book. True, the text is in German, but that just means that I'll probably never know what the introduction means. The book truly is 95% photos. This is a beautiful compilation. The only thing I wish there were more of are outdoor photographs. There are many indoor photos of the old buildings, etc. - oddly enough, most of them containing clocks. Granted, an entire photography book could be compiled of this alone - however I would have loved a few more outdoor shots to remind me of the beautiful landscape of this riverfront medieval city. All in all, a beautiful and heartfelt study of the city through photographic imagery.

Poor Ivan Goncharov! He was fated to become the Salieri of 19th century Russian literature. Thematic similarities between _The Precipice_, which he regarded as his masterwork, and _Fathers and Sons_, which Turgenev rightly regarded as his, led to a falling-out between the two authors, friends until then.

Yet _The Precipice_ is, perhaps because of its slightly campy air to modern audiences, a very enjoyable read today. It features:

--characters with programmatic names decodable to those with a basic knowledge of Russian (for example, the heroine is "Vera," or "Faith"; the bad-boy protagonist is "Volkov," or "Wolf");

--a plot containing seduction, betrayal, redemption, and secrets of the generation of elders (there's more implied sex here than in all of Turgenev);

--serious discussion of ideas that were to set Russia afire within fifty years, much as did _Fathers and Sons_.

Not as challenging, perhaps, as Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, Goncharov is far from a waste of time for the reader with an interest in the impact of philosophy on literature in the nineteenth century. Read it if you can find it.

Count Alexis Tolstoi (Aleksei Konstantinovich Tolstoi) was born in St. Petersburg in 1817. The author described in Editorial Reviews is another person (also a Russian writer) - Aleksei Nikolaevich Tolstoi.
The author of "Prince Serebryani" (a Historical Novel of the Times of Ivan the Terrible and of the Conquest of Siberia) could not return to Russia in 1923 after the Bolshevik Revolution, because he (A.K. Tolstoi) died in 1875.

In the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the US is rethinking its defense policy. Dr. Eland's book provides one blueprint for a transformation, and I hope military policymakers like Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld will read this book and consider Eland's recommendations.

Although written before the attacks, the book predicts that terrorism is America's biggest threat in the coming decade, and proposes a defense policy that will reduce the chances of future attacks on the US homeland. You may not agree with all of Eland's viewpoints and recommendations, but I promise you will finish each chapter with a new perspective and a better understanding of America's role in the world.

Finally a user friendly book on a medical illness that doesn't necessitate a medical dictionary for the average person to understand. The questions are from real people who suffer depressive illnesses, and the answers are cocise and clear as if you are Ivan's own patient under his care.

It's no coincidence that Simic is the translator for this collection. Lalic has a similar style and touches on many of the same themes, including the enchantment of ordinary things, truths glanced at out of the corner of the eye. Here you'll find many of the familiar maps, mirrors, and geometric projections that make Simic's world so engrossing.

The selection of tales in this book is excellent, the cover and the illustrations are luxorious, and more than worth what you pay. I was very pleasantly surprised when I opened the package and saw this book, because I needed it for a friend, and it is, indeed, a wonderful present.

Have you ever heard of St. Ralph Milner? How about Gemma Galgani or Robert Southwell? Ivan Innerst has done a masterful job of telling the stories of these lesser-known Saints of the Church.

Not only are the twelve probably unfamiliar to most, but their stories are truly inspiring, such as illiterate farmer Ralph Milner who refused simply to walk into the doors of a nearby Anglican church and was martyred in England.

This collection includes the stories of: Ralph Milner, Paschal Baylon, Rosalia, Isidore the Farmer, Theophane Venard, Margaret Clitherow, Benedict Joseph Labre, Nicholas of Flue, Margaret of Citta-di-Castello, Arsenius, Gemma Galgani, and Robert Southwell.

In the hands of very capable writer Innerst, these stories truly come alive. I highly recommend this little book.

Ivan Gold's most recent novel is a haunting, elegaic, and also quite funny novel - a brave book, too, as Philip Roth callled it. It is indeed a story of triumph over alcoholism but without the "Lost Weekend" melodrama or contemporary cliches. More important, it is an engaging and painfully honest treatment of its hero's taking stock and taking control of his life. Consisting essentially of a series of vivid set-pieces - the opening encounter between Jason Sams and his English Department chair is especially brilliant - this book will stay with you for a long time. Its characters and scenes are memorable; its prose full of both play and grace.

This book gives a historical overviews of the most exciting areas in science today from the perspective of current, leading scientists. Also, you'll read their speculations on the future of each field and topics range from planetary science and genomics to quantum physics. This history offers insight into scientific past, present and future that you won't want to miss.