"Tales From the White Heart" brings some true fun into science fiction reading; a break from the deadly serious which is so often the hallmark of sci-fi. Like tall tales of the old west, the stories here are almost believeable, which makes them perfect for the English Pub background. Presented in short-story form, the book makes easy evening reading. I highly recommend "Tales From the White Heart" for both serious and casual sci-fi readers, from adolescent up.

A series of short stories, tales told in a bar (the White Hart) among a group of scientists, writers, and laymen. The central story-teller is one Henry Purvis, an obnoxious fellow with a trick of pausing at the climax for a new draught beer, whom no one has yet managed to prove a liar. He tells almost believable tales of science and wouldn't-it-be-nice science. One learns of a silencer that silences more than guns, a carnivorous orchid with a secret, a ballistic computer with a sense of humour. Much of the delight in the tales arises from the fact that they were written in the 1950's, and it is amazing how much Clarke could see of the future. I suspect Clarke may have felt he'd written himself into a corner, because the series of tales and the book end rather suddenly, with a hint for the future but no real hope that Purvis will be back. A delghtful find, to be read by all who enjoy Clarke, bar stories, science fiction, and humour.

Welcome to the White Hart, where every Wednesday night features a gathering of scientists, writers, and interested on-lookers who come to drink tepid beer and be regaled by the Tall Tales of one Harry Purvis, a man of uncertain origins, profession, and education, who claims to know so much about so many subjects of scientific interest. These tales were originally published individually, but together they are 'bookended' by "Silence Please" and "The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch" to create a kind of frame story. Purvis' deadpan declamations of yarns that range from all-too-believable to patently absurd, combined with the fictional Clarke's own pointed comments about the White Hart, its clientele, and Purvis' overall credibility, make this perhaps the funniest science fiction book ever written. Using analogy in place of logic, Purvis posits wildly improbable advances in a number of different directions that in some cases have paralleled actual scientific developments that have taken place in the decades since these stories were written.

More serious-minded fans should take pleasure in the not-always-easy task of finding the precise flaws in Purvis' stories, which usually include just enough hard science to be credible to the casual layman. "The Next Tenants" is the only story in this collection that has any really serious message to it, and while the story is chillingly effective despite its absurdities, this book is really about laughs. From that standpoint, "Moving Spirit" is probably the best, featuring an eccentric millionaire, his illegal distillery, and a hilarious courtroom scene in which Purvis testifies as an expert witness with devastating results.

Despite the occasional slapstick moments, Clarke's humor is generally on the dry side, so this book may not please everyone. There isn't a lot of action in the traditional action/adventure sense, and female characters are usually absent or antagonistic. Still, if you're comfortable in a males-only, scientific atmosphere, there's plenty of good clean fun to be had at the White Hart.

I am not sure whether we learn much about the CRAFT of verse from these lectures. But one thing that we do learn from Borges is what a pleasure it is to be able to find beauty in poetry (and prose). Borges was an amazing man - he was almost seventy when he delivered these six lectures, and he did it without the help of notes since his poor eyesight made it impossible for him to read.

For Borges, poetry is essentially undefinable. It flows like Heraklit's river - the meaning of words shifts with time, and readers' appreciation changes over the years. Poetry as he understands it is a riddle because it is beyond rational understanding; it is 'true' in a higher (magical) sense. And what is true in a higher sense remains unfathomable, a riddle: "we KNOW what poetry is. We know it so well that we cannot define it in other words, even as we cannot define the taste of coffee, the color red or yellow, or the meaning of anger, of love, of hatred, of the sunrise, of the sunset, or of our love for our country. These things are so deep in us that they can be expressed only by those common symbols that we share. So why should we need other words [to define what poetry is]?"(18)

Metaphors, according to Borges, are the core of poetry, closer to the magic source of words than any other artistic means of expression. Metaphors are so powerful because for him "anything suggested is far more effective than anything laid down. Perhaps the human mind has a tendency to deny a statement. Remember what Emerson said: arguments convince nobody. They convince nobody because they are presented as arguments."(31)

My favorite lecture is the fourth, 'Word-Music and Translation.' It is a real gem. I will not quote Borges on how word-music can be rendered in translation; just a short quote to illustrate how magnificently language can be translated by an inspired translator of genius. When Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century translated 'ars longa, vita brevis,' (art is long, life is short) he chose a stunning interpretation with 'the lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.' Borges comments that here we get "not only the statement but also the very music of wistfulness. We can see that the poet is not merely thinking of the arduous art and of the brevity of life; he is also feeling it. This is given by the apparently invisible, inaudible keyword - the word 'so.' 'The lyf SO short, the craft SO long to lerne.'"(62) One small word, and it makes all the difference.

And since I prefer translations true to the spirit over translations true to the letter, I was pleased to learn from Borges that all through the Middle Ages, people thought of translation not in terms of a literal rendering but in terms of something being re-created.

I do believe that these lectures speak of the wisdom of Borges; not in spite of, but because of the contradictions in the text. Here we meet a man in full; a man who stresses the irrational in poetry and the immediacy of experiencing it, yet proves by his own example how the experience of poetry grows with the plain, rational knowledge about poetry that we gather over the years. Borges is also a man who lives in literature. He finds new beauty in poetry because he continues to change every day. And this is perhaps the most inspiring message of his lectures: people who continue to enjoy changing with the new things they learn 'turn not older with years, but newer every day,' as Emily Dickinson phrased it.

This would be a strong candidate for the only book you need to read about poetry. Of course, it contains numberous signposts and pointers to other books that you will want to look at right away.

Borges was a great soul and a great mind. We were lucky to have him among us. Even though the book finally concludes that poetry is like time -- we have no problem using either concept until someone tries to make us define them! -- and that Borges can only recognize it when he sees it, he gives invaluable teaching in the art of recognition.

It would be foolish not to consider all readers of Borges to be students of Borges. Thus, those fortunate enough to find this book can't help but to glean yet more from the labyrinthine mind of one of the century's great thinkers. These five lectures find Borges in his usual vein: the self-effacing, charming, owlish raconteur. His lectures never betray the rigid pedantry of academia, but rather a great, informal tour through literature, philosophy, religion, semiotics, poetics, intertextuality. A former student of Dr. Mihailescu, I was given an advance copy of the book in the summer. Unsurprisingly, I found his elegant, trenchant edit does great service to a fine work. A must.

Time management tricks don't work. Dr. Hobbs takes who you are and puts you in control without any tricks - just reality. I already have two copies and have loaned them out to friends. They won't bring them back! That's why I am ordering a third copy. Covey is a child compared to Dr. Hobbs, and I like Covey!

This book should be required reading for every man, woman and child, and especially required for anyone interesting in improving themselves! Dr. Hobbs has an excellent system of time management to be sure, but the genius of his system is that it includes ALL areas of your life, not just in the work place. I stumbled upon this book in 1987 in the library. After reading the first few pages I immediately went out and purchased it and began marking it up. My wife did the same. I shared it at work and in my ministry. His system of understanding personal congruency and documenting Unifying Principles changed my life and has been used by me and loads of my friends for 14 years! It works! If you can get this book, GET IT.

Several years ago, I bought about a dozen books on time management and found this and Alan Lakien's books to be the best. Time Power is intense and required several months of part time effort for me to complete. It's truly unfortunate that Mr. Hobbs' book is now out of print. Charles pioneered modern time management theory and practice. All the current time management experts, trainers and consultants derive their core concepts and ideas from Charles Hobbs. This work is a bit out of step with current practices in that we increasingly moving away from paper based systems toward electronic time management products such as MS Outlook. On the other hand, the most important thoughts and ideas presented in this book are timeless. I recently began working with Tony Robbins' "Time of Your Life" CD program which is also quite good.

This book originally caught my eye as an addition to another book I read called Edison: A Life of Invention by Paul Israel. I wanted a book that would cover a little more of Edison's personal life, and this book did just that. However, James Newton's close, dedicated friendships with all of these great men of the twentieth century is truly amazing, and I learned more than I would probably learn otherwise about some of these important historical figures.

The entire book is fascinating, and surely different parts will appeal to different readers. I was particularly enchanted with a poignant description of how Charles Lindbergh handled dying as he lay on his deathbed. I was also fascinated with how environmentally conscientious some of these men were, particularly Edison and Lindbergh, but also Ford. For example, Ford was very interested in making automobile parts out of soybeans in order to reduce the need for metal parts. It seems that all of these men had numerous ideas and ideas for inventions that were way ahead of their time - perhaps some of them still are.

Newton's writing is quite good, and I only have one very minor criticism: it seems that he preaches a little bit and dwells on the religious facet of his relationships with these people. Of course, I'm sure this was a very important part of his relationship with these men and their families, but it seems that there is a grand, overarching agenda he has in constantly illustrating their connection to God and religion.

If you are interested in any of these historical figures and their fascinating relationships with each other, this book is definitely the best book you will find on the subject.

This book originally caught my eye as an addition to another book I read called Edison: A Life of Invention by Paul Israel. I wanted a book that would cover a little more of Edison's personal life, and this book did just that. However, James Newton's close, dedicated friendships with all of these great men of the twentieth century is truly amazing, and I learned more than I would probably learn otherwise about some of these important historical figures.

The entire book is fascinating, and surely different parts will appeal to different readers. I was particularly enchanted with a poignant description of how Charles Lindbergh handled dying as he lay on his deathbed. I was also fascinated with how environmentally conscientious some of these men were, particularly Edison and Lindbergh, but also Ford. For example, Ford was very interested in making automobile parts out of soybeans in order to reduce the need for metal parts. It seems that all of these men had numerous ideas and ideas for inventions that were way ahead of their time - perhaps some of them still are.

Newton's writing is quite good, and I only have one very minor criticism: it seems that he preaches a little bit and dwells on the religious facet of his relationships with these people. Of course, I'm sure this was a very important part of his relationship with these men and their families, but it seems that there is a grand, overarching agenda he has in constantly illustrating their connection to God and religion.

If you are interested in any of these historical figures and their fascinating relationships with each other, this book is definitely the best book you will find on the subject.

Now in his 80s, real-estate developer Newton recalls with uncritical admiration five celebrated men with whom he enjoyed almost filial relationships. According to the author, they all shared the same philosophy of life, enouncing business principles in terms of moral precepts. Newton's bonds with Carrel and with the scientist's friend and partner in medical research, Lindbergh, were forged by their common interest in metaphysics. The narrative is studded with anecdotes about the nature of these men: Edison's assertion that his deafness was an asset; Ford's dictum that profit is essential to business vitality; Firestone's advocacy of Japanese-style ``consensus'' management; Carrel's expectation of encountering Aristotle after death; and Lindbergh's revulsion at the destruction wrought by aviation in WW II.

I know a number of people that do not like to read biographies. Whether or not you do read biographies, I have to say that this is the best I have read in the last couple of years. It reads like a novel, nuanced, well-paced and, yes, exciting. It is wonderful to learn how Darwin discovered the Fact of Evolution. Don't miss this one. I wish I could find the first print edition at a decent price. Both volumes are treasures.

When I see a biography that tops out at over 600 pages, I usually give it a pass. I mean, how much do I really want to know about someone - anyone? Also, as far as Darwin goes, I had already read the excellent life by Desmond and Moore. Yet I went through this book avidly, and would have been sorry to see it end - but that I knew volume II was waiting!

I actually only noticed this book because of the laudatory reviews that appeared recently for volume II ("The Power of Place"). Perhaps it is true that I cannot get enough of Darwin, so I was drawn to this as any addict to his fix. But I think that for me the most appealing thing about Charles Darwin is his quintessential Victorianism. He lived and worked in a privileged position in a culture that was as sublimely self-confident as any the world has ever seen, and that, moreover, bestrode that world as none before or since (our blundering and half-hearted imperialism not excepted).

Actually, the Darwin Story is becoming canonical. Our culture is about the clash of narratives as much as anything else. The Free Market opposes the Welfare State, the Promise of Progress is really the Erosion of Identity, and, most shrilly, the Blind Watchmaker threatens to displace the Christian God.

So, I suppose that to read this book is to choose sides. Shame about that, but there it is. Anyway, even if you know the story, this book (and its sequel) will tell it better and deeper. Janet Browne has not only mastered the Darwin materials, but his milieu as well. She seems to have gone far afield in researching the lives of those that impinged on Darwin, just in order to make throwaway statements and large judgments on people who are perhaps bit players in his life. They, of course, have lives of their own, fully lived, and like a novelist, Browne hints at more that she tells. The occasional summarizing aside of some life that glances on Darwin's gives this book a novelistic texture and feel. The author has pulled off the difficult trick of making us feel she is telling a story that she owns.

Browne starts with a leisurely scene-setting that places the Darwins and the Wedgwoods (Charles's paternal and maternal lines) in the Georgian society of the day. She discusses the culture and the family traditions, and places the players in the landscape and houses them grandly. (Very helpful here is a generous genealogy in the front matter.) We see young Charles carefree and out-of-doors, with his loving and indulgent older sisters and his great friend, older brother Erasmus. We see him rather reluctantly growing up, attending Edinburgh University and then Cambridge, where he is unscathed by the official curricula, but emerges with firm friends among some bug-loving students as well as the naturalists on the faculties.

About one-third of this book covers the voyage of the Beagle, the forming event in Darwin's life as a scientist. Of its five years, Darwin spent more than three of them on land, exploring, collecting, and observing all up and down the coasts of South America and, finally, in islands of the Pacific (including, most famously, the Galapagos).

When Darwin got home his troubles began. All the glorious collecting and larking about of his school days and the grand adventure on the Beagle were over. Those experiences drew on his enthusiasm, energy, and growing expertise in zoology and geology. Now, back home, he had to make something of himself, he had to secure an identity. Could he use the physical materials he had gathered and his position in society to do it? Darwin's real story begins when he steps off the dock after five years away from home.

Browne tells this life in a quietly gripping way. The vast amount of material that she had to integrate does not get in the way of the tale, but allows her to tell it seamlessly. She never lets the narrative bog down in irrelevancies, but always paints a full picture of the scene, giving its human, intellectual and social components their due.

The story of Charles Darwin is really the story of an idea. Darwin was the central figure, but Hooker, Wallace, Lyell, Huxley, and many others had important parts to play. But in the progress of abstract ideas the personal is important: a strong motivation for Darwin's secrecy with his thoughts on evolution was to avoid distressing his wife Emma, a fervent believer in a Heaven where she would be reunited with those siblings and children so cruelly taken from her. Browne always shows this human side to science, shows that science is a quite human endeavor. And in this volume she takes the story up to 1856, as Darwin finally decides to take the plunge, after a dozen years of doubts and obsessive preparations.

Now, he will write a book....

After he writes that book, Darwin's life is never the same. Actually, after that, nobody's life is the same. Big drama is coming up in volume II, so why bother with this book? It is entertaining and brilliantly done, but is just prologue, right?

I disagree. In fact, if you just glance through "The Origin of Species" you will see that Darwin put most of his life up to that point into his book. And his later life was built firmly on the foundation of his earlier: he made the friends and formed the ideas that were to become central in the controversies over natural selection. Themes have been stated and developed. Volume II will develop them further, and introduce new matter, but does not tell a separate story.

The pleasure continues in the second volume, which is just out from Knopf. The reviews have been uniformly terrific, which will not surprise anyone who has read this volume.

I thought this was a really good book. I learned a lot about what life was like for Black people 50 years ago.It was really hard. They couldn't go to school or become doctors . When they were sick they couldn't go to hospitals. I didn't know about blood types until I read this book.

This is the kind of book that should be in the hands of every young man in America. Drew overcame the odds and didn't complain. He just did it and lives were saved.My wife bought several copies of this book and gave it to all the boys in our son's scout troop.

My science club read this last week. I was surprised at how primitive medicine was just a few short years ago.

Reading about Dr. Drew and all the challenges he had to face made me more determined than ever to become a doctor.

This book is unquestionably a classic. My first introduction to the Arabian nights(this is much easier to type than the title of the book)was as a kid when my mother would recite these stories during mealtimes. Being an Indian, I was not new to the world of Jinnh's, magic carpets and other such wonders. Everyone enjoys the popular stories such as Alladin and Ali Baba(thanks/no thanks to Disney). However, this book is one way of getting to the real Arabian nights that have not been adultrated by Disney. Sorry Disney fans, but the truth is often bitter. The thousand nights and one night is a perfect source of transporting oneself to the ancient middle east. The land of the Caliphs ,where women were immensely beautiful and heros truly heroic. Each story in this volume is a wonder. There is much to be learnt from these stories since they reveal age old wisdom in addition to pure joy to the heart. The stories themselves go beyond plain narration and successfully give the reader an insight into the life in the ancient middle east. Oh! I know that the thought of people flying around in magic carpets sounds preposterous. It is the cultural background that I am talking about. The book reveals middle eastern charm, something that is to be found in traces even today if you were to visit the middle east.The book begins with the disillusionment of King Shahriyar by his wife, something that makes him an absolute tyrant. He kills her and then decides to marry every night and put the bride to death in the morning. The vizier's daughter who marries him decides to change his distressing behaviour for good. She starts the practice of reciting captivating stories every night that are left unfinished in the morning, thus extending her own life. This is the birth of the thousand nights and one nights. When I read this book, I spent several sleepless nights trying to finish it. I believe that it is a true classic just like the Iliad, Odessey, The Poetic Edda, Mahabharata and the Ramayana. A piece of the old world that we are lucky to retain.
However, I MUST add a note on the content. This book is definitely NOT for kids. There are plenty of adult language and situations that would definitely not do for a child. One must make allowances here since this book is probably a direct translation of the original text. In addition, there is a strong bias regarding non islamic communities. Since this book is but one for a four book series, the bias may not necessarily be a part of this book. While reading the entire series, I had to make allowances for racial and religious discrimination. Remember the age in which these stories were written and then try to forgive the original authors for their attitude and mentality.
On the whole, a wonderful read for people interested in old folk/fairy tales.

The stories contained within are truly wonderful. They oftentimes read with such beauty and vividness that I almost believed I was there! If there's such a thing as a darn-near perfect translation, these books are it imho. Why not introduce your children to the tales of the Arabian nights via these books? I'm no historian, but these tales have a much more authentic feel than others that I encountered as a child. Read a few stories each night, and enjoy the whole series over a period of time! Or dive in and don't surface until you're done!

This is a complete English translation of the Thousand Nights and a Night. Before reading this, I started the Burton translation and never finished it. The language was very awkward, it seemed Burton purposely made it sound antiquated and in the passive voice. Instead of suiting the translation to the preconceptions Europeans had about both old and Eastern writings, Mardrus made a literal translation into French, and Mathers translated that into English. The result is not only a more acurate translation, but it's not the least bit awkward and is a joy to read. This is the only English translation of the book I recommend.

This new edition to mark the 2001 years is virtually identical to the the previous classic edition, with the exception of a new forward by Arthur C. Clarke expressing is sadness of the death of Stanley Kubrick. There are a few new photos previously not published, however room for these new photos are made by omitting previously released photos....SO this new edition MAY be of interest to die hard Kubrick fans who have the older edition.

A must book for those interested in the behind the scenes creative development with plenty of photos and original drawings.

Recently, while at a nearby book store, I picked up a copy of Piers Bizony's 2001: FILIMING THE FUTURE and decided to purchase it. It was not a bad choice. This is a very extensive book on the making of Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi masterpiece. There are dozens of photographs in both color and black and white that show images from the movie as well as a look at the making of it. There are sketches of the spacecraft in the movie, which were drawn up from film stills, as well as pre-production sketches of some of the earlier design models. There is also an interesting introduction by Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote the novel and co-wrote the screenplay. Finally, the text is well detailed and informative. For those of you who do not want to know how the groundbreaking special effects were made, stay away from this book! Model work, live action and stunt work formed the key elements of most of the visual effects work.

The book also discusses about how it was like to work with Stanley Kubrick. Most cast and crew admit that it was difficult but rewarding because Kubrick pushed them to their limit and made them work better. Kubrick did get mad at them, but he rarely yelled at them. He also got respect because he knew what he wanted and would not stop until he got it. Kubrick was also a perfectionist; after his work on Spartacus, he was determined to have full creative control over his movies and worked over every aspect of his films, demanding the absolute best from the people who worked for him. Stressful no doubt. But this is what made Kubrick one of the best and acclaimed filmmakers of all time. His genius and ambition shows in 2001: A Space Odyssey and this book is a superb tribute

I have read many books and chapters on "The Making Of 2001" and this book was by far the most enjoyable and satisfying. Mr. Bizony went to great lengths to get a well rounded account of the movie's production without ever letting the text get overburdened with details. Of course, the ample photographs and sketches make the book worthwhile in themselves. After reading this book, I watched 2001 again with new eyes. I had a much broader appreciation for the technical and artistic achievements of the film.

I saw this book on "Between the Lions" and I loved it, so I bought it. I figured my daughter (then about 18 months) wouldn't have any interest, but I'd keep it until she got older. Boy, was I wrong. She loves it. She loves looking at it by herself and she loves us to read it to her. I'm not a major jazz fan, but the book is impossible to read without feeling the rhythm. The illustrations are fun and the cat looks just like ours!

Picked this book up at the Library after it was featured on PBS's Between The Lions. My son never put the book down, so we bought it. The book is fun, easy to read for children, and the pictures are great. Both my boys have it memorized and read it often.

No doubt about it. A classic that has my three year old now in love with be bop. Beautiful, whimsical paintings and delicious text! A great alternative to usual kid book drivel and TV engineered pap like authur, bernstien bears and disney stuff. Looking for children's literature. You found it.

This was my second book by Rosalind Laker and I liked it almost as much as the first, "To Dance With Kings". Historically, this novel is extremely accurate and vividly described. You can feel the atmosphere and clearly imagine how everything was at that time. My problem with this novel is the same as in "To Dance With Kings" -- Ms. Laker changes her pace in the last third of the novel and hurries through events and characters to reach a happy ending. In "Circle of Pearls", Ms. Laker takes her time to describe the Cromwell years and the state of Sotherleigh during the time Makepeace Walker lived there. But after he leaves, she manages to draw everything to a close, including Charles II's restoration and coronation, the plague and the fire of London, in half the space she allotted to the preceding events. Her characters suffer as a result. Although Christopher and Julia continue to be well-realized, Adam is only briefly sketched. Sophie is not given room to show what she is about but the author just tells us what state she is in and how other characters perceive her. There is no mention of what happened to Patience. Certain characters, such as Nell, abrutly exit until a hint of what happened to them appears in the epilogue. Other characters, such as Katy, are added only with a purpose to enhance certain people's personality. I would have also appreciated more detail about the life of Jean-Robert. Another problem in "Circle of Pearls" is that Julia and Christopher, although interesting characters, are not that lovable and I felt more invested in the character of Adam but Ms. Laker did not focus on him enough. I liked Mary and wished that Ms. Laker would have transferred some of the enterprising spirit that Julia possessed onto her. Anne's plight was especially poignant and tragic and Katherine's past could have made up a book in itself. Basically, my problem is that Ms. Laker did not double the size of this book so that the story would have been more complete. I understand that the novel could only be a certain size, but if Ms. Laker spent so much time on Julia's childhood, she should have spent as much time on her adulthood.

This book is an historical fiction readers dream,set in England just prior to the Restoration period and then during it.
Julia Pallister lives with her feisty grandmother..a former lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth 1, and her mother,Anne, a gentle mild-mannered woman who just lives for the time when her Cavalier husband returns home from his service with the exiled Prince Charles.Their home has been saved from sequestration by the Parliamentarians because of an old love affair between Julia's grandmother and the neighbouring land owner,a Cromwell supporter.Upon his death,the order is revoked and their home taken over by a tyrannical Parliamentarian,Makepeace Walker who was one of the signators of the death warrant of Charles 1.After Julia's father is shot and killed by the Roundheads,Makepeace forces Anne into marriage by threatening to put the entire household out on to the streets.The story continues and takes in the Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of London of 1666,Julia's youthful adoration of childhood friend Christopher Wren and her eventual happy marriage to the grandson of the lover of her grandmother.I just loved this book which was similar in time and setting to the great "Forever Amber".

I believe this book was more romantic fiction than historical fiction however the novel itself was still enjoyable. The characters were vividly described but I would still like to know how things would have worked between Christiopher and Julia besides the perspective given by Katherine in the novel. How would the whole plot change? I would like to see companion book written. If you're a big fan of historical romance, this is a must.