This is Verne's classic story of the trip of Phileas Fogg (who is obsessed with time), Passeportout, Aouda, and Detective Fix around the world on a wager. The book is filled with beautiful time and space imagery throughout (I would bet that one could write an entire thesis on all the time and space references in the novel). Thirty-three years after its publication, the world first learns of the space/time continuum (although I'm certain Verne was not anticipating Einstein). Fogg bets his fellow club members that he can circumnavigate the globe in a mere eighty days. He leaves immediately with his valet Passeportout and is pursued by Detective Fix, who thinks he is a bank robber. Through many adventures, including the rescue of Aouda from immolation, they all return to London. Interestingly, a few years later, after a number of improvements had been made in railways and roads, a U.S. journalist named Nellie Bly (the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cochrane) decided to attempt to break Fogg's "record." Leaving New York on November 14, 1889, she was able to circumnavigate the globe in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes, and 14 seconds. But, she didn't rescue a Hindu princess! It should be noted, however, that one has to be very careful concerning the translations of this novel. There are some terrible ones being sold. This translation by William Butcher appeared in 1995.

Do you remember plaited lanyards you tried to make when youwere in the second grade in day camp; the ones that somebig kid could make in all sorts of spirals and squares but (c'mon admit it) you just couldn't make work for you? Well this book takes that art back to its basic, the nineteenth century art of hair braiding. Mark Campbell makes this incredibly difficult appearing craft much easier to do than you'd ever imagine. So if you want to know just how to make your own (pardon) heirloom bracelet, this is the book for you.........Georgie

This is one of my top ten of all time favorite books. It is pure Jules Verne. If you liked From The Earth To The Moon or The Mysterious Island, you will like this, if not love it. The characters are so well portrayed, you will feel strong attachments and by the end of the book their success and failure will be perfect. Don't pass this up.

The Great Philosophers series is generally a mixed bag of accessible and inaccessible or dry material. Their treatment of Ayer is the most engaging and thought provoking of the series, most likely because his Logical Positivist philosophy is not nearly as obtuse as say Bertrand Russell's mathmatical conundrums. This book is highly recommended to both students and casual readers.

I am cardiologist and teacher of clinical examination of the heart and circulation for student and clinicians. Therefore I have done a lot of reading on the subject. The content presents peripheral signs as well direct phenomena in a well-blanced way. It is important that emphasis is put on peripheral signs as they often supply the deciding clues for the correct diagnosis. Peripheral signs are for example completely undervalued in German literature on the subject. What I miss a little bit is what you find in recent German books by H. Blömer and P. Franke(unfortunatly not published anymore)are special chapters on disease entities as for example aortic stenosis. This would nicely integrate the aformentioned knowledge of the general part to allow more description for natural course and grading of severity. Too bad the last chapters are still "under construction". The bibliography is excellent and gives a very good idea of how much has been done in the field. "Modern" cardiologists may therefore see how much scientific research has been undertaken and how well argued the book by Professor Constant is. The book presents an approach based on questions and answers. This may not be everybodies choice of an optimal didactic path. Nevertheless you can stick with it. Repetitions are helpful because they help to understand the complex materia. It is currently the best book on the market. It is also better than the book by J.K. Perloff because it takes a more scientific approach. A "must" for serious cardiologists.

I read every one of Seabury Quinn's books that I can get my hands on. I am hoping more of the short stories he wrote for WIERD TALES will be gathered into book form. Jules De Grandin and his friend are the occult Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, they solve supernatural mysteries. The stories are never disappointing. They bring up so many of the old legends and horror stories and they are satisfyingly spooky! A great read.

Children of the Sierra Madre by Frank J. Staub and Jules Hermes includes interesting text and beautiful photographs showing life for the Tarahumara or as they refer to themselves, the Raramuri people. The Raramuri live a traditional life in the mountains of north western Mexico. Daily life, family, food, homes, clothing, feasts, and contemporary issues such as health and clean water are revealed. My second graders were inspired to further research this group of people.

It is amazing that poetry has sunk so far in value to our culture that much of it has to be packaged as books for children. In this wonderfully illustrated book, some of the best poems by Nancy Willard and Jane Yolen (both established authors of adult literature), all dealing with angels, have been collected. This book is a great way to introduce children to the complexities and fun of poetry, but is also a good book for adults who appreciate fine poetry.

At the moment when the existence of the radio was only a rumor travelers in southern Saharan Africa are guests in a technologically advanced and surprisingly modern city being built in the desert unknown to the Western European world. Verne forsees the use of helicopters and explosive bullets in warfare against local native peoples in the surrounding countryside as well as tunnel boring machines similar to that used to construct the channel tunnel and other major recent tunnels. I read Into the Niger Bend in about 1960 in conjunction with City in the Sahara, the companion volume. My review above may have mixed elements of these 2 connected stories. At the time the 2 books were in the collection of the North Hollywood branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. I highly recommend them.