I came across this book while conducting research into sexual intamcy for Biological Psychology class. While at first I believed that this book was nothing more than an academic version of the Penthouse forum, I soon began to grasp the true intent behind this work.
Not only can one find detailed sexual histories from a veritable plethora of demographic groups, you can find in the discussion between the interviewer and interviewee, the human side of sexual desire and the decisions of sexual practices.
The amount of biographical detail and candid anecdotes alone make this an enjoyable read, but the aformentioned insight and the comfort derived from knowing that someone else's view of sex could be as convulted as your own make it a book that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.

Contrary to what it seems, this book has little to do with the sexy side of sex. It's all about the feelings and motivations that are behind all the different things people do. Each interview is filled with insights that are as original and interesting as the preferences that are practiced. Plus, the book satisfies the curiosities we all have when it comes to finding out what everyone else is up to!

This book is a wonderfull exploration of what people do in their sex lives. It is facinating, stimulating, and eye opening.

It should be obvious that Shakespeare wrote great literature. That fact is assumed by the authors of this book. However, Allan Bloom and Harry Jaffa demonstrate a deeper awareness of Shakespeare than one will find in literature departments. Shakespeare combined poetry with an acute knowledge of politics, and these excellent scholars have written a clear and convincing account of some of those facets of political wisdom. Read this fine book and help rescue Shakespeare from political irrelevance.

I am admittedly not too familiar with much of Shakespeare scholarship out there, but I would venture to suggest that (considering the elgance of Bloom's prose as well as the depth of his insights) this work should rank among the finest in Shakespeare scholarship. Such a statement would surely offend the academic snobbery of the Shakespeare scholarship cabal who would reflexively question the authority of one who is not a Shakepeare specialist, in particular, the authority of one who has specialized in expounding the thoughts of Plato and Rosseau. However, I would argue that this is precisely the very reason that elevates Bloom the political philosopher in a privileged position in understanding Shakespeare. The rationale is supplied in the beginning of Bloom's study itself: the great classical dramatists or poets were not proponents of the art for art's sake or creating art for purely aesthetic reasons. Instead, through their art, the great dramatists and poets sought to convey certain timeless truths about human existence, in particular, about political existence, for man is a zoon politikon according to Aristotle. Hence, Bloom's account is a necessary corrective to those language nabobs who would rather prattle about the meters and stanzas and in so doing lose sight of Shakespeares account of the Whole.

It is difficult to convey how wonderful I found this thin little book to be. It is no larger than a slice of rye bread, but the food for thought contained therein could feed a soul for a thousand days. It took me two mesermizing hours to get through the Introduction and Bloom's essay on 'The Merchant of Venice'. At first, I mistrusted my recollection- was there really so much there? Had the dry old play decayed so completely in my estimation, or had Bloom inserted his own opinions? No, after more blissful consternation, I relived what I had long taken for dead. Allan Bloom really sees things. His deft insight makes Shakespeare seem real and urgent again, despite how unfashionable and out of vogue the debate may seem to contemporary minds. The Jewish and the Christian come to light, the entire legacy of each Faith revealed keenly, sharply, and decisively in favour of one higher power. The authority of thought, the power of unaided reason brought to bear nakedly on an eternal, ever-so tender, sore. Bloom's essay on 'Othello' and 'Julius Cesear' prove out this reviewer's intial wonder at the work. To readers familiar with Bloom's other works, I include myself, this book was additionally worthy because it showed that the issue Allan Bloom later became famous for, the decay of education, was already at the forefront of his mind in the early 1960's. He states in the book's introduction and claims it as his motivation for publishing the essay. This was 1964, several years before the signifigant events of the 1960s took full shape and bore full weight on American society. The introduction includes Bloom's stark assessment of Poetry and Philosophy. He quotes Napolean (one of very few direct quotes, the footnotes are rich, but few) to argue for the superiority of poetry over politics and then slyly demostrates the superiority of philosophy, or the philosopher, true and proper, over poetry. This is a book you could own and keep and reread often, even secrete it undercover and carry it across hostile borders, real and imagined.

This is the ultimate hybrid of reference book and page-turner, thanks to Harry Helms' superb writing style. Prose is liquid, even in the sections that have a lot of reference information. Absolutely recommended.

As a newcomer to Shortwave listening, I found that Harry Helms' "Shortwave Listening Guidebook" has been the perfect introduction. It covers the technical aspects (such as the different parts of a shortwave receiver and how to use them, radio wave propagation, and antennas) in enough (but not too much) detail to be of use to the casual listener. There's an overview of the various shortwave bands, as well as what you may find between the bands. The many aspects of shortwave listening are covered, from listening to major broadcasters such as the BBC to such specialities as trying to hear distant stations, "pirate" broadcasters, and so on.

All in all, armed with both this book and "Passport to Worldband Radio", anyone should be able to enjoy shortwave listening.

I picked up the first edition of this book when I first became interested in shortwave radio about five years ago. Even now I still love going back to it. Harry Helms writes in such a clear and readable style, it's easy to find yourself breezing through chapter after chapter. Harry presents just enough technical information to give you a good understanding of the principles, without putting you to sleep with lots of equations and theory. This book is a great resource for those casually interested in short wave as a hobby and are looking for a book that will just "tell it like it is"...in a no-nonsense fashion. If you're interested in ham radio at all...I can also highly recommend All About Ham Radio by the same author...written in the same informal and easily readable style. Thanks for getting me on my way Harry!

Not only is this a book filled with great tasting recipes, it makes cooking easy and fun! I would recommend this book to all chefs, no matter how advanced.

as i liked his last book, chef harry has shown us how to make regular food and turn it into somthing great. the book shows everything very nice and easy, along with watching his show, no one should have any problem making thease dishes! thank you chef harry for another great book and cooking session!!! MS.

In Star Grazing, Harry Schwartz draws upon his popular television series "Chef Harry & Friends" to assembly a unique cookbook that treats us to intimate views of the lifestyles and personalities of his celebrity guests and their favorite creative recipes for fine eating and elegant dining. From Gingered Crab Puffs, Portuguese Mussel Pot, and Orange Sesame Yam Pudding, to Shredded Beef and Brie Tostadas, Salmon Cakes with Caviar Cucumber Chutney, and Cheese Souffle in a Pan, the beautifully illustrated Star Grazing will become an often referred to favorite for the family cook.

I thought this was a well conceived selection of interviews with people who brought perspectives on Vietnam from lots of different angles. Other books I've read do a better and more thorough job of covering combat aspects, but this one excels by covering the experiences of other participants - particularly the agriculture/education/medical volunteers and the diplomatic/intelligence people.

If you don't read the whole book, at least read the interviews with John Ameroso (the International Voluntary Services agricultural advisor) and Alan Carter (the U.S. Information Service officer in the embassy). Ameroso's story is inspiring in terms of how much grass roots good could be done with a practical approach to aid. Carter's story is maddening in terms of how bad things were in the embassy.

I notice that another reviewer of this book takes the author to task for including an interview by a reported fraud. If that's true, the author deserves strong criticism. If you're only compiling interviews to construct a book, you owe it to the readers to at least do a little checking up on those you include. Still, there is enough excellent material in this book for me to give it highest marks.

Widely varying views of the conflict from ordinary people who lived through it. Truth is stranger than fiction.

This book is a compilation of fascinating accounts of Vietnam from the people who experienced it. Maurer covers it all-from the grunt in the jungle to the men making policy, the civilians, families, medics, sailors, pilots, and government workers. The accounts of government workers and policy makers are a refreshing change from the usual RAMBO-type accounts that seem to fill the movie screens and popular fiction. Maurer doesn't interfere with their stories and admits upfront his role in Vietnam-- none whatsoever! This does not detract from the feeling of authenticity of this book. One feels pride for the Americans who fought, but also helplessness, sadness, and anger- the "strange ground" of the Vietnam conflict

In the author's introduction to "A Dream Play", Strindberg focuses on what he sees as the real nature of dreams-- disconnected and painful, with their own strange logic. I think he captures something of that feeling in all of the five plays in this collection, even given that some of his plays come more explicitly from his symbolic works.

In this collection, the reader is presented with the classic Strindberg themes-- the emancipated woman, rebellion, religious symbolism, and always in every way the search for meaning.

_The Father_ pits a man and woman against each other in a destructive effort to control their daughter's destiny.

_Miss Julie_ depicts the seduction and discard of a silly young girl who is harshly confronted with the basic coldness of life.

_Dance of Death_ is a grim look at a marriage based on hatred, as an ex-actress and an army captain are stuck together on an isolated island.

In _A Dream Play_ Indra's daughter is sent to earth to live as best as she can among mortals.

_The Ghost Sonata_ explores dream logic in three movements. A meditation on the difference between just and proper.

A decent translation, at least I didn't trip over it as awkward. A sad and dislocating book to read, and rare in that it's worth reading as literature without needing to consider its staging to see its value.

This is a pretty decent translation and an outstanding point of departure for Strindberg's strange, strange dramatic world. I speak and read Swedish and have studied Strindberg in some depth, but I still find this an evocative and stimulating collection.

The Ghost Sonata is one of the most beautiful and haunting works I have ever experienced.

Anyone can tell (or write) a story. The real trick is all about engaging the listener or the reader...grabbing hold of them in such a way that they set aside the hustle and bustle of their lives and become engrossed in the story. This is the storytelling skill Petrakis has demonstrated throughout his long and illustrious career. Tales of the Heart exhibits all of Petrakis' power as a storyteller, but it goes much farther. When I was young, my dad, an educator, used to stop every once and a while, in the midst of some thankless task, glance sideways at me, and say: "This counts." He wanted me to understand that we were engaged in something bigger. Tales of the Heart points us all toward something bigger.

Petrakis, whether writing fiction or essays, or whether delivering a public address, is one of my favorite storytellers. Tales of the Heart provides an inspiring look into the heart of a superb writer, the likes of which may never pass this way again.

I had the honor of meeting Mr. Petrakis at my school just a short while ago. He is a very unique man and weaves humor in with some of the most nostalgic of memories. His books are great, personally, i had dreaded reading someone's memoirs, but even though there is a considerable gap of decades in between our ages, i can still identify with some things he experienced and grew stronger by.

Harry Mark Petrakis' new book, "Tales of the Heart: Dreams and Memories of a lifetime," is an amazing piece of autobiography that speaks with the force of lyrical poetry. Although prose that is either fiction, nonfiction, or both, the book immediately brings to mind the poetry of Yannis Ritsos, or Pablo Neruda. The book, like almost all of the work by Petrakis, is so tightly constructed that the reader can feel and hear the words alliteratively exploding off the page. What makes this book so unique in the world of contemporary literature is that it is impossible to define by genre. It is not a novel even though it reads like one. Although it looks like a collection of essays it is not that at all; instead, what we haveis a powerfully packed series of highly emotional and poetically told tales by a master storyteller in memory. Finally, "Tales of the Heart: Dreams and Memories of a Lifetime," is the type of book that may change the readers life. The world in which it presents is so moving, emotional, and poetically told that the reader is forever drawing back to personal memories of their own,and as strange as it may seem, simultaneously laughing and crying. Don't miss this one!

One of my favorite childhood books, I didn't even understand the runaway slave aspect until much later. What did always resonate, however, was the struggle that Hannah goes through to balance her desire for material possessions and beautiful things, with her parents' and her faith's wishes that teach her to be simple and rely on what is in her heart for her self worth. Her inner battles with envy over her more worldly friends is something every young girl can relate to. Hannah has weaknesses and she fails but she is always forgiven and her conscience is always at work - an excellent, thoughtful role model without being preachy. The reader struggles with Hannah to do the right thing and make the right choices. Plus the illustrations will stay with the reader a lifetime - Margeurite D'Angeli is a two time Caldecott honoree so words and pictures synthesize in a beautiful rhythm. I cannot recommend this book highly enough - it is a delight.

Hannah -- Nanny to her family -- is an 8 year old Quaker girl, living in Pennsylvania in the days of the the Underground Railroad. She loves pretty things -- ribbons or flowers on bonnets; pantaloons with lacy edges; colorful sashes wrapped around dresses. Of course, as plain folks, her family doesn't approve of these non-functional, showy things.

The language is old fashioned -- the family speaks in the old Friends way of using "thee" when addressing family members. Hannah gets into numerous mishaps, and after every one, her parents gently explain to her why she need not have frills to be valuable.

Hannah's mother says,"'Thee must wait till thee has learned that the color of the dress doesn't matter, and that pantalettes and sashes do not matter. Thee must learn what thy bonnet stands for. Thee must learn Quaker ways.' Mother patted Hannah's shoulder and told her to sit and think about it.

"Hannah thought and thought, but she couldn't quite understand what it all meant. 'Why can't Sally and I wear things the big girls wear? And what does my plain, ugly bonnet stand for?' she wondered. But she was unhappy to have made Mother sad, and when she went downstairs, she hoped she could remember to do everything just as Father wished."

But of course, there is still another temptation or two to surrender to, and the consequences to deal with. Hannah doesn't really understand until the very end of the book, when she is called upon by a runaway slave, whose little boy is sick, to get help. Hannah does this, and much later the woman explains to her how she knew Hannah could be trusted (having to do with the wearing of a plain bonnet.)

The story, written in the 1940's, is based on stories the young Marguerite de Angeli (b. 1889, d. 1987) heard from an 80-year-old Friend of hers, Hannah Severn. Illustrations are quaint, as is the dialogue. A very nice book for Quaker adults or children (kids who today may have some similar contemporary questions about clothing, computers, and other longed for things.) I'm not sure we have as good an answer for simplicity as Hannah found.

Hannah was a little Quaker girl who admired something that was considered taboo according to Quaker beliefs. That something was vanity, which was symbolized by a bonnet that her neighbor wore. It had pretty ribbons unlike the plain bonnets that the Quakers wore. The plot of the story does not become clear until near the end of the book. She realizes why it is so important for Quakers to put aside vanity. Hannah learns the true meaning of being a Quaker when she gets to assist runaway slaves who have become disconnected from the Underground Railroad trail. The slaves are a woman and her baby. The woman sees Hannah and beckons her to come to her hiding place in an alley. Hannah then tells her parents about the woman who is in the alley. That night, her parents and the other Friends find the woman and take her to the place where she is supposed to make her connection and join her husband. At the end of the story, this slave tells Hannah that she knew Hannah would help her because of the bonnet she was wearing. Quakers were known for their plain bonnets. This is how Hannah learned the true meaning of helping, which is what the Quaker religion is based on. I found this story to be as relevant today as it was when it was first written. As we still struggle in this country for freedoms, we must not forget that people are placed in positions to help us. The struggle for freedom does not belong to one single race. We accomplish this act by working together. Further, I found the book to be very sensitive, touching, and beautiful. Through the simplicity of the characters, their ideologies, and the author's surprising ending, the book stands out as an extraordinary and artistic literary work. MayfromOK@webtv.net

I grew up with this book. It was fantastic then, and is still fantastic today. It is such a loss that it is out of print. The illustrations are simple, wonderful black and white drawings of a little cat and his mother. Harry has the perfect mannerisms and expressions of a child, and the stories are simple, sweet and comforting to a child (I own a book that has all three stories). A must for every child and parent.

Wonderful book, sweet and warm. I read these books as a child growing up and remember them now, 25+ years later. I am desperately trying to find Throw a Kiss and take a Nap, harry.

My mother bought me this book 25 years ago, and I still read it to my children today. My original copy is tattered and dogeared. A timeless classic that I enjoy reading to my children ( and for myself) over and over again!

There's no rabbi more famous in fiction that David Small! In this tres kosher series of the rabbi-as-detective, author Harry Kemelman has created one of the most interesting characters of this genre. In "Thursday the Rabbi Walked Out," Small becomes involved in another murder story--this time the victim is a notorious anti-Semite, and a number of his congregation are now suspects (they seem to be for good reason!). It is up to Small to match wits--and skill--with the actual murderer. (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Certainly any of the "day" novels of Kemelman are a treat (the first was "Friday the Rabbi Slept Late") and on this particular "day" (Thursday) readers will not be disappointed. Kemelman's style is fast-paced and his detective revelations are logical, solid, and do not insult the reader. Clearly, he takes the time and patience to weave his tales--and they are worth the wait!

If you like the Rabbi Small stories you will enjoy this one as well. It is not so good as the "Classic" Friday the rabbi slept late" but it is brilliant as well. Rabbi Small finds himself in troulbe (as usual): in a middle of a murder case and his job is in danger too. naturally he solves the problems with his clear logic, so you can count on the next stories.

If you like Rabbis Small misteries do not miss this one. The story is as usual: Rabbi Small's job in danger (he is going to be fired), and he is involved to a murder case. All good if ends good.