America's post-Civil War years brought a renewed interest in the European scene. Journeys
known as Grand Tours led tourists to take ship to the Continent. They fanned out across the
landscape with the intent to "know Europe." Their return home resulted in a flurry of
published accounts. Twain satirizes both the tourists and their writings with delicious
wit. Ever a man to play with words, his "tramp" refers to both himself and the walking tour
of Europe he purports to have made. By the time you've reached the end of the account of the
"walking tour" incorporating trains, carriages and barges, you realize that the longest "walk"
Twain took occurred in dark hotel room while trying to find his bed. He claims to have
covered 47 miles wandering around the room.

Twain was interested in everything, probing into both well-known and obscure topics. His
judgments are vividly conveyed in this book, standing in marked contrast to his more
reserved approach in Innocents Abroad. A delightful overview of mid-19th Century Europe,
Tramp is also interlaced with entertaining asides. Twain was deeply interested in people, and
various "types" are drawn from his piercing gaze, rendered with acerbic wit. Some of these
are contemporary, while others are dredged from his memories of the California mines and
other journeys. He also relished Nature's marvels, recounting his observations. A favourite
essay is "What Stumped the Blue-jays." A nearly universal bird in North America, Twain's
description of the jay's curiosity and expressive ability stands unmatched. He observes such
humble creatures as ants, Alpine chamois, and the American tourist. Few escape his
perception or his scathing wit. This book remains valuable for its timeless rendering of
characters and the universality of its view. It can be read repeatedly for education or
entertainment.

All these volumes are self-recommending except, perhaps, to those poor, misguided people who continue to pigeon-hole one of the world's great writers. Yes, Twain was a humorist who virtually invented modern American English as a literary language. But the sheer range of his achievement is staggering. And the best way to experience it is altogether. And the best "altogether" is this magnificent 29 volume set from Oxford. Other people can speak with more authority about Twain the author. I want to speak a little about how delicious it is to encounter him in these books. They are reproductions of the original American editions and the facsimiles are beautifully rendered. But this isn't important in itself; we're not about to spend [...] for a little bit of nostalgia. Rather, just open any one of these 29 volumes and see what a difference its admittedly antique printing style makes. White spacing between the printed lines is generous to an unbelievable degree, as are the page margins. Your eyes don't tire. You can savour each page at whatever pace you want to set for yourself. Worlds open and invite. This is how people read books a hundred years ago. This is the way to read books!

I have not read Twain since High School twenty five plus years ago but a friend on a newspapers book forums got me to read him again and A Tramp Abroad is the first book I picked. For the current generation this book may drag but for those of us who grew up reading books instead of playing computer games this is Twain at his best. One has to actually read into his writing to appreciate a lot of the irony but when this book is really on like the mountain climbing near the Matterhorn ,Twain makes Seinfeld seem like he's talking about something. A brilliant travel essay and by the way the Penguin Classics edition of this book in paperback is 411 pages long, not 670 pages .

This is a great book for people who are frustrated with the state of American politics. After watching campaign finance reform fail again and again, I was immediately won over to the authors' ideas. Proportional Representation is the only way to go!

Good book - concise and with varying viewpoints. Mirkarimi comments that you don't focus enough on the mechanics of the change, but in a sense, a book like this does, since it isn't an intimidating tome. I plan to buy a stack to pass out to skeptical friends.

This book is extremely interesting, I highly recommend it. Richie and Hill make a strong case for Proportional Representation, then a number of other high level type folks respond. Then Richie and Hill respond. A fascinating dialogue.

I liked this book because it was a true story. It happened in Johnstown,Pennsylvania on the day after Memorial Day in 1889. It was one of the worst floods anyone has ever experienced. I also liked this book because it had a lot of action unlike some other books I've read. For example, everybody was yelling and running because of the 20,000,000 tons of water that came from Lake Conemaugh after the dam broke. Eveything happened so quickly. It took less then 10 minutes from start to finish.

I would recommend this book to a friend because it tells about the history of one of the biggest floods. It happened in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on May 31,1889. More then 2,000 people died.

I liked this book because it was historical and true. It was about the biggest flood in the United States history. It happened on Merch 31,1889.
I also liked the book because something nice came out of something sad. The sad thing is that 2,209 people died. The good thing is that the people of nearby Pittsburg helped Johnstown. From all over Pittsbrug they loaded up a train with supplies of blankets, canned food, fresh water, and other goods for the people left in Johnstown.

I found that only a very small part of the book is about Neurofeedback. All the rest is about issues surrounding ADD. The author writes as if he is explaining the material to a 5-year-old child. I found that this book did not increase my knowledge (gathered on the net) of Neurofeedback

Too often parents might suspect something is not quit right with their child's attention, focus, and impulse control without knowing why. And all too often the medical doctors are willing to diagnosis by prescription, lets try this medication if he improves then this is what he had. This is an excellent resource with a very comprehensive checklist to help parents understand all facts about their child's behaviors as well as an excellent reference for available options, from medication to toxicity testing to alternative and more effective treatment than medication. Before condemning your child to a life long regiment of taking medication at leats know the facts. Also an excellent book for any medical practitioner that is willing to actually read the endless research and case studies showing how non-medical treatment are actually proving more effective than medication without any of the negative side effects.

Finally a treatment that addresses the causes of ADD! Neurofeedback actually improves brain functioning, whereas Ritalin treats symptoms temporarily and does nothing to deal with the root of the problem. "Getting Rid of Ritalin" provides a wealth of useful information on the complicated issues of ADD and offers an exciting, effective solution in Neurofeedback. It is impressive that Drs. Castro and Hill examine issues that are often overlooked, such as how toxic substances, bad nutrition, and television can all contribute to ADD. This is book is both interesting and extremely useful!

Good hiking reference if you're new to the BH and hiking in general. I've found the ratings to be more for beginners or folks without a lot of hiking skill (ie. a moderate trail listed as strenuous). Good to get you oriented to the area.

I live in the Black Hills and use this guide extensively. Itis well written and trails are accurately described. If you purchaseone hiking book for SD....make sure it is this one!...

This is a brief but entertaining and convincing argument for the artistic value of one of the most unfairly condemended media outlets -- television. Working from the hypothesis that the quirky dramas that dominated television from the '70s to the '90s (Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, thirtysomething, ect.) actually made up television's second golden age, author Robert J. Thompson actually makes a pretty good argument for taking TV seriously. Each chapter provides detailed (and refreshingly witty) analysis of all the TV shows that we previously took for granted and shows how the writers and producers of those shows were able to create great art in the guise of great entertainment. Of particular worth was Thompson's long and informative chapter on St. Elsewhere, over the course of which he manages to break down a few of that show's intricate inside jokes and show how the show's controversial final episode actually served as a powerful and still-relavent statement on the state of television and American culture today. This book is a must read for anyone who sees television as more than just a distraction.

The title of this book is provocative but something of a serious misnomer. Robert J. Thompson points out early on that the original "Golden Age of Television" took place in the Fifties and was built on the variety shows like "Texaco Star Theater" and "Your Show of Shows," the anthology dramas like "Playhouse 90" and "Studio One," and, of course, "I Love Lucy." Thompson also acknowledges that in the Seventies the situation comedy reached its "literate peak" with "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "All in the Family," and "M*A*S*H." However, the argument for "Television's Second Golden Age: From 'Hill Street Blues' to 'ER'" covers a period from HSB's debute in 1981 to the present, where "ER" continues to be one of the top dramas on television. That is a period of more than two decades and while Thompson devotes a chapter to "The Second Golden Age of Television: "Cagney & Lacy," "Moonlighting," "L.A. Law," "thirtysomething," and "China Beach," essentially focusing on the Eighties, it is hard to say that the following decade, with "Twin Peaks," "Northern Exposure," "Picket Fences," "NYPD Blue," "Law & Order," "Homicide," "The X-Files," "Chicago Hope," and "ER" was not at least as strong (feel free to add to the list). Even if we are talking about the first decade of the 21st century we have "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "24," "The Practice," "Ally McBeal" and short-lived series like "My So Called Life" and "Once and Again" (and that is without dipping over to HBO and talking about "The Sopranos," "Six Feet Under," and the rest of their kind), all of which speak to quality dramatic programming.

That is why in the final analysis I see Thompson's argument as being not so much for a specific time period of great television, but rather advancing the proposition that the hour-long dramatic television series is the chief art form of the medium (yes, even more so than the situation comedy). I would even extend this argument to the mini-series, from "Roots" and "Shogun" to "War and Remembrance" and "Lonesome Dove," because the guiding principle of the extended narrative form remains the common denominator. "24" takes the idea of season-long story arc a unique extreme, but "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" did all of its complete seasons have a first-half story arc (e.g., Spike & Dru in Season 2) that then merged with a second-half story arc (e.g., the return of Angelus) that provided a framework for all of the individual episodes. Then there was "Murder One," which rather successfully devoted an entire season to one sensational murder trial. When a series loses its driving story arc, as when Dave and Maddie consummated their love on "Moonlighting," or when what was supposed to be the hook becomes the line and sinker as well, as when the question of who killed Laura Palmer ultimately derailed "Twin Peaks," the demise of the show simply affirms the principle in the negative.

Thompson's starting point is January 1981 when prime-time television was about to make a sudden and dramatic turn towards quality because of "Hill Street Blues," the show that Steven Bocho did not want to make and that nobody wanted to watch, but which became "television's first true masterpiece." However, Thompson argues that it was "St. Elsewhere" that was "TV's greatest show, ever" (having to do with key notions of "intertextuality" and "self-reflexivity"). Ultimately he is not defining a particular time period (especially since the "golden age" in question is clearly not over), but explaining why in the "vast wasteland" that Newton Minnow bemoaned so many years ago "quality" television is flourishing in terms of hour-long dramatic programming. Within that context Thompson clearly makes his case for much of the best television ever made having appeared on the networks since 1980. The book is half critical evaluation of these programs and half insider's tour looking at the decision-making process as well as the social, economic, and artistic forces that ended up revolutionizing the medium. Thompson also more than adequately proves he knows his television history, which is necessary to help convince those of us who are true students of the medium. Consequently, the fact that the title of this book is not a fair representation of its most significant claim, is not to be held against the author, because he has made in public an argument I have been making in private (okay, in class as well), for several years.

It's all too easy to assume that simply because we vegetate in front of the TV all day, that we have some kind of understanding of its history and how it works. This book summarises the importance of several landmark shows of the 1980s and 1990s, helping to show how a few select producers (chiefly refugees from The Mary Tyler Moore Show) were able to transform the quality of television, at least for a while. Note that the shows are discussed in their American context -- British viewers may be surprised to hear that anything was innovative about the "MASH without the laughter track", because MASH was always broadcast in the UK without a laughter track. But for placing the history of American TV in its natural home habitat, this remains an important and interesting introduction to quality television.

I was hoping to find out about growing cynthiana grapes-this was not the book. This is an interesting book of one man's experience with wine in general and his unending awe of the cynthiana grape.

Tremendous book, phenomenal impact on how we think about grapes, agriculture, and philosophical look at man and his interactions with nature. Mind you, you also get to learn about grapes and winemaking. Recommended by a Louisiana Wine maker and grape grower while on vacation, I was enchanted throughout.

I bought this wanting to learn about grape growing, but ended up learning so much more. Paul Roberts writes fluently about wine growing, but also focuses on the environment and philosophies of farming. It's really a great book to immerse yourself in the traditions of farming and grape growing, while at the same time laughing with Roberts about his experiences and his search for the perfect wine.

Looks like great material. Mr. Downey certainly has the experience to back up his excellent narrative. The problem is: this book has so many typos that the reader is seriously distracted from the otherwise superb product. I would think that the publisher would have proofed this book prior to printing! There are at least a dozen typos in the first 25 pages! Detective Downey should choose another editor/publisher for his (hopefully!) next book about his work in law enforcement.

BEVERLY HILLS DETECTIVE is a true story that restores faith in America's police force, a refreshing perspective after the accusations of brutality and incompetence that reporters use to sell copy. It is no secret that the media has a talent for stirring up a hornet's nest, but reading between the lines of this book will stir frenzy of a different sort.

Through a series of vignettes, Robert Downey relives the life of a policeman moving up the ranks from a rookie changing light bulbs for elderly women, to a detective solving a rash of crimes in the posh Mecca of Hollywood's famous residential district. He is a cop bent on restoring justice in spite of laws that favor crooks and penalize victims. He deals with crooks who bribe officers, with wealthy residents who bilk insurance companies, and with insurance companies that take it on the chin rather than risk offending the clientele that keep the wheels greased. He talks about lawyers and judges who have lost a sense of justice, who drag legal proceedings into eternity, who use legalese to turn truth upside down. He speaks of a lawyer who suggests crooks should compromise investigators and get the incriminating evidence on tape. He tells of a judge who disregards evidence of forced entry, ignores the discrepancy of a non-existent sewing machine that defense claims proves innocence, and shows how plea bargaining keeps crooks on the streets.

The justice system seems to have gone amuck. Perhaps the solution is as simple as the suggestion of a rookie cop who said keys made to fit every black and white would keep cars drivable, or of a seasoned detective who said penalizing lawyers and judges for cluttering the system would restore integrity. Movies discrediting police, media taking the side of crooks, a few professionals giving the entire system a bad name, and an author comes forward to set the record straight.

BEVERLY HILLS DETECTIVE is a plea for change, as eye-opening as a movie, without a doubt well-worth the price of admission.

I really enjoyed this book!!! It is refreshing to see a book written by the REAL person who was involved with the content of the book. This book gives a true account of life and law enforcement in the 50's and 60's. I highly recommend it!!!

Rabbit Hill is a fiction book about a family of many rabbits and their animal friends. The rabbit's names are Little Georgie, Mama, Papa, and Little Georgie's little brothers and sisters. Unfortunatly the rabbits and the other animals live in the backyard of people who are not kind to animals. The people put guns and gases down the animal's dens. Finally, the word is spread that new folks are coming. Every animal is happy except Mama, who is still nervous. To find out if Mama ever does trust the new folks, and if the new folks are nice to all the animals, you should read the book.

I bought this book to accompany the purchase of a rabbit for my son. We used this book for our family's read aloud time. We are already fans of Mr. lawson so it was with high hopes that we began this wonderful book. It is about animals and the hardships creatures encounter as a result of man's carelessness and selfihness. We rarely think about the impact our daily existence has on nature, especially the one that makes up our backyards. When kindly people move into the house on Rabbit Hill, the pooor existence of the animals takes a definite turn for the better. The humans are kind and are able to co-exist with all the different kinds of animals on their property. This book is fun but it an allegory for modern times as well. it ends with the placing of the statue of St. Francis of Assissi in the garden; a powerful reminder that we are stewards of God's creation.

Georgie is a young rabbit whose life we share. There are good times and bad times... and the fear of terrible danger lurks, as in the dog. Especially since the old house is being occupied by "new folks", the animals are unsure. Will the "new folks" be good or bad for the animals that live around the house? Will Georgie survive the car accident and what have the "new folks" done with him? It is a sweet book with a sweet and kind ending. Kids can identify with Georgie... it's been forty years since my Mom shared this book with me.. times can get hard but there are always "new folks comin'" If you cried when Charlotte the spider died in CHARLOTTE'S WEB, you'll love Rabbit Hill.

Robert Crais has done a wonderful job of writing in the Elvis Cole mystery series. The wisecracking private investigator is back for the sixth novel in his series.

Cole is hired by the leading attorney for a multi-millionaire arrested for the murder of his wife. Cole is hot on the tail of the Los Angeles Police Department in suspecting that they have planted evidence in this murder case. As Cole and his "hired muscle" partner, Joe Pike, investigate further, the evidence starts to turn on the defense team. Things heat up with everyone wanting a piece of the self proclaimed "World's Greatest Detective." Throw in a surprise visit from Lucy, Cole's love interest, and you have an intense thriller.

What always makes Crais' novels so great is his well-developed, interestingly complex characters. He weaves an amazingly intricate storyline around these characters with well-described settings, making for a complete book.

This is another solid effort by Crais, and an excellent novel that is a pleasure to read. Enjoy the ride.

Crais does it again. The only reason I give this four and not five stars is I have come to expect so much of Crais that I have set his books for extremely high standards. Elvis Cole has developed the more tender side as his love life grows, but this doesn't take away from the intriguing mystery and the characters themselves. If anything I think these developments make Elvis become more realistic and add to the story. If you have read the previous books don't be worried that this will skip a beat.

For any concerned Spenser fans, I'll say that I was a fan of Crais before I picked up a Spenser novel, and I have to admit I was initially blown away by the thought that Elvis Cole and Joe Pike were a reenactment of Spenser and Hawk. After reading this book though I think that while Crais may have been inspired by Spenser's stories, that his books do not fall into the category of imitations. They definitely stand on their own. In other words if you love Spenser then you'll love these books too, for the characters and stories and you will be begging for the next one to come along.

I can only guess that this book is not published due to some issue between Crais and the publisher of this book and Indigo Slam. I found my copy at a used book store. It's definitely worth the search. No matter how you find it, pick it up and bring it home.

You're not into this Elvis Cole case too long before you realize that Crais is using the OJ Simpson case as a model. And if you haven't read any of Crais' Elvis Cole novels, you'll also realize before too long that Elvis and his partner Joe Pike are similar in tone to Robert Parker's Spenser and Hawk. But Robert Crais has the ability to take these similarities and craft them into a series and a detective novel with it's very own flavor. Cole is hired to check out a detective who may have planted evidence. His findings aren't consistent with what the defense team wants and Elvis is forced to switch teams and work with Joe Pike to clear up a mess he helped create. Elvis' romantic tangle with a lawyer from Louisiana is brought into play and takes up a little too much page time, but the the climatic 3rd of the book is as satisfying a set of confrontations as anyything in the Spenser series. Not all of the bad guys get their just desserts and Elvis vows at the end to hound those who get away, which would make a nice story for a future case. A great PI novel especially for those who distrust lawyers and the media, which is just about everybody but lawyers and members of the media.