When Stephen Vincent Benet finished John Brown's Body in 1928 and the critics awaited its issue, the South was most anxious and skeptical that they would be portrayed honestly. They were and Stephen Benet's masterpiece is America's greatest epic poem and a most unappreciated work of literature. But, I love it and always will love it, because it makes those historic figures of so long ago - come alive. Out of the mist, they ride. Come traveler, pick it up, open its pages and from fish hook Gettysburg to the end, watch them ride and try to understand over all the years what was happening and why they were fighting. It was not all about Slavery!

During the Pax Romana the emperor Augustus commissioned Vergil to write an epic history of the Romans. The result, of course, was The Aeneid, a stunning blend of epic poetry and historical fiction that some would argue has yet to be topped. John Brown's Body is the closest thing we have to an epic poem "about" America. And while it takes place during the civil war and makes no claim to be an authoritative history, the book is no less impressive as a literary feat. No book in the history of this country has so artfully depicted our nation's great schism.

Written in the 20s, John Brown's Body redefines the word ananchronism. Its contemporaries are The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. Professors widely praise these modern works for their groundbreaking aesthetics, and not without justification. However, it's hard to imagine a more daring or daunting task than the writing of John Brown's Body. Never mind the fact that he pulled it off marvelously. Stephen Vincent Benet remains the only writer to have even _attempted_ to write an American epic poem. Stephen Vincent Benet deserves high scores both for degree of difficulty and final product. Yet conventional education regarding 20th century American books never seems to give him these high marks.

Why Benet and his book don't get the recognition they merit is a terrific question. Is his book canonically superior to Gatsby and Their Eyes? No. And on some level, it's difficult to see what someone living in Taiwan could glean from this document of American struggle and triumph. To wit, the book can also be criticized for being slightly skewed toward a Yankee perspective. But as a whole, the book is outright better than a lot of works revered as American classics.

What does better mean? What it should mean. Simply a more impressive work of art. More entertaining. More provactive. More fun to read. More intellectual depth, conveyed subtly and beautifully, embedded skillfully but not invisibly in an absorbing tale. On these counts, John Brown's Body is vastly superior to classics like The Sun Also Rises; The USA series of John Dos Passos; Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis; and certainly Hawthorne's later novels. Yet John Brown's Body continues to get short shrift, to the point where it's well nigh unfindable in many a book store. One can only hope that the critics and canon-makers of later generations restore the book to its proper place, high atop our shining history of American letters.

This book won the Pulitzer Prize in the '40's. It covers the Civil War principally from the perspectives of a young, small town Connecticutt boy and the heir to a Geogia plantation. It begins with a gripping view of events on a slave ship and ends with two crippled young men and the women they love, beginning to rebuild ther lives. Part poetry, part prose, it all sings.

Should you add soy products to your diet? If so, how much and in what form? Stephen Holt, M.D. answers these questions, and many more, in The Soy Revolution: The Food of the Next Millennium.

Dr. Holt says that adverse lifestyle choices are the basis for many chronic diseases. Good nutrition is a major factor in lifestyle and health and he says that "soy foods are not only good sources of nutrition, they can prevent diseases and, in some cases, fractions of soy can treat diseases." The purpose of his book is help "sort through the facts about soy and guide you to the best ways to use this unique food in order to build and maintain health."

Dr. Holt has written and lectured extensively in the field of natural health.

He provides a brief history of soybeans, which were first grown 4,000 years ago in China. He then describes the nutritional qualities of soybeans, explaining that they are one of the few plants to "provide a complete protein source," which makes then a good meat substitute.

Remaining chapters discuss the specific role of soy products in diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Soy products are also useful in keeping the prostate, kidneys, and urinary tract healthy, and are of benefit to women undergoing menopause. One chapter is devoted to the special needs of athletes, and another covers the needs of children.

Dr. Holt quotes a variety of scientific studies as evidence of the safety and benefits of soy products. He says that "over several centuries, soy has shown itself to be one of the most important, healthful and safe foods on our planet." He provides lists of resources and information for those wishing to do their own research.

Readers wishing to achieve freedom from chronic diseases will find The Soy Revolution an excellent reference.

This year, 2000 is the Chinese year of Dragon. And he also has a gift for us : the soy revolution.

Nobody can afford to loose one's health because it is our life. And we have to realize that it depends what we do about good nutrition, exercise and emotional well-being. Chinese wisdom consider food as a medicine, so it prevent diseases.For more 4,000 years chinese people have used the sacred "Great bean" (soya) to restore proper heart, liver, kidney, stomach and bowel functioning.

In this book Dr. Holt tell us about the research done in all world that it prevents or treat a wide variety of illnesses such us breast, prostate and other cancers, heart disease, hypertension, pms. arthritis, diabetes, menopause and osteoporosis.

My mother in law died because diabetes complications, my mother because of cancer. We can not afford to loose our relatives and ourselves because of ignorance. We need to read this book and find how to use all the soybeans products in our lives to protect our families. Education and Health Department of the States must teach different way to prevent illnesses and be a healthy nation. Is better to teach than pay billions in pills for ill people.We are loosing our best riches the life of the people.

In the Dragon's year, be wise. For exercise do Tai chi, and for good nutrition know the gift for this millennium: the soy revolution

Mercedes Tong de Tang.

P.D. I 'am sorry, because of my mistakes. Please correct them. I hope this can help another people to read it and safe their life. I am going to write a document about the uses of isoflavones in sexual life and present it in the X Latin American Congress of Sexuality and Sexual Education in Cuzco Lima Peru (e-mail loperez @mail,cosapidata.com.pe) Thanks

If you're interested in biological evolution, this is a book you've got to have. A huge collection of articles, arranged alphabetically, but each one interesting in itself. And many are fascinating. It's written for common folks, like me, but few compromises are made with scientific precision. Of special interest to many will be the biographical sketches (of "losers" like Lysenko as well as "winners" up to an including both Charles and Erasmus Darwin). Also covers a lot of frauds and hoaxes (e.g., Piltdown Man). You'll have fun. And even professional evolutionary biologists can expect to learn a lot.

Intended for the general reader, this well illustrated book is an atlas of the Earth from the Archean to the present. Geological concepts are explained well, and are tied together with the paleontology of various periods.

This is a great book - it tells the real facts about shark (and other types) cartilage with none of the hype. Unfortunately, the publisher decided not to send it to the bookstores.

Reading about love in an historical setting can be romantic init's own right, but when you add a little cupid romance it becomesmagical. The authors in BE MY VALENTINE present the readers with history, romance, passion and the blessings of love. I enjoyed the talents of all three authors even though I did feel the intimacy of the characters were too sudden and detailed for such inexperienced, young ladies in the times the authors are writing in, but hey that's romance!

Cupid's Arrow by Constance Hall (Cornwall, England - 1802) I found the opening in Cupid's Arrow cute, a great entrance into a sweet short story. Fitz and Brooke have an interest in each other, but commitments and consequences with those in their families is most likely to keep them apart...until two little cupids step in, that is.

Meg's Secret Admirer by Cheryl Holt (London, England - Popular Society) This has a heroine who will pull at your heartstrings and a hero who will most likely at some point aggravate you, and then win you over. In this one Meg creates her own secret admirer, but faces some unusual circumstances when she is found out. The gift giving and parties create a Valentine atmosphere.

One Special Night by Jackie Stephens (Blue Plains, TX - 1849) I appreciate it when an author successfully creates that early Texas atmosphere, and Ms. Stephens is very good at it. Her characters were touching, and her town was realistic. Two kinds souls ache to reach out, but their past and present circumstances and others around them continue to stand in the way. Let's hope the Valentine dance is the answer to Doc and Cara's need to find an eternal love.

My novella, "Meg's Secret Admirer", which is the middle story in this great Valentine's Day anthology, was selected as the "Best Novella of 2000" by the National Readers' Choice Awards. It's great, and I hope you'll check it out.

Anthologies are usually a risk to buy because it is rare to like all of the stories. But with this book there is no risk; all three of the stories were excellent.

"Cupid's Arrow" by Constance Hall is about a very proud young woman whose family is experiencing financial problems. So she reluctantly decides to rob a carriage not knowing that it is the new magistrate (someone she has always had a crush on).

"Meg's Secret Admirer" by Cheryl Holt is about an emotionally abused woman who finally gets to have a little excitement. It started as a game, and became a wonderful tale of true love.

"One Special Night" by Jackie Stephens is a sweet love story. It is so easy to fall in love with the hero. These were two people destined to be together.

So if you are someone who likes to root for the underdog, you will love these three stories.

King Henry I's son has died at sea without an heir, leaving Henry's nephew Stephen in line for the throne -- until King Henry decides to marry again. But his new wife proves barren. The King's daughter, Matilda, has already married the Emperor of Germany, and thus could not become England's Queen until her husband died. But Matilda held her aspirations to become ruler of England close to her heart, particularly when Henry commands that Matilda shall become Queen upon his death. No one challenges the King's decree out loud...until Henry dies. Claims are made that he changed his mind on his deathbed, but Matilda refuses to believe this. Stephen and Matilda become sworn enemies -- and fall in love. The two fight over the Crown and country, torn by both love and hate, desire for power and a probable love of sorts, obsessed with each other. The lovers are also enemies, fighting for posession of England's Crown, and each other.

As usual, Plaidy's writing paints pictures in the mind of every reader who picks up one of her books! Sometimes, I'm amazed that England managed to hold onto its position as one of the world's most powerful nations the way it did.

This, the third and final book in The Norman Trilogy, tells the story of the last days of the reign of England's King Henry I. His son, William, having died in a tragic shipwreck, and his beloved wife, Matilda, having long been dead, Henry hastily remarried a woman more than thirty years his junior in hopes of begetting a male heir and securing succession. England had no heir save Matilda, Henry's cold and imperious daughter, and Henry had concerns that his nobles would not willingly serve a woman.

Matilda was an Empress of Germany through her first marriage. She became Countess of Anjou through her second marriage to Geoffrey Plantagenet and would have a number of children, one of whom was named Henry. Both marriages were loveless, having been arranged for purposes of state. She had, however, a passionate attachment to her first cousin, Stephen of Blois.

Stephen was the youngest son of Adela, the King's favorite sister. He freely returned Matilda's passionate devotion, though he, too, was forced into an arranged marriage by his uncle, King Henry I. Though Henry was very fond of Stephen, looking upon him as if her were a favored son rather than his nephew, he was unaware of how things stood between Stephen and Matilda. By a cruel twist of fate, Matilda and Stephen were destined never to he husband and wife, though they would become lovers.

The book recounts the turbulent years that were to follow the death of King Henry I. Upon his demise and despite having sworn fealty to Matilda, Stephen did the unthinkable and took possession of the English crown. It was an act that was to undo all that King Henry I had done and plunge England into a bitter civil war that would last for years. Matilda and Stephen were doomed to cross swords, as passionate in their fight for the crown as they were in their love for each other. For many years, they were to battle bitterly over the throne of England. Each would become prisoner of the other at some point in time, until Matilda, deprived of the wise counsel of her illegitimate half brother, Robert of Gloucester, due to his unexpected death, reluctantly ceased to do battle and returned to Anjou.

As the years passed, Stephen wished to secure the succession to the English throne and have his son, Eustace, recognized as the heir apparent. Matilda's son, Henry Plantagenet, who had since married Eleanor of Aquitaine, however, stood between Stephen and his wish. The English clergy preferred Henry, whom they recognized as the true heir, over Eustace, the son of the usurper, Stephen. When the Archbishop of Canterbury himself urged Henry to take the English Crown by force, Henry lost no time in crossing the English Channel. On the brink of battle, due to some unusual machinations on the part of Matilda, the Treaty of Wallingford was born by which Stephen recognized Henry Plantagenet as his successor to the English throne, dispossessing his son, Eustace. Thus was born the era of the Plantagenets.

This is a rousing and entertaining work of historical fiction. The author crafts a spellbinding tale, expertly woven with historical detail. She paints a portrait of a young man and woman who were destined by fate to forever remain star crossed lovers. What ultimately happened to them would influence the course of English history for generations to come. This is a book that is sure to grip the imagination of all those who love historical fiction.

The Brief Holt Handbook is a very useful tool when it comes to writing English papers, or a paper for any other subject. I feel all college students who take writing seriously and need some help with their grammer, should go buy this book.

This book is a nice compilation of integrative medicine as it pertains to the prevention of heart disease. As a practicing physician, one is bombarded by questions that were once considered foul territory; now, questions related to alternative medicine are now on the real playing field.

Although lacking cited references, asides from "recommended readings", the author writes in an interesting manner. An easy to follow, non-stringent guide to diet, relaxation, vitamins and natural nutrients are discussed. The book looks at the way to help oneself in the battle against heart disease with assistance from a physician.

The book may be a bit more detailed with "science" beyond the needs of the lay public. Nevertheless, this is a quick flowing book that opens eyes to alternative practices, without bashing conventional medicine.

Amazon does not describe this as being an exercise book, and so I was very disappointed when I received it. The Holt Handbook that I read was a 1989 issue and so I thought that my purchase would be an updated version.

I've had this book for 4 years and have not used it and I'm a college student. Anyone who speaks English shouldn't need a book like this. Spend your money on a movie.

This work by two college teachers provides an excellent overview on writing papers, including how to research and develop a topic and -- gasp -- orient yourself in a library. In addition to chapters on English grammar and usage, there are separate sections covering the basics of two standard style guides (APA and MLA), with examples. The research portion evaluates many types of sources (primary and secondary, monographic and serial, and indexes) and treats the potential of the Internet for research with appropriate cautionary statements. The layout is very attractive and clear. Useful as a guide to library research as well as a paper-writing aid.