William F. Buckley is unquestionably one of the most articulate and knowledgeable American debaters of the second half of the twentieth century. Buckley seems to know a little bit--if not a lot--about everything, and he reflects and gives observations about various topics in this collection of essays from the mid-to-late 80s and early 90s.

As an author, Buckley is unfailingly witty and acerbic, and this book is littered with quips and sapient remarks. Buckley is particularly good at analyzing other peoples' positions, and at poking holes in their poor logic. That is where this book succeeds.

This book occasionally fails when Buckley attempts to elucidate his own position on an issue. For instance, in one essay Buckley suggests that Beethoven is "a national monument" and should be entitled to governmental protection, so that vacationers can listen to the great composer's symphonies when they are traveling in non-cosmopolitan areas. My suggestion to Buckley would be to rent a car with a tape deck or cd player. It is not necessary for the government to mandate all-Beethoven channels in all cities and towns in order for citizens to listen to Beethoven when they are on vacation.

In another essay Buckley spells out the case for allowing women to serve in the military, but then says that he takes the opposite position. His explanation for why he is against women serving in the military is vague. He says that allowing women to join the armed forces is repugnant to "human nature," which leads one to wonder how Buckley would respond to someone who believes that what he calls "human nature" is an artificial construct. Maybe he did not provide a response to that question because of spacial constraints, but I think that if he is going to base a policy position on human nature, he should provide readers with some sort of idea of what his theory of human nature is.
I hope that I have not accentuated the negative too much in this review, because Buckley truly is a wonderful writer and an interesting read. He has opinions about everything, and he is fun to read not only for what he has to say, but also for how he says it. His vocabulary is expansive and his word-choices are colorful. This book should be read by anyone who wants intelligent and fiercely-opinionated commentary on newsworthy events, and the various parties involved, from 1985 to 1992.

This is a fine collection of the thoughts and witticisms of William F Buckley. It covers most any area that Mr. Buckley holds an Interest whether it be politics, social affairs, sailing, classical music and spending time with dignitaries and well to do people. It is fantastically written (as can be expected from Buckley) however it seemed to talk just over the head of the common man. With his infatuation with the Ryder Cup and talking about people who are important to him, really have no impact on my life. All in all it is a very well written fast paced collection. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys political and social commentary. And to anyone who just like to read something different than a novel or text of history.
Thanks For Your Time:
T

This is Buckley at his acerbic best on subjects as varied as John Lennon, Ted Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor to academia, Gorbachev and The First Gulf War.

It's always illuminating and stimulating to explore the brain of one of America's foremost conservative thinkers and as these essays drift more into history, his insights and deliberations become astounding in their perspicacity and accuracy.

These essays cover everything from the fall of communism, the Los Angeles riots, Playboy magazine and lots more. The time spent reading this delightful paperback is time spent in the company of charming brilliance.

No matter how hard I search, I've yet to find the "perfect" book on herb use and herb growing. This book isn't perfect, but it does have some real strengths.

Rodale's ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HERBS is organized in a strange way--everything, and I mean everything--falls into alphabetical order. For example, "Gardening with Herbs falls between "Foxgloves" and "Garlic" and "Growing Herbs" falls between "Grindellia" and "Hawthorn."

The book is printed on semi-gloss paper so it will stand up to use and not crumble in a few years. Each entry contains line drawing illustrations and a few sections of the book are highlighted with color photos.

The plant profiles are succinct, covering topics such as 'history', 'cultivation' and 'uses.' Many entries contain material from other sources such as Maud Grieves' A MODERN HERBAL Vols. 1-2. Some information is repeated without attribution or verification. I always find "They say" and "It is thought" offputting, while I appreciate direct citations of which there are many in this book.

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA covers some topics not readily found in other books. The most useful of these is a compendium discussing the "Dangers of Herbs" (located between "Dandelion" and "Deadly Nightshade." The editors have compiled the FDA listing of "tricky" herbs (could kill or cure depending on use) from PREVENTION magazine, as well as similar ratings from James Duke's CRC HANDBOOK OF MEDICINAL HERBS, Jean Rose's HERBS AND THINGS, and Varro Tyler's THE HONEST HERBAL. You realize on reading this section that everything is relative.

The biggest problem with the misuse of herbal remedies is the misclassification of plants by the practicioner. To be an herbal healer one simply must understand botany. The second biggest problem is conflicting information about what a plant will or will not do based on singular accounts (which could be the result of a misclassification of plants or a misapplication of the plant extract). The third problem is idiosyncratic plant and human interaction. One man's poison can be another man's elixer. As with synthetic drugs, each individual has a unique chemical compostion and the herb in question may or may not be effective, or in some cases may provoke an allergy. Of course, there are some herbs that are downright deadly as every mystery reader knows.

This wouldn't be a Rodale book with out a section on "Pests" and "Pest Control" or the synergistic and conflicting effects of various plant combinations in the garden. This information and the sections on poisonous attributes make the book worth it's cost. All I can say about plant combinations can be summed up to this...plant catnip. You'll have to read the book to find out which kind.

This book has *fabulous* illustrations of the plants it details - something usually lacking from herbal books by way of plant identification. The plant descriptions and suggestions for use, as well as the old lore associated with each one are all very useful, and well formatted for easy lookup.

The only thing it doesn't have is the same thing most herbal books lack: complete and comprehensive information on the dangers of certain herbs - although I understand that the reason is that since this isn't a licensed medical text, they're not allowed to present thier information as actual medical advice, and so some of the precautions fall under that umbrella. As with any book on herbs, the reader must remember that the information, especially the warnings, are not necessarily complete.

That said - this is a really useful book with lots of great information, that you'll be glad to add to your herbal library at home.

This would have to be the most complete, easy to read book on the subject of herbs that I have come across. From propagation to cultivation through to harvesting and using, this book covers the lot in great detail. The big asset of the book is that everything is described in such a way that the beginner gardener (me) will have no trouble following. As well as the individual listing of each herb, the lists of uses for the herbs have been very helpful. Culinary gardens, formal gardens, theme gardens, medicinal gardens, herbs for fragrance, dyes, essential oils, you name it and it’s mentioned in this book.

this book seems choppy and seems to lack any particular direction. originally, i thought this to be the buckley version of "Strunk and White: Elements of Style" -- but it's not. buy it if you want to see some of Buckley's essays; however, i would recommend going to the archives on the National Review web site.

This book contains 94 of conservative pundit William F. Buckley's speeches from five decades, the 1950s through the 1990s. The 25 speeches from the '50s and '60s are very good and show Buckley at his best as a passionate conservative joining the current-affairs battles of those decades. The speeches from the later decades are uneven; by this point Buckley is secure in his reputation but can sometimes seem ossified. A prime example of this is the speech entitled "Without Marx or Jesus," in which Buckley is called upon to respond to the arguments of French intellectual Jacques Revel. It's clear that Buckley has no idea how to deal with Revel on Revel's own terms and Buckley tends to flee into a discussion of persons and institutions that are obscure today. But when Buckley is asked to orate on a subject friendly to him, he does well, such as in various commencement addresses which are, as David Brooks notes in his introduction, essentially theological orations. But to understand the political background of all the speeches in the last three decades of the last century, it seems that the dictum, "Well, I guess you had to be there," applies.

William F. Buckley may be the most influential American writer of the second half of the 20th century. A strong statement, but think about it. When he wielded his pen he defended freedom in an era when that concept was beginning to be considered passe. He famously jumped "athwart history, yelling 'stop!" With his elegant, cosmopolitan prose he made consevativism intellectually respectable. He advocated a philosophy that was faith-based, yet humane and rigorously inqusitive about the world. And he's one of the funniest damn writers around. One of his greatest contributions in the 1950's and 60's was his adamant insistence that anti-Semites, racists, and extremists like the John Birch Society weren't a legitimate part of the consevative movement. This advocacy of tolerance and respect for rationality sprang from the charity that comes from a properly understood religious faith. He always strongly supported Israel as the vessel of Western values in a dangerous part of the world.

This is a collection of speeches that Buckley gave over the course of a 40-year career. Because they were meant to be heard instead of read, they are more informal and less intimidating than some of his other work. One can find here a rich slice of recent American history from the perspective of one of the good guys.

This is a great book to refer to when you want to explain to the public in lamens terms or if you are a beginner this is the book for you. There are PLENTY of color diagrams to folow along with as well a detailed explanations...

A simply wonderful book to better understand (almost) all there is to know about weather. Large, clear graphics help illustrate some of the more difficult topics, occasional little weather tid bits thrown in for fun, and easy-to-read style makes this book a must have for anyone wanting to learn more about our atmosphere. I've even used this book to teach a "Weather for Non-Science Majors" college course.

A very exceptional book with regards to an introduction to weather and meteorology. Three dimensional drawings and plain language make understanding weather systems much more understandable. A great aid for weather chasers and pilots who want to understand more about the weather ;)

a good read, but can be confusing for kids. It takes a while to comprehend all of the Shakespearian langauge, but is very interesting. It is boring at parts.

The Winter's Tale is a lot of things: heart-breaking, exhilerating, funny, beautiful, romantic, profound, etc. Yeah, it's all here. This is one of the bard's best plays, and I can't believe they don't teach this in schools. Of course, the ones they teach are excellent, but I can see high school kids enjoying this one a lot more than some of those others (Othello, King Lear).

The story is, of course, brilliant. King Leontes goes into a jealous rage at the beginning against his wife Hermione. Leontes is very mistaken in his actions, and the result is tragic. Shakespeare picks the story back up sixteen years later with the children, and the story works to a really, really surprising end of bittersweet redemption.

This is one of Shakespeare's bests. The first half is a penetrating and devestating, but the second half shows a capacity for salvation from the depths of despair. Also, this being Shakespeare, the blank verse is gorgeous and the characters are well drawn, and the ending is a surprise unparalleled in the rest of his plays. The Winter's Tale is a truly profound and entertaining read.

The Winter's Tale contains some of the most technically difficult solutions to telling a story that have ever appeared in a play. If you think you know all about how a play must be constructed, read The Winter's Tale. It will greatly expand your mind.

The play opens near the end of a long visit by Polixenes, the king of Bohemia, to the court of his childhood friend, Leontes, the king of Sicily. Leontes wants his friend to stay one more day. His friend declines. Leontes prevails upon his wife, Hermione, to persuade Polixenes. Hermione does her husband's bidding, having been silent before then. Rather than be pleased that she has succeeded, Leontes goes into a jealous rage in which he doubts her faithfulness. As his jealousy grows, he takes actions to defend his misconceptions of his "abused" honor that in fact abuse all those who have loved him. Unable to control himself, Leontes continues to pursue his folly even when evidence grows that he is wrong. To his great regret, these impulsive acts cost him dearly.

Three particular aspects of the play deserve special mention. The first is the way that Shakespeare ties together actions set 16 years apart in time. Although that sounds like crossing the Grand Canyon in a motorcycle jump, Shakespeare pulls off the jump rather well so that it is not so big a leap. The second is that Shakespeare captures entirely different moods from hilarious good humor to deep depression and remorse closely adjacent to one another. As a result, the audience is able to experience many more emotions than normally are evoked in a single play. Third, the play's final scene is as remarkable a bit of writing as you can imagine. Read it, and marvel!

After you finish reading this play, think about where your own loss of temper has had bad consequences. How can you give yourself time to get under control before acting rashly? How can you learn to be more open to positive interpretations of events, rather than dark and disturbing ones?

Love first, second, and always!

This was the first Leonard novel I've read, and I was disappointed. Maybe it's his reputation as being such a great crime writer, but the plot seemed familiar (i.e. the movie "Ruthless People" and others) and it ran out of steam at the end. I liked some of the characterization and some specific scenes, but it wasn't a great book.

For anyone who saw "Jackie Brown" or read the Leonard novel on which it's based, "Rum Punch," try to get your hands on this far superior first-appearance of the loveable criminal trio, Ordell Robbie, Luis Gaza, and "that fine big woman," Melanie.

This simple story of a loveless marriage whose seams truly start showing when the docile, country club wife, Mickey is kidnapped by Ordell and Luis is good, solid, 70's era Leonard. Mickey's marriage is many ways a mirror image of the married couple at the center of Leonard's previous "marital troubles cum crim" novel, "52 Pickup." Her husband is a brute who flies to the Bahamas to dally with his street savvy mistress, Melanie, a day before he serves Mickey a divorce summons.

The husband's refusal to pay ransom becomes the epiphany for the mouselike Mickey's transformation into the smart, independent woman--in some ways, she is the chrystalis for a whole series of strong female Leonard heroines who appear in later novels.

If the story sounds like the movie "Ruthless People," you can bet that the movie was probably based in part on this novel. In fact, in the vastly inferior sequel, "Rum Punch," the characters allude to the movie when recalling the events that happened in "The Switch." Frankly, the criminal trio is much more appealing here than they were in "Punch," when they became more violent, more hardened, and more cliched.

While not the best of his classic 70's novels, "The Switch" is definitely top-drawer Leonard, filled with the same sharp dialogue that has been his stock in trade for more than forty years. If you like "The Switch," I recommend you seek out "52 Pickup" and compare the ways Leonard explores the "criminal" aspects of infidelity.

than Leonard's usual. But of course, that's still high praise, given that he's far and away the best crime writer of this or any other generation. The first two-thirds of the way through I was captivated, enthralled, wondering why this one, like so many others, hadn't already spawned a blockbuster movie. As the remaining pages grew thinner and thinner, though, I had my answer: an anticlimactic ending in which Leonard just seemed to run out of gas. Nonetheless, if you've read the others you should certainly read this--a 4-star effort from Elmore Leonard still beats the best that anyone else working in the genre today can muster.

I was very disappointed in this book. Unless you are willing to do all of your shopping at health food stores and completely change your life style you can't possibly gain anything from any of the suggestions in the book. I did not find it inspiring. It just seemed like a lot of demands that are especially impossible for someone in a small town to meet.

Frank Lipman's approach to health seems revolutionary. He's not presenting a doctrine; he's not saying you must do this or that or else; he's not promising an unrealistic cure-all. He's showing you how you can take charge of your own health and change it, permanently, for the better. His approach is a perfectly balanced combination of western and eastern training, of common sense and non-traditional thinking, of information and suggestion. And the book is wonderfully readable--personal, anecdotal, straightforward, and friendly in the best sense. Lipman isn't setting himself up as a guru, but once you feel the effects of his ideas and methods, as I have, you might think of him that way. Do yourself a great favor and find out what he has to offer. You won't be sorry.

Easy to follow steps in how to change your life style for better health. Very realistic as is not easy to change habits, but a lot of information to guide you into the road of wellness. I can't wait for the next book. Well done!

I was never one to enjoy history much until my college history class used this book for the main text. I found this book great reading (interesting and kept my attention most of the time). I must say that after that class and this book, I have become much more interested in aspects of history. This book is wonderful and I would recommend it to any college professor of history or high school student with even a slight interest in history!

I used this book for self-study after many years away from any formal courses, and I was very pleasantly surprised to find myself engrossed in the lucid and engaging descriptions, the beautiful illustrations and photographs, and helpful index. It covers, at just the right level of detail, American History from the colonization of the Americas to Clinton's presidency. It gives a big picture without being condescending and simplistic, but also without assailing you with inessential jargon and names.

I looked at many different American History surveys and this is my favorite by far. On the other hand, if you already know the main outlines of American History, and want detailed analyses of particular periods, then this book will not be as helpful, as it is merely an overview and the bibliography is not very detailed or well annotated.

This book has been a great aid in writing my research papers! I really liked the way the book was broken down between chapters and sections, it made choosing a research topic much easier. The book was also very well written and to the point, it was not at boring at all!

This is a very nice guide to help the novice spotter ID today's aircraft. Small in dimensions (just a little bigger than pocket-sized), but loaded with nice pictures and facts about every major airplane type. A good buy.

This book is perfect for the frequent traveler with time on his or her hands at the airport! It is designed to make it relatively quick and painless to find the aircraft you're seeing BEFORE it rolls out of sight -- and I've found that this design works for me.

What's more, the book is the perfect size to fit into the upper pocket on a Travelpro Rollaboard® suitcase -- so it's always easy for me to get to, when that unknown aircraft rolls into view.

The book is very much like "A Field Guide to the Airplanes", in the Roger Tory Peterson tradition -- a way to quickly identify common (and sometimes obscure) aircraft quickly and accurately.

If you're looking for detailed descriptions, or the real difference between a 737-300 and a 737-400, then you'll have to look elsewhere. But if you want to quickly know if that airplane out there is an Embraer 120 or a Fairchild Metro, this is the book for you.

I can't wait for the third edition to appear (hint, hint)!

This book starts with a taxonomic chart (match what you see and go to that page) and branches off until you find the right plane group/subgroup. After that you have to flip through the pictures/descriptions in the subgroups to find the right plane. If you're sitting at an airport and have a good view with plenty of time to watch individual planes, this book is tops. However, if you're working at a distance with field glasses it won't really help. I agree that the specs are limited if you're a hard-core spotter. I too am still looking for a book with proportional drawings. However, I think this is the best book I've seen so far. IMHO, when compared with _Civil_Airliner_Recognition_, this book has more practical comparison/distinguishing notes, better photos, and better views for distinguishing characteristic identification.

I found this book to be totally riveting and interesting to the point that Frank hated the modernization of the entertainment business but is apparently guilty of everything he hated in today's entertainers with the exception of drugs. George Jacobs rats on Frank but in a loving way. It is clear that Jacobs loved the man and his style but hated what the 60's and future were and did do to his boss.

I find the contents of the book to be open and honest. There's enough written here about the usual incidents, lots of confirmation of events but from a totally different perspective. It looks like Jacobs saw the world in a similar vain to Frank. And while I cannot imagine his children enjoying this book, at least the author is alligned with them on his feelings about Frank's 4th wife.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves Frank Sinatra, the whole person. I am a true fan. This book made me revere him more, although the womanizing would have killed a mere mortal long before Frank passed on. What a life! If it all weren't so true, it would be a great fairytale.

I am reading this book now and cannot seem to put it down. I saw George Jacobs on "The Today Show" and he was fascinating. I immediately went out and bought this book which has had me shocked, intrigued and laughing out loud at some points. The way in which this book is written is downright hilarious sometimes as are the descriptions Jacobs uses to describe certain people in Sinatra's life. Aside from being funny, it also let's the reader in on the different side of Frank Sinatra. The human side.

Celebrity gossip, particularly about those no longer with us, can be innocent fun. "Mr. S" is chock full of such fun. Obviously there's a lot about Sinatra here, but also JFK, Marilyn Monore, Judy Garland, Dean Martin, Humphrey Bogart, Juliet Prowse, a veritable who's who of '50's and '60's Hollywood, with a few politicians and gangsters mixed in for good measure.
Jacobs, Frank Sinatra's long-time valet, waited over 30 years to tell the innumerable secrets he knows. He could be vindictive after the cold-hearted way Sinatra cut him loose or he could be fawning about the man who gave him exposure to the good life and good money form 1953-1968. Perhaps in large part because of the benefit of the perspective of three decades, Jacobs is neither.
Jacobs obviously still treasures his memories of Sinatra but also sees the man for what he was a complex man, who went out of his way to help some people, while coldly dismissing others.
Much of the ground in Mr. S has been covered before, this means Jacobs serves as a supporting corroboration for others and (to me, anyway) gives further credence to Jacob's new revelations.
"Mr. S" is must reading for Sinatra fans. The book provides further insight into one of America's greatest entertainers and the fascinating life he led.
Kudos also to William Stadiem, the pen behind the narrator's story.