I was alway kicking myself for not getting my Grandmother's recipes down before she passed on. But Francis Anthony's recipes really emulate her Sicilian style. I love everything I've tried, especially "Aunt Ida's Meatballs". This cook book is a "must have" for everyone! I use it more than any other book I own.

I am sorry to find that this book is out of print. Everyone who loves simple but good Italian food should have a copy. I refer to it time and time again. For those of you who see this review, try to find a used copy - the search will be worth your efforts.

This is a wonderful source of good old Italian favorites...the kind you mom made when you were growing up, but that you never seemed to find the time to learn how to make.

F. Scott Fitzgerald captured the dreams and aspirations of so many people when he wrote of the fabulous excesses of the 20's - a time not unlike the recent "get-rich-quick" mania of the Internet bubble, which also crashed, destroying many fortunes and lifestyles.
In The Crack-Up Fitzgerald writes equally poignantly of the agony of the aftermath of such excess and unfulfilled desires and social insecurities. He was able to capture all of this so clearly because it was the life that he and Zelda aspired to and, from time to timem, lived. But they were always just on the outside, depending on the generosity of others both financially socially. He takes no prisoners.
It is no surprise that he is still being widely read. Don't miss Fitzgeral - it doesn't really matter which of his books you start with, you will find yourself moving through the collection.

If you ever wondered what the down side of the twenties were read this. The excess was all a grand show, an escape from post war realities. A whole generation seemed to refuse to grow up, at least for awhile. Maturity was forced upon Scott and in these short confessions he reveals that all was not well in paradise. He lived in a haze of liquor, that was the dream preserving liquid illusion. But reality was not to be fought off forever. This is as close to a biography as we have from Scott, and it is moving in the way it is moving to see an athlete we all wanted to believe would live forever come to his day of retirement. He had the ability or charisma compounded by artistic talent to embody not just his but a whole societies dreams. But his moment passed and by the time Scott wrote this his books were no longer the rage. What makes him such a tragic figure is that he never altogether let go of those first illusons, never went through a moment where he learned from them and let them go. And one senses just as he had the egotists ability to romanticize his life with his words he also had the ability to perhaps overdramatize his own demise. He was not a person to learn, become made of harder stuff, and continue. Still there is some good stuff in this book. His letters to his daughter( who also wished to become a writer) in which he urges her to read great authors including his own favorite Browning are touching and revealing.

I came to this collection of autobiographical and other short stories after having read THE GREAT GATSBY for english A level. The contents of this book unlike Gatsby, are a backward look at the Jazz age, from the perspective of one of it's greatest godfathers. I never tire of reading these stories, whereas I found the Great Gatsby a little bit silly, this collection shows the true talents of FSF. It was the short autobiog pieces that really impressed me, specifically, My Lost City, and The Crack Up. I strongly urge everyone to read this.

Every once in a while you are lucky enough to encounter a book that has such an impact on you that it literally changes your life and smashes previously held rock solid convictions,design for dying is such a book.Doctor Leary the brilliant,intrepid, Psychedelic Psychologist has taught his greatest lesson.From the books introduction Leary himself makes it clear that he himself was indeed shaken up when informed of his terminal condition,although after asessing his his seemingly grim situation became determined to smash"one last taboo for the road".As with most of Learys work you do find your self having to digest hundreds of varying ideas and perspectives at breakneck speed,although anyone familiar with Learys writing should be accustomed to this,RU Serius not only provides us with some entertaining reading but also first hand testimony of Leary the man away from the spotlight.You will never look at death the same way again,in addition Leary throws in a brilliant tribute to (the now unjustly imprisoned) Dr Jack Kevorkian and helps us realise that nothing in life has any meaning other than the meaning we attach to it including death which doesnt have to be experienced in misery,fear and despair,but alternitivley can be experienced with a sense of fascination and curiosity.This book is a high dosage ... administerd by Leary via the printed page stopping just short of blowing your mind,the good doctor has accomplished his goal to"give death a better name or die trying".R.I.P Timothy Leary.

Timothy Leary's final media jump into the unknown world of death and technology. Famed LSD Guru, former Harvard Professor and author of some 20 books, Dr. Timothy Leary attempts to marry technology with the dying process. Before doing this, he gives a brief history of his life, the trials and tribulations. Once he discovers his own diagnosis of prostate cancer he then takes the step to make death a public and cultural issue. Attempting to have his brain frozen, or consider nanotechnology to "fix" himself, or perhaps have his ashes flown into space. Leary's job in this book to make the reader aware of the many ways one can die with dignity. I enjoyed this book because its the one book that Leary wrote with the most accessiblity and clearity unlike his other chaos works. The book also has an addendum from all his friends. Certainly Timothy Leary fans will cherish this book, as well as those interested in the process of death.

"Design for Dying" is a brilliant, brilliant last work of a mind that spent most of it's adult life probing the ultimate questions of mortality, immortality, and exactly what it is we mean by "self". Dr. Leary brings his considerable intellect into a final, often stunning focus on the self-organization of information, and on what of that information makes up our perception of who and what we are, all cloaked in his own pixie-like humor. Occasionally adding his own insights and humorous barbs, R U Sirius has done an admirable job in bringing together Timothy Leary's final notes into a wonderful, readable whole.

This book should be the reference for any engineer involved in todays transition into the digital TV world.
It goes to the guts of analog and digital signal processing and its complex interactions. It really helps us in setting up -and mantain healthy- our daily workplace: the citadin HFC network.
You can't expect less from an Hewlett-Packard book.

An excellent introductory book describing the characteristics of digital transmission. I picked up this book based on the review from the Boston, MA reader with the expectation that it would provide me with the basics of digital transmission theory.

The topics are organized in logical order with the basics of signal transmission, conversion from analog to digital data streams, digital modulation, error correction, power measurements, and interference sources.

What really impressed me was the simple to understand descriptions and drawings used to convey the underlying theory without getting the reader bogged down in engineering type equations.

I definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in a general understanding of digital signal applicaitons. Even though the book is geared towards cable TV, it provided me with a strong foundation in digital communications!

Digital Basics for Cable TV Systems is an extremely valuable source for learning about how Analog and Digital data is created and tested. The differences between Analog and Digital channels is described using very basic concepts. Complex modulation and measurement considerations are explained in an easy-to-understand format, with terrific examples. The test set-up procedures definitely help anyone who needs to learn how to test Cable systems with Analog and/or Digital Channels.

Explanations of the interractions between existing Analog and new Digital channels are very clear and relate well to the Cable TV population.

Digital Basics for Cable TV Systems is a great reference tool for teaching engineers and technicians!! The Chapter quizzes and summaries really help the reader to organize their learning and prove to themselves that they grasp the concepts. The Glossary provides definitions of all of the industry terms.

I read and learned from every chapter! I recommend this book to anyone who works with Analog or Digital Broadcast Systems--it is a MUST!

As someone who works privately with graduate students, helping them design, develop, and write research papers and dissertations, I highly recommend this book. When students contact me in regard to their research, I recommend that they buy this book, as it "demystifies" the research and dissertation process. As the title states, the book offers a "soup to nuts" approach by anticipating and answering the questions that students have about the research process. It is a valuable resource.

I'm working on my dissertation and needed some plain talk to give me a better understanding of the best way to complete it. Other books were too confusing but this was easy reading! New PhD on the way!!!!!!
D.Z., PA USA

Having met the lady, I now understand the powerful message she has included in this book aimed at assisting the researcher and focusing our efforts on preparation and "F.I.S.H" ing....she calles it! "..finding it somewhere henceforth!". She truly takes you by the hand, leads you step by step, and helps those cognitive juices flow , while assisting you at arriving at your journeys end. An excellent book and a must for every beginner ( and experienced!) research orientated person or doctoral candidate!

Francis Tack and Paul Robin have created a masterpiece with this book. A lot of so-called coffee-table books / photographic books are rather thin on factual information. Not so this book. Apart from breathtaking photographs it also contains excellent information on how dunes build up and move etc.

A phantastic book that is worth every penny of its price.

My compliments to the photographer Francis Tack. A complete overview of the most beautiful deserts and dunes on many different continents all over the world. I'm only missing the Dutch dunes.

Oct. 3, 2002
I must be honest and say that I have known Francis Tack for many years and that we have travelled together to the Sahara and other deserts a good many times.
This being said, I still try to look very objectively at his work.
The book is a work of art, and there exists no other equivalent publication on the subject. The narrative by Paul Robin, a scientific writer who spent the better part of his youth in the Sahara, is very well researched, yet remains perfectly accessible to a neophyte and also poetic. The graphic design and photo reproduction quality are outstanding.
Most important is the quality of the photography itself. The author of three previously published books and the recipient of many photo prizes and awards, Francis Tack has worked for many years on his "Dunes" project, offering us a magical trip through the sands of the world thanks to his mastery of composition and light. Everyone I know who has received the book remains glued to it and keeps turning the pages over and over. I do the same and will continue to do so for quite a while.
Let yourself be transported into the magical realm of the sand deserts. You won't be disappointed, guaranteed.

Superb. For anyone interested in either the words or origins of English & Scottish folk music this is essential. You can settle those arguments (over a beer) as to who has the correct words or the origin.

The biblography needs some getting used to but when you understand it you will find this book a good companion.

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads are, as noted here, out of print in their Dover edition ... but fear not, they are being re-issued (in 5 volumes, 2 of which are actually done) by the folks at Loomis House Press. (I am not affiliated with Loomis in any way; do a Google search if you want to find 'em.) The books are authoritative and complete, and it's disappointing that Amazon doesn't list them.

Had I the time, I'd write my own ballad here - a tragic song mourning the fact that Dover Books has apparently let the anchor of any decent Anglo-Celtic folk music collection go out of print. I take comfort in the fact that I've got mine, but those just building their libraries will have to search used bookstores and haunt the bookfinding services of the Net. Meanwhile, one more brick is placed in the wall of time that separates us from the ancestral voices.

I think to have known Francis Poulenc was to love him, and this book makes it clear what a compelling and kind man Poulenc was. In addition to that, it makes clear the ambiance of the company he kept and the period of musical history in which he kept it. When I finished the book, I sat down at the piano and learned two new (new to me) piano works of his. The book was good enough to spur me in that direction. Very well done!

While the exhaustive approach of Carl B. Schmidt will not be for everyone, I believe Bonnie Jo Dopp's assesment unfairly shortchanges this book, stating that "This scholarly work is recommended only for research libraries or those that own Schmidt's other Poulenc title and wish to supplement it." Rather, I believe this work is for anyone inclined to read more than one work on Poulenc, for those who on first reading want to see the trees as well as the forest, and for those wishing to get to the bottom of errors and inconsistencies in the other publications.

Dr. Schmidt does not provide any of his own musical analysis, descriptions, or even musical examples, but traces the events of Poulenc's life in comprehensive detail via Poulenc's own voice in writings, interviews and letters. The reporting is factual and with voluminous footnotes, making it possible to retrace his steps. His editorial neutrality and the sheer mass of material makes for a less sophisticated approach than Mellers' or Ivry's books. Some people may prefer this, and in any case I have found it completely absorbing, because the ever-fascinating Poulenc, the "Entrancing Muse" [said Stravinsky], is presented here in unprecedented, vivid detail -- and accurately so.

The quality of this volume strengthens the case for a new English translation of Poulenc's correspondence!

One of the Pendragon Press "Lives In Music" series, Carl Schmidt's Entrancing Muse: A Documented Biography Of Francis Poulenc surveys the life and work of a most notable composer who lived from 1899 to 1963. Packed cover to cover with a wealth of detailed lore about the man, his life, and his work, Entrancing Muse is a fascinating read especially recommended for anyone interested in the personality and life experiences of a man responsible for great and critically acclaimed music.

The text is very honest and encouraging. Was recommended to me by a Roman Catholic priest. The book makes life as a priest sounds exciting. Lots of good advice for discernment and life in general from first hand experience. Shows that obedience and celibacy are blessings to welcome. I most definitly agree with the publisher's review. It offers reasons to become a priest and reasons to stay a priest. As a young man myself, it offers an appealing alternitive lifestyle. Only complaint: there were no "simple" parish priests. All were truly extraordinary, as the title implies, however, I would have liked to read about a priest who is happy with one role in the Church - pastor of a parish without the additional responsibilities of vicar, vocations director, etc. However, it does remind us that priests are called to fill multiple roles in the Church at one time. Truly an uplifiting book and definitly recommended for anyone who wants to understand the Priestly ministry more fully. Example advice from the text: If you are too busy to pray, you are too busy. I know that is advice I need to follow. I hope for similar books in the future.

If you have come to believe the Catholic Priesthood is about to become part of the dustbin of history, then reading this book may cause you to think again. This is a refreshing and inspiring look at 33 men who are living lives that are personally satisfying and which bring a dimension of service to the world which is diffferent from any other. Particularly interesting are the differing, yet singular threads which run through the stories related. This is well worth reading.

A very inspirational account of men who are happy with their vocation to the Roman Catholic priesthood. It is a welcome breath of fresh air in contrast to so many other books which proclaim priesthood in a negative light (and wrongly so!). In this book you will encounter men who have struggled, men who have had fascinating experiences, men who have rejoiced, both young and old. I would recommend this book for any priest, seminarian, or for anyone considerding a vocation to the priesthood, as well as for those who feel that priesthood is dead! It is not! Read about these extraordinary lives!

"The Great Gatsby" is my favorite book. This early version is absoultutely fascinating to me. I've read much about the history of the manuscript and the changes made to it, and with "Trimalchio" we get to read for ourselves one version. I was thrilled to have this unusual opportunity; I felt privileged. (Only one complaint in this review is in my last paragraph.)

Aside from the sheer thrill of witnessing at least part of the transition and revision, the book itself is a wonder--to one end--to be viewed along with "The Great Gatsby." Things I've been bothered by in "Gatsby" are different in this book, and it's interesting to read that they had indeed been altered - most notably, the mid-section in "Gatsby" when Nick tells the reader in a near omnicient narration Gatsby's true story; this happens entirely differently in "Trimalchio" and in my opinion does not break the narrative flow the way it does in the final "Great Gatsby."

Some unanswered questions, some debated items become clearer after reading this. Is Gatsby a good guy or a bad guy? Is Nick? Who is Jordan Baker really? Is Nick the agent of the action or an observant/removed narrator? "Trimalchio" presents the answers to some of these questions differently than does "The Great Gatsby," or in a more straightforward and clear fashion. In a sense, this could be a truer-to-Fitzgerald's-soul account, as many of the changes were suggested to him from the outside. Many of the characters underwent changes from this version to "The Great Gatsby," though some changes more major than others.

I'm trying, in this review, not to write what would be a book's worth of my opinion about which is a superior book. Gatsby is such a part of me I could write forever. I will mention that typos and other necessary changes were made from this to the final, as well. And although some things I've questioned and have bothered me simply because I do love the book so much are different in this early version, I don't know how I'd feel if this were the *only* version of the book, as what we have here is an early version of a book I'd always thought brilliant.

The language is beautiful; the characters amazing, sad, complex. I'm infinitely impressed by this book, whichever level of "completion."

I've got one complaint about this edition of "Trimalchio": at the back of the book, there is a list of changes made - galley version, holograph, 1st edition, etc. They are laid out in such a way that they are hard to follow and hard to study. I nearly know "The Great Gatsby" by heart. While reading "Trimalchio" I noticed tiny, tiny differences. But, after I finished, I wanted to truly study the changes at each stage of Fitzgerald's writing, and the lay-out and lack of explanation made it oppressively uninviting. It's too bad, too, because I am ceaselessly (as FSF might say) interested in this - this book, the revision process, its history, everything Gatsby.

For all the talk about the many differences with The Great Gatsby, Trimalchio is still essentially a rough draft of the classic it became rather than a separate and distinct novel. Only the final two chapters are appreciably different beyond the point of reading both novels side by side a page at a time (and as much as I admire Fitzgerald, I'll leave that task to someone else!). Nonetheless, there are enough slight changes in character development and imagery throughout the book to make it interesting.

In one sense - especially in the little-changed early chapters - this version of the story is interesting mostly in that it demonstrates the improvement brought about by the relatively few changes that were still to come. For example, Jordan Baker's climactic recollection of seeing Daisy and Gatsby together during the war is quite a bit less scandalous here than in the final version, so that the plot still advances but much of the tension of the scene is lacking. Some of the party scenes are also less detailed than they would become. None of this is to say these parts of the book aren't still enjoyable, especially if you haven't read Gatsby recently; it's just that the changes Fitzgerald made really did improve the story in small but noticeable ways.

Although the end of the story is largely the same, the last two chapters do hold several surprises for those who are already familiar with the final version. Gatsby is portrayed at least slightly more sympathetically, Nick is less of a shadow, and the past events leading up to the currently unfolding plot are both different and somewhat less vague. This takes away some of the mystique of several of the characters, but it's not necessarily better or worse; in any case, it's fascinating to see Fitzgerald's original approach and how it changed. One thing he arguably didn't change enough is Nick's bleak outlook in the closing pages; life doesn't end at 30 just because of a lousy summer! I've always considered that the weakest point of the novel, but this version at least offers a slightly different context and narration of the ending.

Imperfections and all, it's still brilliant. Recommended for all Gatsby fans.

I first encountered "The Great Gatsby" in 11th grade and its sheer lyric beauty has transfixed me to the point of at least 4 readings per year ever since. Therefore, "Trimalchio" was a joy for me to read and I believe it will bring the same amount of happiness to fellow Fitzgerald fans. The book is a brief read at only 146 pages of actual text,( as opposed to "Gatsby's" 189 in the most recent Scribner paperback edition) but the opportunity to read the rough draft of a genuis like Fitzgerald is an invigorating experience- reading passages from "Trimalchio" and then looking at their equivalent passages in "Gatsby" allows you to enter the mind of Fitzgerald through his revisionary decisions and enchances your appreciation of the sheer amount of work which Fitzgerald devoted to crafting his masterpiece. That being said, do not expect incredible differences between the two texts: the most notable changes are minor details and the chronilogical order of events and revelations. Reading "Trimalchio" is ultimately like watching deleted scenes from a movie on a DVD- they are of comparatively minor significance, but they enhance one's appreciation of the work as a whole. If you loved "The Great Gatsby," take the time to read "Trimalchio."