This is an excellent, highly readable book for anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of British politics. Each constituency is profiled in-depth, and I reach for this book every time a by-election is caused. This new edition is highly welcome, as the old edition was made hopelessly out of date by the 1997 Labour landslide. Buy this book, and you'll know which seats Peter Snow means the next time he says "Now let's have a look at our Swingometer!"

Excellent resource for British Politics. Glad to see it has been updated to reflect the sweeping 1997 Labour Victory and Boundary Commission changes. A must for anyone interested in British Politics.

Excellent review of british politics. Gets even better with time. If you are interested in what is going on in a major player in europe this is the book to get. Provides excellent portraits of all the major players in this parliament and of Tony Blairs government.

Legend is a wonderfully enjoyable story that will give you tears from every possible mood you can be in. Why it is listed in Amazon with Loren D. Estleman's name first is beyond me, he did not put this book together. I think it was Robert J. Randisi. At any rate, in my opinion all of the authors put in their best work. A book to be read again.

Another great anthology from some of the best western writers ever, and this is just a beginning. We can look forward to more great fiction from the new Western Writers of America anthology to be released next year. Great news for the genre! Meanwhile, read LEGEND!

I just recently finished Legend and throughly enjoyed it. I admit that I read "most" of the part about Speaks first love. Overall this was a very enjoyable western that kept me turning pages to see what would happen next. I have already passed it on to my neighbors father who enjoys westerns.

After purchasing the Manual of Prayers, I found my prayer life had greatly improved. I have been greatly blessed by it. It comes leather bound in 2 colors, black and burgundy. It was such a blessing fort me that I had to get one for a friend. It is good for those who have a hard time praying. It makes it easier to start a prayer or gives one ideas on how to pray. It is a wonderful book that is nothing short of priceless.

As a priest recently returned from Rome after two years of graduate study at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum), who lived and prayed at the Pontifical North American College Casa Santa Maria, I can recommend no finer book of prayers for priests and lay Catholics.

Prayer is essential in the life of every person. Catholics have read the Scriptures, worshipped God in the sacrifice of the Mass, prayed the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross, used the psalms to pray and sing, and have used many other prayer forms for nearly 2000 years. Prayer is essential!

The Manual of Prayers continues this tradition. The need to bring forth from our storehouse the greatest of Catholic treasures combines with the need to compose beautiful prayers suited for today. The depth and scope of its scholarship, its fidelity to the faith, and the beauty of its prayers fill the need today for a prayer book in the Catholic tradition. Beautifully presented, made to last, portable and complete, the Manual of Prayers is one to treasure and use every day of one's life.

My priest introduced me to this prayer book. As a cradle catholic of 40 plus years I am truly blessed to own a copy. It contains basic Catholic prayers, novenas, prayers for various needs and also has the Latin form of prayers. It is beautifully bound in black leather, gilded page edges, 2 ribbon markers, and a handy case to keep it in. It is truly heirloom quality. Will make a great gift for cradle catholics as well as converts. Originally written for the students of the Pontifical North American College. A must have for all Catholics.

I thought that Midsummer Nights Dream was a good comedy by William Shakespeare. This book is about 2 couples who are in love with one another but their love changes when fairies come with a special plant to change their hearts. The couples are then in love with the wrong person for the wrong reason. While all this is going on, common people are preparing a play for the duke's wedding. Although the play is short, every part of it is enjoyable and funny. If you read one scene, you will want to read the next.

As a seventh grader I have just finished the required read of a MidSummer's Night dream and I found it to have a plot line that kids can relate to through movies but not through the life that a kid lives. We see love all over televsion and we see how it works and we can connect that to the play. What I do think that was great about this is how it kept to ryhming and a rhythem, I think that is what creates a great book!

One of Shakespeare's most enjoyable works, "A Midsummer's Nights Dream" is the story of four lovers (either loved, in love, or both) who travel into an "enchanted" forest, filled with magical fairies who play tricks on them and even themselves. Meanwhile, a hapless stage production prepares for a performance at the Duke's wedding. All storylines lead to an enjoyable resolution climaxing with the hilarious performance of "The Most Lamentable Comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe." This is one of Shakespeare's funniest and consequently is one of his most univerally-enjoyed plays. I recommend it for anyone with any interest at all in Shakespeare's works.

read one of the short pieces in this anthology. They are also incredibly uplifting too. A brilliant bedside companion for any dog lover.

Although each of the pieces in this book was inspired by the loss of a much beloved dog, this is really a book about vibrant, fully-alive dogs: family pets, fellow hunters, soul mates, and best friends. And while none of the dogs remembered so fondly here still lives, Old Dogs affirms the remarkably special place in the heart we reserve for our dogs. My own dog is sturdy in her middle-age, but reading the eulogies and odes in this moving anthology has made me appreciate more all the quirky habits I take for granted, like how she can't resist running off with one of my Reeboks when I'm shoeing up for our evening walk--the little prance she performs when I tell her, "Bring the shoe back!" Not a sad read but a celebratory one, required for every dog owner!

This is a remarkable anthology of stories and poems by outstanding authors of the past, as well as more recent times. Although these moving remembrances are only of beloved dogs, the lovers of any species of pet will find identical sentiments for their own losses. Whatever kind of companion animal you had, you will find your own bereavement and healing tears reflected here, as well.

Care was taken to avoid over-sentimentality, in this assortment of loving reflections of dogs, celebrated here. These accounts are full of love, and are sometimes even funny - and we are thrust into the realization that perhaps that is the most wonderful kind of living memorials we can have for a beloved pet. Too often, we lose this perspective, while trying to keep from drowning in our own bereavement and sorrows.

Rather than being a collection of sad literary memorials Old Dogs Remembered is a joyful celebration of life with pets. This inspires healthy new points of view and adjustments to moving on into our new lives, without them.

Here we are treated to many different outlooks on how they permanently enriched the lives of their owners. Reading these heartwarming pages will broaden the understanding of each reader, concerning his/her own personal bereavement. Here, we are offered the collective wisdom of others, who reminisce on their honored pets. There is much to be shared and learned here, as well as enjoyed.

With so many different authors, one must appreciate that references and styles have changed drastically, through the ages. As an example of this, some might find the essay by the dramatist John Galsworthy to be interesting, but a bit troublesome to read. And, as with any anthology, there may be some accounts not everyone would appreciate. But all pet lovers will readily identify with the overall shared remembrances, here. This is a heartwarming collection, which can be enjoyed comfortably, in several installments.

There will be many an uplifting tear shed in its reading, and we suggest it for your reading pleasure.

My personal hero of the aforementioned European art-movie genre -- Robert Bresson -- is the subject of a new book edited by James Quandt. Robert Bresson includes interviews with the director by fellow filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard and Paul Schrader and French film critics Michael Delahaye and Michel Ciment. There are also homages from directors like Martin Scorsese and Rainier Werner Fassbinder, as well as essays by Roland Barthes and Alberto Moravia. One might wonder why such famous and accomplished people took the time to write about a French filmmaker whose movies are not known to the general moviegoing public. The answer is that the late Bresson actually was one of the great figures in cinema. His austere directing style relied on slow and beautiful imagery and much suffering on the part of his main characters, resulting in films that, once experienced, is never forgotten. One can describe Quandt's book the same way

last year i recieved one of the best christmas presents i could ask for: this book. while i wouldnt recommend it to anyone that isnt a bresson fan it holds plenty to mull over for those that are. while a few of the articles are dull and/or pretentious more often than not they are highly illuminating as to the director's methods. there are one or two articles devoted to each of his films and a few that are just about his films in general. this first section of the book ends with bresson's cinematographer for "diary," through to "joan of arc" writing about his love/hate relationship with bresson and an interview with the young man who played the lead in "the devil, probably." the second part of the book contains three interviews with bresson: the paul schrader, which is fidgety and odd; the godard, which is exhaustive, rambling and very enlightening; and the final one whose author slips my mind which is great but unfortunately short (conducted after the completion of what would be bresson's last film, "l'argent"). the final section of the book is basically several directors talking about why they like bresson. this section ranges from short, humorous stories (the fassbinder and aki kaurismaki) to long essays on bresson's style(malle, etc.). other directors quoted in this final section include tarkovsky, bertollucci, wenders, hal hartley, and atom egoyan.

Imagine a young film director making a somewhat controversial first film, with a script by someone on the order of Saul Bellow, followed by a more successful film with recognizable stars and a labyrinthine script by someone like Harold Pinter. Have him drop out of sight for four years, only to emerge from obscurity with a movie about a country priest, filmed (spectacularly) in rural (RURAL!) Massachusetts. Etcetera. There is really no way to imagine Robert Bresson otherwise. We owe it to the French film industry (if something so UNconsolidated could be called an industry) that Bresson was permitted to flourish at all. It wasn't simply as if he was waiting around, all his life, for a financier (14 films in forty years of activity). But where else on earth could this austerely Catholic artist have found work but in France, the most religiously cynical country in Europe? His films are a rebuke to anyone stupid enough to expect anything conventional. Bresson questioned everything in film - even the central point of the medium. His films deny the viewer the usual crutches en route to an idea. Bresson leads us silently, without promptings, toward a disbelief we had long since suspended but never seriously questioned. He makes the word 'master' clean again.

A collection of essays wrote by african american and biracal young adults. The essays are about struggles the writers have been through while growing up, and on college campues. I throught all the essays were good.

This book is a very well-done sociological study of African American/bi-racial college students and the telling of their stories to get to this point in their lives. The stories are diverse yet similar. Bright, misunderstood, sticking out like sore thumbs because they were of color and intelligent. That is not the way it is supposed to be. Why is it African Americans are ridiculed for being smart. I read Kunjufu's book some years ago when my daughter was in middle school, Black Peer Pressure: To be Popular or Smart. Why must you choose. I am trying to remember my childhood experiences. I cannot remember being ridiculed for doing well in school. It seemed that was the norm for my group and the kids seem to have more respect for one another. I know this is unusual. I think about my brother who is now a well-known cardiologist in the Bay Area and when I look back on it, he must have felt isolated because he was one of those super-smart, gifted students. From the first story of Prince which was heart-wrenching. He was truly a testament to the poverty and hardship. He proved he could succeed against the oods. So, it is with Malik who had a drug-addicted mother. These young men's stories is in contrast to some of the more affluent of the group. Maria, Rob, and Steve had all of the amenities to have a good head start, well-eduacated, financially secure, and good neighborhoods. However I must say, I was disappointed that these students felt they had little in common with other black students because of their status. And it seemed their attitudes were reinforced by their parents attitudes who seemed to feel if it's white, its right. I am trying to reconcile these parents with the generation that had to strive for basic civil rights in housing and education. Where was the pride in being black. Why were they not going to black churches and putting their children in contact with other young black people with groups such as Jack and Jill or church youth groups? I always thought it was the generation these students that lost the black pride, not their parents who I guess are in their forties, fifties, and sixties. Claudio and Alessandro had to do with the problem of being both black and Latino and all the trials associated with being of a double culture. So often in Latin cultures, children are told they are Latino and then they get out into the world where no one will let them forget they are black. That can be a rude awakening when culture and color clash. The bi-racial students angst of being between two world, not knowing where they belong. This story was also very well told in "Black, White,Other" by Lise Funderburg. Christina and Susanna's black fathers evidently had problems with their black identities. It seems in these and many bi-racial families they do no discuss race, as if not talking about it, it won't be a problem. But as they find out, these issues need to be discussed. Sure these kind of parents say they just want their children to grow up to be good, healthy individuals, regardless of race. Not in America where race and race matters are so pervasive. The editors forewords before each chapter, Janie Victoria Ward and Tracy L. Robinson among them were provacative, intelligent studies. I would highly recommend this book to high school and college student of African descent as well as their parents and students of black sociology. Very well done.

Souls Looking Back is a thought-provoking, engaging and critical work that solidifies the validity of personal narrative as form of interpretive research with a focus on critical race theory. Anyone who may posses any questions regarding the power of such representation should read, ingest and reflect upon the stories of the young people presented in this book. The editors splendedly synthesized these educational and personal memoirs within the context of personal identity, critical race, critical feminist and critical race feminist perspectives. I would strongly recommend this book for all those with sincere interests in anthropology, sociology, psychology, African-American/African-Carribean/Afro-British studies, and education. This book truly exemplifies the multiplicity of lives our young people of color experience.

I used this for a class in creative writing. Anytime I got writers block I would read a few of the stories in Sudden Fiction. It didn't always help but all the stories are highly entertaining and from time to time the stories inspired me to pen up my own experiences in their voice or mine. All in all, whether you're using it seriously or not, you'll enjoy this book's short stories. There's a wide variety for all moods and writing styles. It'd be hard not to like at least some of the stories and if you're a writing student or pro I'd think this type of material would be essential for those lean times.

This is priceless collection of very short stories from all over the world.In this cosmopolitan range of stories many known authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez,Julio Cortazar,Heinrich Boll,Nadine Gordimer and Mrozeck are joined by those we will come to know better later by reading their well crafted short short stories.
I have translated 37 of these collection into Farsi.The Farsi title is Dastan e Nagahan meaning Sudden Fiction.
Thanks to the talented authors of this anthology and its fine predecessors,Sudden Fiction and other titles like Flash Fiction and Sudden Fiction Continued.
I recommend the readers to buy this book and enjoy its taste in discovering a world wide scenery,multi cultural surprises and find new friends.
The stories are indeed perfect for bed time reading

A great book for those with short attention spans, short story writers (or aspiring short story writers), and those who want to see the variety of short shorts available. These stories are short but they have a sharp impact on the reader. The Afternotes section provides extra information about the author, which is often not included in short story collections. It also provides interviews with the authors on their inspiration for the story of theirs included in this volume and occasional interviews with translators on how they set about getting the most accurate translation of the story.

Great book covering many aspects of go-slow, go-far boats: what to look for, how to test salesmen, how to check some basic designs, what to do while underway and how to do it, routines, etc with lots of personal examples. If you are interested in this topic and what it requires, this book is just about a "must." My only complaint, and I've only seen the 3rd edition, is the book smacks of Nordhavn advertising. Don't get me wrong, I've been on both the Nordhavn 40 and the 46, and they are unbelievably good boats. Personally, I like the 40' better even if it wasn't $120,000 cheaper than the 46: one head (if they aren't friends, don't let them on your boat!) with more headroom, better engine room, appears to need less elbow grease given the more industrial trim, and (personally) I like her looks better. Robert Beebe may have built Passagemaker for $43,000 in 1962. Nordhavn wants $429,000 for the 40 and $549,000 for their 46. The kicker? They suggest you tack on an additional $100,000 in "options" (half of which I don't really consider optional). Also recommend the "Troller Yacht Book" (ISBN 0393047091)

Voaging under power is the best naval book I ever read. It is a must to all interested on passagemaking.

I had heard this was the best book on the subject of trawlers. The book exceeded myexpectations. While Beebe's original formulas and examples stillwork, I especially appreciated the update, and references to current boats being built.

Excellent!

The Nasa Mission Report series are FANTASTIC products. I cannot more highly recommend them. BUT: they only have one flaw. Getting the CD-Rom out of their tight package on the rear page runs the risk of badly damaging the back cover if you're not careful. And that's what I unfortunately did to my copy of Apollo 15. I suggest using a sharp letter-opener very carefully to pierce and open the seal at the top of the CD-Rom's plastic sleeve. What's this book/CD-Rom like? The range of documents and video clips is excellent and the photos are not too bad, but I've seen clearer versions of some of these pictures elsewhere. The video of "In The Mountains Of The Moon" is disappointingly fuzzy and pixelated, unlike the rest of the clips which are very good. Roll on Volume Two!!

From the press kit to the technical crew debriefing and everything in between, this book thoroughly describes the Apollo 15 mission. This mission was the first to use the Lunar Rover, the first to venture into a lunar mountain range, and the first to do major geologic work. This book uses the archives of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to document all aspects of the mission. The accompanying CD-ROM contains hundreds of images of the moon, hours of video of the moon walkers, and other interesting information about the mission. The press kit contains all the information given to reporters, including a step-by-step breakdown of the mission; this offers readers a complete, highly detailed study of the Apollo mission. Almost a third of the book is a transcript of the technical debriefing, interesting both because of the personal details of the mission rarely seen by the public and the interactions between the men who were on the mission. This book, along with the others in the series, forms an excellent technical history of the manned space program. General readers; lower-division undergraduates.

This book appears to have been released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 15 mission and contains a great deal of information about this extremely important lunar exploration mission. This mission was the first extended duration lunar exploration mission (3 days on the Moon's surface) and featured the lunar rover, which greatly extended the area that the two astronauts could explore. This Apollo mission is considered to be one of humanity's greatest voyages of exploration. David Scott commanded the Apollo 15 mission and contributes a few introductory pages.

The book opens with the usual NASA mission press kit. Unlike the earlier Apollo 14 press kit, this press kit is significantly larger, due to the increased emphasis on the scientific exploration of the Moon. The next portion of the book contains an excellent section titled "On the Moon With Apollo 15." This section focuses on the geology of the Hadley Rille/Apennine Mountains landing site, the science experiments that will be conducted on the surface and the equipment and tools that will be used to accomplish these tasks. This portion of the book was published separately by NASA in 1971 and a used copy now sells for around 25$. The next section of the book, the Pre-flight Mission Operations Report, presents an overview of planned timelines (work plan), while the next section, the Post-flight Mission Operations Report, presents the actual timelines, points out the discrepancies between the two timelines and describes any problems with the hardware

The crew debrief section, which is about 100 pages long, contains the crew comments and feelings about various parts of the mission and for the most part avoids the technical language that many of the NASA documents include; however there are several sections where the crew practically talks in acronyms. The crew debrief contains crew comments from the suiting up phase to the landing, plus comments about the training (did it or did not help the crew). Dave Scott and Jim Irwin dominate most of the crew debrief, since most of the questioning and mission focused on the lunar surface operations; however, Al Worden has a lot to say about his photographic survey of the moon and his deep space EVA (the first one ever conducted). I always find the crew debriefing quite enjoyable, because it is the closest thing to being there and you get two or three first had view points of various aspects of the mission.

The enclosed CD (be careful it is hard to get out) contains a lot of color and black and white photographs, several NASA films and an extremely interesting feature on the development of the Lunar Rover.

Some general information that might be useful.

1) These reports are just scanned-in documents from previously released NASA press kits, etc., In order to preserve the spirit of the original reports, all typographical and grammatical errors have NOT been fixed.

2) Proceeds from the book goes to "The Watch" an asteroid impact research project of the Space Frontier Foundation. In other words, Apogee Books is making very little off the sale of US government produced books.

3) Many people have asked why the post mission reports are not included. Since NASA has published many books with hundred of pages (The NASA SP series), and the data from these missions is still being analyzed, it would be impossible to do.