Hawkes' piece of literary metacriticism trumps the work of the critic by suggesting that adopting a singular view about a text is not only futile, but worthless. Dizzily dipping between Shakespearean texts and the American jazz tradition, Hawkes proposes new possibilities for criticism that may free us yet of our anxieties as critics. Or maybe it's just a delightful daydream.

The life of the late Terence Cardinal Cooke has been a great inspiration to me. He suffered greatly during the last few years of his life. Fr. Groeschel sets out a wonderful portrait of a man who was totally devoted to God and his people. During the last nine years of his life, Cardinal Cooke suffered from cancer. Yet, he did not wish that be known. He did not wish to be "a lame duck Archbishop". He would receive chemotheraphy and then continue the arduous schedule of the Archbishop of New York. He kept this up for nine years. It is for this reason that the Catholic Church is considering making him a saint. He was one who spent his life for God and his people on earth.

This book is written by one who knows what it's like to suffer through the devastation of a relapse after "working a program". The author speaks about her own experience which led her to explore ways to help others and in the process of reading about this, I felt as if she was speaking one on one to me. Although non-judgmental, both the book and the accompanying workbook require a commitment to work which, as the author knows, most addicts/alcoholics are willing to do to end the relapse cycle which is so painful to them. It takes the mystery out of why those who try fail, the stigma out of admitting that you need to look at what is missing in your recovery program and , even better, does it all with a great deal of empathy. Tough love with a smile. Thanks for a great book.

This is the second book in the "Monks of St.Titus" series in which we see the Abbot and his community spending as much time at the Bridge table as at Prayer. The book is presented as a collection of individual or grouped hands and there is no need to tackle these books in sequence. The hands are interesting and the presentation is very funny indeed.

The material originally appeared as a series of articles, written by David Bird, in various Bridge magazines. Terence Reese is credited with adding some polish and a famous name, to the book form.

The great appeal of this book is that the characters seem so real. Of course, you do not meet that many monks at the local bridge club, but you do meet people just like the Abbot and so on.

By setting part of the book with two monks working as misisonaries, the authors also have an opportunity to introduce a fair share of the zany too though.

The highlight of this book is the section in Africa where the missionaries win the trials to represent Upper Bhumpopo in the African championships and then travel to Tunis to play as internationals and have a shot at qualifying for the Bermuda Bowl. It's very funny and the hands are also interesting.

The hands are well chosen and the play problems presented all fit to the characters of the players involved. Often this gives a clue if you are trying to solve the problems before reading about them.

Any Bridge player with a sense of humour will love this book.

Having collected and read Mr.Sanderson for years (those dealing with UFOs,Yeti,and unexplained phenomena)this is one of the standouts of his incredible line of great books.You'd be very hard pressed to find a book that is more impressive in it's views of the UAP&UAO (unidentified aerial phenomina&unidentified aerial objects).Mr.Sanderson's views are very intelligent indeed as he was a trained biologist and a Fortean as well.
He was a friend of John Keel's and he touched on some of Keel's subjects like MIB,the Mothmen,and Gypsies before Keel and these are addressed in the book as well as the Phladelphia Project.
If you can find it,get it.Most people want a substansial amount for this book (it's worth it).I lucked out and got a 1st edition for $....

The craftsmanship of the photography is a true complement to Wright's vision. Simply - just a superb volume.

Professor Ranger's latest work was one I could not put down. He tells a story which binds you to the place and the people who live there. The individuals and peoples -- of several tribes, African and European -- which populate his book have a vital attachment to their granite hills, and it's fascinating to see that attachment bring them together and divide them. Ranger shows us how complex the reality of inter-ethnic relations are; we see different attitudes toward nature and history be shared or not shared across ethnic and racial boundaries. Cecil Rhodes lives on through this book, and surprisingly, as much more complex than simply a greedy imperialist; after reading this book I can understand better why there's a huge Zimbabwean defense of keeping his body at World's End in the Matopos. This book is a detailed living escape from political history and a thought-provoking study of history and philosophy of nature.

This book, "Why is Everybody Always Picking on Us?", explores the roots of prejudice. I don't think I've seen another book like it. How wonderful if this book could be used in one's social studies classroom! I have learned where prejudice begins, how it is created, how it is perpetuated, and how it can be resolved. This book looks at stereotypes, bigotry, discrimination, scapegoating, racism, and more. It is a wonderfully comprehensive manual for young people and adults alike on understanding our conditioning and the root of prejudice.

Easy-to-understand nuts-and-bolts of casino gambling. Of invaluable use is the section on craps, the forgotten casino game. Explains odds, payouts, strategies. I bought this book over fifteen years ago, and I still refer to it.

Madame Bovary is a story about a common woman who marries an ordinary husband living an unglamorous middle-class life in a provincial town. It's that realistic. The heroine, Emma Bovary, longs for the wealth, romance, and adventure she finds in the Romantic novels of her time. After her marriage to Charles, a second class doctor, and moving to a small, mediocre town, she finds her life full of routine and banaltiy. She rebels, and seeks to satisfy her desires for a more glamorous life. This leads her to adultery and financial difficulties, which both lead to tragic consequences.

Emma Bovary is a character you will either despise for her actions or sympathise with and understand. It is true, her actions bring misfortune to her family, especially her husband Charles. Although he is weak and unambitious, lacking the gallantry of her image of a lover, his sentiments for her are genuine and she fails to see it. Moreover, he so trusts and admires her and never sees through her deception. I find that he is the character, if not most interesting, then most tragic and worthy of sympathy, as he becomes the true victim. As for Emma, like her or hate her, she is one who many will relate to.

This is not an exciting read, not fast paced or action-packed. Still, the messages in the book will reward your efforts. I'm no expert on Romantic novels but I think it's quite unlike other novels of it's time. Flaubert's descriptions and use of language are very moving, sometimes disturbing, especially when describing the ravages of sickness or pain. Those who like to contemplate on moral ideas in a literary work, or who love the beauty of language for the sake of it will enjoy this book very much.

I think this is a wonderful novel. Although it carries around the "classic" label, I think Madame Bovary is an enjoyable, accessible, reader-friendly read. The story is actually quite simple. A French woman marries too rashly, for the wrong reasons, is unhappy, conducts two affairs, and eventually gets into tremendous debt and commits suicide. With that plot, Flaubert manages to create a masterpiece that subtly ridicules all types of human folly, not just Emma's overwhelming romanticism. Science, religion, realism as embodied by various characters all come off unsympathetically, yet the book is still a joy to read, which I believe is Flaubert's brilliance. The only drawback to the novel is that it is in translation (at least it is for me). There are some passages that are stunning, yet I know in French they would be even more so. That being said, I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in literature.

When I was teaching World Literature we began class each year reading Gustave Flaubert's "Madame Bovary." Unfortunately, this is the one novel that most needs to be read in its original language since Flaubert constructed each sentence of his book with the precision of a poet. As an example of the inherent problems of translation I would prepare a handout with four different versions of the opening paragraphs of "Madame Bovary." Each year my students would come to the same conclusion that I had already reached in selecting which version of the book they were to read: Lowell Bair's translation is the best of the lot. It is eminently readable, flowing much better than most of its competitors. Consequently, if you are reading "Madame Bovary" for pleasure or class, this is the translation you want to track down.

Flaubert's controversial novel is the first of the great "fallen women" novels that were written during the Realism period ("Anna Karenina" and "The Awakening" being two other classic examples). It is hard to appreciate that this was one of the first novels to offer an unadorned, unromantic portrayal of everyday life and people. For some people it is difficult to enjoy a novel in which they find the "heroine" to be such an unsympathetic figure; certainly the events in Emma Bovary's life have been done to death in soap operas. Still, along with Scarlett O'Hara, you have to consider Emma Bovary one of the archetypal female characters created in the last 200 years of literature. "Madame Bovary" is one of the greatest and most important novels, right up there with "Don Quixote" and "Ulysses." I just wish I was able to read in it French.