Washington Irving's A Knickerbocker's History of New York is the single funniest book in American literature. Despite a weak and too-lengthy opening segment on the origin of life and other awkward philosophical questions (the merits of this section are addressed by Irving/Knickerbocker in volume two), once the Dutch colonize the ancient island of Manhattoes (present-day Manhattan), Irving hits a rollicking gallop, going full stride at full speed and doesn't stop until the dubious William the Testy is vanquished at the first volume's end.

"Diedrich Knickerbocker" was arguably the greatest of the several personae Irving adopted during the course of his long writing career. 'Diedrich' penned 'The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow' and 'Rip Van Winkle,' as well as short stories 'Wolfert Weber,' 'The Devil And Tom Walker,' 'Kidd The Pirate,' and 'Dolph Heyliger.' Irving achieved magic whenever he wrote, but when he steps into Knickerbocker's antique Dutch shoes, the combination of humor, history and folklore that results is unique, sweeping, and highly entertaining.

Few writers could or would dare to write the kind of poetic sentances Irving/Knickerbocker could, such as "the inhabitants were of primitive stock, and had itermarried and bred in and in, never swarming far from the parent hive."

All lovers of American literature and history, and of Americana generally, should know this delightful, warm and amusing book. Too often today, when addressing the origins of American literature and our early writers, we turn to names like Hawthorne and Poe, forgetting that Irving came first and was in fact the first American writer ever to be taken seriously by Europeans. (It was Hawthorne and Poe that paid lip service to Irving, who was born a full 21 years before Hawthorne and 26 years before Poe.) Some historians and critics go so far as to credit Irving with the creation of the short story as a literary form; he was also the U.S. ambassador to Spain, a world traveler, a biographer of George Washington, and at one time requested to run for mayor of New York City (an invitation he kindly declined). Thanks largely to Irving, the New York City and Hudson River Valley areas have a thriving plethora of myth and folklore all their own. As Americans, we owe the dynamic, magnanimous and prolific Irving a great debt, which decade after decade we neglect to pay or acknowledge.

Knickerbocker's History of New York is not difficult reading, though it is too advanced for children and most teenagers. However, any young adult or adult with a love of American history, particularly with an interest in the founding of our country or the American Revolution specifically, will find it fascinating. Humorists will find it a page-turning delight, and send their volumes of Twain back to the library post-haste....

This is a good book. It goes past the basics and uses cartoons with it, though I may not suggest it for very young kids. And using this book probably will help you with your English.

This is an excellent book that reviews the pitfalls of a very fundamental effort of quantitating protein-ligand binding. There are wonderful examples of what not to do and the determinate errors that happen when the practioner does not check to see what is assumed. the discussions leading into data assessments and data analysis make it a fine book for senior undergraduate and graduate students in biochemistry. This is a concise book which highlights the steps required to get good ligand binding data. buy it for your reference library

The religion of our time is humanitarianism, and few people have exposed its shortcomings better than Irving Babbitt.

Humanitarianism arises from the expansive instinct. The poet Schiller wanted "to bestow a kiss upon the world" and to embrace mankind in universal brotherhood. The humanitarian claims to be democratic and indiscriminate in his affections and wraps his claims in a bouquet of thorny rhetoric: "compassion," "tolerance," "understanding", "sympathy," "rationality," "progress." Any challenge to the improper use of these is likely met with rhetorical excommunication; one is called cruel, intolerant, arrogant, and thereby removed from the debate. Hence the humanitarian can be nasty while claiming to be nice, dangerous and destructive while claiming to act for the good of humanity.

Today, humanitarianism is largely the purview of the political Left. It often takes the form of globalism; of the unlimited desire to understand and sympathize with all people, however vile or dangerous; to pretend that everyone is equal; to be a citizen of a global village where all are brought under conformity by the benevolent dictators of international law, such as the United Nations and the World Court.

Traditionally conservatism has taken a different tack. The conservative humanist emphasizes the classical virtues of proportion, measure, and restraint. His affections are selective and local: family, church, community, custom, folkway. He practices sympathy and understanding without elevating either into absolutes. He seeks moderation and to harmonize opposites within himself-between thought and feeling, the absolute and the relative, the one and the many. Without this attempt at balance, we fall prey to one-sidedness. Like the murderers of Socrates, we become unable to distinguish between the sage and the sophist or between good and evil. Given that men of intemperate minds can never be free, there is something at stake in being able to make these distinctions.

We are not born humane; rather, we cultivate humane virtue as we tend our own gardens. Babbitt thought that a classical education, rooted in Greek and Roman literature, played a role in humanizing mankind. But he saw problems with the American college, among them: overemphasis on the doctorate; narrowing specialization; disappearance of leisure among scholars; neglect of the past in the name of originality; and displacement of humanism by humanitarianism.

Babbitt's words from 1908 are even more relevant today, though they are largely unread. Rarely have American colleges cranked out so many technicians, ignorant of the distinction between law for thing and law for man, that we are in danger of becoming well-dressed barbarians, each generation rougher than the last.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to read this book and it was an excellent book. The photography is stunning and writing is superb. It is worth every penny for this book.

This book is one of Layton's best love poems. He is edgy yet sensual, angry yet loving and cerebral yet sexual...

Over thirty years ago, I was in fourth grade, a below average student, getting C's and under in math. I received a copy of Irving Adler's "Magic House of Numbers," read it, and it just clicked. My grades in math jumped up to A's and didn't drop. Everything else improved: My overall motivation to learn, my esteem, my life. I really would like to give a copy of this book to all children who are struggling in math.

In this 1960 classic, Firey presents a logical "proof" of Aldo Leopold's Land Ethic (see A Sand County Almanac).

Using four case studies, Firey tests his hypotheses for how natural resource systems develop, persist, and change. Firey effectively integrates ecological, economic, and social components as the drivers of his analytical framework.

A must read for any serious student of natural resource management and/or policy.

Kotler, et al have defined the marriage between the public and private sectors in terms that make sense to both partners. While the implication that the private sector tends to get it right most of the time signals a weakness that haunts the writings of Harvard's Michael Porter("Competitive Advantage of Inner Cities"), the fundamental notions contained in this work seem sound.

Students of city planning, urban affairs, etc., might conclude that the emerging field of hotel, motel, and resort management may offer a more relevant practical model of city management than the current curriculums offer. When it's all said and done what's the significant difference between managing a city and managing a total service resort? As the politics of citys, space, become more rationalized in the larger systems of global markets and international trade, local decision making is increasingly becoming influenced by the factors that Kotler, et al raise in their book.

It's no surprise that my friends in the private sector find "place marketing" the newest fad in the consulting field. In truth, I've been pleased to see the social planners and business planners find common ground in the models and ideas that Kotler, Porter, et al have managed to present.

Ms. Irving's books are a sweet treat. I can't recall how I happened upon them, but I am glad I did. Her stories are expertly cast and have intelligent writing and sophisticated stories. Her writing is like smooth butter or fine silk. They are set in Canada, but don't let that bother you if you don't like settings outside the US. The protagonist is a psychologist/astrologer but if metaphysical things bother you, don't worry. It doesn't overtake the story, but for those of us who love it, it's a nice sprinkle of information. This writer certainly knows her astrology. The sleuth is also Jewish, which adds a nice dimension. Everything is PERFECTLY balanced and extremely interesting. Her writing is up there with Stephen White and Jonathan Kellerman, maybe even better. Her writing is fresh and smart, deserving of the attention they get. Start from the beginning just to enjoy the three that are out so far---or just dive in. I tell you, if you love mysteries, there is nothing missing from this series. Nothing. It's sophisticated, it's engaging, it's witty, it's profound, it's complex, it's simple, it's serious ... you get my point. It has all the elements of life, life with all of its wonderful mysteries.