It's a rare and beautiful event when two scientific intelligences engage in genuinely truthful dialogue about vitally important matters which impact daily life. Fortunately that's just what lies in store for any sovereign wayfaring reader of Thief of Peirce. At least that was what I discovered throughout this smooth-flowing collection of correspondence between essayist/novelist Walker Percy, and philosopher Kenneth Ketner.

I've read and re-read so many portions of this book, making margin notes galore, and reflecting on my own view of the subjects on which these two gents exchange ideas and thoughts. So much goes on in Thief that any list of the best content would end up including the whole book anyway; although the most used portion of my copy is Ketner's essay, Novel Science.

So, if you're looking to gain insight into Percy's novels, and Ketner's new sense of autobiography in His Glassy Essence (written before the Reagan bio, as a matter of fact), then don't miss this particular essay in Thief.

But, don't take my word for it --- be Percy's sovereign wayfarer and discover the beauty of this book on your own. After reading it you'll likely be a Thief of Peirce yourself.

I've been looking for a book on tropical Pacific invertebrates for years. This book, with its beautiful photographs and interesting comments about natural history of coral reef animals has given me new insight to the coral reefs of the tropical pacific.

Master storyteller and social critic, Charles Dickens, turns this social treatise on shortcomings of Victorian society into an entertaining and heartwarming Christmas ghost story which has charmed generations and become an icon of Christmas traditions. Who, in the Western world has not heard, "Bah, Humbug!" And who can forget the now almost hackneyed line of Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one!" or his cheerfully poignant observation, that he did not mind the stares of strangers in church, for he might thus serve as a reminder of He who made the lame, walk and the blind, see. Several movie versions: musical, animated, updated, or standard; as well as stage productions (I recall the Cleveland Playhouse and McCarter Theatre`s with fondess.) have brought the wonderful characterizations to the screen, as well as to life. This story of the redemption of the bitter and spiritually poor miser, and the book itself; however, is a timeless treasure whose richness, like Mrs Cratchit`s Christmas pudding, is one that no production can hope to fully capture.

It's hard to think of a literary work that has been filmed and staged in more imaginative variations than Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"--there's the excellent George C. Scott version, the delightful Muppet version, the charming Mr. Magoo version, etc., etc. But ultimately true "Carol" lovers should go back to Dickens' original text, which remains a great read.

"Carol" tells the story of cold-hearted miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who despises the Christmas holiday and scorns all who celebrate it. But a visit from a series of supernatural beings forces him to reevaluate his attitude--and his life.

With this simple plot Dickens has created one of the enduring triumphs of world literature. It's a robust mix of humor, horror, and (most of all) hope, all leavened with a healthy dash of progressive social criticism. One thing I love about this book is that while it has a focus on a Christian holiday, Dickens puts forth a message that is truly universal; I can imagine this story resonating with people of any religious background, and also with more secular-oriented people.

This is a tale of greed, selfishness, regret, redemption, family, and community, and is enlivened by some of the most memorable characters ever created for English literature. Even if Dickens had never written another word, "A Christmas Carol" would still have, I believe, secured his place as one of the great figures of world literature.

Charles Dickens writes this story in such detail that you almost believe you have just enjoyed Christmas dinner at the Cratchits home. The characters have so much depth. The made for t.v. or movie screen renditions do not truly depict what Ebenezer Scrooge witnesses with the three spirits that causes such a change in his outlook on life. Such as Scrooge's emotions being quickened by the past heartache in his childhood; seeing how his bad choices caused the hardening of his heart and how deeply it cost him in the end; seeing what could have been his to enjoy and then thinking it could still be his with the Spirit of Christmas Present only to find out the future does not hold any love or joy for him by the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come and instead his actions leave him robbed at death and no one left to grieve for him. Read the book to hear how this story was really written. Even if you have seen every Christmas Carol movie every made, the book will offer so many gold nuggets that you will think you are hearing it for the very first time. Pictures are beautifully detailed throughout the book. Excellent!!!

Although there is a chapter dedicated to the subject, my other research indicates this is rather light on detailed 19th Century history in Southern Alabama...which is what I'm looking for. It's probably a good book for an overview, but it didn't meet my needs. The most helpful part was the bibliography, from which I will begin anew.

A well written book on the history and developement of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad loaded with photographs. An excellent companion to the book "Louisville & Nashville Diesel Locomotives."

The L&N is at long last being discovered by those outside of the region she served. This book is a well-written and thoughtful history of the Old Reliable. It deserves a place on your shelf beside the (regrettably out-of-print) L&N history by Maury Klein. One caveat, though; this is not a history of L&N motive power or rolling stock.

If you catch this exhibit in London, you will be amazed at how many of the photos you will recognize not knowing who the photographer was. No wonder Princess Diana allowed only one man to catch her as she truly was, simply a woman. The fashion shots and ad campaigns are great. His celebrity photos are ok, but Testino is fashion and that is where his best work lie. In either b&w or color, these photos speak!!

if this is the year that the name Mario Testino passes from the surgically altered lips of fashion's congnescenti to the bowels of the masses, this book will show you what the hype was really all about.
the prints are amazing, vibrant and detailed. the portraiture is stunning and all mario. i know that his previous books were always a bit of a disappointment since they tended to hilight a completely different style then the one by which he was so successfully making his living. as a believer and a fan, this book is the proof that mario may be fashion's greatest living photographer.
here it is and well worth the wait. the perfect south beach cofee table book.

This book would get 5 stars for administrators (ministers, finance, church leaders), but only 4 stars for the average user. There is very good data taken across different denominations. Some of the analysis is very interesting -- I just wish there was more of it. Still, this should be in every church library for all to read.

I bought this book because, as treasurer of my church, I knew that there was insufficient financial planning taking place. I found this to be a very good study of the financial practices of major religions. It provides a wealth of statistics and was helpful to me to learn about how other churches handle their finances. It reads quite well and held my attention. I also recommend "The Crisis in the Churches: Spiritual Malaise, Fiscal Woe" by Robert Wuthnow, which is less statistically oriented, but more focused on interviewing peoples attitudes about church finances.

once again, (OK it does not happen that often, otherwise we would stop trusting Amazon and shopping with them, would'nt we?) the description is not accurate : this version ISBN 1569945233, monterey media etc.... is an ADAPTATION of Dicken's novel by the St Charles PLayers, who record it with all due talent and spirit BUT as a play, in an "exciting Radio Theater style" quote, unquote.....

This is Charles Dickens' best christmas story. Only David Copperfield tops this story. Mr. Dickens teaches the reader that no matter how much money or position we have, no matter how important we feel, no matter how much cynicism we have, life will come right out in front of us with a big wham!! Tiny Tim is compassion, Mr. Cratchit is hope, Fizziwigg is happiness. And all these things are life at its best. A Christmas Carol is the true feeling and hope and love. Make this short story your hope.

The following review is for the version illustrated by William Geldart, not this version illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. For some reason, Amazon mixed the two up.

This is it! These are the letters, words, sentences, paragraphs that made Christmas the celebration that it is today - the family parties, the feasts, the excitement, giving to the poor. Virtually every way we celebrate this magnificent Holiday (except the mall part!) comes from this book written by Charles Dickens.
First off, this is the unabridged version. Nothing added - nothing taken away. That's as it should be. (Unfortunately, as great as they may be, the movie versions truly do not do the book justice - although I must say the George C. Scott and Alistair Sim versions do come fairly close).
One thing that surprises me about this book is how few people I know that have have actually read it, but they've seen one version or another of the movie countless times! They don't seem to realize that when books are put to film, so much is taken out for length or for other reasons. A Christmas Carol is no different. In fact, if you watch all of the different movie versions available, you STILL would not get the complete book, even though each movie adds one thing or another from the original story that the others may not.
There are countless copies of this story available in various book form, but this particular version is probably one of the best that I have seen. The illustrations attempt in some part to keep in the same spirit as in Dickens' original. But the best, most interesting part of this version (besides the story itself) is all of the little facts, explanations, and trivia put into the margins throughout this book. They give the modern 21st century reader more of an understanding of what 19th century English life was like. A couple of examples: when Dickens writes of the Cratchit family taking their goose to the bakers to be cooked, I wondered why would any one take their food OUT to be cooked and then picked up later. This book explains that few poor people in this time period had ovens large enough to roast a good family sized bird. They were big enough to cook a small bit of meat and that was about it. In order to have one of those rare Holiday meals, they had to take it to the large baker's oven at an appointed time for cooking.
Another fact I did not know was that in the story, Scrooge's sister, Fan, was based on Dickens' actual sister in law, Mary Hogarth.
There are also a multitude of paintings, drawings, and sketches from Dickens' time showing his time. Now you can see, as accurately as one can considering there were no cameras, life of the rich, middle class, and poor as it actually was. There's a picture of Queen Victoria and her family celebrating Christmas. There is also a beautiful painting of a poor labourer's family Christmas celebration. There are sketches from the first edition of 'A Christmas Carol.'
If you plan on owning a copy of this most wonderful of all Christmas novels, this is the version to get.

Don't let the other reviewers sway you; this book is excellent for startups as well as those interested in a career with a major publisher. Less than 100 pages into it I knew what I will be up against when I begin printing my publication.

The book is divided up into the major components of magazine publishing--editorial, advertising, circulation, manufacturing. It is loaded with useful information including management structure, revenue sources, industry jargon, legal issues, and a little history for those interested. This is not a book to be read for inspiration, as many "Start Your Own Business" books tend to be. But if its information you crave, as I do, you'll be just as engrossed as I did.

Most of us interested in starting our own magazine are doing so for the editorial content, not because we want to sell advertising space or execute direct mailings to potential subscribers. Most of us are at least a little familiar with what it takes to create and manage the content. Of particular use to me were the sections on circulation and manufacturing--the not-so-fun, but necessary components of a publication.

The major drawback is, of course, that this book doesn't provide any kind of roadmap to starting a magazine, nor does it provide examples or case studies of small-circulation publications. Of course, that is probably not what the authors were trying to do.

Overall, though, I'm glad I purchased this title.

'The Magazine Publishing Industry' really is a complete, insider's guide to the magazine industry, for anyone interested in the business. It examines the current state of the magazine publishing industry in the USA -- social, technological, economic, etc.

This book contains everything you need to know to gain a solid working knowlege of the magazine industry. But it is for professionals, not for startups. Maybe it reads like a textbook for students than for someone looking for starting an independent zine or cheap newsletter. But this book means big business and recomends that you shouldn't try making a magazine unless you have half a million dollars or so. Maybe it sounds not too inspirational for startups but it is honest.

Five years I'm working in this industry in Russia. And I can tell you that this book is written in an interesting manner and this is an excellent introduction to professional magazine publishing.

If you're involved in, or considering a career, in magazine publishing, this book is the best, most practical overview. It has an excellent history of the publishing and printing industry and the evolution of the processes of producing a magazine, along with details on advertising sales and editorial development. It's more than "at a glance," and a great summary of how things get accomplished.

I picked up this book expecting a history of the effectiveness of the Continental Army, especially as compared to the British and German forces which it had to fight. Before the advent of Baron con Steuben, the Continentals were at a distinct disadvantage, especially as regards to drill, discipline, and the ability to maneuver in the open and slug it out toe to toe with the European professionals. What I found was something totally different.

What the author is attempting to demonstrate is some type of soldier-worker who would bargain for his wages and not fight for the ideology of the Revolution. OK, so what? Immigrants, blacks, boys, deserters, and shiftless natives with no roots in the community were taken into the Continental Army and finally led with skill and bravery to defeat the veteran opponents led with equal skill. Very few armies in history generally fight for an ideology-they fight to win and they fight for their own survival. What the author has given us is a social history more akin to 20th century left-wing denigration of the armed forces than a true social history of the Continental Army which would have been valuable.

In short, this small volume doesn't cut it, is mch less valuable than the works of Robert Wright, Charles Royster, and Harold Peterson. The bottom line is not what the man in the ranks came from, but that he endured and he won sometines against overwhelming odds. No other army in American history underwent the hardships the Continentals did, or the length of service in wartime. In this, the author completely misses the mark and has given us an idealogical diatribe which is an excuse, not good history.

Charles Patrick Neimeyer's "America Goes To War" was a well researched, documented, and written book. Neimeyer explains who served in the Continental Army, the reasons they served and the difficult lives the soldiers had. The text is annotated throughout with supporting evidence and an extensive bibliography gives the reader several sources for further study.

However Neimeyer's conclusions do have a leftest bias that caused this reader to question several of the interpretations of the information presented. Also very little of the warfare between the British and American armies was explored in this book and the affect it would have on the social history of the American Army.

Over all this is a good book to understand the men who served in the Continental Army and some of the reasons why.

Put simply, this book provides an excellent illustration of those served in the Continental Army. This book received one poor review from a reader that approached the book with his own agenda and ignoring the author's clearly stated intention. Neimeyer sets out to "show who served in the army during the Revolution, and why." He has done an excellent job.

What started out as a pleasant experience became a bit of a let down. The foreword by Charlie Papazian gets you all geared up. The book reads well although some of the tips are questionable. The book is definitely more for the extract brewer. Some recipes look interesting and some are out there. However comments that are degrading or offensive to certain people should have been omitted. This is supposed to be a reference book not a soapbox. Overall I found Designing Great Beer (Daniels) much more useful.

If you're looking for a "how-to" book with regard to home-brewing, this ISN'T it, but if you just want RECIPES than this is the one to get. There is a mix of both extract and all-grain recipes. The emphasis on the former is not as great as advertised which I found slightly disappointing--for me, home-brewing is a hobby and not an occupation. (With a little bit of practice, however, it's not too difficult to convert an all-grain recipe into an extract version.) No matter what your style or taste, you'll find at least several different choices here, with recipes complete and easy to understand, and usually presented in a very entertaining fashion. Lots of tips, "history of beer" vignettes, and quotes from famous people on the subject of beer, many of which I have found fun to use in label-making. There's also some very good food recipes in here, all using beer--the Chicken with Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce has become a family favorite, and I'm anxious to try the Chocolate Cream Stout Cake!

Anyone can put together a list of recipes for all the classicstyles of beer, throw a cover on it and hawk it for ... ... or put up a web site and collect a thousand different ways to combine malt and hops... recipes are easy to come by. But this book is more than just a collection of formulas.

I give it a wholehearted five stars because the authors fill the pages with their passion for brewing great beer. The pages are a combination of anecodtes, brew tips and best of all quotations from all the greats of literature... Shakespeare to Orwell, they all had something to say about beer. I never tire of flipping through the pages when I am getting ready to make the next batch, and laughing at the wit and wisdom found within. I'll say it again. Get this book, it's worth twice the asking price.