Ernesto Cardenal is a tough call. former miinster of culture in the sandinista government,one time Trappist novice,former pacifist who took to the hills to fight the somoza government, then returned in triumph. Infamous for the incident at the Managua airport where the pope was caught on worlwide television wagging his finger at him,as an embarassed cardenal tried to kiss his ring[not a real highlight for either man,methinks}Nicaragua's most famous living poet,this is a series of cantos[think of pound and Neruda}It starts with, appropriately,the Big bang and ends, aslo appropriately with Omega. In between he quotes the tao{in the beginning was the Tao...}, Telihard de Chardin,thomas merton, Jesus as a communist revolutionary, honors Che` Guevera,quantum physics,micro-biology,the church fathers,glorifies Mao, Fidel and ,most things"left"> Some of this poetry is lyric, soaring, much of it pedantic,sounding like a tired old party hack. When he reaches for the cosmos,he fares so much better> Fr. cardenal has been savaged in print by mario Vargas LLosa,not for his poetry, but for his politics.Though it is impossible to seperate them, Fr. Cardenal comes off as quite sincere,and much of this shines through his poetry. An epochal effort,which though fallimng short{and its blindness to oppression by leftist goverments},this is a noble and quite good volume.

In 474 pages, Ernesto Cardenal weaves a stunning, interconnected parallel between the politics of Latin America, "astrophysics and love" (125). His voice and style at times reminds me of Pound in _The Cantos_, "(Everything I write is fragmentary/ a collection of quanta)" (Cardenal, 64), but Cardenal is more rooted and accessible. If you enjoy cosomology, quantum physics, love, and/or Latin American politcs, this book will please.

Lyons takes his years of experience in the advertising world and turns in Guts, an enjoyable read with anecdote-laden accounts of life inside one of the most controversial professions.

I have a feeling this author's friends may have wrote these reviews, because I've read better material in Reader's Digest.

Dr. Lyon's vision of submarines operating under the ice, even before nuclear-powered submarines, was remarkable, and his lifetime persistence to convince the navy to continue under ice operations was unbelievable.

I was fortunate to be aboard Pintado SSN 672 during the 1978 under ice operation with Dr. Lyon aboard. As one of Pintado's diving officers, we had to redefine our idea of shallow water since we often ran with six feet and less under the keel. Previously less than a 1000 feet under the keel was considered very shallow.

When operating under the ice in shallow water, the ship's bubble (fore and aft angle) is very critical. A very small up angle (greater than 1/8 of a degree) could cause the ship's screw to hit the ocean bottom or a very small down angle could cause the screw to hit the bottom of the ice. If you are not familiar with submarines, you might find it interesting that the young men that hold the wheels that control the submarine's depth, angle, and course are the most junior people on board.

But having Dr. Lyon onboard, a very capable ship's captain, and trust in the entire crew, made for a secure feeling and an adventure that the Pintado crew will never forget.

You don't have to be a submariner to enjoy William Leary's, Under Ice.

Reviewed by Capt. Gordon I. Peterson, USN (Ret.), Senior Editor, Sea Power Magazine, Navy League of the United States

It has been said that you can usually determine the caliber of a man by the amount of opposition it takes to discourage him. By this measure, William M. Leary's biography of Dr. Waldo Lyon provides an inspiring account of how one man's lifelong tenacity in the face of bureaucratic lethargy and skepticism can make a difference in translating a vision to reality.

During the early years of World War II, Lyon began his quest for the U.S. Navy to develop an Arctic submarine fully capable of operating in one of the most challenging operational environments-beneath the frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean. For 55 years, he championed--at times single-handedly--a research effort to provide the Navy with the information it would need to design a submarine that could operate safely and effectively in the world's most poorly understood ocean.

In the words of retired Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Frank B. Kelso II, "The nuclear submarine made Arctic operations possible, but without the knowledge of Waldo Lyon I doubt our Navy would have ventured under the sea ice to the [North] Pole." Lyon's painstaking efforts to acquire this knowledge are meticulously detailed by reference to numerous interviews with Navy submarine commanders, declassified patrol reports, and the scientific journal that Lyon compiled for more than five decades. As a result, Under Ice provides an authoritative and comprehensive account of the U.S. Navy's under-ice operations and Lyon's pioneering role in making it possible-recognized by the President's Medal for Distinguished Federal Service during the Kennedy administration.

It is noteworthy that prior to the USS Hawkbill's under-ice expedition to the Arctic in 1999, the submarine's commanding officer required every officer on board to read chapter seven of Leary's book--a description of USS Sargo's hazardous 1960 Arctic cruise.

With the design of the Sturgeon-class during the 1960s, the Navy finally constructed nuclear-powered attack submarines with greatly improved under-ice capabilities. Recognition of the strategic importance of the Arctic Ocean had reached new levels during the height of the Cold War-because, as Lyon wrote, "The Arctic Ocean is the submariner's private sea, hence, his sole capability to exploit and control."

In his foreword to Under Ice, Vice Adm. John H. Nicholson writes that the Navy would do well to heed Lyon's warning concerning the need to maintain a robust under-ice capability and not lose its hard-earned expertise. Unfortunately, with the retirement of the Sturgeon class of attack submarines and the reduction of the submarine force to 50 boats by 2003, the Navy's Arctic submarine operations will unavoidably decline in the face of higher priority warfighting and intelligence commitments.

As the number of sophisticated, high-endurance conventional submarines continue to proliferate around the world, it remains to be seen if the Department of Defense and U.S. political leadership will heed Lyon's counsel and restore the submarine force to the numbers required to meet current and projected operational requirements-and sustain the U.S. Navy's Arctic preeminence.

I was reading away happily at the original French version (struggling occasionally over some of the older vocabulary) until I realised I really didn't have enough time (essay due in tomorrow evening), so I quickly nipped round to a friend and borrowed this translation.

And it's not good, people, not good.

While parts of it have travelled quite nicely from French over to English, a lot of it is very badly done - some word for word tranlations and FAR too many repetitions of words. For example, I'm sure I came across 'agitation' three times on one page, and I can tell you I ended up more agitated than Mlle de Chartres ever would be after trying to scrape my way through it.

Needless to say, I'll be allowing more time to read these books beforehand so that I don't have to delve into another poorly translated version again.

Get it in French.

This book is written in an unusual format, almost at a remove from the main character. This however, only serves to heighten the passion of the doomed lovers. In some ways it reminds me of mme de tourvil in dangerous liaisons. Unable to help herself falling in love. Knowing she was doing the wrong thing, and hurting the people who love her most, but unable to stop.

I really enjoyed this book,and I'm sure I'll read it again one day. Apparently this is the only decent book this author ever wrote, the rest being pretty unreadable. If you want a historical novel written in an historical period itself then try this.

This is one of my all-time favorite books. The book is quiet, surprising, and lingering. The relationships detailed in intimacy are revealing, and not just the relationship between the lovers. If you have notread this, do so immediately.

yerma is a book with a lot going for it from a literary point of view, but is difficult to read as a non-native speaker.

Esa obra no es el mejor de Lorca. La Casa de Bernarda Alba es el mejor.

I just got back from a month in Mexico. The book was probably quite impressive back in the early 90's. However, many of the hotels and restaurants listed in the book have gotten so much business that they have lost what good attributes they originally had. Also, many of the prices quoted in the book were way off. The book prices were frequently one-half what the concierge or waiter quoted. The peso has not changed enough for a 5 dollar hotel room to become 12 or 15. Perhaps that is the risk one finds with any guidebook.

Museum hours were consistently incorrect, especially for Mondays, weekends and evenings.

This book might keep you out of trouble, but it is not the guide for a budget traveler.

Lonely planet guides are absolutely invaluable for the independant adventurous budget-minded traveler, and LP Mexico is no exception. Included are informative sections on pre-departure info, cultural tips, etc. I travelled extensively throughout Mexico with the 5th edition last year, and it really got me to explore some of the remote places I otherwise wouldn't have found- such as the silver towns of Guanajuato, Zacatecas and Taxco. Plus, out of the way beaches, hard-to-find ruins, centotes, you name it. They're covered. Don't borrow you'r friend's old dog-eared copy of the 3rd of 4th edition. Spend the money on the latest edition, because price info is almost always out of date within months after printing, and an older edition is usually hopelessly out of date. I found myself disregarding their accommodations recommendations, because once a place finds its way into the LP Guide, their visitor traffic usually increases exponentially, the staff gets surly, and prices go up. If you're just going to Cancun, Mazatlan, etc, skip this book, but if you're not afraid to venture out into the 'real mexico', grab it.

I have just returned to Norway after backpacking around in Latin America for a year (of course accompanied by the Lonely Planet book). I do not claim to be an expert, but I do know what I am looking for in a travel guide.

The Mexico guide is a good, complete guide. Filled with information, history and beautiful pictures about almost every corner of this gorgeous country. Reading the whole book gives you a good update on your history and geography knowledge! (Something to do if you are trekking around by bus like I did!)

I have always been satisfied with the LP guides. The information given is good, just what you need to get around. The only negative with this book (and the reason I give it 4 and not 5 stars) is that it was completely outdated on prices etc. Another thing (that goes for most of the travel guides) is that many of the hotels that are listed in the book has gotten so much (too much?) business so that the service is down to a minimum. This we found especially in Isla Mujeres where the price was the double of what the book said, and really lousy customer service, if any.

This is a book written for mostly the realtor. It has some good references to trade publications, but falls far short of its great title. I was expecting to see some talk about future trends in the real estate industry. If you want a great book read, Real Estate Rainmaker or Walk Like a Giant Sell Like a Madman, two of my personal favorites.