I recently purchased this book for my daughter. She enjoys the illustrations and I particularly enjoyed the story line. The story is about a young hippo who longs for the attention of his very busy father. It reminds us that a child needs more than toys, food and an abundance of activities -- or in the hippo's case, "mountains of food, lots of things to play with and plenty of mud". They need the attention of their parents, and in this story, especially the attention of dad. This adorably illustrated story goes through the creative ways a growing hippo tries to "capture" his busy father's attention and the wonderful time they had when he finally succeeded. This is a nice addition to our large library of story books, one both myself and my daughter enjoy.

This text was originally published in the 1920's, so is somewhat out of date, but it is comprehensive, and most importantly, it has Percy Brown's wonderfully descriptive site plans, elevations and speculative reconstructions.

It devotes a large first part to the wars, in fact more space than to the laws. If that is a judgement of importance, i am not sure I agree. Further chapters deal with Justinian and Theodora, the writers, the building projects, etc.

As an introduction it is self-comprehensive, and it contains a lot of direct source material - translated, because one of the intentions of the author is to draw people without a classical background into the study of the classics and classical history.

With this book, you can visit the deep canyons of the Rogue River as one of the West's last frontiers. The faded memories recalled by this tale of a good and simple people in a land of hardships will walk with you down a heritage trail, hand in hand with those early trailblazers who opened a wild country of beauty and abundance , the Rogue valley.

Scholes has produced a 1-volume encyclopedia of music that is not only comprehensive and informative but (unlike many music dictionaries and encyclopedias) fun to read. He does not shy away from opinion and his personal quirks are part of the charm. Tidbits such as the (speculative?) etymology of "basset horn" are found here and practically nowehere else. Oriented mostly to classical or "serious" music, although pop music and jazz are not ignored. While a bit dated given its 1938 copyright, updates in 1955 and 1970 have allowed good coverage of such important 20th-century figures as Bartok and Hindemith.

Percy Shelley is a great poet. He wrote with great beauty about love and nature. But he also wrote about political freedom and justice. This two tape collection of his poetry is highly recommmended for both new and long time readers alike. For new readers, there is a great selection to introduce one to some of the finest poetry ever written. Some are in their entirety. And there are excerpts from the longer works. The two passages from Epipsychidion are very well chosen. For the readers who are more familiar with Shelley, some great poems will be reintroduced. And some of the lesser known works may be discovered. This was the case for me for To William Shelley, (Fear not the tyrants will rule forever), written for his young son. I have been reading Shelley for about seven years now, and these tapes renewed my interest in his fascinating life and poetry. These tapes also contain backgroung information on his life and poems. And the readings are nicely done. An exceptional production that is definitely worth owning.

Physics in the 20th century has become something that even non-scientists know something about. Albert Einstein and some of the other greats have become household names, invoked almost as often as the names of deities. On the other hand, the purity and innocence of physics was forever changed by the development of the atomic bomb, causing a kind of dreadful fear of science in mainstream culture. C.P. Snow gives a wonderful picture of how it all came about, up to 1980. His anecdotes and personal sketches of the major figures read like short biographies of old friends. He shows how atomic weapons were developed, each step building on the previous ones, until the ultimate destruction became inevitable. He also writes of hope for the future: hope in new minds and new discoveries. The book is well-illustrated with black and white photographs and drawings and it is not too long to read in a couple of evenings.

Both my 3 year old & almost-6 year old enjoy this book (note present tense - it's in the "read frequently" pile). They think the idea of a pig with wings is pretty silly, but are perfectly willing to suspend belief to hear the story. They also seem to have grasped the message of "different can be good too". The illustrations are really charming - matching the story well (not always the case, & ALWAYS noticed by small children). It'd be nice if it came in a softbound version; we'd give it as a birthday gift.

For anyone wanting to know the thinking behind one of the greatest poets of the english language, this book is a must read. Percy Shelley was one of those who saw art and culture as the most powerful of revolutionary weapons against injustice, and for the betterment of mankind. A Defence of Poetry ranks as a crucial piece in the history of human thought.

London, 1991, Bellew, Ist UK ed w/dj, 6 x 9, x, 336 pp, map, illus, bibliog, index. A detailed account of the rise of Emperor Theodore of Abyssinia ( 1855-68) his capture of British diplomats and he negotiations to free them which eventually led to the Despatch of a British Army under General Robert Napier, and the destruction of his capitol at Magdala and the Emperor's death in 1867-68.