As I sit down to watch Season Two of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on DVD (again), I have my copy of "The Script Book: Season Two, Volume 1" in hand so can compare the original shooting scripts of the first six episodes with what ended up being aired. Half the fun is finding lines and scenes that have been cut (or added); the other half of the fun are the wicked stage directions that Joss Whedon and the other writers like to toss our way from time to time as we go our merry way. Of course, that experience ends with episode 12 because after Season Two, Volume 2, we hit a dead end. Maybe there is a one volume, 10 script collection down the road doing the entire Angelus story arc from the last half of Season Two; maybe not.

Deep Thoughts regarding these episodes:

"When She Was Bad" (written by Joss Whedon) is one of those pivotal episodes in the history of a show when it basically learns from past mistakes and starts over. The key scene here is when Buffy dances with Xander at the Bronze as Sarah Michelle Gellar injects a mondo dose of sexuality into the series. Reading how Whedon sketched out the scene makes you respect him as a director as well, given what ended up on the screen.

"Some Assembly Required" (written by Ty King) is basically the Frankenstein approach, in terms of both the doctor and the monster, to high school dating in yet another in a long series of Cordy in peril episodes.

"School Hard" (written by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt) reminds us how often little things on BtVS have a tendency to grow once they catch our fancy. This is the episode that introduces Spike and Drusilla while suddenly (and surprisingly) jettisons the "Annoying" One. Read over this one carefully and notice how much had to be abandoned or revised in terms of character histories as Spike moved in for the long haul.

"Inca Mummy Girl" (written by Matt Kiene and Joe Reinkemyer) is another of those episodes where the bad news is that Xander has a girlfriend. But how could they ever cut out the line where Ampata praises Xander for making the milk come out of her nose?

"Reptile Boy" (written by David Greeenwalt) is yet another Coredlia in jeopardy episode, only this time Buffy is along for the ride. However, the rampant symbolism of the Machida just does not really come across on the printed page...

"Halloween" (written by Carl Ellsowrth) is the second best episode in this sextet. I am surprised that it was not written by one of the show's "name" writers, because not only does it give the cast a chance to play against type (Buffy is a frail maiden, Xander is soldier boy), but it introduces the "Ripper" aspect of the history of Rupert Giles, which will save him from more than a few bouts of unconsciousness down the road because he never goes back to being the meek little librarian (very often). Watch out for the great line from Angel about why he eats that was cut.

Ironically, of course, the fans of the show likely to buy these script collections are also those who pretty much have all 122 episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" committed to memory. Consequently, they will not need to follow along on DVD or videotape to spot the changes, additions, and deletions. I just cannot believe anybody would read these scripts without having seen the episodes in question.

In what is apparently the first of four books with the scripts from Season Two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the one-liners come fast and furious with a liberal dose of drama.

The book begins with "When She Was Bad." At the end of Season One, Buffy was killed by the evil vampire known as the Master (albeit just for a minute) and this episode deals with the aftermath of that trauma. Buffy's friends try to find out why she's being such a...er, witch...to them while a group of vampires tries to revive the Master.

The second episode is "Some Assembly Required." Although well-written, it's probably one of the less impressive episodes in the book. It features Buffy and gang trying to find the secret behind grave robbers who now have their sights set on a living person...acerbic queen Cordelia.

"School Hard" introduces Spike and Drusilla, two of the series' mainstay villains (and sometimes hero, in Spike's case). Parent-Teacher Night at Sunnydale High happens to correspond with the Night of St. Vigeous, the day when vampires' power is at its peak. Needless to say, things get a little hairy in what is probably the best episode of the bunch.

Regular guy Xander gets a showcase in "Inca Mummy Girl". He's finally found a girl he likes (who isn't a giant praying mantis). Unfortunately, she's an ancient mummy who must survive by draining people's life force. Is it any surprise that it doesn't end well?

"Reptile Boy" is probably the worst episode in the book. It's still good, but not up to par with the other five. In it, evil frat boys are planning to sacrifice Buffy and Cordelia to a gigantic snake.

And finally, in "Halloween" one of Giles' old friends comes to town, and as a result everyone turns into their costumes - Willow becomes a ghost, Xander becomes a military private, and Buffy becomes a helpless aristocrat from the eighteenth century. It drops hints of Giles' past, which will come back to haunt him later in the season.

Without a doubt, a good buy for anyone who enjoys Buffy or wants to see what the fuss is all about (although newcomers might want to start with the Season One scripts).

The writing of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Television series is much celebrated by fans and critics alike. This book is a collection of the original shooting scripts for the first 6 episodes of season two. Included are When She Was Bad, Some Assembly Required, School Hard, Inca Mummy Girl, Reptile Boy and Halloween. Some of these scripts contain dialogue or scenes which were cut due to time or other concerns. This volume is a must for the Buffy collector and wonderful for anyone that appreciates quality television.

Oh my goodness .. if you've been 'enamored' of Gertrude & Alice for years & years, or are just discovering them .. this is THE story of their lives together. Grab this book before it goes out of print again !!

I am not a scholar and I am not sure that I would have the patience to read Gertrude "dans le texte". Yet I have a dilettant interest in these women of the first half of this century who seemed to have had a strong influence on the Arts and Litterature (Stein/Toklas, Cones, Sitwells...). I picked up this book by chance off the bookselves of my friends -- Liz and Jeff -- a rainy day by the Delaware River. I not only finished it off but enjoyed it tremenduously. I found the writting interesting, detailled (what a treat to get so many details of that era) and refreshing by its ease of access. Do read this book -- I am now onto other Stein/Toklas books (most certainly Alice's recipes).

One of the best dual-bios of these two ladies (and I've read this book both in German and English.) This book makes both of them very real, moving them beyond the literary/lesbian icons that they've become in the last 60+ years. Read this in conjunction with James Mellow's CHARMED CIRCLE and you'll be hooked both on Gertrude and Alice and the artistic era between the two World Wars!

This book is about four children and a dog who help an elderly woman fix her house which was partly destroyed during a hurricane. While helping her fix her house, they discovery pirate's gold in a gate on the front yard of the house.

The children are brother and sisters. They are Benny Alden who is six years old, Violet Alden who is 10 years old, Jessie Alden who is 12 years old and Henry Alden who is fourteen years old. The dog's name is Watch Alden. He is a terrier. The elderly woman's name is Mrs. Ashleigh.

The children were know as the boxcar children. They were called this because after their parents died, they didn't realize that their grandfather James was looking for them, and they lived in a box car until their grandfather found them. The grandfather took the children back to live with him and brought the boxcar with him so the children would feel comfortable.

While fixing the house, the children hear tales that the island that the house was on contained pirate's buried treasure. The house was located on Sullivan Island which is off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina.

The gate to Mrs. Ashleigh's fence was known as the Pirate's Gate. It was called that because her great great great great grandfather who's name was Mr. Fitzhugh was supposed to have been a pirate. During the hurricane, the gate landed in a neighbors yard. When the children looked for the gate, they saw that the neighbor who's name is Jackie James was trying to put the gate in her car. The children quickly told her that the gate belonged to Mrs. Ashleigh and they had the gate brought back to Mrs. Ashleigh's yard.

Because the gate had been broken, Mrs. Ashley arranged for a gate repairman named Mr. Farrier to fix the gate. During the time that this was being done, the children found some papers in Mrs. Ashleigh's home which contained a treasure map. They took the map outside the house to try to follow it and find the treasure. While Benny was holding the map, someone came and stole the map. The theif was wearing a grey jacket.

While the children were looking at more papers in Mrs. Ashleigh's home, they found information about the gate. It turned out that Mr. Fitzhugh ordered the maker of the gate to make it hollow. The children thought that gold was inside the gate.

When Mr. Farrier brought back the gate, the children told him what they thought. Instead of attaching the gate to the fence, he brought it back into Mrs. Ashleigh's house. The children now decided to set a trap to catch the thief who stole the treasure map. They put the gate against the fence and went into Mrs. Ashleigh's house. In the meantime, a hurricane began and Mrs. Ashleigh closed all the windows and doors. The children could not see outside. After the storm passed, they told their grandfather about their plan. When they looked outside, the gate was missing. As they looked around, they saw that someone was taking it. Watch ran and grabbed the person's leg. It turned out to be Mike Carsen. He was the same person in the grey jacket. The other person helping him was Jackie James. They were trying to steal the gate so they could sell it.

Mrs. Ashleigh decided to donate the gate to a museum on the island. The gate was displayed at the museum information about how it was found and how the children solved the mystery.

As you can tell by the title, this is a mystery book.

The setting of the story is in an island called Sullivans Island, and all occurs in a neighborhood.
Sullivan's Island is small and plain. The neighborhood is full of old houses. In the oldest one of these houses is where the mystery occurs.

The main characters in the story are Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny. They are the box Car Children. Other characters are Mrs. and Mr. Asheligh, Jackie, Mike and Mr. Farrier.
Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny are brothers and they love to solve mysteries. Mrs. Asheling is a nice woman who has a not so nice son called Mr. Asheling. Jackie and Mike seem nice and good, but at the end of the story they are totally the opposite. Mr. Farrier is an expert on things like iron and also about a buried treasure.

At the beggining of the story Mrs. Asheling tells the Box Car Children, about a special gate: The pirate's gate.
Sice that moment on the children wanted to find the treasure.

The problem begins when, in the middle of the treasure hunt, they fall in a mystery. The mystery was that someone was trying to steal the pirate's gate.

The resolution to the problem happened when the Box Car Children made a trap and trapped the thieves. Then they noticed the gate was the treasure because it was made of pure gold.
At the end of the story, to make sure the gate was safe, they donnated it to a museum.
I recommend this book to everyone because it is an exciting story, full of mysterious things and action.
It is an excellent book. Buy it now and read it! I hope you do it. You won't be sorry.
ALEX

The Boxcar Children went to Charleston to help Mrs Ashleigh clean up her house after a recent hurricane had messed it up. But someone had been trying to steal one of Mrs Ashleigh's valuables, the Pirate's Gate. Why? Read this book to find out.

Are there words to be found for this book? I wish courage to all those who want to give it a try and read it. Life gets different after the experience...

This is a new translation of Rudolf Steiner's most important work. It has an especially good introduction by Gertrude Hughes Reif. However, I preferred the two older titles: "Philosophy of Freedom" and "Philosophy of Spiritual Activity" because the significance of the experience of the book comes across better for me with those titles. This is not a book that can be "read" in the usual sense. It must be worked on because it forces you to think about your own thinking. Through this difficult process you yourself discover your spiritual self, your "I" being. This book should be the most important book of the last 100 years, but it hasn't been because there are not many people who want to discover themselves. That is too fearful and difficult. It is much easier to be asleep or to belong to a religion or to have a guru. For anyone who is brave and courageous about "Know Thyself!" this is THE book.

Perhaps one of the most significant questions you can ask in your life: How can I know anything? How can I feel sure that what I hold as the basis for reality has any reality at all? These and other significant life questions are worked through in this remarkable philosophical work. Be prepared to do your own work as you follow the intuitive path that has been carefully outlined by Rudolf Steiner. The careful reader will find few books more deeply satisfying. I have returned to re-read it many times.

The Aldens are waiting for snow when Grandfather tells them that they are going to an inn with a competition. When they arrive, there are missing keys and 4 flat tires. The Aldens all enter an activity. Jessie does skating, Henry does skiing, Violet does ice sculpting, Benny does everything. Benny tries to put on his skiis but the laces are a little tight. So he decides not to try out for skiing. He builds some does some snow-sculpting with some kids his age, but someone has recked them! And some people have acted strangely. Will the Alden's solve this mystery? Will they be winners? Will they find more clues? Find Out all the answers in The Mystery In The Snow.

I am a 10 year old girl.I have read 2 Boxcar Children books so far (including this one)I think it was a great book!I really like mystery stories.So I am looking forward to reading more of the Boxcar Children books.

The story is very interesting,the culprit turns out to have a very good reason,and the answer to the mystery brings a family close.Fun and exciting story about caring,kindness and families.

With the Founder's Day celebrations quickly approaching, the Aldens begin plans to redecorate their boxcar as a float for the parade, until their boxcar suddenly and mysteriously vanishes. The dog has been stolen with it. Can they solve their most important mystery yet?

Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny are fixing up their boxcar for a parade. But then it gets stolen, and worse, their dog Watch disappears! Can they find them both in time for the parade?

When the Alden children decide to enter their boxcar in a parade someone has stolen it with watch their dog. Is it a bratty little kid,a man that collects train(real ones-not models), a person working for Senator Teacher, or Sam,who sells ice-cream and his wagon broke. This is the most important mystery the Boxcar children will ever solve-if they solve it. It keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The moral debility of our Western universities has no more incisive a critic than Gertrude Himmelfarb. A refreshing read for anyone sick of the doubletalk of the multiculturalists.

Himmelfarb's observations on post-modern 'history' are right on target. The apologists for the Holocaust (revisionism is always apologetics) in academia are hideously indifferent to the greatest devastation and assault on humanity ever known. I had to laugh at the post-modern historian's lament about the 'fact fettish' of traditional historians. This book may be considered the starting point in the inquiry on why many students leave academia less able to think critically than when they enter. This is a tragedy, particularly because the 'new' history (or literature or psychology, etc.) is so boring and formula-driven that a daily newspaper is more informative, relevant, and interesting in comparison. This book is an eye-opener for those who wonder why so many college graduates are clueless about where they are in human history and how they got here. Those who have long suspected the intrusion of academic nincompoopery in our universities in recent decades will enjoy this book.

Gertrude Himmerfarb has been writing sharp and insightful critiques of history and society for over 50 years, and her more recent books are as good or better than anything she has published in her long career.

In "On Looking Into the Abyss" Himmerfarb demolishes literary deconstruction and exposes its frauds as devistatingly as any critic. Her contrast of the Marxian and Hegelian views show us both the continuing attraction of Marxism as well as its fatal flaws, and make us understand why a 160 year old debate is still relevant.

In an age where discourse is often reduced to televised shouting matches, the half-baked opinions of celebrities and carefully crafted statements matched to opinion poles, read Himmelfarb to re-discover what intelligent argument and essays can and should be.

Stein, Gender, Isolation, and Industrialism New Readings of Winesburg, Ohio
by Duane Simolke
Reviewed by Joe Wright
This book is the work of Dr Simolke. It served as his doctoral dissertation. It shows the relationship between Sherwood Anderson, his work and Gertrude Stein. In Dr Simolke's own words, "I consider Gertrude Stein, gender roles, the machine in the garden, feelings of isolation, and attempts at communication, as they all relate to Sherwood Anderson's masterpiece."

Of course the masterpiece he is talking about is the story cycle, Winesburg, Ohio. Published in 1919 about a small town in Ohio becoming industrialized and what that does to the lives of the people of Winesburg.
New Readings would be a great companion to go along with Anderson's Winesburg. It gives you not only the history of Mr. Anderson, but also the history of his stories. In Chapter 4 Men and Women, Dr. Simolke talks about how Mr Anderson's 1923 novel Many Marriages was banned by many libraries and book stores due to the fact that the book mainly focuses on nudity and sex.
If your a tried and true fan of Gertrude Stein or Sherwood Anderson New Readings is a must have!

Pour yourself a little brandy, pull your chair up to the fire, and read Duane Simolke's Stein, Gender, Isolation, and Industrialism: New Readings of Winesburg, Ohio. Better yet, dust off your copy of Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio, and then read Simolke's remarkable explication of Sherwood Anderson, the influence that the great Gertrude Stein had on his writing style, and the equally important effect of turn-of-the-century industrialization on Anderson and the stories he tells. In this straightforward, yet literary accounting of Anderson's Winesburg narratives, you will come to a fuller understanding of what motivated Anderson to write his story cycle, what part homoeroticism and homophobia played in the story "Hands" and "The Untold Lie." This work should be required reading in any college course involving the art and craft of short-story writing as well as in courses on Sherwood Anderson, himself. I found the greatest pleasure in reading a while from Simolke's work, then reading from Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio. Simolke's book is a great reading guide, as well as a thoughtful and measured reading experience all by itself. ---Ronald L. Donaghe, author of Uncle Sean

What a pleasure to read a dissertation embracing the poetry and passion of simple language as well as the art of old-fashioned story-telling exemplified by the often underrated Sherwood Anderson.

In seven chapters Dr. Simolke (whose lyrical collection THE ACORN STORIES was clearly influenced by Stein and Anderson) examines themes of alienation, sexuality and gender in Anderson's masterpiece WINESBURG, OHIO.

Bringing fresh perspective to Anderson's best known work (considered by critics to be a forerunner of modern fiction with its focus on "real folks" and small town America of the early 20th Century), Simolke candidly explores sexual subtext.

In "More Than Man or Woman" he writes, "I call attention to all this terminology because Anderson transcends those societal perceptions of gayness; his use of gay themes has little to do with sex and everything to do with human contact."

Do we need still one more analysis of the work of another dead white guy? Yes, most certainly, when it is as refreshingly and unabashedly enthusiastic as Simolke's. Criticized as being sentimental and outdated, WINESBURG becomes relevant again in this unapologetic and insightful re-reading.

This was the best Christmas book of my childhood. Such great stories as: Granny Glitens and Her Amazing Mittens, Christmas for Bears and, my favorite: Giant Grummers Christmas. (...) Get it!

I loved this book as a child, and would like to find copies to give to my children, nieces, nephews, and others. The book is tall and narrow in shape, thus the title, and contains many Christmas stories that are fun to read over and over each Christmas season. The Giant Grummer, Granny Glittens and the Amazing Mittens, Christmas through the Knothole all spring to mind though I haven't seen the book in 20 years! I hope someone will republish this wonderful collection!

The Tall Book of Christmas was THE book of my childhood during christmas season. I can still (at almost 35) recite some of the words. I would highly recommend anyone to buy it. Its a really wonderful piece of creative, imaginative, and diverse children's literature. I own it, I'd buy it again and I think that this book is timeless. Stories are all well suited for children and adults don't lose interest when reading it. We read it over and over until the pages were worn. I wish mom had bought two copies when they were in print. Buy it no matter the price. Its PRICELESS!!!

Like "Mike's Mystery", this is a mystery with a solid foundation and never once drags.

I first read it when I was about eight and learnt several things I didn't know before. I learned what ammunition meant. It also was my first introduction to any information about the Revolutionary War.

The story takes place primarily on a farm in New England that dates back to the 1700's. Grandfather and Aunt Jane grew up there, and he buys it back for her to live in. But everyone seems to think something is wrong with the house, and the children set out to find out what it is and clear the air of all secrets. And they are pretty sure the woodshed holds an important clue.

Read this book to your children - I am sure they will like it.

Would you think that you would find a trap door in the potato pit in your aunt's basement or in the wood shed in her back yard? Well, the Boxcar Children didn't, but they found the trap doors, they had things from the Revolutionary War! They found strange letters about what was going on in the house during the Revolutionary War! Find out what mysterious things they find!

I think this book is so good because you never know what will happen next, like when the children find the trap door in the woodshed and then they find the trap door in the potato pit! The moral of this story is never play with some thing that isn't yours.

I recently read this book and could barely put it down. The Boxcar Car children find another exciting adventure in of all places a wood shed. As the story progresses they find more and more clues and solve the mystery. I would recommend this book to ANYONE who likes adventure, danger, and excitement!