Produced by Esse W. Ljungh
Conductor Morris Surdin
This story revolves around a Jewish family during World War 2 who takes in boarders. The first boarder is Heir Banbinger, a refugee who's waiting for his family to arrive from the old country. After a number of other borders, Mervyn, a struggling writer rents the Spare room. Mrs. Hirsh is taken with Mervyn and helps him stay even though Mr. Hirsh is demanding the rent. Mr Hirsh reads reads the book, changes his mind about Mervyn and becomes more lenient with the rent. Mr. Hersh then takes Mervyn under his wing, gives him some fatherly advice and his counsel.

A detailed account of the circumstances leading to Buckingham's rebellion, and the connection between the revolt and the ultimate fate of Richard III at Bosworth Field. The focus is on the gentry of the south of England who were loyal to Edward IV and eventually became the instigators of the rebellion. This book may be heavy going for the casual reader since it presumes basic familiarity with the events of the period. A good complement is Paul Murray Kendall's biography of Richard III, which describes how Richard gained support from the nobility and gentry of the north of England. The book includes lots of photographs and helpful maps. All in all, a good read.

This book is a much underrated novel about the Scotsman Henry Sinclair -- Baron of Rosselyn and Jarl of Orkney -- who beat Columbus to the Americas by a century. In 1398, he sailed to Nova Scotia and Massachussetts Bay, which would become his legacy. While the characters are somewhat one-dimensional, the dialogue is superb, and the narrative brings to life 14th-century values, mores, and humor. The book is out of print, but it shouldn't be.

This book was printed in 1963, so the interpretations provided are mostly from the *first* part of the 20th century and are almost exclusively from male writers. Still, there are some interesting criticisms and assessments voiced here. Don't expect a chapter-by-chapter Cliffs Notes analysis, but rather several opinions on the whole work or on specific themes. The editor himself advises us "to recognize that _Walden_ is a carefully articulated, full-length book." So often we hear or read only snippets or key quotes, and we lose Thoreau's flavor and his descriptions that build up to his points. Most of the selections in this book are positive, and some are absolutely glowing. E. B. White says that "Thoreau, very likely without knowing quite what he was up to, took man's relation to nature and man's dilemma in society and man's capacity for elevating his spirit and he beat all these matters together, in a wild free interval of self-justification and delight, and produced an original omelette from which people can draw nourishment in a hungry day." Wow! John C. Broderick claims that "_Walden_ itself might be regarded as a year-long walk, for as in his daily walk Thoreau moved away from the mundane world of the village toward one of heightened awareness and potentiality, only to return spiritually reinvigorated, so _Walden_ records an adventuring on life which structurally starts from and returns to the world of quiet desperation." Of course this is true; why haven't the rest of us thought of this? Leo Marx focuses in on Thoreau's words about the railroad and the workers (and the riders) on it: "The episode demonstrates that the Walden site cannot provide a refuge, in any literal sense, from the forces of change." Wow, again.

This piece of literary criticism contains 8 major essays and 25 pages of random thoughts from others. It can be enlightening to students of Thoreau and of the transcendentalist movement, though high schoolers may stumble over some of the vocabulary used.

The late Elder Henry D. Moyle's family commissioned the prominent LDS historian Richard D. Poll to write this biography of the influential church leader. It remained unpublished for over a decade until after Poll's death. Poll wrote it on the principle of "warts and all." The result is a fair and carefully balanced portrait that depicts the man's strengths and weaknesses. Moyle was a hard-charging, energetic man who was full of faith. He was greatly responsible for the church's explosive growth after World War II. Poll vividly captures this crucial moment in church history. But Moyle perhaps pushed too hard in some ways: the church was brought close to insolvency by Moyle's enthusiasm for new buildings. The pressure to bring in converts to help fund all this expansion led to some excesses in the missionary program--the famous "baseball baptisms", where young people became members after only the most cursory contact with the church's athletic programs. Eventually Moyle was relieved of much of his responsibility and died soon after, some said of a broken heart. His optimism was typical of his culture and times. Poll's book tells with sympathy and honesty this important edpisode in our history.

This book explains more fully some of the information used to deduce some of the premises put forward in "The Holy Blood & The Holy Grail". It is based on other published works by scholars and authorites on the interpretations of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It puts forward a more educated translation of events covered by the New Testament based on information about the political and social issues at the time of Christ. As a person trying find the origins of Christianity, and what makes people believe something like the New Testament, I found the theories put forward by the authors to be intelligent and highly believable. If I was part of the Christian clergy, I would be extremely concerned about the future of the religion

A delightful stop, this second one, on the express to enlightened understanding. This sequel to "Holy Blood Holy Grail" is an essential companion piece to that masterwork of historical and religious scholarship. In this book, Messrs. Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln begin where they left off in the world of the man known as Jesus the Nazorean. They further dissect elements of his life and times and go on to discuss the development of the schism between Jesus's followers lead by his family members and the group of so-called "christians" lead by Paul. The method of these historians is breathtaking in its scope and elegance.

The second part of the book is much more theoretical and at first seems at odds with the rest of the work. As it melds with the third and final part of the book, there is a cohesiveness to the entire work that is satisfying enough.

As an American reader, one must make certain allowances when taking in the work of these authors. Their British take on things, which is interesting in and of itself, does not always extrapolate to American understanding. Particularly, their fascination with monarchs and chivalry is quite foreign to me as it would probably be to most American readers.

When it comes to writing about history from 2000 years ago through the Dark Ages, a lot of speculation is necessary. Literacy was low so there weren't many written records to begin with, and the church, etc., had a lot of control over what information could be dispensed. As a result, a lot of speculation over this period is necessary. Baigent, et al., recognizing this, for part of the book examine Biblical history using the oldest surviving records as a basis point instead of church doctrine or the latest translation of a translation, etc, of a pieced together, largely edited, and largely oral history called the Bible. Therefore, while their speculations may be as historically sound as anyone else's, some will denounce them as blasphemous. The rest of the book then seeks to at least verify that their interpretations of the Bible have existed long throughout history by trying to determine the beliefs of certain secret societies who claim to be guardians of "The Truth".

However, now instead of being impaired so much by a lack of records, the authors are forced to speculate about the secret societies' beliefs. Despite tracking down sources within a secret society, the authors' job is made difficult by the fact that such societies not only keep their secrets secret, but also fractionalize, engage in internal political struggles and have their own debates about dogma.

Like Foucault's Pendulum, which this inspired, this book is ultimately a detective novel about various writers trying to get inside the minds of secret societies and running into various obstacles. It may dissapoint readers who want all their answers handed to them (and the authors don't even pretend to have them), but life is not that simple. Sometimes knowing what the right questions are is just as important. This is a fun, interesting, thought-provoking, mind-expanding book.

Whether or not there was an actual conspiracy to cover up the content of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the fact is that there were no Jews on the Scroll committee for decades, and Jewish scholars were repeatedly denied access. That in itself is inexcusable, given that the Scrolls are, after all, ancient Jewish documents. It would be as if original manuscripts of the Gospels were discovered, but no Christian scholars were allowed to see them. Absolutely inexcusable! Baigent and Leigh cover this story very well in this book. Those who doubt that there was blatant antisemitism on the original Scroll committee can also read Strugnell's infamous interview with Ha-Aretz in the Hershel Shank's anthology, "Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls." As a Jew, I find it supremely offensive that people with such anti-Jewish attitudes were the ones to have control of the Scrolls.

Now that the texts of the Scrolls have finally been published for all to read, "The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception" may seem a bit dated and its conclusions anticlimatic. Still, it does raise a lot of good questions about some of the basic assumptions that the general public holds concerning the nature of the ancient Jewish community that lived at Qumran -- a debate which, I'm sure, will continue for generations to come.

I had never read anything about the Dead Sea Scrolls until reading this book. It was methodically written, and even though obviously intent on showing that there was a "deception" or conspiracy to hide or obscure the content and meaning of the Scrolls, it nevertheless provides an excellent primer on the essential historical questions surrounding recent New Testament scholarship. The authors have supplied and clarified many key points of an overall thesis for readers, like me, who find thinking and questioning to be stimulating. In addition, it is quite readable, unlike some other books by "biblical scholars."

Hidden for nineteen centuries, the Dead Sea Scrolls-the earliest biblical manuscripts-were found in caves near Jerusalem more than forty years ago. Yet the content of a large part of the eight hundred ancient
Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts remains concealed from the general public.

In this remarkable book Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, authors of the best-seller Holy Blood, Holy Grail, reveal new material that places the Scrolls in the time of Jesus and offers nothing less than a new
account of Christianity and an alternative and highly significant version of much of the New Testament.

Working closely with Professor Robert Eisenman-one of the foremost experts in biblical archaeology and scholarship-and with other scholars in both America and Britain, Baigent and Leigh set out to discover
why the content of the Scrolls was kept secret for so long. Their investigation began in Israel, led to the corridors of the Vatican, and into the offices of the Inquisition. They encountered a rigidly held
"consensus" on interpretation and dating, and discovered just how fiercely orthodox biblical scholarship was prepared to fight to retain its monopoly on the materials and their interpretation.

But The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception is much more than an expose of a bitter struggle among scholars. Extensive interviews, historical analysis, and a close study of both published and unpublished materials led
Baigent and Leigh to startling new views about the early Christians-for the Scrolls identify the group known as Christians as a band of fervent theocratic revolutionaries intent on breaking- Roman control of the
Holy Land and restoring the kingdom of Israel to its rightful Judaic dynasty, of which Jesus himself was a member.

The Dead Sea Scrolls have been news since their discovery, and with the release of the Scrolls themselves by the Huntington Library, they are on front pages and in prime time all over America. This remarkable
book tells the story of a great archaeological find and the mysteries surrounding it.

I have used this book in a two course sequence that was taught by a native Russian speaker who has graduate degrees in philology from prestigous universities in Moscow. I consider her considerably more knowlegeable about the Russian language and how to teach it to Americans than the know-it-all, KMM, who gives this book an unbelievable single star.

Our instructor, who actually knows something about Russia, having lived there for at least 45 years before coming to the US, repeatedly informed us that Golosa is the best text available and easily supersedes anything else that is available. It works for me.

My teacher warned us that a very limited number of phrases weren't culturally authentic and explained why. But, this book is more than adequate. Though some of the tapes don't conform exactly to the text, this engenders some level of sponteneity and helps develop listening skills.

Ignore KMM's diatribes against this book. Talk about a complete lack of crediblity! KMM rails against the American authors of the book, but apparently because KMM is French and knows a little English, too, KMM has expert status and superior knowlege about how native English speakers should learn Russian. Duh???

Wasn't KMM the person who essentially indicated that only a native Russian speaker can teach a Russian course? So, by KMM's own logic, ignore a native French speaker's comments on a Russian language text for Americans. KMM must agree that is it not possible for KMM to understand the needs of an English speaker in learning any language, except possibly French?

The specific criticisms KMM makes of this book-bad graphics and an incomplete "how to tell time" section-miss the mark, widely. Graphics: I've used the book and have two advanced degrees from nationally recognized institutions. I've seen a lot of textbooks. These graphics are adequate. Though some of the letters and notes reproduced in cursive script are a bit difficult to read, isn't the handwriting of many people difficult to read?

How to tell time: The time keeping information isn't introduced just to provide a complete discussion of how time is told in Russian. Rather, it is provided to acquint the beginner with one of the six complex "cases" that must be introduced to cover the basics. Hint to KMM: In Russian telling the time isn't as simple as "Six heures et demi", which is not different from English in structure.

Maybe KMM is only upset because Russian is so much more complex and difficult to learn than French. There are six "cases" and the nouns and adjectives must be "declined" to agree as to number, gender AND case. Even the "gender" is more complicated than French, because there is a neuter, not just a masculine and feminine. Then, almost none of the words are English cognates, though there are some French cognates. Anyone who suggests that Russian can be learned in a self-instruction program doesn't know enough about the subject to be taken seriously.

I am on the brink of completing an intensive Russian course (1 year of Russian compressed into one quarter) which has used this series. Over the course of 8 weeks with the two books and a PhD candidate as my guide I have found myself possessing enough proficiency to converse with a couple I met on a bus, to listen to the news in Russian, and assume I could keep my head above water were I to travel.

The authors' approach is vastly different from other texts I have encountered. A large number of listening and reading excercises accompany lessons on grammar and a wealth of vocabulary. Texts and dialogues, unlike other texts, are not overly glossed and seem to focus on adding unknown words and phrases, forcing the student to pick out what he or she understands to follow the action. Such an approach approximates what a student might experience in a real world situation.

For a student or teacher of early Russian classes I believe there to be few better books. I could not recommend the text and the authors' approach more. Although I would suggest awaiting the 3rd edition (the current edition is rife with confusing errors and typos as well as a cumbersome delivery system for the accompanying audio) the issues can be surmounted by a dedicated student and/or knowledgeable teacher. They do little, however, to detract from the overall quality inherent in the books' approach to learning.

Golasa RULES!!! I wouldn't want to learn russian any other way.

Henry James, The Spoils of Poynton (Dell, 1897)

The Spoils of Ponyton is the first novel James wrote in his "later style," in other words, drawing-room satire that isn't really about much of anything at all. For some odd reason, later-era James is what's universally praised in lit classes around the globe, while the early stuff, which is actually worth reading, is largely ignored.

To be fair, James did get better at satire as time went on, but The Spoils of Ponyton has all the hallmarks of being a first attempt at a stylistic change. The novel centers on two characters who are utterly incapable of action, which wouldn't be so bad if the characters who were doing the acting were more involved. Such is, sadly, not the case. Owen and Fleda just sort of drift and react; as the book is told from Fleda's point of view, we end up with page after page of something that, in the hands of a better author (even a later James, had he re-written it) would have come off as uber-Tevye; weighing the various merits of various courses of action, not being able to decide on a course, and letting fate take her where it will. In Fiddler on the Roof, it works (largely because Tevye's monologues are brief and to the point); in Poynton, it blithers on endlessly, with all the fascination for the reader of watching cheese spoil.

If you're new to James, by all means do yourself a favor and start with something he wrote earlier in his career. Leave Poynton until after you've developed enough of a taste for James to pick up later-era works, and then read the major ones before diving into this. *

I give this three stars in an internal world where 5 is James at his best. In comparison to most fiction the rating would be higher, but as a DEVOUT fan, I live in my own internal world. In that world, James who was more critical than any of us, would understand that in comparison to other later era work and even middle period work, Spoils does not live up to his best. It is fun and light, another reviewer mentioned obvious signs of a stylistic shift perhaps being too obvious here. That feels on the money to me. That said, if you've read almost everything, it is a light turn with the Master and that has something delicious in it no matter what.

I read this one a few years ago, and I have to rank it at the bottom of the list (along with "The Europeans").

Though Fleda Vetch can be fascinating in a Hamlet-esque way (through her infuriating inability to act), this novel is far from a must-read as far as James goes.

Unfortunately this book has not been updated in over 25 years. Taxonomic changes in some groups of mammals have left this rather inadequate. The illustrations aren't bad except for sea mammals which have black and white sketches for illustrations. It may have been a decent guide when it came out, but I don't see the point in publishing a book which may not have the animal you're looking at in it! This book needs a revision.

This book was issued in 1976 not in 1998 as I was led to believe...... I just received my copy and it is a 3rd edition, clearly copyrighted in 1976. Apparently it was reprinted recently, but not updated. Who knows how much has changed on our knowledge of mammals over the past 25 years? Also, the binding on this paperback has left little space for the inside margin which will make this a little difficult to use and probably shortern its lifespan. RK

Peterson's field guide to mammals is one of my standard references as a mammology student. I constantly use the range maps,color identification plates, and animal descriptions. The book provides you with good identification characteristics indicated by arrows on the illustrations of each animal and a brief life history of every species north of the border. There are skull plates at the back of the book that are good for comparing different families but do not include every species and in some cases are poor positions to see defining attributes. The color plates for the most part have good illustrations but a few look hoaky like the Mountain Lion. Nevertheless, they all still provide good size comparisons and coloration of the animals. Consistant with other Peterson guides.