This book is one of those rare works that is so very good, that you cannot really describe it: language is not rich enough to do it justice. I can do little more than quote from the review of the prestigious The Economist:

"If there were a Nobel prize for political science, Sammy Finer would deserve to win one for this extraordinary trilogy--a work of scholarship so broad in its sympathies, so ambitious in scope and so elegantly crafted that it leaves the reader gasping, literally, with astonishment and delight...[L]ikely to be read as long as Aristotle. No finer work of political science...has been published in this century."--The Economist

Finer's triumphant work of comparative government history is a rare gem. It is not often that a historical study is both deeply informative and perspective changing. This book is both. Finer does not simply outline the devolopment of government, but constructs an entirely new intellectual system for viewing, interpreting, and discussing government. From there he moves on to trace the evolution of government from Sumer to the Industrial Revolution. Every major development is explored, and many minor ones are also included.

Finer shows a mastery of every time and place in history. It is amazing that he can conver accurately and informatively Han civilization and then switch to an excellent discussion of Roman civilization. The same skill with which he reconstructs the governments of Sumer and Egypt is applied later to the constitutional monarchies and revolutionary governments in modern Europe.

Finer's masterpiece ought to be read by anyone interested in an objective study in how societies orgzanize themselves. It is a highly useful reference that should be owned by anyone who works with history on a regular basis.

Ever so often you find a book that not only deepens your insight on the topics you expect it to cover, but also gives you a wholly different perspective in a much wider field. This is such a book. This book covers the whole field of development of government. The first part gives a referencemodel for descibing government, its most important uses and the powers limiting it. This part would be a satisfying book in itself. The most fascinating parts come later. The rest of the book discusses all the governmental systems that where in some way innovative.All you ever wanted to know about goverment and but never knew that it could be so interesting. But it als gives insight in the mechanisms of power. The description of the signifcance of access to an chinese emperor and the importance that gives to humble titles as royal cupbearer etc. lets you see patterns you can see in everyday life and more important lets you enjoy them. I found the book to be full of these gems, and at the same time it maintains a clearity of focus that is amazing. The only drawback is it's size and the time it takes to think about what you have read.

The point of this review is to correct an error in Steven Goldstein's review of this book. McKim, Mead, & White were not involved in the construction of the Metropolitan Opera, as he states.

This is a wonderful, ravishing book, although I suppose some readers might be disappointed that the author has limited himself to surviving examples of McKim, Mead, & White's work, with current photographs ... all of them gorgeous. Vintage photographs, where available, would have been a nice addition. For example, it would be interesting, if possible, to compare the Pulitzer mansion in New York as originally built with the current photos ... it has been divided into something like 9 condominiums!

Speaking as a practicing architect and longtime admirer of the works of Stanford White, I found this book was nonetheless a revelation. Gorgeously photographed, it shows a broader spectrum of the residential work of this illustrious firm. McKim Mead and White have a well-deserved reputation for grand public buildings (Metropolitan Opera, Penn Station, Madison Square Garden to name three that have sadly been demolished) but are less known for these spectacular houses built for the robber barons of the Gilded Age among whom Stanford White circulated. What is suprising is the facility with which they moved from lavish and elegantly detailed city houses to surprisingly unpretentious inviting summer homes on Long Island and elsewhere. If you love Beaux Arts architecture, skip this book at your peril.

This book combines rich visual appeal with a serious analysis of the residential work of McKim, Mead & White. The introduction is particularly valuable for its succinct survey of the firm's development and its discussion of the collaboration of the partners.

Wolfgang Samuel does it again... After penning German Boy, a book relating his own experiences as a German youth fighting for survival at the end of WWII, Samuel examines the post-World War II Cold War through the eyes of American air force flyers. As a reader, I found it refreshing that throughout the book Samuel allowed military aviators to tell their own stories. But more importantly, he puts the events and activities into historical context so that readers who are not steeped in the history of the time understand the critical importance of the Cold War air effort documented by him. Early on, we hear American flyers saying "I Always Wanted to Fly" but I found the stories to be about commitment, motivation, dedication and the determined fight for the very freedoms we enjoy everyday. This book is a must read for history buffs and an adventurous, exciting and engaging work for any reader interested in the Cold War.

In this extraordinary book you learn what it cost America to maintain our freedom - the many lives lost of airmen who flew what they called reconnaissance against the Soviet Union and Communist China. I never knew much about this secret war. Well, I Always Wanted to Fly, tells you all about those brave men who flew the RB-45 and the RB-47 in the coldest years of the Cold War. It tells you about the picture takers and those who gathered the electronic intelligence. At times their cold war flights got pretty hot. Samuel takes you along on one of those missions high over the Barents Sea, lets you experience what Hal Austin and his crew felt when they turned south, heading for Archangelsk. I admire those men and Samuel told their story beautifully. This is a book you don't want to miss if you have any interest in Cold War reconnaissance. I call them spy flights.

Another outstanding book by Wolfgang Samuel as he presents another facet of history in way it always needed to be told. We tend to look at history from the perspective of those who shape history - the politicians and statesmen, but here we see it from the perspective of those who make history - the military, as they go about doing their job. So eloquently written that the reader can't help but feel like being along on the mission as part of the crew - exciting, frightening and an unforgetable experience. The author has made it possible for the general public to get a taste of the airmen's world and to look behind the scenes of the many battles and wars fought since the end of World War 11. It makes one proud and appreciative of our Cold War Airmen, and thankful to them for a job well done. Highly recommend this book, as it's an eye opener for anyone who wants to know what has been going on during the last fifty five years.

This book is a must have for any fan of great theater, intelligent novels, deep poetry, critical essays, or moving short stories: because it has all of them by the master of all of these genres.

From famous works such as, "Waiting for Godot," and "Krapp's Last Tape" (plays), that force a reader to rethink their world, to classic short stories, such as, "Dante and the Lobster," that is a dive into a surreal world: this book has everything.

1,000 words is not nearly enough to get into this book at any real depth, or to even give it a proper over view. This book covers the entire spectrum of one of Ireland's greatest writers.

Creater of the theater of the absurd, world renouned playwright, and man who single handedly made a place for the "shorter play," in a world that had come to expect a minimum of two acts, for a peice of drama to be considered serious.

This book contains novels, novel excerpts and short stories, all of which, redefined the genres that they belonged to. Prolific, constantly changing, and reaching new hights, Beckett redefined every genre that he wrote in, and set new levels of perfection for the rest of us to reach for.

One can not say enough things about this true literary genius. The best advice that I can give you is, buy this book, read it, and give yourself the perfect oppertunity to become aquainted with Beckett. This book gives a wondeful over view of each of Beckett's writing stages and the evolution of his work.

This is a very wise introduction to Samuel Beckett's work. If you haven't discovered one of the most profound voices of the 20th century, then this book is the way to do it. By far his most accessible work is the short play Krapp's Last Tape and it is in this volume complete. Waiting for Godot is also here as well as excerpts from Beckett's prose and some of his later plays like Not I. This book belongs on your shelf.

If you've never heard of Beckett, this is the first thing you should check out. Richard Seaver's introduction is an added bonus, which helps us understand Beckett even more. All in all, a fabulous book.

"The Illustrated Story of Copyright" may be the most important book I read this year. It traces history back to duplicating the printed word, and covers presses, copiers, the Internet, and computers. Also covered is Fair Use and Patents. The book is written so that non-professionals and non-students can understand it, yet I believe that it would be an asset to any attorney's office or to any law curriculum.

Others who will enjoy this book are the Mac/Apple fans. "Mac people" are a clan of their own, and those I've met will collect anything with substantial Mac information. The condensed history of how Mac came to be is a worthy addition to a Macintosh library.

Furthermore, "The Illustrated Story of Copyright" should be required reading for all musicians, all VCR owners, all computer owners, all freelancers... the list is endless. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it, but wish I'd known about it sooner. I doubt that I'll recommend another book to as wide a range of people.

(this book was recommended to me ... then purchased from my amazon.com wishlist.)

Unlike many books on legal issues that are important to non-lawyers, this book strikes a very readable balance between providing useful advice and being something you actually enjoy reading. I would rate this a "must read" for anybody dealing with commercialization of art, photography, writing, data ...

The historic perspective is invaluable for understanding copyrights, and Samuels does a superb job of showing how US law has evolved to meet challenges of evolving technologies and markets.

I look forward to a second edition in a few years as the WWW saga unfolds.

If you want to know what it's all about - just what it is that writers, publishers, composers, musicians, sculptors and photographers own - and what use you can make of their work, this is a great place to start.

A lucid survey of the history, and logic of the law of copyright, Samuels' well laid out, and copiously illustrated book is a useful guide for editors, writers, agents, websters, napsters, law students, and even law professors.

The numerous side bars and photos provide stories that illuminate the logic of copyright law. A subject which is in danger of being throttled by technical detail (the Copyright Act is must reading for insomniacs) is made plain here. It's a great introduction and a helpful wrap up for those who know the ropes, but have gotten tangled in the details.

Great read packed with info. I've always wanted to know more about her, not just the vague references made in books about Keller and Sullivan.

The long-forgotten story of Laura Bridgman is riveting: She was the first deaf, blind and mute American to learn English and she did so through the ingenious efforts of Samuel Howe. If author Elisabeth Gitter had done nothing more than reintroduce this story to the world, her book would have been worthwhile. But Gitter does much more. Both Bridgman and Howe were enormously complicated, infinitely fascinating characters and their relationship was unprecedented in human experience (quite a statement, but it's true!). It is incredible, and in many ways, heart-wrenching, to watch their storybook relationship develop and devolve. Gitter wisely tells the story without literary flourishes; it's so remarkable, it doesn't need any. The author is also scrupulously fair to her subjects (few characters in history go from appealling to detestable, and back again, more quickly than Howe) and provides just the right degree of historical background--enough to inform the reader, but not enough to slow down the narrative. A nearly perfect book!

Elisabeth Gitter has introduced the 21st Century reader to Laura Bridgman, "the original deaf-blind girl" in her well written and sensitive portrayal of "this pitiful little girl" who "became the most celebrated child in (19th Century) America." Along with her teacher and mentor, Samuel Howe, founder of the first school for the blind in America, Laura became an inspiration for the indominability of the human spirit. Yet, as Gitter wisely and perceptively shows, the multi-faceted character behind Laura's public persona was often overlooked by Howe in his zeal to show the world that, in his words, "obstacles are things to be overcome", and that Laura Bridgman was the prime example of the veracity of his statement. With her extraordinary knowledge of the Victorian era in which the story takes place, and her exceptional command of the written word, Gitter has brought Laura Bridgman the honor and dignity she was often denied her life.

This book is great. It was the first book read to her when she was just born. She still loves at 18 months. We read it to her at night and she loves to look at all the neat pages.

PRECIOUS MOMENTS LITTLE PRAYERS' illustrations and storyline are both 5 stars each so this book deserves 10 STARS! It is truly rare to find a book with a great story and illustrations like this one! No words I can utter would do this book justice--I'll let the book speak for itself:

"I'M READY TO SLEEP, ALL SAFE AND SNUG. I'VE HEARD A STORY AND HAD A HUG.

THANK YOU GOD, FOR A HAPPY DAY. GIVE ME A HAPPY TOMORROW, I PRAY.

I WONDER WHAT I'LL DREAM TONIGHT, HERE IN MY COZY BED. PERHAPS I'LL DREAM OF KINGS AND QUEENS OR JUST OF MY OLD BEAR, TED.

MY GUARDIAN ANGEL SPENDS THE NIGHT, AND KEEPS ME SAFE TILL MORNING'S LIGHT.

THANKS FOR THE SUN...THANKS FOR THE MOON...THANKS FOR THE STARS SO BRIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING OVER ME--MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT.

THANK YOU, GOD, FOR BOOKS AND TOYS TO SHARE WITH OTHER GIRLS AND BOYS.

THANK YOU, GOD, FOR EARTH AND SKY, FOR OCEANS DEEP AND MOUNTAINS HIGH, FOR SUMMER, WINTER, FALL AND SPRING--THANK YOU, GOD, FOR EVERYTHING."

Night-night, sweet dreams and remember God loves you!

My two-year-old loves this book! We read it every night before going to bed. The rhyming prayer was easy for her to memorize, so she now "reads" the book to me. The poem reviews the bedtime routine and reminds kids to be thankful for their world.

I asked a doctor I respected to recommend a book which was a short synopsis of the biochemical basis of Psychiatry and he said, "Amazon - up on Amazon". He was right.

The book contained some "extras" I hadn't anticipated. It is written by a Psychiatry Department Chairman (Samuel H. Barondes) and was definitely intended to cover the highlights and future of the field.

"Molecules and Mental Illness" is a phenomenal book but it should better be titled "Overview and Future of Modern Psychiatry for Those Having a Background in Science".

It is unfortunate that young doctors these days have no familiarity with the magazine, "Scientific American" for this would be a fine read for senior medical students considering Psychiatry as a specialty, for residents in Psychiatry to be reminded of the scientific, cellular and molecular basis of what they are practicing, or for more senior doctors needing a refresher course or needing an overview of the field.

Starting with an overview of the history of biological psychiatry then gross and molecular genetics, the next third of the book has to do with macro- and micro- biology with great emphasis on neuronal membrane and different receptors, eventually covering known interactions of drugs with the membrane and across a synapse.

The next third of the book delves into the major mental illnesses (schizophrenia, mania and depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder) along with their diagnostic criteria, genetics, and drug therapies (there is scant mention of electroconvulsive therapy and psychotherapy).

This book is loaded with color reproductions of paintings, of chromosomes, of neurons (cross-section intracellular, synaptically, as conductors of electrical signals), of the biochemistry of the nervous system (i.e., membrane dynamics), charts, graphs, etc., etc., etc. It is replete with schematics of relevant molecules (legal and illegal).

The Table of Contents is short, sweet and to the point.

The book itself is concise and readable but comprehensive.

Curiously, the book ends with a "Recapitulation (In Verse)", four subsections: Freud, Drugs, Genes, Stories.

"Since understanding molecules
That drive us to insanity
Provides a giant window on
The nature of humanity."

I recommend it highly to science-oriented persons and to physicians. At its price, it is a "bargain" book.

This book would be ideal for Amazon's "Look Inside" feature.

The text is too enjoyable!! I was hooked! I am a medical graduate interested in Psychiatry and Genetics. This book is now my "bible"! THANK YOU SIR Barondes...thank you for giving me more passion for the field and inspiration for contributing to science in the future. If the Gods are on my side I will meet you someday. Salaam. Hussain

Dr. Barondes makes an incredibly complex subject easy to understand. He packs a great deal of information into a few, well illustrated pages. The book starts in the history of neurology, then explains the structure of neurons and goes on to describe the different brain chemicals and how they work on a molecular level.

Because of its clarity, this book would make an excellent textbook for teaching neurochemistry and its interactions with the mind.

As a lifelong resident of Pittsburgh and author of an upcoming guidebook to the area, I believe Pittsburgh: Story of An American City is a wonderful book for more than Pittsburghers.

This book lifts the lid on all our progressive city has to offer, it educates those who have outdated knowledge of Pittsburgh, and it makes a great gift book.

If that's not enough, it provides an ideal history lesson for all as Western Pennsylvania has many historic sights to see as well as splendid architecture!

After reading, you'll want to extend your next business trip to Pittsburgh, shop in more than our airport, and visit our family-friendly parks. Don't forget: Mister Rogers lives here! Your kids will love Idlewild Park, with the only life-size Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

If you can't be our neighbor, come see us. You won't be disappointed!

The latest edition of Pittsburgh is an expertly crafted and beautifully photographed continuation of the Lorant chronicle. Although Mr. Campbell finished the work after Mr. Lorant's death, the new chapter flows with the Lorant style. The edition uses an impressive array of photos to help tell the story and give a sense of the kind of people who have remained at the hard work of rebuilding an industrial city. Like the editions before, the work emphasizes the positive about the city and concentrates on physical renewal. Yet you come away thinking that whatever its problems, people working together can come up with a solution. People from the area will like this book but others who believe in the importance of cities will find it interesting and instructive.

We landed at Pittsburgh International Airport a little after dusk, impressed with how the runways appeared to grow out of the natural contours of the land. We joined the flowing rush hour traffic as the comfortable limousine sped in towards the city. Joe, our driver, talked enthusiastically about the change from steel city to high tech city, the history of an era that changed from black to white, but nothing was to prepare us for what was to follow. As we escaped through the Fort Pitt tunnel the night light panorama left us breathless-this surely is one of the new post-modern views of a post-industrial age.

The purpose of our visit had everything to do with 'The Book'; the style in which Pittsburgh's citizens would affectionately refer to Stefan Lorant's monumental opus Pittsburgh: the story of an American city. With an initial ten years in the making, first published in 1964 and revised in 1974, 1980 and 1988, Lorant was completing a fifth edition when he died in November 1997 just 100 days short of his 97th birthday. Twenty-five thousand copies of this new version, the 'Millennium Edition' are now on the bookstalls due to the tenacity, talent and sheer hard work of Bruce and Gail Campbell who inherited the copyright. Lorant himself was tenacious, immensely talented, capable of recognising talent in others and certainly subscribed to the work ethic. It is intriguing to speculate why a Hungarian, a foreigner and stranger to the city could write such a volume, on the surface a notion to be easily dismissed but a reality that became spectacularly successful.

Stefan Lorant was born in Budapest on February 22nd, 1901 and died in Rochester, Minnesota on November 14th, 1997 at 96-years-of-age. He was a witness to the century with his life spanning a period of political turmoil, war and social change. Lorant became a legend within his lifetime. His work as a visual and literary editor allowed him to pioneer and develop the genré of picture based journalism at a period in time which saw the emergence of modern mass communications. Internationally he became a guiding force, disseminating his ideas and political knowledge throughout Europe in the late-twenties and thirties by working in Germany, Hungary and England, eventually spreading his sphere of influence to America where he introduced the concept of the pictorial biography. His innovative layouts, his 'exclusive' interviews and thirst for knowledge became a familiar part of millions of everyday lives, largely through the pages of his own creations, and in particular the legendary media icon Picture Post. His vision of photography as a documentary medium inspired Life and Look magazines in America, and paved the way for the eventual emergence of the television documentary. For this he became recognised as 'the father of picture journalism'.

Originally published in 1964, the first edition of Pittsburgh: the story of an American city is the mature Lorant at his most brilliant. 'The Book' had a specific local audience as well as a wider interested public throughout America and that is reflected by the reviews of the first edition. Harrison E. Salisbury in The New York Times sees 'The whole tumultuous story of Pittsburgh, magnificently illustrated... is presented in this volume... the study of the metamorphosis is all here-the bloody struggles of the nineteenth century, the grit and smoke, the politics, the toil, the sweat-the imagination.' Publishers' Weekly was equally congratulatory but in a different way. 'It is certainly one of the most fascinating detailed picture histories yet attempted of any city anywhere. For readability, thoroughness (ten years of research went into it), graphic quality, and broad scope (it covers political and social history, daily life, labor problems, architecture and what have you), this is a model history of an American city.'

Lorant's Pittsburgh: the story of an American city is not just a biography of a city but a microcosm of the American peoples. Just ten or so days before he died in November 1997, Lorant complained that he only needed a good day to complete 'The Book'. To be accurate Lorant's 'good day' did not mean a working period of time between dawn and dusk, or any other measure within that 24-hour cycle. It was an infinitely variable amount of time necessary to complete the story to Lorant's satisfaction. He was not to have that 'good day'. He had completed the layout for the new pages and commissioned the new photographs, most of which were in place. Picking up the editorial reigns, Gail and Bruce Campbell have produced this new edition with Bruce weaving the strands of the new final chapter from 1988 to the millennium which he entitles, 'The best is yet to come'.

There are parallels with which Lorant would have been acquainted. Mozart's pupil Süssmayr, well appraised of his master's procedure and intentions completed the final masterpiece-Requiem in D minor. By comparison, the Campbell's share an affinity with Lorant's intentions and have produced a contemporary and forward looking vision which retains Lorant's classic composition.

Those of us who knew Lorant well, can still visualise him sat at his kitchen table in his farmhouse in Lenox with a copy of the new Millennium Edition open in front of him. For a while nothing would be said, though nothing would be missed. Eventually there would be a slight shrug of his shoulders, a nonchalant wave of his hands. 'It is good, very good-but with my help, perhaps we could have made it ten percent better.' That would be praise indeed from this great Hungarian editor, for without question Lorant would have approved.

This is a 'must-have' for any millennium book list!

Samuel Johnson's essays contain more wisdom per square inch than any other writer I've encountered. Like any period, the eighteenth century had its flaws, but Johnson's prose rises above all of them. His respect for common sense and his deep faith keep him safe from the delusions of perfectability that infected many of his contemporaries.

Samuel Johnson wrote in many genres, and the essay is one for which he is well-known. Of the three series of his essays, the Rambler is usaully hailed as being his best. This is the only complete edition in print.

Johnson was a great critic, a moralist, and a sharp observer of human behavior. The Rambler essays cover all three aspects of his opinions.

In literary criticism, we have discussions of pastoral poetry, of Milton's blank verse (long before his biography of Milton in "The Lives of the Poets"), and a stunning essay on the superiority of biography as a literary form.

We have his moralist perspective, and his human observations, combined in essays on the foolishness of telling secrets, procrastination, self-consciousness, anger, regret, perseverance, etc.

Admittedly, Johnson's syntax can be difficult, and occasionally he will send you to your dictionary. But your efforts will be rewarded, because Johnson's views are written from the perspective of someone who is all too familiar with his own flaws, and knows the difference between the ideals he proposes and our/his own performance in attempting to achieve those goals.

Samuel Johnson is arguably the greatest prose stylist the English language has produced, and contained within the two hundred or so Rambler essays written by Johnson (a few of the essays were written by others by invitation from Johnson) are perhaps Johnson's greatest work. Not every essay is a classic, but many of them are and bear reading and rereading.

There is unfortunately no good one-volume edition of the Rambler essays. The Bate anthology regretfully neglects the moral essays for those more aesthetic and literary in nature, which is tragic because Johnson is a religious moralist as much as he is a literary critic, and even the critical side cannot be understood without an appreciation of Johnson's religious and moral convictions and sensibilities. As a side note, I could add that this is typical of Bate, and is especially in evidence in his otherwise marvelous biography of Johnson, where he tends to treat Johnson's very powerful religious beliefs as an odd sort of psychological aberration.

It is impossible to recommend a purchase this expensive for the casual reader, but as owner of the three-volume set, I can attest that any lover of Johnson will find him or herself going to these volumes and especially particular essays, again and again and again.