The value of Stokes's account of Communism in Eastern Europe is twofold. First of all, Stokes provides us with an incredibly detailed account of how and why the Communist Bloc nations abandoned their socialist regimes and ended the Cold War. By exploring the roots of the Cold War in the immediate postwar era, Stokes successfully traces the rise and fall of the nuanced Communist regimes of Eastern Europe.

More importantly, however, Stokes puts the rise and fall of the Communist regimes into the context of twentieth century European history and attempts to tackle the larger question of what we can conclude about Europe as a whole. Viewing Europe as inherently united and indivisible, Stokes pegs Communism as the second major tiding that kept Europe apart (Fascism being the first). Just as Communism seemed to be the most expedient solution for postwar recovery after 1945, by 1989, the bloc countries had realized that they had not found the solution.

This book is a must-read for anyone looking to learn more about the dividing force that was Communism, how and why the regimes revolted against it, and where the newly liberated countries are headed. Although it is not an easy book to get through (an abundance of details makes the book particularly dense), it is well worth the effort. For the most part, the writing style is effective and holds your interest, and the understanding of the Cold War and the meaning of the 20th century in Europe is invaluable.

Ms. Gale handles a difficult subject, the under rated role of women in the development of English theater very well. The book is a mix of a humorous review of key agents of change as well as some of the main theater events of the era.

If you want both a fine academic text on an increasingly important subject, the role of women in theater, as well as a good read, this book will pleasantly surprise you.

This twelve volume set is unmatched for many different types of libraries. It is a little too basic for a law firm library, but for academic or public libraries it cannot be beat. It is simply organized, has very thorough explanations of over 4,000 legal terms and important legal events, and devotes a whole volume to a very useful dictionary.

"What do I read Next" is an excellent resource. Every question I had about genre, its success, and its latest trends were answered. The authors were incredibly thorough. The 700+ page book is divided by genre, such as Mystery, Romance, etc., then dissects each genre by category. It defines each subgenre and category. It classifies each text that has been publshed that year. Next the author analyzes each genre. The latest novels are identified and described. The genre is examined by category to explore the latest trends, developments, reviews, and other issues concerning romance. I loved this book because it provided a wealth of information for Final Paper. I would definitely use it again.

Want to read a book that will intrigue and inspire you but you are not quite sure what inspirational reading means. Well, then pick up this reference tool in question, i.e., WhatInspirational Literature Do I Read Next? by Pamela Willwerth Aue (Editor), Henry L., Jr Carrigan (Editor). In here one will get advice on what to read and wh1ich authors that write in this genre. Highly Recommended.

I know that term bible of this , that and the other is used often and has almost become a cliche. However, I have to say that this reference tool per se, i.e., What Mystery Do I Read Next? : A Reader's Guide to Recent Mystery Fiction by Steven A. Stilwell, Charles Montney is the bible for mystery readers and librarians alike. In here one will find short information on the auhtors and their titles. The font is fair but not poor. It could have been better. However, the quality is sufficient for the format and one can not say that one strains one's eyes using this reference tool. Recommended.

Hard on the heels of What Mystery Do I Read Next? [RBB Ap 15 97] are these two new entries in Gale's impressive reader's-advisory series. Both come in the familiar, user-friendly What Do I Read Next? format, with brief descriptive information, plot summaries, and read-alikes provided for each title, as well as extensive indexing. No public library should be without What Romance? which lists 2,000 titles culled from the first seven editions of What Do I Read Next? Information is the same as that provided in the parent volumes, except that the review citations are omitted. As with What Mystery Do I Read Next? it is useful to have all the information on a genre brought together in one volume. The eight indexes are designed to answer almost any reader's-advisory question, from what titles are included in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, to what romances feature zookeepers as characters. There is a key to story types as well as a list of romance award winners. What Do I Read Next? Multicultural Literature differs in several ways from its genre-based counterparts. There are more than 1,350 titles, separated into four different sections: African American, Latino, Asian American, and Native American. Each of these sections has a different author and begins with an essay that surveys the literature, starting with the earliest examples. The title lists, which are arranged alphabetically by author, give authors' ethnicity (except in the Asian American section) as well as the standard brief facts about the titles, plot summaries, and review citations. The titles listed under "Other Books You Might Like" are briefly annotated. While the contents of the mystery and romance volumes were collected from the annual editions of What Do I Read Next? the titles here were chosen specifically for this source. They include nonfiction as well as fiction. They also include books for all age groups. There is an age index providing access to titles written for grades K^-1 through adult. In contrast, though one of the story types in What Romance Do I Read Next? is young adult, the story-type index shows that only 5 out of the 2,000 titles are written for the young adult reader. (Librarians will need to consult What Do Young Adults Read Next? for more extensive coverage of romance for teens.) There is also a separate illustrator index, important for the children's titles. Each of the authors seems to have used slightly different criteria in choosing titles for inclusion. There is no description of general guidelines, but hints are provided in the essays--authors were apparently instructed to select only prose titles, for example, and to focus on titles that are readily available. Though most titles were published in the 1980s and 1990s, there are a few that were published much earlier. The African American section includes only fiction, with no publication dates earlier than 1970. The Latino section includes anthologies of poetry, prose, and essays as well as autobiographies, such as Richard Rodriguez's Hunger of Memory. There are a few examples of Literatura chicanesca, works about Chicano life written by non-Chicanos, such as Danny Santiago. The Asian American section includes history, personal memoirs, poetry, and erotica as well as fiction. The section author, Terry Hong, also provides a list of personal favorites. The Native American section includes collections of myths and folktales, reference books, and an array of nonfictional studies, as well as works by some non-native authors, such as Tony Hillerman. There are a few editing problems; for example, William Least Heat Moon is listed once among the H's and once among the L's. Despite some unevenness, this volume is a welcome addition to the What Do I Read Next? family. It is highly recommended for public libraries as a time-saving collection-development as well as reader's-advisory tool. Because it encompasses all age groups, it should also be extremely useful in school libraries

Full of global "factoids", this book is indispensible for business and home use.

A truly challenging and interesting collection. A must for all who are interested in women and theater. Includes material that cannot be found elsewhere. It demonstrates how femanists perspectives, female play writes and female actors need to be taken seriously.

This is part of a series that is very stimultating. I look forward to the next volume because the role of women writers in theater has been included because the vast majority of theater critics are male.

Swim Workouts in a Binder for Triathletes is my new "Most Valuable Tool" for training this season. Bernhardt begins the book by making a concise case for sound, purposeful training. No more meaningless laps or jumping in the pool and developing "a plan" on the spot. You can use the workouts, enough to keep you interested for a long time, on their own as you wish. Alternatively, you can truly maximize this nugget by developing your own plan for the season. She provides a 12 week program, assuming 3-4 swims per week, to save you planning time and/or to give you a general structure. The plan is adaptable and flexible and I see no difficulty in adjusting it to my own training needs. In order to accomodate new and seasoned athletes, and those training for shorter courses and iron distance, each workout has two distance options. Your first workout will be a test so you have a reference tool (time) that keeps you training at your own pace instead of some speedier (or slower) swimmer a lane over. Bernhardt makes purposeful training so understandable that you'll wonder why you even bothered "just getting in for a swim" in the past. I have the Triathletes Training Bible (Friel) and Training Plans for Multisport Athletes (Bernhardt), and this book is a great addition. While the other two books have helped me understand what I want to do in order to train well, Swim Workouts in a Binder has saved me hours of time in my season planning and given me a renewed excitement for pool training.

The book is the perfect size to sit at the edge of the pool for mid-workout reference, and the sturdy spiral binding keeps your page in place. It will get absolutely soaking, and that's okay.

Anything negative? No negatives, only an understanding of what it is not meant to contain. For instance, the only drills she brings into the workouts are finger drags, one-arm swimming, and catch up. It is clear that any other drill could (and should) be added or switched in according to personal needs. For a guide to swimming technique you have to look elsewhere. Expect just what the title of the book indicates. It's perfect.