Heads up, lovers of all things Schumann! Ruskin King Cooper explores the life and piano music of Ludwig Schuncke in an impeccably researched and engagingly written new book, ROBERT SCHUMANN'S CLOSEST "JUGENDFREUND:" LUDWIG SCHUNCKE (1810-1834) AND HIS PIANO MUSIC. Robert Schumann dedicated his colossal "Toccata," op. 7 to Schuncke; likewise, the "Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik" endures as an eloquent testimony to the lively artistic and emotional camaraderie that existed between Schumann and Schuncke. Oddly, scholarly appraisals of Ludwig Schuncke's musical contributions have been largely absent; Cooper's study sets a high standard for subsequent research pertaining to this notable Davidite.

The book, in German/English, comprises a biography of Schuncke and a discussion of selected piano works (many of them gems); appendices include a list of works, discography, pertinent correspondence, and contemporary reviews. The text also incorporates ample illustrations and musical examples. An earlier version of Cooper's research on Schuncke was awarded The Outstanding Dissertation Award from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1995. Cooper presently teaches at Salem College and Davidson College in North Carolina.

Mr. May died in 1976. In 1991, his daughter was working in the family attic and found several drafts of a sequel written in 1947. These were edited into this story and published in 1992. New illustrations were developed by Michael Emberley to bring the story humorously up-to-date.

Researchers constantly find that reading to children is valuable in a variety of ways, not least of which are instilling a love of reading and improved reading skills. With better parent-child bonding from reading, your child will also be more emotionally secure and able to relate better to others. Intellectual performance will expand as well. Spending time together watching television fails as a substitute.

To help other parents apply this advice, as a parent of four I consulted an expert, our youngest child, and asked her to share with me her favorite books that were read to her as a young child. Rudolph's Second Christmas was one of her picks.

This book is the story of what happened in the year following Rudolph's famous trip with Santa Claus on that "foggy Christmas Eve." When Santa and Rudolph get back from some time off, they start reading thank you letters from children. Unfortunately, they find one complaint letter. They had missed two children with a circus who had been good. Rudolph volunteers to find out how they can avoid missing the children next Christmas. Along the way, he comes up with wonderful solutions that make the whole year better . . . as well as next Christmas.

The book's story line builds nicely around the problems that the children and some unusual animals perceive they have by being different. Rudolph shows them how differences become advantages when brought to bear in the right time and in the right place. So the original story's theme of overcoming being shunned because of being different using Rudolph as the example is much more thoroughly explored in this book. I like the idea of Rudolph taking that lesson and teaching it to others. In many ways, that makes this book more intersting and valuable than the original, well-beloved story.

Children are very aware of and critical about differences in other people and in themselves versus "the norm." This story gives you a nice chance to counterbalance that false conclusion that only sameness should be celebrated. In this way you can encourage your child to be both a keen observer of differences and an innovative thinker about how to turn them to advantage.

There is a television commercial out now that does this well, for example. Two groups of children are being formed into teams by having captains choose players. The assumption is that this will be a sports contest. One side is glad to get a large child, while another side is discouraged about getting a smaller one. Then the contest turns out to be a debate, and the team with the smaller child is ecstatic. That commercial is a good one to discuss in the context of this story.

After you have finished enjoying the story with your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or godchild, I suggest that the two of you have a discussion about what the child perceives of his or her differences as being disadvantages. Then think together about how those could be advantages instead. This will open up a whole new world of possibility for the child. You will be like Rudolph in dispelling the fog so that Christmas can come again this year.

Won't you guide someone's sleigh to greater self worth tonight?

By the way, it's great fun to read this book while playing a recording of the Rudolph song in the background at the same time.

Have a very Merry Christmas, and share the gift of good will with others.

If you do not celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season for what you do celebrate. May God be with you!

First, take a topic every one is interested in and that is genuinely important. Next, get the best possible data about it -- quantitative and qualitative. Think really hard about it, taking seriously both past academic and popular writing on the subject. Then find new ways of putting things together, and teach us new things about the world. Then write, rewrite, edit and reedit until your prose is tight, precise, means exactly what you want it to mean, and is a pleasure to read.

That's what the authors of this book did. I heartily recommend this book -- you'll learn stuff, and have great material for dinner conversation for week.

The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States is clearly a scholarly book. The authors also published a volume for the general public entitled: Sex in America: A Definitive Survey. This title includes nearly the same information. However, it is much more readable, but doesn't included all the scholarly details.

At this point in time, it is not likely that readers can find a more comprehensive study on human sexuality.