Cripple with a clubfoot, lady's maid Meg Quincy was an unusual servant. She knew how to read, loved poetry, and spoke like a lady. Richard, Lord Beaumont, vowed to never marry, but his dying mother begged that he propose to Allegra, their neighbor's obnoxious daughter. Trapped by love for his mother, Richard agrees, only to be taken by Meg. Mysteries about Meg's background complicate her work for Lady Semple's daughter, Allegra.

A wannabe bit of froth and frolic that is too predictable and lacks depth and real humor. The ending was unrealistic. Kennedy shows promise, but needs more logic and realism in the relationships between servant and master/mistress.

Servants are the invisible portion of a household. Aren't they? If that is so, then why is it that Richard, Lord Beaumont, heir to the Marquis of Montclaire cannot seem to command his thoughts away from young Meg Quincy, lady's maid to Caroline, daughter of the Earl of Wallingford?

'Tis true that Meg is hardly your run-of-the-mill servant girl, being as knowledgeable about poetry and poets, painting, and butterflies as she is about mending and ironing. She hasn't dropped an 'h' since she first learned to talk. She could be a diamond in Society, if she weren't a lady's maid, and if she weren't crippled. But Meg has learned to accomodate the club-foot with which she was born, and the first eighteen years of her life were not all that bad. She was almost, not quite, but almost part of the Wallingford family. Until the Countess died, and the new Countess moved in. With her son.

Poor Meg soon needed a new position, and, surprising even himself, Richard appealed to his friend and near neighbor, Lady Semple, to take the girl into her household. Lady Semple has, after all, a daughter-- Allegra -- desperately in need of a superior lady's maid, one who might curb some of the girl's hoydenish tendencies. Meg soon learns that it has been the fondest wish of the two fathers - Richard's and Allegra's - that their two children should marry. Richard being honorable, agrees, in spite of his feelings for the lady's maid.

But then, Lady Semple's secret is exposed, and everyone's plans are turned topsy-turvey.

How wonderful for readers that Shirley Kennedy has found a new publisher, as writing, plotting and characters such as she produces should not be kept secret.

This book is unlike any Regency romance I have ever read. The heroine was a lady's maid who was truly unique. She could read and write, and she soon fell in love - with a nobleman. She thought he had feelings for her too, but when he became betrothed to her mistress, she came to believe that nobility is all the same. Suddenly, she discovers a secret about her mistress, one that involves her, and could turn her entire world upside-down. It kept me guessing, until the end, what was going to happen.

This book was used at the local Community College as the text book for an HTML class. I thought the book did a great job of incorporating what the reader learns into real web pages. Other books just say to make text bold do this, to make a marquee do that, but the don't show you how to put that into practice. The reader can do the cases at the end of every chapter and get a solid understanding of how to really use what they've learned. I know it doesn't cover every tag you can use, but gives you a great understanding of the basics.

I intended to use this book as an alternative to taking the course (this was the textbook) at the local community college. My buddy took the course, but the instructor didn't use the book for teaching cascading style sheets or JavaScript; good thing! This book is the bible for HTML 4.0; for that purpose it worked - forget it for chapters 7 onwards (Cascading style sheets and JavaScript). It seems as though the author/publisher thought that adding these chapters would give the book sales appeal - it didn't; it only made me feel very stupid. I bought WROX's Beginning JavaScript - so far it looks very promising.

The book is terrific!!! The tutorials help me to learn the programming syntax, and users can try the case problems to apply what they learned. The case problems downloaded from the book website already contain basic code segment, so users don't have to type everything. Also, excellent references of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript at end of book. As the title implied, the book is primary for learning HTML and DHTML. Reader that would like to learn JavaScript need to get another book, also recommed Beginning JavaScript from Wrox.

One of his lesser known works, Shakespeare's Trojan play is also one of his most intriguing. Not quite a burlesque, 'Troilus and Cressida''s lurches in tone, from farce to historical drama to romance to tragedy, and its blurring of these modes, explains why generations of critics and audiences have found it so unsatisfying, and why today it can seem so modern. Its disenchanted tone, its interest in the baser human instincts underlying (classical) heroism look forward to such 20th century works as Giraudoux's 'The Trojan War Will Not Take Place' or Terry Jones' 'Chaucer's Knight'; the aristocratic ideals of Love and War, inextricably linked in this play, are debased by the merchant-class language of exchange, trade, food, possesion - the passionate affair at its centre is organised by the man who gave his name to pimps, Pandarus, and is more concerned with immediate sexual gratification than anything transcendental. The Siege of Troy sequences are full of the elaborately formal rhetoric we expect from Shakespeare's history plays, but well-wrought diplomacy masks ignoble trickery; the great heroes Ajax and Achilles are petulant egotists, the latter preferring the company of his catamite to combat; the actual war sequences, when they finally come, are a breathless farce of exits and entrances. There are a lot of words in this play, but very few deeds.

Paris, Prince of Troy, has abducted Helen, wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta. Led by the latter's brother Agamemnon, and his Machiavellian advisors Ulysses and Nestor, the Greeks besiege Troy, demanding the return of Helen. However, Achilles' dissatisfaction at the generals' endless politicking has spread discontent in the ranks. Within Troy, war takes a distinct second place to matters of the heart. While Paris wallows in luxury with his prize, his youngest brother Troilus uses Pandarus as a go-between to arrange a night of love with his niece, Cressida. When one of the Trojan leaders is taken prisoner by the Greeks, the ransom price is Cressida.

There is only one character in 'Troilus' who can be said to be at all noble and not self-interested, the eldest Trojan prince Hector, who, despite his odd interpreation of the quality 'honour', detests a meaningless war, and tries to spare as many of his enemies' lives as he can. He is clearly an anachronism, however, and his ignoble slaughter at the hands of a brutal gang suggests what price chivalry. Perhaps the most recognisable character is Thirsitis, the most savagely cynical of his great Fools. Imagine Falstaff without the redeeming lovability - he divests heroes and events of their false values, satirises motivations, abuses his dim-witted 'betters' and tries to preserve his life at any cost. Written in between 'Hamlet' and 'All's Well That Ends Well', 'Troilus' bears all the marks of Shakespeare's mid-period: the contrapuntal structure, the dense figures, the audacious neologisms, and the intitially deferred, accelerated action. If some of the diplomacy scenes are too efective in their parodic pastiche of classical rhetoric, and slow things down, Act 5 is an amazing dramatic rush, crowning the play's disenchantment with love (with an extraordinarily creepy three-way spaying of an infidelity) and war.

The New Penguin Shakespeare is the most accessible and user-friendly edition for students and the general reader (although it does need updating). Unlike the Oxford or Arden series, which offer unwieldy introductions (yawning with irrelevant conjecture about dates and sources) and unusable notes (clotted with tedious pedantry more concerned with fighting previous commentators than elucidating Shakespeare), the Penguin's format offers a clear Introduction dealing with the play and its contexts, an appendix 'An Account of the Text', and functional endnotes that gloss unfamiliar words and difficult passages. The Introduction is untainted by fashions in Critical Theory, but is particularly good at explaining the role of Time ('When time is old and hath forgot itself...And blind oblivion swallowed cities up'), the shifting structure, the multiple viewpoints in presenting characters, and Shakespeare's use of different literary and linguistic registers.

Troilus and Cressida is one of Shakespear`s many romances, and, like most of his romances, is a tragedy. Since time immemorial, Shakespears` works have been used as plays, literature and (least often) just casual reading. While Troilus and Cressida is one of the less known plays, it is no less a good one. It is based in Troy(as the name might imply)during the much renowned Trojan War. The valiant Troilus, son of the Trojan king is enamoured of Cressida, also of Troy. Meanwhile, the Greek hosts have laid siege to the city, and the warrior Achilles refuses to fight, encouraging further interaction between the two sides. Cressida, however, is the daughter of a Greek sympathizer(if that is the correct word)and may not be able to honour her commitment to the Trojan prince...

I think this is one os Shakespeare's most underrated plays, probably because of all the uncouth characters. Based on Chaucer's rendition of the story, T and C are Trojan lovers, and she is then traded to the Greeks in exchange for captive soldiers. Aside from this, the women of Troy are wanton and lustful, and the men are prowess driven. If you can deal with this, you will really enjoy Shakespeare's ability to wrap this into all kinds of twists and turns. It delivers a mixture of satire, comedy, romance, tragedy, and a semi-historical (in that people at the time probably believed the Trojan War really happened). Interestingly, this mixture of laughs and tragedy is reminiscent of war novels I have read about Vietnam. The romantic dimensions give this play its edge, and somehow WS manages to make it plausible in spite of all the killing and deceit going on at the same time.

I bought "Get in the act" this morning and ...this is the weirdest acting book I've had in my hands.

First of all there are very few monologs, and not ONE for girls is even remotely fun. They all talk about death, accidents, divorce, illness.. one is about cellulite, but even this one they managed to turn sad and boring.

I wish they'd have made a wider range of styles, not all actors like to do such dramatic scenes. The writing itself is rather plain, I think if you went to a chat room for troubled teens you'd have way more interesting scenarios.

Get "Monologs for young actors" by Lorraine Cohen instead, or browse through ...[Amazon.com's] catalog ...!

My 12-year-old boy, who has an agent, was asked to come in and perform a 2-4 minute monolog. The library had material much too difficult, but this book is perfect for teens and has topics that they can relate to. A wonderful book and now I want to own it for his "future career."

The book Get in the Act is a great book. It is perfect for teens or young aduts who like to act and enjoy drama. It has plays, dialogues, and monulogues they can relate to. My friend and I did a couple of the skits and preformed them to our friends and family. We had such a fun time with this book. We have renewed it 5 times from the library already. Thanks this is a great book!

this Book is alright for a starter type of book but it doesn't fully grasp all the information one would want in such a Important Heading.when you see a Book that says the History of Rock&Roll you are expecting a Full overview&Insights left&right&this Book doesn't do that.but it's still a Interesting read nevertheless.

I checked this book out from the school library about 2 yearsago...This book is what the title says: The History of Rock and Roll.This book uses big text and a lot of photographs. It doesn't really gointo detail about the artists, but it does mention them and it showsthe evolution of rock and roll really well. One part of the book Ilike is the Suggested Listening section, showing music from the50s-90s. This book covers the beginning of rock and roll all the wayto the grunge era, a little after Cobain's death. If you are lookingfor a book that shows the evolution of rock, this is the book. If youare looking for detailed information on the artists of rock and rollthroughout history, this isn't it.

3 out of 5 stars.

The prolific writer of junior biographies has done it again. Mr. Shirley's book reflects a strong knowledge of rock and roll history. For children growing up in these times, they will find an excellent resource that will educate them on the history of this incredible period of music exhuberance.

I didn't realize when I bought this book that it was first published back in 1968. I'm not a Peters expert, but this must be one of her very early works, before she honed her craft. It is short and would be even shorter if it didn't fall back on annoying misunderstandings among the characters to maintain the tension. I didn't find the characters to be appealing, and the book lacks the wit and verve of her later works. Personally, I don't think this measures up to the Peabody books, although I notice several other reviewers differ. What can I say? I'm right and they're wrong, naturally.

The Jackal's Head is an extremely entertaining mystery set in Egypt. I read this right after I finished The Ape Who Guards the Balance, the latest in the Amelia Peabody series; The Jackal's Head has some of the same settings, and it's interesting to see what these places looked like 60 years later. (This book was published in 1968; the newest Amelia takes place in 1907.)

In "The Jackal's Head", the heroine, Althea "Tommy" Tomlinson, returns to Egypt after ten years to learn the secret behind her father's death. The mystery is tied to what may be one of the greatest archaeological discoveries ever. But I don't want to give too much away!

Readers who enjoyed this book might want to go on and read Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series. I completely disagree with the reviewer who said this series was formulaic and boring. As much as I enjoyed The Jackal's Head, I love the Amelia series even more.

A truly fantastic book, full of suspense and wit. Tommy is one Peters' toughest heroines yet. She is not the stereotypical wimpering female who sits and waits for impending doom. She is stubborn and clever enough to find her way out of precarious situations (like being trapped in a tomb). The thing about Elizabeth Peters' novels that leaves me hungry for more is her technique of weaving historical fact into her stories. I always close one of her books feeling a satisfying feeling of having gained knowledge.

This is not an essential book for the aromatherapy novice. It would not call it a quick reference at all. It contains some excellent information but to find it you will have to take some time to read the book. It covers a number of aromatherapy techniques which is very handy.

This huge book offers a wealth of information to someone who is new to aromatherapy or just curious about it. It has a section on just about every essential oil you can think of, where it comes from, what it's good for, and any precautions. Another section suggests different "recipes" made with essential oils for everything from soothing a cold to setting a romantic mood. If you're interested in aromatherapy, buy this book! You won't be disappointed.

A beautifully presented book that is easy to read and refer to. It contains specific recipes for different oils and their applications. I found it invaluable for household and personal use when I wanted to use a natural, non-harmful product around my family.

This book is one of the most entertaining autobiographies I have ever read. I have heard many reviews saying how this book is full of lies, etc, but I didn't care. One of the first things Ms. Winters writes in the book is that this was her life how SHE remembers it, and that it may not be all correct, but people remember things the way they want. Take this as truth or fiction; either way it is a great look at a young girl's rise to fame in 1940s and 50s Hollywood. It gave me insight into the post-war Hollywood machine, and what it was like to be an up-and-comer surrounded by these big-name stars. Ms. Winters' style is casual, as if she was writing it to each reader personally. If any of this interests you, definatly get your hands on a copy.

My wife read me parts of this book while we were driving on a long trip. I found it very entertaining and well written, and am surprised that it is out of print already. One may not agree with her opinions and lifestyle, but she's had an interesting life doing it HER way, and is one helluva good writer.

It's everything you never wanted to know about Shelley's love life but were afraid she'd tell you anyway. And now she does, and it's most entertaining. Other people kiss and tell: Shelley....well, you do the math! She's a personable and energetic writer, and this book is a lot of fun to read. Some of her diatribes about Method acting seem dated if not outrageous now, considering her subsequent career, but even they are fun to read. Among Shelley's colleagues and contemporaries who have written better autobiographies, I'd recommend Maureen Stapleton, Colleen Dewhurst, Betty Comden, and above all, Lauren Bacall. But this is a delicious, if slightly guilty pleasure.

"Silicon Embrace" is a demented alien invasion story and one of the better cyberpunk novels of the 1990s: loopy, graphic and ambiguously funny, drawing on fifty years of flying saucer lore and--ingeniusly--making it all interesting in unexpected ways. Shirley's hyperkinetic vision of a fractured, anarchic United States steeped in the mythology of the late 20th century is terrific. This novel is an overlooked must-read for students of that nebulous field we call "ufology." Like Robert Anton Wilson, Shirley bravely opens doors for the sheer literary pleasure of seeing what's on the other side, waiting and ready to pounce.

Silicon Embrace was read in great, nourishing mouthfulls and satisfied my voracious
appetite for all that is Shirley. Although by the book's end it had subtly notched
by degrees from 'plausible' to 'fiction', that didn't really disappoint me because,
after all, the "Truth" is simply unknown to us, and perhaps, as Kant suggested, *unknowable*.
This didn't detract from the book's believability nor its sheer entertainment value.
The scenes with Sol, the remote-controlled ex-lover of Anja, brought the real Shirley
back for his avid fans, albeit somewhat brief in the overall narrative.
I also feel that the Zetans (or 'Greys') were not fully explained as to their overall
intentions quite enough. The gist was there; they needed us humans for a kind of
"bacteriological breeding ground", but I felt Shirley could've gone further into
their malevolence and microgenetic atrocities.

The prairie-squid "Ceph" was a nice touch, and the many references tieing
the plot into previous author's works (such as R.A.Wilson, Philip K. Dick, etc.)
were well thought out if rather brief. The bottom line is that Shirley has penned
a 'cautionary tale' about our government's involvement with extraterrestrials,
and it is with a sense of relief that I read Silicon Embrace as it exposed
our highest government officials being duped by the Zetans.

John Shirley has been one of my favorite of the 'new' writers
because he can cut through to the marrow of experience, translating it
into terms and sentences that not only can the average person relate to,
but more importantly, that the "not-so-average" (read: talented & gifted;
drug-user; conspiracy buff; etc.) can also relate to, oh-so-well.

He is one of those rare writers who can journey into the "dark heart
of the soul" *and* return to write about it coherently. I recommend John Shirley
to anyone looking for "something more" in their fiction; something most writers
are too afraid to confront openly on the naked page. Silicon Embrace: Buy it; read it.

Shaun Lawton(thorngrub@worldnet.att.net)Portland, Maine

John Shirley's Silicon Embrace is a great book with a lot going on. The story begins with both a nervous public-relations man, and a group of outcasts on the lamb. Between this and the quiet and somewhat happy ending we have: several aliens, a human hybrid being, a collapsed United States, UFO's, Jesus, secret facilities and enough attitude to knock you off your feet. John Shirley blends a plethora of conspiracy folklore with wit and style. He creates a story that invites both wild applause, and occassional stomache-churning despair. All in all, I liked it better than Cats!

I did enjoy this book and found vaious helpful and useful advice for testifying. However, the entire book is written from a psychologist's point of view and virtually all the examples and stories are from psychologist's testifying in court.

Being in the computer profession I had to relate how my experience would apply to the maxims and examples provided in this book. This was easy for some maxims, difficult for others, while some maxims and examples totally did not apply at all.

After reading this book in preparation for an upcoming trial, I felt more confident and more in control for my role as an expert witness. I actually enjoyed testifying.

As an expert witness I have found this simple to read collection contians virtually every trick and technique used by opposing attorneys in cross examination. Not only do I reread it regularly but I also read it every evening before I am called to testify.