Each of the Novellas has a protagonist of unusual proportions, attempting to find something just slightly beyond himself or herself. While being a part of contemporary fiction, there is a certain historical perspective such as the disposed, wandering Jew of Aharon Appelfeld's "The Isles of St. George." Almost alone on this island, he wants to forget Europe, Israel,and his past. One of the most interesting characters in my opinion is Yani in David Grossman's "Yani on the Mountain." Here is a soldier left to oversee a mountain after the war of 1973. The mountain becomes a support, a challenge, something to be overcome, but his friend confronts him, "Hiding uphere on the mountain--armoring himself with hostility and contempt. Afraid. Afraid.." Benjamin Tammuz has one brother living his life vicariously through watching his brother's life unfold in a near-by house. "The Brother" is a thoughtful tale of envy, suppressed love, and hatred. In Yaakov Shabtai's "Uncle Peretz Takes Flight", a zany Jewish communist wants to save the world (which he doesn't even like very much), attending meetings during the day and coming home to climb up on the roof in preparation for flight. Altogether, this is a wonderful collection of stories.

I found the book to be very helpful if a little too detailed. My only real complaint is that some of the French humor doesn't translate well into English, leading to some distracting prose.

This book has to be the most complete single book on sailing. Among the topics covered are sailboarding, fiberglass repair, and catamaran trim. The book does have a European bias, however, so the sections on weather and buoyage aren't as useful for an American audience as, say, those in the Annapolis book. It also has quirky sidebars, like how to make a collapsing log. It's an invaluable reference and a good read.

The Glenans school has been teaching sailing since WWII, and the wealth of practical experience they have shows in this book. This is the best single volume on sailing that I have seen; it combines clear explanations of the physics behind sailing with a vast amount of hands-on knowledge.

For American readers, I will point out two caveats: firstly, in the chapter on meteorology, the book spends a fair amount of time discussing Mediterranean weather. Secondly, when discussing bouyage, the book uses the European system, which is different than the American one (the difference is explained in a sidebar.)

I highly recommend this book to any sailor.

I have been wanting to get the low-down on a Social Work career. Everything I needed and wanted to know is all in one book. The do's and dont's of a prospective Social Worker was most informative.